-42- The Fourth Cla.s.s Meeting
There was a corpse floating in the transparent gel.
Its bones were broken and pulverized. The abdomen is cut open so the contents spilled out. The digestive organs are ranging from yellow to dark brown in color.
The bone marrows were drawn out and hollow. Remains of dark red meat and muscle fibers are barely clinging to some parts of the white bones. It already lost the figure of what should have been human. Only scattered traces of being miserably and ruthlessly eaten remain.
When I look closely, maybe it was eaten to the point that the bones were gnawed since some parts were completely missing. The reduced bones interweave with the form of a human. But not one skin or entrails were there.
The organs of the digestive system are taken and the contents are arranged to its original state. I can see very well how the food taken inside the human body changes.
It was just like an anatomical model.
It looks disgusting and hideous.
The holes of the hollow eye sockets are looking at me.
It"s no longer possible to distinguish who it is just by looking at the corpse.
However, I knew who it was. The little finger on the right hand. There was nothin in that place, there are even no remains of small bones unlike the rest. I knew that it was the result of that being cut off.
I didn"t speak about the truth. I realized that doing so is unnecessary. With just the proof I gathered from the situation, it is apparent that this is Miyazu Taito.
He entered the dungeon alone and was eaten by monsters.
◇
This morning, I felt the loneliness of once again waking up by myself.
The white room feels s.p.a.cious, making me yearn for the warmth of the body. Since we were summoned, it was the first time experiencing a morning without Hiiragi-san.
The world seems to lose its colors just a bit.
When I checked the time, I slept only half of the usual. But I was not in the mood to take a nap anymore.
The stones were ignored because I gave up halfway. Without the intention of polishing it again and having so much free time, I casually checked my status.
Status
＜Mukou Hibari: ♂16＞
E: –
HP: 10
MP: 5
MA:－
MS: Detection Operation Emission
PP：2,958
CP：10,392
PARTY
Fushimi Hiiragi Adelheit・Lichtenstein Maizuru Yuuko(Slave)
ITEM
Cypress pole Ebony pole Faith stone Clock Magic bag(Damaged) Magic lantern(Damaged) Mana stone×10 Razor Whetstone Throwing stone
CREATION
Private room Plate Key Restroom Bathroom
I noticed that I recognize the information floating in my mind. The CP value, which represents the shared points, increased by 10,000 points more than yesterday. I, who guessed the meaning of that, stood up and left the room.
My cla.s.smates were sleeping together in the hall. They are lying down with a distance between the males and females. There are sounds of snoring, grinding teeth, and breathing. While listening to the sounds heard when sleeping, I walk on the gaps to avoid the people.
Suddenly, my arm was grabbed by a hand that reached from below and I almost fell forward.
When I turned to look who it was, it was Dekoko who was showing displeasure in her face.
「What are you doing this early in the morning?」
She paid attention to those sleeping around so she spoke in a low voice. I woke up early even though I usually sleep until late in the morning, also, I think that Dekoko would obviously have questions about me acting alone.
「Didn"t Nagaoko-san woke up very early too?」
「I usually wake up during this time. So, Hibari, what business do you have in the mortuary?」
Dekoko had an idea where I was heading. Is it reasonable that she understood it with just the direction of my foot?
「I looked at my status. The CP increased. Maybe, someone died. It"s possible to revive when you die in a game, right? I thought that there might be a change if I go to the mortuary and I was about to head there to check.」
「Is that so? Then I will also go with you.」
「Me too.」
When I turned towards the voice of another person, Sagara was raising the corners of his mouth while touching the frame of his gla.s.ses.
「Sagarkun woke up.」
Because of Dekoko"s voice, Sagara grimaced just a little and replied while scratching his cheek.
「Because my sleep has been short lately. Well, I already got used to it after the tutorial so there"s no problem with my health. Mukou-shi, why are you not together with Fushimi-shi?」
「Our party member, Maizuru-san is in a slightly bad condition. Hiiragi-san is nursing her in her room just to be sure.」
「Hmm, is it the monthly thing?」
「You"re tactless, aren"t you, Sagarkun? I"ll make you work hard for today"s exploration as punishment.」
「No, no way, Nagaokshi. I was just joking.」
While talking in a small voice, we walked to the entrance of the pathway leading to the mortuary.
We talked about casual topics until the end of the hallway. Perhaps, we have a guess about what is ahead of us and tried to lighten the mood even a little.
