Chapter 7: Relics《Artifacts》

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Translator: Shield

Editor: Shield

Enjoy!

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「――――ugh, uhh…」

I found myself lying face down on the cold ground.

I must have hit my head when I fell into a hole in the ground, making my consciousness so hazy that I felt as if I were still in a dream.

「What on earth is going ―――― on!?」

However, that dream was short-lived as I felt a sharp pain ―――― my right eye. The feeling of a highly viscous liquid attached to the hand unconsciously covering the right eye from the defensive reaction caused by pain ―――― it’s blood.

「Damn, my eye…」

The mud and sand that collapsed together when they fell were cushioned and prevented immediate death, but I’m probably not in a good spot right now.

The pain in the right eye and the fresh blood flowing out  ―――― I guess I hurt my right eye.

A throbbing pain ran through my body.

The pain is like a danger signal that warns my body, mind and spirit ―――― I’ve only lost my right eye and the situation is not over yet.

「I’m sure… I fell into a hole and… !」

With the pain and bleeding running from my right eye, I try my best to recall what happened just now in my dim consciousness. Rokulus Forest, attacked by the wolf Beast Garm in the night and falls into a mysterious hole in the ground.

「Oh yes… Garm! Where is that beast… !?」

In the end, I came to think of the『Enemy』that I had fought a few moments ago. The giant wolf monster ―――― the enemy who was aiming for my life.

And then, I remembered the『Threat』and what I saw was an unknown scene that was different from what I had imagined.

「What the hell is this place…? A ruins…?」

An underground ruins in the middle of the night ―――― the normally dark and invisible space was dimly bright thanks to the lamps-like light sources attached everywhere. Thanks to the light, I could see something like a “gate” made of steel iron in front of me.

A ruins ―――― worthy of being called an artifact.

The different space reflected in my half-cut vision.

「Why is there such a place in the Rokulus Forest…?」

Until now, I had never heard of a dungeon beneath the Rokulus Forest. I am definitely in an unexplored ruins that no one had ever set foot in before.

I checked for any signs of Garm around me ―――― confirming that, I looked after the bruises all over my body and the wound on my right eye then approached the “gate” fearfully.

More than ten times my height ―――― The iron  gate, more magnificent than the gates protecting the castle, gives me the feeling of being left behind in time, or as if it exists only in the far future.

「There are no roads around it… A completely isolated space…」

I looked around me using my barely intact left eye ―――― a desolate place with nothing but a huge “gate” and a large space in which I am standing right now.

There is no way out and the only way to get in is to『Fall down from above』like I did.

I suddenly looked up to the hole where I fell down. The hole in the ceiling is several dozen higher than me ―――― I can’t reach it with flight magic, nor can I make a big jump by strengthening my muscles.

The only way to save my life is to open this gate.

With my weakened state and blood loss, I wouldn’t be able to make it ―――― I’d run out of energy before the rescue came to save me.

「If there is a key or device somewhere that can open the gate… … what is that…?」

Getting impatient with the “death” slowly approaching, I was looking for a way to open the gate in front of me and saw a long and thin white box lying on the ground.

The treasure chest hidden in the dungeon was so inorganic that it seemed to contain something bad.

Still, I put my hand on the white box ―――― thinking that it might be able to help in this situation.

「Is this ―――― an automatic rifle…?」

The box was easily unlocked, inside of it was a hunting weapon developed by the Dwarves called automatic rifle.

It is the most advanced weapon developed for professional classes such as【Archer】who does not have the skills to handle melee weapons, and the【Hunter】who makes a living by hunting beasts.

But――――

「It’s… something different from the rifle I know…」

――――The rifle in front of me was nothing like the rifles I had seen before.

There is no magazine for loading bullets, no lid cover for blasting gunpowder in the bullets and no mechanism for discharging cartridges ―――― “Something” in the shape of a rifle.

「What the hell… is this a defective product……?」

It was so different from the firearms I was familiar with and was worried that it could not shoot a bullet.

「Maybe it’s… Garbage…!」

A “Garbage” thrown away because it is defective.

As soon as I think about it, I remember the skills I have.

【Garbage Pick-up】―――― The skill of bringing out the skills contained in the things that are dumped and no longer owned. When I remembered this, I touched the rifle-like object out of curiosity.

