《Basement Dungeon ~Poor Siblings become the Strongest and Enjoying Exploration~》


 CH 1

    ~3rd Person Perspective~


    Now, in the hall of this huge cave, a cow-headed giant about 3 meters tall, is deftly swinging a huge ax at a young man, which is disproportionate to even the cow-headed giant.


    The name of the cow-head giant is a Minotaur. The 15th floor boss of this dungeon. It has the power to easily destroy four SDF members that had already captured another dungeon.


    However, the ax¡¯s swing could not even scratch the young man in front of it.


    The man in front of it is able to dodge the slashes that are being wielded at a frightening speed. The ax has the strength to instantly kill the young man. However, by using the daggers in his hands. He strikes from the side while the swing slows down. It¡¯s unclear how much force he puts into it, but sometimes the minotaur is pushed back with the same momentum as it swings its weapon.


    The young man sways on the spot as the Minotaur goes into a rage. He is hitting the side of the ax with the dagger in his hand and ducking just enough to avoid the ax. The young man¡¯s expression is quite relaxed, while the overwhelmingly large Minotaur is showing signs of fatigue.


    ¡°Let me, brother!¡± (Girl)


    When he hears a girl¡¯s impatient voice from behind, the man throws a dagger at the eyes of the Minotaur.


    ¡°[Impact]!¡± (Girl)


    The girl¡¯s voice reverberated as she chanted within the cave. Then an explosion between the Minotaur and the young man. It instantly blasted the young man and the Minotaur with overwhelming firepower¡­


    The owner of the voice just now used one of the types of magic that pursue only firepower compared to other magic, it is known as Explosion Magic.


    The explosion destroyed an arm of the Minotaur, and by the time the smoke subsided, the Minotaur was completely enraged. However, there is still no sign of it dying. Perhaps it was angry due to the pain it received. It swung its ax towards the girl who cast the magic.


    However, a magic circle sprang up on the ground blocking it, and thorny vines sprouted and entangled the Minotaur.


    It is called [Bind], it is a skill that temporarily stops the movement of weak enemies, and it is clearly insufficient in strength to stop the Minotaur¡¯s movement. However, it is enough to stop the movement of the Minotaur.


    The next moment, a sharp blade came, and the Minotaur¡¯s neck was separated from its body.


    The decapitated Minotaur leaves a huge ax and a kilo of meat, before disappearing in a burst of black mist.


    Behind where the Minotaur once stood a scythe wielder stood. He was the young man who was supposed to have been blown up with the Minotaur.


    ¡°Thanks, brother. Subjugation complete! Today¡¯s monster quota has been achieved!¡± (Girl)


    The girl who used [Impact] earlier said in a bright voice without her facial expression changing. In addition, in her hand, she held a weapon with a stick-shaped handle and a spiked iron ball attached to the end. She has a morning star and she then approached the young man with the scythe.


    ¡°So tired. What¡¯s with the boss¡¯ drops. Who wants meat and an ax? Also, this is such a ridiculous ax. I already have one. If the Self-Defense Force clears it, many people will cry. It¡¯s a waste to risk your life when the reward is just a stupid ax and meat. Moreover, the ax is plain iron. I don¡¯t know how it would compare to other metals.¡± (Young Man)


    ¡°Well, at least you get a weapon that suits you for the first time. Let¡¯s go home early. We¡¯re having Minotaur beef again today. It tastes better than regular beef, so you won¡¯t get tired of it. So, did your level go up?¡± (Girl)


    ¡°Yeah, it went up. The government has decided that there are should be four people with double the boss¡¯ level to defeat said boss. The boss still didn¡¯t give enough. That¡¯s why it¡¯s hard to level up.¡± (Young Man)


    ¡° hat¡¯s because our class is bad. Huh, I¡¯m getting frustrated thinking about it. Brother, let¡¯s hunt some more. I¡¯ll be the vanguard. My level is not getting any higher.¡± (Girl)


    ¡° Geez, seriously. Geez, I really want to go home since I won¡¯t be able to raise my level again by the end of the day anyway.¡± (Young Man)


    Although the young man complained. He lifts the meter-long ax while giving an ¡°okay¡±. Before putting it in a small pouch on his waist. The ax, which by all accounts should be impossible to fit through the mouth of the pouch, is completely contained within the pouch, and no one questions what happened.


    Even though they were in a dungeon, the two of them joked and talked casually, before eventually going down to the lower level.


    The door to the dungeon room where the fierce battle had just taken place naturally closed, and nothing was left after the two were gone.


    On the 1st of August, something suddenly happened on planet Earth. Many holes simultaneously appeared in countries around the world.


    All the ordinary people who went inside never returned, and police investigations were conducted.


    What was inside was something like a green-ish child, a translucent moving puddle, and something that looks like a robot made of soil.


    Moreover, when they went inside, they could not use anything that used electricity such as communication equipment. In the midst of this situation, something, which had probably never existed on earth before, somehow assaulted the police, who could no longer use their guns.


    As a result, most of the people who went into the hole disappeared, and only a few people that could be counted on one hand made it out alive.


    In response to this, the government immediately took action and the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) decided to conduct a cleanup operation. [T/N: Self-Defense Forces = SDF.]


    It turned out that modern weapons and electronics were suddenly disabled, so 10 SDF personnel with excellent close combat skills attempted to scout the cave, but none returned.


    While the government is taking action, the cave suddenly turned its fangs against them.


    UMA (Unidentified Mysterious Animal), a hundred or so emerged from the cave, attacking the citizens and the SDF on stand-by.


    Only a few hundred of them attacked around the world at the same time, inflicting only minor damage on the developed countries. However, in developing countries, it caused so much chaos that their governments came to a halt.


    But the damage was not the only thing they brought. The UMAs that were attacking the SDF were obliterated with the firepower of their modern weapons, and the frontline was pushed back inside the dungeon. However, that¡¯s when the problem arose. Once they entered the dungeon, they were unable to fire their guns. The frontline that relied on guns could not go any further.


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    While the SDF members were in a panic, the UMA pushed back and killed the SDF personnel who were fighting. The squad that entered the dungeon was wiped out, leaving a single person behind.


    Since the member was an otaku, he soon reached a conclusion that modern weapons could not be used in the dungeon and physical attacks would are enhanced. He also understood the meaning of what was displayed in his mind when he entered the dungeon. He changed to attacking with just his bayonet attached to his gun.


    At first, it was a harrowing battle, but as he killed more of them, it became a little easier for him to move. The more he killed, the better his movements become. While doing that, the UMA around the survivor disappeared. The survivor immediately left the dungeon and made a report. This was the first time someone survived, after diving into the dungeon.


    No guns or electronics work in the dungeon.


    Defeating UMA through traditional methods within the dungeon will give you strength.


    That strength disappears when you leave the dungeon.


    This information was immediately relayed to other countries, and a cleanup operation using batons and other weapons was launched against the UMAs that appeared, and the situation was brought under control.


    In this way, the incident that came to be known as the ¡°081 Disaster¡± was truly brought to an end.


    After that, Japan cooperated with the United States to investigate the UMA and dungeons. The United States, which is at the forefront of technology, and Japan, which has mastered otaku culture, are successful in their partnership. In less than a week, various new pieces of information were discovered.


    First of all, the inside of the dungeon was a long cave, but digging around the dungeon entrance did not lead to the inside of the dungeon. The entrance to the dungeon was built in such a way that it rested on an unbreakable pillar of about a meter in diameter that extended far underground.


    They also found out that this small increase in muscle strength was a result of entering the dungeon, and that the increase was reduced by a factor of ten when they left the dungeon.


    They confirmed that a person with a grip strength of 51, defeated UMA inside and the power increased up to at least three times. Moreover, when he tested his grip strength again, it showed 66. However, when he went outside, his grip strength decreased to 52.5. [T/N: The subject increased by 15 (66-51=15) units but was reduced to 1.5 (15/10=1.5, 51+1.5=52.5) units after going out to the surface.]


    As a result, they realized that the only advantage of dungeons at that point is that muscle training becomes easier. It seems that muscle strength, which is not related to the status, does not change when they go outside.


    However, the government decided that it was dangerous to manage several dungeons, blocked all dungeons except Tokyo. However, when the entrance was blocked with concrete, an explosion suddenly occurred from inside the dungeon, destroying the concrete seal, and the dungeon sucked in the surrounding objects with a terrifying force similar to that of a tornado.


    As a result, the SDF personnel who were monitoring the dungeon went missing, and the entrance to the dungeon re-appeared, so it was judged that it was impossible to block the entrances.


    However, since the cause of the explosion could not be determined, a building was constructed enclosing the entrance of the dungeon inside the building after several experiments. It seems that it is okay if there is a space leading to the outside of the dungeon. As a result of repeated experiments that exploded, it was concluded that if a person without special power has the intention to enter the dungeon, the entrance would be forced open by an explosion and the surrounding would be sucked in after a week if you maintain the blockade.


    Therefore, the buildings we equipped with strong unlocked doors and guards present all the time. Soon, this building was named Dungeon Dam.


    With this, the world was made safe again, and the world remembered it not as a great disaster, but as a supernatural phenomenon.


    A cave where UMAs appear suddenly appears in the world. The government officially renamed them Dungeons, and the UMAs living in them were named Monsters.


    In Japan, a total of 10 were found in Hokkaido, Iwate, Niigata, Chiba, Tokyo, Toyama, Osaka, Shimane, Kochi, and Kagoshima.


    It was said that it was difficult to use modern weapons because the monsters wouldn¡¯t feel that their lives were in danger, no matter how much they are gunned down, they wouldn¡¯t stop from pain, and they would only continuously charge.


    All electronic devices become unusable in the dungeon, but extremely weak electrical signals such as the human brain¡¯s was not a problem.


    When entering the dungeon, words appear in your mind and you can choose your class.


    There are 11 weapon classes: Sword, Shield, Fist, Bow, Spear, Club, Trap, Hunting, Magic, Heal, and Enchant.


    In the dungeon, stats and levels are given to individuals, and the power raised in the dungeon is reduced to a tenth when going outside. Moreover, the weight of the equipment you have is also reduced to a tenth outside the dungeon, so people are not crushed the moment they leave the dungeon.


    Skills, however, cannot be used outside the dungeon.


    Dungeon equipment has an appropriate level and cannot be equipped by anyone who does not meet it. To be precise, you will not be able to reduce its weight outside of dungeons, and you will experience symptoms such as dizziness, headache, and ringing in the ears that will not go away as long as you have it equipped.

 CH 2

    ¡°I¡¯m home, I¡¯m back at Haru.¡± (Young Man)


    I shouted before entering a small tattered house. It is well over 50 years old.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, brother, welcome back.¡± (Girl)


    Haruka Kizaki, my younger sister, and only family member, welcomed me into the house. She¡¯s cute, smart, and good at sports, but she is a bit shy but she has quite a sharp tongue.


    Oops, I forgot to say that my name is Touka Kizaki. Although my name sounds like a girl¡¯s, I am an ordinary man and the breadwinner of this family. I am neither a handsome man nor a pretty boy, nor am I ugly or talented. [T/N: I¡¯m gonna use the ¼Ñ ¡°Kei¡± in ¶¬¼Ñ ¡°Touka¡¯s¡± name as his nickname for now. Until I find a nickname of his, from other characters besides ¡°Onii¡± or Brother. BTW I edited Fuyuka to Touka based on some advanced reading.]


    I was just an ordinary everyday male student, who is just a little fond of Aikido. Due to circumstances, I am not a student anymore. I wondered what I was thinking about. I knew I shouldn¡¯t be left alone.


    ¡°Oni, what are you upset about? Make me dinner.¡± (Girl => Haru)


    ¡°You are already 16-years-old, you should be able to cook basic meals. You¡¯ve already finished your compulsory education.¡± (Young Man => Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how. Anyway, I¡¯m quitting school so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± (Haru)


    Yes, we live together, and both of us should still be students in terms of our age.


    Haruka quit high school in the first year of high school and I quit in the second year of high school. Without parents, we don¡¯t have any money to go pay for school. It would be normal to have the option of going to school while earning our tuition with a part-time job. However, the tuition fees of my former high school were unexpectedly high. Even if I try to transfer, I can not pay the entrance fee and I cannot even get a scholarship. Since I am not that smart.


    In the first place, I want to save money to even buy study materials. That said, it was a little too early to start looking for a job after what had happened. We fell into this situation about one season ago.


    Our mother died in a car accident last June. Of course, we were sad, but the reason for the accident was that she was drunk and ran into the driveway, I couldn¡¯t blame her. When I think about it, my parents spent very little time at home in the first place, and I don¡¯t know much about them, so I can¡¯t say for sure, but I¡¯m not sure if they raised us with love.


    Basically, we didn¡¯t have either parent at home, so my sister got along well with me despite being in her rebellious period, and my housework skills grew to the point where I might surpass most housewives.


    Both our parents were fairly good earners. Our parents gave me enough money but I wouldn¡¯t have enough money to spend a year on convenience store food. That would have been the case if I was told to manage my own meals on the days when we weren¡¯t there. To be exact, I was given 1,500 yen a day. If it¡¯s a convenience store lunch, it¡¯s just barely enough for breakfast, lunch, and supper. We are in our growth period, so it¡¯s not enough. That¡¯s why we never ate convenience store lunch boxes. [T/N: 100 Yen is approximately 1 USD.]


    We were also given money to buy clothes, and after we saved the money, we were able to pocket the difference. Well, my parents seemed to have found out about it, and they never gave us any money to play with.


    So, I accepted my mother¡¯s death with only a feeling of sadness. I cried, but that was it. My younger sister seemed to have just taken it in stride.


    The problem occurred four months later.


    Our father disappeared in October. The passbook and my mother¡¯s small altar at home are gone, and there is a memo on the table.


    ¡°My company is going under and I¡¯m running away. I¡¯m not going to run away with you. If you die, I¡¯ll have a lot of problems with it, so don¡¯t die. Oh, I¡¯ll take the money from the house to spend on our haneymoon. I¡¯ll also take your mother¡¯s tablet with me. Have a good day. ~Dad¡±


    I knew well that my father was a scumbag. Also, I¡¯ll leave it out that the spelling is different from honeymoon instead its haneymoon, but after that, there were various things I had to do.


    First of all, all furniture other than what we needed to live was sold. Sofas, dishwashers, and TVs. Even if we don¡¯t have a TV, we can find the information on our computer. As for the smartphones, the one used by my sister Haru was canceled and I shared mine with her as the Kizaki family¡¯s cell phone. The refrigerator was also sold. Refrigerators are a necessity, but it is better to sell the existing large refrigerator and buy second-hand small refrigerators for both in terms of the cost of the refrigerator itself and the electricity bill.


    Then we left home. That said, it¡¯s not something that a minor can do alone, but it seems that the documents were prepared before father left the house, and he left them in his bedroom. Unfortunately, we lived in a condominium, not a house, so the contract ended. I am relieved that there was no additional charge because there was nothing broken.


    The place we were going to live was a small house in a remote area that had been used as a warehouse for some time. Inside the house, there was a small, dusty bathroom, a toilet, a kitchen in a narrow hallway, and a living room that had been completely turned into a warehouse. And a small basement. According to what I heard, it was a room where they kept their liquor. Of course, there was no alcohol in there, just a lot of garbage.


    I had to renew a contract for propane gas, electricity, and water, as there was no convenient city gas line.


    I had a courier carry the unsold furniture that was in the condominium, and soon we finished moving safely. Then came the good news. What an idiot my father is. I found 100,000 yen in my father¡¯s bedroom, which he had taken out of the bankbook when he sold the furniture. I¡¯m going to put it to good use.


    We quit high school and moved to the old warehouse in the countryside of Kanagawa Prefecture, taking the money in my bankbook from what we had left from our living expenses, such as food and clothes, which we had accumulated over the years adding it to the 100,000 yen. [T/N: 100k Yen is about 1,000 USD.]


    But what can I say about this former warehouse? It was old. It creaks when you walk around, and the wind blows through the walls. The window was not only broken but also missing. Therefore, I cut out a board that happened to be in the basement with a saw from the toolbox in the living room. Then, I attached it to the window frame using screws. At first, I thought about buying a window, but when I looked it up on the Internet, I found out that windows are much more expensive than I thought.


    I didn¡¯t want to be wasteful and spend a lot of money, so I put up the boards as a last resort. Even though a typhoon would not come, there is a wall of about 2 meters that surrounds a fairly large garden with a window frame blocked with boards. It looked suspicious. Well, the wall is broken here and there, and it¡¯s more of a pitiful situation than a suspicious one.


    Finally, I sold or disposed of most of the large trash in the house, which reduced my money somewhat. Some bulky trash can only be thrown away if you pay for it. The reason for this is that there are not many things that can be sold. So, we took apart the wooden furniture that we couldn¡¯t sell and put them outside in a covered area. The ones that are still usable are repaired and used as they are.


    Remembering such a scene from a long time ago (although it was a few months ago), I fried tofu and bean sprouts with margarine and soy sauce. Today, I have a small amount of white rice that I got from a cheerful lady at my part-time job, so rice is possible. My cheeks relax at this once-a-week luxury. I¡¯m ready to go. The rice should be cooked by now.


    ¡°Haru, I appreciate you fixing the house, but the rice is ready, come here.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, I understand.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s hobby is remodeling and repairing things that ordinary girls would rarely do. That¡¯s why she belonged to the art club in junior high and high school, but for some reason, she didn¡¯t draw pictures but did craft. That¡¯s what I heard from my classmates before.


    In any case, her beauty and quiet personality drew a lot of attention from boys. So much so that boys from other grades even sent letters to her. As an older brother, I feel a bit awkward about it, but since we don¡¯t have many close friends at school, only a few people know that we¡¯re brother and sister.


    Anyway, thanks to Haru¡¯s love of crafting, at home she repairs broken floors with simple tools. She wants to completely repair it, but we don¡¯t have the money, so we do our best to reduce the inconvenience. Haru can¡¯t use the hammer because she cares about other rooms like in the previous house. It seems that she is happy to be able to get out of the bad situation.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± (Kei)


    I slowly chewed and finished the small meal that cannot be called luxury, and Haru joined and clapped her hands.


    After that, I send Haru to the bath, while I put away the dishes,


    This is the end of the day¡¯s work.


    ¡°Then, Haru should go to bed. I¡¯ll jog for a bit.¡± (Kei)


    I told Haru who came out of the bath to sleep, while I put on the durable shoes that I have been using for a year, before going out.


    This jogging habit of mine started after we moved into this house. Living in the countryside, was hard for me, a year-round ¡°Go Home¡± club member. Now I can run for about ten kilometers around our house.


    I hadn¡¯t yet realized that running 10 kilometers on gravel roads, hills, and steps in the woods near my house was a lot harder than running 10 kilometers in the city. Fortunately or unfortunately, I haven¡¯t noticed that the heavy shoes are suitable for mountain climbing, were not running shoes.


    After getting a good sweat, I returned home, I quickly took a bath since I was getting quite sticky. Then, I went to the bedroom in the basement.


    I wish I could get a part-time job all day, but there¡¯s no place in the country where I can even get one. Haru doesn¡¯t like me to be away all the time either.


    I did some final stretching exercises and headed for the bedroom in the former storage room in the basement, which I turned into a bedroom since the first floor wasn¡¯t very big and I didn¡¯t have anything to put there anyway. In addition, the basement is cooler in summer and warmer in winter than the first floor, making it the perfect place for a bedroom in a house without air conditioning.


    Thus, I went to the basement, the bedroom I shared with my sister, covered myself with my futon, and fell asleep.


    At this time, February 7, 10:00 PM


    At that time, I had no idea that my daily life would be shattered so easily.


    ¡°Tsu!¡± (Kei)


    I was jolted from sleep by a sudden tremor that seemed to come from below.


    In the next moment, my body flew through the air and fell about two meters. I was just barely able to catch myself, but the shock of falling from a high place from my sleeping position could not be erased, and I was slammed into the ground, the air leaving my lungs. I hurriedly took a deep breath to calm my lungs and opened my eyes.


    The place I was in was the basement. No, more precisely, I was in the basement of this house, in a square pit over two meters deep. I had fallen into the bottom part of it. In a panic, I struggled to stand up, pushing against the pain in my body. I looked around seeing a wall of stone and a path leading deeper into the ground beside it. I had an idea of what this was.


    ¡°Is it a dungeon?¡± (Kei)


    I couldn¡¯t help but voice it out.


    On August 1st, there was an incident where dungeons appeared in various places. There were monsters inside, and many people were killed. Even now, six months later, ordinary people are still not allowed to enter because of the danger.


    ¡°Brother, if you don¡¯t come up here soon, it¡¯s going to be bad. This is a dungeon, right?¡± (Haru)


    Haru calls from the entrance of the dungeon with a slightly panicked voice.


    I¡¯m sure the monsters will kill me if I stay here. No, I¡¯ve heard that the entrance to the dungeon is through a part of the wall that has a different material, but if the monsters find you, they will still come out of the dungeon.


    Just because the range of vision when there are no enemies is limited inside the dungeon does not mean that you cannot get out of the dungeon. However, I heard that it will be easier to find monsters when you enter the dungeon.


    I was standing one step before the place where the material of the wall changed from brown to gray.


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous!¡± (Kei)


    I hurriedly leave the gray rock area that is part of the dungeon and return to the basement area. Even if I move, I had to climb a step over two meters high, so I asked Haru to get a ladder. I can usually climb with my strength, but now that my body was slammed into the ground, it was painful. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything broken, but it still hurts.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± (Haru)


    I hear Haru muttering and looking into the dungeon again.


    I don¡¯t see any monsters coming out, but I don¡¯t know what will happen if this is the case. We would normally make a call, but if the police came, we would surely be kicked out of this house. We can¡¯t find a new home as we only earn enough to get by.


    There is no law in place that requires you to call the police if you find a dungeon. I have no intention of doing such a foolish thing. The country cannot forcibly take the land where the dungeon is located from the individual, but it will be protected because a dungeon was reported.


    ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s leave it alone. At this height, even if a dungeon monster comes here, it will not be able to go up from the basement. The other thing to consider is whether or not the house will be sealed up if we leave it like this. If it¡¯s sealed, an explosion will destroy this house.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a problem. This house is full of holes. I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s okay if there¡¯s a door in the first place. The door of this house can be broken by kicking it, so it will not be judged as a wall.¡± (Haru)


    It is true that a great deal of information about the overflowing of dungeons has been made public because the private sector has strongly requested information for safety reasons. Even civilians are indeed fine as long as they can enter the surrounding when they want to. If that¡¯s the case, well, no problem, I guess.


    However, I¡¯d still like to take a look inside the dungeon. In fact, I¡¯m afraid that there is a precedent of monsters overflowing from inside the dungeon if it is left unattended. However, it is also possible I might drag Haru for that reason¡­


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we dive into the dungeon for a bit? We can get meat by defeating monsters. Savings, savings!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Haha.¡± (Kei)


    Haru said as if she was reading my thoughts, with a sparkle in her eyes along her usual poker face. I gave a vague reply because of the surprising situation we found ourselves in, but if Haru wants to go, there should be no problem.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s 1:00 AM now, so let¡¯s sleep until about 6:30 AM and then go to the home improvement store using the bicycle. The store opens at 9:00 AM, so if I go out by bicycle at 7:00 AM, I arrived at the opening time.¡± (Kei)


    I remember, both Haru and I got a scooter license during the previous summer vacation, but since we sold the moped itself before coming to this house, there are no mopeds, and there is only one bicycle in the house.


    I used to think that it was scary to get a moped license when my mother died in a car accident a month ago, but it didn¡¯t matter when I thought that the only reason she died was that she was drunk. However, I clearly remembered that Haru and I had vowed not to drink alcohol at that time.


    Aside from that, I pulled up my futon that had fallen towards the entrance of the dungeon, went up to the first floor with Haru, and laid down the futon to go back to sleep.

 CH 3

    The alarm on my smartphone went and I woke up. Taking a deep breath I cleared my sleepy brain and reminded me of the event last night.


    I went back to the basement, paying attention to my surroundings for the time being, but there was no sign that monsters had climbed out of the dungeon.


    However, when I looked into the dungeon, I found a pale transparent puddle on the floor. No, it was moving, so it must be what they call a slime. But I couldn¡¯t think of any way to get rid of it, so I sat on the edge of the step and observed the slime.


    The slime must have noticed me because it walked out of the dungeon and slithered towards me, then a small crash came from the bottom of the hole.


    When I look carefully at something, it trembles. And jumped.


    ¡°Wow!¡± (Kei)


    I didn¡¯t expect to jump, so I was surprised and stepped back a little.


    A slime less than 30 centimeters in diameter jumped a meter. That¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s not surprising that a small game slime from a popular RPG would jump, but the slime here is not that cute. It¡¯s not a round, squishy thing, it¡¯s a lump of dirty liquid that looks like sludge. Who could have predicted that it would jump?


    Haru came down from the first floor while I was alone.


    ¡°Good morning. Let¡¯s eat breakfast.¡± (Haru)


    Looking at Haru¡¯s hand, there are two pieces of onigiri on the plate. [T/N: Onigiri is a rice ball that can be seasoned with a variety of things. It can also have a filling or something embedded on it like some sour pickled plums (umeboshi). It may or may not also be wrapped with seaweed (nori). Google-sensei has many appetizing pictures.]


    ¡°Thank you.¡± (Kei)


    I patted Haru¡¯s head after she sat beside me, she squints like a cat looking quite happy. After looking at the slime for a while, I eat one of the rice balls. Haru also starts eating her onigiri next to me. As always, the salty taste of Haru¡¯s onigiri is just right.


    ¡°Ah, salt?¡± (Kei)


    I suddenly remembered something, so I grabbed some salt from the kitchen and poured it on the slime.


    Then the slime that had been slithering down the steps began to shrink. It seemed to shrink.


    Then it jumped.


    ¡°Kya~!¡± (Haru)


    Sigh.


    I sighed while Haru let out a surprised cute voice. I thought I succeeded because it was shrinking, but it seems I was just getting ready to jump. I¡¯m not sure what to make of it. But that¡¯s about it. The volume of the slime did not decrease, and the salt went to waste. [T/N: It¡¯s not a slug or snail.]


    Perhaps the slime itself is not just water, or perhaps it has a film on its surface, or perhaps the slime absorbs water better than salt. If that were the case, then salt would be produced by pouring saltwater on it.


    ¡°Okay, I found out that slime couldn¡¯t come out in the basement, so I¡¯m going to the Home Depot.¡± (Kei)


    I called out to Haru and stood up. I opened a drawer in the corner of the room and peeled off the 100,000 yen stuck to the back of it.


    The world may think it¡¯s only 100,000 yen, but for my sister and me, it¡¯s a lot of money. This is the only thing I have not spent since we brought it from our previous house. To be precise, we did spend it at first, but by working part-time, we were able to get it back up to 100,000 yen, and since then, we¡¯ve been working part-time to make up for our living expenses and save up little by little. It¡¯s for when Haru gets married.


    I¡¯d like to take more part-time jobs, but Haru cries when I take too many. According to her, she doesn¡¯t want to be alone. I think Haru should get a part-time job too, but he¡¯s too shy and gets rejected at interviews. She needs to get better in the future, but if she can¡¯t, she should find a husband who is kind and who will provide for her.


    Well, I wouldn¡¯t approve of just any man out there. After all, I couldn¡¯t let Haru marry someone like our father.


    I put my wallet with 100,000 yen, my phone, and a rope in my bag and left the house. The rope was to tie the things I bought to my bicycle on the way home.


    ¡°Brother, Hurry up!¡± (Haru)


    Haru nags me while riding behind the bicycle.


    Is this a two-seater? Far from cracking down on us, no one even checks us. This is life in the countryside.


    Well, I¡¯m not going to stop riding with her behind me because we can be seen. Also, I will get tired not riding a bike.


    Nothing happened and we arrived at the Home Depot without being penalized for having another person ride behind the bike.


    The only problem is that Haru behind me is humming ¡°Pew~?¡±. Please stop it. I don¡¯t want to be considered a pervert.


    The area around here, which is a two-hour bike ride from my house, is well paved with asphalt, and although there are no buildings, there are plenty of apartments and stores.


    When we entered the home improvement store, I dragged Haru to the fence section, where she tried to head for the farm tools and equipment section.


    ¡°Why do we need a fence?¡± (Haru)


    Haru, as usual, is not thinking about anything. She¡¯s good at constructing and calculating things in her head, but I¡¯m much better at reading and predicting her thoughts.


    ¡°Even if you can¡¯t come out of the basement, you¡¯ll want to seal it up. Turn the fence on its side and use it as a lid.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, I¡¯ll make a door. I¡¯m sure I have a metal cutter at home. Just buy some wire. I don¡¯t have any welding equipment, and even if I did, I¡¯ve heard that you have to be qualified to do it. I¡¯ll do it with wire somehow.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay. Please do it.¡± (Kei)


    After all, when it comes to crafting, Haru is in a league of her own.


    After staring at a sturdy fence that will not break even if you step on it or kick it, bring the cart we head to the tool corner. For some reason, though, we already have most of these tools at home. I wondered what my parents and grandparents were thinking when they left them in storage.


    ¡°I bought some wire and stakes to hold it in place, and maybe some screws. I¡¯ve got a hammer and a drill at home.¡± (Haru)


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    Haru quickly looks around the tools and bought only what she needed with the quality she needed.


    ¡°I like a crowbar. It¡¯s a classic. Spanners and hammers.¡± (Haru)


    I looked at Haru, who was probably referring to a zombie movie. She had a crowbar on her shoulder and was popping her neck. It¡¯s not cute. She¡¯s rather scary.


    ¡°So, just the crowbar.¡± (Kei)


    For the time being, I will take the easiest to use, but for some reason, I feel that the inside of the cart has become a mess. If we buy a spanner and a hammer, we would definitely look like dangerous people. Still, Haru wants to buy more at the farm tool section.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to the farm tools section next.¡± (Haru)


    Haru walks energetically as usual.


    The ones in the farm tool corner are mostly for weapons. Rather, there is no way to use it in dungeons. It seems that the ground of the dungeon cannot be dug in even if seeds are scattered or even if you use fertilizer in the dungeon.


    Hal brought a rubber-grip outdoor machete that can also be used for stabbing. To the untrained eye, it¡¯s hard to tell the difference between a knife and a machete. I guess it¡¯s a little thicker. The purpose of the machete is not to cut wood, so it¡¯s fine.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take this one.¡±


    I picked up a nearby triangular hoe. It¡¯s a handy product that has a triangular part for tilling the soil, and it also has a blade so you can cut the grass.


    I swung it to check if it looked natural to the people around me, and it didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable. The handle was also made of metal and seemed sturdy, so I was satisfied and put it in my cart. Since I had everything I needed to buy, I went back to the fence section, put the fence I had decided on the cart, and headed for the cashier.


    I was relieved to be able to leave the store without any suspicious looks from the cashier.


    And now I¡¯m loading my luggage onto my bike. I put the small stuff in the basket in front of me, and put the long stuff into the bike like you would put an umbrella. Then I strapped the fence to the side of the bike. I can¡¯t ride my bike anymore, no matter what I do.


    ¡°¡±Hah¡­¡±¡± (Haru & Kei)


    I sigh with Haru and we walked towards the house. It took me two hours to ride my bike this way. I¡¯ve heard that biking is three times faster than walking, so six hours. What a pain.


    As soon as we got home, I took the luggage and went down to the basement. It took us 6 hours on our walk home, actually 8 hours to go home because I stopped by another store. 10 hours back and forth travel, 2 hours shopping and eating, 12 hours in total, I was mentally and physically tired, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t take a rest. I want to take measures against the dungeon as soon as possible.


    I lined up the things we had bought in the basement.


    120¡Á150 in2 iron fence, thick wire, stakes, padlocks, crowbar, machete (2), triangular hoe, full-body protector (2), work clothes (2), water bottle (2).


    90,000 yen in total and some more. The 100,000 we brought with us are gone.


    I watched Haru start working with the big nippers for cutting the iron fence and wire I had bought, and I carried the stuff in the basement downstairs. On the way home, we talked and decided that the basement would be dedicated for dungeon use. However, we don¡¯t have a lot of money in this house, and it was hard to withdraw, so the rest was just small things. There were a few tools, such as Haru¡¯s saw and a sawhorse, but they were left in the basement.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m done.¡± (Haru)


    When I returned to the basement after finishing my work, Haru was lying down on the floor.


    ¡°Good work. The only thing left to do is to put up the fence, so you can rest.¡± (Kei)


    I lifted the fence and found that part of it opened like a door.


    ¡°The door is 80¡Á80 in2.¡± (Haru)


    Haru reported. The door is 80¡Á80 in2, so any normal object should fit through.


    I took out a vibration drill from the many tools I had. I wondered why there was such a thing, but I decided not to think about it.


    ¡°Haru, it¡¯s going to be loud, so go upstairs and put on your earplugs.¡± (Kei)


    Driving Haru out of the basement, I put on earplugs. I thought I should at least put in some headphones to muffle the sound since there was a vibration drill, but I had no choice. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be comfortable with just earplugs, so I wrapped a piece of cloth around my head to cover my ears.


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    Then, I drilled vertically into the area about an inch away from the edge of the dungeon steps. If I did that with regular concrete, the side of the concrete might break, but that was no problem since the dungeon was unbreakable.


    After making eight holes in the edge of the dungeon entrance and the area between. I place the fence to block the entrance to the dungeon and fix it in place by driving the stakes into the holes I just made. I used the huge padlock on the door and hang the key on a wire right next to it. Since it¡¯s not a person you¡¯re trying to protect, it doesn¡¯t matter what you do as long as it doesn¡¯t open when you push or pull.


    By the way, there was nothing under the hole. It seems that slime has also left.


    It was only when I checked for enemies that I realized that the open door had been designed to be used as a ladder. It was just like Haru to be so thoughtful.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± (Kei)


    Satisfied that it was over, I lie down for the time being. My ears hurt a little, maybe the earplugs and cloth weren¡¯t enough.


    But for the time being, it¡¯s ready. All we have to do is enter the dungeon. I put my hands on my head and close my eyes. I¡¯ve done all this. No one would complain if I slept a little. That¡¯s what I tell myself. Before I knew it, my consciousness sank into a light sleep.

 CH 4

    ¡°Brother, dinner is ready.¡± (Kei)


    I woke up and lifted up my body when I heard a voice above me. It seems she made it while I was sleeping.


    When I went upstairs to the living room, Haru was already sitting and there were stir-fried pork and bean sprouts on the table. It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s cheap.


    ¡°Itadakimasu.¡± (Kei)


    We are deciding on our plan for tomorrow while we¡¯re eating.


    ¡°So, Haru. Will we be in the dungeon tomorrow? It¡¯s already 10:00 PM, so it¡¯s no good today.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m tired and sleepy today, so I don¡¯t want to enter today. Tomorrow, let¡¯s just wait and see.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be wearing work clothes and a protector on top of it. Haru¡¯s weapons can be both a crowbar and machete.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother will use a hoe and a machete. Both of us can use the machetes as subs. What about the light source¡± (Haru)


    ¡°We won¡¯t need it because it seems that the inside of the dungeon is bright. Also, you can¡¯t use electricity in the dungeon in the first place. What about our water?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh yeah. I¡¯ll have the water bottle ready. I¡¯ll have the weapons and armor for brother ready too.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So we¡¯re prepared and ready. Thank you for the meal. I¡¯m going to jog outside. When you¡¯re done eating, go to sleep.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay, I will.¡± (Haru)


    Haru sent me off and I went outside. It was completely cold and dark outside. Also, it¡¯s already winter, so it¡¯s cold all day long. I feel like I¡¯ve become more resistant to the cold since we sold the apartment and came here.


    There is no convenient air conditioner, there is no stove or even a kotatsu. If it¡¯s cold, just wear heavy clothes. In addition to that, I¡¯ve been running like this every day since I came here. If you run in such cold weather, you will be a little more resistant to the cold. [T/N: Kotatsu¡¯s are short-legged heated tables with a thick blanket to trap the heat. It¡¯s the cozy-looking tables you can see in anime and manga where the characters usually drink tea or eat mandarin oranges (Mikan). Google-sensei has pictures if you want to see more.]


    I ran between rice fields and along forest roads. I¡¯ll be back home at my usual time. Even though I moved around for a day, I wasn¡¯t physically exhausted because we just walked.


    When I entered the house, the lights were off and Haru seemed to have already fallen asleep. Taking a quick bath, I then immediately go to the futon. As expected, at this age, Haru seems to have already fallen asleep even with how busy the day was. For the time being, I have to sleep while being cautious of the surroundings like yesterday. I fell asleep relieved that nothing had happened.


    I was woken up when the alarm clock rang. Haru was no longer in the room. Looking around, there is some onigiri on the desk.


    ¡°Well. I woke up early, so here, eat your breakfast and come to the basement. I¡¯m getting ready. Well, even if I fall asleep again, I still woke up earlier than usual.¡± (Haru)


    Fortunately, I¡¯m the type who can start working as soon as I wake up, so I chowed down the onigiri and changed into a light jersey before heading to the basement.


    Haru has already gone. I was about to take off the clothes I had on and changed into my work clothes.


    ¡°Haru, if you¡¯re not able to move easily, you¡¯ll get hurt, so you should wear light clothing under your work clothes.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± (Haru)


    Haru clapped her hands as if to say she understood and went upstairs in her underwear. But since there were only two rooms, one on the first floor and the other in the basement, she had to change in the same room with me all the time, and perhaps that was why I didn¡¯t mind seeing Haru in her underwear. If I saw her naked, I might get embarrassed, but that¡¯s about it. Perhaps in my mind, my sister is ¡°just my sister¡± and not even a girl. [T/N: Well I used to work in the health and care profession and I¡¯ve seen a lot of naked people. From kids to the elderly, the fair and not, healthy and ill, and male and female. I¡¯ve bathed and cleaned so many people I¡¯m pretty much apathetic to nudity. I¡¯ve even bathed family members when they¡¯re sick, so I kinda get Kei.]


    Or maybe this is normal. I put on my work clothes, thinking about slightly weird things like that. It¡¯s and overall, so I can put it on right away. As I was putting on my elbow and knee protectors, Haru came back. She was wearing light clothes and had two water bottles in her hands.


    I receive the water bottle from Haru, putting it in the backpack I prepared in advance, I took out the weapons from the bag and tie the machete to my waist. It has a scabbard so it¡¯s pretty safe.


    Since we can¡¯t use any electronic devices inside, I set the time on a mechanical pocket watch I bought a long time ago and turn the knobs firmly. It seems that we will have plenty of time to dive for today, so there will be no problem if we explore. I don¡¯t need a smartphone because we can¡¯t use it anyway. Then, I give graphing paper and a pen to Haru. I am confident that I will get lost if I enter the dungeon if we don¡¯t map. Also, Haru is better at grasping distances and directions.


    ¡°Okay, brother. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Haru)


    Haru wears the same equipment as I do and puts the crowbar on her shoulder.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s our first dungeon dive.¡± (Kei)


    I unlocked the padlock, open the door, use the door as a ladder, and climbed down to the bottom. I came to the area just before the color of the wall changed, signifying the entrance of the dungeon.


    Haru opens her mouth wide.


    ¡°First Kizaki Dungeon Exploration!¡± (Haru)


    We stepped into the dungeon at the same time.


    (Now!) (Kei)


    As soon as I stepped on the floor of the dungeon, the color disappeared from my view and everything stopped. Did time stop?


    Woah, I was so surprised that I couldn¡¯t speak or even move my gaze, so I guess my surroundings weren¡¯t stopping, but only my thoughts were accelerating. As I was thinking about this, words suddenly flowed into my head. It was an indescribable feeling as if I was reading words that don¡¯t exist.


    [Sword] [Shield] [Fist] [Bow] [Spear] [Club] [Trap] [Hunting] [Magic] [Heal] [Enchant]


    Are these like game jobs? If it is, I have to think carefully about what Haru will choose.


    Perhaps it does not mean the type of weapon that¡¯s written here. If so, I can¡¯t use my hoe or Haru¡¯s crowbar.


    What does this¡­ mean? The sword is for cutting, shield for protecting, fist for hitting, bow for projectiles, spear for stabbing/piercing, and so on.


    (Ah¡­) (Kei)


    When I made a prediction, the details of the jobs suddenly came out. I was surprised enough to exclaim, but same as before, I couldn¡¯t make a sound, and I couldn¡¯t even open my mouth.


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    ¡°Sword¡± ¡­ Slash; Strength: Endurance; Secondary Support


    ¡°Shield¡± ¡­ Defend; Strength: Hardness; Secondary Support


    ¡°Fist¡± ¡­ Striking; Strength: Speed; Secondary Support


    ¡°Bow¡± ¡­ Shoot, Strength: Targeting; Secondary Support


    ¡°Spear¡± ¡­ Stab, Strength: Balanced; Secondary Support


    ¡°Club¡± ¡­ Bash; Strength: Power; Secondary Support


    ¡°Trap¡± ¡­ Stealth; Strength: Ambush, Quickness, and Deception


    ¡°Hunter¡± ¡­ Subterfuge; Strength: Scouting, Agility; Secondary Support


    ¡°Magic¡± ¡­ Spell Shot; Strength: Magic Release


    ¡°Recovery¡± ¡­ Recovery Magic; Strength: Injury Recovery


    ¡°Enchant¡± ¡­ Support Buffer, Strength: Various Enchantment


    It¡¯s very hard to understand the choppy words. It is also not written on paper, so it¡¯s harder to understand than to see.


    First of all, I will choose whether to be a vanguard or a rearguard, and Haru will choose a vanguard because she said that she wants to fight using a crowbar. She can¡¯t slash with a crowbar, so she¡¯ll probably use either a ¡°Spear¡± or ¡°Club¡±.


    If I think about it in terms of reach, she¡¯s more likely to select ¡°Club¡±. If that¡¯s the case, then I should be a rearguard. Our original physical strength does not matter inside the dungeon, divers are able to move to some extent in the rearguard position if they are accustomed to moving in reality.


    When it comes to it, there are five choices ¡°Bow¡±, ¡°Trap¡±, ¡°Magic¡±, ¡°Recovery¡±, and ¡°Enchant¡±. There is the ¡°Hunter¡±, but I don¡¯t want to use something I don¡¯t understand, though maybe it¡¯s easier for stealth.


    I do not have any tools to shoot with, so I am going to exclude ¡°Bow¡±. I think that ¡°Trap¡± would also need tools, so I excluded it.


    So, it is ¡°Magic¡±, ¡°Recovery¡±, or ¡°Enchant¡±? Whether to attack with ¡°Magic¡±, ¡°Recover¡± from damage, or strengthen with ¡°Enchant¡±. But I don¡¯t want to even think about getting hurt so I could have ¡°Recovery¡±. So, it is ¡°Magic¡± or ¡°Enchant¡±.


    So, since I can¡¯t decide, I¡¯ll take the right side since I¡¯m right-handed.


    I chose ¡°Enchant¡±.


    When I thought about it in my head, the letters that had appeared so far disappeared and new ones appeared.


    [You became an ¡°Enchanter¡±.]


    As soon as the characters appear, my body begins to move.


    Obviously, Haru also starts to move at the same time as me.


    ¡°So what did Haru chose?¡± (Kei)


    Haru, who looks at me with his eyes shining, asks about my profession at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about yours too, so let¡¯s say it at the same time¡­¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Magic¡± ¡°Enchant¡± (Haru) (Kei)


    ¡°¡±e?¡±¡± (Haru & Kei)


    Oh god, oh god. Our party has two rearguards.


    Please help us we have extremely bad luck.


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    ~Haru¡¯s Perspective~


    ¡°First Kizaki Dungeon Exploration!¡± (Haru)


    I declare in a loud voice, with the purpose of inspiring myself. At the same time as the brother, I set foot in the dungeon.


    Then the color disappears from the scenery and the surroundings stop. Considering that I could still think, it might be that only my thoughts have speed up. Well, if I want to stop time, I don¡¯t have to stop the world¡¯s time, just speed up my brain¡¯s thoughts. I don¡¯t understand the concept of the dungeons, but I think it uses a tremendous amount of energy to do this.


    Hmm?


    I can see some characters. Well, it¡¯s visible or it¡¯s my brain that receives it. It feels like my mind is just trying to remember it all. The characters that came out are:


    ¡°Sword¡± ¡°Shield¡± ¡°Fist¡± ¡°Bow¡± ¡°Spear¡± ¡°Club¡± ¡°Trap¡± ¡°Hunter¡± ¡°Magic¡± ¡°Recovery¡± ¡°Enchant¡±


    That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it? I think it¡¯s a class from an RPG I played a few years ago.


    I really want to slash and dice my way through the enemy. I¡¯m not as athletic as brother, but brother is. I¡¯ll leave that to him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll protect me and play the attacker. So I¡¯ll have to help from behind, right?


    Yup. It¡¯s bad if I mess around, so I will specialize in attacks.


    My brother defeats the enemy in front of me, and I magically wipe them off from behind. I like it. If I defeat a lot of enemies, I may get praised by brother. Good luck to me.


    I decided on ¡°Magic¡±.


    If you decide so, a new character string will come up.


    [You became a ¡°Magician¡±.]


    My brain suddenly stops accelerating, my vision starts moving, and I stepped forward unintentionally. Now I don¡¯t care about that. What does brother choose as his class?


    I looked at him with a smile, trying to get him to tell me.


    ¡°So what did Haru chose?¡± (Kei)


    Oh, he also wants to know mine.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about yours too, so let¡¯s say it at the same time¡­¡±


    ¡°Enchant¡± ¡°Magic¡± (Kei) (Haru)


    ¡°¡±e?¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    Oh god, oh god. I don¡¯t think I understood the way my brother thought. If you can give me something, please give me the ability to understand my brother¡¯s thoughts.

 CH 5

    ~Kei¡¯s Perspective~


    ¡°Enchant¡± ¡°Magic¡± (Kei) (Haru)


    ¡°¡±e?¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    Somehow both of us became rearguards.


    ¡°What to do we do, Haru?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I wish brother can still move in the frontline. But it¡¯s impossible, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know because I haven¡¯t seen the situation inside the dungeon yet, but I wonder if we have enough firepower. Otherwise, there is no point in having an offensive job.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, job, not a class?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I think the game Haru was playing called it class. Well, it¡¯s easy to say, so let¡¯s go with class?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s get back to the topic, but I also have a crowbar and I can also move in the frontline.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, great. Then the two of us will fight mainly as vanguards, using magic as the situation demands.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, then that¡¯s the plan.¡± (Haru)


    When I turned my eyes to the start of the cave with a fearless smile on my face, there was a translucent fluffy creature. It¡¯s called a slime, the one I¡¯ve seen before.


    ¡°Haru, a question, do you know what magic you can use?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm¡­ [Bomb].¡± (Haru)


    After deciding the class, I wondered if Haru gained skills. I suddenly knew it for some reason, and it seems that my prediction was correct.


    ¡°I have one that says [Speed]. Then I¡¯ll rush in, so I¡¯ll ask for assistance.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Sure.¡± (Haru)


    Hearing the reply from Haru, I hold the hoe. I am not stupid enough to dive in without taking any precautions.


