Chapter 10: Arrival (10)
Stepping out of the Yggdrasil Gate with a satisfied smile upon his face Cayman turned to face Rossweisse and Odin, remarking, "Well it was a pleasure meeting the both of you, all the little bells and whistles included. That spear is going to be a neat little addition in particular. Provided I figure out a way to get it working properly."
Odin smirked, stroking his beard while amicably stating, "Well I have faith that you'll figure out something. Sooner or later. Regardless, it's time I be on my way. Later, kiddos."
Rossweisse almost chased after the deity in her haste to keep an eye on him until Cayman calmly held her by the wrist, the woman blinking in shock as he happily remarked, "While I might be busy over the next few days I'll be sure to make use of that phone number at first given opportunity. See you then."
What he felt certain was a mixture of embarrassment and elation crossed the silverette's features before settling into a friendly smile.
"I think I'll be looking forward to that. Now if you'll excuse me I need to make sure the Allfather doesn't wander into another den of debauchery."
Letting her go with an amused smile Cayman turned to Till, the Fairy now happily perched on his shoulder since Odin was departing as she favored him with a grin, chirping, "You have really smooth moves with the ladies, Cayman!"
"Well I'm just flattered to hear that. By the way, is me being a skirt-chaser going to be a problem? You're my contracted Fairy and quite honestly I have no idea if that means we have some kind of monogamous duty or if you even mind in the first place."
Till just looked confused.
"Huh? Why would it?"
The Gamer cocked an eye at the Fairy, thrown for a loop by her seemingly negligible and bewildered response...before settling for a shrug and reply of, "No reason, just asking."
He should probably get used to that. After all, this was a weird universal amalgamation of a dark fantasy sci-fi eroge series, light novel harem that was basically softcore porn and a mature series that liked to pose itself as cool and above the whole 'fan service' deal...except its most popular IP relied upon the protagonist pounding the heroine's mollusk to pieces so they could power up and beat the main bad guys at the end of each route with sex magic.
So, all that considered, maybe people being okay with harems and casual sex wasn't too far of a stretch.
Shaking his head Cayman bemusedly remarked, "Well, we managed to be productive while waiting for everyone else. Feel like heading back, Till? Day's not over yet."
The Fairy wryly grinned, commenting, "And it sounds like the rest is going to be even more exciting, huh?"
"Well you sure took your sweet time!"
"Slothfulness is a dangerous sin to indulge in, Cayman."
Rolling his eyes the Gamer dryly responded, "And it's a pleasure to see all of you as well, really missed the group dynamic and all that."
His eyes slowly drifted across the gathered squad - congregating in the Taimanin's dining room and standing around a table covered in maps - before letting an appreciative smile tilt his lips.
"And I will say, the time away was well spent if it lead to this wondrous sight."
Caren met his gaze without a single ounce of shame or embarrassment, idly responding, "I retract my previous statement, lust is by far the more dangerous and indulgent of sins for you to partake of."
"U-umm, is this truly that revealing?"
Asia's adorable response coincided with a healthy flush, both Taimanin favoring him with narrowed glares, no doubt used to such observations. But he was now seeing something in real life that he'd assumed would only be found in simple 2D representations, namely that of the four young women sporting their rather enticing combat uniforms.
Caren with her dancing leotard that hugged her thin frame with fabric of blue, gray and white while the Taimanin duo were adorned in their iconic skintight clothing, Su Jinglei having abandoned her old PLA combat suit for a Taimanin themed one of silver, red and black that reminded him a fair bit of Yukikaze's...the real surprise was Asia, adorned in attire that was quite similar to Caren's before she hurriedly donned her Nun's robes, Cayman smirking at the pale white fabric that snuggly fit over her form.
It was actually an interesting contrast between them, the Gamer decided. While Caren and Asia were slim and beautiful their physiques were noticeably on the weaker side, Caren due to her condition and Asia because of a fairly peaceful and low stress life. The Taimanin, on the other hand, reminded him of Cheetahs. Compact, lithe, packing muscle in all the right areas and very dangerous.
"Oh my, I do believe I'm smitten by a pair of particular kittens."
"You done drooling yet?"
