Day 561-570/Day 564

Day 564 / 94th day
It was around five o'clock in the afternoon when night was approaching after another vigorous morning of exploration.
　While I was collecting materials, a huge time gate appeared in front of me, similar to the time gate I dove through when I entered the "Time History City Historinor", but with different details.
　It seems that we have arrived at the end of the 【Time Change Maze】.
　Looking back on the long, short, and quite fulfilling journey, I felt a sense of accomplishment for the time being.
　I wanted to move on quickly, but I heard that the gate wouldn't open until the short hand arrived, so I decided to kill some time and wait for it to open.
　The best way to kill time is to eat.
　Since this was the last part of the maze of time changes, I prepared the most delicious parts from all the environment owners.
　I had a hard time deciding how to cook it, but this time I decided on a one-pot dish.
　The meat and vegetables, cut into moderate sized pieces, were simmering and the delicious smell was spreading.
　When I ate the meat, which had turned a nice color, the tight and powerful taste dominated my mouth.
　A feeling of elation washed over me as the strong magic inside my body coursed through my stomach. The magic of the meat wildly stimulated my appetite for the next one.
　The meat, which was apparently part of the Chimera Lord's heart, was devoured immediately, and my hands moved one after the other until the contents of the pot were gone in a flash.
　The gourd-shaped crystal bottle of sweet labyrinth wine called 【Time Tears】that goes with the pot is also a gem.
　We also drank the other labyrinthine liquors that we had acquired, and the gray wolf and I were able to spend a happy time together.
　【Ability 【Yin Shadow Thunder Tiger】learned】.
　【Ability 【Juvenile Body】learned】
　【Ability 【Heavy Pressure Treasure】learned】
　【Ability 【Silent Scales】learned】
　【Ability 【Slash, Strike, Poison】learned】
　【Ability 【Destroying Peeling】learned】.
　【Ability 【Blocking Shell】learned】
　【Ability 【Lord of Poison】learned】
　【Ability 【Cursed Sword of the King of Death】learned】
　【Ability 【Forbidden Truth】learned】
　Not only was it delicious, but I was able to learn many abilities as well.
　It's a good idea to gather more ingredients on the way back, and the time gate slowly opened as the short hand came overhead.
　After a quick cleanup, I went through the gate and found an open space that looked familiar.
　It was a cul-de-sac with no passageway leading anywhere, only an hourglass-shaped stone statue floating in the middle of it.
　I approached the statue and read the inscription on it.
　[The second hour, conquer the 【Capital of Time Turning】. Explore the city and feel the time.]
　--.
　As soon as I read that much, the walls of the space moved like a puzzle, just like before, and the next realm - the Capital of Time Turning - appeared ahead of me.
　As the name implies, it was a place that could be described as a city.
　However, its appearance was clearly different from that of a normal city.
　The skyscrapers were scattered at regular intervals, and consisted of special metal pillars that rose so high that they approached the needles spinning in the sky.
　The skyscrapers are surrounded by countless gears, ranging in size from smaller than a pinky nail to larger than a multi-story building.
　A collection of springs of various sizes that repeatedly extend and retract, retract and extend.
　A group of cylinders filled with red liquid that increases and decreases in a constant rhythm.
　A mysterious structure made up of dozens or hundreds of crystals that emit their own light and are mounted in a metal frame.
　The golden sand that kept flowing down from top to bottom at a constant speed and volume in a thick but transparent glass case.
　Metal blocks of various sizes and shapes, such as disks, rectangles, rhombuses, and trapezoids, and huge screws connecting them.
　These various things are connected and combined with amazing precision, and are operating for a single purpose while emitting a unique low-pitched driving sound.
　Considering the fact that the "Time History City Historinor" is based on the motif of a clock, the "Time Turning Machine City" must correspond to the movement of the clock machine.
　You can't help but salivate at the magnificent sight that is worth seeing even just from a distance.
　I decided to spend the night at the entrance of what seemed to be a safe zone today, and went to bed after closely observing the city I would be challenging tomorrow.
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PLACE TRANSLATIONS ABOVE THE BAR. THESE ARE THE RAWS, LEAVE THEM HERE. CLICK EXPAND TO VIEW THEM.
 
