abcnovels
Chapter 19: Live Bait
Chapter 19: Live Bait
Chapter 19: Live Bait
“… Look’s terrible”
After guiding Futaba-san to a side of the passage, a minute, two… I took a dazed time-out for around 5 minutes, only after which, I got myself together, went to inspect the Goma’s corpse, and let out the preceding line.
The body was bloody to the point that I couldn’t even tell how many times I’d stabbed it. The brutality was on the level you’d see in some B-Horror films.
Well, I did hear that when you consciously commit murder for the first time, it’s often the case that you get too worked up and end up with a sever case of overkill, so this kind of result isn’t something I can’t say I expected.
Still, perhaps I’m not feeling so much of a repugnance to this kind of rated R-18 gore in real life, is because it is something I myself produced. Could be that my sensitivity has dulled quite a bit from my brief experience of dungeon life.
Since I can regain calm in just a bit of time, that theory may not be far from the truth. I didn’t learn any Psyche Skill though.
Anyway, my state of mind, I’ll leave be. Let’s just finish up with the Goma and get out of here.
I didn’t expect any Core from the Red Dog but this Goma may just have a fragment or two. In addition, though crude, these humanoid Goma do carry weapons. Futaba-san’s story had indeed touched on ones using bows for ranged combat.
Implying, this is our chance to get gear.
“Huh, this guy’s—”
Yet, when I observe again, or rather, plainly looked at the Goma, I realized.
“—got nothing on at all!?”
P-pervert! I’d shout but my disappointment was a bit greater.
Yup, whichever way I look at it, this guy’s just plain butt naked.
Actually, this is the first time I’ve seen a Goma from so close. First time I witnessed the creature was a scene where I was peeking at them gorging on a girl from slightly far away.
Getting a better look, I can see that not only is their skin reminiscent of cockroaches, but they’re different from humans at the musculo-skeletal level.
Their height is less than that of an adult man, around my height quite frankly, but looking at that black, slimy, humanoid form makes me equate it to a primate like the orangutan rather than a person. Their image could be best described as one of primitive man, a hunched posture, short legs, and long arms, ones you can find in an animal encyclopedia.
Though, I can’t really tell if it’s male or female. I happen to glance at its nether regions, but that didn’t help at all. Of course, touching to see if it’s got one or not, doesn’t even cross my mind.
Even if Goma were unisex creatures, that information is something I give not one fuck about.
“Damn… this guy’s really got nothing at all…”
I don’t care if you got no undies but at least have a knife or something. This dungeon’s chock full of vile Monsters you hear. Why’d you gotta prance around in your birthday suit, dumbass.
No, well, maybe normal Goma are like monkeys and live naked in the wild.
Maybe those ones dining on that girl were a special class amongst Goma like Hunter or Warrior; those who go out to hunt Monsters and are given the privilege of clothing and weapons.
Shit, just stop thinking about Goma ecology already. Rather than info, I need some physical loot here.
“… Hm?“
C’mon, something, anything; I stare intensely at the Goma’s remains with bloodshot eyes, when I realize.
There’s, way too many wounds.
No, you’re the one who did that remember, I’d like to self-retort but that’s not it. Certainly, I had stabbed it countless times, but area I did that on was only one.
Basically, in my high-tension, frenzied state, I could only manage to hit the biggest part i.e. the trunk of its body. I was not at all in the frame of mind to go for the head or any kind of vitals.
Meaning, injuries from my spear didn’t exist on it’s face or limbs. Nonetheless,
“This cut here… may be a knife”
The Goma’s arms and legs had deep wounds even amateurs could distinguish. These wounds were rough yet certainly ran in a line, they’d in no way be from claws of something like an Armor Bear.
Dare I say, from dulled knifes, yes, those same rusted knives carried by Goma; Like it was forcefully stabbed at the same places by those very knives.
The precise positions of those wounds would be, on the calves of both legs and the upper part of the left arm. For some reason, the right arm was left alone.
“Just what, was it that attacked it?”
In this otherworld, Monsters with severe wounds suddenly popping up in dungeons, meant to become mobs to kill for delicious bonus exp, would obviously— be really too good to be true. At least for me, apart from the whole magic thing, everything appears to follow the physical laws just like on Earth.
Thus, since it’s injured, there is necessarily a cause to be found. Considering it’s a dungeon, the most likely cases would be: unforeseen accident, or attacked by Monsters.
There’s an exception at present where us humans are also fighting Monsters… and if this Goma had been in combat with a student, there’s no reason to leave it be after some damage to the limbs.
This situation was just as if the purpose was to immobilize the Goma, aiming to injure but not kill; as if that was the attacker’s true objective.
