An obviously artificial, stone-built entrance.

Metal grates were fitted into the entrance, with a section designed to open.

"Sousuke, be careful," Chiyu said.

Chiyu enveloped my hand in both of hers, her words sounding like a prayer.

"Yeah."

"Even if I'm not there, you'll surely do something reckless. So I won't tell you to stop being reckless. But at least... come back alive. And then, I'll heal you."

Chiyu's hands were trembling.

My childhood friend, my lover, was worrying about me from the bottom of her heart.

"Yeah, I will."

"Mm. As long as you're breathing, that's all that matters. Even if your body gets split in half at worst, I'll still fix it."

"That's too scary..."

Yet, my childhood friend's joke lightened the heavy air.

"Good luck, Sousuke-san. I will wait for you, won't I?"

Shinfuu also offered a composed smile.

"Yes, we're all coming back."

"Doctor Izayama, Mr. Yonboshi. Sensei will protect you both. Please be careful as well."

"W-We'll do our best too."

"I shall strive to not be in everyone's way."

Professor Luminus, Miyao, and Kamisono followed suit.

"Well then, I'm going."

Seeing us off with worried looks, the two watched as the four of us passed through the grate door. The instant

The door behind them slammed shut with a bang.

"Kyaa!"

The women cried out in surprise.

I hurried to grip the bars, but no matter how hard I strained, they wouldn't budge.

Not only that, I couldn't see Fumihou and Chiyu, who should have been visible on the other side.

Was this the same phenomenon as not being able to see outside from the white classroom, or not seeing the facility's exterior in the bonus area?

It was as if the space had been isolated... rather, it felt like that.

—So I can't leave until I clear this or the day ends and the quest fails?

I had intended to clear it anyway, but it turns out retreat is prohibited.

"It should open once we meet the clear conditions. I know it's worrying, but what needs to be done doesn't change. Let's move."

As I spoke, the three of them nodded.

I took another look at everyone.

Mr. Luminus was a user of "Light Heat Magic."

He immediately activated an illumination spell, lighting up the dark cave as brightly as day.

Miyoo was a user of "Transformation Magic."

As if to protect us, he had already transformed into a Fenrir.

Miyoo's version of a Fenrir had red fur, so there was no chance of confusing him with Mashiro.

Shingon stated that his frail constitution had been cured because he wished for a "healthy body."

Right now, she's carrying the basket on her back.

Incidentally, I was also carrying a basket. On my side, I had brought a spear and a stone axe.

They were things prepared in the armory at our base camp. Now that my abilities are sealed, it's hard to say how useful they'll be, but better than nothing, I suppose.

"Teacher, shall we get started on the mining right away?"

For this trip, we decided to leave the mining to Teacher Luminus and Miyao.

I wanted Teacher to use her light-heat magic like a laser to slice through the walls of the mine.

I planned for Miyao to strip away the rock face using Fenrir's claws.

But even when Teacher's light-heat magic hit, the wall didn't bear a single scratch. "Wh...

What is this..."

The Teacher looked bewildered.

"...Let's try moving a bit further in. But probably, since we're too close to the entrance here, it might not be a viable spot for extraction."

"I-I see. Yeah, if all five types of minerals were just lying around here, that would've been too easy..."

With Fenrir Miyao leading the way, we advanced into the brightly lit mine.

At first, the passage was just wide enough for the two of them to walk side by side, but gradually both the width and height began to vary in uneven steps.

Eventually, they emerged into a vast open space.

Thanks to Teacher's illumination magic, visibility was excellent.

Deep within the chamber, the path split into three distinct directions.

"What... is that?"

Kamizono tilted her head in confusion.

Something stood before each of the three paths.

They were humanoid monstrosities composed entirely of rock.

Unlike Stympalides, I understood what these were without needing any ominous omens.

"Golems..."

These must be the special monsters native to this mine.

Perhaps sensing our intrusion, all three began to move slowly and in unison.