    ¡°[Speed].¡±


    I feel my brain and body slightly accelerate when I use my skills. However, as it is, I slowly approached the slime.


    I stop walking when I see the slime shrink.


    ¡°Ready!¡± (Kei)


    The moment the slime flung itself, I swung the hoe.


    ¡°!¡± (Kei)


    The slime collides with the swing of the hoe and was blown off to the side. I almost dropped the hoe. Although I was expecting something like hitting a liquid, the sensation was like hitting rubber, and it was vigorously flung away.


    However, the slime blown off by the hoe did not bounce when it hits the wall. When it hits the wall, it collapses with a sticky sound before landing on the ground as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Hyaa!¡± (Haru)


    When Haru swings the crowbar down towards the slime moving down. The bar bounces with the same momentum, and the slime just shakes on the ground as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°[Bomb]¡± (Haru)


    Then a light jumped out of Haru¡¯s hand like a bullet, the light flew straight toward the slime, and at the same time it hit, it erased about half of slime¡¯s body. Although it was a momentary surprise, the slime suffered an almost fatal damage. The nucleus floating in the slime¡¯s body was exposed and the slime¡¯s volume was halved.


    ¡°Good shot!¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯m not afraid of the slime with core exposed, so I swung my hoe quickly and break it.


    The slime whose core was destroyed became a black mist and disappeared.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too strong?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Haru)


    They are stunned by the unexpected difficulty of the first battle.


    The two of them didn¡¯t know it, but in dungeons, their status makes a big difference. In the event that you¡¯ve got a lot of time and energy, they¡¯ll be able to make the most of it.


    It will be a little while before the two of them know about such things. It¡¯s a well-known fact for the SDF who have already been conquering the dungeon.


    ¡°OK. Do you want to continue?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup.¡± (Haru)


    Since it was the first day, the two of them efficiently killed the slime while trying not to go that deep into the dungeon.


    After hunting slime for about four hours, we became accustomed to it and are now taking turns hunting one by one. At first, I was swinging the hoe wildly, but I was able to cut the slime surprisingly easily by pressing the blade against it.


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    Of course, there was no way we would have the stamina and energy to last four hours, so we took turns standing guard and taking breaks. I also felt a strange sensation in my body for a bit, and I was able to move my body better. I see, this is what leveling up feels like.


    We were now in front of a staircase that leads down to the second level. I guess these are not low-level monsters.


    ¡°Do you want to go home?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± (Haru)


    The first floor was small and we were able to return in about 10 minutes. When we return to the bottom of the basement, we unlock the padlock and go up to the basement. We didn¡¯t forget to lock it again after we got up. However, when I got out of the dungeon, I only felt tired after going out of the dungeon, when my strength was reduced to a tenth.


    I leave Haru to take care of our weapons and I start making supper. It was supposed to be an hour¡¯s search, but we forgot the time and the time is past 10:00 PM. As for the weapons, the machete was only used for protection, so the problem would be the hoe. It should be bent because the tip hit the ground many times. For the time being, I give Haru a grindstone for the kitchen knives. If it¡¯s something like this, this house is quite well equipped.


    By the time the usual simple dishes were prepared, Haru had finished maintaining our weapons and was back. So, while eating meals, we discuss what we noticed in today¡¯s exploration.


    The government manages dungeon information. That said, there are pieces of information about the first incident. There is some other information flowing. There is also some other information flowing around. You can¡¯t put your finger on what people are saying.


    So I have some questions compared to the information I¡¯ve heard so far.


    First of all, the slime, usually it seems to be an enemy that can be defeated with one hit. But we can¡¯t do it for some reason. We sometimes do it with Haru¡¯s magic. Also, there is no item drop. Today alone, the two of us hunted quite a few slimes but never once did the monsters dropped an item.


    In games, items are supposed to be left behind after the monster disappears. Also, I hadn¡¯t had any information about magic before, but every time I used Speed or Bomb, a strange feeling would build up in my body. And when it reached a certain level, I couldn¡¯t use it. Perhaps there is such a thing as MP.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped even if we keep thinking about it. Let¡¯s go again tomorrow morning.¡± (Kei)


    Haru seemed unaffected and refreshed. Apparently, she found the exploration fun. Surely, there¡¯s no point in worrying about it.


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll leave at 10:00 AM tomorrow. I¡¯ll make a simple dish.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Good.¡± (Haru)


    Haru makes a small guts pose. [T/N: If you¡¯re not familiar with the guts pose. It is similar to the ¡°Success Kid¡± meme.]


    This is the daily life of the Kizaki siblings, nothing will change even if a dungeon appears.


    In the morning, I wake up at 6:00 AM as usual and watch the news on the internet. There was a very timely topic there.


    ¡°The Dungeon Association announced yesterday that it was closing applications for a test dungeon exploration.¡± (Reporter)


    We didn¡¯t hear about it yesterday, but it seems that the dungeons will be open to the public. However, even though it is open to the public, if people suddenly went it en masse, security and rules will not be in place yet. So it seems that they recruited people who want to explore dungeons and now they are choosing 100 people through a lottery.


    However, I don¡¯t know what their intentions are, but the deadline for the exploration has yet to be determined. The deadline for the lottery was one day from today. The lottery will be held tomorrow, and the winners will have two weeks of training after three days. Then they will be able to explore for a month.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter to us.¡± (Kei)


    I muttered to myself and started making breakfast. Haru also woke up soon after and got ready.


    We¡¯re starting our second day of dungeon exploration.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s explore the second level today.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I remember the road on the first floor, so until then, let me hunt.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hmm. Is that so? That¡¯s more efficient I guess.¡± (Kei)


    As of yesterday, we knew what we are good at. I aim at the key points without making much noise and killing them with a single hit, but Haru uses flashy magic and multiple crowbar blows.


    Today¡¯s goal is to explore the second level, so I asked Haru to set aside her MP. It would be bad if we couldn¡¯t use it in important situations, so I also had to fight without using [Speed].


    That said, it¡¯s easier to move after yesterday¡¯s level-up, and honestly, an enemy like the slime is no match. I feel that my speed when I first used [Speed] and my speed after leveling up is about the same.


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    We reach the entrance to the second level while facing nothing dangerous despite being vigilant to our surroundings.


    ¡°For the time being, the second level we do wait-and-see approach, and proceed while avoiding being injured.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to use [Bomb].¡± (Haru)


    Haru grabs her crowbar. Haru says it¡¯s easier to use magic by passing it through it than just using her hand. So for Haru, the crowbar is like a magic wand.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go [Speed].¡± (Kei)


    I used it on both Haru and me. I also readied the hoe. Then we started the second level exploration.


    We just walked a little more than ten seconds. The first thing we saw was a green child. No, its face is too ugly to be human.


    ¡°It¡¯s a goblin, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I am the vanguard. Request for assistance.¡± (Kei)


    Deciding the role in an instant. I swing the hoe at the goblin¡¯s face. It just barely dodges to the side, but I cleave it to the side and twist the hoe around its arm to stop it from moving. At the same time, a light flashed on the goblin and it exploded, causing it to collapse.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s done? Haru, thank you!¡± (Kei)


    I felt a presence from behind me and turned around to see the goblin¡¯s sharp claws in front of me. While jumping back, I cover my face with my right hand. Soon I feel that my arm is cut, but I use my momentum and pull out the machete on my waist. With my left hand and I swing it down.


    ¡°Gue!¡± (Goblin)


    The goblin¡¯s head breaks and it dies with a pitiful moan, before becoming a black mist.


    ¡°Oni, are you okay!?¡± (Haru)


    Soon, I saw Haru hurriedly approached me. I looked at my arm that had been cut earlier, it was bleeding. I feel relieved and glad. It¡¯s bloody, but that¡¯s about it.


    If this is all, it can be cured by taking appropriate measures without any stitching. I¡¯m worried about infectious diseases, but we don¡¯t have money anyway. I will just find a way when it happens.


    ¡°Haru, take out the water and bandages from my bag. Also the tape.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I see. This, this, this, right.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Thank you. The scratches are shallow so don¡¯t worry.¡± (Kei)


    While talking, I will take first aid measures quickly. Rinse the wound with water, then bandage and tape it.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go home today.¡± (Haru)


    Haru is worried, but it doesn¡¯t seem that it would be a problem.


    ¡°It just hurts a little, so there¡¯s no problem. I can still swing my weapon, so let¡¯s explore a little more.¡± (Kei)


    For me, a little pain pales to the entertainment in front of me. When we found the second goblin coming from the back. I grin and readied my hoe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be more alert this time. It¡¯s okay.¡± (Kei)


    Step forward quickly and stabbed the hoe toward its chest. Of course, there is no blade for piercing, so I just push it. Then, I can just use the hoe that I lowered and hook its leg.


    ¡°Good job!¡± (Kei)


    Haru hits the goblin¡¯s head with a crowbar as it loses its balance after being hooked by the leg. I struck the hoe¡¯s blade on the neck of the fallen goblin and pulled.


    ¡°Gu, ga.¡± (Goblin)


    Even if the neck doesn¡¯t separate from the body, it will die if it receives a deep wound. This time, I stay alert and wait until it becomes a black mist. Checking the surroundings carefully, and then I was able to release a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I know how to fight, and I¡¯ll be in the vanguard next time.¡± (Haru)


    Unlike the hoe, which is easy to use for surprise attacks, the bar used by Haru is suitable for fighting head-on. She was able to fight without moving as much as I did.


    In this way, by the end of the second day, we had both established our styles.


    This made it much easier to fight, and finally, on the fifth day, we cleared the second level.


    One thing that bothered me was that it was a little too easy. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but we¡¯re supposed to go to the third layer the next day.


    We have to be careful as something different may happen again.


    The feeling of waving my hoe felt natural to me. The feeling makes me feel optimistic for tomorrow.

 CH 6

    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go dungeon exploring.¡± (Haru)


    In the morning, after waking up and eating breakfast, Haru quickly opened her closet to change her clothes and start cleaning her weapon. The Kizaki family had no game console, only a computer with slow internet speed and low specs. So, with very little source of entertainment, we were addicted to exploring the dungeon.


    When Haru finished preparing her weapon, I put on my backpack in the corner of the room and equipped my weapon. Naturally, I finished my preparations as well. It was only natural that something I¡¯d never done before would become a habit after twelve days of fun, excluding the days I had to work.


    Nine days have passed since we¡¯ve finished exploring the second level. It had been exactly two weeks since our first exploration of the dungeon.


    Naturally, the difficulty of the dungeon seems to increase as we proceed through the levels, and we¡¯ve now completed four levels. It seems that we got lucky to have conquered two levels in five days.


    In the first place, I have a part-time job, so I can¡¯t dive every day. As for the monsters, nothing much has changed, except that the goblins now have sticks and I found a fluffy, glowing rabbit once on the third level. When I killed the rabbit, I felt like I gained two levels, so I guess it¡¯s a rare monster that gives you a lot of experience. I¡¯m not sure if the concept of levels is even applicable in the first place, though.


    To make matters worse, I haven¡¯t seen a single drop item in all this time. The two standard ways to get them are to strip them off of the monsters you¡¯ve killed or to have them remain from the monsters that have disappeared, but it doesn¡¯t seem like either of these is the case. Even if the probability of a drop is low, I¡¯ve killed more than a hundred monsters and not one item has dropped.


    If that¡¯s the case, then the only thing that can be gained in the dungeon is the power that is diminished by leaving the dungeon. If that¡¯s the case, then dungeons are only harmful to humans. It would be difficult to find a use for it. Well, I heard that there was a drop in the dungeon in Tokyo, so maybe this dungeon is an exception.


    Anyway, the thrill and anticipation of dungeon exploration are becoming more entertaining, and we are now heading to the fifth floor to embark on the exploration of the fifth floor.


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just a hunch we¡¯ve developed over the days of fighting, or if there¡¯s a force at work that we can¡¯t see, but we¡¯ve come to have a pretty good idea of where the monsters are. I¡¯ve done a little aikido, but I¡¯ve never been in a melee with an enemy that comes at you out of the blue, and since it¡¯s an encounter of life and death, it¡¯s not surprising that I¡¯m getting better at this.


    If so, can military personnel who have experienced the battlefield be able to do this? Speaking of which, I saw in the news before that a dungeon was created in an active warzone and a ceasefire agreement was made in that foreign country. Then, Haru calls out while I was thinking.


    ¡°Hmm, brother, around the corner.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Goblins on three. I will leave it to you.¡± (Kei)


    Haru can also use something we call ¡°Enemy Detection¡±, but in the case of Haru, her detection range is wider than mine, but she only knows that something is there. My detection range is narrow, but I can gather more information. I can also see how many enemies are there. That¡¯s why we can have this conversation even before we see the monsters.


    ¡°[Bomb]¡± (Haru)


    The goblin that came out of the corner was hit by the spell and it died before it knew what had happened.


    Surprised that the head of the goblin at the front was blown off. The next goblin rushed forward, so I struck one in the head using the hoe and slashed the other with the machete.


    The enemies on the fourth level are a little stronger, but there¡¯s still plenty of wiggle room. If we¡¯re not comfortable with the current level, we won¡¯t try to move to the next floor. There are no save points and no resurrection, so it¡¯s best to play it safe.


    It was hard when we first went down to the third floor. When we went down to the second floor, the monsters changed and became stronger. However, when we went down to the third floor, it became stronger despite having the same monster.


    It¡¯s not that it became muscular, but it seems that their whole existence has been strengthened without changing its appearance. It was similar to the feeling that when we were strengthened after we killed a monster. At this time, we were strongly convinced that there is a concept of level.


    After that, there was no problem and we reached the stairs down to the fifth floor.


    Before going down the stairs. We checked our weapons carefully.


    ¡°A room?¡± (Haru)


    Haru muttered as she looked at the bottom of the stairs. The bottom of the stairs was like a room, about the size of a school classroom. It seemed to be at least five meters high.


    At the end of the stairs, there was a large metal door that reached the ceiling.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boss room.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah.¡± (Haru)


    The door below was just like the entrance to a boss room, like a classic RPG.


    ¡°Brother, do you want to go in?¡± (Haru)


    Haru tilts her head and asks. The road to the fifth floor was long, but we¡¯re not tired, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem if we kept fighting. There is no need to maintain our weapons. In other words, we¡¯re in perfect condition.


    If so, what should we choose choice now?


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go in. If I think it¡¯s even a little dangerous, we¡¯ll retreat. If it looks okay, we¡¯ll go in and take them out. Basically, I¡¯ll be the vanguard and Haru will be the rearguard. Other than that, let¡¯s be flexible and put safety first. Then let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay.¡± (Haru)


    I hold the hoe in my hand and move the machete to a spot where it can be easily pulled out. Haru also held the crowbar firmly in both hands.


    I touched the door with my hand to open it. The door, which should have enough mass to need considerable force to open, opens without resistance.


    I cautiously step inside, and inside is a goblin that is clearly larger than anything I¡¯ve ever seen. It¡¯s about two meters long, and in his hand is a sword that looks dull, but it¡¯s big enough. Even if it doesn¡¯t have a blade, if we are hit directly, it will break our bones with a single blow.


    ¡°Gugya!¡± (Boss Goblin)


    At the same time shrugs and releases an unpleasant scream, a word appears in my mind.


    ¡°Hobgoblin.¡± (Kei)


    Hobgoblin. This enemy has that name, it sounds weak, however, with its strong body it points its huge sword at us. I activate my skill to signal the start of the battle as the Hobgoblin takes its first step.


    ¡°[Speed]¡± (Kei)


    I use the speed-increase skill on Haru and myself. Quickly, we close in on the hobgoblin.


    ¡°[Bomb]¡± (Haru)


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    A ball of light flies from Haru¡¯s hand and explodes in front of the hobgoblin.


    I hide in the dust cloud scattered by the explosion and moved behind the hobgoblin.


    ¡°[Bomb]¡± (Haru)


    Haru casts magic again and at the same time, I hit it with the hoe from behind.


    ¡°!¡± (Hobgoblin)


    The Hobgoblin managed to parry my attack and shrug the blade away. So I used the handle and stab its face when it distanced its head.


    ¡°Gee!¡± (Hobgoblin)


    Then, I swung the machete into its eyes as soon as it faced me again. My sub-weapon machete, which is rarely used, did not lose its sharpness and firmly took out both of the hobgoblin¡¯s eyes.


    Now, this is the moment. Haru stealthily approached from behind and swung down her crowbar with all her might. Then she distances herself from the sword that is randomly swung around. Perhaps it was caused by a concussion, but after swinging it once, it fell on its knees.


    Haru hits it with a crowbar again. I hit its neck using the blade of the hoe. If a child saw this, he would not only cry. Well, even if an adult saw this, he would turn pale and run away.


    But as expected of the boss. The hobgoblins were so strong that I had to attack them repeatedly. By the time the hobgoblin died and turned into mist, my clothes were covered in blood. I¡¯ve gotten blood on me before, but never this much. Haru and I looked at each other¡¯s clothes and frowned.


    The blood was a dark red. I don¡¯t know why, but I had a chance to handle wild-game in the past, and Haru helped me do it, so I never felt sick from the goblins that we used to hunt. On the contrary, the lynching and beating of something to death was quite something.


    I was probably high on adrenaline from all the vigorous beating I had inflicted earlier. My sister seemed to be the same way, and her face, which had been happily attacking a moment ago, was now slightly pale. I¡¯m sure I have the same look on my face. Either way, it looks like I won¡¯t be able to fight them today.


    Even if I have to kill the hobgoblin again when I get here, and even if it hasn¡¯t been that long since we started exploring, I think it¡¯s better to leave today.


    ¡°Time to go home, brother.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s go home.¡± (Kei)


    Feeling down in the dumps, we hurriedly but vigilantly left the room. But our spirits must have been extremely heavy.


    By the end, we didn¡¯t notice the two small metal plates that had fallen on the spot where the hobgoblin had died.

 CH 7

    ~Kei¡¯s Perspective~


    The turmoil that occurred immediately after killing the Hobgoblin gradually faded as we walked cautiously due to the monsters. Our pale complexions returned to normal. For both of us who defeated the boss, the only enemies remaining were small fries, the fact that there were a few more monsters must have affected our ability to pay attention to them.


    Although there was very little conversation, we returned to the basement without any problems and we took a breather. I immediately took off my bloodied clothes and took a bath, so did Haru. Even though it¡¯s still before noon, we don¡¯t usually take a bath because of the cost of water, but in the current situation, it can¡¯t be helped. Or rather, we can¡¯t stand spending the night this blood-soaked. If we take a shower at night again, there will be no problem, it is acceptable.


    As soon as Haru is done, I got into the bath and washed my body more thoroughly than usual with soap. I felt as if there was still blood on my body, which was weird, but there wasn¡¯t any, so I washed up and got into the tub.


    ¡°Haaaaaah¡­¡± (Kei)


    I can¡¯t help but sound like an old man, but there¡¯s no one to blame for that. I¡¯m going to let it heal my fatigue. I feel tiredness from many days even though it is only been half a day. There was nothing wrong with the battle itself. The result was pretty good. We never receive an enemy¡¯s attack and we never missed landing an effective hit.


    I was used to killing monsters. It was like killing a bug. I¡¯m sure many kind-hearted people would be hesitant to kill a monster. Something that may not even look mammalian, let alone like an animal. However, we felt nothing but disgust because of its ugly appearance and the fact that we knew it was dangerous.


    However, there was a difference between that and killing it after surrounding it and beating it to a pulp. The purpose and the result were no different from before. The only thing that has changed is the way we did it.


    My body was warm enough, so I called Haru to the table and ate the lunch box we were supposed to eat in the dungeon. As I was eating, neither Haru nor I seemed to be reluctant to eat meat, so it seems that we don¡¯t have much aversion to killing.


    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m crazy, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m used to it. If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s no problem if I refresh myself. Speaking of refreshment, the ocean or the forest is the standard, but the ocean is too cold this time of year, and the forest is just around the corner. I don¡¯t think I can get refreshed in the forest, where I usually go. I think I¡¯ll force myself to get used to the violence before changing our mood.


    We may end up spending money, but it¡¯s better than Haru feeling down all the time. For some reason, I wonder if I am dull but I move on quickly. Are women more resistant to physical pain and men more resistant to mental stress?


    No, I don¡¯t know. Probably.


    ¡°Haru, do you have anything planned in the afternoon?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°¡­ Hmm, I don¡¯t.¡± (Haru)


    After all, she seemed to be in a depressed mood. That¡¯s why it¡¯s a change of pace would be nice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the game center for a change¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s good for relieving stress and it¡¯s only 200 yen.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. What we do is the same as usual, but the exhilaration is different. It¡¯s only 200 yen per run.¡± (Kei)


    We are now shooting a swarm of zombies to death. Of course, it¡¯s not the reality, it¡¯s the game in the arcade where you point a gun at the monitor.


    ¡°Oh, game over. Brother, let¡¯s do the crane next!¡± (Haru)


    As the number of zombies increased, we couldn¡¯t handle it anymore, and the game ended. It would be a nice change of pace. The batting center was the standard way to relieve stress, but unfortunately, neither of us could play baseball.


    Now we may be able to improve our dynamic vision, but unfortunately, we don¡¯t have the money. When it comes to that, a cheap arcade is just right.


    So, as Haru says, we decided to play the crane game. Of course, it¡¯s one where you can get boxes of candy. There¡¯s no point in getting a doll, but if it¡¯s candy, it¡¯s food. What does that mean?


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m gonna go for it!¡± (Kei)


    The reason is. The last time we ate sweets was before we moved. Of course, we want it. We are poor, and so we get hyped up if there is a prize.


    ¡°Got it.¡± (Kei)


    I stand in front of the control buttons and Haru moves to the side confirming the position of the arm and relays instructions. Well, Haru has a good sense of distance. She can even notice if the distance between two objects is within an error of a millimeter. That¡¯s why I, who have no such skill, operate the arm.


    ¡°Stop!¡± (Haru)


    I press the button to stop the arm without any time lag from Haru¡¯s instruction. It takes time to move after a person receives instruction, but if I look at their breathing or the hand movement of the person speaking, I can estimate when timing they would talk. So, I remove the lag time.


    It¡¯s sad that I can¡¯t say that this is my strength. If you can¡¯t read the other person¡¯s mind without talking or whether they¡¯re lying, it¡¯s just useless.


    ¡°Stop!¡± (Haru)


    The arm stopped at the second signal, and the arm descends straight towards the target. It¡¯s going down.


    ¡°The arm is weak.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, it was weaker than I imagined. I know the strength, so I should be able to get it next time.¡± (Kei)


    The arm was so weak that the box I grabbed didn¡¯t budge. Well, that¡¯s the way it is in the arcade, isn¡¯t it? If I had gotten it easily, the would have easily lost money.


    With that in mind, I put in 100 yen and press the start button.


    ¡°Stop.¡± (Haru)


    It seems to have stopped to the right of the previous one. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s going to do, so I won¡¯t interfere, but she¡¯s probably sure that it would be grabbed.


    The next time I followed Hal¡¯s instructions, the box was easily caught.


    ¡°Okay, a box of food.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hey, Haru. Why don¡¯t we find something portable? Then we can take it during exploration.


    Salt is important during exploration. We¡¯ll sweat, so of course, we¡¯ll crave some salt. That¡¯s why I pointed to a crane game with a box of beef jerky.


    Haru also smiles as she seems to understand my intentions.


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    ¡°Let¡¯s go overfishing.¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯ve brought 3,000 yen with me today, and so far I¡¯ve spent 600 yen on two zombie games and two crane games. We still have 2,400 yen left. So we went on with the same routine as before, catching all the items we could.


    Some of the clerks warned us about overfishing, so we used the scouting skills we acquired in the dungeon to escape to another place just in time to see the clerks approaching.


    The result was a total of ten boxes and bags of candy, mainly candy, beef jerky, and dried squid.


    For an amateur, this is a very good result. In addition, since the boxes were in the way, I decided to throw the contents into my backpack and disassemble the boxes to make them more compact and bring them home. It was now 5:00 PM, and I thought we¡¯d better go home and rest.


    ¡°Then, should we go home? Did your mood improve?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. Thank you brother.¡± (Haru)


    The gloomy expression that had been on her face when she left the house had disappeared and her cheerful expression had returned. If we¡¯re feeling down, how can that be enough to make us feel better? Kids like us don¡¯t think that deeply. So, we can change our mood easier.


    We¡¯re just a couple of high school dropouts anyway. There¡¯s rock-bottom deeper than this. I¡¯m the only one who has to think about problems.


    And if I can, I want to be better. I want to be able to find some entertainment. I want to be able to go to the arcade again. So, in the near future, until the day when the world¡¯s dungeons are opened up. We¡¯re going to be looking for entertainment in the basement dungeon of the Kizaki family.

 CH 8

    ~Kei¡¯s Perspective~


    After returning home from the game center, we ate dinner and heated the bath as usual. I was supposed to, but I guess I had a change of heart. Haru said she¡¯d come along with me on my daily run.


    It was true that Haru¡¯s physical strength had been a concern even in the dungeon. Perhaps it¡¯s because she¡¯s using a bludgeoning weapon, or perhaps it¡¯s because of her strength changing inside the dungeon. If we consider this as her status, Haru¡¯s physical strength has already grown to the point where it surpasses mine, but she can¡¯t seem to maintain it for long periods.


    In my case, I have been training my core through running and aikido, which I have been doing since I was little. So I can move without making wasteful movements. And I¡¯ve told Haru before that Haru doesn¡¯t have stamina.


    I think that she remembered that, so it influenced the change. Making her want to run this time.


    So, we spent the next two days after defeating the boss, slacking off as we took a break and I went to my day job


    Today, it was our first time exploring the dungeon after defeating the boss. That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking while cooking lunch and breakfast. For breakfast, I¡¯m going to have something slightly extravagant, a fried egg. For lunch, we¡¯re having salted onigiri.


    Haru wakes up and we eat breakfast together. Although she was still sleepy, she was pleased to have eggs for breakfast. Eggs are unexpectedly expensive.


    We dove into the dungeon an hour and a half after eating breakfast as usual. I decided that it would be a bad idea to get ready in a hurry and forget something and that I would get lazy if I took too much time off. I did my laundry and other household chores as usual and checked the condition of my weapons. In this way, the 90 minutes flew by.


    Oh, by the way, starting today, I¡¯m supposed to do some warm-up exercises before exploring the dungeon. I wondered why I hadn¡¯t done it before, but it couldn¡¯t be helped since I had forgotten. The specific exercise was to bring everything in the basement up to the first floor and do some preparatory work, followed by some unarmed light sparring but not exhausting ourselves.


    After confirming each other¡¯s physical condition, we dive into the dungeon. Even if the opponent does not complain of physical condition, we had a rule that if the other person decided that it was dangerous to explore the dungeon, we would not enter the dungeon that day.


    So now we¡¯re in the basement, doing some light sparring and I faced Haru. Haru¡¯s fists were flying at me, but I let them pass to the side. After a few minutes of switching between offense and defense, I got more serious.


    As expected, I never took any of Haru¡¯s attacks while outside the dungeon, and although I stopped short, my attacks never failed to land.


    And now that we were ready, we dove into the dungeon.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready. Haru, are you okay, you didn¡¯t forget anything?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m done. Today we¡¯re going to run through floors 1, 2, and 3, do some acclimatization combat on the fourth layer, and then go into the fifth layer to check out the boss, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m nervous about suddenly entering a new layer after two days. The boss might appear again.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± (Haru)


    After Haru¡¯s signal, we entered the dungeon, and today I was in the rear. Both of them are rearguards who can vanguard, so it shouldn¡¯t matter who the vanguard is. The only difference is that while I am the ambush type aiming at the vitals, Haru is a head-on-vanguard type, specializing in offense.


    We rushed forward at a steady pace to eliminate the enemy. The basic idea is to take a shot with Haru¡¯s crowbar. If there were more than two enemies, I would kill them with the hoe from behind. In the end, including the acclimatization combat at the fourth layer, we were never attacked, and on the contrary, we were killing the monsters as soon as they were ready to attack, which was not a good situation for practice.


    I didn¡¯t notice it when we defeated the boss the other day, but our levels may have risen. My body is overpowered. Unlike being overpowered in a game, if I try to attack poorly, I will get drenched in blood. That¡¯s why I am attacking by stabbing the vital areas and dodging.


    Haru is a blunt weapon, so its blood doesn¡¯t spray from cuts. However, I was planning to use the whole morning for acclimatizing, but the situation was not good. It seems that acclimatizing is meaningless as it is. To be honest, I feel that I can win by just swinging the stick around


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we go to the fifth level already? I feel like there¡¯s no point in fighting here.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I guess so. I¡¯m getting bored, and I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll get carried away if I keep fighting like this.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s just check the doors.¡± (Haru)


    When Haru turns around, she blows away the goblins in front of her and heads toward the stairs that go down to the fifth floor. Although she didn¡¯t memorize the map by heart, she knew the general contents of the map because she had made it herself.


    However, she didn¡¯t write it on the spot, but after we get home. She draws something rough, and there are some deviations, but I think that Haru has made a fairly accurate map. Far from being able to use GPS, you can¡¯t even use a compass, so trying to make an accurate map of the dungeon would be a fairly difficult task.


    Someone to check the direction and someone to check the distance. Fortunately, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any slopes, so there is no need to check angles, but in addition to that, there must be people to fight off monsters. In addition, the dungeon is quite large. If we hadn¡¯t increased our strength by leveling up, it would have been hard.


    We headed for the stairs, killing monsters as we quickly made our way through the dungeon and arrived at the room before the fifth-level boss. Looking around, I see a strange geometric pattern in the corner of the room. Or rather, what is that?


    ¡°A Magic Circle?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you¡¯d expect to find in a dungeon, isn¡¯t it.¡± (Kei)


    I have seen the magic circle many times. That said, there are only two types that I¡¯ve seen when using Haru¡¯s [Bomb] and my [Speed], but when I saw that, I thought.


    ¡°This magic circle has the same shape.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the magic circle itself has a deep meaning. What is the magic circle for?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Is it a medium for transforming MP into phenomena?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a possibility. If the magic circle has any meaning at all, that is. It is possible that God did it for no reason, just to show off since it is a supernatural phenomenon that cannot be achieved by humans.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no precedent, so I can¡¯t verify it. But it¡¯s time to stop escapism and get on that magic circle.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Do we have to do it? I don¡¯t feel like it, but we can go through it and fight the boss again if we have to.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going!¡± (Kei)


    Haru pushes my back and I stand on the magic circle. Since I¡¯m the first to get on the magic circle. And as expected, the magic circle shines, so push Haru immediately to move her away from the magic circle. The next moment, my field of vision changed.


    After the magic circle shined, I felt that the sight changed with a slight floating sensation. The next thing I know, I am in the same room as before with the same sight around me. What has changed is that there is no gate to enter the boss room. Instead,


    ¡°Ah, so there are now stairs to go down?¡± (Kei)


    In the previous room, there was an upward staircase when viewed from the room, but this room has a downward staircase. If that¡¯s the case, then this must be the back of the boss¡¯s room. I didn¡¯t know because I didn¡¯t check it properly last time, but I think that if you defeat the boss, you will probably be able to use the magic circle that appears here.


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    ¡°Ooh, what¡¯s wrong brother? Isn¡¯t that the room you just mentioned?¡± (Haru)


    When I looked behind me, I saw Haru standing there, taking a backward step after a push from behind. And at her feet is a magic circle.


    I see. Since I was standing on the magic circle a while ago, why did I push another person who was transferred using the magic circle? When I think about it again, it was quite dangerous. It wouldn¡¯t be a laughing matter if the mechanism overlaps with the person who would be transferred later. Unless you¡¯re very lucky, you¡¯ll both die instantly. [T/N: Like getting fused together (Like the movie The Fly) or getting sliced by the boundary.]


    ¡°There seems to be nothing else in particular. Then, let¡¯s go exploring.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay. From here on, I¡¯ll go in front of you because it¡¯s easier for me to respond to surprise attacks.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I know the plan.¡± (Haru)


    The inside of the dungeon is still a cave. The only thing that has changed is that it seems to be a little darker and the path has become wider. Is it a coincidence that the path has become wider? On the other hand, is it because the fighting will get more intense from here? If possible, I would have preferred the former.


    ¡°Hey, three of them are coming from behind the corner. It looks like they¡¯re aware of us.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the enemy¡¯s ability to spot us will change at this level. This form of monster is a beast type, so be careful.¡± (Kei)


    When Haru tells me to concentrate on our detection, we¡¯ve entered the enemy¡¯s detection range. The light, quadrupedal presence of the monster led me to assume that it was a carnivorous beast, and I readied my hoe.


    Immediately, a wolf monster jumped out of the corner, so I immediately hit one of them. Far from being vigilant, I¡¯m not letting them surprise me. I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s strong.


    ¡°Haru, it¡¯s unexpectedly weak, so get in! Let¡¯s bring them down! [Speed]¡± (Kei)


    The wolf¡¯s legs, which I thought were weak, suddenly glowed, and its claws also glowed. Its body increases in speed, its claws increase in power, and the three wolves attack. I immediately catch their claws with a hoe, but I was forced to let go of the hoe and take a step back due to unexpected vibration.


    ¡°It¡¯s not magic because there was no magic circle.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What if it¡¯s a unique skill?¡± (Haru)


    I moved beside Haru and pull out the machete. The hoe has been kicked by the wolf and it was flung behind the wolf. It is unlikely that that move was a coincidence. Perhaps this monster is pretty intelligent. Moreover, that¡¯s why it¡¯s interesting.


    The right amount of fear that pours excitement into a boring everyday life. Not despair, but elation. That¡¯s why I want to test myself. I can¡¯t let myself get seriously injured for Haru¡¯s sake. The tension? It¡¯s just the right amount of pressure.


    ¡°Har, sorry, but lend me your machete. Also, I need magical support.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t get hurt.¡± (Haru)


    After the short exchange with Haru, I now hold machetes in both hands. Now let¡¯s do it.


    ¡°[Speed].¡± (Kei)


    I chanted one word clearly and stood in front of the wolf. The light from his feet and claws is gone, but from what I¡¯ve just seen, it seems to be faster than magic. That¡¯s probably because it doesn¡¯t require chanting.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m never too careful. It is always better to act as if they are using their skills. The first to move, the first win.


    I dropped my stance and suddenly jumped forward, kicking the wolf in front of me as hard as I could. The wolf¡¯s feet and claws glowed again as if it was alarmed by the sudden attack with something other than a weapon. But I didn¡¯t care and swung my machete, and the wolf it hit was easily sliced to death.


    ¡°Okay, its defense isn¡¯t increased.¡± (Kei)


    While avoiding the next wolf¡¯s attack, a [Bomb] flew from behind blows the wolf away.


    ¡°One more remaining.¡± (Haru)


    I heard Haru¡¯s voice from behind me and I lunged at the wolf I had just kicked, which had now returned to the fight. The wolf¡¯s claws glowed, so I didn¡¯t foolishly try to catch the attack. I used my experience in aikido and mimicked anime to shift the attack by hitting it from the side.


    The wolf¡¯s heavy attack was parried, leaving only a weak body behind. The other machete swung down, and the wolf¡¯s head fell firmly.


    The wolf turned into a black mist and disappeared, leaving behind a single white mass.

 CH 9

    ¡°What is this?¡± (Kei)


    I picked up the white mass that remained after the wolf died.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a claw? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not the part of the body that was used in battle earlier because it hasn¡¯t deteriorated.¡± (Haru)


    Haru looked at it and confirmed. If you take a closer look, it definitely looks like a claw. As Haru said, there¡¯s no wear from hitting the ground or my weapons, and it¡¯s as white as if it has never stepped on the ground.


    ¡°Does that mean the drop has nothing to do with the individual? Hmm? But it¡¯s a wolf, so it must have claws, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe, but I think it¡¯s more like when you kill a monster, the corresponding item is left as a reward. It¡¯s a wolf¡¯s claw because you killed a wolf, but it¡¯s not the claw that the wolf used.¡± (Haru)


    Haru gives me a short explanation of the confusing issue.


    ¡°In other words, when you defeat one, you would get a reward related to the monster.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It still can¡¯t be verified. It¡¯s probable the drops were destroyed from our previous kills.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. Okay, then Haru, do you want to verify?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No problem. First we need to find enemies other than wolves. So far, the claws have dropped from two of the three enemies we¡¯ve killed, so the probability is 66%. I need to do some more tests.¡± (Haru)


    I picked up the fallen hoe and returned the machete to Haru. The hoe is more comfortable in my hand because I had used it for a long time. I¡¯m not sure if the thickness of the handle suits me, to be honest. However, this feeling of having the center of gravity towards the tip is just right.


    As we walked, we met more wolves. As for the skill, we knew it existed, so I was able to deal with it without being taken by surprise. Haru beat them by hitting their claws with her crowbar whenever they used their skills. I could see that forcing it with brute strength was a bad idea. The handle of my hoe might be metal, but it was hollowed out to make it lighter. So, if I used it like Haru, it would break.


    I also noticed that the wolves were basically working in groups of three. We saw three wolves three times after that, for a total of four times. It was too many times for it to be a coincidence. I don¡¯t think they naturally do this, so I guess this is the dungeon system. We managed to get nine claws and five stones as drops.


    Sometimes a single wolf would drop both of them in succession as a matter of course. The stones looked completely like obsidian. Lumpy and shiny black. However, there were vague purple lines in some places. If it were obsidian, it would be completely black, or it would contain white parts, so I could tell that this was not obsidian. Incidentally, the strength of the stone was about the same as that of a normal stone. When Haru swung the crowbar down with her full strength, it shattered easily.


    Incidentally, the strength of the claws was very weak. They were indeed hard, but with our increased status, we could break them with our bare hands if we wanted to. If these were just claws, it would be difficult to put them to practical use. It seems difficult to use them as accessories.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s about right.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny if the first drop is beyond human comprehension.¡± (Kei)


    Haru agrees with my words. Well, there you have it. It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t get my hopes up too high.


    ¡°Well, good news. There seems to be a monster approaching us from afar. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a wolf because there is only one.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, something different has finally arrived. I was beginning to wonder if there were only wolves on this level. So what¡¯s it like?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s walking as it came here by chance, so its ability to detect enemies isn¡¯t high.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°When you think about it this way, there are many things you can unexpectedly suddenly understand.¡± (Haru)


    Hmmm, while thinking, I concentrate on detecting enemies along the wall.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s certainly much stronger than a wolf, it¡¯s quadrupedal and its hooves look hard. It¡¯s also pretty big.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°So, I¡¯m going to send a surprise [Bomb] and you¡¯re going to take it by surprise? Oh, here it comes.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°We¡¯ve been noticed. Then let¡¯s make the first attack.¡± (Kei)


    A powerful presence is coming at us from the other side at a considerable speed. That¡¯s right, there¡¯s no way they¡¯re running as fast as they can when they haven¡¯t even found their enemy. Even monsters are naturally slow when they are strolling.


    If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s no wonder they¡¯re so fast. When I was alone and convinced of the discrepancy with Haru¡¯s words earlier, the presence behind me became stronger. Well, it¡¯s Haru¡¯s sign I detect whenever she concentrates.


    So it¡¯s time.


    ¡°[Bomb]¡± (Haru)


    At the same time as the bomb hits the nose of the monster that rushed in, I kick the wall and move above the enemy. Then I swing the hoe down towards the neck. On where it should be.


    ¡°Where is the neck?¡± (Kei)


    I don¡¯t know the exact location of the neck, so I attacked the face for now.


    It was so round that I couldn¡¯t tell where the neck was. It has brown hair and tusks, and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a fact, but it only moves forward at an unusual speed and charges straight ahead. When the bomb hit, it screamed and rushed towards Haru without slowing down.


    ¡°Meat!¡± (Haru)


    As a result, I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of what Haru said. She smashed it with her crowbar. Maybe it had a slight concussion. Since, after passing Haru without slowing down, it crashed into the wall with all its might.


    ¡°Wow, it hurts. I¡¯m sure this boar is more damaged now, compared to when we attacked.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s like a hit and runs, right? My hand hurts because it was stronger than I thought.¡± (Haru)


    Yes, it was a wild boar that rushed into us. However, it was a round boar that doesn¡¯t seem to have a neck, it is deformed like a caricature. As an image, it feels like it¡¯s made fearsome by making it a meter and a half tall.


    By the way, the boar is still laying at our feet, probably because it ran into the wall. It hasn¡¯t disappeared, which means it¡¯s not dead, but it won¡¯t be able to get up for a while. Well, this time I had no part I could be proud of.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll at least finish him off.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking about, but it¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no need for ¡®last hits¡¯.¡± (Haru)


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    ¡°That¡¯s right? Then what about the distribution of experience points? If the occasional change in status is to raise the level by accumulating experience points. Did you notice anything, Haru?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It is not based on the percentage of damage done, but the percentage of contribution during combat. This is based on the enemies we¡¯ve hunted so far.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, is that so?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Uhuh.¡± (Haru)


    Yep, Haru is too good that I feel like I have nothing to contribute. Or rather, the leveling-up system was decided that way. Certainly, when Haru is the one assisting, both Haru and I leveled up, but when I am the one buffing and assisting, it was faster for Haru to level up.


    So, the percentage that is contributed by ¡°Enchant¡± during battles is low. In other words, even if I stab the boar, I will still not get many experience points. Well, I¡¯ll stab it anyway.


    I swung my machete at what I thought was the boar¡¯s neck, and although there was a lot of resistance, I was able to pierce it firmly. After a few seconds or so, it disappeared into a mist.


    And all that was left was a lump of meat.


    ¡°Meat? Meat!?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Meat!¡± (Haru)


    While I was surprised, Haru raised her hands and rejoiced, and at an unbelievable speed I put the meat in the plastic bag I had brought and put it in my backpack. The size of the meat is not humongous.


    At best, it¡¯s the size of a steak. But thinking about it. A piece of meat, as huge as a steak, for poor siblings who couldn¡¯t eat meat at all. Isn¡¯t this the pinnacle of luxury?


    ¡°Brother.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, Haru.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Let¡¯s hunt.¡± (Haru)


    This is the start of our fearsome Steak Hunt.

 CH 10

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. We don¡¯t have to worry about the dinner menu for a while.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯m really tired. We hunted too much.¡± (Haru)


    In the room after the 5th floor Boss Room. Two people are exhausted, lying in a room where monsters do not enter.


    ¡°Then, Haru. Let¡¯s check the results. Will you give me the list of what we hunted today?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°OK. Wow, I knew it, but there are quite a few.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, the number of defeated is 132 wolves. 9 boars and 1 Experience Bonus rabbit.¡± (Kei)


    I wrote down the number of enemies we¡¯ve killed on the notepad I had brought with me. The Experience Bonus rabbit is a rare monster that we found in the third layer before, and I felt like my level went up multiple times when I killed it. Incidentally, this time I only felt my level increase once after defeating it.


    By the way, the percentage of experience Haru found is proportional to her contribution to the battle, but this rabbit seems to be an exception. This time, by mistake, Haru blew it away with a single attack, but I also gained a level. I¡¯m sure my contribution in the battle is zero since I didn¡¯t even help her hunt it down.


    In the case of rabbits, when they die, they distribute the experience equally among those around them.


    Oops, I¡¯m getting off-topic.


    ¡°Brother, what are you thinking. Help me sort things quickly.¡± (Haru)


    Haru sorts out what the monsters have dropped. So I¡¯ll help with that too. However, there aren¡¯t many types, so we¡¯ve immediately finished sorting.


    ¡°Then, this time¡¯s result. Or rather, I will announce the result of our first harvest in the dungeon so far.¡± (Haru)


    Haru puts it in front of him and I close my mouth so that she can collect her thoughts. Well, I also sorted it, so I know the results, so I think Haru is doing this for self-satisfaction or something like that.


    ¡°Then, there are 103 wolf claws. 12 wolf furs. 47 stones. And one unfamiliar metal plate. And-¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So, there are 6 pieces of boar meat and 2 tusks. It¡¯s a good harvest.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother. I thought you¡¯d let me say that.¡± (Haru)


    Haru is so peeved she puffed her cheeks and complains when he sneaks from the side and says the result. When I poked her puffy cheeks, the air came out with a squeak. interesting.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s gone.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What is?¡± (Kei)


    Suddenly Haru sounded really panicked, so when I looked at Haru¡¯s hand, there was nothing there in particular. No, that¡¯s right. She¡¯s saying it¡¯s gone, so I guess it¡¯s gone.


    ¡°Hmm, I was wondering what it would be used for, but when I fiddled with the metal plate, it shattered and disappeared while shining at the end.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s okay, as long as you don¡¯t seem to have any physical problems. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to find a poisonous substance here that you can¡¯t just touch. ¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think there was any use for it.¡± (Haru)


    Haru is also unexpectedly clean, and she placed the dropped items together by type, she divided the harvest between her and my backpacks. Naturally, my backpack is full.


    ¡°Then, do you want to go home? But, I don¡¯t know how to go home.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the magic circle the one we used to get here?¡± (Haru)


    I moved over the magic circle as instructed by Haru, but there is no reaction.


    ¡°What should we do? If it¡¯s a classic fantasy novel, I¡¯ll use my MP. But I don¡¯t know how to do it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone knows how to do that. Then as soon as we got here, we¡¯re trapped.¡± (Haru)


    Are we really trapped? The answer was unexpectedly easy to find, saying that she was trying to verify how to send MP to the magic circle, she was just stomping on the magic circle.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a magic circle on the wall here. I haven¡¯t touched it yet.¡± (Kei)


    The magic circle on the wall was in the corner of the room opposite from where the magic circle we used to come here. It seems that there is a magic circle to come here in the right corner of the room when viewed from the stairs, and a magic circle on the wall on the left side.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll touch it.¡± (Haru)


    And when Haru approaches the magic circle on the wall, Haru is making her way to touch the magic circle, so I grab Haru¡¯s hand and stop her before she touched the magic circle. It¡¯s scary to have other people force you to touch things, even if I have to eventually touch them myself. When I touched it, words came to my mind.


    Return


    1st layer: Transition Area


    5th floor: entrance


    ¡°Hmm, it looks like we can go home with this. Hey, imagine the first floor.¡± (Haru)


    As Haru said, I imagine the first floor while touching the magic circle, after several seconds, the magic circle shined and my field of vision changed along with the floating sensation. We¡¯re in a cave-like small room. Haru is next to me. It seems that people are teleported together as long as they are near enough.


    And slime is in front of me.


    ¡°What?¡± (Kei)


    Far from being easy to kill, it¡¯s a monster that doesn¡¯t hurt us even if it attacks, so I didn¡¯t panic and stabbed a hoe into the core to kill it. Of course, there is no drop. There shouldn¡¯t be any drop before the fifth floor. And it seems like we¡¯re on the first floor.


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    ¡°The person who made has a good personality because the destination of the transfer destination is not a safe zone.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if you can move here because the enemies around here won¡¯t do anything. But where are we?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡± (Kei)


    Just in case, I left the small room with my weapon ready in hand, and it was very close to the entrance to the dungeon.


