Support the translator on lazytranslations.com
–The Metro Flood.
The
words of a talking squirrel named Tamiko bring back Shuu’s memories. Memories
from the time he was admitted to the hospital until he lost consciousness.
A
few days after his hospitalization, Tokyo was in turmoil.
Mysterious
tunnels were appearing frequently on the subway lines, and the Tokyo Metro was suspending
service across the entire network.
Thanks to this, my parents
complained that it was hard for them to come to visit me. They could not use
the nearest station, Shin-Outsuka Station, so they walked from Outsuka Station
on the Yamanote Line, but there was a long line of people waiting to board the
train that could not fit on the platform.
—I heard that the metro is flooding.
My mother said in a slightly agitated tone said that she had heard
something about it from a TV show or something. My father was always saying
that it would be better to transfer to another prefecture.
A
few days later. He was dozing off after dinner.
There
was some kind of commotion both inside and outside the hospital. A nurse rushed
into his room and woke him up.
—Evacuate! Hurry!
After
screaming in a hysterical voice, she looked out the window and her face
contorted.
Shuu
turned around with a pang—And… then?
There was a big earthquake.
The power went out and it was pitch black.
There was a sound like a
building collapsing. I felt as if the whole bed was falling.
Then my consciousness was
suddenly cut off. That is all I can remember.
“…Aah—-…” (Shuu)
If this talking squirrel
named Tamiko is not lying.
If all of it is true.
The Metro Flood is a real
disaster that happened, and it is what brought Japan (or the entire world?) to
the brink of annihilation. It means that everything was destroyed. And the
country of New Tokyo was founded. Now I’m in the post-apocalypse, the world a hundred
years from then.
No family, friends,
company, or anything else is left.
It is impossible to imagine
such a world. Even if this place where I am now is a part of that world.
“…This is impossible, right?” (Shuu)
If I had been asleep for a
hundred years, there would not even be a bone left in my body. And yet, I am
alive. Not only am I not a skeleton, but I am as healthy as when I was before I
lost consciousness, or rather, before I was hospitalized.
“Abeshuu, you are a human from the previous country right, squeak?”
(Tamiko)
“I guess so, but… is that even possible?” (Shuu)
“I don’t know. Do humans even live that long, squeak?” (Tamiko)
“No, I don’t think we’d live that long.” (Shuu)
Suddenly, I touch the
blue-black sticky substance on the floor of the room. I was sleeping wrapped in
it.
“It’s mold, squeak.” (Tamiko)
“Mold? I got moldy?” (Shuu)
“Isn’t it a Kinnou?” (Tamiko) [T/N: Tamiko said きんのう or Kinnou. But Tamiko might be saying
something like a combination of きん fungus and きのう or function or feature.]
“A Kinnou?” (Shuu)
“It’s tiring to explain things to someone who is ignorant of everything,
squeak.” (Tamiko)
“I’m sorry, Tamiko.” (Shuu)
I’ll give you a belly rub as
an apology.
“Don’t touch me so easily, you dummy, squeak! I’ll rip your finger off,
squeak! Stop, stop… Oh, my gosh, that’s so good…!” (Tamiko)
“What’s a Kinnou?” (Shuu)
“It’s the ability to control the hypha, squeak. It’s also called a Skill,
squeak. …… No, once you start, don’t just stop, squeak! More belly rubs,
squeak!” (Tamiko)
*Rub* *Rub*
“Hypha huh, like in molds, the hypha of mushrooms. The ability to manipulate
the hypha… so basically the ability to control Mycelium?” (Shuu)
Both molds and mushrooms
are members of the same family of fungi as living organisms and are roughly
classified as “mushrooms” that produce fruiting bodies (umbrellas and
stems) and “molds” that do not. I learned this in biology class.
Mycelium is what makes up such fungi.
What does it mean to have
the ability to control mycelium? I can’t even imagine.
Skills, levels, magic
beasts. It is like a term from the world of video games.
“Me and also humans have mycelium growing all throughout our bodies.
That’s why we can use our Skills, squeak.” (Tamiko)
“Mycelium inside… means that the whole body is parasitized by fungus,
doesn’t it?” (Shuu)
Putting it that way, it is
somewhat disgusting.
“I think Abeshuu was using Skills just now, too, squeak. That’s how you killed
the wolf, squeak.” (Tamiko)
“Oh, that thing…” (Shuu)
Shuu
looks down at his palms.
Earlier,
he had been completely unaware and had only wanted to not die.
He doesn’t
even know how to do it, but he tries to remember anyway. “Come out, come out,
sword—.”
“Oh, Woah!” (Shuu)
A
white thread arises from the palm of his right hand, twists together to form a
sharp blade, and then stretches out again. It nearly pierced his face.