Thirty-one pedestals and gel coffins.
The empty gels are showing a translucent color. Nothing changed with the corpses of those who died in the first day, Nantan-sensei, Seika, Kasagi, and Yamashina, and they were preserved. Decomposition didn"t happen and, as if the time had stopped, nothing changed. They don"t have clothes on at all, their naked body is exposed and lying down.
In addition to the four, the fifth coffin had been filled. From translucent, it turned transparent.
A miserable corpse was there.
◇
There are no seats so my cla.s.smates are sitting in a circle and dedicating a prayer with their eyes closed. I felt a deja vu in the scene that resembles the first day.
There were differences. Miyazu who died, Wazuka"s group, and Maizuru who became my slave are not here. There are a lot of people showing a gloomy expression but there are also others with calm expression included.
The experience in the tutorial and fighting monsters in the dungeon brought the changes. I realized that adjusting to the environment and adapting caused these.
Hiiragi-san, sitting next to me, is also not trembling anymore and observing our cla.s.smates while her eyes are open just like me.
Still, we kept silent until the Dekoko announced that it"s finished.
After discovering the new corpse, we approached the transparent coffin and observed it in detail.
From the broken bones, the size of the body, and the currently missing cla.s.smate, we a.s.sumed that it is Miyazu Taito.
Following the change in the situation, I and Sagara acted in accordance to the Cla.s.s President Dekoko"s instructions. We woke up our cla.s.smates who were still sleeping and returned, even those resting in their rooms were called.
Since Wazuka"s group already went to the dungeon, they were nowhere to be found. They know that Maizuru who is in bad condition since yesterday is resting so only 23 people gathered in the hall.
「–we confirmed that there is a feature in the mortuary that automatically retrieves the person who died in the dungeon.」
The silent prayer ended. To share the information, Dekoko mentions the function provided by the mortuary that we had just identified.
「Also, we discovered that CP automatically increases by 10,000 points when someone dies. If somebody discovered something other than that, you can say it freely. However, raise your hand before you speak, okay?」
There"s not much change in the voice of Dekoko even though a person died. Did they not notice anything or are they hiding information? There was n.o.body who raised their hand.
There are a few people crying. There are some whose complexion turned bad from recalling the corpse. The faces of his former party members were looking down quietly.
However, the corner of Minami"s lips seems to be raised. He"s looking down so I"m not very sure but he might be smiling.
「There is n.o.body. Now, there"s only one thing for me to report so listen properly. Wazukkun"s party defeated the monster that was beyond the door as planned. I wanted him to tell me the details personally, but he escaped because there was no suitable timing.」
Dekoko is annoyed with Wazuka. Looking at how they disappeared earlier this morning as well, it"s clear that he"s avoiding her.
Dekoko talks with a voice like she"s completely in a bad mood. If it"s not my imagination, I feel like the tone of her voice is sadder that when she announced the death of Miyazu.
「Last night, according to what I heard from the person himself, the monster that appeared was a gray wolf that is more than 4 meters in length. It used wind magic and performed attacks that can gouge the walls and floor. He said that its movement was sharp and agile. There are eight entrances in the place where that monster was and it looks like there are four paths that lead deeper. He mentioned that it"s possible to do a shortcut once you reached that place.」
A wolf with a size more than twice a dire wolf that is said to be the largest-ever in the earth. I feel the threat when I consider that it also uses wind magic.
Although it was defeated by Wazuka, the dungeon continues deeper. Considering that a shortcut became possible, can it be called something like a mid-boss?
More dangerous monsters will appear on the floors below that. It"s also necessary to consider the possibility of the monsters, completely identical as that wolf, will form packs.
「That"s all from me, but is there someone who has something else to say?」
Only one person raised their hand to Dekoko"s question.
「Yes, Kazue-chan.」
Kazue, whose eyes were red from crying, stood up after being called by Dekoko.
「Everyone, your cla.s.smate, Miyazu-kun, died in a sad way. He challenged the dungeon alone and lost his life. So I request everyone to please don"t do something reckless like that. So that nothing sad will happen like someone dying anymore, please cooperate with your friends. Please.」
Finishing what she wants to say, she looks down while holding her hands over her eyes. Gloomy atmosphere filled the place.
「Is there n.o.body else? In that case, I will end the fourth cla.s.s meeting, okay?」
Dekoko"s carefree voice was really inappropriate.