â⦠Lookâs terribleâ
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 Gomaâs corpse, and let out the preceding line.
The body was bloody to the point that I couldnât even tell how many times Iâd stabbed it. The brutality was on the level youâd see in some B-Horror films.
Well, I did hear that when you consciously commit murder for the first time, itâs often the case that you get too worked up and end up with a sever case of overkill, so this kind of result isnât something I canât say I expected.
Still, perhaps Iâm 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 didnât learn any Psyche Skill though.
Anyway, my state of mind, Iâll leave be. Letâs just finish up with the Goma and get out of here.
I didnât 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-sanâs story had indeed touched on ones using bows for ranged combat.
Implying, this is our chance to get gear.
âHuh, this guyâsââ
Yet, when I observe again, or rather, plainly looked at the Goma, I realized.
ââgot nothing on at all!?â
P-pervert! Iâd shout but my disappointment was a bit greater.
Yup, whichever way I look at it, this guyâs just plain butt naked.
Actually, this is the first time Iâve 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 theyâre 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 canât really tell if itâs male or female. I happen to glance at its nether regions, but that didnât help at all. Of course, touching to see if itâs got one or not, doesnât even cross my mind.
Even if Goma were unisex creatures, that information is something I give not one fuck about.
âDamn⦠this guyâs really got nothing at allâ¦â
I donât care if you got no undies but at least have a knife or something. This dungeonâs chock full of vile Monsters you hear. Whyâd 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.
â⦠Hm?â
Câmon, something, anything; I stare intensely at the Gomaâs remains with bloodshot eyes, when I realize.
Thereâs, way too many wounds.
No, youâre the one who did that remember, Iâd like to self-retort but thatâs 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 didnât exist on itâs face or limbs. Nonetheless,
âThis cut here⦠may be a knifeâ
The Gomaâs arms and legs had deep wounds even amateurs could distinguish. These wounds were rough yet certainly ran in a line, theyâd 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.
âJust what, was it that attacked it?â
In this otherworld, Monsters with severe wounds suddenly popping up in dungeons, meant to become mobs to kill for delicious bonus exp, would obviouslyâ 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 itâs injured, there is necessarily a cause to be found. Considering itâs a dungeon, the most likely cases would be: unforeseen accident, or attacked by Monsters.
Thereâs an exception at present where us humans are also fighting Monsters⦠and if this Goma had been in combat with a student, thereâs 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 attackerâs 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 deductionâ
ââ¦Momokawa-kunâ
With a shock! my body jolts hard quite pathetically from the sudden voice. No, no, that didnât scare me at all, I pretend as I turn around.
âFutaba-san, alright now?â
âAh, yeah⦠Iâm fine, soâ¦â
That pale complexion doesnât look fine at all, but I wonât push the point. She must be, working hard in her own way.
âSo, whatâs up?â
âYeah, umm⦠the Core, we should get it, right?â
From her fidgety way of asking, I quickly got her point.
âOh yeah Futaba-san, you did say youâre used to handling Coresâ
âYeahâ
In Futaba-sanâs 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 itâs a simple corpse, she shouldnât carry so much reluctance. If the dead bodyâs fine, Iâd have thought killing it would garner the same emotion, but apparently, thatâs not the case.
âBut you donât have any knives though, is that alright? I mean, we only got the cutterâ
âItâs alright, I think⦠Iâve handled some Goma before, and the Core isnât too deep inside, I think I can do itâ
Oh, such reassuring words. I guess itâs that thing where everyone has their strong points.
âAlright, itâs all yoursâ
âOk, leave it to me, no problem!â
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.
âAh, Momokawa-kun, this Goma, itâs holding something?â
âEh, no wayâ
This naked fella? I thought, but looking where Futaba-san was indicating, there was indeed a âsomethingâ.
âThe hellâs, thisâ¦â
What I see, is the Goma holding a small bag in itâs 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 didnât notice.
âI wonder what⦠itâs white, powder?â
Futaba-san spread open the Gomaâs right hand without the slightest hesitation and retrieved the bag. Even though I felt so disgusted at the Gomaâs corpse, needed so long just to gather the guts to touch it⦠what can I say, nothing less from a master of the kitchen whoâs 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.
âHmm, this isâ¦â
It a glance, it seemed like wheat flour, or potato starch, it couldnât be described as anything other than pure white power. I also notice that the Gomaâs 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.
ââKay, letâs 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 factorâ wait, this is a drug!â
âEeeh, d-drugs!?â
Via âIntuition Pharmacyâ, 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 thatâs all good. If this oneâs got an extra dose of stupid compared to the average unintelligent Goma, then thatâs all there is to it.
However, even that most likely scenario doesnât hold given the fact that those wounds exist on the Gomaâs limbs.
Right, this oneâs had its limbs cut by some thing, making it unable to move, and then given this bag of drugs; I canât think of any other scenario.
Therefore, the culprit must beâ
âW-w-wha-wha-what, do I do with this, Momokawa-kun!?â
Futaba-san holds out the bag of narcotics, panicking as if sheâs got a time bomb in her hands.
âCalm down, itâs fine as long as you donât breathe it inâ
âB-butâ¦â
âAh, ok, fine, Iâll hold on to it for⦠youâ¦â
Reaching out my hands, my movements stop. In front of me is Futaba-san; the glimpse of those âthingsâ behind her, seeing those I turn stiff.
âW-whatâs wrong, Momokawa-kun?â
Seeing me suddenly stop. Seeing my face probably paling in fear, Futaba-san asks uneasily.
Itâs unfortunate but right now, I canât say âitâs fineâ. No words of relief, nor those of comfort would escape my mouth. What I voice, would only be the cruelest of realities.
âI-itâs bad⦠we, fell for itâ¦â
âEhââ
And turning around to follow where Iâm 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 wereâ
âDamn it all⦠the Goma, got us surroundedâ¦â