TNG Vol. 22 Chapter 3 Part 3

Meanwhile, Shima was visibly startled by Shin and his group suddenly approaching so quickly.

“You probably won’t believe me when I say this all of a sudden, but there’s no doubt something is about to happen. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to evacuate—even if I have to force the issue.”

“…Understood. Everyone, stop the operation! Retreat to the submersibles!”

Sensing the urgency in Shin’s tone, Shima gave instructions to the workers without question after hearing his explanation. While the workers seemed confused, they moved swiftly at the department head’s command. They attached ropes with hooks to the boxes already filled with magic steel, and the submersibles began hoisting them up. The workers clung to them and evacuated the site.

Once all the workers had cleared out, Shima and Shin’s group also put distance between themselves and the mine.

“Now then, what’s coming?”

Moving to rendezvous with the ship just in case, Shin turned to glance back at the mine. The moment the ship’s hatch opened to retrieve them, a shockwave struck.

“Kyah!” 

“Whoa there!”

Shin grabbed Shima’s arm as she lost her balance. Though there was no damage, there was no way to dodge a multidirectional impact underwater. The Black Faction’s submersibles and Shin’s vessel could do nothing but endure the violent tremors in the water.

“Everyone okay?”

He called out just to be safe, and received affirmations from Schnee and the others. Shima, though wincing and shaking her head, didn’t seem hurt. Tiera and the others reported back as well, saying the ship had only shaken, but was otherwise fine.

“Looks like they’re all right too.”

None of the Black Faction’s submersibles or workers showed signs of injury or being separated.

“What was that just now?” 

“I don’t know, but it’s clear something is there or something is about to happen.”

Just as Shin suspected it may have been a monster’s roar, something began changing in the mine. Cracks split the visible part of the seabed, and the impact stirred up clouds of sand. Unlike on land, the dispersed sand didn’t settle quickly underwater.

“Shin, something’s wrong. The magic flow across the ground surface just vanished.” 

“Think something’s coming out?” 

“That would be a safe assumption.”

Just to be safe, Shin drew his weapon. The green-tinged blade of his underwater-tuned katana, 『Great Tsunami』, glinted dimly under the lights.

Schnee and the others followed suit, weapons at the ready, tightening their vigilance.

From beyond the expanding cloud of sand came a clattering sound.

At the same time, the current of seawater shifted. Gone was the earlier calm—it had turned into a strong tidal pull. Mining tools were swept away with the sand.

Then, the sand veiling the ground cleared, revealing what had been hidden.

“…Dragon bones from within a leyline? That’s never a good sign.”

The magic steel had vanished. In its place was an enormous skeleton. The skull, clearly that of a dragon, was so massive that even the visible portion rivaled Shin’s vessel in size.

Some lighting equipment had been swept away, leaving only a partial view—but even so, the hollow eye sockets carved deep into the skull gave off a profoundly unsettling presence.

Time passed as they held their guard.

However, despite their heightened alertness, nothing further happened.

“It’s not… moving, then?”

The dragon bones that had emerged from the mineral vein were motionless. What Shin had been expecting was a scenario where an undead monster, made from the rare game material known as “Divine Beast Bones,” awakened.

Given the size of the head, it was obvious that the full body, including its limbs and wings, would be massive. If it were to move, it would likely fall under the undead monster category of a Bone Dragon—but there was no sign of the unclean aura typically associated with the undead.

“I’m increasing the light.”

Using a light-element magic skill, Shin illuminated a broader area. It wasn’t just the head that was exposed—parts of the torso and what appeared to be wings were also visible. Though most of it remained buried, the sheer size was still nothing short of what Shin had anticipated.

“Sir Shin… what exactly is this…?”

“We’re just as confused. Still, it doesn’t look like it’s become undead and started moving, at least not yet.”

If it were a monster, Shin’s 【Appraisal】 skill would have triggered. Since it hadn’t, the bones likely remained an item for now.

“There’s a lot to be concerned about, but first we should prioritize getting the workers to safety. Also, we need to alert the people on Parda Island.”

The ocean floor itself might not show much disturbance, but the surface—especially around Parda Island—could still be affected.

Shin’s proposal earned a firm nod from Shima.

“You’re right. Evacuation and communication come first. What about you all?”

“While everyone’s evacuating, we’re going to inspect the bones a bit more. I just can’t believe this timing is a coincidence. Still… is it really okay for us to take the lead on this?”

After all, the bones had emerged at a resource site operated by the Black Faction. It was unclear whether there was formal ownership, given the area’s secretive nature, but taking action without permission felt improper.

“In that case, I’ll stay behind. I’ll leave the communication to the field team leader.”

According to Shima, if someone were to conduct the investigation, Shin and his party were the most qualified both in knowledge and in skill. However, even if this was an emergency, it would look bad if no one from the faction was present during the examination. Her presence alone would be sufficient proof that the investigation had been conducted with due diligence.