    ¡°Brother, it didn¡¯t have a room like this before.¡± (Haru)


    Haru has a blank look in her eyes. No, it¡¯s true. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s overwhelmed from thinking. I was just excited to see a place to come back to, but there was a new room that hadn¡¯t been there before, and that¡¯s where we were transferred to. If this wasn¡¯t a dungeon, it would be a plot of a horror story, but this is a dungeon, a place beyond human comprehension.


    ¡°Dungeons are unexpectedly unreasonable. What is with the randomness?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hey, it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s a natural phenomenon. It¡¯s done by anyone. Maybe.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    We both sighed, unlocked the padlock, and returned to our house.


    You know, if it says ¡°return¡± or ¡± transfer room¡±, you expect it. You¡¯d think that there was a flag somewhere.


    But this was just a small room in a dungeon. It¡¯s just a small room with a magic circle in it.


    There is a saying that fact is stranger than fiction. But the reality is stranger than fiction, and it betrays our expectations.


    By the time we returned to the basement, it was 7:00 PM. Even though we were taking a break, we were still pumped up. I understand that I¡¯m tired from exploring the dungeon, so we¡¯re planning on exploring tomorrow in the afternoon.


    For now, I should take off my gear for exploring, put it away, and make dinner.


    I don¡¯t know what kind of taste the meat from the dungeon has, but it doesn¡¯t seem too tough or too tender when I see it raw. It¡¯s not marbled, it¡¯s just normal meat. Since I don¡¯t know what it tastes like, I decided to make the best use of the ingredients, so I cooked two steaks today. One steak per person, of course. A small amount of rice and some stir-fried vegetables were served on the table.


    ¡°Itadakimasu.¡± (Kei & Haru)


    Haru and I thanked the food before we started eating steak. Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t have multiple knives at home so I cut mine first.


    We then both took a bite of steak and looked at each other.


    ¡°Hmm!¡± (Kei & Haru)


    Haru also makes a heartfelt groan. This meat is insanely delicious. The fat, the softness, etc. are not outstanding, but there is just something different. It¡¯s a feeling that permeates the body. We don¡¯t have our usual conversation as we ate. We just ate in silence until the end.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±


    In the end, the two of us joined our hands, thanking our dinner.


    We had a short break and maintained our weapons for a while. Then I went running with Haru. In this way, we trained our mind inside the dungeon and our body outside the dungeon. I enjoyed the day to the fullest with this adding a little spice to my usual life.

 CH 11

    As usual today, we ate breakfast and decide on our plan for the day. It¡¯s been a few days since we ate steak. However, we can eat meat every day while changing the cooking method.


    But now that we¡¯ve accumulated a good amount of meat and need to process and preserve some of it so that it doesn¡¯t spoil, we¡¯re going to do an experiment that Haru had told me about.


    I was wondering if the magic circle could be a magical medium.


    That¡¯s why we copied the magic circle the last time we dived into the dungeon. It would be easy if I could take a picture, but it can¡¯t be helped because we can¡¯t use electronic devices inside. However, I thought it would be difficult to copy the lines as they were, even if I put the paper on top of the magic circle, due to some problems such as the thickness of paper, so I brought a thin paper and a dark pencil.


    I don¡¯t know if everyone has done it before, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of it. It¡¯s the kind of thing where you put a thin sheet of paper on a fine uneven surface and rub it with a dark pencil to make lines appear.


    By using it, we were able to reproduce not only the shape of the magic circle but also the thickness of the line.


    And now. We are working on it. We are carving the magic circle on an iron plate.


    No, I¡¯m not very good at that kind of work, so it¡¯s just Haru who¡¯s doing it. And I¡¯m pounding on the boar¡¯s horn. It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve lost my mind.


    The other day, Haru hit the boar¡¯s tusk with a crowbar as hard as she could to test its strength, and it turned out that the horn had the same flexibility and durability as metal. So I hurriedly built a simple stove in the garden, made a work surface out of iron sheets and stones, and am using a hammer to do blacksmith-like work.


    But just to be clear, the reason why I built a stove in the garden instead of a stove was not that I wanted high heat, but because I didn¡¯t want to waste money on gas. If we wanted to build a fire outdoors, we had plenty of garbage left over at home for fuel, so there was no problem.


    If I ran out of fuel, I could always go into the woods and get some dry wood. So here I was, in the garden where it was supposed to be cold, beating the tusk with a hammer while sweating profusely from the heat of the fire.


    Even so, the nature of this tusk was interesting. If you don¡¯t heat it, you¡¯ll have to enter the dungeon and hit it with all your strength in the status, but if you heat it to the limit with fire, you can bend it just by hitting it.


    However, it does not melt, so the melting point may be higher. It seems that the temperature of the stove is about a thousand degrees Celsius, so if we raise it to that temperature, we can process it. It is much easier to process than iron.


    However, we know that its durability was less than that of iron because it was dented after getting hit by a crowbar. That¡¯s why I joined a lot of tusks to make it bigger. It looks like a western sword.


    By the way, it is only an imitation because I cannot make a blade just by hitting it.


    If I make one in the first place, it may be considered a crime, so I don¡¯t plan on making it. In fact, there must have been several types of whetstones in this house, so I can make blades, but I don¡¯t want to go to jail and leave Haru alone, so I won¡¯t do it.


    I don¡¯t know how much of a crime it would be to make a sword. Maybe not much. Because the blade length is 50 cm or more.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s done. Did you get what I asked for?¡± (Haru)


    Haru came out to the yard and I handed her the two pieces she asked for. But it was just a piece of card with the corners cut off to the right size.


    Haru said that it was difficult to carve a magic circle on a curved card, so she asked me to make it flat. The fact that he said it was difficult to carve on a curved object, rather than impossible, was typical of Haru.


    So I handed the card to Haru, adjusted the fire on the furnace, put the net on top, and went into the house. It was almost lunchtime, so we decided to prepare something for lunch. First, I cut the boar meat into blocks and skewered them.


    I repeat the process. I only had enough to make ten skewers, though. I sprinkled some salt on it and took it to the garden and laid it on the stove net. Of course, I would roll them around once in a while to make sure the whole thing was nicely cooked.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s done. Oh, it¡¯s skewers.¡± (Haru)


    Haru came out to the garden again, saw the skewers grilling, and came over to the fireplace to warm herself up. The meat should be cooked just right by now. I hand one to Haru.


    ¡°Itadakimasu.¡± (Haru)


    I can¡¯t join my hands because I have a skewer in one hand, so I say ¡°Itadakimasu¡± with only one hand and start eating the skewer. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I can feel it seeping into my body. To be honest, I¡¯ve gotten used to the boar meat in the dungeon, but it was delicious as usual.


    After eating lunch and taking a short break, we geared up and prepared to enter the dungeon. Today we were not going to go to a new level as we were going to do some experiments. We decided to go to the sixth floor, which was already mapped out since we have currently captured until the seventh floor.


    There is a slight difference between our equipment and the usual. We were both carrying cards made of iron and boar¡¯s horn.


    Naturally, the cards had magic circles engraved on them. From the shape to the depth of the engraved grooves, the engraving is so precise that the unevenness cannot be seen with the naked eye. I¡¯d like to tell Haru to pursue an art career, but unfortunately, she¡¯s not very good at creating things, even if she is good at crafting.


    She can copy something or make something common, but when she makes something new, it falls apart. And we end up with something I don¡¯t understand, with beautiful curves and corners. I saw this and understood that skill and artistic sense are two different things. I have neither, though.


    Aside from that, when we enter the dungeon, we stand on the magic circle in a small room near the entrance. Then the letters come to my mind. I¡¯ve experienced it many times, so I¡¯m not surprised now.


    Transition


    5th floor: entrance


    5th floor: Exit


    In this way, it is now possible to make a limited transition from one level to another.


    I say limited because this transition can only be used once in a day, once on the way down and once on the way back up. In other words, it was impossible to try again. Even if you try again, you¡¯ll have to wander around the first level, which is completely impractical.


    However, the number of transitions does not include transitions on the same level, so I could go back and forth between the entrance and exit of the fifth level as many times as I wanted. Incidentally, the resetting time for the number of transitions seems to be midnight.


    In addition to the fact that there was no change during the time we were exploring, it was also midnight when dungeons appeared all over the world, and our dungeon appeared at midnight. Of course, there is a time difference in the world, and the dungeons appeared in sequence between countries.


    This is why I believe that many dungeons are created at midnight. Well, that aside, we¡¯re going to start our experiment in this sixth layer.


    ¡°Well then, brother. I¡¯ll go first. [Bomb].¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s magic blows away the three wolves in front of her. However, the damage is not that great. They could resume their attacks after a short rest. Based on that, the level must have risen a little, and it seems that the area of effect of [Bomb] has also increased.


    However, I don¡¯t feel much increase in power. Considering the distance the enemy was blown away, the power is increasing, but it¡¯s not enough to defeat the enemy.


    ¡°My turn. [Speed]¡± (Kei)


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    I don¡¯t need it either, but for the sake of experimentation, I¡¯ll use magic and then finish the wolf off. This speed seems to be more effective as the basic stats go up, so it¡¯s probably magic to increase the speed a percentage higher than my base speed.


    ¡°Then, this is the next one.¡± (Kei)


    As I walked around looking for the next wolf, I took out two cards. One is an iron card and the other is a tusk card. Of course, they had magic circles on them.


    As soon as the wolf came from the other side, Haru pointed the iron card forward and chanted.


    ¡°[Bomb]¡± (Haru)


    A ball of light came out from the tip of the hand holding the card normally and blew off one of the wolves. There is no change in power compared to the previous time.


    ¡°Is there a change in the amount of magical power used?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. This card has no effect.¡± (Haru)


    So Haru cast the spell again but she used the tusk card.


    ¡°[Bomb]. Hmm?¡± (Haru)


    At the same time as she cast the spell, the magic circle on the card glowed faintly and a ball of light flew towards the wolf. As usual, the ball of light hit the wolves and exploded.


    The wolves were obliterated.


    ¡°¡±Seriously?!¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    The power had changed so much that both of us shouted in astonishment. The increase in power is unknown because the target of the attack died in an instant, but it seems that it has at the very least doubled.


    ¡°But for some reason, I feel that the amount of magical power consumed did not change.¡± (Haru)


    As Haru said, the power increased a lot without any change in the consumption of magical power. It¡¯s scary.


    ¡°Next, another wolf has come.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°This place is a hunter¡¯s paradise, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Kei)


    At the sound of the explosion, I spotted the wolves approaching. There was one group. That meant three of them. As the wolves attacked, I threw my machete between them to focus the attention on me. Sure enough, the wolves were alerted, and three of them jumped towards me at the same time.


    ¡°[Speed]¡± (Kei)


    When the magic circle in my hand glows faintly, my field of vision becomes slower than usual, making it easier to grasp the wolves coming from three directions. I¡¯ll be able to dodge the three easily.


    What would happen? As a matter of course, the claws of the wolves hurt each other. The claws caused serious, if not mortal, wounds to each other as the defenseless, attack-focused wolves clashed with each other. I used my hoe to hack at the throats of the immobilized wolves, killing them.


    ¡°What is this? This magic circle is amazing.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I will definitely bring it again next time. I will make spares.¡± (Haru)


    They had acquired a new weapon that day. It would be a long time before the siblings knew that this information was a technology that even the Self-Defense Forces, who were searching far ahead, had never heard of.

 CH 12

    ~Hero¡¯s Perspective~


    The two weeks of classes were like a study camp for college entrance exams, although there was a break once a week.


    No, back then we were studying to consolidate what we had learned in our entire lives, but the classes we were taking were something else entirely.


    Things that had only been talked about in the world of fiction were now being talked about in the world of non-fiction, with the government¡¯s views mixed in. We were told to memorize everything, and we had to keep studying for the test in two weeks.


    Fortunately, the test was taken in a group, so if someone else could remember, they could answer. However, there was another obstacle standing in the way. The test included a physical education skill.


    We had to train hard to make sure that everyone passed the test. Since we were taking the test as a group, it was obvious that we would either pass or fail together. If any one of us failed the test, we would be held jointly responsible and no one would be issued a certificate.


    That¡¯s how strict the qualifications are that we¡¯re trying to get.


    [Dungeon Explorer License Test]


    It¡¯s August 1st in Japan. The dungeons appeared all over the world, starting from the west of the globe then finally appearing in Japan. A lot of things have happened since then, and the government has been dealing with it, and finally decided to open dungeons to the private sector. As an experiment, 25 groups of 4 people were recruited, for a total of 100 people.


    Despite the fact that the recruitment period was only one day, there were many applicants, and a lottery was held with a daunting number of applicants. However, the sense we get when we take the class is that the government probably has a say in the selection process. It would certainly be a shame to have people with dangerous ideas exploring the dungeon with us.


    Well, the test was over and we were sent back to our rooms. We were sent back to our rooms, but the only device we could get information from was the TV, which they said was to prevent information leaks. We don¡¯t even have a smartphone or a computer. It was no use, but I was bored. So, the two girls and two boys assigned to the same room enjoyed talking with each other.


    Incidentally, we were assigned to this group because one of the requirements for the dungeon search was that there had to be four members of the same sex or two members of the opposite sex, not a couple.


    If I may say so, this room is also a part of the training to prepare for the dungeon, and if there is any excessive violence or mistakes between men and women, the whole team will be disqualified immediately.


    A day had passed since then, and the results of the test came back. I was worried because I hadn¡¯t been told what my passing score would be, but when I opened the envelope that arrived at the team¡¯s office, I found a letter of acceptance and a document about my career. We were happy to see each other.


    We passed with a score of 90 out of 100. I hadn¡¯t been told that there was also a standard test which meant that the test score could go up or down by 5 points. This meant that the true perfect score was 105. Our score was 92. I really thought we were in danger. We got 90 points for the test, plus two points for the standard test.


    The paperwork said to wait for a while, so we were chatting and laughing when the phone rang. Of course, it was a landline phone with a limited number of extensions. According to what I was told there, there was going to be a party to celebrate my acceptance. I was told that I should attend if I could, so we all decided to attend.


    The party started, and our heads spun at the sight. There were only 20 test-takers in the room. After that, the speaker told us that the remaining 80 people, or 20 groups, had failed the test. Some of them had scored 93 points on the test, but because of their attitude and abusive language towards the instructor, they had been disqualified with -4 points.


    From there, we were able to make friends with the other successful students at a buffet-style party for the common people. The group was so unique that we could barely distinguish ourselves, and the only thing that made us unique was that we were the youngest and in a group of two men and two women.


    The rest of the group consisted of some very pretty women and some smart-looking women. And then there was a group of unusually muscular men and a group of people who looked like yakuza but were still very polite. Oh, we¡¯re so tiny.


    That day, we signed some non-disclosure forms about what we would be told tomorrow, our phones were returned, our rooms were moved, and we were given more space. That was about it.


    The next day we were gathered in the morning and told to decide on the name of our group. Apparently, there were various inconveniences with groups of more than five in the dungeon, and that¡¯s why they were applying for four people each.


    And in the dungeon, a group of four people is called a party. We had 30 minutes to decide the name of the party.


    After the name of the party was successfully decided, each of us decided on our own weapon, and those who had decided on a weapon were the first to submit an application.


    Incidentally, the name of the Party was [Hero Party] for us. Well, I was joking too much.


    The four beautiful women were called [Yamato Nadeshiko]. I guess it makes sense from the way they look.


    The well-dressed women were the [Grapevine Association]. To be honest, I don¡¯t really understand these people.


    The bizarrely muscular group is the [The Biceps]. I wonder if that¡¯s really enough.


    And the yakuza-like people are the [893 (PacSun)]. I wonder if that name is okay. Copyright-wise. [T/N: I don¡¯t get the number reference. I know there¡¯s a brand named ¥Ñ¥Ã¥¯¥µ¥ó or Pakkusan or PacSun. Someone tell me please]


    So, we jokingly named ourselves the ¡°Hero Party¡± so that we could be part of this unusual group.


    Although it was a joke, it had something to do with the job in the dungeon that we were told to decide on before deciding on a weapon.


    I am a [Sword].


    The other male party member was a [Shield] and the two women were [Magic] and [Heal].


    I think it¡¯s a combination you often see in fantasy novels. Incidentally, since this was also an experiment, I was told not to have more than two people with the same job at the party. By the way, since strategies were involved at this point, we had to adopt a system of non-interference with the rest of the parties.


    The two magicians were going to use light swords for self-defense and the Shield was going to be the one used by the police. The problem was me. At first, I had applied for a sword. But when it came time for training, I broke it.


    I realized that swords are difficult for people who don¡¯t know how to use them, so I went with a Western sword. By the way, we didn¡¯t have to worry about money because we paid the initial fee including the cost of these things.


    This was how we finished our preparations to dive into our own dungeon. Starting tomorrow, we would enter the dungeon in order of the party with the best exam scores, staggered by time. I¡¯ve already written a contract saying that they can¡¯t guarantee my life. I¡¯m nervous but looking forward to it.


    Incidentally, it seems that our party will be the last to enter the dungeon.

 CH 13

    ~Hero¡¯s Perspective~


    It¡¯s been almost a month since we started diving into the dungeon.


    During that time, we have been diving into the dungeon every day with the help of the Self-Defense Forces.


    In the beginning, we all felt reluctant to kill monsters, so we just hunted slimes. They don¡¯t look like living things, you know.


    A week passed and the Self-Defense Force people were no longer accompanying us. I¡¯ve never seen them fight, though, because they¡¯re only there in case of emergency.


    He said that he was strong enough to defeat the boss of the tenth level by himself, but we didn¡¯t know much about it as we had never met a boss before.


    After that, we continued to attack the dungeon. We got injured a lot, but they gave us a potion that healed us in an instant. The potion was said to have the effect of healing cuts in an instant.


    It¡¯s also said to be an all-purpose potion that can be used to heal scars. However, the hierarchy where it can be obtained is quite deep, so it cannot be used frequently.


    Although its efficacy as a medicine is not that great, I was told that its ability to heal instantly would be worth a considerable amount of money if sold. However, the government has forbidden us to use it in public until the dungeon is opened to the public, and at the moment, anything obtained in the dungeon is treated as government property, so we can¡¯t use it for anything else.


    So we finally made it to the fifth level of the dungeon, between the bosses. According to them, the rest of the parties had already beaten the boss. However, we were not allowed to go beyond the sixth level, so we were hunting on the fourth level.


    Today is the last day that we are allowed to explore the dungeon. We would only be able to challenge it once. If our party is the only one that doesn¡¯t manage to defeat the boss here, we¡¯ll regret it for the people who were counting on us. I won¡¯t let that happen.


    I touched the door and it slowly opened. Standing inside is a monster with a hideous face. The words [Hobgoblin] appear in my mind. It¡¯s okay, it was just as I had heard.


    ¡°Everyone let¡¯s go!¡± (Sword)


    ¡°¡±Yes¡±¡± ¡°Oh¡± (Magic, Heal, & Shield)


    The three of them replied. I¡¯ve met some good friends.


    I took my sword and rushed into the room. I¡¯ve heard that if you go with all your might, you¡¯ll be pushed back, so I stopped one step in front of the enemy.


    ¡°Gouta!¡± (Sword)


    ¡°Sure!¡± (Shield => Gouta) [T/N: What¡¯s with the name? I used Gouta because his kanji is ¡°„‚Ì«¡± literally meaning ¡°Manly Fat(ty)¡±. So I will use Gouta.]


    At the same time as the Hobgoblin swings down his sword, a large shield rushes in from the side. He is the defender of this party. Gouta has saved us by preventing enemy attacks many times. The Hobgoblin has its stance broken with my superhuman strength and I immediately hit it with my sword.


    ¡°Damn, why is it hard?¡± (Sword)


    The goblin¡¯s thick skin prevented me from doing more, and the sword only made a shallow cut.


    ¡°[Fire]¡± (Magic => Arisu)


    A voice came from behind me. Our ranged attacker. Arisu, who is in charge of magical attacks, knocks down enemies with her flame.


    ¡°I will support you all, [Stamina Heal].¡± (Heal => Risa)


    Another chant echoed again. Risa, the last of the party and a user of recovery magic. She only has one magic, so she can¡¯t heal injuries, but her magic that restores stamina gives us a boost of courage.


    We dodged the goblin¡¯s sword, and Gouta parried and deflected it. Arisu¡¯s magic burned the Hobgoblin. I continued to smash my sword into its hard skin over and over again.


    The goblin gradually weakened, and finally fell to its knees. I thought we had won. So I didn¡¯t notice. The goblin¡¯s tightly clenched fists revealed a glowing sword. There is no information saying anything about that.


    The scenery slowly progressed like a flashback. I was too scared to move. The goblin mustered his last strength and used it to launch a final attack. The goblin made one last attack with its power, [Skill]. This was the last day of my life, and all I could do was watch in dismay as it attacked me. I¡¯m sorry, guys.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up on your own!¡± (Gouta)


    A lump of metal darts into my field of vision along with an angry voice.


    ¡°Connect, I¡¯m going to take it all, Guha!¡± (Gouta)


    The goblin¡¯s sword has blown off Gouta¡¯s shield like it¡¯s a scrap of paper, and Gouta rolled. Just turn your eyes away, so I can move. And Gouta did it. The Hobgoblin stopped for a moment when it hits Gouta¡¯s shield. That time is more than enough.


    ¡°Take this¡ª¡± (Sword)


    My protruding sword pierced the goblin¡¯s throat, despite a bit of resistance.


    And the monster becomes mist and disappears. All that remains is a metal card. There are 5 so-called skill cards.


    ¡°We won, goho.¡± (Gouta)


    Gouta wobbled back to me. It seems that no bones were broken. If that is the case, then.


    I raise my sword and declared.


    ¡°Victory for the Hero Party!¡± (Sword => Yuki)


    Risa approached.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. It is our victory. You are really a hero, Yuki.¡± (Risa)


    The word ¡°Hero¡±, which I had added as a joke, sinks into my heart. With the satisfaction of having completed the task.


    ¡°Oh, everyone. Let¡¯s go home and party today!¡± (Gouta)


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    ¡°Well, I¡¯m tired so I want to sleep.¡± (Risa)


    ¡°Can I refrain from doing it today?¡± (Arisu)


    Gouta who makes a ruckus, however, was refused by the two girls.


    ¡°What the heck, Yuki. You¡¯re coming, right?¡± (Gouta)


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m tired too. I want to sleep.¡± (Yuki)


    I want to pick up the skill card dropped by Hobgoblin and know the contents. When I thought about it, the card shattered and disappeared. Doing the same for the remaining three.


    [Self-Assessment] comes to mind. A skill to know oneself. It is also a skill that is necessary to know the skills you possess. It¡¯s a definite drop for the first time you defeat a boss on the fifth level, and it¡¯s an essential skill for the rest of your quest. Only the person who defeats the hobgoblin can learn it, so it can only be used by me. The other three tried to learn [Self-Assessment] as well, but there was only one skill card available to all of us so they can¡¯t learn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try it too.¡± (Yuki)


    I touched the card and wished to learn. The card easily shattered into pieces.


    The [Prestige] of the strong. The resistance to weakness. It makes the hero strong.


    ¡°[Prestige]¡± (Yuki)


    When I use the skill, my body glowed faintly and I feel powerful.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a skill that strengthens you.¡± (Yuki)


    As I turn to face the three of them, my vision shakes.


    I lost my strength and collapsed, but my shoulders were supported by someone.


    ¡°Are you out of magic? Is it a skill that consumes a lot of magic, or is it because we haven¡¯t trained magic? It¡¯s no good for our Hero. But, well, please keep up the good work. Hero.¡± (Gouta)


    ¡°Yeah, thank you for your continued support, everyone.¡± (Yuki)


    I close my eyes with satisfaction.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    I opened my eyes when Arisu hit me. If it were possible, I would have preferred if she did not spoil the mood, but that¡¯s okay.


    Because I¡¯m so happy.


    However, that night. When Yuki and the others had gone to bed. News that Japan¡¯s strongest party, which had been exploring the front line, had been killed in the battle against the boss on the 15th level.


    What Yuki and the others didn¡¯t know was that one of them was a member of the Self-Defense Forces who had been leading Yuki and the others.


    There was no stopping the public opening of the dungeon that was almost upon them.


    And the real Japan¡¯s strongest, who no one will ever know, are still seeking entertainment for the two of them that day

 CH 14

    It¡¯s been almost six weeks since we first entered the dungeon, and in two weeks the dungeon will be open to the public.


    And today, we finally finished exploring the 14th level. Using our magic, which had been boosted since the day we started using magic circles, we proceeded to explore the dungeon one after another.


    As we did so, our weapons naturally wore out. Finally, while we were exploring the twelfth layer, the handle of my hoe snapped off. We had no choice but to stop exploring that day and go buy a new hoe, but in the end, I never did. When I touched the blade, it felt unreliable.


    I decided to trust my baseless hunch that it would be fine for fighting enemies in the shallow layers, but if I took it to the levels I was currently exploring, my attacks would not be able to penetrate and I would be instantly crushed.


    But then I would have no weapon. The boss of the tenth level was a huge black wolf about three meters tall with a magnificent horn on its head, but I defeated it without difficulty with a barrage of Hal¡¯s bombs and my attacks on its vital points.


    Incidentally, the black wolf dropped two metal cards and a pitch-black knife. I used the knife as my sub-weapon.


    Finally, the eleventh level. From that point on, the variety of drops increased. There was an abnormally hard one that dropped strong, heat-resistant ore, and a self-destructing golem that dropped something like coal. The stove in the garden now has grown much more than the first one we built. The coal from the dungeon can easily reach a high temperature.


    Then, I plunged a pitch-black claw into the fire. This is a drop from the black wolf. I mentioned earlier that the drops were a metal card and a knife, but it seems that you can defeat the dungeon boss multiple times, and the drops are different the first time and the other times. We happened to notice this and went around the boss as if it were a game.


    In total, we attacked the boss 20 times, but only 11 claws and 9 small pelts were dropped. Two obsidian-like gems and two metal cards. And one huge claw. The claw could be used as a metal, just like the boar¡¯s tusks, so I asked Haru¡¯s permission and am currently turning the black wolf¡¯s claw into a hoe handle.


    The handle of the hoe is removed by burning, and a rod made of black wolf¡¯s claw is inserted into the hoe and welded by beating it from the stove again. However, the iron is still barely molten at this temperature, so the melted black wolf¡¯s claw enters the gap between the iron and hardens to connect them.


    Just to be safe, I wrapped the handle and the part between the blade and handle with wire and fixed it with heat to make it stronger. Incidentally, Haru¡¯s crowbar has been strengthened with boar tusks and now looks like a nail bat. I¡¯m very scared as a big brother, yep.


    While I was working on it, Haru made a kind of slim wristband out of black wolf fur.


    There was a card attached to it made from a bit of black wolf claw that I had leftover from fixing the hoe, with a magic circle engraved on it.


    Wearing it around my hand, I could use the boosted magic with my bare hands. After we had finished strengthening our weapons, we took a day off to rest before heading back to explore the dungeon.


    ¡°And we are now exploring the fourteenth floor.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother, how noisy. Don¡¯t escape from reality by being weird. Clean up. [Bomb] [Triple]¡± (Haru)


    When Haru shoots a number of magical attacks that she can immediately do before she even thought of it, the blasts blow a considerable number of monsters.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I understand. [Speed]¡±


    Holding the black wolf¡¯s knife and a machete in both hands, I ran through the sea of monsters, and before I knew it, the heads of the monsters were cut off, and they died into mist without even knowing it. Perhaps it was from the time I was circling the Black Wolf that my senses had become incredibly heightened, and I was able to work more closely with Haru than ever before.


    I was able to run around and the monsters¡¯ heads flying off, and when I suddenly stop moving, Haru¡¯s magic flew right across my skin.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m about to run out of magic, so I¡¯ll charge in.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, then do you want to finish it all at once? [Speed] [Chain].¡± (Kei)


    Holding a crowbar, that looks like a nail bat, she plunged into the horde of monsters, and I used two spells on both of us.


    The only magic I could use was speed, but one day an unusually strong skeleton came out. The skeleton itself is a small fry that appears in the 12th layer, but I have far surpassed its strength, its body was lightly dyed gold, and it attacked me with magic.


    The bones in its body seemed to have a strong resistance to magic, so Haru¡¯s [Bomb] didn¡¯t work at all, and its physical resistance was also quite high, making it difficult to attack. The skeleton¡¯s magic can be easily avoided, so you won¡¯t take any damage, but our attacks won¡¯t work either.


    So I steadily hit the joints with multiple attacks, and by the time the skeleton died, it had been almost an hour. It was so tough that if the black wolf and that skeleton fought, the skeleton would definitely win.


    And the drop items of the skeleton were a large jar and a golden card.


    Perhaps because I was tired from fighting for a long time, it was too late when I touched the golden card without thinking.


    The field of vision stops moving and letters are displayed in the head. The situation where you cannot consult with others, the same as when you first entered the dungeon. There, I am stunned to understand the characters displayed in my head.


    Magic Maker


    Type: Enchant Magic (Unique Magic)


    Attribute: Please set


    Name: Please set


    Effect: Please set


    Well, that meant that I could create new magic. Since I didn¡¯t know how many restrictions there would be, I decided to go with a skill that didn¡¯t seem to be bound by any restrictions. A skill that would allow me to use wherever I wanted as long as I had a lot of freedom. The result is [Chain] that I just used earlier.


    Magic Maker


    Type: Grant Magic (Unique Magic)


    Attribute: Non-attribute


    Name: Chain


    Effect: Splash


    This magic was much stronger and more restrictive than I expected. It also consumes a lot of magic power, but not so much that you don¡¯t care about it. This time, I added [Chain] to Haru¡¯s attacks. What would happen if I did that?


    The result is that the damage is transmitted.


    That is to say, the damage will be transmitted to other monsters in the vicinity of the attacked monster. Every time Hal waved her weapon with a flick of her hand, several monsters would turn into lumps of flesh, and the next moment they would disappear into mist. I don¡¯t have the courage to join the fight, which is dangerous to even get near as usual, but I have to fight too, otherwise, it won¡¯t end and I won¡¯t gain any experience.


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    ¡°So I should probably join too?¡± (Kei)


    I fasten my knife and machete to my waist and take out my hoe.


    ¡°[Speed] [Chain]¡± (Chain)


    I used as much of my remaining magic power as I could spare and started fighting a little further away from Haru  If I dare to say, I am overwhelmingly better at controlling [Chain].


    I swing my hoe towards a monster¡¯s neck and slashed its neck. The effect is transmitted to the surroundings. By transmitting only a single attack on a vital point, I can kill a wide area of enemies without wasting power. Also, the attack range is the same as Haru. Because our way of fighting is different, we may be incompatible.


    From that point on, it was a blur. I guess that¡¯s the way it is. Compared to [Bomb], which only has the power to blow things up, physical attacks are much more powerful, and they are now like ranged attacks.


    Our level has already grown to the point where we can easily defeat small fries with a single blow. I don¡¯t know our level. And in a blink of an eye, the hundred-plus monsters disappeared, leaving behind numerous drop items.


    Well, why did we fall into this situation? To be honest, I don¡¯t know. Neither I nor Haru has any idea. That would be what I saw in a fantasy novel before. The one where all the monsters run out of control and attack at once.


    ¡°A [Stampede]? I guess.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Ah, yeah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve never seen such a large number of them before.¡± (Kei)


    We have experienced many massive assaults from monsters. However, the number of monsters then was small, just more than a dozen. But it never did exceed fifty at the most.


    However, this time I feel that it has slightly exceeded a hundred. If [Chain] cannot be used, the interception will not be in time and withdraw. In the worst-case scenario, we might have been swallowed up by the sheer numbers and died. I sprayed the wounds that had appeared in some places with the potion that I had put in the water sprayer.


    Incidentally, the potion was dropped by a green slime in the thirteenth layer. It was in a bottle. But when the bottle was empty or no longer contained the potion, it suddenly began to deteriorate, cracking within five minutes and shattering within ten minutes.


    While thinking about such unimportant things, I picked up only the necessary items dropped by monsters and packed them in my backpack.


    No matter how many enemies we fight, we can only bring back two backpacks. I stuffed only the important items into my backpack and finally made my way down to the fifteenth level. Of course, we wouldn¡¯t be challenging the boss today.


    We rode the transfer magic circle to our house, secretly worrying about a [Stampede].


    Hopefully, we¡¯ll be able to defeat the boss without any problems.

 CH 15

    We are now ready for today¡¯s boss fight.


    I put my hand in the jar.


    Obviously, I¡¯m not making pickles. Another item dropped from the Golden Skeleton I had defeated earlier was this jar. At first, I thought it was an ordinary jar, but I was stuffing it with drop items that I couldn¡¯t carry as a substitute for a bag on my way home, something strange happened.


    As soon as I put things in the jar, the things inside disappear. And when I put my hand in the jar again, I somehow knew what was inside.


    The storage-type item that I finally dreamed of appeared. I was so excited, and after eliminating about thirty stampedes that I found by accident while experimenting with the chain, I put all the dropped items into the jar and lifted it up to take it home.


    It was really heavy. The original jar weighed a few kilograms. Now it¡¯s hard to lift even with my increased stats. While I somehow understood the effect of this jar, I decided to throw away some of the contents and go home until it was heavy enough not to interfere with the battles.


    When I go home, I use a bucket and a scale to experiment with the effects of this item. Well, you get the idea. I put a weight in the bucket and weighed it, then I put the same amount of weight in the jar and weighed it. Unfortunately, it seems that my prediction was correct.


    The jar can hold more than it appears to, but the weight does not decrease. The capacity of the jar is not known. In other words, if there is no limit, it would be possible to create something with a terrifying degree of density. Theoretically.


    But we don¡¯t need such a thing for personal use. It was the moment when all the things in our house can be placed within thirty centimeters cubed (27,000 cu-cm or 0.027 cu-m or 1 cu-ft). For some reason, even things that would never fit through the mouth of the jar could fit. As soon as it touches the entrance of the jar, it becomes smaller and smaller as if space is distorted and it goes into the jar.


    You can imagine it like that. The image is similar to seeing something beyond an open fire or your vision during a heatwave. By the way, it seems that living things cannot enter.


    Aside from that, I took out my equipment and other necessary items from the jar and carefully cleaned it before putting it on. Then I went out into the garden to start working on our sparring.


    We used to spar in the basement at first, but now that both of us have improved our skills and basic physical strength, we decided to do it outside because we would instantly run into a wall if we did it in the basement. No weapons. We don¡¯t have any neighbors, and it¡¯s a walled garden, but if they find us and report us, we¡¯ll be in trouble.


    So after some jumping, kicking, and punching, we got our breathing under control. We checked our gear again.


    ¡°Today, no matter what happens, we end with one boss battle.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°All right. If it¡¯s the same as last time, you can run away, so brother, don¡¯t get hurt first.¡±


    We exchanged a few words and went into the dungeon. The path we took was only a few meters before the transition, so we didn¡¯t encounter any monsters. The transition took us to the fifteenth level, and there was a large gate in front of us.


    I didn¡¯t bring a backpack today, but rather a pouch that would stay close to my body, so I didn¡¯t need to organize my stuff. On my waist are my black wolf knife and the machete I¡¯ve been using. In my pouch are three potions. And in my hand, I hold a hoe. Hal also held her nail bat firmly behind her.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    I touch the gate and it slowly opens with a heavy thud. Gradually, I could see what was inside. It was like a cave, but one that could be rampaged through with complete ease. There is a space the size of a school gymnasium. And in the middle. The boss sits on a rock growing out of the ground with its eyes shut.


    ¡°Minotaur.¡±


    As soon as I stepped into the room, the boss¡¯s name appeared in my mind. The cow-headed man, who was about three meters tall, opened his eyes.


    There was still more than ten meters between us, and the Minotaur slowly stood up, never taking its eyes off us. At the same time, its large arms, as thick as a man¡¯s torso, easily lifted an overly large ax that was lying next to it.


    As it swung the ax upward to show off its massive body, the ax began to glow reddish-black. I could feel the overwhelming power building up in the ax, and cold sweat began to drip down my face. No matter how much of a boss it is, it will be difficult to close the gap of more than 10 meters between us. Since its body is unchanged, it doesn¡¯t use any skills to increase its mobility. So in order to move, it has to move under its own power. There is no way it can reach us. But I felt a stirring in my chest.


    ¡°Guuaaa!¡± (Minotaur)


    Goosebumps dotted my skin and the Minotaur swung down the ax. A flow of force seemed to extend towards us from the ax as it hits the ground.


    ¡°Jump to the side!¡± (Kei)


    Before I could even think about it, I shouted and jumped to the left as hard as I could. At the same time that I jumped left and Haru jump right, a torrent of power runs through the place where we were standing. What remained was a large crack on the ground.


    ¡°Guaah!¡± (Minotaur)


    After the Minotaur made the first move, it runs through the place where the slash passed without opening giving an opening, and approached us.


    ¡°[Speed]¡± (Kei)


    I used it on me and Haru, and we distanced ourselves from the Minotaur.


    ¡°Oh, [Bomb] [Decaple]¡± (Haru)


    Haru noticed something and sends ten magic shots at the Minotaur, but it is swept away by the swing of its large ax. It only receives a few minor burns that hit its body. By the way, [Decaple] means ten times.


    ¡°Hey, the retreat is blocked. The Minotaur is pretty smart.¡± (Kei)


    The current situation seems pretty bad. Haru and I were separated by the first attack, and our way to retreat was blocked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in as usual. The magic won¡¯t have any effect, so I¡¯ll focus on distracting it.¡± (Kei)


    As far as I saw from the previous attack while holding my hoe and plunging into the Minotaur, the difference in power between me and it is much higher than when I fought the Hobgoblin. If I get hit even once, I will be split into two.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m not planning on getting hit. The difference in power is so huge even trying to parry it will result in me being blown away. I have to avoid all attacks. There is no room for attacking it. The only window of attack is at the moment where it defends against Haru¡¯s attack.


    The movement of his eyes, the bulging of his muscles, the timing of his breathing. I force myself to keep track of everything and dodge the attacks.


    The attacks are so fast that I almost feel dizzy, but the moment I do, death awaits me. I duck and wait desperately for that moment. The moment is prolonged for a long time until Haru¡¯s magic comes flying.


    ¡°Borther [Bomb] [Decaple]¡± (Kei)


    When the ten magic attacks gathered in one place unlike from before, they pierce the face of the Minotaur and cause an explosion. The Minotaur is tough. Even if it receives magic head-on, it is still calm. But the purpose is to blind it. In battle, if it closes its eyes, we will almost certainly win. And the face of the Minotaur is wrapped in smoke, making it impossible to see around. A chance to win.


    ¡°I¡¯ll slash of your head. [Chain]¡± (Kei)


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    The slash is transmitted by the chain so that it passes through the eyes and into the body.


    The hoe went right for the eyes of the Minotaur without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    The hoe was caught by the Minotaur¡¯s hand just before it sliced through the eye. The slash was transmitted and caused numerous scratches on its arm, but it brushed it off as if it was only annoyed by it. It kept its grip on the hoe.


    As a matter of course, the other side of the hoe was still held by me. It would be a light but not deadly attack for us. I couldn¡¯t even hold on to the hoe and was blown away at a tremendous speed. The hoe was also shattered.


    ¡°Broootheeer!¡± (Haru)


    I heard Haru¡¯s panicked voice. I¡¯m fine, my bones aren¡¯t broken. I stood up and poured all three potions over my head. As the pain drained from my body, my agitated mind cooled down.


    That¡¯s why I realized. The current behavior of the Minotaur was clearly strange. In the past, monsters would always run at me when their view was blocked. However, this Minotaur did not even panic but instead accepted the hoe as if it knew where it was going to be attacked.


    If the cow¡¯s current behavior is part of the monster¡¯s original behavior, it¡¯s a bit poor. That¡¯s why we need to experiment.


    ¡°Haru, throw a bomb!¡± (Kei)


    When instructed to throw something she never had, let alone a bomb, Haru became panicked. That¡¯s no problem. It¡¯s just that I went out of my way to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t act badly, so I gave instructions that would make her confused and unable to move. But¡­


    ¡°Minotaur, you understand our words, right?¡± (Kei)


    I asked the Minotaur. As soon as I instructed Haru, he took a step away from her and held his ax like a shield. It was as if he was protecting himself from the blast and debris.


    ¡°Why do you know about ¡°bombs¡±?¡± (Kei)


    Hal seemed to have noticed and approached me, nail bat at the ready.


    ¡°That¡¯s the knowledge of the dungeon? Well. If you have the intelligence to understand people¡¯s words, you¡¯re not our enemy.¡± (Kei) [T/N: So Kei used the Japanese word ¡°bakudan¡± for bombs instead of the spell which is written in katakana. Apparently, this boss knows Japanese.]


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go for round two, shall we?¡± (Kei)

 CH 16

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go for round two, shall we?¡± (Kei)


    I gave up the broken hoe and held the knife in my right hand and the machete in my left.


    Intelligent creatures think about the movements of their enemies, unlike creatures that move by instinct. We had previously told the Minotaur aloud each and every one of our moves.


    As a result, the Minotaur adapted its way of fighting with us based on our words. It is difficult to move flexibly once you have decided how to fight like that. This is especially true if it has less information than it did before.


    On the other hand, we just have to work together without mentioning the next move. It may be difficult under normal circumstances. But we are siblings who have lived in support of each other for a long time, so there is no problem.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    That was the first thing I announced and closed my mouth. No more words are needed.


    As soon as the Minotaur exhaled, I closed the distance with my feet. It¡¯s a gait that I did occasionally in the days when I did aikido, and since there is little up and down movement, it¡¯s hard for him to react to my approach.


    First, I thrust lightly with my knife, and then, like before, I dodge the attack by watching its eyes, muscles, and breathing. Because of my short reach, I can¡¯t reach the throat or the face, but I have more variety in my attacks.


    As I dodge, I throw in a few additional feints. Monsters without intelligence don¡¯t attack by watching their opponent¡¯s movements before feinting. But because they are intelligent, they can be fooled. This is especially true of Minotaur that has only power but no combat experience.


    We attack more and more often, hurting areas that are easily stressed when attacking. If we find a gap, Haru will hit it from behind me and move away. My close combat attacks and Haru¡¯s hit-and-run attacks. The legs that support the heavy, muscle-packed body and its hands that support its weapon are getting more and more wounded, and even the Minotaur is getting tired.


    ¡°[Chain]¡±


    After seeing the Minotaur wobble for a moment, I buff Haru. Then, I run alongside the Minotaur, Haru swings her bat and I run past Haru. Removing a potion from Haru¡¯s pouch and throw it in front of the Minotaur.


    ¡°Hyaaa!¡± (Haru)


    As Haru shouts, her attack hit the Minotaur squarely on its head that is multiplied by [Chain] and it made a heavy thud.


    Even a Minotaur will collapse if a bludgeoning that shakes its brain is received by its head. At the moment it staggers. However, the Minotaur that does not fall down. It tried to right its posture by putting one foot forward and stepping on the ground just before it falls.


    The potion I threw earlier is rolling in the place where its foot I stepped on. The potion bottles are ridiculously hard as long as the potion is inside. And the shape of the bottle was cylindrical.


    The foot rolls with the bottle and the Minotaur¡¯s stance collapse doing a crotch-splitting split.


    ¡°Giyaaaa!¡± (Minotaur)


    For the first time, the Minotaur with its legs forced wide open by its own weight screams.


    ¡°Ugh, that hurts.¡± (Kei)


    The ax fell from the Minotaur¡¯s hand due to the intense pain is kicked away while making sure to not hurt our foot. So the Minotaur cannot pick up the weapon.


    ¡°Hey.¡± (Haru)


    Haru punches it in the back of the head from behind, and it falls down easily. And there waiting for it is my knife and machete. I slashed both eyes before the Minotaur could guard against it. Robbing its sight. The Minotaur lost its mobility and vision can no longer win.


    I went around without making a sound and inserted the knife into the cow¡¯s neck with all my strength. As I moved away from the cow, I stepped on the handle of the knife and plunged it deep into its neck.


    ¡°Urya.¡± (Haru)


    Haru swung the bat as hard as she could at the knife, hitting its handle.


    ¡°Gaa, aah!¡± (Minotaur)


    The knife that was blown away by the bat cut off half the head off the Minotaur¡¯s neck and rolls on the floor.


    It¡¯s not possible to live like this. The blood spurted out of the open neck, not even allowing it to scream its last breath.


    It twitched and jerked as if spasming for a few seconds and then simply disappeared in a mist.


    Some items fell from where the Minotaur died, and a magic circle appears at the end opposite the entrance.


    ¡°¡±It¡¯s over!¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    The two of us threw out our weapons together and raised our hands in a victory cry.


    At the same time, I collapsed to my knees. My knees trembled. No, it¡¯s not just my knees. My joints are shaking. That¡¯s how exhausting the battle had been. After I calmed down, sweat began to pour out of me like a waterfall. Before I knew it, my underwear was soaked with sweat.


    ¡°I was scared.¡± (Haru)


    Haru crawled towards me and hugged me, so I hugged her and patted her on the head. After doing this for a while, when she seemed calm, and I desperately moved my legs, which had gradually stopped shaking, and started checking the dropped items.


    The ones dropped were two silver metal cards that were more beautiful than before. Two black cards like it. There was a golden card and two rings with purple decorations.


    I collected all of them for the time being, and when I got on the magic circle, I was transferred to a familiar room without any choice. The room behind the boss room. It was made exactly the same as the last time. I knew that no monsters would come here, so I placed the items and dealt with them as usual.


    Some of the cards didn¡¯t turn into mist even if I held them, and those items turned into mist when Haru held them. I ended up with one silver and one black card. Haru had one silver card and one black card, and we had one more gold card.


    Next, though, I pick up the ring, which is all that¡¯s left. I put it on my middle finger, and it gradually changed in size and fit tightly. Haru¡¯s finger was thinner than mine, but it fits perfectly as well.


    ¡°Wow!¡± (Haru)


    Haru suddenly shouted in surprise, and when I looked at her, I saw that she was holding a weapon that looked even more violent than the nail bat she had been using as a weapon. A weapon with a handle and a thorny sphere at the end. It¡¯s a weapon you don¡¯t see in real life, but it¡¯s often used in fantasy. The Morning Star.


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    ¡°Brother, this is heavy.¡± (Haru)


    But it seemed to be a lot heavier than the previous weapons, and Haru, who had consumed all of her strength, could barely lift it.


    ¡°So where did you get that weapon?¡± (Kei)


    Well, the question isn¡¯t the Morning Star, but where it came from. There was no such thing around. Hull hasn¡¯t moved from her spot either.


    ¡°The ring had a small magic circle on it. I channeled the magic and a weapon came out. Like this, oh.¡± (Haru)


    The Morning Star, which had been in her hand until a moment ago, turned into mist and was sucked into the ring when Haru poured magic power into the ring. As expected, Haru was surprised by something unpredictable.


    ¡°Then what is this?¡± (Kei)


    After standing up, I gently put my hand forward and let the magical power flow through the ring.


