To tell the truth, this was why I didn’t have a very good impression of the rabbits. For some reason, they always bopped me on my head, used me as a practice dummy for Rabbit Kenpo, or tried to steal my hat.
They’re toying with me? Quiet, you.
They hardly ever just rubbed up on me like this one had done with Dillon.
Sad.
Anyway, the rabbit seemed satisfied after playing tug-of-war with my hat for a while, then it sat down on the spot and started grooming its head and face. That thing didn’t have a care in the world.
“What’s with this creature?” asked Dillon.
I didn’t know either. These rabbits could probably qualify for one of the seven mysteries of the dungeon.
“Well, they’re harmless, at least. Give them some attention every once in a while if you aren’t in a rush,” I said.
They could be a pain to deal with when you were on a tight schedule because you had to flee or repel them without hurting them somehow.
I looked over and noticed Dillon staring at the rabbit. I thought maybe he’d been smitten by its cuteness. They did look very cute, but I wished they wouldn’t steal stuff from Divers and play tag with us. If it wasn’t for this tendency of theirs, they would’ve been a comforting presence here. As it stood, the best source of comfort in the dungeon was the seals in the Submerged City. There were supervisors there to keep an eye out for trouble too.
Dillon gave me a reproachful look and said, “I wish you could’ve told me earlier they’re harmless.”
“You seemed to not have seen a rabbit before, so I wanted to see your reaction,” I said.
“Ugh...” Dillon looked a bit bitter.
I was usually the scaredy-cat, so seeing someone else getting spooked was kind of refreshing. I couldn’t help watching for a while.
“I’m only about eighty percent serious,” I said.
“So you were enjoying it!” said Dillon.
Nice punch line. But now it’s time for some serious talk.
“Dillon, we may be in the dungeon, but that doesn’t mean everything we encounter will be a monster, so you can’t go around attacking everything on sight. Also, make sure you study up on the Forest before our next dive together. You haven’t done much research, have you?” I asked.
“Huh? Oh, no, I haven’t...”
That was why he hadn’t known about Walker Rabbits. If he’d done any legwork, he would’ve known they were completely harmless.
“You thought you didn’t need to research because you can dive here without issues, right?” I asked.
“I-I’m sorry, I did not...”
“You have to research each floor properly,” I warned. “Getting complacent is how you end up in trouble like that one time.”
A look of realization appeared on his face. “You’re right...”
“Even if the monsters were weak and it seemed like an easy place, there’s a lot that can go wrong. There are poisonous plants and mushrooms, and some monsters have mysterious special powers. You really should know what you’re getting yourself into before setting foot in each floor. There’s a lot of info out there on areas that have been explored already. If you’re gonna dive solo, you have to be especially careful about these things.”
“I understand,” he said meekly.
I appreciated that he was listening to my advice seriously. I felt like we were having a productive conversation.
“You can write, right?” I asked.
“Huh? Oh, yes, I can,” he said.
“Then here, you can use this notebook and pen to take notes.”
I handed Dillon a set of Kokuyo-style notebook and pen, then he thanked me and tested out the pen.
“Wow, this is amazing!” he said, shocked by how comfortable it was to write with.
There was no way Do-Meltan technology could compete with the almighty Kokuyo. He stared back and forth at the inked letters and the tip of the pen for a while.
“You should make a habit of taking notes. There are all sorts of monsters, plants, and items out there, so it’ll be helpful to write down anything that catches your interest,” I said.
“Got it,” he said and nodded.
I gestured ahead and said, “Okay then, let’s go. It’ll soon be time for you to get your revenge like we planned.”
And so, we were off to the Misty Hills, where Dillon had gotten stranded before.
§
I was on an adventure with the newbie Diver, Dillon, to help him get revenge. We were now at the Misty Hills at depth level 7 on route one. It was the floor right after the Forest, and Dillon had been traumatized by his near-death experience here.
His movements had become noticeably sluggish since we entered this floor, and he’d become so stiff that he reminded me of the Golems in the Yellow Wall Vestiges. At this rate, an antique tin doll probably moved smoother. He seemed to be more nervous than I’d expected. He’d almost died here, so it was only natural that he’d be on guard. Fear was reflected in his every move, kind of like how I’d been when I’d first entered the City on route one.