"Give me five more seconds."
Yukikaze rolled her eyes, bringing out a series of laminated maps from a freshly delivered package before smoothing them out over the table, Cayman noting that they covered what looked like a collection of sewer and runoff lines as well as a bevy of metro channels, a few random areas whose purpose he couldn't figure out a glance also scattered about.
"This is a collection of maps that detail the area beneath Kabuki in a two kilometer radius, provided by…"
The tan-skinned girl's face twisted into one Cayman would charitably describe as intense loathing, the Taimanin growling, "Provided by someone who no one would really miss if they died in a ditch somewhere. Unfortunately I can also affirm that they know their stuff and that these records are 100% accurate, we won't be led astray by them."
Having an inkling of who Yukikaze was referring to Cayman nonetheless didn't have time to pursue that line of inquiry, Jinglei pointing to three different locations on the map. Two of them the unmarked and unknown spots and the third a highly congested and labyrinthine confluence of pipes and sewer lines.
"Hoestia is is likely in one of these three locations. An old government research facility that was going to be studying bio-weapons that was only a quarter completed before funding and resources got allocated elsewhere, although rumors suggest that it received an initial shipment of research equipment that was never retrieved. The second is an old faraday bunker that was intended to survive one of the several dozen apocalypse scenarios that seem to pop up every other day, fully equipped to survive aforementioned doomsdays and remain hidden during the fallout, a single heavily reinforced door guarding the only ways in and out."
She tapped the maze-like gathering of pipes and such, draconic eyes narrowing as she stated, "The third and most headache inducing prospect is a confluence of major and minor runoff pipes that all lead to a central waste line. While I don't think any of us are exactly leaping at the prospect of wading through piss, shit and who knows what else that very same runoff contains all manner of regents and resources that can be used in whatever fucked up experiments the good doctor is running. He may very well have decided to set up shop in that area so he can have easy access to all of it."
Asia looked fairly uncertain as to whether she had anything to offer while the rest of the group traded glances, Caren idly musing, "The abandoned research facility would be most optimal for the manner of experiments the doctor was purported to carry out, the sewer congregation-"
"Heh, nice church pun."
"-the second most likely place to perform his craft."
Slightly miffed that his joke hadn't gained any traction Cayman posed, "Would it be that much of a boon to be close to any of those resources? Because if it comes to defensibility and staying hidden from wandering eyes then that Faraday redoubt is definitely the way to go."
Jinglei shrugged, grimly commenting, "We simply don't have enough information to go off right now, unfortunately. The only real option available is to search them one-by-one until we get lucky. Or maybe that dog of yours will strike gold, no way to tell."
The Taimanin's words were true, unfortunately. They had locations but no real way of verifying until they investigated em' personally. Yukikaze nodded, commenting, "We'll start with the abandoned research facility today, it's closest to us and probably the likeliest location."
The group nodded, Cayman hiding his surprise as yet another popup appeared across his vision, reading,
[The Mad Doctor.]
[Details: Find and stop Dr. Hoesta's experiments before they can be completed.]
[Rewards: 3000 EXP, Discoverable Items, 150 Reign.]
[Hidden Reward: ?, Conditions related to Dr. Hoestia's experiments.]
"Well, guess I'm even more invested in this little plotline than I was before. At least the rewards are compelling."
The pair of Taimanin folded up their maps, Yukikaze remarking, "We'll depart in fifteen minutes, get whatever you need ready in that timeframe."
"Roger that, raid leader."
The Taimanin seemed pleased at his comment, puffing out her slim chest at the gaming terms...and then gave him a suspicious look that he merely returned with a smile.
Also nobody left the room, Caren politely stating, "I do believe the previous hours were intended precisely for that very purpose, silly ninja girl."
"I-I knew that, it was just in case, alright?!"
Chuckling at the interaction between the group the Lightning Taimanin turned her irritated glare towards the Gamer, innocently asking, "And what does our vaunted and great Surveyor have to say about this plan?"
"Best we can do given what we have and what we know. Just make sure your shoes are liquid shit proof."
Till winced from where she rested on his shoulder, sympathizing, "Too bad all of you can't fly, then you could avoid walking through all the bad stuff down there."
