The Archmage’s Destruction Strategy - Chapter 52

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#052

 

There’s romance in the phrase “dungeon conquest.”

 

Fierce battles unfolding with lives on the line.

 

Camaraderie sprouting during adventures shared with comrades who watch your back.

 

Wonderful rewards that could bring a fortune with just a bit of luck.

 

However, unlike the romance-filled dungeon conquests found in novels or games, real dungeon conquest shows characteristics closer to survival games rather than RPG genres.

 

The disposal of waste produced by over 10,000 people during their journey to the base camp, and problems with water and food supply.

 

Since most members belonged to the supply corps requiring physical labor, the absolute majority of raid participants consisted of ordinary men, and due to the nature of raids requiring forced marches to the first camp in enclosed spaces without proper washing, hygiene issues inevitably fell behind in the priority list for raid preparation.

 

“Everyone halt! We’ll have meals and rest for the next 3 hours!”

 

“Those who applied for the waste disposal team in advance, please follow me!”

 

“Squad leaders, please gather at the meal distribution area once headcount is confirmed!”

 

The first mealtime after 6 hours of continuous movement.

 

Among the raid participants, those with experience quickly scattered to perform their assigned duties, while newcomers showed somewhat bewildered expressions as they began following others.

 

The tasks assigned to them were meal preparation and toilet setup.

 

Of course, securing toilets didn’t mean digging into the ground and installing screens like field latrines.

 

If waste were disposed of that way in dungeons used by numerous people, everywhere would become filled with excrement.

 

For that reason, toilet installation in dungeons basically meant setting up pre-prepared portable toilets and privacy screens.

 

The work of digging ground deep enough for waste containers, placing waste containers inside, then installing portable toilets on top.

 

Among the civilians participating in raids, the first to return were those who went back outside the dungeon carrying the waste collected this way.

 

“Shindo-san.”

 

“Yes. Sung-jun-san. Please speak.”

 

“Shall I handle that as well?”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Disposing of the massive amounts of waste generated inside dungeons was one of the problems every clan master worried about.

 

Not only the feces produced during movement, but also the amount of ‘those things’ accumulated in toilets installed at base camps was considerable.

 

When Sung-jun offered to solve that problem, Shindo Ayaka looked at Sung-jun with a flustered expression and said.

 

“Is that possible?”

 

“Well, if I just roughly throw it into subspace somehow?”

 

“But isn’t Sung-jun-san’s sub…space? Anyway, doesn’t that space contain the supplies we brought?”

 

“I can open subspace in a different dimension, not the dimension containing supplies.”

 

After finishing his words, Sung-jun made the waste container installed in the portable toilet disappear to demonstrate.

 

Seeing this, Shindo Ayaka thought for a moment then spoke to Sung-jun.

 

“Are there any capacity limitations?”

 

“None.”

 

Shindo Ayaka began asking about the teleportation magic Sung-jun had demonstrated.

 

Whether monsters appearing in dungeons could also be eliminated by sending them to subspace if anything could be transmitted to subspace without capacity limits.

 

Whether objects put into subspace were granted time-stop effects like in some novels.

 

Whether people could also be moved using teleportation spells, and if moving people was possible, whether round trips from inside dungeons to outside, or from outside dungeons to specific points inside dungeons were possible…

 

Sung-jun kindly answered her endless stream of questions one by one, explaining what he could and couldn’t do.

 

“So to summarize the information about the teleportation spell Sung-jun-san uses: it can’t be used on monsters, round trips between dungeon exterior and interior are impossible, but long-distance teleportation to areas already visited on the surface is possible if not inside dungeons? And there’s no time-stop effect.”

 

“Correct.”

 

“Why are dungeon round trips impossible?”

 

“I can explain if you wish, but teleportation magic is one of the extremely complex spells, so I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to understand it.”

 

“I should at least try.”

 

Seeing Shindo Ayaka burning with enthusiasm, Sung-jun let out a short sigh.

 

Then he began explaining the basic theory of teleportation magic in the simplest explanation he could manage.

 

Shortly after, Shindo Ayaka, who had been listening to Sung-jun’s explanation, raised her hand to stop him.

 

“I roughly understand.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“I understand the fact that I can’t understand even after hearing the explanation. Well, it seems fine. What’s important now isn’t why, but what can be done.”

 

Shindo Ayaka asked Sung-jun to handle supply replenishment and waste container disposal.

 

Then she had the waste disposal team, who were originally scheduled to return outside with waste containers, rejoin the group.

 

If possible, bringing as many people as possible to the first base camp would be advantageous for moving the harvest collected at the camp to the surface.

 

‘If what Sung-jun-san says is true, I must secure him at all costs. With just that one ability, most problems with the current raid system could be solved.’

 

Resolving in her heart to somehow recruit Sung-jun into her clan, she and the large-scale raid team led by her clan began their full-scale march toward the camp on the 30th layer.

 

***

 

“It’s definitely different from Nagano Dungeon.”

 

Seoa said while covering her nose with her finger against the unique aroma emanating from over 10,000 people.

 

Unlike Nagano Dungeon where conquest could proceed in a relatively comfortable environment with only 3 people, the Tokyo Dungeon raid involving large-scale supply operations was flowing with an atmosphere more like a battle against patience rather than danger.

 

“Is it difficult?”

 

“I can endure it.”

