Chapter 5: The Garden of the Gods

Shion and I, Kanade, began our live stream at the entrance of the Garden of the Gods. The streaming drone buzzed quietly, transmitting our figures to the eager audience.

True to her style, Shion wasted no time in getting started once she decided on something.

The comment section was abuzz with excitement, and the viewer count climbed steadily.

In no time at all, the number shattered our previous record and broke through 100,000 viewers.

Well, that’s no surprise.

After all, we were about to challenge the dungeon that had everyone talking.

That said, we weren’t planning to dive too deep today.

Even Shion wasn’t reckless enough to push that far.

…Okay, maybe it was more because I insisted we hold back.

Our goal was simple:

—To confirm whether what was written in that blog was true.

To do that, we needed to at least set foot on the first floor.

The infamous first floor that even the S-Class Clan Everlight had abandoned exploring.

After the news of their withdrawal broke, the dungeon had slowly faded from the public’s interest.

Beside me, Shion was explaining today’s plan to the viewers. I couldn’t help but feel a little restless as I watched her.

“Kanade, are you ready?”

Standing at the entrance to this so-called Pandora’s Box of a dungeon, Shion turned to me with a questioning look.

To be honest, I was terrified.

But I forced a nervous smile and nodded.

I’m an A-Class Explorer, after all.

And Shion… she had just been promoted to S-Class.

…If it’s the two of us, we can do this. We’ll make it through. We have to.

《So this is the Garden of the Gods…》

《Whoa, it looks divine as hell.》

《Stay safe, you two!》

《If it’s Shion-sama, she’s got this!》

The comments flashed by on the corner of my vision as I steeled my resolve.

“Well then… let’s get going.”

Shion, ever the true explorer at heart, took the lead.

These days, she was treated more like a pop idol than an adventurer. But at her core, she was just a girl who genuinely loved dungeon exploration.

And no matter what challenges she faced, she had always overcome them.

“According to “The Lone Adventurer’s Dungeon Chronicles”… first, the monsters that appear on the first floor are angel-type…”

Shion muttered softly under her breath.

This was her habit when she was concentrating—she would start talking to herself more. She probably wasn’t even aware of it.

The comments section was heating up.

《It’s her usual thing》

《Awakened Shion is here!》

《We love Awakened Shion!》

In one of Shion’s hands was a smartphone-like device that could only be used inside dungeons. She was probably displaying that blog.

After deciding yesterday to tackle the 【Garden of the Gods】, we had thoroughly read through that blog.

They said that angel-type monsters appear on the first floor.

The blog’s author referred to those monsters as “Archangels.”

――“When they appear alone, there’s no problem if you deal with them calmly. Once defeated, they take some time before respawning. There can only be up to three on the first floor. However, handling two at the same time becomes difficult.”

If the article is true, then it doesn’t seem that dangerous.

The most dangerous thing in a dungeon is being surrounded by monsters and having your escape route cut off. In that sense, “Archangels” can be considered safe.

In fact, 【Everlight】 succeeded in withdrawing without suffering significant damage.

“Let’s go, Kanade.”

“…Yeah. Let’s go, Shion.”

I nodded firmly at Shion, who was gripping her beloved sword.

I also adjusted my familiar shield and took a deep breath.

We would never let our guard down.

I will protect Shion.

Shion placed her hand on the door adorned with solemn decorations.

Then, with an unpleasant creak, the door opened.

A slightly cold air brushed against my cheek.

Seeing the scenery beyond the door, I understood why this dungeon was called the 【Garden of the Gods】.

A landscape that could be mistaken for heaven. There stood a white, beautiful angel.

A perfectly proportioned face, like a sculpture.

Its eyes were closed, not looking at us. However, we knew that the angel had noticed us.

――A killing intent was directed straight at us.

“…That’s an Archangel…?”

“Seems like it. Kanade, can you move?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Thanks to the information we had read beforehand, I managed to stay somewhat calm. If I hadn’t known about the “Archangel,” I would have been overwhelmed by that unusual pressure.

This dungeon is different from others—to the point where I can say that. ――In every way.

“Then, let’s proceed as planned.”

At Shion’s voice, I nodded silently.

After studying the strategy guide, we had devised a plan.

――“The Archangel will always start with an attack like lightning. When you see it raise one hand, it’s best to move into attack immediately. It takes about three seconds for the chant to complete. Let’s decide the match here.”

That’s what was written in that blog.

It was written simply, but three seconds is a very short time.

There’s no time to hesitate. If we don’t move immediately, we won’t make it.

“Here it comes!”

The “Archangel” noticed us.

And just as the article described, the “Archangel” raised one hand and began chanting.

──Up to this point, it’s just as the blog said.