“…It really came out…” (Shuu)
It’s
a single blade with a slightly milky white tinge. It is slightly warped and has
no flange. The handle is thin and rounded. The joint between the handle and the
palm of his hand is connected by a sticky spider thread.
“That’s the fungal skill, squeak. So that’s a [Hypha Weapon] that
Hunters can use, squeak. It’s the first time I’ve seen one.” (Tamiko)
“This is mycelium? A weapon made of mycelium?” (Shuu)
The mycelium secreted from
the body gathered and clumped together to form a sword, perhaps. This is as
crazy as it sounds.
When did I acquire this
ability? How did I acquire this ability?
(Am I really me?) (Shuu)
(am I no longer the same person?) (Shuu)
(Or maybe I’m not human anymore.) (Shuu)
No answer would come to me
even if I thought about it. I had no choice but to grasp the handle and try to
pluck it off.
The blade does not reflect
the light from the moss. It’s a rugged, rough, dry blade. I shake it to test
it, and it makes a whipping sound. The weight is not so heavy, but the blade
and the sharpness of the tip are like those of a real sword.
“This is… my mycelium…” (Shuu)
“Oh yeah, squeak. The hard and pointy thing of Abeshuu, squeak.”
(Tamiko)
“The way you say it.” (Shuu)
“Hunters from the Nation of Threadweaver, They raid the metro with their fungal skills,
squeak. Eat the sporangium of the Metro Beasts and get stronger and bigger, squeak.”
(Tamiko)
“Is the sporangium… something like reproductive organs of metro beasts?”
(Shuu)
Then that means I ate a
wolf’s balls. My stomach is churning, but I can’t throw up once I’ve eaten.
Even if it is a pair of balls.
“It seems that there was a pandemic from the Metro before, and the Metro
beasts are the creatures that survived, squeak. How they were able to survive, I
don’t know, squeak.” (Tamiko)
“Pandemic? That’s some scary word, you know?” (Shuu)
As far as I can tell, it is
some kind of bio-disaster that came at the same time as the flooding of the Metro
Flood.
“Well… you mention this place is called Outsuka Metro. Outsuka, as in
near Sugamo and Ikebukuro?” (Shuu)
“I don’t know, squeak. I’ve never been to the surface, squeak. I learned
all about the language of the humans and the world from my mother, squeak.”
(Tamiko)
“Mother?” (Shuu)
“She used to travel together with a hunter too, squeak. She was very
knowledgeable, squeak…” (Tamiko)
Tamiko looks sad and
downcast as she says this. In the past tense, does that mean she is not alive,
or at least not here?
“I see… Is the Metro not the same as the subway?” (Shuu)
“Subway? I don’t know, squeak. The Metro the is Metro, squeak. It’s the
underground labyrinth of New Tokyo.” (Tamiko)
An underground labyrinth –
a dungeon, in other words. More and more like a game.
“We’re on the 50th floor… of the Outsuka hospital where I was
hospitalized before…” (Shuu)
Does this mean that I was
knocked down to such a deep underground level by a disaster like the Metro Flood?
And for some reason survived for a hundred years.
“…I don’t get it…” (Shuu)
No good. Any more and the
mystery just piles up. It only hurts to keep swallowing the indigestible little
bones.
Let’s think about the
future. Instead of focusing on the mysteries, I don’t understand, I should be
focusing my attention on the real issues at hand.
“…I need to reach the surface first.” (Shuu)
As soon as possible, I will
escape from this too dangerous underground space.
I will see with my own eyes
what this world is like now.
That’s all I can do.
For now, I have one goal. I’ll
just think about that first.
“Tamiko, I want to go to the surface, what should I do?” (Shuu)
“Impossible, squeak.” (Tamiko)
“Huh?” (Shuu)
“Abeshuu is really weak for a human, squeak. In this Metro, we have a
caste system, you are just a tick within that pyramid, squeak.” (Tamiko)
“How do you know so much about castes?” (Shuu)
“If you leave here carelessly, you’ll end up getting clobbered all over
the Metro by something like the Ghost Wolf just now, squeak! Moreover, it will
be an instant kill, squeak. You will just become a victim and pooped out,
squeak.” (Tamiko)
“I don’t want to be poop.” (Shuu)
“To get to the surface, you have to climb a lot of stairs and fight
against a lot of Metro Beasts, squeak. It’s impossible for Abeshuu, squeak.”
(Tamiko)
Certainly, it’s impossible.
I almost died just now.