    ¡°Bro-Brother, a Death God.¡± (Haru)


    It¡¯s exactly what Haru said. The weapon that came out of my ring was a scythe. A scythe with a huge blade and a long handle, as if a god of death owned it.


    The center of gravity is overwhelmingly close to the front, probably because the blade is so large, and it seems difficult to use unless you hold it in the middle of the handle. When the magical power was applied again, the scythe disappeared into the ring.


    ¡°This is all the treasure I got, as usual. The rest is just some metal cards that I don¡¯t understand. So, let¡¯s go home, Haru. As for weapons, we have no choice but to use machetes.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. We can¡¯t use any other weapons anymore. Do you have any weapons?¡± (Haru)


    As Haru said, our weapons were destroyed in the battle with the Minotaur. My hoe was broken, my knife and Haru¡¯s bat had their blades snapped off at the base and the baseball bat was shattered by the impact on the Minotaur¡¯s neck. My knife broke from the handle.


    The crowbar, which was used as a core was now bent and battered.


    ¡°I¡¯m weaponless, and even if there are monsters, we¡¯re only going to go through one level, so we should be fine.¡± (Kei)


    After quickly collecting the dropped items, I joined hands with Haru and headed for the magic circle to return home. However, she was running out of energy and couldn¡¯t stand up, so Hal and I drank half a potion each.


    Since there were no lacerations or wounds, the potion¡¯s recovery power was used to restore our strength. We recovered enough to be able to walk easily, so we quickly did. So we immediately transitioned. There was a goblin in front of me, so I kicked it, and was it blown away and became mist.


    It looks like it¡¯s getting stronger again. I feel that our level has risen again in the Minotaur battle.


    We return to the basement and take off our equipment as usual.


    ¡°Brother, I have something to say.¡± (Haru)


    Haru suddenly turns to me without taking off her gear and gives me a serious look.


    ¡°Listen. We¡¯ve learned a lot. I would like to talk to you.¡± (Haru)


    Haru seems to be planning on talking about something troublesome. But, I just tilted my head with a self-assured expression and chuckled as usual.

 CH 17

    We quickly get dressed before we talk and gather at the table since it¡¯s still early for lunch.


    ¡°So what will we talk about?¡± (Kei)


    Haru also brought a pen and paper for some reason, so we started talking.


    ¡°First of all, about me. The first thing I want to say is that I have acquired a certain skill in the battle against the Minotaur. The name is [Analysis].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. So, the trigger for getting the skill is the metal cards?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Looks like it. It was from the gold one. Then I tried to apply the [Analysis] skill to myself. Then I saw my status.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, what was it like?¡± (Kei)


    She was able to see the levels that we couldn¡¯t see no matter how much we wanted to see. How can she not be happy?


    ¡°Well, I have to tell you the status, but I found out something more.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What?¡± (Kei)


    I have no idea what it is. Is there something wrong with your status? No, she would have told me sooner.


    ¡°That metal card was not a rare item that gave you skills or magic, it was a card that allowed you to learn skills or magic the moment it disappeared from your hand.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What?¡± (Kei)


    I am stunned by Haru¡¯s words that I had never could¡¯ve imagined. If we can get a skill with those cards, the number cards we used as it is. I¡¯m sure 6 of the 7 cards haven¡¯t given me any skills.


    ¡°Hey, Brother. We used those cards to learn magic and skills, but we just couldn¡¯t use it because we didn¡¯t know what we learned.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then does Haru know what skills you can use?¡± (Kei)


    If what Haru just said is true, then Haru shouldn¡¯t be able to know about the effects of the card either.


    ¡°When you turn a card into mist, you have to wonder what it is. Then, while it disappeared, a letter came to my mind for a moment. It was just a moment, so I could only read it halfway, but I understood. So I will just write it on paper.¡± (Haru)


    [Analysis] skill card (used)


    You are able to learn the skill [Analysis]. Appraisal system¡­


    ¡°It was like this. I think I analyzed it during the time lag between learning the skill and the card becoming mist. If so, I wonder what the trigger is. Even if I say analysis normally it may be enough.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So, the skill can only be used in the dungeon, so you want to go check it out?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I thought so, but it seems that this skill can be used here as well. I analyzed myself earlier. I need his permission to analyze my brother, so I haven¡¯t done it yet.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Huh, what is Haru¡¯s status?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°The skill cards I¡¯ve used so far are 8 in total, including those dropped from small fries in the 6th to 14th levels, and there are 10 skills and magic in total, so it is like this.¡± (Haru)


    Name: Haruka


    Skill: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: Explosion, (Electric), (Collapse)


    Level: 44


    Strength: 51


    Magic Amount: 102


    Skill: Analysis


    Magic: Bomb, Time Bomb, Impact, Number, (Plasma), (Fissure)


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s more detailed than I thought.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s natural, but in reality, there is no HP.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No matter how high your HP is, you¡¯ll die if your head is cut-off. When it comes to strength, it may be physical strength, since there is no other status, so it¡¯s probably the pure strength of your body.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t know muscle strength or speed based on the status. I tried it on my way home, but the result of the analysis is just this, I can not use the analysis twice in a row, but you can use analysis on the analysis skill you have in your head.¡± (Haru)


    [Analysis]


    Type: Skill


    Cooldown Time: 1m


    You can view a limited number of traits of objects and people that are closely related to the dungeon.


    ¡°That¡¯s why come on, Brother. Allow me to see your status.¡± (Haru)


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    ¡°Got it.¡± (Kei)


    Allow Hull to view status. I felt like something was being pulled out of me.


    ¡°Okay. Hey. I¡¯ll write it on paper now, so please wait.¡±


    Name: Touka


    Skill: Enchant/ Alchemy


    Magic Attribute: None (Curse)


    Level: 45


    Strength: 57


    Magic Amount: 93


    Skill: Stealth


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain


    Passive: Perception / Acceleration / Alchemy


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of normal, isn¡¯t it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Like me, it¡¯s like a magician.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not going into the dungeon today anyway, so let¡¯s just relax.¡± (Kei)


    We can¡¯t help but think about it now, so we start cooking lunch for now.


    Since we had decided not to go into the dungeon after we found out that we had skills, we stayed in our own home, but I had Haru use the analysis quite a few times as verification that we could do it at home.


    I found out a lot of things that I had been wondering about.


    The first is the obsidian-like stone. The result of the analysis was ¡°Magic Stone¡­ a Dungeon Fragment¡±, but we couldn¡¯t understand it.


    Next, is the jar that can be filled by a lot, ¡°Jar of Space¡­ By warping the space, it can store up to a mass of five tons.¡±


    And finally, with the rings that summon weapons, ¡°Touka¡¯s Treasure Tool 1¡­ A trump card that can only be used by Touka (can be used: level x 10 seconds) Cooldown time 24hrs.¡±


    By the way, Haru¡¯s ring is ¡°Haruka¡¯s Treasure Tool 1¡­ A trump card that can only be used by Haruka (can be used: level x 10 seconds) Cooldown time 24hrs.¡±


    The ring turned out to be based on the owner¡¯s name. And no one other than the owner can use it.


    And the rest is status-related. My impression was that it was pretty normal. The descriptions of the magic and skills were just what you would expect from the name. We did not know the power, range, and duration. However, it can be said that it is fortunate that the required magical power is known.


    As a result of investigating, it seems that magic requires magical power to use, and although the skill can be used many times, there is a cooldown time. And these cannot be used outside the dungeon, with some exceptions.


    Furthermore, [Passive] is a skill that is always activated, and it seems to be in effect even outside the dungeon. With that in mind, there seems to be no passive for automatic parrying.


    And finally, the class we didn¡¯t choose in the beginning. I don¡¯t know if I should say skills, but Craft and Alchemy. Analyzing the skills that were included in [Passive].


    ¡°Crafting ¡­ can process and disassemble dungeon items.¡±


    ¡°Alchemy¡­ can extract and convert dungeon items.¡±


    I don¡¯t get it. I don¡¯t understand what that means at all. I¡¯ve always been able to process dungeon items. I¡¯d like to say, but Haru found out something strange.


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    The cards made by processing Boar Tusks could not be analyzed. Of course, the boar¡¯s tusks could be analyzed, so there was no problem with the item. The result was [Low-grade Boar¡¯s Tusk].


    According to Haru¡¯s idea, analysis can analyze things that are closely related to the dungeon, so it may not be able to judge things that are processed by one¡¯s own hands even if closely related to dungeons. That was what she thought.


    If that¡¯s the case, then if you have the skill to process, you can do so without severing your relationship with the dungeon. Well, I don¡¯t know what the point of that is. And I¡¯m not sure about alchemy.


    Well, I spent yesterday researching such things, and today I¡¯m going to actually use it. My main weapon is a machete. However, it¡¯s not the one that can cut and stab that I used before, but a machete that was lying in the warehouse just for smashing. It was difficult to use, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Haru, by the way, used her usual machete and iron pipe.


    For now, we moved to the back of the 10th layer boss and hunted monsters. Since we were going to be examining magic, I watched Hal, who had been enchanted by me, hitting the monsters with the pipe and destroying them with magic.


    Sometimes I use [Bind] to stop the enemy movement. Haru¡¯s magic power couldn¡¯t use [Plasma] and [Fissure], but the newly acquired [Impact] was strong.


    If there are several enemies, they will be blown away in an instant. When she used [Impact] with [Chain] about thirty monsters that were lured due to the sound were wiped out with just one shot. Even though she had transmitted the explosion, it was gross to see the monsters that escaped the explosion explode from the inside because of the power of the spell.


    And so the experiments with new skills and magic were over, and we returned to the tenth layer to enter the boss room. The last experiment of the day was to test the trump card. It takes 10 seconds per level, so we have about 500 seconds to use it. And since it takes a day to cool down, we thought it should be strong.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll test mine first, so leave it to me.¡± (Kei)


    When Haru and I entered the boss¡¯s room, I stood in front of the black wolf, and I was the only one who passed the magic power through the ring to bring out the scythe.


    ¡°Here I go. [Speed] [Power] [Guard] [Chain] [Bind].¡± (Kei)


    Only [Bind] appeared a little later, and at the same time, I plunged headfirst into it. A small number of thorns pop out from the magic circle created on the ground from the effect of [Bind], stopping the movement of the Black Wolf for a moment. However, from my improved status, a moment was enough.


    ¡°Sei!¡± (Kei)


    Swinging the scythe with a shout splits the Black Wolf¡¯s neck in half, and the chain effect minces the whole body.


    ¡°It¡¯s an overkill. Oh, the power is terrible.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re overdoing it. I¡¯m next, we¡¯re leaving the boss room.¡± (Haru)


    After Haru pushed me out of the room, we went back to the gate through the magic circle and entered the boss room again. The black wolf is glaring at us viciously. Haru summons her morning star.


    ¡°Go, [Impact] [Decaple]. Oh, no.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s magic reached the Black Wolf in no time and it exploded. Haru returned to me as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Hey, I used too much magical power. And this weapon seems to have its own magic circle. It¡¯s more than double the power. It seems to be more effective than what I made.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That sounds plausible. Well, we only have a few weapons on hand. So let¡¯s go home today. I heard that the dungeon will be open in another week. Let¡¯s take our time using crafting and alchemy until then.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Sometimes we should take a break.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then, do you want to go home?¡± (Kei)


    Even if they get stronger, their feelings did not change and they only move for entertainment. And Japan¡¯s strongest reached the top without anyone knowing, but even the people themselves were unaware.

 CH 18

    We quickly get dressed before we talk and gather at the table since it¡¯s still early for lunch.


    ¡°So what will we talk about?¡± (Kei)


    Haru also brought a pen and paper for some reason, so we started talking.


    ¡°First of all, about me. The first thing I want to say is that I have acquired a certain skill in the battle against the Minotaur. The name is [Analysis].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. So, the trigger for getting the skill is the metal cards?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Looks like it. It was from the gold one. Then I tried to apply the [Analysis] skill to myself. Then I saw my status.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, what was it like?¡± (Kei)


    She was able to see the levels that we couldn¡¯t see no matter how much we wanted to see. How can she not be happy?


    ¡°Well, I have to tell you the status, but I found out something more.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What?¡± (Kei)


    I have no idea what it is. Is there something wrong with your status? No, she would have told me sooner.


    ¡°That metal card was not a rare item that gave you skills or magic, it was a card that allowed you to learn skills or magic the moment it disappeared from your hand.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What?¡± (Kei)


    I am stunned by Haru¡¯s words that I had never could¡¯ve imagined. If we can get a skill with those cards, the number cards we used as it is. I¡¯m sure 6 of the 7 cards haven¡¯t given me any skills.


    ¡°Hey, Brother. We used those cards to learn magic and skills, but we just couldn¡¯t use it because we didn¡¯t know what we learned.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then does Haru know what skills you can use?¡± (Kei)


    If what Haru just said is true, then Haru shouldn¡¯t be able to know about the effects of the card either.


    ¡°When you turn a card into mist, you have to wonder what it is. Then, while it disappeared, a letter came to my mind for a moment. It was just a moment, so I could only read it halfway, but I understood. So I will just write it on paper.¡± (Haru)


    [Analysis] skill card (used)


    You are able to learn the skill [Analysis]. Appraisal system¡­


    ¡°It was like this. I think I analyzed it during the time lag between learning the skill and the card becoming mist. If so, I wonder what the trigger is. Even if I say analysis normally it may be enough.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So, the skill can only be used in the dungeon, so you want to go check it out?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I thought so, but it seems that this skill can be used here as well. I analyzed myself earlier. I need his permission to analyze my brother, so I haven¡¯t done it yet.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Huh, what is Haru¡¯s status?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°The skill cards I¡¯ve used so far are 8 in total, including those dropped from small fries in the 6th to 14th levels, and there are 10 skills and magic in total, so it is like this.¡± (Haru)


    Name: Haruka


    Skill: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: Explosion, (Electric), (Collapse)


    Level: 44


    Strength: 51


    Magic Amount: 102


    Skill: Analysis


    Magic: Bomb, Time Bomb, Impact, Number, (Plasma), (Fissure)


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s more detailed than I thought.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s natural, but in reality, there is no HP.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No matter how high your HP is, you¡¯ll die if your head is cut-off. When it comes to strength, it may be physical strength, since there is no other status, so it¡¯s probably the pure strength of your body.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t know muscle strength or speed based on the status. I tried it on my way home, but the result of the analysis is just this, I can not use the analysis twice in a row, but you can use analysis on the analysis skill you have in your head.¡± (Haru)


    [Analysis]


    Type: Skill


    Cooldown Time: 1m


    You can view a limited number of traits of objects and people that are closely related to the dungeon.


    ¡°That¡¯s why come on, Brother. Allow me to see your status.¡± (Haru)


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    ¡°Got it.¡± (Kei)


    Allow Hull to view status. I felt like something was being pulled out of me.


    ¡°Okay. Hey. I¡¯ll write it on paper now, so please wait.¡±


    Name: Touka


    Skill: Enchant/ Alchemy


    Magic Attribute: None (Curse)


    Level: 45


    Strength: 57


    Magic Amount: 93


    Skill: Stealth


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain


    Passive: Perception / Acceleration / Alchemy


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of normal, isn¡¯t it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Like me, it¡¯s like a magician.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not going into the dungeon today anyway, so let¡¯s just relax.¡± (Kei)


    We can¡¯t help but think about it now, so we start cooking lunch for now.


    Since we had decided not to go into the dungeon after we found out that we had skills, we stayed in our own home, but I had Haru use the analysis quite a few times as verification that we could do it at home.


    I found out a lot of things that I had been wondering about.


    The first is the obsidian-like stone. The result of the analysis was ¡°Magic Stone¡­ a Dungeon Fragment¡±, but we couldn¡¯t understand it.


    Next, is the jar that can be filled by a lot, ¡°Jar of Space¡­ By warping the space, it can store up to a mass of five tons.¡±


    And finally, with the rings that summon weapons, ¡°Touka¡¯s Treasure Tool 1¡­ A trump card that can only be used by Touka (can be used: level x 10 seconds) Cooldown time 24hrs.¡±


    By the way, Haru¡¯s ring is ¡°Haruka¡¯s Treasure Tool 1¡­ A trump card that can only be used by Haruka (can be used: level x 10 seconds) Cooldown time 24hrs.¡±


    The ring turned out to be based on the owner¡¯s name. And no one other than the owner can use it.


    And the rest is status-related. My impression was that it was pretty normal. The descriptions of the magic and skills were just what you would expect from the name. We did not know the power, range, and duration. However, it can be said that it is fortunate that the required magical power is known.


    As a result of investigating, it seems that magic requires magical power to use, and although the skill can be used many times, there is a cooldown time. And these cannot be used outside the dungeon, with some exceptions.


    Furthermore, [Passive] is a skill that is always activated, and it seems to be in effect even outside the dungeon. With that in mind, there seems to be no passive for automatic parrying.


    And finally, the class we didn¡¯t choose in the beginning. I don¡¯t know if I should say skills, but Craft and Alchemy. Analyzing the skills that were included in [Passive].


    ¡°Crafting ¡­ can process and disassemble dungeon items.¡±


    ¡°Alchemy¡­ can extract and convert dungeon items.¡±


    I don¡¯t get it. I don¡¯t understand what that means at all. I¡¯ve always been able to process dungeon items. I¡¯d like to say, but Haru found out something strange.


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    The cards made by processing Boar Tusks could not be analyzed. Of course, the boar¡¯s tusks could be analyzed, so there was no problem with the item. The result was [Low-grade Boar¡¯s Tusk].


    According to Haru¡¯s idea, analysis can analyze things that are closely related to the dungeon, so it may not be able to judge things that are processed by one¡¯s own hands even if closely related to dungeons. That was what she thought.


    If that¡¯s the case, then if you have the skill to process, you can do so without severing your relationship with the dungeon. Well, I don¡¯t know what the point of that is. And I¡¯m not sure about alchemy.


    Well, I spent yesterday researching such things, and today I¡¯m going to actually use it. My main weapon is a machete. However, it¡¯s not the one that can cut and stab that I used before, but a machete that was lying in the warehouse just for smashing. It was difficult to use, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Haru, by the way, used her usual machete and iron pipe.


    For now, we moved to the back of the 10th layer boss and hunted monsters. Since we were going to be examining magic, I watched Hal, who had been enchanted by me, hitting the monsters with the pipe and destroying them with magic.


    Sometimes I use [Bind] to stop the enemy movement. Haru¡¯s magic power couldn¡¯t use [Plasma] and [Fissure], but the newly acquired [Impact] was strong.


    If there are several enemies, they will be blown away in an instant. When she used [Impact] with [Chain] about thirty monsters that were lured due to the sound were wiped out with just one shot. Even though she had transmitted the explosion, it was gross to see the monsters that escaped the explosion explode from the inside because of the power of the spell.


    And so the experiments with new skills and magic were over, and we returned to the tenth layer to enter the boss room. The last experiment of the day was to test the trump card. It takes 10 seconds per level, so we have about 500 seconds to use it. And since it takes a day to cool down, we thought it should be strong.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll test mine first, so leave it to me.¡± (Kei)


    When Haru and I entered the boss¡¯s room, I stood in front of the black wolf, and I was the only one who passed the magic power through the ring to bring out the scythe.


    ¡°Here I go. [Speed] [Power] [Guard] [Chain] [Bind].¡± (Kei)


    Only [Bind] appeared a little later, and at the same time, I plunged headfirst into it. A small number of thorns pop out from the magic circle created on the ground from the effect of [Bind], stopping the movement of the Black Wolf for a moment. However, from my improved status, a moment was enough.


    ¡°Sei!¡± (Kei)


    Swinging the scythe with a shout splits the Black Wolf¡¯s neck in half, and the chain effect minces the whole body.


    ¡°It¡¯s an overkill. Oh, the power is terrible.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re overdoing it. I¡¯m next, we¡¯re leaving the boss room.¡± (Haru)


    After Haru pushed me out of the room, we went back to the gate through the magic circle and entered the boss room again. The black wolf is glaring at us viciously. Haru summons her morning star.


    ¡°Go, [Impact] [Decaple]. Oh, no.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s magic reached the Black Wolf in no time and it exploded. Haru returned to me as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Hey, I used too much magical power. And this weapon seems to have its own magic circle. It¡¯s more than double the power. It seems to be more effective than what I made.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That sounds plausible. Well, we only have a few weapons on hand. So let¡¯s go home today. I heard that the dungeon will be open in another week. Let¡¯s take our time using crafting and alchemy until then.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Sometimes we should take a break.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then, do you want to go home?¡± (Kei)


    Even if they get stronger, their feelings did not change and they only move for entertainment. And Japan¡¯s strongest reached the top without anyone knowing, but even the people themselves were unaware.

 CH 19

    ¡°Transfer, 15th-floor entrance.¡± (Kei)


    As I say this, I walk over to the magic circle in between to move between levels, and after a sensation of floating, my surroundings change.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go.¡± (Haru)


    Haru quickly climbs the stairs and goes to the 14th level. Of course, I can¡¯t leave Haru alone in the dungeon, so I follow her. I wondered how long it would take for the enemies to show up. Such concerns seemed to be unfounded.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re here. Let me do it, just give me [Speed].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Leave me half. [Speed].¡± (Kei)


    Ten shadows can be seen from the other side of the corridor.


    ¡°Wolves, sounds good. By the way, what is the result of [Analysis]?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Lesser Wolf. I don¡¯t think there are many of its kind in the dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    Haru kicks the ground and leaps with a shout. In no time she¡¯s standing in the center of the pack of wolves. She blew off a wolf¡¯s neck as soon as she came in.


    ¡°Hiyaa! Oh, I have overdone it.¡± (Haru)


    The weapon is swayed parallel to the ground as if she was conserving momentum or about she¡¯s about to start spinning. Attacking in less than a second. That alone killed six wolves.


    ¡°Hey, leave half of them.¡± (Kei)


    While complaining to Haru, I used stealth to go behind the enemy. If I pick up the ax, the game will be over in an instant. Instead of attacking the whole pack like Haru, I quickly defeated them one head one by one.


    ¡°Blank or not, they¡¯re weak.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well. Yeah, they¡¯re too weak. Would you like to try casually fighting a Minotaur?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± (Haru)


    When she decided to do so, we quickly went down to the 15th floor and opened the gate. There was the Minotaur sitting on a rock like last time.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s clear it at the fastest time. [Power][Speed][Bind].¡± (Kei)


    A magic circle appeared, strengthening us, and thorny vines bind the Minotaur for a few seconds.


    ¡°The fastest. [Impact] and [Decaple].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Gugaaah!¡± (Minotaur)


    The Minotaur tries to pick up its weapon, but its hands are tied by the thorny vines and cannot be used. And as it happens, a magical explosion burned its whole body and blew the weapon far away.


    ¡°¡±Ready, go!¡±¡± (Haru & Kei)


    Suddenly, with voices heard from its front and back, the Minotaur raises its face searching through the smoke from the explosion. Then a protruding metal appeared in front of it. Needless to say, it¡¯s Haru¡¯s shovel. The shovel can¡¯t be avoided or parried hit its neck, cutting through the hard outer shin but still not deep enough to pierce anything vital. And then,


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± (Kei)


    A machete that came from behind enters the gap in the skin cut by the shovel. In the next moment, the Minotaur¡¯s body and head are separated.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s over. Minotaurs aren¡¯t that strong if you prevent them from picking up their weapons. It was completely done in.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, are the drops the ax and meat?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Unfortunately we can¡¯t bring such a big ax home.¡± (Haru)


    Haru says it¡¯s an ax with a total length of 1 meter. It looks nothing like the axes we use.


    ¡°We can¡¯t bring it home, so we¡¯ll throw it away here. Instead, we¡¯ll bring the meat home. The boss¡¯s meat looks delicious. Then, let¡¯s move to the 16th floor.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, I want an enemy that gives a little more challenge. Hmm? Well, brother. You might want to take this ax home. How about we leave this ax at the 15th-floor exit and take it back if it¡¯s not gone when we leave? ¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, but why?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I tried to analyze this ax since I was curious.¡± (Haru)


    Haru said and explained what she got from the analysis.


    ¡°Steel Battle Ax¡­ Steel Battle Ax [Skill: Strong Slash].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What¡¯s this? It has a skill. Do weapons learn skills?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe you can use it while using this ax. Based on the name, it¡¯s a skill I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re only looking at the Minotaur¡¯s skills, but it¡¯s true that we should take it home.¡± (Kei)


    The ax was easily lifted contrary to my expectations. It¡¯s probably just that my status has improved.


    When we get on the magic circle and moved to the 15th-floor exit, I placed the ax down somewhere safe.


    ¡°So, are you ready to go?¡± (Kei)


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    ¡°Yup.¡± (Haru)


    We go down the stairs to the 16th floor. Going down. Down.


    ¡°Why is it long?¡± (Haru)


    At this point, we¡¯ve been walking five times longer than the stairs that go up the other floors.


    ¡°It¡¯s long, but we¡¯re near. A breeze is coming in.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. This is a cave. The wind shouldn¡¯t pass through.¡± (Haru)


    In the dungeon, you can breathe without any problem even if you try burning things, mysteriously there¡¯s no problem. However, I have never felt the wind in the dungeon.


    From there, we go down one floor further.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a breeze. My [Perception] detected it. I can also tell that the environment has changed significantly, not just the flow of air.¡± (Kei)


    Gradually, I can feel the wind on my skin and I see light.


    ¡°This is a dungeon beyond human comprehension. There is wind and the light is a little too bright even for the dungeon. What¡¯s with the 16th floor?¡± (Kei)


    We finish down the stairs and head towards the light.


    ¡°¡±An Outdoor Stage¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    As we stepped out into the light, we could see trees standing tall all around us. It feels like a dungeon, with the trees standing in a row as if they¡¯ve been maintained as if it never gets dark.


    ¡°Brother, the ceiling is strange.¡± (Haru)


    Haru tells me, so I look up through the trees and see an off-white rock ceiling far above us. And there were stone-like objects of various sizes that emitted an intense light. The light was so strong that it was hard to directly look at it, so I could only observe them as stone-like.


    ¡°Haru, what is the result when using [Analysis] on that stone?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s too far for the skill to reach. The skill only has a five-meter range.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°[Analysis] range is unexpectedly short narrow.¡± (Kei)


    I look around while muttering such thoughts. The first thing I noticed was that it was too quiet. Unlike here, ordinary forests should have insect calls and birds singing, but there are no such sounds. No, I feel like there are a few of those. The numbers are just too small. Probably, because the only creatures here are monsters.


    ¡°Brother, come here.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a long time. It¡¯s a hobgoblin.¡± (Kei)


    The first monster that approached us was a goblin. However, the physique is fierce and huge. It was almost identical to the hobgoblin that had been the boss of the fifth layer. The only difference was that there were four of them within their pack.


    ¡°[Impact]¡± (Haru)


    When Haru raises her shovel forward and chants, the hobgoblins popped in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°They can¡¯t be considered an enemy after all. Is there only weak enemies?¡± (Kei)


    A shadow passes overhead at a tremendous speed while I was talking. At the same time, there was a sign that it was too big to be grasped by my [Perception] skill. Not its size, but the oppressive presence it gives off was different from that of the Minotaur.


    ¡°Brother, that looks bad.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t feel like I can win.¡± (Kei)


    What we saw was a winged lizard. It was the so-called flying dragon. We don¡¯t know its exact strength because [Analysis] cannot reach it due to the distance. However,


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    ¡°That strength is probably¡­¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If there are about 10 Minotaurs, they¡¯d be killed instantly.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hey, I have something I want to try. Use [Power] and [Chain] on me. Full power.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hmm? I understand. [Power] and [Chain].¡± (Kei)


    Haru¡¯s body glowed. Then she silently gazed above.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s cooperate. Buff my skills, and I will buff your skills with chain.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I will try to apply my [Analysis] on brother¡¯s [Perspective] using [Chain]. I want to analyze that dragon.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I got it.¡± (Kei)


    Thinking about the dangers that followed, we approached the cave where the stairs we came down to are before looking up again. At the moment when the flying dragon was closest to us, we focused and used [Perspective].


    And at the same time as we accurately grasped the appearance of the flying dragon, magical power flows through my body.


    It was also at that time. The flying dragon saw us.


    ¡°[Speed]¡± (Kei)


    In a hurry, I enchanted Haru and myself. Then I took Haru¡¯s hand and leaped into the cave. Still, we don¡¯t stop. We ran to the back of the cave and up the stairs. It¡¯s safe to enter the cave because the body of that flying dragon is too big. We should have been safe.


    ¡°[GyaaAAA]!¡± (Dragon)


    The roar overflowing with power echoes from outside the cave. It came will an avalanche of the strong flow of magical power.


    [Scythe] [Morning Star] (Kei) & (Haru)


    We just take out the treasure without thinking. And shake with all your might. Toward the torrent of magical power that cracks the wall and raises sand smoke and approaches at a tremendous speed.


    ¡°Naa~!¡± (Kei & Haru)


    The treasures were repelled very easily. With the torrent of magical power that is neither spell nor substance. As a matter of course, it flicks us from the middle of the stairs against the wall. I couldn¡¯t even make a sound because of the magical power.


    That was the my final conscious thought.

 CH 20

    I can hear a voice from somewhere. As, I was being shaken.


    ¡°Brother, brother.¡± (Haru)


    Oh, did Haru come to wake me up? that¡¯s unusual. I¡¯m always the earlier to wake. Haru was terrible in waking up in the morning.


    I¡¯m going to get up soon. Anyway, every part of my body aches. Maybe it¡¯s because I slept in a hard place.


    Hmm? A hard place?


    ¡°Brother!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m. Where are we?¡± (Kei)


    The place where I was sleeping was a cavity surrounded by rocks. At its center was the spiral staircase, also made of rock.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t remember. What happened? Help me understand.¡± (Kei)


    I think deeply for a few moments causing Haru to look panicked. But I soon remembered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I was blown away by the flying dragon before losing consciousness.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m glad. You remember. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have a hard time explaining. How are you feeling?¡± (Kei)


    For the time being, I got up and stretched. There was a popping sound from my body. Probably from the stiffness, but it¡¯s just a sound that means nothing, so in words, my body just enjoys producing sounds.


    ¡°No problem. I slept in a hard place, so my body is stiff, but that¡¯s it. So what time is it now?¡± (Kei)


    Taking the pocket watch out of the bag and I check the time. The hands of the clock have stopped. I tried turning the screw, and it didn¡¯t seem to be broken. That means.


    ¡°Haru, we¡¯re going home now. We¡¯ve slept too much.¡± (Kei)


    My pocket watch can keep running for at least 24 hours. But It¡¯s stopped. In addition, I am pretty hungry. This is what it means,


    ¡°We may have slept for more than 24 hours.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Eh?¡± (Haru)


    I started hurriedly prepare to go back home without giving a long explanation. It¡¯s going to be hard to walk on an empty stomach, so I drank a bottle of potion instead. Haru does the same.


    Even if I say that we are going home in a hurry, we just have to go up the long stairs and make a transition at the 15th-floor exit. By the way, the ax of the Minotaur that I left behind was gone.


    When I moved to the first layer, nothing happened and we came back home. The time is 3 in the afternoon. We left home yesterday at 10 in the morning, so we were in the dungeon for 29 hours.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± (Haru)


    As soon as Haru declares it, she removes her equipment and goes to the table.


    ¡°Brother, please hurry and make food.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I know.¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯m hungry too, so I don¡¯t want to waste time, so I fry steak even though it¡¯s just noon. Naturally, I used the meat from the dungeon.


    Lightly seasoned with salt, it feels more delicious than usual now that I¡¯m terribly famished. I continued to fry additional vegetables and silently mix some for a vegetable salad. We finished the meal in a flash.


    We clean up the dishes while chatting lightly about nothing. And before we could say anything to each other, we were back at the table.


    ¡°So, brother. I¡¯m sorry for the dangerous experience yesterday. So about what I found out.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Ah, yesterday I did agree with the suggestion, so there¡¯s nobody who was to blame. So about what you found from [Analysis].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes. The [Analysis] skill allows you to see the status and description of any object up to a certain range.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve done it many times. So.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°With monsters, you can see their strength, regardless of how strong they are.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think I heard that before. Was it the sum of strength and magic?¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯ve heard information about strength. We are about 150 in total for both Magic Capacity and Strength


    It seems that the Minotaur¡¯s have 160. However, since both humans and monsters use weapons, it is not very helpful.


    ¡°So, in other words, the Strength of the flying dragon was strange?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. This is the result of using analysis on the flying dragon.¡± (Haru)


    Haru quickly writes it on a piece of paper and shows it to me.


    ¡°Wind Dragon Rimdobmur¡­ Strength 1050 (16th to 20th Floor Boss)¡±


    [T/N: ¥ê¥à¥É¥Ö¥à¥ë or Rimudobumuru. I don¡¯t know if this name is based on anything.]


    ¡°What?¡± (Kei)


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    ¡°Hey, this is true. I didn¡¯t make any mistake.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°This must be wrong.¡± (Kei)


    The value of its Strength was too huge it made me say it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case. Even at 105, we can win by ourselves.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We shouldn¡¯t feel like we can win because of pure Strength. So far, the total strength is about three times the level. By the time we have the same value as the flying dragon, we will have to be at level 350.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°We can¡¯t count on our strength. But we have skills and magic. And weapons can reduce the difference.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to beat in our current state, so that¡¯s what the 16th to 20th-floor bosses are like.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Does it mean that the 16th until the 20th floor happens in the forest?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Most likely.¡± (Kei)


    Unexpectedly, I feel disheartened in various ways. But we can still do the same routine. We were so absorbed in being entertained by the dungeon exploration that we could never quit dungeon exploration.


    ¡°Will we go to the 16th floor tomorrow?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. Finding item drops is fun.¡± (Haru)


    Before we go back to our usual routine, I call a certain place.


    ¡°Hey, Kizaki-kun. It¡¯s true that there aren¡¯t many customers here in the countryside, so I can manage the shifts alone. However if you can¡¯t come, you have to contact me immediately.¡± (Manager)


    ¡°Manager. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get in touch with you.¡± (Kei)


    I lost consciousness, and of course, I skipped my shift at my part-time job that was supposed to be today.


    ¡°Eh, Hiya! [Fissure]¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Gugaa!¡± (Monster)


    Multiple monsters are torn apart by [Fissure] that could also tear through space. Monsters who die shortly after resisting raised a death wail. The reason why this happened was because of some circumstances and good luck.


    We were back on the 16th floor again. And one more thing I noticed. There was a magic circle in the corner of the cavity at the end of the stairs down to the 16th floor. Of course, it¡¯s a Transition Magic Circle. I used it to find out where I was and found that it was the entrance to the forest. That¡¯s right.


    The 16th to 20th floor of the forest may be collectively called Forest. While discovering such a thing, we set out to explore the Forest.


    Many of the enemies that appeared in the Forest were different.


    The wolf monster had brownish fur instead of the gray one that had appeared before, and it was a little hard to see in the forest. There are also chameleons that aren¡¯t detected with [Perception], let alone see.


    Well, there are various types and groups of enemies. And each monster is strong. Their skin was so hard that it couldn¡¯t be defeated with a single blow from a light swing.


    There is no choice but to attack their necks one by one. And there¡¯s one more. Haru also made a change. Since Rimdobmur is flying above, it will be difficult if its attention is caught by something.


    That¡¯s why I stopped her from using explosive magic, but that would reduce her means of attack, so she did various trials and errors before finding a solution. Haru¡¯s magic attribute has changed. Thanks to that, Haru¡¯s current status is like this.


    Name: Haruka


    Skill: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: Fissure (Explosion) (Electric)


    Level: 44


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    Strength: 51


    Magic Capacity: 102


    Skill: Analysis


    Magic: (Bomb), (Time Bomb), (Impact), Number, (Plasma), Fissure


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting


    The magic that can be used has changed due to the change in her Magic Attribute. As seen, the name is [Fissure]. And the power is horrifying. It¡¯s magic that cuts through the enemy including space.


    The strength of the magic is irrelevant, and you can¡¯t even resist it unless the enemy¡¯s magic is high. It was an attack that ignored defense. What would happen if such magic could be used? That is the current situation.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll go next.¡± (Haru)


    Haru calls out livelier than usual.


    ¡°I¡¯m going, but¡­ You¡¯re killing them way too fast. It¡¯s about twice as fast as mine. I wonder if I should use magic too.?¡± (Haru)


    I follow Haru while whispering. I¡¯m not using magic for saying this. The only thing is, even though I¡¯m saying this, I¡¯m not using magic. The only thing I¡¯m using is my [Stealth] skill. It¡¯s cool to sneak up behind an enemy and chop off their head with the machete, and it¡¯s also useful for keeping them from screaming as they die, so I use it a lot.


    So I¡¯m okay with the slow rate of subjugating them because of that.


    And from there, we just changed our hunting ground to the 16th floor, and our normal life proceeded. There was nothing special to think about, it¡¯s just simple everyday life. But that can¡¯t last for long. Unbeknownst to us, the next problem will probably be closer than we thought.

 CH 21

    I feel that our past time has recently become conducting experiments in the dungeon. Since the existence of the dungeon itself is unclear, we can experiment as many times as we like.


    And now Haru and I are talking about raising the hunting efficiency. There have been no cards that we have been able to obtain since we learned about the potential of skill cards. The drop rate of the cards is extremely low, probably less than 0.1%, if not less than 1%.


    So we decided that we needed to get new skill cards in order to increase our strength, which led us to the idea that we needed to improve our hunting efficiency.


    ¡°So far, the forest has the highest density of monsters in the dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Yes, the strength was a little uneven, but the frequency of meeting monsters was the highest.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Then, exploring in the forest is the best. The problem is¡­¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s Rimdobmur. So, I want to verify the conditions that will have him focus on us.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Sure.¡± (Haru)


    The first time we analyzed it, it reacted and chased us, but the next time we explored it, we found that it didn¡¯t react to loud noises. Perhaps it doesn¡¯t focus on anything except when it is targeted or if it is attacked.


    For now, I¡¯d have to find out if it reacts to Haru¡¯s [Impact]. If it doesn¡¯t react we can lure other monsters with sound and kill them all at once. Since we know from our previous explorations that monsters are attracted to sound.


    ¡°Well, for the time being, we¡¯re just experimenting. Then, it¡¯s time to stop sparring and explore the dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup.¡± (Haru)


    Although we are talking, we are currently in the process of sparring. Recently, we have become accustomed to the movements of each other and have become accustomed to our own movements, so we have more room to spar.


    So we inspected our equipment and entered the dungeon, Haru also looked at his status by analysis, and it seems that she is following while changing her magic attribute from Fissure to Explosion.


    In fact, I can¡¯t say for sure because I can only see Haru constantly scanning the skies, and I can¡¯t see the status that Haru would have seen from [Analysis].


    Enter the magic circle as usual when entering during the transfer.


    ¡°Transition, Forest.¡± (Kei)


    As usual, my surroundings changed instantly and I was in a hollow with a spiral staircase in the middle. Of course, this is the 16th to 20th level Forest. It is the domain of the flying dragon.


    ¡°So, are you ready to go?¡± (Kei)


    When we got out of the cave, we immediately entered the Forest, and Rimdobmur is flying over it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going. [Impact] and [Decaple].¡± (Haru)


    Ten balls of light flew into the forest, causing a chain of huge explosions. Just in Rimdobmur¡¯s periphery as it flies in the sky.


    ¡°No problem.¡± (Haru)


    Flying gracefully without showing any interest. It would have been a majestic sight if it wasn¡¯t an enemy. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t feel happy about monsters that have the power to blow people away with their loud roar.


    ¡°Brother, they¡¯re coming.¡± (Haru)


    Haru doesn¡¯t care about my ruminations once she sees groups of tens of monsters approaching, making the huge trees fall down.


    ¡°It means that artificial stampede is possible. Then, I¡¯ll charge in quickly.¡± (Kei)


    After saying that, I climbed a nearby tree with just three jumps, and when I looked down at the monster from above, I leaped immediately.


    ¡°[Guard] [Power] [Speed] [Chain]¡± (Kei)


    Quickly, I enchanted myself with buffs and hold the machete as if I was using an ax chop wood. And as soon as I reached the ground, I cast another spell.


    ¡°[Bind]¡± (Kei)


    Because of [Chain] multiple binding vines jumped out of the ground while the monsters are blown away. It¡¯s a technique that can only be used by choosing the opponent to be restrained using [Bind]. It can go wrong, but if I win, there is no problem.


    ¡°Orya!¡± (Kei)


    Hitting the vines around me with all my might with the face of the machete. What happens from this? The power of the slam is spread by [Chain], and the binding vines covered in thorns squeeze the monster as they were slithering as it tears its victims apart.


    If I kill a monster while under this, it will bind another monster, and its power increases for every monster I defeat. I kept on it, using it to stack the time so that the bindings don¡¯t disappear.


    ¡°Brother, dodge.¡± (Haru)


    I heard her voice that mysteriously could reach me, kicking the binding vines, I jumped up again.


    ¡°[Impact] [Decaple]¡± (Haru)


    After Haru chanted, the light struck the place where I was and blew up all the monsters. Quickly, I land and deal with the surviving monsters.


    ¡°We¡¯re done.¡± (Haru)


    Haru seems to have checked the surroundings before telling me that there are no monsters.


    ¡°Good work.¡± (Kei)


    I say a few words in return, then we collected some of the more noteworthy items from the monster drops. And then,


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    ¡°So, let¡¯s go for round two.¡± (Kei)


    We went on clearing the forest and hunting monster after monster.


    However, something happened abruptly. After hunting like this five times, I¡¯m becoming worried about the signs of an enemy remaining underground for some reason.


    ¡°It was in the ground after we transitioned. Or something?¡± (Haru)


    Haru says, but nothing happens. Currently, it is moving in the ground in an ever-changing form. That¡¯s why I hold hands with Haru. What we are going to do is the same as what we did with Rimdobmur.


    Our skill will perceive the enemy underground and analyze it. We try it after taking a distance in case it is abnormally strong.


    ¡°[Analysis]¡± (Haru)


    Hmm? The sign in the ground moved. It¡¯s heading here, and I¡¯m sure [Analysis] will work. While thinking about such things, I focused on the perceived signs and move on to avoiding them.


    ¡°It is called an Earth Dragon and the total strength was 300. It was a dragon. Be careful.¡± (Haru)


    I pull Haru aside as she relays the report of the result. Well, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s so strong that you have to be careful.


    ¡ªFrom the ground, we see a giant rat-shaped body with brown hair and sharp claws.


    ¡°Haru, the earth dragon is read called as a mole, not a dragon.¡± (Kei)


    I told Haru and faced the mole.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back. Let¡¯s our best. We shouldn¡¯t die no matter what. But let¡¯s wait and see for now.¡± (Kei)


    We hold our weapons. We were once again able to meet a strong enemy.

 CH 22

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go. [Speed] [Power] [Guard].¡± (Kei)


    As usual, I buff Haru and charge in as the vanguard. However, it doesn¡¯t start immediately attacking us. We are observing it for any attack patterns while watching the opponent. The earth dragon begins to move but we keep our distance from the claws of the earth dragon.


    ¡°Slow.¡± (Haru)


    The body of the earth dragon was suited for moving underground, but it is quite slow in moving above ground. It¡¯s a monster, so I was worried if it could move quickly on the ground as well. So this was quite a relief.


    Since I confirmed the speed of the enemy, I rushed into the gaps on the earth dragon¡¯s defense while focusing on my speed. It seems dangerous to attack its nose, for the moment. So, I went around to the side, before kicking the ground and quickly moving from that spot. Since I felt something was wrong with the earth dragon that I kept in check using [Perspective].


    ¡°Almost.¡± (Kei)


    At that moment, the claws of the earth dragon swung through the spot where I was before, gouging the ground.


    ¡°Its attacks are fast. There was almost no precursory action. I almost didn¡¯t dodge it.¡± (Kei)


    Haru, who was waiting behind me, approached.


    ¡°I think it attacked after it had accumulated strength. As I understood from my [Perception], its muscles were slowly contracting.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Wow, what a monster. Hng, [Bomb] and [Sextuple]¡± (Haru)


    Haru readied her shovel with the magic circle on it. Suddenly we noticed that a magic circle suddenly appears at the tip of the Earth Dragon¡¯s nose, which has been quite far from us.


    Then seven earthen thorns made by the Earth Dragon¡¯s magic were blown away instead by Haru¡¯s magic.


    ¡°It can even fight at a long-distance? It¡¯s well-rounded and troublesome. Moreover, it can simultaneously counter-attack Haru. We¡¯ll be at it for a while, so you should change magic attributes and go for one suited for close range.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay, I will.¡± (Haru)


    Standing in front of Haru, I ready my machete. It seems that the earth dragon has already given up closing the distance, and the magic circle appears again at the tip of its nose.


    ¡°There is more magical power being used. [Chain].¡± (Kei)


    Far from having melee combat skills, I don¡¯t have attack skills or attack magic, so my combat ability is lower than that of Haru. That is why I supplement it with a little magic and technique.


    I would have to use [Chain] to counter the magic attack flying towards me, a spell far from my normal range.


    Earthen stakes pop out near the magic circle. About nine of them. Is the power about the same?


    I daringly approached the magic flying towards me and cut off the first stake. It would be nice if all the stakes could be destroyed in the same way, but my speed and skill were insufficient. In addition, my weapons are not suitable for this. That¡¯s why I put my strength into a single blow.


    The force exerted on the machete is transmitted the moment the first stake is smashed, cracking the other spines. Then, I slipped through the stakes and swung my machete towards the last stake. Not surprisingly, the slash was contagious and destroyed all the thorns.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m ready.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, go and do it!¡± (Kei)


    Kicking the ground with all my might I charged forward. And the moment I enter the range of the earth dragon, I use [Stealth]. It lost sight of me as I continued to approach. If it¡¯s someone not quite used to fighting a certain enemy, they¡¯ll focus their attention on it. And it was the same with the Earth-Dragon.


    ¡°Now!¡± (Kei)


    In an instant, I moved to the side of the Earth Dragon and called out. The Earth Dragon immediately spun to where I am and stretched its claws. For a moment it forgot about the existence of the other person.


    ¡°[Fissure] Hiyaaa!¡± (Haru)


    *Crash!*


    The sound of hard objects colliding with each other echoed. Soon, the Earth Dragon, which was attacked by Haru¡¯s full power from behind, loses its posture and collapses.


    ¡°[Chain]!¡± (Kei)


    I use [Chain] again and hit the machete towards its nose. So, let the attack be multiplied. It all landed in the same place. So, what if all that power got transmitted and gathered in one place? Naturally, it will stack up multiple times.


    Bam!


    ¡°Geez.¡± (Kei)


    The sound of hard objects hitting each other echoed again, and the earth dragon screamed for the first time. However.


    ¡°This is bad.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother, its status is higher than expected.¡± (Haru)


    We were certainly hitting the enemy¡¯s undefended parts with the maximum firepower we could use. Even so. The sound of collision is the sound of hard objects colliding with each other. The enemy is too hard to crack.