It was eerie to see their eye-like parts glowing red.

"Eep! Oh, so those are the mine's special monsters..."

Teacher jumped in surprise as the golems started moving.

Inscribed on the foreheads of the golems were mysterious, unknown symbols.

I recall hearing somewhere once that the inscription on a Golem's forehead holds meaning, and that erasing even a single character would shut down its functions.

Unfortunately, I don't remember what that specific character was, and even if I did, it might be useless. The script could very well be in a language from another world.

"Sensei! Miyao! The characters on the head might be its weak point!"

I apologize for the vague instruction, but we don't have any other effective strategy.

"Understood!"

Sensei unleashed a heat beam, which successfully incinerated the head of one of the Golems.

"Oh!"

I thought it worked—until that thought proved to be fatal.

The Golem's head regenerated, and it resumed its movements.

Fenrir Miyao leaped swiftly, using her sharp claws to scrape the Golem's forehead.

The Golem collapsed onto its rump, and conveniently, the characters were scratched off.

Tension ran through me as I wondered what would happen now.

"This time... it seems to be staying put."

As Kami Sono pointed out, that individual did not move an inch.

It wasn't just that; it crumbled apart like sand.

"Genshuku-san, that was amazing!"

The teacher's voice rang out in delight.

Wiping the head off entirely wouldn't work, but chipping away at the characters was effective.

Precisely speaking, it seemed necessary to chip away at specific characters.

I had noticed that Miyoo's attacks were only damaging the character on the far right from our perspective among the three mysterious symbols.

If that was the case...

"Sensei! Destroy only the character on the right side, as seen from our position! And Miyoo, I'm counting on you!"

"I-I understand!"

However, this proved to be anything but easy.

It seemed the Golem was learning, shielding its forehead as it approached us.

Since damage to non-vital areas was repaired almost instantly, this was quite a troublesome situation.

"Kamizono, drop the baskets!"

"Yes, Sounosuke-sama."

I dropped the baskets from my back onto the ground alongside Kamizono.

We could pick up the baskets later; they were of no use right now.

"Miyoo, take the enemy down to the ground! Sensei, exploit the opening Miyoo creates!"

"B-But if we do that, we can only deal with them one at a time..."

"It's fine!"

Miyo let out a grunt and pounced on one of the Golems.

The other Golem made its way toward me and Kannazuka.

I stepped forward to shield her.

"Kannazuka, fall back."

"L-Lord Sounosuke! N-No, I can't let you do that!"

Her reaction put me at ease a little.

She held a near-devotional affection for me, but she wasn't under the delusion that I was a god.

Fully aware that I was just a human who could be wounded and die, she was worrying about me.

The Golem swung its fist down, aiming to crush me where I stood in its way.

Pre-transmigration, I wouldn't have even been able to react; I would have simply been crushed and ended there.

But post-transmigration me had undergone an incredible physical transformation in a short period by combining Chi-i's "Basic Healing" and "Strength Enhancement."

I didn't think I'd lose out to anyone on the sports team now.

Plus, the nerve and experience gained through countless battles.

Read the trajectory of the Golem's fist and leap backward at the precise moment.

The punch swung through empty air, gouging a trench in the earth and sending shards of stone flying.

I could track each individual movement with my eyes.

Without hesitation, I leaped, using the enemy's fist, arm, and shoulder as rungs to scale the Golem's body.

My objective was clear.

I had already cast aside my spear.

This time, the stone axe seemed easier to work with.

I reached the head of the massive Golem.

Faster than it could realize my intent and shield its head.

I carved away the character on the far right edge with the stone axe.

The Golem's movements ceased abruptly, and it crumbled into sand.

There was one miscalculation, however.

Because the Golem had turned to sand from a height of several meters, I found myself plummeting from that same altitude.

Ah, shit……

It didn't last long before poof, I landed on something soft.

"Tamano-kun!"

