Day 561-570/Day 565

Day 565 / 95th day
【Time Change Capital】is, to put it bluntly, difficult to understand.
　The situation in the surroundings always changes at intervals of a minute, and if you observe from the same place from a distance, the scenery will change completely in an hour.
　The skyscrapers that serve as the pillars of the city remain unchanged, but their positions also seem to shift slightly, and if I had stepped into the city without observing, I would have lost my sense of direction.
　At any rate, in the previous 【Time Change Labyrinth】, I was able to deal with the environment switching gimmick by paying attention to the short hand, but in the 【Time Change Capital】, it seems that I need to pay attention to the long hand that ticks the minutes.
　If you want to explore in detail, you'll have to start by roughly examining the structures that appear and disappear with the passage of time.
　But this time, we decided to move on quickly, so we set off for the axis tower that rises in the middle of the 【Time Change Capital】.
　It seems that there is a pathway in the city that is not affected by the surrounding environment.
　I wonder if it's used for structural inspections.
　I don't know what's going on, but I'll take what I can get and move on.
　However, even as we proceeded down the passage, we could not be too careful.
　In this place, where something changes every minute, if you're not careful, you could get caught in a terrain change.
　In fact, there were times when the floor suddenly cracked as we walked along, and there were times when gears came out of the walls.
　I was able to avoid them with the Silver Wolf, but this kind of trouble happens all the time.
　And let's not forget about the dungeon monsters that appear here.
　The main monsters that appear in the city are Golem monsters.
　 　The Magic Hand Airball is a two-meter-long floating metal sphere with twelve extendable metal arms.
　The Repair Ape, a highly mobile metal ape that secretes adhesives and fusion materials from its mouth and applies them by hand to repair various objects.
　The Kattilad Kera, a three-meter-long metal woodpecker with a high-speed rotating beak that can be used for cutting.
　Armorto the Dan, a mechanical doll with a rounded shape reminiscent of an ant, armed with a giant bolt clipper.
　The "Altacor Metal Crab," a 20-meter tall metal crab with rugged hydraulic shovel-like scissors and enough power to lift some structures.
　We actively hunted these golem-like creatures, as they would provide us with food for the future.
　As a material, they were of high quality and would be a good drop.
　In addition, there are many valuable by-products such as the fusion material from the Repair Ape, so if you collect as much as you can, you'll be able to use it in many ways after you return.
　In the meantime, we were making good progress, and the sun was setting.
　It wasn't too dark since the surrounding area was illuminated by the artificial light leaking from the many structures, but it was still important to secure a place to rest.
　We walked from place to place and finally found an open space in a skyscraper that looked like an empty warehouse, so we decided to take a rest there.
　However, as we stepped into the space, Ash Silver Wolf and I encountered something.
　A luminous magic circle on the floor.
　It appeared from there, a deformed being that looked inorganic at first glance, but had the air of a living being about it.
　The sand inside the hourglass was golden and three meters tall, and it had four white wings that looked more than twelve meters long.
　In the orifice at the center of the hourglass, a red sphere floats, and the way it beats like a heart is somewhat biological.
　Such an odd shape is an individual of a powerful species that we later learn through the [Simple Appraisal Glasses of the Knower] has the name "Roxxardine, the Winged Clock of Time and Sand" and abilities related to [time].
　This is the first time I've ever seen a dungeon monster with such an intimidating presence, and I instantly readied my vermillion spear.
　I'm not letting my guard down at all. I had done everything I could to respond instantly if something happened.
　If there was a sign of an attack, I should have been able to react immediately.
　--But the moment I realized it, I was attacked.
　A clean two-centimeter hole opened in his chest, the skin and muscles underneath were charred black, his bones were melted by the high heat, and his lungs and part of his heart were literally punctured and burning in intense pain.
　I clenched my teeth reflexively to endure the intense pain caused by the blow that went through my back, and fresh blood spilled from my mouth regardless of my intention.
　Normally, this would be a fatal wound.
　I'm not sure if it was to protect me from the attack that could have killed me instantly, but the silver-haired wolf stepped forward to hide me.
　The dungeon monster responded to the snarling Silver Wolf by deploying twelve balls of light around me.
　A second later, the fierce battle would begin, and I would have smiled at the joy that welled up from the depths of my heart before I would have suffered from the pain.
　An unexpectedly strong enemy has appeared, but a strong enemy is a delicious one.
　It had been a long time since I had had someone punch me in the heart even when I was on guard, and just thinking about the taste of it made me feel like I was about to climax.
