Chapter 27: Chance Meeting

「No way… Do you mean, it might happen inside a new, unregistered dungeon?」

James frowned.

「That’s right. There’s a case in which the new dungeon isn’t reported to the government, or the dungeon simply has yet to be found. Someone might happen to capture one of those undiscovered dungeons rights?」

「Please wait a minute.」

This time, Maya raised her voice.

「Ethan, even if we consider that what you said is correct, where do you think you can find 『Seeker』 who can dive until the 200th floor? Not to mention that the kind of Explorer who can accomplish such a feat is under the management of the country or the army. And we do not receive any report about them making their move.」

Maya’s argument was valid and reasonable. It took a lot of budget and time to train a strong Explorer.

It was common sense shared by everyone in this place and the other people outside too.

But, that common sense didn’t cloud Ethan’s judgment.

「Your argument is valid, but let’s think about this matter with the consideration that there’s a powerful seeker out there, unknown to any governments in the world. That person entered the newly born black dungeon and subjugated a duke. And then, he keeps advancing deeper until he finally subjugates the lords in quick succession.」

「THAT’S ABSURD!」

James spat such a remark.

「I know that this is just mere speculation of mine. But, we are left with no choice but to use such speculation. They had already defeated four lords after all. We still have no idea whether it was done by a single person or a group. But they’re definitely small in number. There should be information leaks if the one who makes a move is a large-scale clan. What I want to say is that there’s an even stronger clan than the one who has 『Flame Emperor 』Albert―― It should be more logical to think that way, right?」

The conference room was enveloped in an eerie silence. Though the chance for that to happen was close to impossible, there was not enough information to deny that.

「And, if my guess is correct――」

The other scholars gulped their spit, waiting for Ethan to finish his words.

「There’ll be a huge change in the near future.」

◇◇◇

The day after Yuuma defeated the four 『Colorful』 slimes, he came out of his house in the morning in an elated mood.

Red, blue, yellow, green, and if his guess was correct, the next one should be white.

Though he was doubtful if there was any use in the resistance of healing magic, he knew that it was just another slime with a different color.

When he was about to reach the hole, Mamezo barked even louder than usual.

「Calm down Mamezo, I’ll kick their ass immediately!」

After making sure that Mamezo had already retreated to a safe distance, Yuuma illuminated the inside of the hole with his flashlight. Though his feeling was rather complicated if white slime really did come out, it was only for a moment whether white or not, he still had to defeat the slime.

And Yuuma who observed the hole like usual got surprised by something that he would never expect to see.

「EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!?」

He ended up looking at the object with a dumbfounded look on his face for a while after that. The one waiting in the hole was a black metal slime. Yes, it had the same colour as the normal metal slime, but that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was the slime’s size. It was at least five times bigger than normal metal slime.

Since the slime was staying still, the already tiny hole looked even smaller than before.

「What in the hell is this big guy!? Are you telling me that this guy is the boss of the metal slime?」

As if it came to avenge its fallen henchmen, it stood still in the hole, unmoved like a giant boulder in a small hole.

「I guess I have to beat this guy too…」

Yuuma slapped his cheeks to restore his weakened fighting spirit and ran back to his house.

He dumped a lot of cold sprays and gas burners into a card box and returned to the garden again.

He placed the cold sprays and gas burners right outside of the hole. After he completed his preparation, he was ready to go all out to defeat the avenger who was waiting for him inside the hole.

Lastly, Yuuma invoked his 『Metallization』 and jumped into the hole.

The giant metal slime before him approached quickly the moment his feet landed on the floor. It released a pressure that he never felt before.

Yuuma didn’t hesitate to use a dual cold spray to welcome the avenger.

That moment―― Something moved. And by the time he realized that the spray can have already been ruptured. The cold air was released from the hole of the ruptured can.

「What happened just now?」

From the cold sprays that fell on the ground, he knew that it was just sliced off by something.

When Yuuma raised his face, he saw two tentacles coming out from the slime, wriggling eerily in the air.

The tip of the tentacles was shaped like a sharp blade, pointed right toward him.

「Oioioioi! Are you kidding me!?」

The situation beyond even his wildest dream happened right before him.