"And while I'm wishing I wish we didn't have to go down there at all."
That drew a round of wryly amused expressions from the group, all of them beginning to walk out without further comment as Cayman looked to his contracted Fairy, asking, "You ready for this, Till?"
"Of course! Don't worry, I'll be sure to keep you safe no problem~!"
Giving the tiny woman an appreciative stroke of her hair he followed after the other four, glancing at the Fairy's stats as he did so.
Till, Contracted Fairy Princess, LVL 35
HP: 300
MP:8000
STA: 10,000
STR: 10
DEF: 50
AGI: 500
MAG: 800
MAG DEF: 900
EXP: 0/3500
He reflected that he really needed to figure out what the hell STA was good for. If the rest of his observations were any indication it probably wasn't just some simple measure of how far he could run or anything. But instead of mulling over pointless questions he had no easy answers to he glanced towards Asia, playfully asking, "So how did Caren squeeze you into one of her uniforms?"
The nun blushed a rather brilliant shade of red, stammering, "I-is it really that revealing? And miss Caren said that it has all manner of protective runes and other enchantments that will help keep me safe, so..."
Giving the pale-haired Exorcist a contemplative look she blandly responded, "If our enemies are too busy ogling our bodies to fight properly then that is all the more favorable for us, now isn't it?"
Asia whimpered at Caren's blunt response as Cayman merely retorted, "So where's the spandex suit that showcases my sweet ass?"
"It wouldn't fit, since there's no way in hell we could also shove your ego inside."
"You've even got a temper like a Dragon, Jinglei."
The pink-haired Taimanin gave him a look that said he was best off keeping his mouth shut as she and Yukikaze threw easily foldable jackets over themselves to hide their Taimanin attire, the group quickly making their way towards the previously discovered entrance without further comment.
"Alright, the formation is this. Jinglei in front, me behind. All of you stay in the middle of our formation and try not to get jumped. Cayman, you and Till are mostly going to be running guard duty for Caren and Asia while we handle whatever threats might be coming our way. That clear?"
Yukikaze's no nonsense tone was met with accepting shrugs by everyone else, Cayman concentrating for a moment before summoning Cerb to his side, the tiny canine yipping in excitement at the prospect of action as Jinglei opened up the door to the abandoned fortune cookie factory, the sextet slipping through and taking a side passage that brought them down into the bowels of the city at a rapid pace, almost no natural light to be found as the air became increasingly dank and musky, carrying within it a bevy of scents that were probably best not thought about.
But eventually they exited through yet another door in dire need of repair, finding themselves in a water runoff line that was mildly more lit with slowly pulsating orange lights strung out every fifteen meters or so, softly running water providing a deceptively soothing ambiance to what was a less than appealing terrain.
"And here I thought I could leave all this crap - literally - behind. Guess I'm stuck wading through other people's shit for the rest of my life."
"Perhaps you should convert to the faith of the lord? It would be far more a comforting source of reassurance than whatever pagan teachings you ninja sluts are raised upon."
"Can your god protect you from an unexpected and highly accidental spill into some poor bastard's unsteady bowel movement? And I emphasize the 'accident' part."
Ignoring the familiar argument between the group Cayman knelt next to Cerb, the canine rapidly sniffing back-and-forth across the damp floor before perking up, staring deep into the midnight abyss and whining slightly as he tugged at Cayman's firm grip upon his back, ensuring the fluffy quadruped wouldn't run off and leave them behind.
"If you're all done flirting I think we've got a trail. Ready to move out or are you content to keep sniping at each other?"
The pair of Taimanin gave Caren a familiar glare that she innocently smiled at, Asia and Till quietly sighing in relief that the constant butting of heads was once again put on hold. Reassuming their formation the squad continued their journey, Cerb leading the way in meandering and energetic paths as Cayman stared with significant interest at their surroundings.
It was by no means some uniform and standardized set of tunnels and outlets, all of them of varying in slope, width and height as it quickly became apparent that he and the rest weren't alone in the twisting and labyrinthine underground that made up the drainage system of Tokyo.