 

It would have been a bit better if there was at least some wind, but unfortunately, the dungeon interior was a place where no wind blew at all.

 

Even the entrance was a kind of subspace concept connected to a separate dimension, making it impossible to install ventilation systems connected to the outside.

 

After thinking briefly, Sung-jun waved his hand to summon a small magic circle and placed his hand on Seoa’s head.

 

At that moment, the smell that had felt disgustingly nauseating just moments before disappeared instantly.

 

“What’s this?”

 

“An air purifier substitute. It won’t be a fundamental solution, but it should be a bit more comfortable.”

 

“Huh? There was such a spell?”

 

Shirasaki Miyu, who saw the spell Sung-jun cast, was surprised and flipped through the pages of her grimoire.

 

Then she looked at Sung-jun with slightly resentful eyes and said.

 

“You said you wrote down all the spells you knew when you upgraded my grimoire before.”

 

“I did write down all the spells I knew at that time. This isn’t written because it’s a spell I just created.”

 

“Then me too…”

 

Seeing Shirasaki Miyu looking at him with sparkling eyes, Sung-jun sighed softly.

 

Then he waved his hand once more to cast the same spell on himself and her.

 

“Sorry, but let’s add it to the grimoire when we reach camp. We’re moving right now.”

 

“Phew! I feel alive! Really, I could endure everything else but this smell was unbearable!”

 

“Thank you, Teacher.”

 

Seeing the two happy people, Sung-jun decided to create useful spells for raids during this opportunity.

 

There was plenty of time left until the target 53rd layer anyway.

 

“Is there anything uncomfortable besides the smell? It might not be possible to solve everything, but it seems good to try things that might be possible with magic.”

 

“Hmm… I’d like to wash up if possible. There were no bathing facilities at the camp either.”

 

Basically, hygiene management during raids usually relied on wet wipes.

 

Since drinking water was also included in materials that needed to be transported, the large amounts of water needed for bathing weren’t included in ‘essential’ supplies.

 

Of course, Sung-jun, who could create water with magic, could also provide water needed for bathing.

 

It was just difficult to create an environment for bathing without bathtubs.

 

Moreover, changing schedules to bathe while over 10,000 people were moving together could seem excessively selfish.

 

That said, Sung-jun wasn’t overflowing with enthusiasm for hygiene management to the extent of bathing 10,000 people together.

 

After hearing his disciple’s request and thinking briefly, Sung-jun was able to think of a new spell for hygiene management during raids.

 

“Hmm… It might actually be possible.”

 

“Really? Truly?”

 

“Soap is a problem, but it’s not like we don’t have any.”

 

Generally, whether large-scale or small-scale conquest, adventurers conquering dungeons didn’t include soap in their luggage.

 

Carrying water for washing in dungeon conquest, which already had plenty of luggage, was absurd in itself, and using soap would require even more water to rinse off the foam.

 

It was common sense among ordinary adventurers that it was more advantageous to pack a little more food and drinking water with that weight, but among the items Sung-jun prepared to conquer Nagano Dungeon, soap and shampoo were also included.

 

Water could just be created, and if washing really wasn’t possible, it could be used outside the dungeon.

 

Of course, the soap and shampoo Sung-jun prepared wasn’t a large quantity since it was secured based on three people, but it was enough to fulfill his precious disciple’s wish.

 

“Good. I don’t know how effective it will be, but it seems possible.”

 

“With a spell?”

 

“It’s more like a human washing machine than bathing… want to try it?”

 

“Right now I feel like I could willingly get into a spin dryer, let alone a washing machine.”

 

Watching Seoa nod her head vigorously, Sung-jun lightly waved both hands.

 

Then around twenty magic circles of various sizes were summoned in the air, centered around Sung-jun and Seoa.

 

Magic that generated water using mana from empty air and fixed that generated water around the target’s body.

 

Magic that heated the water generated at an appropriately warm temperature so that contamination on the body could be easily removed.

 

And magic that turned that heated water into dozens of whirlpools to scrub the entire body as if washing it.

 

It wasn’t simply a spell that washed the body with fast-flowing water.

 

It was magic that made soapy water summoned from subspace and dissolved in water scrub every corner of the body at appropriate speed and strength, while disposing of the wastewater generated in the process to another subspace, and generating new water to replace what was lost so the flow wouldn’t be interrupted, adding it to the existing flow.

 

Sung-jun was even operating this complex magic in parallel, separating hair and body so that shampoo and soap wouldn’t mix.

 

[Crazy? What the hell, what kind of madman uses 10th Circle magic just to wash their body?]

 

Baphomet, who had appeared beside Miyu at some point, showed a horrified expression upon seeing the magic Sung-jun had created.

 

The magic Sung-jun used wasn’t particularly complex when broken down individually, but simultaneously casting and maintaining so many spells with perfect control was something even most archmages would find difficult.

 

And shortly after, when Sung-jun’s magic disappeared, there was Seoa looking at the air with an ecstatic expression, having become pleasantly fluffy and soft.

 

Moreover, she was giving off a pleasant soap scent as if she had just come out of a bathhouse.

 

“How was it? It was a roughly improvised spell, so it might have been a bit rough.”

 

“Teacher!”

 

Upon hearing Sung-jun’s words, Seoa grabbed Sung-jun’s hands with more burning eyes than ever before.

 

Then she spoke to Sung-jun with a confident expression.

 

“That was the best magic you’ve ever shown me!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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