#658 A Post-Pyramid Story

A new structure has been added to my farm: a pyramid.

A World Heritage site!

There are different types of pyramids, such as step, bent, and true pyramids, but the one built on my farm is the classic tetrahedron.

There’s no Sphinx, but I fear they actually might add it later.

While I’m amazed by this huge structure, there’s still plenty of undeveloped land on my farm, so it doesn’t feel too cramped.

“But even if I’m left with such a huge structure, what can I do with it...?”

With the students successfully completing their graduation exam, things have calmed down, yet I’m still struggling with what to do with this World Heritage site.

As someone who tends to fuss over trivial things, it feels uncomfortable to leave such a giant structure as is, so I can’t help but think of ways to use it.

For that purpose, I thought I’d explore the pyramid myself and investigate its potential uses.

I didn’t really venture inside during the graduation exam, as I simply watched the students’ progress through a screen.

Now, it’s time for me to walk inside the pyramid and do some field study!

Whip - check!

Hat - check!

Leather jacket - check!

Fully prepared, I charge into the pyramid.

* * *

I formed an exploration team with the orcs, goblins, and elves and ventured into the pyramid!

Who among us will survive and return in one piece?! (A flag)

“Huh?”

Once inside, the interior was more elaborate than expected.

Stone walls of a warm hue reminiscent of the sultry deserts of Egypt.

There are hieroglyphic patterns carved here and there.

It was a true pyramid.

“This is really well made. The passageways are so complex; it’s like a maze.”

Truly.

The architects behind this were none other than our beloved construction junkie orcs, who never compromise when it comes to erecting buildings.

Pyramids are often associated with traps to ward off intruders who come to loot them in later years.

In order to not disturb the Pharaoh’s slumber, the path to the tomb is often forked and leads to dead ends, making it difficult to reach.

In addition, various traps, such as falling ceilings and rolling boulders, are set up to ensure that any lawless intruders are dealt with.

Did the orcs consciously replicate that kind of atmosphere in this otherworldly pyramid they’ve made?

“W-Well, about that, My Lord...!” says one of the orcs accompanying me. “Something is off inside this pyramid.”

“Off?”

What do you mean?

“I can confirm that we orcs built this. However, I have no recollection of designing the interior as such, My Lord.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

You know you built the pyramid but don’t remember designing it like this?

What does that mean?

“When we built this structure, we kept the interior a clean straight path. It should’ve been just a short distance to a dead end, and we could retrace our steps in a few minutes...!”

“Huh?

But as you can see, the interior of the pyramid that we’re passing through is a huge maze.

There are multiple branched paths, the total area is vast, and it’s easy to get lost. It seems like it would be hard to get out of.

No, we’ve already walked around inside quite a bit, but based on this experience, my impression is that this maze is clearly larger than how the pyramid appears to be on the outside!

“...Is the space warped?”

That’s the only possibility I can think of.

Come to think of it, even during the exam, there were giant snakes and things that clearly wouldn’t fit inside the pyramid.

According to Sensei, it was something about the pyramid power controlling the space or something...!

But wasn’t that just a special arrangement for the exam?

Was it something that was supposed to manifest permanently?!

“It seems this pyramid has a mechanism that absorbs mana from other worlds through tetrahedral spatial control. Even if the gods of the other worlds depart, as long as this mechanism remains, the pyramid can continuously absorb infinite mana from other realms and retain it inside.”

“Is that what’s warping space inside this pyramid?”

Then, in other words...

This is a dungeon!

“Yes, this pyramid has become a dungeon.”

A pyramid turned into a dungeon?!

Like the stage settings that were popular in 8- or 16-bit games?!

“It was like that since the graduation exam. It was probably necessary to welcome the deities and beasts of multiple realms. However, after the transcendent beings left, only this function remained.”

Normally, the formation of dungeons in this world is caused by the circulating natural mana becoming trapped by geographical conditions and stagnation, leading to a formation of a different dimension.  

Inside this pyramid, mana flows in through the dimensional passage opened by the pyramid power, becomes dense within, and warps the space, causing it to turn into a dungeon.

So, this is pyramid power?

“This place...is more dangerous than I thought...!”

“Please proceed with caution, My Lord...!”

Just as I tried to brace myself, something strange happened. 

The elf who had gone to scout ahead came back in a panicked state...!

“Monsters... Monsters have appeared!!!”

She reported it with such intensity that it sounded like the boy who cried wolf.

“If monsters are spawning...then this place really is a dungeon!”

Then, bandaged men(?) following behind her slowly came into view. 

They looked like they had lost all their vitality...

“Are those mummies?!”

Enemies that you would expect to come across in a pyramid have appeared! 

“Uooooooooh! Intercept, intercept! Prepare for battle!!!”

“My Lord, they’re also coming from the left!”

“Waaaah! Now they’re charging toward us while still in their coffinssssss!!!”

“The...The hieroglyphs! They’re attacking usssssss!”

“Huh? Could that be Medjed?!”

“Are we playing a Shadow Game?!”

We were being played around by the unique monsters created specifically for the location, but we somehow managed to escape and get out of the pyramid.

“Urk...This is more dungeon-like than I thought...!”

So, what does this mean?

Following Sensei’s cave dungeon...

And Veil’s mountain dungeon...

A third dungeon has appeared on my farm!

“Hmm, this is quite the pickle... I never expected something like this would happen...!”

What should we do with this new dungeon that appeared?

* * *

First, I decided to show it off a little bit.

I called Silver Wolf from the Human Kingdom to impress him.

“Woaaaah! A new dungeon! A new dungeon in a place like this! Has appeareeeeeeed?!”

Although Silver Wolf has recently become the Adventurer’s Guild’s guild master, he’s a pure-blooded S-class adventurer at heart.

There’s no way he wouldn’t be thrilled to see a new dungeon before him.

“This form! No doubt it’s a ruins dungeon! Caves, mountains, ruins! With this, the three main dungeon types are now available at Lord Saint’s farm! Lord Saint! May I please have the opportunity to investigate the interior right away?! My spirit as an adventurer is getting exciteeeeed!!!”

Silver Wolf starts to talk a lot when it comes to dungeons.

It seems he’s more suited to challenging the unexplored independently rather than commanding his subordinates as a guild master.

He immediately rushes into the pyramid and then returns.

“It’s incredible! Inside is a never-before-seen structure with never-before-seen monsters! Not to mention, the unearthed treasures are unique!”

The item Silver Wolf holds is a haniwa, a terracotta clay figure from Japanese AD times.

“Why a haniwa?”

And that, too, in a pyramid?

I understand that haniwa are burial goods from ancient kingdoms, so it makes sense that they would be unearthed from royal tombs, but...

Why in a pyramid?

Why is there haniwa in a pyramid?!?!?!

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out of pure curiosity, i did some research on medjed (if you've played persona 5, its the same name). he's a really minor egyptian god. so minor, he was only mentioned twice in the entire Book of the Dead. but after a museum exhibition in 2012 at tokyo and fukuoka, his popularity spread in japan like wildfire. he's literally got his own fanmerch, such as plushies and mugs, anime...oh and a route in a dating sim  

shadow games must be a yu gi oh reference, bec according to the yu gi oh fandom wiki, egyptians first allowed it lol