“Well, then, what are the chances of someone else coming to the Metro…? That
person can help me…” (Shuu)
“The Outsuka Metro is quite unpopular? Hunters rarely go here, squeak. Abeshuu
is the first human I have ever seen, squeak. That’s why I was quite excited. I
didn’t know they had such a smooth face.” (Tamiko)
“I’m sorry I have a smooth face (My Complex). So, it’s not practical to
wait for rescue.” (Shuu)
Escaping on my own is not
possible. No rescue is coming. I am trapped on all sides.
“But that’s just the way it is now, Abeshuu.” (Tamiko)
“Huh?” (Shuu)
“Improve yourself enough to be able to fight all of the Metro Beasts,
squeak.” (Tamiko)
Shuu
stares at the sword in his hand.
After
Tamiko’s story, it seems so small, but this is all he has at the moment.
“Leveling up just means defeating that wolf-like monster from before and
eating its guts, right?” (Shuu)
“Yes, squeak.” (Tamiko)
“How strong should I be if I level up?” (Shuu)
“I heard that my mother’s partner was a super-strong hunter, level 50 or
higher, squeak. On this floor… I heard they fought with a lot of nasty Metro Beasts,
squeak. I wish Abeshuu can be as good as them.” (Tamiko)
“Level 50 or higher huh…” (Shuu)
Shuu
leveled up twice earlier, so Shuu is currently level 3. Unless those were multiple
level-ups going up at once.
At the
very least 47 more… He suddenly feels faint.
“…I-I wonder if I can do it alone. I have no preparation, no
equipment, and almost zero knowledge.” (Shuu)
I’ve never even been in a
fight, let alone been on a hunt. I have never been involved in anything rough
in my life.
Even if I was suddenly
thrown into a game-like world and told to fight monsters, I would not be able
to do so.
My only weapon was a sword
made of mycelium, and I had no clothes, let alone armor, and I was still naked.
At a loss for what to do,
Tamiko stepped up to my shoulder and slapped me on the cheek.
“I will help you, squeak. I’m going to teach Abeshuu all the knowledge I
got from my mother, squeak”. (Tamiko)
“I appreciate that… But why…?” (Shuu)
“I want to go to the surface too, squeak. I’ve never left the metro
since I was born. I want to see the city, the sun, and humans, squeak…”
(Tamiko)
Tamiko puts her hands
together and looks up at the ceiling in rapt attention. Her longing for the surface
world seems strong.
“But I can’t do it alone, squeak. My mother has been dead for a while,
too, If I don’t do something about it, I’ll end up as a Metro Beast’s snack
someday, squeak.” (Tamiko)
I knew that Tamiko’s mother
died. The past year means Tamiko has been surviving alone for a year.
“That’s why I want Abeshuu to become a strong and healthy human, squeak.
So we can go out together to New Tokyo, squeak.” (Tamiko)
“I see. It’s a win-win.” (Shuu)
“A peen, squeak? I’m female, squeak.” (Tamiko) [T/N: She’s mistaken
win-win with chinchin (peepee/peen).]
“No, Um… forget about it. Anyway, thanks for helping me.” (Shuu)
I woke up in this
unfamiliar world, not knowing what was right and left, and I don’t know what was
going on.
To be honest, I feel like wallowing
in despair for a few more days.
I want to stay here, mourn
the misfortune that has befallen me, and bask in my tragedy.
However, the situation does
not allow it.
This is a very dangerous
place, and there is no water or food. And I am naked.
If I choose to die, it will
be easy. They would come and make it easy for me.
But if you choose to live,
well…
“…I guess I’ll just have to try.” (Shuu)
I have to accept reality
and act.
I will try to escape from
this Metro or whatever it is called.
With a mycelial sword in hand
and a squirrel as my partner.
(How utterly comical is this adventure?) (Shuu)
I almost laughed.
“But… this is my only choice.” (Shuu)
“That’s the spirit Abeshuu, squeak.” (Tamiko)
Shuu holds out his index
finger to the squirrel on his shoulder. Tamiko grabs it with a tug.
“I’m in your hands, Tamiko.” (Shuu)
“Nice to meet you, Abeshuu! I’m going to give you a good workout, and
I’m going to make you tough, squeak!” (Tamiko)
“Go easy on me.” (Shuu)
“It’s all going to be okay, squeak. With Tamiko here, it will be like a
baby manning a boat, squeak!” (Tamiko)
“We are going to sink.” (Shuu)
“You know, if I get serious, I’ll have you under New Tokyo’s Sun in no
time, squeak!” (Tamiko)
As it turned out, they would spend five years here.
T/N: If you like the series rate, review and add on your reading list on Novel Updates. You can also donate through Paypal or Ko-fi, or subscribe on Ko-fi. Thank you!
support the translator on lazytranslations.com