    ¡°If this happens, it can¡¯t be helped. Haru, fight seriously.¡± (Kei)


    Throwing the machete I freed my hand.


    ¡°My level is 47 and yours is 48. So it¡¯s bout 8 minutes. Can you do it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°If we can¡¯t do it, we can¡¯t beat this guy.¡± (Haru)


    Haru also threw her shovel away.


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    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°[Scythe]¡± ¡°[Morning Star]¡± (Kei) & (Haru)


    Our magic weapons appeared in our hands. The last time we used it is to guard against the loud roar of Rimdobmur, who somehow focused on us. The weapons enhance our skills and magic. At that time, I used [Speed] and [Power].


    So, whenever I had the weapon, I felt that I could use more power. An actual battle that doubles as verification of one or eight of my questions. I activated [Stealth] as soon as I was near the dragon¡¯s feet. The skill that hides my presence is strengthened, and even my image is fully obscured.


    My silhouette becoming blurry and non-descript through [Stealth], it seemed to have lost sight of me. However, this is also the Earth-Dragon.


    I¡¯m paying close attention to its every movement. Until recently, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to make a surprise attack. That¡¯s from before.


    I carefully but swiftly moved in front of the Earth Dragon and swung the scythe with all my might.


    ¡°Gwaaaaar!¡± (Earth Dragon)


    It roared. The slash seems to have been shallow. However, the depth of the slash doesn¡¯t matter when concerning the eyes. If it¡¯s hit, you will most likely lose your eyesight.


    ¡°[Fissure] [Decaple]¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s morning star was swung in front of it, the spell seemed far different from before. Ten fissures in space cut through the Dragon¡¯s face and the Morningstar¡¯s spikes pierce its face and blew it away.


    ¡°Gyaaaaa!¡± (Earth Dragon)


    A magic circle spun around the Earth Dragon as it roars and stood up. Magical power crawled underground and moved towards the direction we are standing in.


    ¡°Haru, jump.¡± (Kei)


    At the same time as we jumped diagonally forward, multiple earthen stakes sprouted.


    ¡°This is the end. [Fissure] [Decaple]¡± (Haru)


    Along with Haru¡¯s chant, a crack in space is created on the Earth Dragon¡¯s face made from 10 fissures neatly overlapping. It¡¯s quite the nasty move to pile on a crack after another. And then,


    ¡°[Chain] [Power]¡± (Kei)


    Enchanting again, I quickly approach the blinded Earth-Dragon. Then, I swung my scythe.


    ¡°Victory is ours!¡± (Kei)


    The scythe, which I swung out with all my might, pierced the wound made by Haru and destroyed its brain. Instant death.


    In a flash, the Earth Dragon turned to mist and disappeared.


    ¡°Good work, Brother.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Good work, too.¡± (Kei)


    I hi-fived Haru before checking the Earth Dragon¡¯s drop item.


    There are two cards and a leather bag left behind.


    ¡°First of all, the skill cards.¡± (Kei)


    Of course, touching the card turned it into mist as soon as I used it, so the other one was used by Haru.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go home for today. It¡¯s time right?¡± (Haru)


    Looking at the pocket watch, it¡¯s 6:00 PM. It¡¯s definitely a good time to go back.


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    ¡°Then, should we go home? When we go home, analyze this bag.¡± (Kei)


    We left with the mysterious leather bag and the excitement of finding new skills in our hearts. By the way, on the way back, we went to the boss room of the minotaur and defeated it quickly. I also took back the huge iron ax this time.


    And after returning to the Kizaki family house. What we discovered was beyond amazing.


    ¡°Brother, I haven¡¯t confirmed your skill yet, and this bag is too dangerous. It¡¯s like this.¡± (Haru)


    Haru writes it on paper and gives it to me as usual.


    ¡°Item Pouch (Small)¡­ Can store up to a ton and invalidates weight of stored items.¡±


    In other words, it¡¯s a bag that can hold up to one ton. It also doesn¡¯t increase in weight like that jar. With this, the results of our hunts were going to soar. However, an unexpected storm is on the horizon.

 CH 23

    Oh, Brother. We can enter.¡± (Haru)


    Haru, who was looking at the computer, suddenly said it to me.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Dungeon Exploration License Exam. We can take it now.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Ah, finally.¡± (Kei)


    It is now April 5th. The other day, the dungeon was finally opened to the public. The first day the dungeon was open to the public, there were no particular incidents, no one was seriously injured or killed. There were a few people who got into fights and were taken to the police station, but it appears that the rules forbidding the use of weapons are firmly in place, and there were only minor fistfights with bare hands.


    Then came the test for the dungeon search license. Because of the large number of people, the number of people who can take the test in a day is determined by the number of venues and the number of people exploring the dungeon. The number of people who can take the exam is determined by an online lottery.


    At first, the number of applicants was quite high, but it¡¯s been a week since the exam started. The number of test-takers has been decreasing and it seems to be easier to get a spot in the lottery.


    I heard that from next week, the frequency of the tests will gradually decrease. They¡¯re going to reduce the frequency of tests to once a week, then once a month, and in a year to once every three months.


    And we won the lottery, which we¡¯ve been failing for a long time, and we¡¯re going to take the test tomorrow. I always wonder how fast the dungeons work. When you win the lottery, you don¡¯t have time to prepare for the next day. I don¡¯t have time to prepare for the next day¡¯s exam.


    After taking the exam, the results will be posted online the next day. The results will be posted online the next day, and the license will be issued at the Dungeon Explorers Association, which is located next to the dungeon dam in each dungeon. Incidentally, the Dungeon Explorers Association has a long name, and as a result of a suggestion by a fan of novels, it¡¯s known as the Guild.


    Anyway, it was time for the test. When you level up, there¡¯s not that much difference in real-world muscle strength, except when you get up to almost the 50th level as we did.


    Obviously, your strength is not equal to your physical capabilities. However, if I were to cut corners, I¡¯m sure the professionals would know immediately, so I¡¯d give it my all. To be honest, I¡¯m not worried about the written exam. Since the scores are not disclosed, it is unknown how many people have failed the written exam.


    But. We are still in our teens, and our memories are still sharp. In addition, my sister and I were able to study well enough to get an average on the final exam just by listening to the class, so we think there will be no problem.


    So, there was nothing to prepare. The only things I need are writing tools, money, and some proof of identity. So, in order to regain our strength for tomorrow, we decided to cancel today¡¯s dungeon exploration and took a rest at home.


    ¡°Because of that¡­ this place is¡­¡± (Kei)


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of stuff about what the government believes.¡± (Haru)


    We are quietly whispering while listening to the lecture in the morning. Haru first spoke to me in her normal voice and was then glared at by the people around us, so it can¡¯t be helped.


    After all, we didn¡¯t do anything the day before and got up early today and made some minor preparations before coming to the venue by riding on our bicycle. But the venues are all over the place, so the one-way trip was short compared to the shopping trip when we first bought our weapons. At this rate, Haru and I are being ignored.


    ¡°But listen carefully because such content can appear in the written exam.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm. Yeah.¡± (Haru)


    Haru makes a sloppy reply, and she corrects her slack posture and turns to the front again. It¡¯s true that the government has a lot of ideas, many of which we knew from our research in the dungeon, but there are also things we didn¡¯t know that surprised us. I was surprised at how many things I didn¡¯t know. Let¡¯s look at them.


    ? If five or more people proceed together, the distribution of experience points will be reduced (up to a four-person group will have no problem).


    ? The level of the boss is twice the level of the level where the boss is located.


    ? If you leave something in a dungeon where no one can see it, it will disappear before you know it (in the boss room, everything you put in the room will disappear when the door closes after everyone leaves).


    ? Experience point earning is efficient up to the 5th level, but no results can be obtained.


    ?Monsters have basically low intelligence and you can manage aggression like in games.


    And


    ?You can get [Self-Assessment], a skill that allows you to check your own status by defeating the boss on the 5th level.


    We were both surprised at this. We both shouted out in unison, and not only the people around us but even the teacher stared at us. We were so tired after the boss battle that we left without seeing any drops. So we can¡¯t even look at our status easily.


    Moreover,


    It was said that it was impossible to use gunpowder or electricity in the dungeon, but to be precise, it seems that it will instead use a large amount of magical power to use them. Strictly speaking, one pistol shot is about 20. It means that a person with a magic-related skill can raise their level by 10 and finally fire one shot. Certainly, it is too inefficient to use. Even Haru can only fire 6 shots.


    Well, in that case, crossbows can be used, so a gun is useless. It takes too long to reload, but the compressed air gun seems okay, but you probably won¡¯t need it. It would be a shame to die in the pursuit of a fantasy gun crossover, we¡¯re not that childish.


    The lecture ended with a lot of talks. It was a hundred-minute continuous lecture. I almost fell asleep at the end of the lecture. I did my best to listen to the lecture until the end, though.


    I spent the rest of the day lazing around studying without doing anything in particular, ate the lunch I brought from home for lunch, and finally, the afternoon exam started.


    It started, but surprisingly, nothing happened. The written test was simple and light, with a time limit of 60 minutes. The practical test that followed, a marathon of sorts, was also easy, as I was used to managing my pace through regular dungeon exploration.


    And thanks to the status that we nurtured in the dungeon, we were able to run quite fast. We didn¡¯t know how to properly take rests, so we tried to imitate the way a group of four college students. They had passed us before and before we knew it, I felt that my fatigue would disappear.


    Now I can run again. While I was thinking about this, the group of college students was running steadily. By the way, they were the only group of people whose running pace was faster than ours. Rumor has it that they were college students that ran marathons at their university. By the way, I consciously tried my best to avoid using my passive skill [Acceleration].


    And we then went home. Well, of course, we were accepted. We had dinner while talking about going to the Guild tomorrow.


    And the long-awaited Dungeon Exploration License came. It was harder than I expected because there were a lot more procedures. I was told that if we commit a crime while we have these licenses, we will be sentenced to harsher punishment. There was also the fact that if we were somehow involved in an incident inside.


    If there was an incident in the dungeon, they would do their best to investigate it, but if we got involved in every single fight or instigate monsters to hurt others. Outside that, there is no limit to what we could do inside.


    And by having a license, you will be able to act as a Professional Explorer. Having this license will allow us to buy mass-produced weapons for the dungeon, so we¡¯ll have to talk about buying weapons sometime today.


    ¡°So, brother. Let¡¯s go buy weapons.¡± (Haru)


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    Haru seems to be in a good mood because the troublesome procedures have been completed and she can have a decent weapon for the first time. And if we want to choose a weapon, we both have to go.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to the Guild¡¯s Weapon experts area.¡±  (Kei)


    With new hopes and expectations in our hearts, we went to the venue where various weapons are stored.

 CH 24

    There are swords and axes. An old shop with various weapons such as shields, bows, and clubs. Since it was that kind of store, the thought of shopping there was exciting.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m also thrilled it¡¯s a modern store. It¡¯s sanitary and secured.¡± (Kei)


    We are now in the Weapon Experts area inside the guild.


    New explorers choose the weapons and skills that suit them here. Weapons can be changed, but skills cannot be changed. Those who choose a sword skill cannot use any other weapons except blades.


    You can still use other weapons, but the way it grows your stats is too inefficient because stat growth is affected by skills. Well, we¡¯re actually doing that.


    According to some kind of dungeon manual that I read at the guild, the status of a magic-related class has their Magic Amount increase twice per level, and Strength increases once per level only.


    In addition to that, it seems that status will change slightly depending on experience. With weapon combat class, it is the reverse, Strength increases twice per level, and the magic amount increases only once per level.


    In addition, the [Trap] and [Hunting] classes that do not focus on either can only increase both once per level, but it seems that you can get special skills based on the chosen class depending on the level even if you do not get a skill card.


    And the skill seems to help the selected class perform a fixed action. If it¡¯s [Sword], it¡¯s Slash, if it¡¯s [Club], it¡¯s Bash. That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to choose a proper weapon here.


    However, we are already active in the dungeon and have our own weapons. As a matter of course, it is hard to use other weapons because we made some ourselves.


    That¡¯s why we came here to try out the weapons. Each of the places to try out the weapon is a private room with enough space for us to rent. As a matter of course, there was a good amount of money involved, and we couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°So, please use room 205. Weapons can be unlocked and used by holding this tag over the panel next to the weapons on display. Please note that removing the scabbard and protective gear outside the room will result in being restrained.¡± (Receptionist)


    ¡°Thank you.¡± (Kei)


    Haru stays behind while I¡¯m talking with the receptionist. It¡¯s easy to forget because I¡¯m usually the only one, but Haru is still shy. Basically, she gets over it with her tough spirit, but it seems she still can¡¯t talk to strangers.


    ¡°So, Haru this is your tag. You can choose your weapon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll choose one carefully.¡± (Haru)


    I handed her the tag I¡¯d gotten at the Reception and quickly headed toward the weapons. I put the tag in my pocket and started walking slowly towards the weapons.


    Even so, there are a lot of weapons. There are so many weapons here. Each weapon has a description of what class it is effective with. The halberd, for example, has two classes: [Sword] and [Spear]. In other words, it can both slash and stab. That¡¯s what it means. And I¡¯ve already decided which weapon I¡¯m going to use.


    ¡°A katana might be good.¡± (Kei)


    Japan has a characteristic weapon. The katana. Should it be about 80 centimeters long? I¡¯m not sure, but I think I need the reach, so I put the tag over the panel next to me, unlocked it, and took the 80cm katana. [T/N: A katana is a single-blade Japanese sword iconic to samurais. There¡¯s hardly any action/adventure anime/manga that doesn¡¯t show one.]


    When I went straight to Room 205, Haru was leaning against the door of the room. I sigh at the sight. There are two men who are trying to strike a conversation with Haru and she¡¯s blatantly ignoring them. Why are people trying to pick up in such a place?


    Haru is shy but she¡¯s by no means weak. Rather, she¡¯s quite tough. That¡¯s why I can only sigh heavily at the pick-up duo. The men seem to be getting frustrated, but they don¡¯t try to touch her because they are all going to try out weapons. Well, is it time to interfere?


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± (Kei)


    With a casual manner, I slipped between the two men in a very natural way, opened the door with the key I received from the receptionist, and lightly pushed Haru.


    ¡°Oi, oi. Oi!¡± (Pickup Artist)


    The men noticed that I was already next to Haru and made a surprised voice, but I ignored them and closed the door and gave a light bow. After looking at the other person¡¯s foot for a moment, I put my foot slightly toward the door and swiftly flicked it.


    The other person probably tried to stick his foot in the door. His foot that was about to stop between the doors hit my foot and was twisted away, causing his foot to slip a few centimeters sideways and hit the wall next to the door instead. I heard him click his tongue, but I just removed my foot back and locked the door.


    This is a place to test your weapons. There are no windows and the doors are made of sturdy iron. They probably won¡¯t get involved with us anymore.


    ¡°Brother, how cool.¡± (Haru)


    I heard the sound of applause, so when I looked behind, Haru was clapping her hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me sigh, resist a little. I mean, why pickup in a place like this. It¡¯s a place where it¡¯s okay for the other person to carry a knife.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think either of those two, think with the head on their shoulders.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Fine, yes. Then let¡¯s tryout the weapons. What did you get, Haru?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Tada! Here.¡± (Haru)


    What Haru pulled out. To be exact, what came out of the case that Haru is carrying.


    ¡°What is that?¡± (Kei)


    Haru had a metal rod that was longer than her arm, with a handle-like rod protruding from the side of the rod.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a Tonfa. It¡¯s a tough weapon for fighting monsters¡­¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hmm. There is such a weapon here. Alright, next is mine.¡± (Kei)


    I didn¡¯t really understand Haru¡¯s weapon, so I quickly cut off the conversation and pulled my katana out of the scabbard.


    ¡°As you can see, my weapon is a Japanese sword. I haven¡¯t used a decent cutting weapon until now, so I want to use a good one¡­¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm. Let¡¯s practice for the time being.¡± (Haru)


    Haru didn¡¯t seem to be interested in my weapon either, so we were done talking. Haru holds her Tonfa in her hand. Grasping the handles sticking out from the main rod of the weapon, which is shaped like a katakana¡¯s handle, and she holds it as she was holding a thin shield.


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    She turns it around and slides her hands to easily turn the weapon. She changes the place she¡¯s holding and swung it down with all her strength.


    ¡°Yeah. I think this is fine. My reach has decreased, but the variation of attacks has increased.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then, next is me.¡± (Kei)


    Pulling the sword out of the scabbard. Somehow I felt a sense of discomfort in my posture, so if I try to focus on my balance, the sense of discomfort decreases.


    ¡°Sei!¡±


    If I swing it down as it is, I hear the sound of air being cut. But something is different.


    ¡°Brother, the tip of the sword was off like it is shaking.¡± (Haru)


    Haru, who was watching from the front, pointed it out to me and I swung again with that in mind. Each time I asked Haru to correct me, she went away in the middle of my swings, but after about half an hour, I felt like I was in good shape.


    ¡°Then, Brother. Let¡¯s do some light sparring.¡± (Haru)


    She borrowed non-lethal weapons at the reception. Haru¡¯s face is a little tight. Well, a shy person like her talked to a receptionist properly, so I¡¯ll have to praise her. I¡¯m sure she did her best.


    ¡°So, ready to go?¡± (Kei)


    I receive a wooden sword with a sponge-covered blade from Haru and I hold it with one hand.


    Basically, I should hold it with both hands, but our original purpose is not interpersonal combat. I felt that it was better to be able to fight with one hand in order to fight more flexibly.


    Haru also holds a tonfa, which is covered with a sponge, she¡¯s holding it in the same way as before.


    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± (Haru)


    Haru suddenly thrusts her Tonfa into a stabbing motion. While the distance is wide, I hit the wooden rod and parry it.


    ¡°Take this!¡± (Kei)


    I ducked and dove to the side before performing a feint. In the current situation where I cannot use the sword efficiently, Haru, however, is fighting with a shorter weapon, neither of us has the advantage.


    Haru approached me immediately, my sword is blocked, and I cannot parry her next attack, so I decided to avoid it. I can¡¯t see a winning move. I was completely unable to see a path to victory. It¡¯s not my usual shorter-reach weapon, and it doesn¡¯t have a long handle for easy parrying.


    I have to change the way I fight. That¡¯s not something I can do right away. But still.


    I have to try countering.


    If I say it out loud, Haru will hear me, so I don¡¯t say it out loud, but I think about it.


    It¡¯s a position like I¡¯ve seen on the Internet. I lower my hips, hold the sword in both hands, and pull back in a thrusting position.


    Haru was the first to make another move. It was so sudden, so natural that I almost missed it. Haru approached him as if she was sliding across the floor.


    This is the gait I use. A technique I use to delay my reaction to movement. The fact that I was able to notice it must have been because I usually do it all the time. Even though my reaction was a little delayed. I slammed my front foot. As if I am about to launch myself, also to threaten my opponent.


    If Haru withdraws even for a moment, I will strike my sword into her. After all, Haru will not stop. She knows the risk-reward calculation well and knows that my stomping my foot is just a bluff. However, traps are meant to be doubled or tripled.


    Haru doesn¡¯t stop, and I thrust my sword out there with only my left hand. As a matter of course, she stops and pulls back.


    Now.


    I relax my left hand, which had been tight until it caught the sword, and watch as the sword is flicked to the right.


    I bend down to avoid being hit by Hal¡¯s attack and raise my left hand. Haru easily swept my hand away and thrust her tonfa at me. Just before she does, she stops her movement.


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    The tip of the wooden sword extended from the right side of Hal¡¯s neck. Of course, my unused right hand held it. It has always been the way I fought. That¡¯s by using several feints. You can call it an unsavory way of fighting, but that¡¯s the way I fight.


    ¡°My win.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Mu, I was able to use my weapon better.¡± (Haru)


    We finished our sparring, relaxed, and started talking as usual.


    ¡°You only have five minutes left.¡± (Speaker)


    The speaker above us spoke.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go to the weapon shop next. I like Tonfa. What about your brother?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I want a sword too. I¡¯ll practice a little more.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. It might be nice to see a professional¡¯s skills.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, then shall we go to the weapon shop?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep.¡± (Haru)


    We return the key and go to the weapon shop. We didn¡¯t expect that we would be so depressed about the performance of the weapons in the weapon shop.

 CH 25

    We left the weapons test area and are now at the Weapon Shop.


    However, there is no such thing as a dangerous Weapon Shop standing randomly in the middle of nowhere. In the large building next to the guild, known as the dungeon market, there was a company selling weapons in a designated space.


    However, since the dungeon had just opened to the public and many companies had not yet been able to sell their products on the market, the Dungeon Market still had a lot of unused space.


    It seems that dungeon explorers can naturally use it as a space for trading, deepening friendships, and giving advice.


    ¡°Do you have a search license?¡± (Security)


    ¡°Yes, wait for a second. Put yours out Haru.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Here.¡± (Haru)


    We are now in the process of entering the Dungeon Market. Not anyone can just enter unless they can prove that they are an explorer by presenting their explorer license.


    ¡°I have confirmed. Welcome to the dungeon market.¡± (Security)


    With the voice of the receptionist standing in front of the door, the metal door slides opening sideways. As we walked through the door, it closed behind us. The security system was great. However, this is still not part of the dungeon.


    ¡°No matter how much the group with swords goes wild, if you have a gun, you can suppress them, but the security here is too strict, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Some things are bound to happen. Maybe they are also the front liners and the ones in charge of dungeon material management?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. The things that the government buys also pass through here at least once. Then this security makes sense..¡± (Haru)


    As we chat while we walk, we found something familiar in the display window near the entrance.


    ¡°Boar Horns.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s the result of being in the front-line of dungeons.¡± (Kei)


    Inside was a boar horn that was probably dropped. Now we consider it weak and unusable, but it does make me feel nostalgic. It hasn¡¯t been so long since we got the boar horns, but we¡¯ve been fighting more intensely lately.


    ¡°Probably because we¡¯re always in the dungeon, but the civilians working in the frontlines are still few.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve only been exploring for a little over a month, so it can¡¯t be helped. I wonder how far the Self-Defense Forces, who have been exploring the dungeon since they first appeared, how deep have they explored.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If the monsters are the same, they¡¯ve probably already defeated the flying dragon, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°If those people would sell a lot of dropped items on the market, we could blend in our items. Still, we can¡¯t sell them even if we have them, so we can¡¯t make any money off those.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, can¡¯t it be helped, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother look, they are selling weapons.¡± (Haru)


    We stop talking and look at the weapons lined up in the stall. Just in case, if we are asked about the dungeon, there would be no problem because we talked about our backstory.


    ¡°Oh, are you a newcomer? You¡¯re quite young. What are your weapons?¡± (Clerk)


    The store clerk looked and talked to us in a friendly manner.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re both newcomers. My weapon is a sword and my sister is a Tonfa.¡± (Kei)


    I glanced at Haru, but she looked like she didn¡¯t feel like talking to him, so I told him Haru¡¯s weapon as well.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re brother and sister. So a sword and a tonfa. That¡¯s quite uncommon. If you don¡¯t use the sword properly, it will bend immediately. So everyone comes to buy a new one and never buy one again. Of course, these are cheap mass-produced products. These are made by a blacksmith¡¯s apprentice, so you can get them cheaply. For that reason, the number of people who are buying these is decreasing.¡± (Clerk)


    ¡°The other one is a Tonfa. As expected, Tonfas are not handled here. Tonfas have great handling, but the reach is too short. currently, only huge striking weapons are popular. I¡¯ve heard that you can¡¯t even get status upgrades in dungeons at first, so people can¡¯t even hold a weapon. And light striking weapons are not very powerful. That¡¯s why there¡¯s an image that people who use weapons are macho. If you still want to buy one, I¡¯ll tell you where to find one. Of course, you¡¯ll have to buy the sword here, though.¡± (Clerk)


    While being overwhelmed by the clerk who goes on a verbal landslide, I was able to collect important information.


    ¡°Haru, what are you going to do?¡± (Kei)


    I have already decided to buy a sword, so I ask Haru for her input.


    ¡°Let¡¯s buy.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, do you want to buy one? Then, over there. It¡¯s a subsidiary of a famous sports company, [Odd Ball], handles unusual weapons.¡± (Clerk)


    ¡°Unusual weapons?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. You should go anyway. Then come back and buy a sword here. So, a piece of advice from an uncle. The weapons sold there are not for self-defense, but for actual combat. Please note that the market price has risen considerably from a year ago because of the demand increasing. There are times when I thought that the price was a rip-off, but they are still cheap products. Well, comparing weapon prices being cheap, my store is also offering it cheap. So go on.¡± (Clerk)


    ¡°Ah, sure. Thank you. I don¡¯t have a lot of money so I think I¡¯ll buy a sword here. By the way, what is the price for something around 80cm long. Or something like it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s 150,000 yen [T/N: approx. 1.4k USD]. Okay come again.¡± (Clerk)


    ¡°Thank you, clerk-san. I will come back later.¡± (Kei)


    We bowed to the clerk and left his store for [Odd Ball].


    ¡°Brother.¡± (Haru)


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    ¡°What is it?¡± (Kei)


    Haru, who has been silent for a long time, opens her mouth and talked to me.


    ¡°That person is probably the store manager. He said my store.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. But does that even make sense?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No. I just realized it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I see.¡± (Kei)


    When I arrived at [Odd Ball], there was a strange sight.


    An overwhelming sight where various kinds of things are lined up. However, although they are for sale, none of the common items are things that everyone would want are sold here.


    If it¡¯s something that people with [Sword] use, it¡¯s not a sword, but a butcher knife, a saw, or a sickle. Although the shape is similar, the thickness and center of gravity have been changed to make it easier to use in actual battles, but these were not complete weapons by any means.


    If the person has [Club] there are iron pipes, crowbars, and harisen. [T/N: Harisens are fans used by characters like Temari(Naruto), Kitana(Mortal Kombat), Yukiko(Persona), Anji(Guilty Gear), etc.]


    The iron pipe is hollow inside, but it seems to be filled with something other than metal gives it some weight but not too much.


    The crowbar was a little bigger than usual, and the Harisen was made of iron and the center of gravity was closer to the edge, it was also quite huge. And it seems that you can fold it if you unlocked the blades.


    Of course, a Tonfa was also placed here.


    If it¡¯s for [Bow], there are sets of shuriken or throwing knife, and if it¡¯s [Spear], there¡¯s are sasumatas. However, since it is a tool not designed for stabbing but capture, it has its two protrusions sharpened for piercing so that it can kill monsters. [T/N: Shurikens are throwing stars usually used by ninjas. Sasumatas are two-pronged spears that are usually designed for capturing or immobilizing enemies. Imagine a pole with a crescent or ¡°U¡± at the tip.]


    In addition, there was a shelf with the word ¡°Stuff¡± written on it, and there were cards made of metal. Of course, they are all weapons. There were swords in the shape of rulers and scissors for daggers.


    I really want all of it, but I gave up because we would run out of money. By the way, the total amount of money we brought to get all the weapons and armor was 600,000 yen. [T/N: 600k Yen is approximately 5.5k USD]


    ¡°Excuse me. Is there any other Tonfas?¡± (Kei)


    It has been decided that we would buy a Tonfa. So we should buy one quickly.


    ¡°Hmm? Excuse me, is there any other Tonfa besides this one?¡± (Kei)


    When I talk to a female clerk, in addition to the tonfa that is displayed, other tonfas would be retrieved from the back.


    ¡°May I bring it?¡± (Odd Ball Clerk)


    Just in case, we listen to her, and then I pick one up and hand it to Haru. Is there a difference in size and weight?


    ¡°Light.¡± (Haru)


    After holding both, Haru murmured.


    ¡°Well, the young lady has strength. We made it quite heavy for the actual battles. Would you like to have a made to order one? The price is worth it.¡± (Odd Ball Clerk)


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. We don¡¯t have much money.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, yes. Why don¡¯t you ask your parents? Maybe you will be able to buy something good.¡± (Odd Ball Clerk)


    The clerk looks away from me and directly talked to Haru. Wow, she has a strong business spirit. Well, Haru wouldn¡¯t do much because not only is she shy, we also have no parents. I can understand it well because we¡¯re brother and sister.


    After seeing Haru shook her head lightly with no expression, we decided to leave. Apparently, this clerk and Haru aren¡¯t compatible. I feel that Haru¡¯s eyes are a little cold.


    ¡°Then, which one do you want?¡± (Odd Ball Clerk)


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    ¡°This.¡± (Haru)


    Haru chose the bigger one, so I bought it. The price was 200,000 yen [T/N: 1.8k USD]. Although the market price has risen, I thought it would be a total rip-off, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a mass-produced product, and it has bumps around the handle, making it easy to hold and use. Is this due to the craftsman¡¯s skill?


    The clerk was always talking to Haru at that time, but she seemed to give up because everything she said was ignored.


    ¡°Here you go, excuse me. Next person please!¡± (Odd Ball Clerk)


    As soon as we are done at the checkout counter, the next person is called and we are smoothly kicked out. Well, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll head back to the Weapon Shop.


    ¡°Manager. We bought one safely.¡± (Kei)


    We bought a tonfa and went back to the store, then we greeted the clerk. Well, actually the store manager.


    ¡°Oh, how did you know I was the store manager?¡± (Clerk => Manager)


    ¡°My sister guessed it. So, I will buy the sword as planned. What do you have here?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, your sister is amazing. Well, you want something 80 centimeters long right. There are five in that range. The highest is 970,000 yen [T/N; 8.8k USD] and the cheapest is 150,000 yen. Here they are.¡± (Manager)


    The store manager gave me five swords. The designs are a little different, but their lengths are about the same.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference and what¡¯s with the price difference?¡± (Kei)


    Since it is a sword, I don¡¯t think the materials will change much.


    ¡°It must have been because of the person who made it and their level of mastery. To be honest, an amateur like me doesn¡¯t know why. Rest assured that there are no issues with the blades.¡± (Manager)


    I try every one with a few trial swings, but I feel that all of them fit firmly in my hand and all of them have a solid balance. It¡¯s a shame I don¡¯t have a lot of money.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s do this.¡± (Kei)


    I decided on the sword priced at 150,000 yen. ¡°Either way, when I get home, I¡¯ll remodel it, so there¡¯s going to be no issue.¡± I thought as I handled it, but it was still too soft and light for me to use.


    If I use it in a dungeon, it will break immediately even if I properly use it. The claws of the monsters in the Forest are harder than steel.


    ¡°Yeah. Then the price is 165,000 yen including tax. Sign here because this is a document for the transfer of the weapon¡¯s ownership. The blade would be useless without this.¡± (Manager)


    When I read the documents from beginning to end before signing them, then I sense that the entrance to the Dungeon Market was noisy.


    ¡°What is going on there?¡± (Kei)


    I was a little worried, so I asked the store manager.


    ¡°Hmm? Today, they mentioned that the 5 front-line parties would be on TV. You want to go see them? Okay, I¡¯ve checked the paperwork. Now the official sword owner is you.¡± (Manager)


    I received the sword and got it in a box for the time being, so I¡¯ll hold on to it.


    ¡°Haru, do you want to watch it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I want to observe the strongest civilians.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Got it.¡± (Kei)


    Woahhh!!!


    As the door of the Dungeon Market opens, the noise spreads from all directions.


    ¡°It looks like they¡¯re here.¡± (Kei)


    So we went to see the so-called strongest party in Japan.

 CH 26

    When we headed to the place where the five parties were, we found that there was already a crowd of people there, so many that we couldn¡¯t see the back. This is a place where ordinary people are not allowed. How could so many people gather here even in such a condition? The title of ¡°strongest¡± is amazing.


    The cameras seemed to be rolling as we entered the Dungeon Market, and we could hear the voices, though they were small. At the same time, you can see how much stronger they are than the people around them.


    ¡°How how are they?¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s skill is not enough to grasp the strength of the enemy, so she asks me.


    ¡°From the looks of it, I¡¯d say they¡¯re all around level 20. I wonder if they have a lot of combat experience?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°How about this, look at those people closely.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± (Kei)


    I feel something flowing from Haru¡¯s hand. I¡¯ve always felt that something. It is obviously magic power.


    The magic power that leaks from Haru spreads to the surroundings in a low concentration without changing its density. It passes through the 20 people in the five parties. And nothing happens. No, one person moved.


    ¡°How was it?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who it was, but one of them reacted. Maybe it¡¯s some kind of magic skill. One of the women in the group, her name is¡­¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yamato Nadeshiko, or Grapevine Association, which one?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Ah, the Grapevine Association. The one with the beautiful women.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Then it¡¯s no big deal.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good idea to make decisions based on that, but it¡¯s not a great way to measure risk. By the way, you can use magic outside the dungeon?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I can¡¯t use magic. However, as soon as I got out of the dungeon while being conscious of the magic inside my body, I could move my magic outside.¡± (Haru)


    ¡° Hmm, I can¡¯t do that. I can¡¯t do it. I don¡¯t know what magic is in my body.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s just something that feels normal, you know?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine for now.¡± (Kei)


    As Haru started walking with her back to the crowd, I followed her. The woman who reacted as if she had noticed the magical power earlier probably thought it was just in her mind. Everything seems to be normal. If there¡¯s a next time, I wonder if she¡¯ll realize the true nature of her discomfort then.


    We have already lost our interest in them for not noticing the magic. Their sense of magic is probably equal to or less than ours.


    The crowd begins to move towards the back, where there are no stores as if the location of the filming is moving. I looked at them from the side and saw a young man talking into a microphone in the distance. No, his face looks like that of a boy.


    He seems older than me, but with an innocent look on his face that everyone around him loves and will grow to love. The other person didn¡¯t even seem to notice me. That¡¯s true. From their point of view, I¡¯m just another onlooker.


    ¡°He¡¯s the hero huh?¡± (Kei)


    Somehow I murmured such words.


    ¡°Hey. I¡¯m going to buy some armor, because they won¡¯t let me in the dungeon without it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I want a jacket that can be stored easily for the time being.¡± (Haru)


    We soon forgot about them and went shopping for things.


    ¡°Now, where are the parts of the body that absolutely must have armor to protect them when entering a dungeon?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Legs, chest, head. Legs, chest, and head, to prevent injuries to vital points and means of escape.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re right. But what about a helmet for something as dreamlike as exploring a dungeon?¡± (Kei)


    We came to a store that sold protective gear, and there were many helmets lined up in front of us. There is a wide variety of helmets, from plain ones to ones that scream safety first.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like these.¡± (Haru)


    Haru is really critical.


    ¡°Oh, this time a young people came. How about a helmet? Would you like to buy one?¡± (Clerk)


    As we looked at the helmets, a clerk came out from inside the store.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything else?¡± (Kei)


    I didn¡¯t want to explore the Tokyo dungeon wearing this helmet, so I put my trust in him and asked.


    ¡°Wow! Of course, there is. The price will be higher. Come on, your sister too.¡± (Clerk)


    The excited shopkeeper smiled and went back inside the store.


    ¡°Well then, do you want to enter, Haru?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Huh, yes?¡± (Haru)


    Haru was puzzled by the shopkeeper¡¯s personality, but she still followed along.


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    ¡°How tall are you two?¡± (Clerk)


    ¡°172 cm.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°158 cm.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, here you go.¡± (Clerk)


    As soon as I entered the store, the clerk asked me how tall I was, and as soon as I answered, two pieces of clothing came out. Both black, and look like hoodies.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hooded jacket made of a stab-proof material. The rest of the jacket is made of sturdy material, and it¡¯s thin and loose, so you can wear it over your gear without any problems. It¡¯s a popular item here.¡± (Clerk)


    The clerk says it¡¯s a popular item, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s just because people don¡¯t want to wear helmets.


    I tried on the hoodie, and it was indeed thin and loose except for the hood, so I could wear it over my clothes. But it is also a little short.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve noticed. The hem is shortened so as not to interfere with the use of weapons. It¡¯s also very popular. There¡¯s also pockets on the inside¡­¡­¡± (Clerk)


    I thought about it as I listened to the shopkeeper. To be honest, I don¡¯t care if the hoodie is loose or thin.


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we buy one in a larger size and remodel it?¡± (Haru)


    ¡° Oh, that¡¯s fine.¡± (Kei)


    I sneakily consulted with Haru while the clerk was still talking, so as not to be overheard, so we decided on a plan.


    ¡°Hmm? Have you decided?¡± (Clerk)


    ¡°Yes, do you have one with a double layer of fabric on the inside and outside?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got a good point there, big brother. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s true that being thin and light is an advantage when fighting. But I have noticed that it is also difficult to use. First of all, it¡¯s so thin that if there¡¯s a weapon on it, it¡¯ll cut through in a flash, revealing the clothes inside. Also, you can¡¯t store the weapon inside the clothes. It would be a dream to open the front of my coat and find a knife inside. That¡¯s why we developed a hoodie with slightly stiff leather inside. This parka has a Velcro strap instead of a zipper to make it easier to open. The whole thing is also made of stab-proof material.¡± (Clerk)


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy that one, the one with a double-layered structure and only the hood is stab-proof.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Good choice.  It¡¯s 50,000 yen each.¡± (Clerk)


    ¡°It¡¯s expensive, as expected.¡±


    While lamenting the price of the clothes, I bought the hoodies and headed for the next store. Apparently, the same company runs two stores, one for the top half and one for the bottom half.


    Again, I wondered, but since there were no strange clerks after that, we were able to complete our shopping easily. The pants were the stab-proof fabric that was sewn into the joints of existing clothes. The breastplates were 40,000 yen each, and the 600,000 yen I had brought with me was almost gone.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to go home.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. Next time let¡¯s head to the Tokyo dungeon next time, okay?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, the transportation costs. I think I¡¯ll just come back tomorrow and leave behind a record of my entry into the dungeon. When we get back, we¡¯ll hunt for a Minotaur and have meat for dinner.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m tired because there are so many people today.¡± (Haru)


    The majority of the people in the dungeon market are still onlookers to the TV and are clustered in one place, so the entrance to the dungeon market is fairly empty and we can get out quickly.


    ¡°Then, start remodeling using magic.¡±


    Haru declared as soon as we got home. The excitement is slightly different from usual, but I¡¯ll leave it at that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start with the weapons. For now, they¡¯re all too light and too weak. I¡¯m sure the earth¡¯s metal is too weak, regardless of the blacksmith¡¯s skill.¡± (Kei)


    In other words, metals that are obtained from ordinary ores outside the dungeon have no difference in hardness even inside the dungeon. Not surprisingly, although there would be no problem using it on the first floor, it will be easily destroyed by the black wolf and treated like it¡¯s nothing by minotaurs.


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    On the other hand, mysterious metals are taken in the dungeon and those with metallic properties such as horns are just like ordinary hard metals outside the dungeon, but by bringing them into the dungeon, it increases in strength and flexibility. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t use ordinary weapons in the dungeon.


    ¡°First of all, I will change the material through [Alchemy].¡± (Kei)


    The materials are collected in large quantities by forcing a stampede in the forest. We have everything from metal to cloth.


    The first thing to use for the metal is a steel battle ax dropped by a minotaur. Since there are two in total, this is will be used for our two weapons. Alchemy skill is a skill to reform another thing with a substance with similar properties. So if it is made with metal, it can be transmuted with a different metal. If it is cloth, it can be transmuted with a different cloth.


    It is important to note, however, that the material used for transmuting the weapon will disappear. It doesn¡¯t matter what the volume ratio is between before and after the transmutation. Even if you transmute the metal of a battle-ax to a sewing needle, the battle-ax will disappear.


    It is similar to games with material synthesis. Whatever you use for synthesis will be used up.


    Well. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to do it right away.


    The steel battle-ax is steel, but it is not like steel outside the dungeon. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s similar to the steel that exists on Earth, but it contains magical properties. That¡¯s why it can be analyzed.


    ¡°Well, [Alchemy]. Hmm?¡±


    When I transmuted the metal from the battle-ax to the Tonfa, I felt something strange and stopped. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m working with my hands, because I¡¯m just using my skills. The metal was transmuted from the battle-ax, which turned into mist and disappeared.


    But what is this discomfort?


    ¡°Haru, I feel that something other than magical power was flowing from the ax to Tonfa. Try to analyze it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? Okay.¡± (Haru)


    Haru stares at Tonfa and raises his face.


    ¡°This might be worse than I thought. Especially if it¡¯s not a tonfa. Here¡¯s the paper. Oh, here are the analysis results.¡± (Haru)


    Haru gives me a piece of paper with the analysis results.


    ¡°Steel Tonfa¡­ Steel Tonfa [Skill: Strong Slash]¡± (Kei)


    ¡°So, did you move the skill? I¡¯m not sure how you can cut with a tonfa.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I will try it on the sword for the time being¡± (Kei)


    Haru hurriedly told me to transmute the metal from the battle-ax to my sword. Then, something different was flowing like from before.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a success.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Steel sword¡­ Steel sword (skill: Strong Slash)¡± (Haru)


    I was able to transfer the skill properly to the sword.


    ¡°By the way, what kind of skill is [Strong Slash]?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Wait a minute. Cooldown.¡± (Haru)


    The two of us waited idly for the time to pass, but one minute was sooner than expected and the result was revealed.


    [Strong Slash]


    Type: Skill


    Cool time: 10s


    Correction to Slash


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the point of this is, even if it¡¯s on Tonfa. I¡¯m not sure how much time I have left, so let¡¯s not experiment too much. We don¡¯t have a lot of time, so let¡¯s experiment in moderation.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Then let¡¯s test our skills. Then let¡¯s go get some good meat.¡± (Haru)


    Even though we had just bought a weapon today, we were feeling great and went into our dungeon in the basement. By the way, we didn¡¯t do some sparring, but we did some warm-up exercises.

 CH 27

    ¡°So, we¡¯re in the dungeon, but I¡¯m not sure how to use it. Hmm? Haru. By the way, did we get a new skill card in the battle with the earth dragon?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, we did. We also got two cards each from the small fries in the forest. I said I¡¯d look into it later, but I never did. I¡¯ll take a look. I¡¯ll start.¡± (Haru)


    After transferring from the Transition Room to the entrance of the 15th layer, Haru uses her skill and tells me the information verbally since there is no paper.


    Name: Haruka


    Proficiency: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: Fissure (Explosion) (Electric)


    Level: 52


    Strength: 60


    Magic Capacity: 123


    Skill: Analysis


    Magic: (Bomb), (Time Bomb), (Impact), Number, (Plasma), Fissure, Separation, Barrier


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting / Magic Manipulation


    ¡°Oh, your level has risen quite a bit. What¡¯s new is Separation, Barrier, and Magic Manipulation.¡± (Kei)


    Maybe the reason Haru was manipulating magic outside had something to do with [Magic Manipulation]. Then the magic after that? I can imagine [Barrier], but I don¡¯t know what [Separation] is. Perhaps [Separation] is magic under the [Fissure] attribute.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to figure it out soon.¡± (Haru)


    Haru turned to me, so I gave her permission to eliminate the resistance. If I don¡¯t do this, I will reject the analysis.


    Name: Touka


    Proficiency: Enchant/ Alchemy


    Magic Attribute: None (Curse)


    Level: 52


    Strength: 73


    Magic Capacity: 109


    Skill: Stealth/ Positioning


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain, Slow, Loss


    Passive: Perception / Acceleration / Alchemy


    I listen to Haru read out the results of her analysis and see what skills I¡¯ve gained.


    ¡°My new skills are [Positioning], [Slow], and [Loss].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I have no idea what the effect of the others except [Slow]. Is this your first debuff?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Come to think of it, yes. And then there¡¯s the sword¡¯s [Strong Slash].¡± (Kei)


    I remove the sword from the sheath and lightly swung it. Nothing.


    ¡°Strong Slash.¡± (Kei)


    I tried swinging it while chanting again, but nothing happened. Speaking of other things I haven¡¯t tried. Usually, I use skills somehow because the activation method is not chanting.


    ¡°Hmm, magical power?¡±


    Even if I can¡¯t control it as precisely as Haru, it¡¯s easy enough to send it somewhere. I make my magical power flow through my hand and toward the sword. I then think using [Strong Slash]. Correction on slash.


    As soon as I swung it towards the sky, the sword glowed red and I heard another cutting sound that followed the sound of the sword cutting through the air. Perhaps this was the correction.


    ¡°It¡¯s a success. Then, can we go now?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, we should probably go. For now, let¡¯s experiment with skills and magic without killing them right away.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay.¡± (Haru)


    Haru touched the door and it opened automatically. There is a Minotaur sitting on the rock inside.


    ¡°Will it sit there all the time until we come in?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that the monster was created when we touched the door. Oh, it started moving. [Separation].¡± (Haru)


    She thrust out the Tonfa at the minotaur that reached for its weapon and she then casts magic. Then something happened to the hand stretched out by the minotaur,


    No, magic happened. Then a black light and hits the minotaur¡¯s hand. That¡¯s what think I saw.


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    ¡°Grrrrawwwwr!¡± (Minotaur)


    Suddenly, it stopped reaching for its weapon and held the hand that was hit by the magic. You can see the hand that was hit by the magic for a moment through a gap in the held hand. Indeed, this would certainly be a [Separation].


    The surface of the minotaur¡¯s arm became shriveled. With this, the skin looked like it was about to be peeled off.


    ¡°Is it like shaving off the vitality of the area hit?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°How about. [Positioning], Hmmm, what is this? Ah. Haru. This magic is quite strong.¡± (Kei)


    This time, the Minotaur firmly picks up the weapon with its other arm, lifts it above its head, and swings it down.


    The sword glowed, and a torrent of power flies from as it did from before. At that time, the sword stopped being a threat.


    ¡°[Barrier]. Oh, if you use your skills while using [Magic Manipulation], you can change the shape of the barrier.¡±


    The magical barrier created by Haru was facing diagonally toward the minotaur. The movement of the minotaur was easily blocked.


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m done. Next is brother.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°OK. [Slow] [Loss].¡± (Kei)


    I cast two spells on the minotaur and it moves in a charging stance.


    Then the body of the minotaur glowed and magic was applied. In the first place, there are many inconveniences in using enchantment spells on the opponent. The range is shorter than attack magic. The distance between me and the minotaur is still about 10 meters, and normally my magic would not reach.


    ¡°By using [Positioning], I can activate it at long distances. However, the power is reduced.¡± (Kei)


    The footsteps of the minotaur as it approached is heavy. Because that is the effect of [Slow] and [Loss].


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s for loss of attack power. I see, I see.¡± (Kei)


    The ax swung down towards me was doesn¡¯t have strength behind it. It¡¯s not just the effect of [Slow]. Even if they are slowed, the power generated by their status will still give them a decent amount of power even if they swing it slowly. If so, the effect of [Loss] is a decrease in attack power. Or it disperses it. Perhaps that is the reason for the loss of the attack power.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s about it.¡± (Kei)


    Both of us had finished experimenting with our new magic and skills, so we moved on to the last experiment.


    I dodge the ax swung by the minotaur by shifting my body a little, and I put my hand on the sword and released magic power.


    ¡°This is your end.¡± (Kei)


    It was an unbelievable sight, I swung the sword at the minotaur¡¯s neck, but it stopped moving halfway up the neck, and then, with correction activating, the head was suddenly lopped off.