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　“九十四日目　／　五■六■四目”
　今日も元気に朝から探索し、夜が近づく午後五時頃。
　素材を採取しながら進んでいた俺達の前に、≪時刻歴在都市ヒストリノア≫に入る時に潜った時刻門と似た、しかし細部が異なる巨大な時刻門が現れた。
　どうやら【時変の迷路】の終点まで到着できたらしい。
　長かったような短かったような、結構充実した道中を振り返りつつ一先ずの達成感を得た。
　さっさと先に進みたいが、この時刻門も短針が来るまで開かないらしいので、適当に時間を潰して開くのを待つ。
　時間潰しに最適なのはやはり飯だろう。
　今回は【時変の迷路】の最後という事もあり、全ての環境主から採れた最も旨そうな部位を用意した。
　調理法は悩んだが、今回は鍋料理にする。
　適度な大きさに切った肉と野菜などがグツグツと煮え、旨そうな匂いが広がっていく。
　いい具合に色が変わった肉を喰ってみると、引き締まり力強さを感じる味が口内を支配した。
　内包されていた強い魔力が胃から全身に巡る高揚感。次を求めて食欲を乱暴に刺激する肉の魔力。
　どうやらキメラロードの心臓の一部だったらしい肉を即座に食い尽くし、俺の手は次から次へと動いて、鍋の中身はあっという間に無くなった。
　また、鍋と一緒に飲む瓢箪型の水晶瓶に入った【時涙】という甘口の迷宮酒も逸品だ。
　他にも手に入れた迷宮酒も飲み、俺と灰銀狼は幸せな一時を過ごす事が出来た。
　 　【能力名【陰影雷虎】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【幼体】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【重圧宝玉】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【無音鱗殻】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【斬打毒の三重苦】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【損壊剥離】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【防塞殻】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【蟲毒の主】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【騎死王の呪剣】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【禁忌の理】のラーニング完了】
　旨いだけでなく、多数のアビリティもラーニング出来た。
　帰りにまた食材集めするのもいいなと思いつつ、上空にやってきた短針に合わせて時刻門はゆっくりと開いた。
　手早く片付けてから門を潜ると、そこにはどこか見覚えのある開けた空間があった。
　何処かに繋がる通路もない袋小路の空間で、その中央には砂時計型石像だけが浮いている。
　近づいて石像に書かれた文を読み解くと――
　［二の刻、【時転の機都】を攻略せよ。巡る都を探索し、時を感じよ］
　――とある。
　そこまで読んだところで前と同じように空間の壁がパズルのように動き、開かれた先には次の領域――【時転の機都】が現れた。
　【時転の機都】は名称通りに都市と表現していい場所だった。
　ただし普通の都市とは様子が明らかに異なっている。
　一定間隔で点在し、上空を回る針に迫るほど高く聳え立つ特殊な金属柱によって構成される摩天楼。
　その摩天楼の周囲には小指の爪よりも小さいものから、数階建ての建物よりも巨大なものまで存在する無数の歯車を始め。
　伸びては縮み、縮んでは伸びるを繰り返す大小様々のゼンマイ集合体。
　一定のリズムで増減を繰り返す赤色の液体が詰まったシリンダー群。
　金属の枠に嵌められ、自ら光を放つ水晶が数十数百と連なってできた謎の構造物。
　分厚くも透き通るガラスのケース内で、上から下へと一定の速度と量で流れ落ち続ける黄金の砂。
　円盤や長方形、菱形や台形など様々な形をした大小様々な金属塊とそれ等を繋げる巨大ネジ。
　そういった様々な何かが接続し、驚くほど精密に組み合わさり、ゴウン、ゴウンと重低音の独特な駆動音を発しながら一つの目的の為に稼働している。
　≪時刻歴在都市ヒストリノア≫が時計をモチーフにしている事を考えれば、【時転の機都】は時計のに相当するに違いない。
　遠目から眺めるだけでも見応えのある壮大な光景に思わず唾を飲みつつ。
　今日は安全圏らしき入り口で一泊する事にして、明日から挑戦する都市の様子を細かく観察してから寝た。
　
 
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Category:Novel
Category:Re:Monster ~ The Dark Continent ~ Vol. 4