But then, for what intent?
The questions keep rising. I feel like the protagonist of a mystery. What secrets lie in the body, through the art of deduction—
“…Momokawa-kun”
With a shock! my body jolts hard quite pathetically from the sudden voice. No, no, that didn’t scare me at all, I pretend as I turn around.
“Futaba-san, alright now?”
“Ah, yeah… I’m fine, so…”
That pale complexion doesn’t look fine at all, but I won’t push the point. She must be, working hard in her own way.
“So, what’s up?”
“Yeah, umm… the Core, we should get it, right?”
From her fidgety way of asking, I quickly got her point.
“Oh yeah Futaba-san, you did say you’re used to handling Cores”
“Yeah”
In Futaba-san’s previous dungeon adventures, her only usefulness in the Class Rep party was that of extracting Cores. Luckily her skill in cooking is quite the thing and dismantling these Monsters went splendidly, is apparently the case.
Matter of fact, now that it’s a simple corpse, she shouldn’t carry so much reluctance. If the dead body’s fine, I’d have thought killing it would garner the same emotion, but apparently, that’s not the case.
“But you don’t have any knives though, is that alright? I mean, we only got the cutter”
“It’s alright, I think… I’ve handled some Goma before, and the Core isn’t too deep inside, I think I can do it”
Oh, such reassuring words. I guess it’s that thing where everyone has their strong points.
“Alright, it’s all yours”
“Ok, leave it to me, no problem!”
And when I went to hand my boxcutter to the slightly less pallid Futaba-san, shoving my hand into my gakuran(uniform) pocket, searching for 3 seconds, grabbing the required plastic article, and offering it as if here, a gift; right then.
“Ah, Momokawa-kun, this Goma, it’s holding something?”
“Eh, no way”
This naked fella? I thought, but looking where Futaba-san was indicating, there was indeed a ‘something’.
“The hell’s, this…”
What I see, is the Goma holding a small bag in it’s right hand. Yes, a truly small, crude bag of brown pelt, small enough to be completely covered by the palm. With only a quick lookover, I didn’t notice.
“I wonder what… it’s white, powder?”
Futaba-san spread open the Goma’s right hand without the slightest hesitation and retrieved the bag. Even though I felt so disgusted at the Goma’s corpse, needed so long just to gather the guts to touch it… what can I say, nothing less from a master of the kitchen who’s even chopped up Monsters.
As I raise my opinion of Futaba-san by another point, I stare at the mystery bag of white powder in her hand.
“Hmm, this is…”
It a glance, it seemed like wheat flour, or potato starch, it couldn’t be described as anything other than pure white power. I also notice that the Goma’s bloodstained right hand has bits of this powder on it here and there.
Before wondering what, white power, the first thing to pop in mind were those illegal substances.
“’Kay, let’s see here… when ingested, it uplifts the spirit and eases fatigue, you get into a state of extreme high, and furthermore, has a strong addiction factor— wait, this is a drug!”
“Eeeh, d-drugs!?“
Via ‘Intuition Pharmacy’, I learned the characteristics of this white powder, this Goma-made drug.
If this Goma was on a trip from this narcotic, and decided to run around bare naked in the dungeon, then that’s all good. If this one’s got an extra dose of stupid compared to the average unintelligent Goma, then that’s all there is to it.
However, even that most likely scenario doesn’t hold given the fact that those wounds exist on the Goma’s limbs.
Right, this one’s had its limbs cut by some thing, making it unable to move, and then given this bag of drugs; I can’t think of any other scenario.
Therefore, the culprit must be—
“W-w-wha-wha-what, do I do with this, Momokawa-kun!?”
Futaba-san holds out the bag of narcotics, panicking as if she’s got a time bomb in her hands.
“Calm down, it’s fine as long as you don’t breathe it in”
“B-but…”
“Ah, ok, fine, I’ll hold on to it for… you…“
Reaching out my hands, my movements stop. In front of me is Futaba-san; the glimpse of those ‘things’ behind her, seeing those I turn stiff.
“W-what’s wrong, Momokawa-kun?”
Seeing me suddenly stop. Seeing my face probably paling in fear, Futaba-san asks uneasily.
It’s unfortunate but right now, I can’t say ‘it’s fine’. No words of relief, nor those of comfort would escape my mouth. What I voice, would only be the cruelest of realities.
“I-it’s bad… we, fell for it…”
“Eh—”
And turning around to follow where I’m looking, Futaba-san screaming so loud as if the stone passage would break, was the natural result. I mean, I even feel like screaming with her.
Reason being, right there, there were—
“Damn it all… the Goma, got us surrounded…”