    ¡°With the correction, it produced twice the attack power?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Maybe. When I slash it, there is no correction. It¡¯s actually repeating the slash twice at the same place at almost the same time.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm. By the way, we forgot about two things. I didn¡¯t use my Tonfa. We also didn¡¯t use magic circles with the magic, so the magic is weak.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s for tomorrow. Let¡¯s experiment with the magic circle tomorrow morning.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± (Haru)


    Hearing Haru¡¯s reluctant voice, we pick up the dropped item and put it in the item pouch. Of course, I took the meat.


    I was in a good mood but Haru, who was a little sullen, returned home in a hurry.


    ¡°Brother, [Alchemy] for the clothes and shoes.¡± (Haru)


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    That was what Haru said shortly after returning. Well, that¡¯s fine. She said that there would be no problem if the food is delayed by a few minutes, so I started using [Alchemy].


    First of all, clothes and trousers. We didn¡¯t buy anything else new, so I thought I¡¯d use the Mid-level Wolf Fur we got in the Forest.


    ¡°Tthe Black Wolf is probably stronger than the Mid-level Wolf.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Do you think so? It¡¯s true that the black wolf has a higher attack power and a harder skin.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll deal with the clothes tomorrow. Shall we have dinner and go to bed?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah. *yawn*. I¡¯m tired from moving through the crowds today.¡± (Kei)


    Haru also yawns and answered, ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± I wanted to eat Minotaur Beef to heal my tiredness, but sleep seems to be better.


    I cut the Minotaur beef into small blocks and lightly fry it. After eating it, I went for a shorter run than usual and went to sleep.


    And the next day.


    ¡°50 animals¡ªLet¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    They were diligently hunting for Black Wolves. The Black Wolf is the boss of the tenth level, and the Hero Party hasn¡¯t even been able to see it yet.


    ¡° I¡¯m going. I¡¯ll be back. And It¡¯s done.¡± (Kei)


    It was no longer an enemy for us who can easily defeat the Minotaur on the 15th floor. We don¡¯t even have to use magic anymore.


    As soon as the door started to open, Haru, crossed the door like a cat, rushing straight into the Black Wolf and she accelerated further just before closing near the Black Wolf. Haru then strikes the Black Wolf¡¯s legs, chest, and then destroys its skull. It¡¯s a completely different level of violence.


    However, thanks to this, each battle is over in about 10 seconds. Despite the fact that we¡¯ve been going around for a while now, it¡¯s only been a little over an hour since we entered the dungeon.


    Once again, we hopped on the magic circle to return to the 10th level entrance and opened the door, I went in first and proceeded straight to the Black Wolf, similar to Haru, but the Black Wolf was slow to react. My ability to avoid being noticed has grown considerably.


    I stopped under the face of the Black Wolf, grasped the handle of the sword tightly, and lightly jump up. Twisting my body as I leaped and drew the sword in the same way as a ¡°drawing-cut¡±. [T/N: Think about the attacks a lot of samurais in anime do. They usually leap forward then slash as they draw their sword. Ike in Smash Bros and Zero in Mega Man X games use this move. I think Google-sensei has more examples for this.]


    The Black Wolf¡¯s neck is easily sliced, and although the neck has not completely fallen off due to its thickness, the blood vessels and bones are cut off, it was so quick it instantly turned into mist.


    ¡°Drops are normal. Let¡¯s go for the next one.¡± (Kei)


    This is how we continue our outrageous hunt for the Black Wolf.

 CH 28

    We¡¯ve been hunting Black Wolves ever since, and we¡¯re currently in the Forest.


    To be honest, we got bored. What¡¯s the fun in just hunting Black Wolves for a couple of hours, when you can kill them in less than 5 seconds instead of 10? There was nothing wrong with me physically, but I was mentally exhausted, so we took a break in the room after we left the boss room for about an hour, and then we started running towards the Forest seemingly randomly. It would have taken us a while to explore, but we already knew the shortest route. In addition, the status we gained in the dungeon gave us extraordinary physical abilities. We took a quick detour, killed the Minotaur instantly, and came straight to the forest. And then,


    ¡°[Impact] [Decaple].¡± (Haru)


    Ten balls of light spun around and scattered in all directions. Haru¡¯s current weapon does not have a magic circle engraved on it, so she uses a card with a magic circle engraved on it that she made earlier.


    Each explosion knocks down trees and causes more damage. The trees in this forest burn, but for some reason, they don¡¯t spread, so there is no need to worry about forest fires.


    Yes, what we are doing now is a man-made stampede of some sort.


    There are no more trees around us, and the monsters that reacted to the sound are gathering together and closing in on us. I look up, but Rimdobmur is apathetic to what¡¯s happening.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I will be defeating them from here.¡± (Haru)


    I kick the ground and head towards the monster¡¯s reaction. There are no strong enemies like the Earth Dragon from last time. They¡¯re all small fry, and you can slay one of them in less than a second. It¡¯s probably because I¡¯ve slain so many Black Wolves that my sword path doesn¡¯t bend even when I¡¯m slashing at high speed.


    But even so, the number of monsters increased more than they decreased.


    ¡°I can¡¯t catch up, I guess? [Speed] [Power] [Chain] [Slow].¡± (Kei)


    The combination of [Speed] & [Power] physically enhanced me, and [Chain] makes the effect of [Slow] affect over a wide area. It¡¯s not an attack, it¡¯s just magic that lowers the speed of the opponents, but it can spread several times farther than normal.


    As it is, I plunge into the enemy group, take on, and eradicated a much larger number of monsters than before.


    Gradually, the number of monsters dwindled.


    ¡°Hey, something¡¯s coming!¡± (Haru)


    I heard Haru¡¯s voice, so I returned to Haru, I felt a strong presence on the way.


    It is an enemy that seems to be weaker than the Earth Dragon but stronger than the Minotaur.


    Another reason we came here was that we were tired of Black Wolves and wanted to fight a large number of enemies. We also want to fight stronger enemies.


    Occasionally, monsters with strengths that do not normally appear show up. We call these monsters rare monsters, and the only ones that seemed for us are the strongest were the Golden Skeleton and the Earth-Dragon. But in reality, we have fought a lot more rare monsters. However, they weren¡¯t strong enough to mention.


    Rare monsters vary greatly in Fighting Power from individual to individual, and the Earth Dragon, which had twice the Fighting Power of the Minotaur, that was the boss of the previous layer, can be considered an overwhelming force in that layer, while there were rare monsters that had only the Fighting Power of small fry.


    Weak rare monsters are not a very good source of quality drop items, but if they become strong to some extent, they may drop skill cards. But this time,


    ¡°Wise Wolf, Fighting Power 187, slightly stronger?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I guess. I think we¡¯ll just kill this one and be done with it for today.¡± (Kei)


    When I put the sword back in the scabbard, I tilt it a little vertically so that it doesn¡¯t get in the way of the battle. Then Haru puts her right hand forward and lets the magical power flow through the ring.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go with my magic. [Impact]¡± (Haru)


    Haru also slams her treasure, Morningstar, on the ground.


    ¡°[Speed]¡± (Kei)


    I buffed myself and used [Stealth] and approached the Wise Wolf who is charging towards us.


    The Wise Wolf moved differently probably because of it being ¡°wise¡±. It shifts a little to the side and avoids the trajectory where the [Impact] heads towards. However,


    ¡°Half-hearted wisdom makes you no different from a sitting duck.¡± (Kei)


    I wield my scythe while using [Stealth] to erase my presence near the area where the Wise Wolf dodged. I cut off one of its legs and used [Bind] to nail it on the spot. I keep my distance from the Wise Wolf while using the scythe as a shield. Not to avoid the Wise Wolf¡¯s attack, but to avoid Haru¡¯s follow-up.


    The magic that Haru unleashed drew a gentle curve in the middle and blew the Wise Wolf away. It¡¯s not enough to kill it, but if it loses one of its legs and is covered in injuries, it¡¯s as good as dead.


    ¡°In addition, the accuracy of the redirected ball has been improved.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s easier to add rotation using [Magic Manipulation] than change the speed at which the magic flies.¡± (Haru)


    As I observe, Haru bends her magic by adding a spin as she manipulates her own magic power. Although magic is just a small mass of magical power, it still possesses air resistance.


    And in case you¡¯re wondering, the speed of magic is well over 200 kilometers. It¡¯s just that the increase in status makes it seem slower than it is.


    I walked up to the Wise Wolf, who stood unsteadily, and used the scythe as a feint to send his head flying. It was unlikely that he would be able to resist without feinting, but skills and magic can be used to reverse a predicament. There was no need to neglect the possibility that the enemy might use skills or magic.


    ¡°The drop is a dagger. Oh, it has skills. It¡¯s a Counterattack. I¡¯ll check it out when I get back.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. For some reason, Haru stopped using daggers.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Muu, because the blades aren¡¯t very responsive. I feel like I should knock them down with a blunt weapon.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, oh. I see.¡± (Kei)


    I felt like I had seen a glimpse of a horrifying side of my sister.


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    And now I¡¯m cooking. After defeating the Wise Wolf and returning home, we decided to have dinner before checking the results.


    ¡°Oh, this is great.¡±


    Incidentally, Haru was in the back of the room analyzing something unusual that she had picked up today. It all started when Haru started to analyze some random items in the jar as a way to pass the time, and she happened to discover that some nondescript items had skills attached to them.


    Of course, the skills were not valuable, but rather trivial things like [Anti-slip]. It was at this point that Haru became motivated to find some useful skills, and while killing time, she started analyzing the unusual ones in succession.


    The most unusual skill she found so far was a skill called [Medicinal effect], which increases the potency of medicines.


    The effect is to strengthen the effect of the medicine. However, for some reason, the above-ground medicines don¡¯t seem to work in the dungeon. And potions were not included as medicine. In other words, it was useless.


    Other than that, it would be a skill called [Luminescence] with a duration of one hour.


    Once you use it, it will continue to glow for an hour, but since there is no way to turn off the light, the only way to turn it off is to wait for the hour to pass. And perhaps because it is a magical light, the glow will penetrate even if it is covered with some object. First of all, it can only be used in dungeons, but there are no dark places in dungeons.


    Well, after all, it¡¯s a garbage skill.


    By the way, the skill I found was transferred to a metal plate I made by [Alchemy].


    Since metal processing is difficult, I used the easy-to-process and soft Boar Horns from the sixth layer to make small plates and then used [Alchemy] to turn them into strong metal. Haru has engraved the name of the skill on the plate so that we can see which skill is attached to it without analyzing it.


    ¡°Haru food is ready.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother, please also transfer this skill that deodorizes.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, I understand.¡± (Kei)


    As usual, Haru was still collecting seemingly meaningless skills. [T/N: Kei clearly doesn¡¯t read enough web novels.]


    ¡°So what kind of skill was [Counterattack]?¡± (Kei)


    We talked about dungeons over dinner as usual. Today, of course, it was the skill attached to the dagger.


    ¡°Yes. It had a duration of 0.5 seconds, unlike the [Strong Slash] from last time.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Duration is the time when the skill is active, which is usual for a garbage skill.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, and the cool time is 1 second. It¡¯s short, but it¡¯s double the duration.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°You can use it multiple times in a fight, but you can¡¯t keep using it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°The effect is that when a physical attack lands, it will send back a counterattack in proportion to the strength of the attack but negating the damage. Thank you for the meal.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What do you mean? Thank you for the meal.¡± (Kei)


    The explanation of the skill was, as usual, incomprehensible, and I couldn¡¯t understand it.


    ¡°Brother insisted that I should never enter a dungeon alone, so I did my best to analyze it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Thank you. So?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°And? Well, okay. The definition of an attack here is something that impairs you when it hits you, and if it doesn¡¯t damage you, it¡¯s called fatigue.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What is that?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°If the opponent¡¯s physical attack is received by this dagger when the skill s active, the opponent will get tired in proportion to the strength of the attack.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s definitely strong, so why didn¡¯t it use it?¡± (Kei)


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    ¡°Because I killed the Wise Wolf without it preventing the attack even once. By the way, the name of the weapon is [Wise Wolf¡¯s Dagger].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hmm. So it¡¯s not truly a ¡®wise¡¯ wolf. Well then, shall we continue with yesterday¡¯s alchemy?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    If I look beyond Haru¡¯s line of sight, I will find the armor we bought yesterday and the same number of Black Wolf Furs. The Black Wolf we hunted was a lot, but it seems that the number of materials was just enough.


    We decided to start with the hoodie, so we cut off the hood. Then I used [Alchemy] for the lining and other parts of the hoodie, and then Haru stitched the hoodie and hood together, which had become so strong that no needle could penetrate it unless she used her [Craft] skill. Of course, the thread she uses is from a small fry¡¯s drop item, which I used [Alchemy] along with the Black Wolf¡¯s fur to make it stronger.


    The reason for doing such a troublesome task is quite simple: when it comes to stab-proofing, modern stab-proof fibers are stronger than Black Wolf¡¯s fur. That¡¯s all. No matter how strong the Black Wolf¡¯s fur is, it can still be pierced by iron if you hit it with all your might. However, if you¡¯re in a dungeon and your status has increased, you can easily pierce it anyway, or something like that.


    Next, I strengthen the pants and clothes we¡¯ve been using for exploration by using [Alchemy]. I didn¡¯t strengthen the underwear because it becomes a little stiff and difficult to wash. However, I also used [Alchemy] on some of the socks for good measure.


    The breastplate had metal some in it, so I used Black Wolf Fur for the outside. The iron inside was strengthened with Black Wolf Iron made from the Black Wolf Fang.


    Finally, the shoes, if I only used the fur, only the cloth part was replaced by [Alchemy], so I also used the Black Wolf Iron, so the few metallic parts were also strengthened.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s done. Would you like to go to Tokyo tomorrow?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m ready.¡± (Haru)


    We ended the day with more than enough preparation to enter a dungeon that would be much weaker.


    ¡°Oh no, brother. We forgot to buy gloves.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Well, we didn¡¯t have enough money to buy them even if we had remembered.¡± (Kei)


    After all, we have no money.

 CH 29

    We woke up earlier than usual and are getting ready to go to the dungeon in Tokyo.


    Haru is working on engraving the Magic Circle on our weapons, and I¡¯m checking what we need to bring with us.


    I¡¯ll bring an item pouch with me, but I can¡¯t use it in public. The item pouch was attached to the top of my underwear like a secret pouch so that it would not come off. I took out all the things we didn¡¯t need in the item pouch and packed the things we did need.


    First, potions. The machete and iron pipe that we had used before were also spare weapons. And plates with garbage skills. There was no use for them at the moment, but if we used them with something else, there was a possibility that they could be useful. At any rate, the trouble with skills is that they usually only affect the thing they are attached to upon activation.


    For example, the [Deodorize] skill I found yesterday. I am the one who triggers the skill, but it is the object to which the skill is attached that actually activates the skill.


    As a result, only the object to which the skill is attached, the plate engraved with the word [Deodorize], will be deodorized.


    And like this, there is no skill that can be used by itself among the garbage skills. Still, though, just in case. It doesn¡¯t matter if we have all of them because they don¡¯t weigh much.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done.¡± (Haru)


    The sound of metal grinding in the basement stopped, and I heard Haru report that she was finished.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s finish up and get going?¡± (Kei)


    The finishing touches are usually applied using [Alchemy]. I thought I¡¯d put some trash skills on Haru¡¯s tonfa for good measure.


    And since there are a lot of trash skills, we don¡¯t have to worry about the number.


    For Haru¡¯s tonfa, I used [Alchemy] to transfer the [Strong Slash] to a card, and from another card, I transferred [Shock Absorption] to the tonfa.


    It takes a little more time, but yesterday I was able to move the skill by itself. When I  do that, the substance doesn¡¯t change, and the material for the alchemy is not consumed. The skill is the only one used.


    So [Shock Absorption]. It absorbs most of the impact that is applied, but of course, the impact that is absorbed and has no place to escape is fully contained within the object that has the skill.


    In other words, it absorbs shocks that should have escaped to the surrounding area, resulting in taking in an abnormal amount of force during attacks. If the skill were to be applied to a piece of armor, it would be blown off in one shot. In fact, when I tried it once with a low-rank Wolf¡¯s fur, it fell apart with a single blow, and the skills I had given it were lost.


    So, this is the skill for a tough metal tonfa.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup.¡± (Haru)


    We put on our backpacks, Haru puts her weapon in her case and puts it in her backpack. I wrapped the scabbard with a piece of string to keep it in place, then wrapped a piece of cloth around it and tied it to the backpack.


    Then we rode our bicycles to the nearest station and took the train to the nearest station of the Tokyo Dungeon.


    ¡°Hmm. There are a lot of people.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I thought there would be fewer people since it was a weekday. There are a lot of people with weapons.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°A carry bag, a golf bag, a guitar case, etc. I want one.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll buy one when we have enough money.¡± (Kei)


    While talking about such things, we entered the Guild and not the Dungeon Dam. The reason was simple.


    ¡°Please give me a permit to carry a weapon.¡± (Kei)


    It was to apply for a weapon. In order to enter a dungeon, you have to carry a weapon, so you have to apply for a permit to carry your own weapon. I had a sword and six knives. Haru applied for two tonfas and a knife. We don¡¯t have to give any details about our weapons, as it would be personal information and show our individual abilities.


    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ve confirmed it. If you use any weapons other than these in the dungeon, please be aware that you will be subject to questioning.¡± (Receptionist)


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± (Kei)


    I bailed out to the receptionist and started to enter the Dungeon Dam, but then I stopped.


    ¡°Haru. What¡¯s that?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Some kind of skill. I think it¡¯s the kind of skill that can be used outside the dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    At the entrance to the Dungeon Dam, there was a thin layer of magic swirling around. Only Haru, who has a passive [Magic Manipulation], can do such a thing without using any skill. In other words, that is the magical power of the skill. And,


    ¡°It means that there is a possibility it is something similar to analysis.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for the other party¡¯s consent like my [Analysis] to take effect, regardless of anyone.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Can you shoot magical power from here and hinder it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I think I can do it, but I¡¯ll definitely look suspicious. Oh, it stopped.¡± (Haru)


    The skill suddenly stops while we were talking not able to proceed. I wondered why it stopped for a moment, and I hurriedly looked at the clock. Just one minute, staring at the second hand. Magical power began to flow again.


    I don¡¯t know the active time, but I know that the cool time is one minute. In other words, if I entered at that time, nothing would happen to me.


    We slipped into the Dungeon Dam at the moment when the next skill was not in effect.


    We finished the procedures to enter the dungeon during the one minute when the skill was supposed to be interrupted. It only takes about 10 seconds to confirm your identity, though.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll go to the locker room to get our gear and put our things in the lockers.¡± (Kei)


    I was a little worried about Haru, but I quickly went to the changing room. Then I take a look at the surroundings, this seems safe enough. There were quite a few security guards.


    I go into the changing room and put on my gear, which is basically what I wore when I came here: a breastplate and a hoodie. I untied the cloth and string wrapped around my sword and attached the sword to my waist with a belt. The hoodie had lost its Velcro effect when I used [Alchemy] it, so I sewed a strong magnet to fasten it to the front.


    On the back of the hoodie is a pocket where I keep two knives, one on each side, for throwing or reserve use. I kept one Black Wolf dagger and one Wise Wolf dagger on my waist.


    I finished my preparations, grabbed my stuff, and went outside to find Haru standing in front of my locker. It seems that no one is trying to pick up girls this time. Well, everyone is armed, and there are quite a few guards, so any guy who tries to pick up people here are either is very courageous or just foolish.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re here. It seems that lockers are rented, so let¡¯s use one together.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, I understand.¡±


    I put mine and Haru¡¯s belongings in a decent-sized locker and took the key.


    ¡°Hmm? What about the money?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I for paid it. You¡¯ll have to reimburse it when we get home.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°OK. Then let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup.¡± (Haru)


    Before entering the dungeon, I looked around and saw a lot of people wearing helmets and hoodies. This way, we won¡¯t stand out too much.


    I looked at the map of the first and second levels that had been left at the reception desk and confirmed that Haru had memorized the shortest distance to the third level and the surrounding area, and then we entered the dungeon. I put on my hood, hiding my face to the most obscured and natural degree.


    ¡°Haru, take a route that is close to the shortest route, but not quite, to the third layer. From there, we¡¯ll go incognito.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay. Follow me.¡± (Haru)


    I followed Haru as she walked, but there were too many people around. It¡¯s like we¡¯re passing people every ten meters or so.


    There¡¯s a lot of people around us with western swords, but we also see a few katanas here and there. I guess there are many people who use swords in the early levels.


    The fastest people who started exploring in April apparently started exploring the fourth level yesterday, and from the third level on, you rarely see people, and you can find a lot of monsters that haven¡¯t been killed yet.


    From the third level on, we rarely saw people and found many monsters that hadn¡¯t been killed yet, but before that, most of them had been killed by someone and we couldn¡¯t find any alive. Either way, the monsters could be defeated without taking out our weapons, but since we had to worry about being noticed, we had to move slowly and deliberately, catching the enemy¡¯s movements, slashing at them by missing their vital points, and slashing them several times before defeating them.


    However, this was quite stressful. That¡¯s why I would sometimes kill them instantly while using my skills making sure that no one was around.


    In addition, when I moved to the lower levels, I did so when there were no or few people around. So, I was running around the dungeon at my normal speed, trying to avoid meeting other explorers by keeping track of the surroundings and perceiving them.


    Even when we turned, we kicked the wall without slowing down, so there was no way those monsters could handle us. We run through three levels without even killing a monster.


    ¡°Brother, a few reactions disappeared in the distance. They didn¡¯t seem to be fighting, so they probably went to the lower level.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Then we should too.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. This way.¡± (Haru)


    Even though Haru¡¯s [Detection] can¡¯t probe the structure of the dungeon, it can probe people¡¯s actions. And since you can not interfere between the levels in the dungeon, if a person does not respond without fighting, it means that they have moved between levels.


    Even though we ran while avoiding people, we reached the stairs to the fourth level in no time. It was risky to be seen even after the fourth level. That¡¯s why it¡¯s necessary to go without being seen. Just,


    ¡°What should I do with that?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t get out of it, right?¡±


    There was a party sitting at the bottom of the stairs. I was on the lookout, so I didn¡¯t get spotted, but I was in a hurry because I was at the point where the level changes, so our [Detection] and [Perception] weren¡¯t responding.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a monster a little further away. Can¡¯t you attack it?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, how could I? You mean use [Positioning]?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. In the same way when I used [Analysis] on Rimdobmur.¡± (Haru)


    When Haru grabs my hand, the sight that Haru receives through her senses flows into my head. She uses [Detection] and makes it easier for me to see the monster clearly.


    ¡°I found it. [Loss]¡± (Kei)


    There were four goblins, and there was no such thing as magic resistance for enemies on this level. You can use any kind of magic you want, and it will have the maximum effect.


    The [Loss] I had used was fully applied to all of them, and the goblins noticed us. The goblins noticed me, or perhaps I should say that they noticed some kind of interference from our direction, since I don¡¯t think they were actually able to fully detect us. I can see through Haru¡¯s [Detection] that the goblins are running straight towards here.


    ¡°Hey, you guys. Three goblins have arrived! Get ready.¡± (Leader)


    ¡°¡±Ou!¡±¡± (Other Explorers)


    With the voice of the man who seemed to be the leader, the three of them spread out with their weapons at the ready. And then the battle begins.


    ¡°These guys have weak attacks.¡± (Explorer)


    ¡°It¡¯s our responsibility. Let¡¯s do it quickly.¡± (Leader)


    The men were so excited to kill the goblins that they didn¡¯t notice the two shadows that passed by them at high speeds.


    ¡°There are no people on the fourth level, as expected.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s been nine days since it opened to the public. They can¡¯t dive all the time like us, so if they go to the fourth level, they must be first class, and if they go to the third level, they must be veterans.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, there are no people within the scope of [Detection]. And the monsters¡¯ searching ability is too weak. But there are no stairs.¡± (Haru)


    As we ran through the fourth level, we looked for the stairs to the fifth level. We weren¡¯t too fatigued, but there was a lot of space on the fourth level, and it was getting difficult to find the entrance to the next floor.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to be patient. It¡¯s been about 30 minutes since I came to this level. Haa.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Haa.¡± (Haru)


    We both let out a sigh, there were no stairs. Haru remembers and leads the way, so we shouldn¡¯t go down the same way and fail. After all, the floor is too wide. At least it¡¯s bigger than the dungeon in our house.


    ¡°Oh.¡± (Haru)


    After running for another 30 minutes, I suddenly found a staircase next to it.


    ¡°You finally found it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep, let¡¯s go to subdue the 5th level boss for the time being.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s not just kill it, let¡¯s wait and see.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay.¡± (Haru)


    I changed my weapon to my dagger, and Haru held her Tonfa and we went across the door.

 CH 30

    ¡°Gugya!¡± (Hobgoblin)


    As soon as we enter the room, a goblin with a body size of about two meters screams in an unpleasant racket.


    ¡°Hobgoblin.¡± (Kei)


    When I saw the letters that came to my mind, I suddenly smiled.


    ¡°How nostalgic.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, back then, as far as I¡¯m concerned, attacks didn¡¯t work and I was freaked out by this. And it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had a name pop into my head.¡± (Kei)


    The name of the boss is only displayed when you first see him. So this is the second time we¡¯ve seen the hobgoblin in our mind.


    I saw Hobgoblin swinging his sword around as it approached me, and I just smacked the Wise Wolf¡¯s dagger to it.


    ¡°Gugat!¡± (Hobgoblin)


    The goblin¡¯s movement stopped with that one movement, and with a little effort, the goblin was flung backward.


    ¡°Hey, Hobgoblin¡¯s Fighting Power is 45.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s about it.¡± (Kei)


    Our current Fighting Power is in the latter half of 180. This happened because there is a difference in our stats by 4 times. If you think about it, the ratio of this difference is smaller than the difference between us and Rimdobmur.


    The power of Rimdobmur is a little over 1,000. It was five to six times more than we are now. We can¡¯t win. Because there is more difference between us and the Hobgoblin.


    With that in mind, I flicked the hobgoblin¡¯s sword with my knife. Of course, the counterattack skill is used there, and it steadily reduces its Strength.


    Already, Hobgoblin¡¯s body was swaying, and its hand holding the sword was trembling, almost dropping its sword every time it hits my knife.


    I continued to receive it without attacking at all. Yet Hobgoblin continued to swing his sword without rest, and finally, the sword slipped from its hand and its quivering body lay down on the ground.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be fooled by a counterattack that doesn¡¯t do any damage. So, Haru. Is there any difference between home and here?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t see any at the moment. I don¡¯t think there would be based on this. Oh.¡± (Haru)


    As a result of Haru¡¯s [Analysis], when she judged that there was no difference, I felt a sense of discomfort behind me and swung my knife.


    ¡°Gagu.¡± (Hobgoblin)


    There was a hobgoblin with its whole body glowing and striking at me. There were no wounds on its body, but it must not have had enough strength left to move. If that¡¯s the case, is this power the result of a skill? The skill may have increased its Fighting Power, but could it make up for the loss of Strength?


    Even as I thought about this, I firmly struck it with the side of my knife and flipped it away. The attack, which was much more powerful than before, was still too far away to reach me, and it rolled to the ground in the distance without being able to do anything.


    ¡°If there¡¯s no change, it¡¯s over?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah.¡± (Haru)


    I put away my knife, drew my sword, and approached the fallen hobgoblin. After all this time, the Black Wolf and the Minotaur seemed to have a high level of intelligence. If that was the case with this guy, he was born to be killed and tortured for experimentation. That¡¯s what he¡¯d say.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Kei)


    I couldn¡¯t help but think of such words. Maybe it was because I was caught off guard by the situation. Was it because they weren¡¯t the enemy in the first place? My mind was already far away from the battle. But that didn¡¯t mean there were no chances. From the point of view of the weak, this is their last chance.


    ¡°Gyaaaa!¡± (Hobgoblin)


    It roared with all its might, using its exhausted and unmoving body. And its glowed body.


    ¡°Brother, move back.¡± (Haru)


    Still, unfortunately. It¡¯s a good thing for us, I guess. The distance between the goblin and me was somewhat too far.


    The goblin¡¯s glowing body came at me, breaking the upper limit of its speed. I hurriedly thrust my sword out in front of me, but it was bounced by its strangely rigid body, and its other hand passed in front of me.


    With the sword flipped to the side and out of its hand, I follow Haru¡¯s instructions and step back, readying my knife. I thought it would give chase, and I would face it.


    But it didn¡¯t happen. No, it couldn¡¯t.


    It forcefully put one foot in front of the other as if chasing me and then stopped. Its eyes had lost their light and it was not looking anywhere.


    ¡°I guess it ran out of strength¡± (Haru)


    At the same time as Haru¡¯s words of confirmation, its body disappeared into mist from above, and all that remained of it was an increase in our power and announcement of a level up.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother it was pitiful. The situation has obviously changed after my last report.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, it was weird. Maybe it became stronger than the minotaur. It¡¯s both fast and tough.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. The cooldown of the analysis has just ended, so I tried to analyze it when it put its foot forward just before it died.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°How was it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Goblin King. The Fighting Power was 197 at that time, and the Fighting Power itself was declining at a considerable speed. I think we might have died if it were able to hit us.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s words caught me off guard. Haru said that we could have died. This means that you can never win by yourself. Well, that¡¯s just the way it is. Perhaps the Goblin King hadn¡¯t used his skills when my sword hit him. It¡¯s all about repelling the sword with sheer hardness.


    It is definitely more powerful than the Earth-Dragon.


    ¡°Maybe more than 400 Fighting Power before the Fighting Power went down.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, we won¡¯t be able to win. What the hell is with that mysterious phenomenon of the dungeon?¡± (Kei)


    I can¡¯t keep up with the dungeon based on my understanding. It¡¯s impossible to understand the dungeon in the first place.


    ¡°It was like a hero. It wasn¡¯t killed, we just kept being beating it up. In the end, it was about to be killed and I told it that it was pitiful.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Squeezing its last power, raising its voice, cutting its life and evolving. Finally, rewarded even by a little. It still died after crossing its limits. it is like it lived the life of a hero, right?¡± (Haru)


    However, unlike us who only have power, it confronted the overwhelmingly strong enemy with its power. The way it was rewarded by the strong, who called it an experiment and tortured it, before it died standing up, exhausted. I was a little shocked to see that it was like a hero itself.


    ¡°But you know what?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°We look like villains.¡± (Haru)


    I¡¯ve never thought that defeating monsters in dungeons was justice. I¡¯ve never thought of it as being for the good of the country, society, or others. I¡¯ve done it all for money and entertainment. And yet. We were children who were not ready to be part of society.


    Somehow, but for no reason. We have never been in the thick of society to be able to laugh at ourselves when we are accused of being the villains, the monsters.


    Once again, the meaning and depth of killing a living being have been deeply etched in my mind.


    Even so, I don¡¯t want to stop exploring the dungeon, yet I can¡¯t seem to straighten my thoughts.


    ¡°Are we going home today?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s expression was even more emotionless than usual. I¡¯m not sure what to do. I walked over to the magic circle that had appeared after the Goblin King had fallen, took a step back, picked up the small drop items scattered around my feet, and shoved them into my bag.


    Then we got on the magic circle. We thought about getting on it, but we thought about what would happen if there were people on the other side of the transition area, so we transitioned back to the entrance of the fifth level and walked the shortest route back to the dungeon entrance.


    ¡°Hmm? Are you okay? Don¡¯t be depressed because you couldn¡¯t defeat the monster. At first, everyone is like that.¡± (Explorer 1)


    ¡°Gahahaha. You were scared of the slime at first. Wow, it¡¯s moving. It¡¯s moving. It¡¯s moving, it¡¯s disgusting.¡± (Explorer 2)


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that when I¡¯m giving them advice as their senior.¡± (Explorer 1)


    I made my way up to the second level without being spotted and exited the dungeon with my face slightly raised, but it seemed that my face hadn¡¯t returned to normal, and I was approached and encouraged by some friendly old men.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah.¡± (Haru)


    I also thanked them in awkwardly and headed for the changing room. I glanced at the entrance to the Dungeon Dam and saw a thin layer of magic still buzzing around.


    I let out a sigh, wondering if I¡¯d have to think about how to deal with that one, took out the things in my locker, and headed for the locker room.

 CH 31

    I went to the locker room to change into the normal clothes I had brought with me and went outside. I stopped by the restroom and transferred the dropped items I had in my bag to my item pouch.


    Then I went to the lobby in front of the reception desk and saw Haru leaning against the wall. Looking earnestly at the back of the reception desk. No, she¡¯s looking at something in the reception area that requires her skills.


    I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s analyzed it as it was, but she took out a notepad and pen and was about to write it down, so I grabbed her hand and stopped her.


    ¡°What the! What are you doing? Don¡¯t scare me.¡± (Haru)


    Haru looks at me in a slightly moody tone.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°The fact that you just startled me and the way people are looking at me.¡± (Haru)


    Haru replied with a grimace. So,


    ¡°Well, 16-year-olds usually need parental permission and very few parents allow it. And today is a weekday so it¡¯s a school day. Moreover, Haru is average in height.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but¡­¡± (Haru)


    You can get a license to explore dungeons without parental permission as long as you are over the age of 16. However, it is not easy to prepare the equipment that is good enough for exploring.


    A simple metal bat is not considered a weapon, and armor is not available to the general public. If I wanted to get all of them, the cost would be beyond what a teenager could afford.


    In addition, even if they are able to get the weapons and armor, their license can be suspended at the discretion of their parents if they are under 18. That¡¯s why the rule prohibits 16-year-olds from exploring, and why no parent or guardian would allow them to explore dungeons where they can¡¯t make money or even risk their lives.


    That¡¯s why there was no one around us who seemed to be of the same age as us.


    ¡°By the way, why did you stop my hand?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°There are security cameras and people watching everything you write. If people saw what you wrote, they¡¯d realize it¡¯s not something you could have easily just observed.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, I see. So, are we leaving?¡± (Haru)


    I was a little confused by Haru¡¯s question about leaving the Dungeon Dam. I¡¯ve been feeling magic from things other than what¡¯s in this reception area for a while now.


    ¡°Haru, do you sense any other source of magical powers?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, Oh, I think it¡¯s that one. I found it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Even with our skills, we couldn¡¯t make a device that would automatically use our skills, and we didn¡¯t get any drops.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I looked it up in my [Analysis]. As it turns out, I couldn¡¯t inspect everything. It¡¯s probably a combination of skills and science.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what it is.¡± (Kei)


    A fusion of skill and science. It¡¯s not possible for an ordinary person to do that. But then again¡­


    ¡°You mean you have the production system skills that can be obtained by defeating the Minotaur, right? In other words.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That is a device made by the Self-Defense Forces at the forefront. It¡¯s something troublesome.¡± (Haru)


    It was bigger than I expected. I thought the ¡°Strongest Party¡± in the dungeon picked it up, but it seems that it was made by a larger organization than I previously expected. If so,


    ¡°It¡¯s a bad idea to check it out. Shall we leave?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. We can¡¯t even go out to eat.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent all my money on weapons and armor. Let¡¯s go home and have dinner there.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup.¡± (Haru)


    Fortunately, there were no devices at the exit, only guards, so we left as usual. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m doing anything criminal, but I¡¯ve gotten used to feeling like I¡¯m doing something wrong.


    We got on the train and went home without any problems.


    ¡°Now, can you tell me the results of the analysis of the device as far as you can remember?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, but it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. I¡¯ll start writing down what I found out now.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Lesser Wolf Iron ¡­ Iron with the magical power of Lesser Wolf [Perceive Nature]¡±


    ¡°Lesser Wolf Iron ¡­ Iron with the magical power of Lesser Wolf [Display]¡±


    ¡°Lesser Wolf Iron ¡­ Iron with the magical power of Lesser Wolf [Activate]¡±


    ¡°Lesser Wolf Iron ¡­ Iron with the magical power of Lesser Wolf [Connect]¡±


    ¡°I think this is the parts that were used, and the electronics are operating them in order to run that device.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°By the way, what is the effect of those skills?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Here they are.¡± (Haru)


    [Perceive Nature]


    Type: Skill


    Active Time: 3m


    Cool Down: 1m


    Examine target¡¯s skills


    [Display]


    Type: Skill


    Visualizing the information sent to living beings.


    [Activate]


    Type: Skill


    When an object that possesses a skill is touched, the skill possessed by the object is used externally.


    Always active, as a rule.


    [Connect]


    Type: Skill


    Active Time: Until the next skill is used


    Connects skills


    ¡°I wonder did they make it, by combining the parts with the [Activate] skill and the one [Display] skill together. Then they might have let both interact using and [Connect] every 4 minutes. Did they take the displayed information with a camera, turn it into electronic information, and store it?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s what you would normally think. Hmm? Come to think of it, you can¡¯t use your skills outside. What did they do? You can¡¯t use any of those skills outside, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. And that device was covered with a metal box except for the sides.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Wasn¡¯t that for protection?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That was something else, too. It¡¯s not manufactured, it¡¯s a genuine drop.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Micro Dungeon¡­ Creating a dungeon in a box.¡±


    ¡°So, you can use skills in that box. That¡¯s tricky. So, the magical power we saw is to grasp the qualities. By the way, what is the nature of that skill?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s the first skill that creatures can get regardless of their skill. Maybe it¡¯s similar to your [Perception] and my [Detection], but I wonder if it¡¯s okay to protect personal information.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s a newly created dungeon skill. You can make a lot of noise about privacy, but it¡¯s not clearly defined as personal information. This may change if there is a lawsuit in the future, but no one will be able to notice it in the first place. Compared to the magical power that moves with magic, the magical power that moves with skills is insignificant.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Even if your skill is magic-related, you won¡¯t know what skill you have until you defeat the 5th layer boss, so you only feel uncomfortable. It¡¯s quite troublesome.¡± (Haru)


    We both let out a sigh at our country¡¯s way of doing things as if they¡¯re not afraid of being found out, but we couldn¡¯t do anything about it, so we changed our focus.


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me. I didn¡¯t notice the drop last time and missed the self-appraisal.¡± ()


    ¡°Oh, by the way. Last time we missed [Self-Assessment] because we didn¡¯t notice the drop.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Here, the drops. We¡¯ve become something like villains. We should at least use what the main character goblin dropped.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yes, yes. The drop items are two Iron cards, one silver, one gold, and one black. Do you want to put off gold and black and use only iron and silver?¡± (Kei)


    I picked up the cards one by one and tried them out. I picked up the iron card, but it didn¡¯t work, so I picked up the silver card and it responded.


    ¡°Material: ?? Nature: ??¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± (Kei)


    Suddenly, something strange appeared in my mind and the card turned into a fog and disappeared. The card disappeared with it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong brother?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, something came up the moment I used my skill card.¡±


    ¡°Brother, I think you¡¯ve got some kind of analytical skill. I¡¯ll take a look. I¡¯ll show you. Oh, I got it. Can¡¯t you see it yourself? [Material Cognition].¡±


    Looking at my own hands and I think about [Material Cognition] and in my mind. Then,


    Material: Biological


    Fighting Power: 194


    Qualities:


    Stealth, Positioning, Material Cognition, Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain, Slow, Loss, Perception, Acceleration, Alchemy


    ¡°Oh, wow. But it¡¯s a lot harder to read than Haru¡¯s. Magic Capacity and Strength aren¡¯t separated. Magic, Skills, and Passives are indistinguishable.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, then it¡¯s a lower skill under [Analysis]. By the way, [Self-Assessment] can¡¯t see details like [Analysis]. And it seems that you can¡¯t see your Name, Skills, and Magic Attribute.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°In other words, [Self-Assessment] is a sub-skill of [Analysis], and [Material Cognition] skill is a sub-skill of [Self-Assessment]?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe yes. By the way, do you know the details of the skill?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hmm, this?¡± (Kei)


    [Material Cognition]


    Cooldown time: 10s


    First cognitive skill.


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°There¡¯s not much information. This is what it looks like when I use [Analysis].¡± (Haru)


    [Material Cognition]


    Type: Skill


    Cooldown time: 10s


    Perceive details of objects that have no magical resistance.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing about the ¡®first cognitive skill¡¯, but this one is more detailed. By the way, can you use [Material Cognition] on me? I¡¯m trying not to resist it as much as possible right now.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s impossible. Even if you don¡¯t resist, you still have a small amount of magical resistance.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± (Haru)


    While I was checking my skills, Haru uses a card I haven¡¯t used yet.


    ¡°I also found out my new skill.¡±


    Name: Haruka


    Proficiency: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: Fissure (Explosion) (Electric)


    Level: 56


    Strength: 64


    Magic Capacity: 132


    Skill: Analysis, Magic Bullets, Rampage


    Magic: (Bomb), (Time Bomb), (Impact), Number, (Plasma), Fissure, Separation, Barrier


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting / Magic Manipulation


    [T/N: So I changed the second item ¡°skill/¼¼ÄÜ¡± to proficiency since it seems to make more sense. I will retroactively change the other chapters with this. Thank you.]


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some pretty disturbing skills.¡± (Kei)


    I can¡¯t help but throw such words at me after seeing [Magic Bullet] and [Rampage].


    ¡°Yeah. [Magic Bullet] is a skill that just shoots magical power as it is, and [Rampage] just uses magic power to increase the ability.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, leave it at that until we can use it next time. Then, what about the gold and black?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I feel like I¡¯m with the gold one. That¡¯s where my eyes always go. If I didn¡¯t think about anything, I would probably use it before I realize it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I feel like that too. It feels like I¡¯m being pulled by the black one.¡± (Kei)


    Something magical is not happening, but it feels like my eyes are somehow always drawn to it.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll touch it. Here goes.¡± (Haru)


    I use the black card to match Haru¡¯s shout.


    It felt like the temperature of my body was suddenly burning up, but there¡¯s still a chill across my skin. Then distorted letters come to my mind.


    ¡°Domination.¡±


    As the letters disappeared, the heat of my body went away.


    ¡°How was it?¡± (Haru)


    Haru was smiling next to me while looking at me.


    ¡°[Domination]. I don¡¯t know the details.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Leave it to me, anyway, my card is a skill called [Skill Sublimation]. I couldn¡¯t learn any new magic or skills, but I could sublimate my skills. So I sublimated [Analysis] and added it to [Detection] to make [Inspection]. It doesn¡¯t mean that it doesn¡¯t matter what your magic resistance is, but it seems I can force anyone with less magic than me you accept the [Analysis].¡±


    Haru was so happy that she started to ramble on.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. What about my skills?¡± (Kei)


    As I listened, I released my own magic power to resist.


    But the magic power coming towards me from Haru became thinner and thinner, weaving between my magic power and approaching me with ease, touching me easily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t resist. I did it. Here it is.¡± (Haru)


    Name: Touka


    Proficiency: Enchant/ Alchemy


    Magic Attribute: None (Curse)


    Level: 56


    Strength: 79


    Magic Capacity: 115


    Skill: Stealth/ Positioning, Material Cognition, Domination


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain, Slow, Loss


    Passive: Perception / Acceleration / Alchemy


    ¡°And this is the result of using [Detection] on [Domination] that you¡¯re interested in.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Domination¡­ to control only those things that match one¡¯s ability.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t understand what that means.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t get it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to make dinner.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait. Tomorrow we¡¯ll go to the dungeon. Also, I¡¯ll look for a trash skill since it has a shorter cool time now that I have [Inspection].¡±


    As usual, we quickly put important matters out of our minds and returned to our peaceful lives.


    It would be a long time before we would notice the unsettling atmosphere in the dungeon.

 CH 32

    hree weeks have passed since then, and in dungeons all over Japan, parties have defeated the boss of the fifth layer, and after one party defeated it, many others followed suit.


    The hobgoblins were winnable without any skills, so they didn¡¯t struggle that much.


    The hardest part was the mental part. As we had experienced, hobgoblins have an overwhelmingly high defense compared to previous monsters, and you have to attack them repeatedly.


    They kept attacking with blunt weapons and sharp blades in an attempt to kill their humanoid opponents, and some people couldn¡¯t stand it and retired as explorers. Then, of course, the vacant party would have to find new members to explore with. That would also cause relationship problems.


    I heard that some people have already been detained due to excessive solicitation and fighting.


    It¡¯s possible to explore without four people like us, and leveling up is efficient, but it seems that people who have been doing it with four people are suddenly hindered by the fact that there are now three.


    Fortunately, no one was killed so far, and only a few were seriously injured at most.


    Speaking of the two of us, I¡¯m trying to make it to Tokyo and get daily meals. I¡¯ve been working at a high-paying day job to earn money for electricity and other things. Carrying stuff, 1500 yen per hour. Although my status doesn¡¯t have much effect outside the dungeon, I¡¯ve made it to level 50, so my Strength is equal to that of any burly macho man.


    Perhaps because of this, it was easier than expected to get a part-time job.


    Haru was smiling as she used her [Inspection] to look at the dropped items that she hadn¡¯t been able to check because of the one-minute cool time for [Analysis].


    In addition to that, I was happy that Haru took care of all the housework. I don¡¯t mean to be, but I¡¯ve become a full-time housewife and breadwinner.


    The cool time of [Inspection] seems to be 30 seconds, which means that she can see twice as much as before. In addition to that, she can now watch them all at once, which is a big deal. Unlike [Analysis], she could look at as many things at once as many as her mind could handle.


    And Haru was very good at it. She looked at dozens of things at once, leaving out the ones that contained skills, and even the ones that didn¡¯t, leaving out the descriptions of the new ones. Thanks to this, Haru didn¡¯t feel uneasy in my absence, and the next few days passed without a hitch.


    And now we are having breakfast and a family meeting. I¡¯ve been working part-time for 19 days at 1,500 yen an hour, so I have about 170,000 yen saved up. All of which has gone into savings and living expenses.


    ¡°Now, we¡¯ve defeated the Goblin King, or rather, it died? We hadn¡¯t done anything other than hunt in the sixth layer to collect food since the day before, but yesterday we finally got some good news.¡± (Kei)


    To be precise, I heard about it from a group of old explorers who are fellow part-timers.


    ¡°Has anything happened lately?¡± (Haru)


    Haru tilted her head. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not officially announced on the internet either.


    ¡°The number of people who have already defeated Hobgoblins is increasing. So, the distribution of items has started.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, we can make money with this.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°But it¡¯s cheap. So far, only meat and furs are being bought at high prices. The other stuff is hard to use, so they¡¯re selling it cheap.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, that means¡­¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, that means it won¡¯t make much money for now. We could make more money if we worked part-time.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I see.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s shoulders slumped. Well, it can¡¯t be helped. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to resume our dungeon exploration for entertainment.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we start diving in the dungeon today? I want to try out my new skills.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I want to go. I¡¯ll go too.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s eyes lit up at once and she was immediately on board.