There were likely other reasons for her decision, but Shin didn’t press. Now wasn’t the time.

Whether or not the site could be reused for resource extraction was uncertain. In fact, the odds leaned toward it being unusable from here on out.

And now, just when Shin’s group had arrived to observe, the once-exclusive mine had gone under. It was simplistic, but not unreasonable, to suspect their visit had caused—or triggered—the incident.

Especially so soon after the FunkyFunky incident. Shin wasn’t so optimistic as to believe every member of the Black Faction had approved of inviting them.

“(Tiera, Yuzuha. Any change in the presence you felt?)”

Since they had stated so clearly that something was there, Shin reached out via 【Mind Chat】 to check in, hoping to find a clue.

“(It’s strange. The presence that was so strong just a moment ago is now barely there. It hasn’t disappeared completely, but I have to really concentrate to even notice it.)”

“(The presence… Yuzuha, how about you?)”

“(It feels like it’s suppressing itself. I’m sure our arrival triggered it somehow, but it’s not undead.)”

“(Think it’s safe to approach? From what I can tell, it just looks like bones with unstable magic.)”

Shin asked Schnee and the others as well, but none of them could sense the same presence Tiera and Yuzuha did—likely because it was being suppressed.

He didn’t believe there was any immediate danger, but if something with ill intent were lurking within, Shin wouldn’t be able to detect it.

“(I don’t sense any malice or hostility.)”

“(Same here. I think… maybe what’s left is the lingering will from when it was alive. But like Tiera said, I don’t feel any desire to harm us.)”

“(Got it. Then it should be safe to approach.)”

Shin relayed Tiera and Sety’s impressions to the rest of the group via 【Mind Chat】 and the members who were outside the ship began moving closer to the bones.

Just in case, they all kept their weapons at the ready. If it were an undead monster, they’d likely already be in combat. Even without Tiera and the others’ special senses, they’d know if something tried to attack.

They got close enough to touch it—still no movement.

Shin returned the blade of 『Great Tsunami』 to its sheath and gently reached out to touch the bone.

(It’s got that same unique texture high-level monsters tend to have. No idea how long it’s been buried, but there’s no sign of decay.)

It looked like bone, but the surface was smooth like polished stone. Maybe due to lingering magical energy, a faint vibration rippled out when Shin lightly tapped it. Its appearance and touch told him it was far more durable than ordinary bone.

Using his 【Appraisal】 skill, the details that appeared read: “Skull of a Divine Beast” — as plain as it gets. But with “Divine Beast” in the name and based on the shape, there was no doubt it had once been a dragon-type Divine Beast.

Even for someone like Shin, who had seen plenty of rare materials, this was clearly top-tier.

What he didn’t know was whether all Divine Beast bones turned out like this.

Even for Chosen Ones, going up against a Divine Beast was a monumental task. With a party of former players, maybe some of them could manage, but encounters were rare to begin with. And if someone had slain one, it seemed unlikely they’d just leave the bones behind.

Divine Beast materials were highly valuable, both in good and bad ways.

Did it die of natural causes? Was it defeated by another Divine Beast? The questions just kept piling up.

“At the very least, I wish we knew the original monster’s name.”

Given how much this world was influenced by the game, there were countless monsters classified as Divine Beasts. Dragon-types in particular were popular, and new ones were added with nearly every update. Many even got turned into merchandise.

Because of that, unless the remains had a particularly distinctive feature, it was nearly impossible to identify a monster from bones alone.

If he at least knew the monster’s name, he might be able to make some educated guesses—but Shin didn’t have the kind of skill that could identify a monster just from its bones.

(There were players who could tell just by looking at materials where they came from… but that was honestly a whole different level of obsession.)

Shin recalled such a player with a nostalgic grimace.

They’d claimed even subtle differences in appearance stood out to them.

Back during the game era, there had been almost no need to identify monsters based on materials. It was common for multiple monsters to drop the same-named item anyway.

If you needed materials, you just looked them up on a fan-run info site.

Now that he thought about it, he found himself wondering: just how the hell did those people distinguish between monsters when the item names and appearances were the same?

If it were something he’d handled a lot, Shin might’ve been able to get a vague sense of difference—but bones were outside his expertise.

Thinking he might find something from the menu screen if he itemized the bones, Shin asked Shima for permission and tried to convert the bones into a card.

Suddenly, the bones began to glow.

“Everyone, back off!”

Shin kicked off the seafloor and deployed a defensive barrier with a skill as he quickly retreated.

The glow lasted only a few seconds—then vanished. At the same time, so did the bones.

Part of the mineral bed collapsed as the support holding it up disappeared, but that wasn’t the issue right now.

“Anyone feeling off? Any changes to your body?”

Once Shin confirmed that none of his party members had experienced any changes, replies came back quickly from Schnee, Milt, and Sety.

