Day 391-400/Day 400

Day 400
There is a region called the ≪Gaudobi Great Desert≫ a little far from ≪Orji・Manu・Diunas≫. This is a red desert built with "molten silica sand" - commonly known as "red sand", which is a red crystalline sand that accumulates heat. Just like the Funeral Volcano, it is said to be a dangerous area where people can die from being boiled alive, even at night, unless they take measures such as taking special magic potions.
Not only is the environment always blazing hot, but the monsters that live here are all tough, so there are few people who come close to it. It seems to be a place that has been associated with ≪Orji・Manu・Diunas≫ for a long time because a large amount of red sand, which is used as a raw material for glass products like red jewels, which is also a specialty of ≪Orji・Manu・Diunas≫, can be extracted. 
Since it was a good opportunity, we decided to go sightseeing there today. It was also meant to be a rehearsal before we ventured into the desert in earnest. It was far enough away that we could return home in a day, so it would be a good experience. The guide was one of the local slaves who knew the area well, and we were moved around by a large desert-specification skeletal spider pulled by Karabakuda, whom I had made my errand boy for the future.
As we approached our destination, the ≪Gaudobi Great Desert≫, the temperature continued to rise, and everyone except me looked disgusted. Even so, I persevered and went on, and when I finally arrived there, it was certainly red. I had imagined it to be blood red until I saw it, but it was more like a ruby. It reflected the sunlight and shone brightly. It was bewitching and beautiful, like a sea of jewels.
Personally, it was a sight worth seeing, but normally, the temperature would certainly be troublesome as it continued to rise furiously as we approached. I was rather comfortable because of my【Heat Absorption】, but Kanami and the others were sweating, wearing light clothing, and had been taking expensive magic potions for quite some time.
If you actually come here, you'll understand, but it's a much harsher environment than I've heard. No one would come near this place except as a job. The only people who would go to the trouble of consuming a lot of expensive magic potions and come here not for work but just for sightseeing must be extremely drunk. 
With the heat of the day, I didn't want to go outside just to get a closer look, so I left everyone in the skeletal spider, which had been made more comfortable by Kanami's air conditioning, and went alone to collect the red sand. When I asked him why he didn't just go outside, he said『If you want to, but if you just want to look, this is good enough』.
I was convinced that he was right. From the skeletal spider, which had reached the top of the dune, the red desert was clearly visible. It's nice to look at it while enjoying a cool drink in the air-conditioned interior. I go outside to the area of red sand, which is clearly different from the normal desert, and use the item box to collect a large amount of sand.
This is one of the materials that Blacksmith-san wanted, so I should collect enough to not have to come back. If we can get our own red glassware, we'll have a use for it. While we're at it, let's take a look at the shallow and deep areas of the red desert.
I was curious to see if there was any difference in the red sand depending on where I collected it, so I finished collecting it in the shallow area after a certain amount of time and flew deeper into the desert. We flew at high speed for a few minutes and collected several more times, but then we found some kind of huge structure at the very back. 
At first glance it looked like a pyramid, but it was much more messy, complex, and huge. It was like a temple complex, a hodgepodge of temples of various styles incorporated into a pyramid. I've seen it before, but it looks like nothing I've seen anywhere else.
As I approached, I tilted my head and wondered what in the world was in such a place, and found out that it seemed to be an【Age of the Gods Dungeon】. However, there was no information that I had gathered that showed that there was a【God】rank dungeon deep in the harsh ≪Gaudobi Great Desert≫. Maybe this is a dungeon that no one has explored from the environment and no one has found it yet.
In the event that the【Gods】who need to gather【Faith】to increase【Divine Power】built it, I could not understand why they built it in such a place where no one comes, but since its already here, so it can't be helped. In terms of distance, it is not a bad place to move to using a【Warp Gate】, but it will not be convenient to use because you need to cross the ≪Gaudobi Great Desert≫. But since it was a good opportunity, I decided to take a peek.
