novelraw Chapter 145
Chapter 145
Chapter 145
Italy.
A land of food and art with a long Mediterranean coastline in Southern Europe.
Walking through the ancient streets of the historic city of Rome, modern architecture suddenly emerges. The streamlined buildings, aiming to break free from the square rigidity and evoke the scent of postmodernism, are none other than the EU Dungeon Foundation's research institute, 'Norn'.
After an 18-hour flight from Japan, Benvenuto had finally returned to Rome, where Norn is located. Passing through customs at Fiumicino International Airport, he finally relaxed his shoulders.
Because he had entered Japan using an extremely unusual method, there were some additional steps like passport procedures when returning. That said, for Benvenuto—hailed as the next of the 'Four Emperors of Dungeon Academia'—it wasn't all that difficult compared to an ordinary person.
In any case, escorted by JPN agents, Benvenuto made it back to Norn and was safely handed over to the Euro side.
"Long trip, huh? Thanks for your effort."
"Yeah, same to you. Give my regards to Dr. Jigokudo."
When Benvenuto returned, Norn was still buzzing with noise.
A few days had already passed since the appearance and conquest of the Archon Dungeon, and by now, that historic news should have reached Norn as well.
"What's got everyone so riled up?" Benvenuto tilted his head.
For now, he headed down to the lower levels of Norn, where the source of the commotion—Donuts—was stationed.
"Hey there, mister. Care to tell me why it's so noisy around here?"
He spoke to a man fiddling with his smartphone in the corner.
A young man with long black hair, clad in a dark cloak.
The man slowly lifted his face with a lazy expression.
Benvenuto involuntarily let out a strange "Hyeh" sound.
That's because he knew who the man was.
The man was well-known, an S-rank explorer Italy took pride in.
"Baron Benvenuto, I've been waiting for you."
"Catania's Dust, Shirokko......"
If you had an intelligence network as vast as Benvenuto's, you'd know that this man, Shirokko, was up to something shady under Dr. Gregorious Shita Chichigasky, one of the 'Four Emperors of Dungeon Academia'.
You couldn't exactly say Dr. Shita Chichigasky and Benvenuto got along well.
Back when Dr. Shita Chichigasky pressed him to "Pick a side," Benvenuto jokingly called himself "a champion of justice," and he was fairly confident that got him disliked.
"Relax, Baron Benvenuto. I'm not here to cause you trouble."
"That's good to hear...... As fellow Italians, let's get along."
Shirokko pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
Upon closer inspection, it was a smoking area.
A brief silence followed.
Benvenuto wasn't sure what to say to this dangerous, lawless mafia boss. If he chose the wrong words, he feared he'd be hit with the legendary skill combo, Gray Justice, in the next instant.
"I've already lost my master."
"Lost your master? What do you mean, Shirokko?"
"Gregorious Shita Chichigasky is finished. Undeniably done for."
Shirokko spoke while thinking back to the battle that day—and the time he was devoured by Finger Man.
"He crossed a man you should never make your enemy. I was foolish too...... but I was shown mercy, and managed to return to this country."
"Sounds like something major went down, Shirokko."
Benvenuto was curious, but figured it was something he didn't need to know.
Who could be the enemy that brought down the towering figure Gregorious Shita Chichigasky and made the great explorer Shirokko speak this way?
Of course, he was intellectually curious. But if he ignored the warning bells in his instincts, it would surely lead to trouble. As an adult, Benvenuto understood there are things better left unknown.
"Well then, I'll take my leave here."
Benvenuto tried to abruptly end the conversation.
It seemed he prioritized his personal safety over curiosity.
"Finger Man. He is hope."
"......What? Finger Man?"
"A young guy I met in Japan. But he's on a level so far above me I shouldn't even be talking about him. He's got the makings of a legend. The world's buzzing about him."
As Shirokko said this, he showed his phone.
On the screen was an article titled "Who is Fingerman?"
Curious, Benvenuto searched it himself—turns out, the world was abuzz about a phantom explorer with no public identity, rumored to have conquered the Archon Dungeon.
"I always thought he was abnormal. My instincts were right. He even conquered the Archon Dungeon. And they say it was a Double Dungeon."
"So you and Dr. Shita Chichigasky were defeated by him...... Haha, amazing. What a guy, Fingerman."
Benvenuto was thrilled.
To think that the young man he met in Japan had taken down a titan of evil.
His sense of hope had been well placed. That boy was the real deal among real deals.
He could become a terrifying icon to all doomsday fanatics.
"I was spared. By Finger Man. This life should've been lost. I want to carefully consider what I'll use the rest of it for."
Shirokko thought long and hard on his way home, broken and defeated.