    ¡°Want to get ready?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger.¡± (Haru)


    We were quick to prepare our equipment and spar for a bit before entering the dungeon.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have much variety in dungeon exploration these days.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. We can¡¯t go further beyond the forest. We still have a long way to go before we defeat Rimdobmur. Well, that¡¯s a good starting point?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes. Then we¡¯ll start the stampede as usual and experiment during the melee, okay?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yes, so please.¡± (Kei)


    I swiftly jump up the tree and look around. Obviously, I could only see trees.


    ¡°I¡¯m going. [Impact] [Decaple].¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s magic knocked down the surrounding trees.


    ¡°Then, I will too. [Bind]¡±


    Towards the tree whose roots have been scooped out by [Impact], we use a binding that uses coordinates to force the tree to fall in the outer direction as seen from us. By the way, the tree I¡¯m standing on is also falling outward, so I jumped off.


    From a distance, I hear a mixture of many monsters¡¯ screams. It¡¯s too chaotic to be described in words. Maybe there¡¯s a little more than usual, I¡¯m not sure.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this one.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯m taking this one.¡± (Haru)


    We walk back to back, and I activate my new skill.


    ¡°[Domination]¡± (Kei)


    It¡¯s not exactly magic, so I felt like I couldn¡¯t describe it in words, but for some reason, I felt like I should, so I did.


    My head is rapidly cooling down, and I can feel the magic power in my body bursting out. The magical power swirled around me, and when I put my hand out in front of me, the magical power was also put out in front of me in the form of a large hand.


    ¡°I am fully controlling my own magical power. Is this some kind of evolution of Haru¡¯s [Magic Manipulation]?¡± (Kei)


    I can move my magic power as if it were part of my body. However, although it should be a skill, my magical power is continuously consumed. It seems better to use it quickly.


    Boooooom!


    From behind me, I hear an explosion that can¡¯t be 10 or 20. It seems that Haru has also started. I wonder if she is using [Rampage] at this point.


    ¡°OK, will I do it too.¡± (Kei)


    Now that I can use magic as if it were a part of my body, it¡¯s easy to get rid of the limitations of magic.


    I¡¯m going to use the magic [Slow] without saying a word. Combining the power of [Positioning] so that it covers every enemy in an ultra-wide area.


    I then use Bind to cover that area. However, it is not used to bind.


    As if moving my hands and fingers, the larger-than-usual thorns created by Bind move around, slicing, gouging, and flicking monsters away. Pointing toward the center of the magic circle I had drawn, I would not allow a single one to escape.


    The thorny vines caught the monsters. Then precisely gathered them in the middle.


    I put my two palms together in a firm clasping of my palms. Then multiple vines approached, gathered, and squeezed the monsters all at once.


    After that, I seemed to have used up all of my magic power and fell into a daze. There was not a shadow of a monster around. Before I knew it, the sound of Haru¡¯s battle had also ceased.


    ¡°Good work. You¡¯re faster than me, huh?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it. I¡¯m not suited for extermination in the first place because of my skill set. So, how did you like your new skills?¡± (Kei)


    Haru starts talking after losing steam.


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really know, but when I used [Rampage], I was feeling a little high, and my magical limitations were gone. That¡¯s why I was using [Impact], [Separation], and [Plasma] at the same time, regardless of their attributes.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So the effect of [Rampage] was to remove any limitations?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, and it strengthens me. I think that¡¯s it. I think [Magic bullet] is an invisible bullet made up of pure magic power. If you can see the magic power directly like me, it¡¯s just a fast long-range attack. How about you?¡± (Kei)


    Now that I have a general understanding of Haru¡¯s skills, I will start explaining this as well.


    ¡°First of all, the same restrictions as in [Rampage] have been removed. It was possible to use magic without chanting at the same time. And I could move my magic like it was a part of me. Maybe it was a higher version of [Magic Manipulation]. Also, I think I was able to interfere with the magic in the air, though not in a significant amount.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hey. That means. Hey, can you use [Domination] for a while?¡± (Haru)


    I answered answer Haru¡¯s question while examining my body, I feel that my magical power has recovered a little.


    ¡°I can do it in a few seconds.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m going to use [Inspection], so please use [Domination] to resist. Here I go.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°[Domination]¡± (Kei)


    A thin layer of magic power is coming towards us along with Haru¡¯s one-sided resistance. It¡¯s not easy to dominate something like that.


    So I use [Domination] and use magical power to create a wall made with the magical power coming from Haru. Make sure there is no unevenness or gaps. Then Haru¡¯s [Inspection] cannot come here.


    I¡¯m going to use my magic to trap Haru¡¯s magic and return it to her. At the same time, the magical power of Haru¡¯s Inspection was mixed with my magical power for some reason, and the moment it hit Haru, characters came to my mind.


    Name: Haruka


    Proficiency: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: Fissure (Explosion) (Electric)


    Level: 56


    Strength: 64


    Magic Capacity: 132


    Skill: Analysis, Magic Bullets, Rampage


    Magic: Bomb, Time Bomb, Impact, Number, (Plasma), (Fissure), (Separation), Barrier


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting / Magic Manipulation


    [T/N: The author is still using ¡°detection¡± but previously he is using ¡°inspection¡±. I¡¯ll check it later if anything changes.]


    This is almost the same display as when Haru uses [Analysis] on me. In other words.


    ¡°It is possible to hijack other people¡¯s skills.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I have to resist, though. If I don¡¯t move my magic more carefully, they¡¯ll easily resist.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay.¡± (Kei)


    With Haru¡¯s advice, I picked up the drop items that were scattered around the area.


    I put all of them in my item pouch, go to the cave room with the stairs, and take out all of the drop items I put in my item pouch.


    Haru is now able to see all of the items at once with [Inspection], and I am able to examine the materials and skills in the items faster than Haru due to my [Material Cognition], so we decided to separate what we need from what we don¡¯t need before we leave.


    So,


    ¡°Two trash skills for today, and that¡¯s all we¡¯re taking home.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. Throw away other things.¡± (Haru)


    And so we enjoyed exploring the dungeon as usual.

 CH 33

    We woke up at the usual time and watched today¡¯s news on the Internet. I know I shouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s something interesting but it is in our interest to read this. There had been an incident in a dungeon.


    ¡°Unique Monster Appears in 9th floor of Tokyo Dungeon.¡±


    The headline was something like this, and the bottom line was that there was an unusual and powerful monster on the 9th floor. The problem was the damage caused by this, which resulted in three deaths. I heard that the last one escaped with his life.


    This was the first time that a dungeon had recorded a death after it had been opened to the public in Japan.


    Speaking of which, the dungeons in other prefectures that we don¡¯t hear much about have five of Japan¡¯s strongest parties moving from place to place at their expense, and they are always at the forefront. In addition, the number of explorers is much smaller than in the Tokyo dungeon, so problems are less likely to occur.


    According to our research, rare monsters, or unique monsters as they are called in the world, are the ones that appear when you frequently hunt monsters in a certain area.


    Of course, we¡¯ve also experimented with other levels besides the Forest and found that unique monsters don¡¯t appear in the first four levels and the boss rooms.


    In other words, the appearance of unique monsters this time is a phenomenon unique to Tokyo dungeons, where people are concentrated. Finally, there¡¯s bad luck, I guess they were unlucky enough to have an overwhelmingly strong monster appear.


    As a countermeasure, the group of heroes with the highest average level among the five strongest parties has been hurriedly called up from the Hokkaido dungeon to take them down. In addition to this, a total of ten parties, including special forces under the direct control of the government that have not been disclosed until now, will also participate to ensure the safety of the surrounding area.


    If they¡¯re going to do that, they should probably bring out the Self-Defense Forces, who are probably on the front lines, but I wonder if they¡¯re aiming to appeal to the Heroes¡¯ Party and the Self-Defense Forces. Maybe, they just want to keep the SDF on the frontlines.


    There was no information on the strength or appearance of the monsters, either to prevent foolish challengers who didn¡¯t know what they were capable of or because they didn¡¯t know in the first place.


    However, since he was able to destroy the party that was exploring the 9th floor, it seems that the strength of the party is well above level 20.


    One of our recent accomplishments is that we have acquired a magic tool for the first time in a long time. Haru examined it and found this.


    ¡°Skill box ¡­ Can store a certain number of skills¡±


    The shape is similar to an ordinary metal box, which is why we expected it to be a Micro Dungeon at first, but it was completely different.


    We didn¡¯t know how to use it, but as we tried it out, we found out that if you put something with a skill on top and pour magic power into the magic circle on the side, the thing on top would disappear and only the skill would be stored in the box.


    We got carried away and used all the skill plates in the skill box, but there seemed to be more skills in the box than we thought, so we never lost any skills. By the way, we have over 100 garbage skills in our skill box.


    In addition to that, I was saddened by the fact that all the skill storage plates that we worked so hard to make were used and disappeared. We should have used them in the skill box after transferring the skills to other trash drops through alchemy.


    The only way to get the skills out of the skill box is to put a non-skill item on top and put a lot of magic power into the magic circle next to it while reminding yourself what skill you want to get out. It usually takes about 10 magic power for each skill.


    Also, if I used Alchemy, I could do it easily with almost no magic power consumption.


    Now that the season has turned to June and the weather is getting wet and humid, we got a leak in our house. It seems that the normal rain was no problem for us, but we couldn¡¯t handle the constant downpour. That¡¯s why.


    ¡°OK, let¡¯s renovate.¡± (Haru)


    Haru said cheerfully, and I wondered what kind of nonsense she was talking about. But if I think about it, we can use both Alchemy and Crafting. If we could use this somehow, we could make the house stronger.


    We started by taking out various materials from the pots that could no longer be used, as they had already exceeded their limits.


    There was a good variety of stone and wood materials alone, and even the low-level materials that we had no use for were saved as five samples each, so we could choose any color we wanted.


    I looked for materials that were closer to the color of the walls of the house and took them out. Even though I had the materials ready, if I tried to work on a sunny day, I would be exposed, so I decided to work on a rainy day. Fortunately, it¡¯s supposed to rain heavily tomorrow, followed by a few days of sunshine.


    This meant that we had to gather the missing materials today. Having decided on all the materials to be used for the outside of the house, the next step is to decide on the materials to be used for the inside of the house. This is not visible from the outside of the house, so we don¡¯t have to weigh ourselves down. We can freely use materials from the Forest here.


    There are plenty of Forest materials in the jar, so what¡¯s missing are materials for the outside of the house.


    I¡¯ve only left samples of what I can get at the lower levels, so we¡¯ll need to go hunting, but the amount will be small since it¡¯s only the surface anyway. A few dozen kilos should be enough.


    ¡°Okay, Haru. We¡¯re going hunting.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger.¡± (Haru)


    We quickly put on our gear, finished our sparring, and went into the dungeon.


    We had to go through several levels this time, and there was a possibility we might have to go back and forth, so we didn¡¯t use transition. Since we could only use it once for each trip, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to save it for emergencies.


    However, we didn¡¯t want to waste time, so we ran at full speed from layer 1 to layer 6 without killing any monsters.


    Since we didn¡¯t have to worry about the eyes around us, we got there in about 30 minutes. As expected of our level 50+ status.


    So, I went down the floors without fighting the Hobgoblin, and at first, we played with golems in the 7th layer. Actually, it¡¯s not as cute as it sounds, since it was a one-sided massacre of booms and smash. After all, Haru shoots attacks all over the place with [Magic Bullets], so monsters keep coming closer.


    In any case, monsters seem to be quicker to appear from places that are not included in people¡¯s search for them, and they come out endlessly. And about ten percent of those monsters are golems.


    It¡¯s so easy to just swing your sword at them and they¡¯ll come right at you and die. I don¡¯t know how long we kept doing this.


    I couldn¡¯t tell you the exact time because I wasn¡¯t looking at my watch, but let¡¯s just say it was until our eyes started to glaze over. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re bored either.


    So we went down to the lower levels and killed a Black Wolf with one blow to relieve stress, then took a break at the exit of layer 10.


    The next thing to hunt is the Treant that appears in the 13th level. It¡¯s a so-called tree monster, but because it¡¯s in a cave, it can¡¯t mimic anything at all, and the other party probably doesn¡¯t want it to, either, because the ground is a dungeon so it can¡¯t be buried, and it moves its roots dexterously to come at you. I was surprised when I first saw it.


    ¡°Gee.¡± (Haru)


    Now I¡¯m destined to accompany Haru¡¯s scornful words and before long, we¡¯re bored to death.


    And so we continued to hunt here.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this anymore.¡± (Kei)


    To the extent that two of us say such words.


    After a while, all the materials were gathered and we headed back to the house. It was 10:00 p.m. and we were exhausted, so we transitioned home. We had only brought lunch with us, so we hadn¡¯t eaten dinner. However, my mind was more exhausted than my body.


    ¡°Not hungry. Sleep.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Me too.¡± (Kei)


    We both went to bed without eating dinner. Incidentally, we killed one unique monster while gathering wood. It was weak, so there was no problem. The drop was a staff made of wood. The handle was about a meter long and gnarled like an old tree, and on the tip was amber with a magic circle instead of an insect.


    It also had a skill attached to it: ¡°Sanctuary¡­ create a space that is inaccessible to monsters¡­¡±


    What a powerful skill, I thought, but there was more to this sentence.


    ¡°¡­can only be used by those with Heal Proficiency.¡±


    Well, to put it simply, from our point of view, it¡¯s just a wand with beautiful decorations and a magic circle engraved on it.


    It was my first time to have an item with strong skills, so I expected it, but that expectation was ruined. I thought it would be a good idea to combine that skill with another garbage skill, and the decoration of the staff itself was so beautiful that we kept it as it was without any modification.


    ~3rd Person Perspective~


    By the way, the 10 exploration parties under the direct control of the government were investigating the dungeon by the time the Hero Party returned. In the first place, how were the 40 members of the government¡¯s direct troops selected? It was based on some unexpected and surprising criteria. Ability and experience. That¡¯s it.


    Many members of the police and fire departments have extensive experience in martial arts, and from among them, those with the best abilities are selected. With the consent of the individual, they recruited to become explorers under the direct control of the government.


    They are commonly referred to as the Advanced Explorers, and they work according to the instructions of the upper management of Dungeon Management.


    So why aren¡¯t the Self-Defense Forces the first ones to explore the dungeon?


    The SDF¡¯s job is national defense. The SDF¡¯s job is to protect the safety of the civilian population, but protecting civilians who go into dungeons on their own is somewhat beyond the SDF¡¯s jurisdiction. That is why there are no explorers in the SDF, only experienced explorers.


    In addition, the Self-Defense Force is not involved in the dungeon because the members who challenged the 15th layer were wiped out, leaving only one member.


    The members of the Advanced Explorers are only made up of those with A and B level qualities. These qualities, or skills, are ranked according to their merits, ranging from D to S class.


    Class D is 40 percent of the total, Class C is 50 percent, Class B is 9 percent, and Class A is just under 1 percent. The last 0.1 percent of the population was considered to be S-class.


    If it is D class, [Scream] an ability to emit a loud voice to frighten enemies and [Cool] that can lower the temperature of things to 1 degree.


    If it is C class, [Light Step] helps you with movement and make what you carry lighter, and [Perception] that can help you see nearby creatures.


    If it is a B grade, you can see the status of the other party using [Detection] or ¡°Prediction¡±, which allows you to see the possible behavior of the other party.


    If you¡¯re in the A level or higher, you¡¯ll have a skill that only the upper echelons know about.


    Then, what kind of work does the Hero Party do in front of such exemplary members? It seems that the upper echelons will only secretly smile.

 CH 34

    When we woke up in the morning, it was raining hard outside. And the sound of water dripping into a bucket inside the house. The house is currently leaking.


    Luckily or unluckily, it was raining hard and the wind was blowing a bit, and not a single car was passing by outside. To begin with, I don¡¯t see many cars even on a sunny day.


    ¡°Well, brother. Let¡¯s do it.¡± (Haru)


    Haru changed into her usual exploration gear for safety and put on a jacket over it.


    I changed into a similar outfit and made sure I had all the necessary items in my item pouch before heading out.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really raining.¡± (Kei)


    The rain was coming down in force, and without the convenience of a waterproof spray, our shoes were soaked in no time at all. Still, thanks to our thorough modifications, the spikes were solid. They were metal spikes, so they wouldn¡¯t slip in the rain or on the ice.


    I looked around, based on my [Perception] and Haru¡¯s [Detection], there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone around. So,


    Let¡¯s start working?¡± (Kei)


    I take a few steps backward and kick the ground to make sure I¡¯m not slipping. Once I was sure I wasn¡¯t slipping, I kicked the muddy ground firmly, ran towards the house at full speed, and jumped as high as I could.


    My hands easily caught the roof, and my momentum carried me up to the top of the roof. I lay on my stomach and reached down and pulled Haru up as she grabbed me.


    First of all, the roof tiles of our house. All of them needed to be made of stone from the dungeon. But if we tried to do that, we¡¯d need as many items as there were tiles.


    Then we thought about it. Oh, by the way, the concrete powder in the basement. We must not have disposed of it. Concrete is stone if you think about it. Okay, let¡¯s connect all the tiles. So I mixed the concrete with water and brought it to the item pouch in a usable state.


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    I put them in a narrow line and connected all the tiles.


    It was difficult to put it on the tiles properly because it would be washed away by the rain. In this way, the roof tiles were all connected, although the concrete was not yet solid. Now, let¡¯s move on to Alchemy.


    By touching the roof with my right hand and putting my left hand in the item pouch, I can change the material of the roof one by one.


    The stones we collected were more than enough, and we were able to turn all the tiles into dungeon materials. Next, we peeled off a tile and touched the wood underneath it.


    Water had probably gotten through the wood and caused it to decay, which in turn caused it to leak. So, I used [Alchemy] on the wood under the roof to turn it into dungeon material. Since this area is not visible from the outside, I used materials from the Forest to the fullest. Then we moved on to the finishing touches.


    If I don¡¯t do this, people with [Analysis], [Appraisal], and [Detection] type skills will know that the materials are dungeon materials. In order to avoid that, I had to make some modifications on my own, since I didn¡¯t have [Crafting]. Then I thought of something. To be precise, I came up with the idea of the concrete roof.


    I would have to destroy what I added. I used a hammer to break the concrete lines that had been turned into dungeon material. Just like that, the dungeon material loses its original strength and is no longer dungeon material.


    However, it doesn¡¯t lose its durability. It¡¯s just that there is no compensation for durability like in the dungeon. If that were all, it would be hard enough compared to ordinary stone. Thus, our roof was reborn as a sturdy roof of unknown material.


    Next was the walls, but there was not much to do here. I just wrapped the house with hemp string, changing it into a dungeon material all at once and breaking it. Since hemp is a plant, I figured I could turn it into dungeon material all at once.


    My plan was successful, and after using [Alchemy] on the walls all at once and somehow cutting the hemp cord that was no longer hemp, I found that the walls had also become strong walls of unknown material.


    After repeating the same process all the way to the inside of the house, we finished the renovation of the house in the evening.


    Now, we can celebrate the renovation of the house.


    ¡°Let¡¯s celebrate! We¡¯re going to renovate the basement next.¡± (Haru)


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    Oh, that¡¯s right. Right.


    The walls and ground of the basement were wood and stone and should be remade with [Alchemy. Then, there¡¯s something I noticed there.


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    Maybe this house is defective.


    No, the foundation is solid and it doesn¡¯t seem to lean, but there seems to be a cavity under the floor. The sound is not found all throughout the house, and magic only goes under the floor, even though it is supposed to be connected to the ground when I use [Alchemy]. I checked it out and found a cavity up to two meters high.


    It seems that the dungeon extending far underground is a support pillar, so it won¡¯t sink.


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of the dungeon, if it sank with the passage of time, or if it was originally a defective house. I¡¯m not sure, so I took the item pouch to the woods near the house, got some soil, and filled the hollow area. In addition, I used [Alchemy] with the leftover stone, so no problem.


    It¡¯s easy to forget when you¡¯re playing games all the time, but even soil will turn into rock after it¡¯s been compressed for a long time. There¡¯s no problem.


    By the way, the way to put soil into the cavity under the floor is to first drill a hole about five centimeters in diameter in the floor. Insert the mouth of the item bag filled with soil into the hole. Only take out the soil from inside. Voila, easy.


    So, I¡¯ve finally finished renovating our house.


    ¡°Good job.¡± (Haru)


    Haru is clapping her hands behind me.


    ¡°Then make dinner, Brother.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Let me take a break.¡± (Kei)


    I complained, but I made sure to cook dinner.


    Now that it has become part of my routine, I do it even when I¡¯m tired. I¡¯d like to say that, but I regret that I didn¡¯t make it yesterday, so I quickly made it and we both started eating.


    ¡°By the way, Haru. When will the brave man go to Tokyo? I¡¯d like to see them for the time being.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? Hmmm¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be flying or exploring Tokyo right away, so maybe in a few days?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then, do you want to go to Tokyo that day?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°All right.¡± (Haru)


    It was raining hard, so our run was canceled. We took a quiet bath and got a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Then I noticed something.


    ¡°Haru didn¡¯t do much today, did she?¡± (Kei)


    By the time I realized this, Haru was already asleep, and I decided to cry myself to sleep. By the way, I¡¯m the type of person who forgets details after sleeping.


    ~3rd Person Perspective~


    Today, the members of the Advanced Exploration Team are still investigating the Tokyo dungeon. Some are good at fighting, some are good at scouting, and some are good at supporting.


    At the moment, two parties of eight are working together, with safety being the top priority.


    In some dungeons, there is a disadvantage to exploring with more than four people. Enemies defeated by more than five people will not leave anything behind.


    It¡¯s exhausting. It¡¯s a waste of time and effort. So what kind of person would want to play in a large group? That¡¯s the kind of people who aren¡¯t looking for experience or items.


    For example.


    Someone who has to get rid of a certain powerful monster.


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    Since the boss is currently moving around the 9th floor, ordinary people are not allowed to enter the 9th floor. However, there is no need to go through the 9th floor if you have defeated the Black Wolf at least once because there is a transition zone.


    In the first place, there are only so many parties of explorers that can go to the 9th floor that can be counted on one hand, so there¡¯s no reason to complain.


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    By the way, there was a unique monster that tried to go up to layer 8 once, and they engaged it. The Fighting Power of the unique monster was just out of this world. The Advanced Explorers also had strong skills, but that wasn¡¯t limited to the fighting kind. Still, all of them had risen to the level of defeating the Black Wolf in a party.


    Such members fought with 16 people, ignoring demerits, and the result was defeat. They managed to escape to the ninth layer to bring the monsters back to the ninth layer, and the members who escaped went their separate ways to meet up with the rest of the party.


    It was the day after tomorrow when the brave group arrived at the Tokyo Dungeon. Feeling pathetic, the Advanced Explorers awaited the arrival of the Hero Party.

 CH 35

    Please.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, I have confirmed. Please note that access to the 9th floor is currently prohibited.¡± (Receptionist)


    ¡°Haha, I wish I had the ability to go that deep.¡± (Kei)


    We¡¯re currently in a Dungeon Dam. We finished the renovation the day before yesterday and it was still raining heavily yesterday, but today it cleared up and it was easy to come to Tokyo.


    The shoes were soaking wet, so I added [Dryer] to them, which I found in the trash skills, and they dried up nicely. However, in its current state, it is a bother, so I removed it.


    Speaking of which, the [Perceive Nature] device at the reception had disappeared before I knew it.


    It seems that the Hero Party is currently in the dungeon market filming for a live TV broadcast.


    I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because of that, but I think there are a few people in the Dungeon Dam.


    ¡°Then, Haru. See you later.¡± (Kei)


    As we split up and went to the changing room, I heard a voice from outside.


    ¡°We, the Hero Party, take pride in our name. We will safely defeat the unique monster!¡± (Yuki)


    It seems that the group of heroes is about to embark on a quest. Will it get more and more crowded from now on?


    When I finish changing my clothes in a hurry, I leave the changing room with my bag with my change of clothes.


    I was earlier than Haru today, so I took out the money and opened the door of the coin locker, and Haru came and we packed our things together.


    ¡°Hey, hurry up. By the way, the Hero Party can go up to the 10th floor, but we can only go up to the 5th floor.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I forgot.¡± (Haru)


    It¡¯s a ridiculous situation, but it can¡¯t be helped because we¡¯ve defeated more than 100 Black Wolves at home dozens of times. We might not have any choice on the matter.


    I walked into the dungeon with Haru pushing me and the Hero Party being interviewed at our side.


    When we enter the nearby transition area, we touch the magic circle and think of the 5th-floor exit, my vision changed as usual, and we are now on the 5th floor.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll have to keep our speed down since we¡¯ll be noticed. (Kei)¡±


    ¡°What about the route?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a rough map lying around on the Internet, so I¡¯ve memorized it. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    We headed towards the 9th floor with a short run. We met a lot of explorers on the way, but they seemed to have developed a manner of walking on the right side of the road, keeping their distance and looking up.


    According to them, since most people are right-handed, attacking the left would delay them for a moment. Someone suggested it to curb the killing and wounding in the dungeon, and it spread.


    Walking is genuinely safer than running. Both for you and your opponent.


    The only reason to look up is so that people will remember your face when you commit a crime.


    So we keep running, and when other explorers pass by, we move to the right and walk. The only thing is that they remember our faces, so we hide them under our clothes and wear chains around our necks. Of course, we have alchemized it with dungeon materials and given it certain garbage skills.


    ¡°Worthless¡­ loses impression for a certain amount of time.¡±


    Well, to put it simply, although we can¡¯t disguise ourselves, our faces become less memorable. As long as people don¡¯t stare at your face when they pass us, I think we¡¯ll be fine.


    I also added the [Activate] skill, which we only had two of, because without that it would only make the chain less memorable.


    I had experimented before and found out that if you put more than one skill on one object, the one you put the skill on will break. I prepared two short chains, attached the skills separately, and then connected them into one chain.


    From there, we continued straight through the dungeon, and when we entered the seventh level, we started to look around. Currently, the highest floor an ordinary person can reach is the 11th floor. However, more than two months have passed, and the difference in ability is starting to show.


    So it seems that the people on the front lines are often on the 7th floor.


    In other words, the people we see around here are excellent adventurers, if not the best. It would be troublesome if someone were to remember our faces.


    It had been a long time since we had a hard time getting down to the 9th floor since we¡¯re changing our route so as not to meet other explorers.


    ¡°Haru, how about the actions of the people around?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes. There are two people in the area that even brother can see. Something¡¯s wrong.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯m not misunderstanding it then.¡± (Kei)


    There are two people in the range of [Perception] that I can confirm, but the reaction is unusually small for both of them. However, the Fighting Power also does not seem to be strong.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a skill like [Stealth]? It¡¯s probably much stronger than [Stealth].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Ah, if you have a strong skill that is not suitable for your level, that would be the case. So, because our level is high, still even with the high level of their skill, we were still able to detect them.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Probably. Brother, let¡¯s work together to see through it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If we¡¯re not careful, they¡¯ll find out, and then we¡¯ll have to run.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I only check the least I can.¡± (Haru)


    It¡¯s been a month since the King Goblin incident. We¡¯ve been experimenting and raising our levels in the Forest. This is why you can find new ways to use the same skills and magic.


    First of all, we became more aware of the two people I was checking out and joined hands with Haru. Haru passed her magic power with [Detection] through me once and I deliver it to them adding the effect of [Stealth].


    An undetectable thread of magic power reaches out and touches them. For a moment.


    The moment the magic touched them, they began to look around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Haru.¡± (Kei)


    We immediately leave the scene and run through a different path than the two of them.


    ¡°So how was it?¡± (Kei)


    After running a good distance, make sure there is no one around and then I ask Haru.


    ¡°I only saw it for a moment, so I could only confirm only a bit of it. I didn¡¯t have time to transmit the magical power fully, so I don¡¯t know their name and gender.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you know only the important parts. And that¡¯s one man and one woman. Their skeletal built was like that.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s the chopping block for a person who grasps another person¡¯s gender through their skeleton.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It is true that it was hard to tell from the appearance because of the hood. So, what was the result of the [Inspection]?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, the skills were [Colorless and Transparent] and [Harmless Doll]. Both are skills for hiding. The performance of these skills is far different from that of [Stealth]. It was leagues better, so it¡¯s probably a top-tier skill.¡± (Haru)


    The difference between the two skills must be overwhelming because Haru said they were different by an enormous margin. I was curious, so I asked her about the detailed results of her [Inspection].


    ¡°[Colorless and Transparent] interferes with the other person¡¯s vision, hiding their own appearance and even reducing the color of their presence. [Harmless Doll] would let the user distract and disguise themselves until they struck their first blow. Now, that¡¯s a lot of cloak and dagger skills to pull off.¡± (Haru)


    I couldn¡¯t help but cringe at the cheating nature of the skill Haru had revealed to me.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You can¡¯t win against that much stealth.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°They¡¯re geniuses, huh?¡± (Haru)


    Boom!


    I stopped talking and listened carefully to the sound of a small explosion coming from far away.


    The sound reverberates well in the cave. However, perhaps it¡¯s a dungeon phenomenon, but the sound doesn¡¯t reverberate as much as in a normal natural cave. At best, it¡¯s comparable to the inside of a house. If you don¡¯t have good ears, you won¡¯t notice.


    It was hard to tell because of the echoes, but I slowly walked toward the direction I thought was probably this way.


    Boom!


    The explosion rang out again. However, it was clearly louder than before.


    I could also hear the sound of metal clashing against metal. And then.


    ¡°Brother, there are too many presence reacting.¡± (Haru)


    Haru, who knows a wider area than I do, seemed to have seen the battle. But.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®too many¡¯? Monsters, unique monsters?¡± (Kei)


    In the dungeon, we don¡¯t use numbers except for monsters. The reason for this is that there are various restrictions placed on us.


    There is a numerical value called [Status] that is required to progress through the dungeon, it is also a level requirement for wearing equipment. And then,


    ¡°There are more than four people fighting.¡± (Haru)


    There¡¯s a limit to the number of people you can have in a dungeon, and just one more person means you can¡¯t take advantage of the dungeon.


    ¡°With that feeling, there is only one unique monster and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the Heroes, but there are 12 explorers. There are 3 parties.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Does that mean they¡¯re only interested in defeating it?¡± (Kei)


    As I walked slowly and cautiously, I could see that there was a battle going on within the range of [Perception], as well as several parties that were not participating in the battle.


    There are six parties in total, including the parties engaged in battle. Including us, that would make seven parties. [T/N: Since the two Hero Party is not formally introduced to the MCs I¡¯ll address them as such: Hero ¨C Yuki, Shield ¨C Gouta, Healer ¨C Risa, Magician ¨C Arisu.]


    ¡°[High Heal]¡± (Voice)


    I hear a voice from the non-combatant party.


    ¡°[High Power]¡± (Voice)


    Furthermore, it seems that the Enchanter was included in the party that was not fighting.


    It seems that the limit on the number of people in a dungeon does not matter if you are just looking around. However, cooperation was not allowed. Enchanting and Healing constitutes sufficient cooperation. This seems to indicate that there are six parties fighting.


    Now, beyond even our grasp, we came to a distance where we could see the battle. It was a large space in the dungeon. It¡¯s a place we¡¯ve used for hunting Treants. Even in different dungeons, such open spaces still exist. Covering Haru and me with magic, I activate [Stealth] with all my concentration.


    Normally, the magic power is only used to an unrecognizable degree, but little by little it is used.


    I look at the open space and see eight explorers there, shields and swords at hand, armed and ready, clad in silver armor, blocking the movement of the rampaging monsters. Around them, I see three parties of explorers with staffs and swords.


    And then there are the four explorers dressed in equipment that anyone who sees them will know is expensive. Two vanguards and two rearguards who are older than us but still quite young. The name of the group was the Hero Party. The Fighting Power of the group is overwhelming compared to the other explorers, and the other explorers seem to be doing little more than slowing them down.


    And then there was a large knight who blocked all of their attacks and turned to attack. He was probably about two and a half meters tall. It is wrapped in pitch-black armor and holds a pitch-black sword and a pitch-black shield, and moves quickly without feeling heavy.


    ¡°Black Knight, Fighting Power is 165, so stronger than a Minotaur.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Seriously.¡± (Kei)


    While talking, I see the Black Knight in the distance, but even though he is attacked, only scratches are left on its armor.


    ¡°Get down!¡± (Shield)


    The vanguard goes down according to the words shouted by the Shield of the Hero Party, and the sword of the Black Knight shines, and it made a wide slash.


    No one was hurt thanks to the quick decision.


    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s go!¡± (Hero)


    The people who had retreated charged the Black Knight again at the sound of a young man¡¯s voice. Even though they were no match for him, they did not show any sign of giving up.


    Inspiring trust from his surroundings and wiping out fear and anxiety with just one phrase.


    I thought he was just like a Hero.


    However, they were unknowingly taking a step towards a tragedy.

 CH 36

    ¡°Raaaaa!¡± (Black Knight)


    The Black Knight¡¯s roar echoed through the cave. Of course, the voice was different from conventional beasts. It sounded like the yell of a creature that spoke a language.


    ¡°[Shield Bash]¡± (Shield)


    When the shield of the Hero Party¡¯s Shield shines, it smashes against the Black Knight and the monster loses its posture.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s deal with it!¡± (Hero)


    The leader of the Hero Party swung his sword down. Alongside the attack, it signals the other members to use multiple skills to attack the Black Knight.


    ¡°Raaaaaa!¡± (Black Knight)


    The Black Knight blocks the attack by sticking out its shield. Still, the number of attacks cannot be suppressed, and it suffers several wounds from slashes on its back.


    However, the Black Knight¡¯s armor was hard. The slashes did leave cuts in the armor, but it was far from penetrating.


    ¡°Yuki, the armor is impossible to destroy. Let¡¯s break his stance and aim for the joints!¡± (Shield)


    ¡°Roger that!¡± (Hero => Yuki)


    It seems that the leader of the party is Yuki. Yuki holds his sword parallel to the ground and moves from side to side, making his way towards the Black Knight.


    ¡°I¡¯m going. [Inferno]¡± (Magician)


    Fire magic flew from the Magician of the Hero Party flew towards the Black Knight at a breakneck speed, but it was just slashed by its great sword. However, the flame spreads. The Fire magic was scattered and starts to burn its surrounding. That was [Inferno].


    The slashed [Inferno] left some of its flames on its sword, thus the Black Knight was soon burning too.


    ¡°Graaaaawr!¡± (Black Knight)


    The Black Knight swung its sword and shield chaotically, perhaps trying to dispel the flames. However, its movements were without thought leaving the monster full of gaps.


    ¡°[Heaven¡¯s Judgement]¡± (Yuki)


    Yuki¡¯s skill cuts through its neck that wasn¡¯t covered in armor.


    ¡°Gaaaaah!¡±


    Blood spurts from the neck, but the attack did not fully penetrate and the Black Knight swung its sword, screaming in pain.


    ¡°I can see a way to win. All of you, let¡¯s take this seriously!¡± (Yuki)


    ¡°¡±Yeah!¡±¡± (Party Members)


    ¡°¡±¡±Yes!¡±¡±¡± (Party Members)


    Yuki¡¯s voice gave the whole team momentum again.


    ¡°Everyone should go with their maximum power. Vanguards charge!¡± (Yuki)


    ¡°¡±Gooo!¡±¡± (Vanguards & Shield)


    Following the instructions of the Hero, the armored explorers and the Shield of the Hero Party¡¯s shields shine and they attack the Black Knight with a completely different momentum.


    Their sword shines, their shield shines, and even their armor shines. Soon they overrun the Black Knight from all directions like a barrage of bullets showering its target. If the Black Knight tries to raise its hands, an attack from different directions will be directed to the joint of its arms. If it tries to kick, the attacks will come for the back of its knees, and they continue to hold it down with far more violent attacks.


    ¡°The skill is nearly over. Get back! Magic barrage!¡± (Yuki)


    As soon as they saw the light of one of the swords go out, the instructions echoed and the vanguards distanced themselves from the Black Knight.


    At the same time from behind the vanguards, lightning, fire, water, ice, and earth that should have interfered with each other attack the Black Knight. This is because they are targeting the same thing, all of the attacks hit their target.


    ¡°Trappers start setting up! Healers the vanguards.¡± (Yuki)


    Accurate instructions flew around on the spot, and the damage suffered by the 6 parties disappeared, and they are battle-ready once again.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± (Black Knight)


    The Black Knight, who was blown away by the barrage of magic, stood up and thrust its sword with its shield, even though its body was tattered.


    The Black Knight¡¯s legs started glowing and its movements speed up.


    The explorers are also buffed with [Speed] to make their eyes catch up with the speed, but they are far from skilled. The explorers have not been able to match their senses with their bodies. It¡¯s to the extent that they are at the mercy of the skillful footsteps of the Black Knight.


    The Black Knight in front of them instantly turns around and slashes the back of the explorers, but the shields of the others prevent him from doing so, so he blows the shields away with all his might.


    However, the brute force of sheer numbers was still frightening. No matter how vigilant you are, you can¡¯t eliminate every opening. No matter how you do it, there will always be a blind spot somewhere. The more opponents you have, the more blind spots you will have.


    ¡°[Rush]!¡± (Shield)


    The Black Knight who was running around between people at high speed is pushed by a skill struck it from behind, and was suddenly pushed forward. Even if it doesn¡¯t fall, it becomes a fatal gap, and the Black Knight is attacked by a wave of skills again.


    Unable to attack, it is attacked by an avalanche of attacks.


    In this dungeon that acknowledges power. Humans break the rule of four people and just attack. There is not a sliver or shadow of a knight¡¯s pride, and the number of scratches on the black armor increases and it soon loses its deep luster.


    ¡°Vanguards get back!¡± (Yuki)


    The wave of skills attacking it subsides, and it wields its great sword skillfully even as it suffers, but at that time the Black Knight already ran out of time and its attack does not reach.


    ¡°Magic Barrage!¡± (Yuki)


    And then the bullets of light bombarded it. A number of enhanced spells pile up tearing, burning and piercing the body of the Black Knight.


    Even if it blocked the bombardment with its shield, it cannot be suppressed by the power of the Black Knight, and its shield shifted from the magical impact. And pain rained in its body again.


    ¡ªWhy is this happening? Why do they break the rules and fight through sheer numbers?¡ª


    Again, the vanguards approach the Black Knight and simultaneously activated skills.


    ¡ªI was born to fight these explorers.¡ª


    The sword raised by the Black Knight is blown behind. It doesn¡¯t have enough strength to hold its sword.


    ¡ªMy reason for living is trampled by inexcusable trickery.¡ª


    ¡°[Prestige].¡± (Yuki)


    The Black Knight, who used its shield skills to push through the limit of its power, nevertheless shines. It tries to compete with Yuki, who has increased in speed and power and gradually begins to be pushed back.


    ¡ªI can¡¯t survive the sheer inexcusable scheming of multiple enemies. I get back.¡ª


    Yuki brushes off the shield that the Black Knight, who was already unarmed, that it lifted as its last stand.


    Yuki¡¯s attack destroys the shield that continued to resist until the end.


    ¡°Now, take this!¡± (Yuki)


    ¡ªI will kill you.¡ª


    ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡± (Yuki)


    The blade, which was approaching from behind its neck, loses power and is repelled by the dull armor, and falls to the ground.


    The black knight stood up fluttering, blood dripping down its armor.


    In its hand, was a man wrapped in silver armor dyed red.


    ¡°Die! Die!¡± (Vanguard)


    The body of the Black Knight is covered in black mist, and its body swells. More violently, morphing to something more savage.


    There it was, a beast of carnage clad in black iron scraps.


    Haru and I were watching the battle from a distance. The black knight showed off some amazing moves that even we couldn¡¯t help but notice and tossed around a lot of explorers. I¡¯d love to learn from him.


    A lone knight who defies the strength of many. I think that¡¯s a much cooler nickname than ¡°Hero¡±.


    The Hero Party and the others are gradually increasing the damage by piling up weak attacks under precise instructions. There were some dangerous moments along the way, such as being blown up or slashed, but in no time at all, the party that was not participating in the battle would help with recovery, so no one would die or even be seriously injured.


    ¡°If it stays like this, I think they can win.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Black Knight can¡¯t keep up with their number.¡± (Kei)


    I softly responded to Haru¡¯s comment who also speaks softly. The explorers can fight almost infinitely as long as the magical power of their Heal continues, but the Black Knight seems to be slowly getting exhausted and slowing down.


    I don¡¯t care if someone we don¡¯t know gets hurt or die, but if they die in front of us, we wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it.


    That¡¯s why we always keep our weapons at the ready, even though we don¡¯t want to be seen. If something happens, we can intervene. Is it naive of me to think this way even though I say I don¡¯t care about the death of others?


    But the truth is, if they were that strong, it would be a piece of cake to defeat them without even revealing ourselves. We could probably kill it in one blow without even using our Treasure Tool. That¡¯s why I was so unconcerned. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m fighting it myself in the first place, so there shouldn¡¯t be a problem with my disregard.


    For me, at least.


    ¡°Hey, brother. Isn¡¯t the Black Knight looking strange?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not magic or skill.¡± (Kei)


    As the Black Knight approached death, he seemed to absorb something like magical power into his body into its core heart. Magical power is something you normally cant see.


    However, it creates an atmosphere of boundless darkness.


    It didn¡¯t seem as if absorbing something like magic power increased his abilities or restored him.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of ominous, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, but it looks like it¡¯s over. Yeah, it¡¯s over.¡± (Kei)


    I said, upon seeing Yuki use his skills to destroy the Black Knight¡¯s shield.


    Immediately behind the Black Knight, a person who was donned in silver armor is holding a big sword and using his skills. The tip is firmly pointed at the neck, and at that distance, nothing would stop it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s go home, shall we?¡± (Kei)


    Gan!


    Squelch!


    As I sheathed my sword and replaced it with a knife. When Haru loosened her grip on the tonfa.


    And, most importantly, when we turned our heads back, convinced that the explorers had won. We heard that sound.


    The sound of metal being pierced and meat being crushed. And then the sound of blood splattering.


    We instinctively knew what had happened, and even though we didn¡¯t want to look, our dungeon-trained minds turned back in alarm.


    It was the Black Knight who was being enveloped by something black, and a human who was now impaled in its hand.


    ¡°Ue. Geho, Geho.¡± (Vanguard)


    Haru, who saw it, couldn¡¯t stand the sight and she spat out the contents of her stomach. Fortunately or unfortunately, everything in the stomach is digested and only stomach acid comes out.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Haru.¡± (Kei)


    Even though I was attacked by nausea, I stopped myself from vomiting and comforted Haru instead.


    Haru looks forward, looking quite pale, and she gazed at the Black Knight again.


    Haru focused her mind and announced the result of her [Inspection].

 CH 37

    The Black Knight has transformed into an eerie figure.


    The Black Knight¡¯s black armor cracked and then clung tightly to itself, making it look as if it was covered in scrap iron, its fingers tattered, and its hips bent more like a beast than before.


    In his hand is a sword that is a little smaller when it was still a Black Knight.


    And its body had become a little smaller, about two meters.


    The only thing is that its strength seems to have been condensed into its body, making it even more powerful, and we can see the magic power gushing out of its body.


    ¡°Gyeee!¡± (Black Knight)


    The voice it raised was definitely that of a beast.


    New words come to my mind. It was the same except for us, but some of the people here were surprised.


    ¡°ERROR¡± ¡°????? ??? Gan Ceann¡±


    The word ¡°ERROR¡± and the garbled word ¡°????? ??? Gan Ceann¡± were there, indicating a malfunction.


    And then the boss¡¯s unique name appeared.


    It suddenly shook, and with a thud, its head fell to the ground. At the same time, the head of the silver armored explorer that was closest to him flew off.


    Next to that is Gan Ceann, who is in a position to swing its sword.


    The place where his head had been a moment ago was empty, just black mist floating in the air. [T/N: Fun fact Gan Ceann is another name for Dullahan or literally ¡°without a head¡±. He¡¯s from Irish folklore and featured in a ton of games, movies, and printed media. BTW. I still can¡¯t find a dragon named Rimdobmur or something close to it.]


    ¡°Gugugga.¡± (Gan Ceann)


    The head that had fallen to the ground was picked up by the body while letting out a weird sound. After completing the series of weird actions, the heroes and many others are regained their focus.


    And they understand it well. One of their friends was killed at a speed they couldn¡¯t even follow with their eyes.


    From that point on, it was a hellish scene of screaming and shouting. One by one, the Strongest Party in Japan was forced to move back for safety, and the bravest ones stood in front of the group and before they knew it, they were being killed. One by one, then two of the silver-armored men acting as vanguards escaped, and five were killed in battle. The rearguard had all fled, and there was no one left. And just now, the last of the vanguards were killed.


    At the moment when Gan Ceann¡¯s sword tried to swing towards the Hero Party, a bolt of light blocked it.


    ¡°I will not let you kill any more of my friends. I¡¯m not sure how much weight you think human life carries.¡± (Yuki)


    Yuki, the leader of the Hero Party who should have been moved to the back. He stands up to the assault like a hero. Stupidly, believing in a chance at victory.


    ¡°Brother, its Fighting Power is at 300. And its Fighting Power hasn¡¯t diminished!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Wha-what!?¡± (Kei)


    300 is still understandable. The Goblin King was probably more powerful. Still, its Fighting Power has not decreased.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they evolve by shaving off their life force?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of the ¡®ERROR¡¯? What should we do, brother?¡± (Haru)


    On the contrary, I calm myself after seeing the Haru being agitated, and for the time being, I took out a potion. When you drink a potion, your nausea can subside and so can the agitation.


    ¡°Haru drink a potion too. Let¡¯s make an escape route for them for now, okay?¡± (Kei)


    I reached into the item pouch at my waist and pulled out an item.


    ¡°The staff at that time?¡± (Haru)


    Haru looks calmer after she drank a potion.


    What I have in my hand is the cane we got after hunting Treants. A gnarled wooden staff with an amber jewel containing a magic circle inside it.


    ¡°What was it called?¡± (Kei)


    I mumbled to myself as I used [Material Cognition] to the wand, and as usual, the words appeared in my mind.


    ¡°The Guardian Staff of the Saintess.¡±


    It was the first weapon with a unique name that we had acquired. We hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it because we couldn¡¯t use it, but this staff, when used by someone who could, was stronger than any weapon we had.


    I focused only on the amber and the result when I used [Inspection].


    ¡°Amber of the Spirit Tree¡­????? gives the magical power a holy attribute.¡±


    And the magic circle floating in it. At first, I thought it was just a normal magic circle.


    ¡°Three-dimensional Magic Power Amplification Circuit¡­ Amplifies the magic power used for magic and raises its ability.¡±


    I haven¡¯t seen anything other than that wand, which has a different performance from ordinary magic circles, which cannot be made using our Crafting skills.


    ¡°It¡¯s a great source of funding, though.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, they say human life is valuable, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯ll call it an investment, but they should at least do their part.¡± (Kei)


    I mumbled to myself as I attached a stone with a trash skill to this staff and released it.


    Even if after everyone else escaped, one of the Hero Party is trying to join Yuki, the woman with Heal proficiency.