"Soosuke-sama!"

I heard the voices of the teacher and Kozono.

"So fluffy... So Miyao caught me. Thank you."

Fenrir Mioxu let out a distressful cry. It sounded as if he were saying, "Don't worry about me," or "Don't do anything reckless."

I slid down from her back and took in the surroundings.

It seemed our teacher and Mioxu had made it through after all.

The three golems were defeated, and the three branching paths were unlocked.

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An obviously artificial stone entrance.

Metal bars were embedded in the entrance, and a part of them could be opened. "Sō-kun, be careful."

Chiyu wrapped my hand in both of hers and said, as if praying. "Yeah."

"Even if I'm not there, Sō-kun, you'll probably do something reckless. So I won't tell you not to. But at least, come back alive. Then, I'll heal you." Chiyu's hands were trembling.

She was truly worried about me, her childhood friend and lover. "Yeah, I will."

"Mm. Just keep breathing. Even if your body is split in half, I'll heal you." "That's terrifying..."

However, her joke lightened the air.

"Good luck, Sōsuke-san. I'll be waiting." Shinpo also smiled bravely. "Yeah, we'll all come back."

"Doctor Yashan, Shizou. I'll protect you both. Please be careful." "I, I'll do my best too."

"I will do my best not to hinder everyone."

Luminous, Miyose, and Shin'en followed. "Alright, I'm going."

As we four passed through the barred door, being sent off by the two who were worried.

The back door slammed shut. "Kyaa!" The women let out surprised cries.

I hurriedly tried to open the bars, but no matter how hard I tried, they wouldn't budge.

Moreover, I couldn't see the figures of Shinko and Senkyuu, who were supposed to be on the other side.

Is this the same phenomenon as not being able to see outside the window in the white classroom or outside the facility in the bonus area?

The space is isolated, or rather...

--Does that mean we can't leave until we either clear this or fail the quest when the day ends?

I originally intended to clear it, but I can't even retreat.

"I'm sure it'll open once we meet the clear conditions. I know you're worried, but we have to keep going." The three of them nodded when I said that. I looked around at everyone again.

Ms. Lumina is the owner of the 'Luminous Magic'.

She immediately activated the lighting magic, illuminating the dark cave as if it were daytime. Miyose is the owner of the 'Transformation Magic'.

She transformed into Fenrir to protect us, right away.

Miyose's version of Fenrir has red hair, so it's not hard to tell her apart from Mashiro.

Kami no Son's wish for a 'healthy body' had apparently improved her frail constitution.

She's carrying the basket now.

Incidentally, I'm carrying the basket too, and I've brought along my spear and stone axe.

They were prepared in the base's armory, and while I don't know how useful they'll be now that my abilities are sealed, they're better than nothing.

"Professor, shall we start mining right away?"

This time, I've entrusted the mining to Professor Lumina and Miyose.

I planned to have Professor Lumina use her light and heat magic like a laser to cut through the mine walls.

Miyose was supposed to use Fenrir's claws to scrape at the rock.

But when Professor Lumina's magic hit the wall, it didn't even leave a scratch. "This is... strange." The professor is confused.

"...Let's try moving a bit further. Perhaps it's too close to the entrance here, and we're not in a viable extraction point."

"Ah, I see. Indeed, if we could gather all five minerals here, it would be too easy..."

With Fenrir Miyose leading the way, we proceed through the brightly lit mine.

At first, we could walk side by side, but gradually the width and height of the passage became vastly different. Eventually, we emerged into a wide space.

Thanks to the teacher's illumination magic, we could see clearly.

At the back, the path split into three.

"Those are... what are they?" Kanno tilted her head.

Something was standing in front of all three paths. Rock-formed humanoid monsters.

Unlike Stumpardis, this didn't need to ask to know what it was. "Golems..."

These must be the special monsters of the mine.

Seemingly sensing our intrusion, the three golems started moving simultaneously, slowly.