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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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　“九十五日目　／　五■六■五目”
　【時転の機都】はハッキリ言って難解だ。
　周囲の状況は何処かが必ず一分間隔で変動し、同じ場所から遠目に観察していると、一時間も経てばすっかりと景色が変わってしまう。
　柱となる摩天楼の存在感だけは変わりないが、摩天楼の位置も微妙にずれるらしく、観察せずに足を踏み入れていたらきっと方向感覚が狂っていただろう。
　とりあえず、一つ前の【時変の迷路】では短針に注意しておけば環境切り替えギミックにも対応できたが、【時転の機都】では分を刻む長針にも注意が必要らしい。
　細部まで探索するとなると、時間経過によって現れたり消えたりする構造物を大雑把でもいいから調べる事から始める必要があるだろう。
　しかし今回はさっさと先に進む事にしているので、【時転の機都】中央に聳える軸塔を目指すべく動き出した。
　一応【時転の機都】にも周囲の影響を受け難い通路が用意されているらしい。
　構造物の点検の際に利用でもされるのだろうか。
　事情は分からないが、あるものは有り難く使わせて貰う事にして先に進む。
　ただし、通路を進むにしても油断はできない。
　一分間隔で何処かが変化するここでは、油断すると地形変動に巻き込まれかねないのだから。
　そして実際、歩いていると急に床が割れる事もあったし、歯車が壁面からせり出して来る事もあった。
　灰銀狼と共に回避に成功するが、こういったトラブルは随所で起こる。
　それにここで出現するダンジョンモンスターも忘れてはならないだろう。
　【時転の機都】で主に出現するのはゴーレム系モンスターだった。
　 　伸縮自在の金属腕が十二本生える、二メートルほどの浮遊する金属球体“マジックハンド・エアボール”
　口から接着剤や融合材を分泌し、手で塗り込んで様々な物を修復する高機動な金属猿“リペア・エイプ”
　高速回転する嘴を器用に操り、切削加工を施す三メートル程の金属啄木鳥“カッティラード・ケラ”
　丸みを帯びたどこか蟻を彷彿とさせる造形の機械人形で、巨大なボルトクリッパーで武装した"ダン型機工兵アーマルト"
　油圧ショベルのようなゴツゴツとした鋏で、ある程度の構造物なら持ち上げる程のパワーを秘めた二十メートルはあるだろう金属起重蟹“アルタコル・メタルクラブ”
　こういったゴーレム系は今後の糧になるので、積極的に狩っていった。
　素材としてみても高品質だし、ドロップ品としては上等だろう。
　それに“リペア・エイプ”から採れる融合材など利用価値が高い副産物も多いので、集めるだけ集めておけば、帰ってからも色々と使えるだろう。
　そうこうしつつ、何だかんだと順調に進み、日が沈んだ。
　点在する構造物から漏れる人口の光によって周囲は照らされるのでさほど暗くはないが、それでも休憩できる場所の確保は重要だ。
　アチコチ歩き、最終的にはとある摩天楼の中にある、まるで荷物のない倉庫のような開けた空間を発見したので、そこで休む事にした。
　しかし足を踏み入れたそこで、俺と灰銀狼はそれと遭遇した。
　床に生じた発光する魔法陣。
　そこから出現した、一目では無機物でありながら、どこか生物のような気配も漂う異形の存在。
　中身の砂が黄金に輝く三メートル程の大きさの豪奢な砂時計に、十二メートルは超えるだろう白い四翼を生やしたような奇妙な造形。
　砂時計の中心であるオリフィスには赤い球体が浮かび、それがまるで心臓のように拍動している様はどこか生物的でもある。
　そんな異形――後に【知識者の簡易鑑定眼鏡】を使って“”という名称と、【時間】に関する能力を持つ事を知る、強力な種の一個体。
　これまでとは明らかに一線を画す威圧感を発するダンジョンモンスターに対し、俺は瞬時に朱槍を構えた。
　油断は一切していない。何かがあれば瞬時に対応すべく、やれる事は全てやっていた。
　攻撃の前兆があれば即座に反応できる、はずだった。
　――しかし気が付いた時には攻撃を受けていた。
　胸部に二センチほどの綺麗な穴が開き、その下の皮膚や筋肉は黒く炭化し、骨は高熱によって溶け、肺や心臓の一部が文字通りに穴が開いて焼ける激痛。
　背中まで突き抜けた一撃によって生じる諸々の激痛に耐えようと反射的に歯を食いしばり、意思とは無関係に口から零れる鮮血。
　普通であれば致命傷。
　即死していても可笑しくはない攻撃を受けた俺を庇う為か、灰銀狼が俺を隠すために前に出てくれた。
　唸り声を発する灰銀狼に対し、ダンジョンモンスターは周囲に十二の光球を展開する事で応えてみせる。
　一秒後には壮絶な戦闘が開始されるだろうその時、俺は痛みに苦しむよりもまず先に、心の奥底から湧き出す歓喜に笑みを浮かべていただろう。
　思わぬ強敵が出現したが、強敵とは即ち美味。
　警戒していても心臓を打ち抜いてくる輩は久しぶりで、その味を想像するだけで絶頂してしまいそうだった。
 
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Category:Novel
Category:Re:Monster ~ The Dark Continent ~ Vol. 4