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RAWS
“四百日目”
≪オルジ・マヌ・ディウナス≫からやや離れた場所に、≪ガゥダーブル熔熱大砂漠≫という地域がある。
ここは“溶熱珪砂”――通称“赤砂”という熱を溜め込む赤い結晶のような砂で構築された赤い砂漠で、【鬼哭神火山】のように特殊な魔法薬を飲むなどの対策をとらない限り夜でも蒸し焼きになって死ぬ事もあるような危険地帯だそうだ。
常に燃えるように暑い環境だけでなく、ここに生息するモンスターも強靱な種族ばかりなので近寄る者は少ないが、≪オルジ・マヌ・ディウナス≫の特産品にもなっている赤い宝石のようなガラス製品の原材料にもなっている赤砂が大量に採れるので、≪オルジ・マヌ・ディウナス≫にとって古くから縁のある地らしい。
折角なので、今日はそこを観光する事にした。
それに本格的に砂漠地帯を踏破する前の予行演習としての意味もある。
日帰りで帰れる程度の距離なので、体験としては十分だろう。
ガイドは土地勘のある現地奴隷の一人に任せ、今後を考えて≪使い魔≫にしたカラバクダに牽引される砂漠仕様の大型骸骨蜘蛛に揺られる事しばし。
目的地である≪ガゥダーブル熔熱大砂漠≫に近づくごとに、明らかに上がり続ける気温に俺以外の皆は嫌そうな顔をしている。
それでも我慢しながら進んで行き、ようやく着いたそこは確かに赤かった。
見るまでは勝手に血のような赤さかとイメージしていたが、これはルビーのような、と表現すべきだろう。
陽光を反射させ、キラキラと輝いている。妖しくも美しい、宝石の海のようですらあった。
個人的には一見の価値ある風景だが、普通なら確かに近づくにつれて猛烈に上昇し続ける気温は厄介だろう。
【炎熱吸収】があるので俺はむしろ快適だったが、カナ美ちゃん達は汗が滲み、薄着になってかなり前から高価な魔法薬を常飲している。
実際に来れば分かるが、聞いた以上に過酷な環境だ。これなら仕事として来る以外には、誰も近寄らないだろう。
わざわざ高価な魔法薬を大量に消費してまで仕事ではなくただの観光で来るのは、余程酔狂な者だけに違いない。
さて、そんな酔狂鬼である俺は、焼かれるような暑さの中、近くで見るためだけに外に出るのは嫌がる皆をカナ美ちゃん冷房により快適になった骸骨蜘蛛に残し、単鬼で赤砂の回収する事になった。
折角だから外に出ればいいのに、と言えば『必要ならともかく、見るだけならココで十分じゃない』と言われた。
まあ、確かにその通りだと納得してしまう。砂丘の上にまで来た骸骨蜘蛛からは、赤い砂漠はよく見える。
冷房の効いた内部で優雅に冷たい飲み物を楽しみながら眺めるのは、ちょっと良いなとも思う訳で。
気を取り直して俺は外に出て、普通の砂漠とは明確に違う赤砂の領域に降り立ち、アイテムボックスを使ってズゴゴゴゴ、と大量に採取する。
鍛冶師さんが欲しがっていた材料の一つなので、また来なくてもいいくらいには大量に採取しておこう。
赤いガラス製品を自前で揃えられれば、それはそれで使い道もある。
ついでなので、赤い砂漠の浅い場所と深い場所。
採取するところで赤砂に何かしらの違いがあるのか気になったので、ある程度で浅い場所での採取は終えて、奥の方に飛んでいく。
高速で数分ほど飛翔し、更に数回に分けて採取していったのだが、その時、かなり奥の方に何かしらの巨大な構造物を発見した。
一見するとそれはピュラメルのような、しかしそれよりはもっとゴチャゴチャと複雑で巨大な構造物だ。
ピュラメルに様々な様式の神殿などを盛り込んだ、ごった煮の複合神殿のような、と言えば良いか。
どこかで見た事はあるが、しかしどこにもないような外観をしている。
こんな場所にいったい何だろうかと小首を傾げながら近づいてみると、そこはどうやら【神代ダンジョン】らしい事が分かった。
ただ、過酷な≪ガゥダーブル熔熱大砂漠≫の奥深くに【神代ダンジョン】があるなど、集めた情報にはなかった。
もしかしたら環境から探索した者が居らず、誰にも見つかっていない【神代ダンジョン】なのかもしれない。
【神力】を高める為に【信仰】を集める必要のある【神々】が造ったにしては、こんな誰も来ないような場所に造った理由が理解できなかったが、あるのだから仕方ない。
【鬼哭門】を使った移動先として、距離的には悪くない場所だが、≪ガゥダーブル熔熱大砂漠≫を越える必要があるので使い勝手は決して良くないだろう。
だが、折角なので少し覗いてみる事にした。
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Category:Novel
Category:Re:Monster ~ The Dark Continent ~ Vol. 1