“No problems here.”

“Hmm, same for me. No status abnormalities.”

“Me too.”

Shin then turned to look at Shima.

She glanced over her arms and lower body to check for any changes. Unlike Shin and the others, she didn’t have a menu screen, so she couldn’t instantly check her HP, MP, or status conditions. That’s why she first checked her body for physical signs of anything wrong.

“Ms. Shima, how are you feeling? Any pain? Are you dizzy at all?”

From Shin’s perspective, Shima hadn’t taken any status effects, and her HP hadn’t dropped. He was pretty sure she was fine but he still needed to ask.

“I don’t feel anything strange. No abnormalities I can sense. But… what was that, exactly?”

“That glowing when I tried to card the bones… that’s a first for me too. Wait, the bones that vanished—could they be…?”

Just to be sure, Shin checked inside his Item Box and there it was. A new entry: “Skull of a Divine Beast.”

While still puzzled by what had just happened, Shin noticed something else flashing in the list.

“This is… from Baomultan—”

It was an item obtained from Baomultan, a so-called “Environmental Preservation Monster” that had been popular among players in the game era.

He hadn’t known what to do with it, and it had just been sitting in his item box this whole time—but it seemed like its moment had finally come.

“(Shin, did something happen?)”

Schnee must have sensed something from his expression. She asked through 【Mind Chat】.

“(Another item, separate from the skull, is reacting. From the looks of it, it’s not going to do anything immediately, so I figured we’d wait until we’re back on land to check it out.)”

If something triggered a chain reaction here, it could turn into a huge mess. Deciding to put it on hold, Shin turned to Shima and suggested they return to the surface.

“For now, I was able to turn the skull into a card. I don’t know why it emitted light, but another item in my possession is reacting to it. I’d like to examine it above ground if possible. Also, with how dangerous it could be, maybe we should hold off on collecting the rest of the bones for now?”

They couldn’t predict how much space might collapse if they removed too many at once. Even retrieving just the skull caused part of the mining site to cave in. Trying to take the rest could bring the whole area down.

He continued, suggesting they suspend operations for now. There was still a chance the site could be reused, after all.

“Even just removing the skull caused part of it to crumble. I agree, storing the rest would be risky. Understood. Let’s coordinate with the other department heads and begin by investigating the skull.”

Shima nodded, and Shin and the others returned to the ship via the airlock.

“(Tiera, Yuzuha—did you see the light coming from the skull? Did anything change with the presence you felt afterward?)”

As the ship ascended, Shin checked in via 【Mind Chat】. He kept his gaze outward, so it looked like he was just watching the water.

“(That light came from the skull? I thought you triggered a skill or something.)”

Tiera and the others had seen the light but hadn’t realized it was from turning the skull into a card.

“(The presence we felt earlier has really thinned out. Instead, Shin, I’m sensing that same feeling from you now—why is that?)”

Yuzuha seemed to think the presence had transferred to Shin due to a reaction from his item box.

He nodded reassuringly, then began to explain.

“(The skull’s in my item box now, but I think there’s another reason. Do you remember when we went to Romenun and received spirit gems from Baomultan and Durgin?)”

Durgin was Baomultan’s counterpart, a monster also known for cleansing corrupted land.

“(Yeah, that’s not something I’ll ever forget.)”

Tiera and Yuzuha nodded at the memory. The gap between its dragon-zombie-like appearance and its docile nature had made quite the impression.

“(Thought so. Anyway, right after I carded the Divine Beast’s skull, the item I got from Baomultan started reacting—like it was asserting its presence from inside the item box.)”

When Shin checked his item list, the item name was still blinking at regular intervals. It wasn’t blinking wildly or behaving oddly, so he’d decided not to materialize it until they were back on land.

“(Yuzuha, the presence you’re sensing from me is probably that gem. The timing lines up too perfectly. I think the presence—or maybe the power—that was in the bone transferred into the gem.)”

Yuzuha agreed with the theory.

And if they were wrong, they’d just investigate again.

“(Do you think it’s safe to leave the rest of the bones where they are? Like I told Shima, putting them in the item box might be too risky.)”

Now that the presence was likely stored in the gem, the remaining bones were just material—albeit incredibly valuable and unusually large ones.

“(We could try filling the hollow with earth magic, but given how much the land is influenced by the leyline, I wouldn’t risk it. Shin’s mana might react with it and cause something unpredictable.)”

“(Yeah, I figured. The ground here’s not normal.)”

A land shaped by both a leyline and the remains of a Divine Beast; no wonder even Yuzuha couldn’t predict what might happen.

“(We should at least set up a warning system in case monsters wander in.)”

Not wanting to leave things completely unattended, Shin deployed multiple instances of the skill 【Silent Whisper】 near the bones. The skill would notify him if monsters approached.

Normally, placing them closer would be better, but given the risk of magical interference, he set them back at a safer distance.

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