It was eerie how their eyes glowed red.

"Kyah. T-those are the special monsters of the mine..."

The teacher jumped in surprise at the moving golems.

Etched on the golems' foreheads were mysterious characters.

I seem to recall somewhere that the letters on a golem's forehead have meaning, and that one can deactivate them by erasing a single character.

Unfortunately, I don't remember which character it is, and even if I did, it might not be helpful. The language could be from another world.

"Professor! Miyose! The letters on its head might be its weak point!"

I apologize for the vague instructions, but there are no other effective strategies. "Understood!"

The professor fires a beam of energy, which successfully melts the head of one of the golems. "Wow!"

Was it a mistake to think we had succeeded?

The golem's head regenerates, and it resumes moving.

Fenrir Miyose leaps quickly and scratches the golem's head with her sharp claws.

The golem falls on its butt, and the letters are scratched off just right.

Everyone holds their breath, wondering what will happen.

"Looks like... it's not moving this time."

As Kanyuu said, the golem doesn't move at all.

Not only that, but it crumbled like sand. "Mr. Illusion, that's amazing!" The teacher exclaimed in delight.

I couldn't destroy the head entirely, but erasing the text was effective.

Actually, it seemed that I needed to erase a specific character.

I had noticed that Miyoo's attack only damaged the rightmost of the three mysterious characters. Then...

"Teacher! Please destroy only the rightmost character from our perspective! Miyoo, please!" "Y-Yes, sir!"

But this was proving to be quite difficult.

It seemed the golem was learning, approaching us while shielding its forehead.

Damage to the weak spot was immediately repaired, making this quite troublesome. "Kouen, throw away the basket!" "Yes, Satoru-sama!"

I also put down the basket on my back along with Kouen.

We could pick it up later.

"Miyoo, push the enemy to the ground! Teacher, please take advantage of the opening Miyoo creates!"

"B-But that way, we can only deal with one at a time..." "It's okay!"

Miyose let out a growl and leaped at one of the golems.

The other golem came toward me and Kanno.

I stepped in front of Kanno to protect her. "Kanno, stay back."

"Y-Your Highness!? N-No, you can't!"

I felt a little relieved by Kanno's reaction.

She seemed to have feelings for me that were close to faith, but she didn't mistake me for a god.

She was worried about me, knowing that I was a human who could get hurt and die normally.

The golem tried to crush me by swinging its fist at me.

If it had been before the transfer, I wouldn't have even had time to react.

But after the transfer, I had been trained to an incredible degree in a short time by using the Thousand Heal 'Basic Healing' and 'Muscle Strength Enhancement'.

I didn't think I'd lose to any sports club now.

And, the courage and experience I'd gained from countless battles.

I gauge the gargoyle's fist's trajectory and fly backward at the right moment.

The fist misses, gouging the ground and scattering stone fragments.

I could even track every single movement with my eyes.

I immediately jump and use the enemy's fist, arm, and shoulder as a path to climb up the gargoyle's body. What I need to do is clear. I've already thrown away the spear.

I thought it would be easier this time with the stone axe.

I reach the giant gargoyle's head.

Before the enemy can realize my intention and shield its head, I carve the rightmost character with the stone axe.

The gargoyle's movement stops completely, and it crumbles like sand. The only miscalculation was.

That the gargoyle, towering over several meters, turned to sand, causing me to fall from that height. Ah, crap...

But just as I thought that, I land on something soft with a puff. "Kouya-kun!" "Souzou-sama!"

I hear the voices of my teacher and Kounodera.

"It's fluffy... So Miyoo stopped me, huh. Thanks."

Fenrir howls in a troubled voice. It sounds like she's saying, "Don't worry me" or "Don't be reckless."

I climb down from her back and look around.

It seems that the teacher and Miyozu have done their part.

The three golems have been defeated, and the three branching paths have been cleared.

I plan to update every Wednesday in December.

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