He might have been overly nervous, but at least he was being cautious. The Misty Hills was an easy beginner floor like the Forest, but letting one’s guard down could easily lead to death. The monsters roaming in this area were far stronger than those in the Forest, and they ambushed unsuspecting victims from the fog. Getting attacked from behind was pretty much the default, and getting lost in the fog to find oneself surrounded by enemies wasn’t uncommon.
One unique characteristic of this area was that it was cool year-round. It was too bad, because of the monsters here, we couldn’t come here during the summer to cool off like how rich people went to their vacation homes. We wouldn’t find a sign that read “Welcome to the Misty Hills” as if it was some sort of tourist attraction.
Anyway, Dillon was far too nervous. He looked stiff as a board, and I was afraid he wouldn’t be able to move properly when needed.
“Hey, Dillon, could you stand up for a sec?” I asked.
“Huh? Oh, sure.”
Dillon seemed confused that I’d stopped him out of nowhere but complied without question. Good on him.
“Okay, let’s start by relaxing and giving your body a shake,” I said.
“A shake?” asked Dillon.
“Yep. It’s an important exercise to relieve unnecessary tension. You need it more than anything right now.”
“How do I do that?”
“First, you relax your entire body. Imagine your arms dislocating from your shoulder blades as you let them hang. Then, imagine there’s nothing but water inside you and shake your body by twisting it and letting your arms and legs wiggle around.”
This was one of the exercises featured on a weekly TV health program. I’d always wondered how many types of those exercises there were. There were all sorts of people like kinesiologists, osteopathic doctors, yoga gurus, and some duke named Saraie introducing their health programs, so I hardly remembered what each of them was supposed to do. It all got jumbled up for me just like with those supplements and health appliances they sold on TV. This body-shaking exercise was no exception, and I didn’t actually remember what it was supposed to accomplish.
I demonstrated the exercise anyway, and Dillon mimicked my movements.
“Like this?” he asked.
“Looks like it. Did it help loosen you up a bit?” I asked.
“I think so.”
He didn’t seem fully relaxed, but it’d have to do for now. He had trauma from last time, so he couldn’t help but feel anxious just being here. I couldn’t blame him. The whole point of coming here was to overcome that trauma. I figured we could gradually work on that by getting him used to this floor first.
“Let’s take out your weapon. That should help,” I suggested.
“Got it,” he said and drew his weapon.
“Now, you’ll be ready even if we get ambushed.”
We continued walking through the Misty Hills, then we noticed two humanoid silhouettes in the fog.
“Do you see that?” asked Dillon.
“Yeah, they look human. We shouldn’t need to worry,” I said.
There were obviously other Divers here in the dungeon, not just monsters, and human figures in the fog were usually just that. Especially when there were two or three of them walking together, you could pretty much guarantee they were Divers. If you assumed everything in the dungeon was a monster and attacked them on sight, it could land you in a heap of trouble and get you on the hook for medical expenses and compensations.
Why not just kill them, Akira?
A demon’s voice echoed in my mind. Sensei, the ruthless woman who could kill at the drop of a hat, would probably say something like that—in fact, she had. She’d even told me I could make it look like an accident. Her default solution was that of an assassin, and she terrified me, to say the least.
I stayed aware of my surroundings as I observed the approaching figure, then I recognized a familiar face.
“Oh? It’s Instructor Seeker,” I said.
Instructor Seeker, the dungeon guide, appeared from the fog. His face was unshaven and unhealthy-looking as usual, and in his hand was his trusty umbrella sword. He reminded me of a lazy news reporter or low-ranking detective often found in manga and dramas—all he needed was a khaki coat to complete the look. He looked listless at first glance, but he was actually a capable guide who kept a sharp eye out in all directions at all times.
He wasn’t alone today; a person stood next to him in full-bodied white armor. I thought Instructor Seeker was accompanying them as a guide, but the armored person looked as if they already knew their way around the dungeon.
Who’s that?
“Oh, hey, Kudo,” said Instructor Seeker.
“Hello, Instructor. Are you working today?” I asked.
“Oh, no,” he said, “not today.”
“I see you have company,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, this is an old friend of mine.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “Huh? You have friends? Like, real ones?”
“Of course I do! What makes you think I don’t?!”