Soft pattering of feet, low murmurs of echoing conversation and a number of brief sightings of shapes that could very well have been stalking predators not even vaguely resembling humanoids...or maybe that was just Cayman's imagination.
Of more immediate interest to the Gamer was the occasional outright settlement they ran across in some of the larger areas where towering support beams held aloft an imposing and featureless ceiling, homeless, criminal elements and a dozen other denominations that were more on the lower end of the societal totem pole calling the sprawling tent towns and other residences home.
Most eyed them with a sort of curious wariness or just pretended they didn't exist while a few were more vocal in their intrigue and appreciation for the lovely ladies passing by...such as the fraternity of Orcs they were currently giving a respectful birth, the tusked Demons hooting and wolf-whistling as they marched through.
"Hey, little nun! Why don't you come on over here, we have some sins to confess and need a holy woman to drain them from us!"
"Heh, they're a little on the slimmer side - not much heft to that chest, you know - but that just make's em' all the tighter, you know?"
"Take all the girls you want, we'll have a piece or two of that hunk with them…"
"Geez, even the women Orcs are giving me bedroom eyes. Guess I should be flattered?"
Asia was blushing crimson the entire time while Till had hidden herself in the crook of his neck, Caren completely unaffected by the jeers while the pair of Taimanin were clearly wishing the greenskins would try something so they could have a case of completely justified murder on their hands.
"Why...why are so many people down here? And why do they all seem to live in such poor conditions? Hasn't anyone tried to help them? The Vatican has soup and aid stations that we regularly make use of."
The Taimanin didn't look particularly impressed at the showing of naivety, Caren taking it upon herself to answer with, "Attempt to offer your aid to the group of individuals we just passed and they would no doubt be very eager to introduce you to some of the redacted pages of the Kama Sutra."
"Umm...what's that?"
Till was quick to reply, "M-maybe that's something we can talk about at a later date, once we're out of here."
Figuring that they needed a distraction as well as being genuinely curious himself Cayman asked, "So at the risk of sounding like an idiot why exactly are we being so blatant about our movements down here? Shouldn't we be trying to act all covert and sneaky-like?"
His comment drew raised eyebrows from Yukikaze and Jinglei, the former PLA agent dryly commenting, "That's quite the risk you're taking."
"Ha ha. Question is pending."
Yukikaze shook her head, asking, "Have you ever been down here before, Cayman?"
"Well obviously not or I likely wouldn't be asking that, now would I?"
The young woman huffed in irritation as they fully left the Orc camp behind, entering into another series of twisting and turning tunnels before explaining, "The entrances closest to the surface are always heavily populated with groups like that, no exception. The underground elements of society-"
"Heh, good one."
Jinglei snorted at his brief comment as Yukikaze looked as if she was mentally counting to ten before continuing with, "The underground of Tokyo is impossible to sneak through unless you bribe huge swathes of the local populace or have access to hidden routes and other things that we don't have. And don't forget, the underground is regularly raided or 'cleansed' in order to keep the undesirable populations low."
Cayman raised an eyebrow, not really surprised at such a grimdark revelation but nonetheless wondering why anyone went to the effort.
The pink-haired Taimanin took up the thread of conversation with, "People skulking about and trying to keep to the shadows is what happens before one of these purges and thus makes people uneasy. Us walking through here without any particular care or worry? We're just some randoms on some random business that might be worth the risk of messing with...but definitely not spreading the word. Which would definitely be the end result if we tried to stealth our way through things."
Nodding in acceptance of their logic he replied, "Thanks for the lesson, teachers. I feel smarter than ever. Can I meet you after hours for some extra credit?"
"Only if you don't mind your dickhole getting acquainted with your pencil real fast."
"So aggressive, I was pure of thought and intention with my proposition of additional tuition."
"I would suggest you visit a confessional booth at the very first opportunity, Cayman. Your sins accumulate so quickly that I fear you may collapse into a singularity of heresy."
"Oh if only you knew, Caren."
The banter did a good job of distracting them from the tense atmosphere as Cerb led them deeper and deeper into the bowels of Tokyo's underbelly, the summon completely oblivious to their wariness and tension as they finally arrived at their target destination, a series of highly narrow and sharp turns that led to heavy steel doors without any means of easy entry, considering that the electronics hadn't been installed and were only dangling lengths of cords and such.