Finger Man, who kept striving for ever greater heights.
Even after gaining unmatched power, his noble will pushed him further.
(What drives him? Why does he seek strength? Why was I tortured and killed over and over?)
He felt his limits, succumbed to the evil powers blanketing the world, and gave up.
Shirokko saw himself in Finger Man.
For the sake of a friend—for the honor of one worn-out old man—he challenged *that* Gregorious Shita Chichigasky and surpassed everything.
In that, he saw a brilliance of soul.
Shirokko wanted to understand that brilliance.
To once again grasp the firm will and justice he too must've once had, and this time, carry out what he truly believes is right no matter the hardship.
"Once, I was defeated by evil and became a puppet. I got comfortable in the role of a submissive servant. I was... I was weak. That's why Finger Man shone so brightly. Even with an impossible wall before him, he never gave up on his own sense of justice."
"......Finger Man, huh. I met him too, Shirokko."
"What? You met him too?"
Benvenuto shared his strange experience in Japan and his hopeless encounter in the dark Abyss, where cold winds blew between the stars.
Shirokko listened without changing expression.
The terrifying tale came to an end.
"I see, so that's what happened. Took down the Archon Dungeon boss alone, huh. Even just as a rumor, he was becoming a supernatural figure. But reality is stranger than fiction—he performed even more legendary feats than the rumors said. We really were born in a hell of a time."
Hearing of Finger Man's exploits, Shirokko looked delighted.
A faint smile crossed his cheek.
Benvenuto felt like it was the first time he'd ever seen Shirokko smile.
Shirokko renewed his resolve—
He wanted to grow closer to that man he respected, that proud will—Finger Man.
To do that, he couldn't run from his past.
His late grandmother had often asked him, "Are you living with your chest held high?"
He hadn't forgotten the day he collapsed in tears at her grave, having lost the explorer-only family 'Scorching Wind of Sicily'.
To avenge that humiliation, to redeem his comrades, he needed strength once again.
The evil king lurking in the deepest depths, observing the world from the shadows.
To take his head, he couldn't afford to rot as he was now.
"Baron Benvenuto, would you consider hiring me? I'm weaker than I used to be, but I'll whip myself back into shape."
Benvenuto saw the look on Shirokko's face and readily replied, "Ah, you're more than welcome."
"I was just thinking I needed a major power boost. On a personal level, I mean. Got a big conquest coming up soon."
"A big conquest?"
"It's not public yet, but we're going after the Archon Dungeon. Several sealed dungeons are starting to stir again. Following precedent, it's likely to become an officially sanctioned large-scale operation. Shirokko, I want you on our side when the time comes. No-Face will probably show interest too. If that happens, there's bound to be a battle between people."
"Hmm. If it's against other humans, my experience and skills should be useful. And yeah, I've been wondering about the recent dungeon anomalies. So the Foundation is finally moving to conquer all four Archon Dungeons...... He'll be there too, right?"
"You mean Finger Man?"
"Yeah."
"Who knows. He's a pretty proactive explorer, so I think he'll come. Oh, right—someone in Japan said, 'Finger Man has black dungeon factors......' So he'll definitely come. He'll be drawn to it. Even without that, he's the only explorer in the world to have killed an Archon Dungeon. Even if he doesn't want to, the Foundation will summon him."
"I see."
Shirokko replied flatly.
But his expression was bright—like a boy admiring a soccer star.
It seemed he was secretly looking forward to meeting Finger Man.
————
——Akagi Hideo's perspective
And so, with the beautiful secretary Jiu-san leading the way, the Finger Man Dungeon Conquest National Tour arc begins.
With new equipment, my firepower is now 2.0x.
The goal is 100 in three months. I must be completely out of my mind.
"......So, are you free after this?"
"If it's for you, Jiu-san, I'll make time."
"......Ahem. You shouldn't say things like that to other girls, okay?"
"?"
"......Anyway, let's start with a nearby dungeon. It looks like a Class 1 instance dungeon has appeared in Yokohama."
"Oh? Yokohama, huh."
Yokohama.
A city known as Japan's oldest trading port.
But its hidden side is something else entirely.
Starting from the prosperity of Chinatown, it's a blood-soaked port where Chinese mafia turf wars rage day and night. They say the red bricks of the Red Brick Warehouse are crimson because it was built using corpses as material.
The Landmark Tower in the Minato Mirai district is 296 meters tall because 296 can be read as "nikumu," which means 'to hate'—architects claim it was a warning that this is a land where hatred never ends. If architectural technology had kept up, they probably would've built a 2943-meter tower—"nikushimi," or 'hatred.'
I see. So that's why it's the perfect starting point for the national tour.
I'm actually starting to get excited.