Relic artifact ―――― recognized. Optical Shooting Armament, Anti-Material Beam Rifle: Arash ―――― recognized. Skill【Garbage Pickup】effect activated ―――― Resetting ownership of abandoned beam rifle to Lambda  ■■■■■■ ―――― Completed. Skill effect Optimization of the synchronization rate between the found object and the Owner ―――― Completed. Inheritance learning of skill proficiency and skills stored in found objects ―――― Completed. Acquisition of the skill【Shooting: Lv.10】【Hawk-Eye】―――― Completed.

With the automated voice that echoes in my head, the knowledge of the weapon spreads through my brain.

「Artifact…? What the hell is this…?」

The unfamiliar words that echoed in my head ―――― it told me eloquently that this rifle in my hand was an Advanced weapon, far removed from the current civilization where swords and magic were used.

Relic artifacts ―――― the remnants of an ancient civilization, an “Advanced weapon” that has been left behind to this day. The item I was holding in my hands is a mechanical optical weapon that could never be made in the modern age.

『Checking for power battery depletion ―――― Emergency power supply activated. Activating anti-material beam rifle ―――― Arash. Number of ammunition remaining ―――― 1』

An automated voice speaks to me as I was confused with the beam rifle in my hand. Apparently, this rifle can only fire one bullet.

「It’s automated… that sounds more and more out of place in this day and age…」

The “1” count displayed on the screen attached to the rifle, the photon-quantum bullets supplied from the built-in reserve power supply ―――― The information on this weapon was analyzed by the skill【Garbage Pickup】gives me knowledge of advanced civilizations.

「Is it an artifact that has been abandoned and turned into garbage…?」

If there is an artifact like this rifle lying on the other side of the gate, I might be able to break out of this situation.

I was fascinated by the possibilities with the rifle in my hand.

「…………Grrrrrrrr」

It’s so close that I remembered that I’m in the middle of a crisis right now.

「――――N-no way ……!」

Suddenly, I heard the roar of a beast ―――― and when I noticed it, I turned around and saw Garm behind me.

The Wolf monster who had never been here before probably endured the collapse of the ground, but at last he ran out of energy and fell.

Then, he aimed again at me, who had fallen before him ―――― to make sure he killed his weak prey.

As soon as I recognized Garm, the beast’s claws already swung down at me ――――  it grazed the left side of my head and blew my body away with the shock of something hitting me.

My body floats up, a lot of fresh blood reflected on my left side of vision ―――― and the broken sword flying in the air with my left arm still holding it.

「――――!」

I immediately understood ――――my left arm was severed.

The moment I saw my arm flying in the air while bleeding ―――― I felt intense pain all over my body again.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

I couldn’t even scream out from the pain that I could only roll to the ground and struggle in pain.

「Grrrrrrr――――!」

Perhaps convinced of his victory, Garm looked at me and licked me with his tongue.

All he has to do now is to catch his breath and eat the fresh meat of my corpse ―――― free from the tension of hunting and excited about the『Meal』that will come afterwards.

「Damn… damn… damn… damn… not yet… I…………!」

The broken sword falls to Garm’s side along with his left arm, leaving only the artifact weapon in his right hand ―――― the beam rifle.

This time, there is no time for hesitation or contemplation.

I put all my knowledge of this artifact that I gained from【Garbage Pickup】into action and pointed the muzzle at Garm.

I know how to use it ―――― just point the muzzle and pull the trigger, that’s all.

The rifle made by the dwarves might not be able to kill Garm in front of me with a single shot. While putting all my hope in the artifact of an ancient civilization in my hand ―――― I asked it to finish Garm with a single blow.

And the moment I pulled the trigger――――

「Grrr――――！？」

――――  At that moment a bright fire-muzzle flash and a red quantum photon bullet with a tremendous roar with a white light which covered the underground space instantly melted Garm’s body.

In an instant ―――― with the sword in my hand, the advanced monster which I had no chance of winning, was easily blown away and vanished like an insect.

Artifacts ―――― that was the moment I got the power that the world of sword and magic could not possess.

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TL note: Damn I need an anime for this its too good to be left out.