"Think this is it?"
"Only one way to find out...Cerb, you smell anything?"
The canine didn't seem entirely confident itself, slowly sniffing the ground with motions that were far less assured than they had been as the group exchanged wary nods, Yukikaze and Jinglei approaching the entrance with coiled motions similar to a Viper ready to strike.
"Ugh, this place gives me the creeps."
"Yeah, I hear you on that one, Till."
A few minutes passed, no ambushes or sudden attacks catching them off guard and complacent as the pinkette apparently got bored of waiting for Yukikaze to jury rig the old and rotten electronics, instead using her considerable strength to simply force the doors open and causing a truly horrific squeal of metallic protest in the process, the noise only amplified in the echoing and confined landscape of the tunnels.
"Good thing we're not trying to be sneaky, I think half of Japan heard that."
"Shut up, it's pretty obvious this isn't the place or it would have shown signs of recent travel. This is the only way in or out, everything else is honeycombed support beams and hard-packed concrete."
Shrugging in acceptance of the Taimanin's explanation Cayman strode forwards with everyone else in tow, Yukikaze passing out a selection of simple microphones and ear jacks as she instructed, "We'll split up into three groups. Asia with me, Caren with Jinglei and you go with Till and your summon. Check in every two minutes, tap once for clear, two for us to regroup and a bunch of frantic taps or wild shouting for us to go fast, is that clear? Just because this place is abandoned doesn't mean there might not be any nasty surprises waiting for us."
"Sensible. And dumping Caren onto Jinglei? I guess leadership has its perks."
The pinkette snorted, grumbling, "She just likes to think she's in charge."
"Do not worry, godless ninja woman. Just to irritate your companion I will refrain from annoying you during this investigation."
"Oh I'm sure you'll find a way to do so anyway…"
Cayman shook his head at their antics before heading into the abandoned facility, Cerb following in his footsteps as Till moved from his shoulder to floating slightly above his head, the Fairy muttering, "This place really gives me the creeps…"
"Enough so that it warrants a second telling?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
Smiling at his companion's grumbled words they delved deeper into the facility, surprisingly large for something that had to be shoved into already existing and cramped conditions. Kitchens, sleeping quarters, research labs and even what looked like an armory all built into the construct as he scoured the place for any signs of their quarry, predictably finding absolutely nothing other than signs of a project abandoned mid-build.
"Well hello…"
At least until Cerb darted off towards a recessed alcove in one of the lab sections, panting with excitement as he sniffed around shallow grooves and clamps in the ground that suggested something had once been intended to be placed there, possibly a giant tank or container of some kind. The old stains of liquid that definitely wasn't water surrounding the location further sold the idea.
"Good find, Cerb. While I doubt they're still here it seems that maybe they went and paid a visit for some five-finger discounts earlier-"
"CAYMAN, DUCK!"
Not questioning Till's panicked shout or Cerb's raised hair the Gamer threw himself low to the ground and rolled aside, a rush of air ruffling his hair and - annoyingly enough - tearing the mic off of his head as he quickly rose to his feet, steel spear manifesting within his grip as a familiar face grinned down at the male, animalistic features showcasing an extra level of ferocity.
"Well look at what we have here...it's the hero."
Answering the Stray Devil's sneer with one of his own Cayman replied, "Well look at what we have here, it's the chicken shit that needed a gang of Orcs to back him up when picking on a single nun."
The tigre-themed Stray Devil snarled, unsheathing lethal-looking talons from his limbs as a brutal growl slipped free from its throat.
"I'm going to really enjoy tearing the meat from your frame and eating it sinew by sinew, Human."
Feeling confident that with Cerb, Till and his recently acquired levels he stood a chance of fighting the thing Cayman merely crouched, spear at the ready as he scoffed in derision.
"Give it your best shot, tough guy. Let's see if the kitty has actual claws. I doubt it, I've seen cereal mascots more intimidating than you."
A roar of fury left Hoestia's hired Stray as Till and Cerb stayed behind as support, Cayman meeting the beast's charge with a bloodthirsty smile.