    ~Risa¡¯s Perspective~


    Yuki just wields his sword against the Gan Ceann. Its speed has already exceeded the limit of its level, and it does not even allow anyone to support him from behind.


    The good thing is that Gan Ceann is wrapped in madness and only targets people closest to Yuki-kun.


    Behind him, I could only watch Yuki-kun¡¯s battle anxiously, relieved that I would not be the first to be killed.


    The other vanguard, Gouta, also moves slowly because of the heavy armor he wears, so he can¡¯t join the battle.


    I thought that if we escaped, Yuki-kun would be able to escape at the right moment, but I soon realized that it was impossible.


    I think Yuki-kun is being toyed by it. His sword never hits Gan Ceann, they are all parried by a light swing of its sword. Nevertheless, Yuki-kun¡¯s body is covered with countless cuts.


    At this rate, everyone will die.


    It was when I thought about those words. No, maybe it was more accurate when I was convinced of it.


    Anyway, that was the time,


    A staff rolled under me, who belongs to the Hero Party and has Heal Proficiency.


    I was surprised and turned around to the one who dropped it, but there was only the path and nobody was there.


    Gently I touch the cane. A gnarled wood and a reddish jewel that looked like it came from a fantasy novel. I¡¯m sure this jewel is called amber.


    I took the staff in my hand and noticed a small stone on it, which I wiped off with my hand.


    ¡°What is this?¡± (Risa)


    As soon as my hand touches the stone, words appear in my mind. This is the description of the wand.


    ¡°The Guardian Staff of the Saintess¡­ gives the magical power a holy attribute [Sanctuary]¡±


    ¡°Sanctuary¡­ Create a space where monsters can¡¯t enter: Only those with Heal Proficiency can use it.¡±


    ¡°Guauer¡± (Gan Ceann)


    Gan Ceann¡¯s screams of madness regained my focus, and I saw Yuki-kun, who backed away from Gan Ceann for a moment. There¡¯s distance is a small gap in his defense that can be used with just a small step. Yuki-kun seems to have difficulty even moving, his body now covered with large wounds. But then. Something burst from within me.


    So I cried. Swinging the Guardian Staff before I caught up with my thoughts, I just followed my instincts.


    ¡°Protect Yuki-kun! [Sanctuary]!¡± (Risa)


    My voice echoed in this place where there are only four of us left.


    When Gan Ceann slashed at Yuki-kun, who was already having difficulty moving, and its body got nearer in my eyes, a translucent barrier shining in bright red spread out and blocked the sword.


    There¡¯s a big crack in the barrier, but it doesn¡¯t look broken.


    With no time to think, I swung the Guardian Staff of the Saintess again.


    ¡°[Area] [Stamina Heel]¡± (Risa)


    The cave is filled with light again, and this magic, has a distinctly different potency than before, I relieved the exhaustion from Yuki and my friends within the area.


    ¡°Everyone, run away!¡± (Risa)


    ¡°Oh!¡± (Gouta)


    ¡°Alright!¡± (Yuki)


    ¡°I understand. [Inferno]¡± (Arisu)


    Gun Seen was confused by the sudden appearance of the barrier, but quickly understood and hit the barrier with his sword. The cracks spread easily, but suddenly a large flame spreads across its vision.


    It brushes it away with its hand, but the flames that seem to cling to it never leave its sight.


    By the time it had used its skills to extinguish the glowing red barrier along with the abominable flames, there was no one in sight, let alone in Gan Ceann¡¯s detection range.


    ¡°Gugya Gyoa!¡± (Gan Ceann)


    It shouted like a madman in anger that its prey had escaped. However, it seems that its crazy thoughts were simple, and it forgot about the prey it had let escape, and immediately began to walk in search of the prey he could find.


    It was at that time.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do something about him. If we let it move around any longer, the Tokyo Dungeon will be destroyed.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep. I don¡¯t want to lose to a crazed monster. I didn¡¯t care about the people who died, this will be a battle for mourning!¡± (Haru)


    The ¡°Real¡± Strongest Party has begun to move.

 CH 38

    ¡°So, now that they¡¯re all gone, even if we participate from here, it won¡¯t count as more than four, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Probably. Then, at the same time.¡± (Haru)


    We are hiding in the corner of the path, just like before.


    The stone attached to the cane that was thrown to the recovery role of the brave men had the skill [Self-Introduction].


    ¡°Self-introduction ¡­ If you use it while the item is in contact with your body, you can see the details of that item: Once you use it, the skill disappears.¡±


    Items with skills are activated by letting magical power flow. Moreover, the Healer of the Hero Party had her hand clad in magical power due to the tense atmosphere of the situation. So, in order for her to notice the power of this cane, I used [Alchemy], transferring the skill from the stone with the skill [Self-Introduction] to a place where she could touch it. Then I threw it to her.


    The result is a great success. Although the [Sanctuary] was torn in a blink of an eye, it seems that they were able to escape properly, and they probably went down to the 10th floor. Since their reaction disappeared.


    Now, the Gan Ceann walks in the immediate vicinity without noticing us. We are ambushing it.


    I hold my sword and Haru holds her tonfa and we prepare to activate our magic.


    Obviously, a large area would be better to fight with this guy. That¡¯s because we are originally both have proficiencies suited for rearguards. The best position for me to show my strength is in close and medium-range, quick, and dynamic combat. Haru, on the other hand, shows her true strength at close range and long-range.


    That¡¯s why it¡¯s effective to have a wide area where I can get in front of her and she can keep her distance at any time.


    We have also improved considerably in the past month. We were able to level up and increase our skills by two. That¡¯s not much though.


    Name: Haruka


    Proficiency: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: Fissure (Explosion) (Electric)


    Level: 67


    Strength: 77


    Magic Capacity: 157


    Skill: Analysis, Magic Bullets, Rampage, Magic Synthesis


    Magic: (Bomb), (Time Bomb), (Impact), Number, (Plasma), Fissure, Separation, Barrier, Collapse


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting / Magic Manipulation


    Name: Touka


    Proficiency: Grant / Alchemy


    Magic Attribute: None (Curse)


    Level: 68


    Strength: 97


    Magic Capacity: 130


    Skill: Stealth/ Positioning, Material Cognition, Domination, Shortcut


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain, Slow, Loss, Unprotect


    Passive: Perception / Acceleration / Alchemy


    If I use even a little bit of magic, it will detect the movement of my magic at that moment. And while chanting, we would enter the battle.


    But an ambush attack with a straight-forward attack is not powerful enough. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to use my new skill.


    When that Gan Ceann was right next to where we were hiding, I used that skill.


    ¡°[Shortcut]¡± (Kei)


    Shortcut was a rare skill that required you to say a word. However, it was very easy to use, allowing you to use up to five designated skills or magic at the same time.


    The downside was that it had a cool time of four hours. In addition, only one configuration was possible. Thanks to this, I hardly ever used it.


    I had set up five magic spells in [Shortcut], just in case.


    I had set up five spells to buff myself: Speed, Power, Guard, and Chain. And then there¡¯s Unprotect, which lowers the enemy¡¯s defense, for a total of five.


    Four magic circles appeared on my body, and at the same time, a magic circle appeared on Gan Ceann.


    I was ready.


    I kicked the ground and jumped out in front of Gan Ceann just before his consciousness and body turned toward me. I was now in front of its sight


    Gan Ceann swung its fist without running away, so I dodged and slip through his crotch. And.


    ¡°Gugagagega!¡± (Gan Ceann)


    My attack is increased by [Power], while the defensive ability of my opponent is lowered by [Unprotect]. Then, the sword that I swung while using the skill¡¯s [Strong Slash] connected at the back of Gan Ceann.


    Gan Ceann lost his balance and stepped on the spot, which became an opening.


    ¡°Hey, back off. [Magic Synthesis]. [Fissure] [Separation] [Collapse]!¡± (Haru)


    As I backstepped, the space where Gan Ceann stood cracked, separated and collapsed.


    In the blink of an eye, something that didn¡¯t seem to be space was created.


    There was no vacuum, no air, no light, no color, no visible or invisible. It was something that words could not describe.


    ¡°Take this!¡± (Kei)


    That something began to suck in Gan Ceann, who was close by, with great force, but Gan Ceann resisted. But when Haru hit it with her tonfa, it was sucked straight into it.


    However, there is no such thing as a special move where a hole actually opens up in space and he is sucked into it and disappears.


    At the same time, Gan Ceann slipped through the hole and fell to his knees, his body falling to pieces at the same time.


    At the same time as its body was being torn apart, even the wounds I had made were separating, and the scrap iron armor was missing from several parts of its back.


    However,


    ¡°Guguya Guaaaa!¡± (Gan Ceann)


    Gan Ceann shouts as it holds its sword to pursue me.


    Its voice is mixed with magical power, just like Rimdobmur, and although we were not blown away, I froze and stopped moving.


    As a result, my next dodge action is delayed.


    ¡°So close, ku!¡± (Kei)


    The moment I jumped back while defending with my sword, the sword passed through where I was and ripped the front of my hoodie. The tremendous wind pressure is released following the slash, and the hood of the hoodie falls from my head.


    ¡°Haru, this is bad. Back for a bit.¡±


    While instructing Haru, I switched my sword from my right hand to my left.


    The previous Gan Ceann¡¯s attack should have been parried with the sword and was brushed off so that it had no effect on me.


    What was unexpected was the power of Gan Ceann. His powerful sword strike could not be deflected and sliced through my hoodie.


    This, of course, meant that my right hand, which was holding the sword, was also subjected to a strong impact. I managed to keep the sword from falling, but my hand was useless. I don¡¯t think my bones were broken, but I couldn¡¯t put any strength into that hand or bend it.


    ¡°Brother get back. You have 5 seconds.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Sorry, you can¡¯t block or parry its attack. Its skills can break your arm.¡± (Kei)


    I watch Haru jump in front with her Tonfa and I cast [Speed] and [Guard] on her.


    I stepped back, sheathing my sword with my unbending, wobbly hand, ripped the bottom of my hoodie with my knife, and wrapped the scabbard around my arm. It seemed to have at least a crack in it, and it hurt like hell, but I drank a potion to suppress the pain.


    Naturally, the cause of the pain, my arm, did not heal. It was not a shallow wound that could be healed with a potion.


    ¡°Brother, are you okay I don¡¯t think I can fight this for a long time. I can¡¯t keep it in check any longer. [Barrier]¡± (Haru)


    Haru creates a barrier in front of herself and steps back. The barrier was destroyed in an instant, but it gave her time to recover.


    ¡°Did an attack get you?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m weaker than brother, so I ran for my life, but I did my best.¡± (Haru)


    She gathered information with her magical power while distracting Gan Ceann.


    ¡°But with a Fighting Power of 300, its Strength is abnormal. Maybe it¡¯s a physical power specialized monster.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, it used some kind of magic on the way, but it was a negligible amount.¡± (Kei)


    Sighing, I swing my left hand behind. The sword held in my other hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do a quick decisive battle. Don¡¯t hesitate to use magical power. Let¡¯s use the Treasure Tools.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger that!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± (Kei)


    With that shout, I step with my right foot and throws my sword with all my might.


    ¡°Guyegua.¡± (Gan Ceann)


    The Gan Ceann, who was vigilant, flicked my sword. However, it gives me a few seconds.


    ¡°[Scythe].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°[Morning star]!¡± (Haru)


    My scythe fits comfortably in my hand stretched forward while still in a throwing position.


    We use the treasures for the first time in a long time. Even though I am holding it with my left hand which is unusual, it fits perfectly in my hand.


    ¡°[Rampage]¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s magical power goes wild with her shout.


    ¡°[Domination]¡±


    My magical power froze with my voice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± (Haru) (Kei)


    Our magical restrictions are gone, and I used [Shortcut] on both Haru and me consecutively.


    Not surprisingly, two [Unprotect] were applied to Gan Ceann.


    ¡°If you think about it having being specialized in Strength, it¡¯s true for the reverse.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It means that it has low magic capacity and its resistance to magic is also low.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If so, this one seems to have some magical skills.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°We just have to crush it with magical power.¡± (Haru)


    Our words overlap without looking at each other, and even our magical powers overlap.


    Haru¡¯s chaotic magic and my tranquil magic. The two magic powers, which by nature cannot be combined, enhance each other and become the magic power of controlled violence.


    ¡°Gugaagaa.¡± (Gan Ceann)


    Thorny vines suddenly jumped out from the side of Gan Ceann, who swung its sword and thrust into it, slammed Gan Ceann violently and stopped its attack.


    However, as expected, it specializes in Strength. Immediately regaining its posture and approach approached us while moving its body from side to side so as not to receive the same attack.


    ¡°[Magic Synthesis]. [Fissure] [Separation] [Collapse]¡± (Haru)


    As if chasing after the running Gan Ceann, a crack appears in the space, and the moment it exits the right side of the crack, space was separated, and only the place where Gan Ceann stood is shattered.


    ¡°Gya Gaegiya.¡± (Gan Ceann)


    The collapsing space gouged out his left arm, and the wound was contagious. It crushed Gan Ceann¡¯s left arm and even gouged out part of his shoulder.


    If it was a living creature and it was working with all its limbs, it would naturally be confused if one of its limbs was lost. It¡¯s the same for Gan Ceann.


    ¡°Aaaaa!¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s morning star, who has narrowed the distance by a lot, blows its head that it was holding in its left that was now gone.


    The head it had just held in its hand was suddenly blown away. I think it panicked. And that left a fatal gap.


    I approached at breakneck speed while aiming at its foot, and with my left hand, I swung my scythe and aimed it at Gan Ceann¡¯s foot.


    It noticed my attack and tried to avoid it by backstepping, but its feet were slower than the rest of its body.


    The scythe easily slashed Gan Ceann¡¯s right foot.


    ¡°Gagai Guyaa!¡± (Gan Ceann)


    The voice of Gan Ceann reverberated. The voice was probably not a scream, but a cry of pain or a dying howl, the voice was not filled with blood lust, and instead, it sounded fearful.


    Sensing that we had used up all of our magic and that the ten minutes and a bit of time we had left to use the weapon were almost up, we moved our feet, wobbly with fatigue, and went underneath Gan Ceann, who was crawling on the ground because he had lost his right leg, left hand, and head.


    Haru and I stand next to it, and the two of us point our weapons at it.


    ¡°Die¡± ¡°[Collapse]¡± (Kei) (Haru)


    My control over the magic, which has increased in power due to my outburst, is firmly wrapped around Gan Ceann.


    Gan Ceann, enveloped in the collapsed space, did not even let out a scream of despair.


    When our magic power hit the bottom and the magic disappeared. There was only a black fog that had no place to escape.


    The condensed black mist dispersed into the dungeon as the siblings celebrated their victory.

 CH 39

    I gazed blankly at the black fog that was evidence of Gan Ceann, who has now drifted away.


    ¡°It was the strongest enemy so far.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup. The location was bad, but it was also the most powerful. Of all the battles we¡¯ve fought and won.¡± (Haru)


    Haru was right, the strongest monster we had ever met was none other than Rimdobmur. But if you don¡¯t count the outlandish ones that can¡¯t even be fought, I¡¯d say this one is the strongest.


    ¡°By the way, how about drop items?¡± (Haru)


    Hearing Haru¡¯s words, I looked at the place where Gan Ceann had died and found a few dropped items. I think there are a lot of them this time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the fact that he was treated like a boss that¡¯s causing so many drops?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a reward from the dungeon for killing the error¡­¡± (Haru)


    We wasted no time in sorting through the items and Haru took a look at them.


    The first one,


    ¡°Item Pouch (Medium)¡­ Can store up to 10 tons and cancel out their weight.¡±


    The item pouch he had been using was a small pouch, so it must have gotten a step larger. It¡¯s now 10 tons, compared to the previous one¡¯s 1 ton. I can now carry a car easily.


    I think I¡¯ll manage this one at home. Since Haru doesn¡¯t like to carry luggage, she¡¯ll carry the one-ton item pouch and I¡¯ll carry the ten-ton one.


    Then the second one. Or rather, the second and third.


    ¡°Proof of Combat with Two¡­ Proof of subduing an Error with just two people: If you party with someone who has the paired equipment, you will receive compensation [Fixed] [Restore] [Try on].¡±


    There were two. The shape is that of a friendship bracelet. [T/N: Misanga or ¥ß¥µ¥ó¥¬ are braided bracelets given for good luck or as a sign of friendship. Google-sensei has pictures of this.]


    ¡°Hmm, I wonder if I should put it on my arm. It¡¯s not an ordinary item, so if I try to channel magical power, oh? Brother, it shrank. It fits perfectly on my wrist.¡± (Haru)


    There was something like that. By the way, I think that is the effect of one of the attached skills, so Haru uses the [Inspection] on the skills.


    ¡°Fixed¡­ Unchanging: Item-only skill¡±


    I have no idea, but I don¡¯t think people can learn item-only skills.


    ¡°Return ¡­ Returns to you when you wherever you are as long as you consciously do so: Item-only skill.¡±


    Well, as the word says.


    ¡°Try on¡­ Match the size to fit the wearer: Item-only skill.¡±


    I guess this is the result of Haru¡¯s testing earlier.


    I also put it through my right hand and let the magic flow through it to make it the perfect size. It¡¯s not a problem, but it¡¯s not a hindrance, and it¡¯s not too tight either.


    Now, it was time for the fourth one.


    I thought the fourth one would be an ordinary magic stone, but apparently, it is not.


    ¡°Magic Ball (Medium)¡­ You can store up to 1000 points of magic power.¡±


    Well, it just saves magical power. It¡¯s great, and it seems that it can be taken out.


    Haru uses more magical power than I do, so I¡¯ll give this to Haru.


    Currently, our magical power is almost empty, so we didn¡¯t proceed with the experiment.


    And the fifth. The fifth was a sticker. Or maybe it¡¯s a tattoo rather than a sticker?


    ¡°Skill Sticker¡­ If you put the sticker on your skin, you will be able to use the set skill [Spatial Awareness]. It will become fixed on your skin after about 1 minute. It will come off if a large amount of magical power is applied.¡±


    ¡°Spatial Awareness¡­ Perceive the space 2 meters around you.¡±


    Is [Spatial Awareness] able to increase the density of information further and the accuracy is improved compared to [Perception] that I already have? I got it because I¡¯m stronger in close combat.


    I put it on the back of my left hand, waited a minute, and it disappeared like a flash.


    I don¡¯t feel anything when I touch it. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s there, but I wonder if it¡¯s the kind of thing you can¡¯t find if you forget where you put it.


    And finally. The most problematic one that I tried not to look at. A sword without a scabbard.


    ¡°Spirit Sword of the Paladin¡­? It¡¯s a holy sword, and adds holy attributes to slashes: it can only be used by those with Sword Proficiency [Sword of Faith].¡±


    ¡°Sword of Faith¡­ Strengthen the blade with Holy Light: Only available to those with sword skills.¡±


    ¡°Brother, what are we going to do? It came to us like the companion of that staff at that time. If you look closely, you¡¯ll also see a flat magic circle on it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Really, what are we going to do? It¡¯s too powerful for us to sell.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What should we do? Donate it?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°To the Hero Party? It would be bad if we were exposed that we were here.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, but, huh? Brother, four people are approaching. They seem to be quite cautious. They¡¯re coming very slowly.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, so we¡¯ll ask them?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the idea.¡± (Haru)


    We smiled wickedly and carefully polished the parts we had touched. I forgot to do this with the wand, but I don¡¯t want to get fingerprints on it.


    Then, since my right hand was stuck, I held the sword in my left hand and lifted it upward with the tip pointing downward.


    ¡°[Power]¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯m going to use a little bit of magic to give myself a little bit of power.


    ¡°Uurya!¡± (Kei)


    Clang!


    I thrust it into the ground as hard as I could. As a matter of course, the ground of the dungeon was hard, and it was firmly buried as it made the sound of the ground and the sword collide with each other.


    ¡°Okay, Haru, can you get it out?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯ll try it. Hmm, it¡¯s impossible.¡± (Haru)


    Haru grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled on it, but it wouldn¡¯t come off.


    It seems that the people who were coming toward us heard the sound of the sword stabbing the ground, and the signs of them coming here are getting faster. We¡¯ll meet them in a dozen seconds.


    ¡°Then, do you want to go home?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup.¡± (Haru)


    We descended to the tenth level, activating [Stealth] again, and used the transition back.


    ¡°By the way, brother.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Does your right arm hurt?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me.¡± (Kei)


    Because of the adrenaline, I had forgotten about the pain, but now I remembered it and I went straight to the hospital with tears in my eyes.


    More than ten days later, we were standing in the dungeon market with my right arm wrapped in a bandage.


    It seems that after we left, the sword was safely found and handed over to the hero. I saw on the internet news that it was handed over to a craftsman who made a scabbard for it.


    Then the Dungeon Market.


    With the fall of Gan Ceann explorers who were looking forward to being able to use the dungeons resumed their activities at once, and the economy in the market must be running well.


    Furthermore, even many magic items, regardless of their strong or weak effects, began to circulate, and there were even auctions being held.


    It is still fresh in my mind that an item pouch (very small) that can hold up to 100 kilograms easily exceeded 10 million yen.


    Unfortunately, we were not the ones who sold it. We have the (small) and (medium) item pouches, but not the (very small) ones.


    However, we have items that we have been collecting for a long time without item pouches. Or rather, I have made them.


    This is a sword that was dropped by a unique monster in the 8th layer of the Kizaki family dungeon. It¡¯s cool, but of course, the material is weak. That¡¯s why Haru and I modified it.


    Simply put, we used [Alchemy] to combine an ax¡¯s skill into a sword. This alone made it very strong. I thought about preparing something else to sell, but I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of being spotted, so I left it at that.


    Of course, it has the [Strong Slash] skill in it.


    When we put it up for auction anonymously, most of the people who tried to buy it couldn¡¯t even hold the weapon.


    We had forgotten that there was a level requirement for dungeon weapons. In addition, this sword was made from the drop of a Minotaur that even the Hero Party had not beaten, so there was no way an ordinary explorer could carry it.


    Will it be sold as it is? It¡¯s quite expensive but 893 people who seemed to have just come to check some equipment tried to buy it.


    Normally, if there is only one buyer, the amount should go down, but 893 people making bids bloated the price to a ridiculous level.


    ¡°Oh, this weapon has a requirement of level 23. Can¡¯t the leader use it?¡± (Kei)


    A level of twenty-three is a high level that high-level explorers can reach by raising a few more levels. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s only natural that they would want to buy one while he can.


    From there, it became a bidding war between high-level explorers who were making a lot of money from their daily exploration.


    In the end, the price came to about 5 million yen.


    After commissions and other fees were deducted, the amount dropped to about 4 million yen, but it could not be helped. I thought it was just the way it was and accepted it.


    Now, ordinary citizens like us haven¡¯t received any detailed information about the government¡¯s response after the subjugation of Gan Ceann. But, well,


    ¡°Now that we have a good income, I guess you¡¯re done with your obsession with the Tokyo Dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I guess so. Where should we go next? Since we have the money, let¡¯s go to Hokkaido.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°After all, it doesn¡¯t change much because it¡¯s Japan. For now, I need to heal my right arm and find something to do. I won¡¯t be working part-time for a while.¡±  (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Haru)


    While talking about such trivial things, the two of them went around the dungeon market and left without buying anything.


    There is no one who knows that the siblings are really the strongest.


    Today, the siblings are still pretending to be ordinary people in search of entertainment

 CH 40

    Immediately after the Kizaki siblings returned from the dungeon, the sword they had stuck into the ground was found safe and sound.


    However, the people who came there were scouts and covert personnel from the Advanced Explorers who heard about it from the people who escaped. Since their proficiency was Trap and Hunter, their Fighting Potential was naturally not high.


    As a matter of course, the sword could not be pulled out. If that is the case, they should call someone who can pull it out, so they decided to call the Hero Party again.


    However, the Hero Party had already made the transition to and from today and was exhausted from the battle with Gan Ceann. It would be the next day before they could draw their swords. However, even though the sword was stuck in the dungeon, it was still a drop item. Being an item, it would disappear if we left it where no one would see it.


    At first, the two members of the Advanced Explorers team who found the sword went back to the surface to call for the Hero Party, while the other stood by the sword in a sleepy stupor.


    When the sword was pulled out by Yuki¡¯s hand, the person was exhausted and could not rest because of the frequent attacks of not-so-dangerous monsters. The person was exhausted.


    After a lot of research, it was determined that the sword was a drop from Gan Ceann since it was obviously strange that it fell in this level considering the strength of the sword and the sword resembled the sword that Gan Ceann had.


    It is widely believed that it used the last of its strength to hunt down the Hero Party, and after they escaped, it ran out of energy while searching for them and died stabbing the sword in the ground. Fortunately, the sword remained as a drop in that state.


    By the way, the staff that the Hero Party¡¯s recovery user got by chance is said to be a miracle of the dungeon and is still using it.


    And then, the Hero Party was treated as having successfully defeated Gan Ceann, and once again attracted the attention of explorers throughout Japan.


    The information was spread through the internet to all the explorers in Japan at an unusually fast pace.


    It seems that a certain individual had opened a forum site for explorers, and the forum site had become a place for explorers to exchange information.


    The site has now been absorbed by a large company and has been expanded to include more functions.


    As a result of its fame, there was a lot of talk about giving famous explorers an alias.


    When it comes to famous explorers, the one that comes to mind is the Hero Party, a group with overwhelming power.


    Yuki, the leader, is the ¡°Hero¡± because he is a young man with overwhelming fighting power and a sense of justice.


    Gota, the Shield-user of the heroes, is the ¡°Fortress¡± because of his ironclad defense


    Arisu, the Magic-user among the heroes, because she uses flames that are just as powerful as Yuki¡¯s, so she¡¯s the ¡°Flame Mage¡±.


    And Risa is the Recovery-user of the brave party. She was called the ¡°Saintess¡± because she succeeded in letting the heroes escape in the battle against Gan Ceann, and because of the restorative power of her magic.


    The first 20 explorers and other strong explorers were also given aliases, which increased the number of explorers¡¯ ranked connections.


    The more ranked connections between explorers, the more skilled the explorers become, and the more crowded the market becomes.


    In addition, the purchase price of items in dungeons has been gradually increasing recently.


    The strength of items obtained by explorers in dungeons has increased, and since the machine for checking innate skills was placed in Tokyo, the number of people who can use innate skills without killing Hobgoblins has also increased.


    By processing items in the dungeon, people with production skills such as [Crafting] and [Costuming] were able to create weapons and armor that had sharpness and durability compensated in the dungeon.


    As a result, the income of the strongest dungeon explorers was quite high, and dungeons quickly became a part of society to the point where some children wanted to become explorers as a lucrative job if they had the skills.


    After that, the Hero Party used their newly acquired weapons to defeat the Minotaur, and the exchange of information with the Americans, who had apparently finished defeating the Minotaur a long time ago, increased. There is no end to the number of things that have changed.


    But still, what does anyone actually know?


    The lives of ordinary people have not changed as much as one might think.


    That¡¯s why it took two months for Touka Kizaki to fully recover from a fracture in his arm.


    The world moves forward smoothly.


    In the midst of all this, a piece of information is delivered from the United States, which causes an uproar in Japan, but more on that later.


    This is the story of the Kizaki siblings as they resume their dungeon search.

 CH 41

    On August 1st, ten dungeons appeared all over Japan.


    The phenomenon was happening all over the world, and the world was plunged into chaos.


    However, it was only temporary, and now a year has passed since then, every country has stabilized, and they are being controlled by the military, opened to private individuals, or used to the disposal of garbage by taking advantage of the regular phenomenon of things vanishing inside the dungeon after a period of time has passed.


    In addition, dungeons have been used in various ways. Notably, they are being used for the disposal of dangerous substances such as radioactive materials.


    At first, there were many things we didn¡¯t know about dungeons, but as the days went by, we learned more and more. However, each country decided that there was still insufficient information, and finally last month, more than a dozen countries that are exploring the dungeons gathered to have exchange information. Then the meeting was held.


    Although they don¡¯t say how far their own country¡¯s exploration has progressed, you can get a general idea by looking at what¡¯s on the market.


    Currently, the United States is at the top of the list, followed by Japan and China. Therefore, this conference has become more about getting information from the US.


    In addition, the ranking of natural skills that were done in Japan was well received and will be done in other countries as well.


    It seems that the United States has gained some understanding of how dungeons work after the discovery of one of the American participants with an S-class skill.


    Among other things, he was able to tell them something that is safe to teach to other countries.


    That dungeons have a system and clear rules. This includes exploring with more than four people, and that those who ignore the rules will not be given the benefits of the dungeon.


    In other words, an explorer who enters a dungeon with more than five people for the first time will be considered to be in a party of five before gaining the first skill, and will not even be able to gain the skill, which is a reward from the dungeon.


    Also, dungeons have a system of Hate, and if you continue to hunt certain monsters, the Hate will gradually accumulate and cause unique monsters and stampedes.


    If you violate the rules of the dungeon, the Hate will build up at an abnormal rate, causing a large number of unique monsters and stampedes to occur.


    In many parts of the world, the day a dungeon was created, civilians and military personnel have infiltrated and were completely annihilated, for example, and this was thought to be the effect of this.


    Some parties ignoring the rules appeared in the dungeon, which would have resulted in several stampedes and unique monsters.


    They were quickly swallowed up by the hordes of monsters since they couldn¡¯t shoot even if they raised their guns immediately, and they didn¡¯t even have the proficiency and skills to fight with their batons.


    Also, dungeon bosses and unique monsters have a will. Some of them can think as much as a human, while others have intelligence equivalent to that of a highly intelligent animal.


    However, the fact that they have wills means that they are unpredictable, and unique monsters can even move through the levels, which is why they are said to have been, ¡°released from the Dungeon¡±.


    The meeting went well, and each country was able to gain the knowledge necessary for dungeon exploration.


    The story goes back to Japan. About two weeks after the siblings defeated the Dullahan-like Gan Ceann that day, they successfully defeated the Minotaur and arrived at the Forest.


    This was their first encounter with the Japanese Rimdobmur. However, the only thing that was passed down to the public was that there was a dragon, so it¡¯s unclear if it¡¯s exactly a Rimdobmur, but looking at the dungeons so far, it¡¯s safe to assume that all dungeons have a similar structure.


    And the term ¡°The Strongest Five¡± was coined to refer to the top five parties, a term created during the title/alias commotion with the strongest explorers.


    Of these five strong parties, the four parties other than the Hero Party also succeeded in defeating the Minotaur one after another.


    Just two weeks ago, there were reports that ordinary explorers had also defeated a Minotaur.


    Japan is constantly getting stronger and stronger, the market is getting richer, and the top explorers and those who have made a fortune are earning over a billion yen a month.


    The dungeon market in Japan is getting more and more exciting. However, it is a pity that they are not a stock company and you cannot make money through stocks. If it were a stock company, the stock price would be rising rapidly.


    The Hero Party that came to the Tokyo Dungeon at that time has returned to Hokkaido and is continuing their exploration.


    And my sister and I,


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Finally, I can dive into the dungeon. We have to save money again because we have to pay for food.¡± (Kei)


    We are now in the hospital. I¡¯m not sure what to do, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to do it.


    But that doesn¡¯t mean I can let her dive into the dungeon alone, so we¡¯ve both been taking a break for almost three months.


    We¡¯ve had a lot of time on our hands these past three months.


    Ever since the dungeon appeared in the Kizaki house, we¡¯ve been spending our days hiding in the dungeon. It¡¯s no wonder we¡¯ve been bored since we suddenly can¡¯t spend such days in the dungeon anymore.


    Fortunately, my bones hadn¡¯t been broken too badly, so my recovery was quick. The cast is off, but I¡¯m not allowed to play sports.


    So what should we do with all this spare time? Fortunately, we had a little bit of money, not a lot, but a little bit, that we made from the auction.


    If we can¡¯t dive into the dungeon at this point, why don¡¯t we just train?


    Even though my bone has a hairline fracture, my body is sturdy and I have a high status.


    In other words, if I recover to the point where I have a cast, it won¡¯t get any worse unless I am seriously hit with a weapon.


    But once we¡¯re in the dungeon, I don¡¯t know what will happen to it due to the recoil when I slash the enemy.


    That¡¯s why we went to a swordsmanship class for about a month.


    The course was held four times a week, and we were taught the basics of various techniques, from footwork to sword strikes.


    Our status and daily combat had improved our kinetic vision considerably.


    We were able to see the movements of the instructor and move our bodies as if we were tracing them.


    Since we fight in dungeons on a daily basis, our adaptability is well tested.


    After a month in the dojo, I think we¡¯ve become a bit stronger.


    Our posture is no longer shaky when wielding weapons, and our movement has improved in terms of speed and fluidity of gait.


    I thought that being taught would be better than just doing it randomly based on my own experience.


    And so today, my arm is completely healed. I guess it¡¯s a pity that the x-rays cost a bit of money.


    After leaving the hospital, we went straight home, but the time was too limited to go straight into the dungeon. So we spent some time taking care of our equipment, which we hadn¡¯t used for a long time, and checking the news.


    I hadn¡¯t been watching the news much lately, as I had been concentrating on practicing my sword fighting in the dojo, which was coming to an end.


    ¡°OK, maintenance finished.¡± (Haru)


    Haru seemed to have already finished and was tapping away at the computer on the table beside her.


    ¡°Oh, what?¡¡Oh, my God. Brother, look at this, look at this.¡± (Haru)


    Haru must have seen some news or an incident in the dungeon because she pulled my arm and dragged me to the computer.


    ¡°What, wow, seriously?!¡± (Kei)


    The article displayed there was far beyond my imagination.


    ¡°America Confirmed Defeat of 16th Level Forest Boss, Rimdobmur!¡±


    Speaking of Rimdobmur, it was the one we had been unable to defeat.


    With a Power of 1050, he drove us to the point of being incapacitated with just its roar.


    Compared to that time, my level has risen by about 20, but I still don¡¯t feel like we can beat him. My current level is about 70, so my Fighting Potential is about 210.


    I think it¡¯s strange that Rimdobmur is three times more powerful than Gan Ceann in the first place.


    So the party that defeated Rimdobmur in America must be incredibly strong compared to us.


    ¡°We have to do our best too.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. Start exploring again from tomorrow.¡± (Haru)


    They hadn¡¯t read the article carefully because they thought they understood the content just from the title

 CH 42

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get into the dungeon today.¡± (Kei)


    I waved my right hand in the air in an attempt to try to regain control of my body, but it didn¡¯t seem to cause much of a problem. Rather, it seems that my Strength increased due to the influence of my status and there doesn¡¯t seem to be a reduction in muscle strength.


    This means that even if someone has been bedridden for years if his or her level is high enough, he or she can move normally without rehabilitation. Well, it has only been a year since the dungeon appeared, so how long will it be before that happens? I¡¯ve been exploring this dungeon for a while now.


    The furniture in our house has become much more impressive in the time we haven¡¯t been exploring the dungeon.


    First of all, we changed the battered chairs and table that Haru had fixed to a second-hand but almost undamaged one, and we also bought a large safe. I screwed the safe firmly to the floor so that we wouldn¡¯t have to carry it with us, and used alchemy to change the outside of the safe to metal from the dungeon, which I then manually altered so that it wasn¡¯t made entirely of dungeon material.


    The metal used on the inside is still firmly dungeon material.


    I¡¯ll make it so strong that if you want to steal what¡¯s inside, you¡¯ll have to bring a party from the SDF or a party that defeated Rimdobmur in America.


    And I put all the dungeon-related stuff inside. Of course, I couldn¡¯t fit everything in there as it was, so I had to put it in the item pouch.


    I opened the very secure safe, which requires a password and a key to open, and took out my equipment and other things from inside.


    It was the first time in a long time that I felt comfortable in my gear. The katana and the knife fit well in my hands.


    Haru, too, dressed in her new gear and exclaimed, ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go.¡± (Haru)


    Haru held the tonfas in both hands and pointed to her left and right and declares it.


    ¡°Normally I¡¯d say rehab first.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to start rehabilitation after being kept away for such a long time.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a little massacre today?¡± (Haru)


    Haru sheathes both Tonfas in her hands, then unlocks the padlock on the fence leading to the dungeon, and jumps into the dungeon.


    I land in the dungeon and close the padlock with a familiar motion.


    My body, which had been trained in the dojo for a month, was sluggish but not shaky, and my movements were natural and alert, even though we were on the first floor.


    ¡°¡±Transition, Forest.¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    The bodies of the siblings who muttered this during the transition vanished along with their magic power.


    The two of them had matching bracelets wrapped around their right wrists as they disappeared.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been here. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve sensed the presence of a monster.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I feel the presence of monsters everywhere. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because my level has increased, but my range of detection has also increased.¡± (Haru)


    Our status has risen steadily by subduing Gan Ceann.


    Name: Haruka


    Proficiency: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: (Fissure) Explosion (Electric)


    Level: 71


    Strength: 80


    Magic Capacity: 167


    Skill: Analysis, Magic Bullets, Rampage, Magic Synthesis


    Magic: Bomb, Time Bomb, Impact, Number, (Plasma), (Fissure), (Separation), Barrier, (Collapse)


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting / Magic Manipulation


    Name: Touka


    Proficiency: Grant / Alchemy


    Magic Attribute: None (Curse)


    Level: 71


    Strength: 104


    Magic Capacity: 139


    Skill: Stealth, Positioning, Material Cognition, Domination, Shortcut


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain, Slow, Loss, Unprotect


    Passive: Perception / Acceleration / Alchemy


    As usual, Haru¡¯s Fighting Potential, which is the sum of her Magic Capacity and Strength, is higher than mine, but the difference in growth has been significant, with Haru specializing in magic and me becoming dexterous and a jack-of-all-trades, able to handle melee as well.


    Unlike MMORPGs, where you can revive even if you die, in reality, where there are only two of us and only one life each, there is a demand for being an all-rounder.


    It¡¯s not like a game where you can freely gather people with various expertise even in terms of Proficiencies, where only two of us can fight, it¡¯s easier to move if we can do everything.


    And we have the evidence of our combined attack. Since I am acting with Haru who also has at least two pieces of equipment, our status will be corrected.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it.¡± (Kei)


    I leap onto a tree branch and run across the treetops.


    I can see Haru behind me, holding up her tonfa.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve gone wild. [Impact] [Decaple].¡± (Haru)


    A ball of light passes right by me.


    It heads for the trees ahead of me.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go down.¡± (Kei)


    I need to avoid being caught in the blast. So that I can hunt the monsters. I pushed my way through the trees, hiding below and behind the trees.


    Boom!


    The sound of the blast echoed overhead, and a tremendous hot gust of wind and light spread.


    The hot air was powerful enough to kill a man, but given my Strength, it was no problem. It¡¯s only a little hot.


    There¡¯s nothing wrong with our coordination.


    The explosion was clearly larger than before, shattering the trees around me.


    The sound of the flames, the crushing of the trunks, the falling of the trees. And the sound of monsters shrieking.


    There are a lot of monsters around where I landed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to use my katana anyway.¡± (Kei)


    I leaned my body as hard as I could and put all my strength into my legs. By kicking the ground as forcefully as I can, I quickly approached the monsters. Dust scattering on the ground where my feet were.


    It¡¯s the fastest way to get to the target. The aim is the same and in one breath.


    In the same way as the Japanese ¡°Iai-kiri¡± technique, I sent the head of the strongest-looking monster in the vicinity flying. [T/N: ¾ÓºÏÇФê or Iai kiri is a drawing slash.]


    I bent down and ran between the legs of the monsters, sending their heads flying one after another.


    A powerful monster approaches me from behind. Is it a unique one? Judging from its speed and position, it¡¯s a bird. Normally, I would have approached it from behind and killed it with a single blow, but unfortunately for it, I was aware even if it was in my blind spot.


    in addition,


    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s an enemy, given my ability to perceive the space around me.¡± (Kei)


    A Skill Sticker is an item obtained from Gan Ceann. [Spatial Awareness] that has become available is very powerful.


    From the shape of the approaching bird, the flow of air, and the flow of magical power. I have a better understanding of what I would need for battle


    So, with my back to the bird, I twist my body just a little bit.


    ¡°[Speed] [Power]¡± (Kei)


    I put two enchantments on myself and used the Strong Slash skill on my sword.


    It¡¯s not necessary to use Iai-kiri, because the bird will come to meet my sword itself.


    I raised the sword above my head in a fluid motion and slowly swung the blade with just a fraction of my strength.


    ¡°Gugyaa¡ª!¡± (Bird Monster)


    The only sound the bird made was a desperate cry. The bird that charged at my sword had its wings ripped off and its belly was torn open. With its momentum, it died and turned to a black mist while in the air.


    The item that was dropped rolled far away due to the law of inertia.


    ¡°Just by keeping the sword from wavering, it was easy to cut. [Bind]¡± (Kei)


    Thorny vines rose around me, flicking off the remaining monsters and skewering them.


    At the same time, a roaring sound echoed from a distance.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hassle to pick up the dropped items. I should probably go back for the time being?¡± (Kei)


    Drops don¡¯t disappear that quickly.


    For the time being, I left the items and walked towards the roar, towards where Haru was.


    ~Haru¡¯s Perspective~


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to annihilate them all, but it¡¯s been a while, so I shouldn¡¯t overdo it. [Impact] [Decaple]¡± (Haru)


    While Kei slashing the enemy with his katana, ten balls of light were flying around Haru.


    The magic [Impact] that was cast is forcibly being moved by [Magic Manipulation].


    ¡°First shot!¡± (Haru)


    One of the balls of light flying around left the circle and flew into the center of the crowd of monsters.


    ¡°There is still more!¡± (Haru)


    I use my tonfas to kill the monsters flying towards me from the explosion and fires the next shot. The next [Impact] is redirected to the monsters so that they are not able to jump towards me.


    ¡°Hmm, would it be easier to use two?¡± (Haru)


    The magic that was about to fall on the center of the enemy again changes direction slightly and falls on a spot slightly behind the group of monsters.


    The monsters that didn¡¯t die in the blast jumped forward, but there was another [Impact] in front of them.


    The swarm of monsters was suddenly gone. With only three uses of my magic, they were wiped out.


    ¡°Mu, they¡¯re too weak. I¡¯ll call for more.¡± (Haru)


    The remaining seven [Impact] are lined up in the forest at regular intervals. They exploded in the areas with a lot of monster presence.


    The [Impact] spells exploded in a chain reaction, and the sound of the explosion filled the Forest once again.

 CH 43

    Returning to Haru¡¯s area, I sense the presence of multiple monsters approaching rapidly.


    The ground around Haru was scorched, and some fallen items have been ruined. Well, she¡¯s probably at it for some time, so it can¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°Haru, just because you¡¯re stronger doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t lure more.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother, I also wanted to try to fight a harder battle.¡± (Haru)


    The monsters that are approaching now have received [Impact] from our direction, so they are not just coming one by one from all directions like before.


    Instead, all the monsters are moving as one group. And both of us have now witnessed such a scene.


    ¡°They¡¯re like an avalanche. No, a natural disaster.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother, there are some Unique monsters mixed? Look, it¡¯s the bear on the far right.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Look at it. It threw a tree towards us. However, the monster in front of it was crushed instead because it didn¡¯t have enough distance.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Waa, it¡¯s killing its family. How terrible.¡± (Haru)


    It may unexpectedly be of some help.


    If we hunt with the minimum firepower as before, we will soon be swallowed by their numbers.


    However, the basic tactic in our mass annihilation was to use firepower in tandem with tactics. This makes our firepower stronger.


    ¡°Haru prepare for your attack. I¡¯ll set them up. [Unprotect] [Bind]¡± (Kei)


    Only the toughest monsters will have their defenses weakened by [Unprotect] using [Positioning].


    And then there¡¯s [Bind]. I¡¯m not going to use it to stop the enemy, but to narrow down the path they could take.


    The thorns grow on both flanks of the monster pack and keep the monsters in one place.


    The trees along the direction of the monster¡¯s movement were toppled by the force and weight of the monsters.


    ¡°Haru, please. [Power]¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay. [Impact] [Decaple]¡± (Haru)


    ¡°[Chain]¡± (Kei)


    With Haru¡¯s [Impact], enhanced by my [Chain], the Area of Effect her spells have greatly increased.


    And the aim is a large number of monsters approaching us like a flash flood.


    ¡°Go!¡± (Haru)


    As Haru holds her Tonfa in front, 10 balls of light flew to the monsters. And then,


    Boom!


    A huge explosion echoes through the air.


    The explosion sends even the trees hurtling into the air, and smoke billowing high into the sky.


    Swoosh!


    With a horrifying chill, the magic around me shakes.


    It¡¯s not the regular movement of skill or magic. It¡¯s like the [Magic Manipulation] that Haru uses. And yet, it is not manipulation, but a violent flow of magic power that seems to be forcibly pushed away.


    And that flow of magic power is coming from above.


    ¡°[Speed] [Guard]. Haru, let¡¯s run away!¡± (Kei)


    I apply Speed and Guard to myself and Haru, and we start running.


    Sand clouds caused by the big explosion from [Impact]. A huge shadow emerges in the smoke flying high in the sky.


    Huge wings and a long tail. It is, of course, Rimdobmur that had previously attacked us.


    ¡°Gugya!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    The shout carried the same magic power as before and instantly blew away the dust cloud.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to buy us some time. [Slow] [Slow] [Slow]¡± (Kei)


    Is the [Slow] I used affected by the opponent¡¯s magical amount? Since I cast it multiple times, it should stack.


    The speed of Rimdobmur was only slowed down by a fraction.


    ¡°[Barrier] take these!¡±


    Haru also unleashes her magic. The barrier that appeared in front of Rimdobmur is destroyed in an instant. At the same time as it was destroyed, several invisible balls hit Rimdobmur.


    ¡°Brother, [Magic Bullet] is effective.¡± (Haru)


    Haru strikes a ¡°good job¡± pose while we were running.


    The entrance to the Forest, the cave with the spiral, was approaching. But it was faster for Rimdobmur to open its mouth.


    ¡°Brother! Incoming breath!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it. Scythe!¡± (Kei)


    A scythe appears in my hands.


    ¡°[Power] [Chain]¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯ll add more attacks. The cave is almost there. But not close enough.


    ¡°Haru get back!¡± (Kei)


    I pushed Haru towards the cave, and while I was running, I firmly readied my scythe.


    ¡°Gugyaaa!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    ¡°Yaaaa!¡± (Kei)


    Sensing the turbulent waves of magical power that are steadily moving I used [Spatial Awareness], and swing the scythe into the gap of the turbulent waves of magical power at just the right timing.


    The breath was split in half by the swing of my Scythe the trees knocked down by the split breath.


    I feel like I¡¯m being crushed and my body is pushed towards the cave, but I decide to stand firm.


    ¡°Brother!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll follow you!¡± (Kei)


    We left the Forest floor before the next attack came, escaping inside the cave.


    ¡°Haa¡± (Kei & Haru)


    We sat down in the middle of the stairs and let out a sigh of relief.


    The explosion was bigger than I expected. Even Rimdobmur, who doesn¡¯t mind the noise on the ground, will still get angry if it is suddenly covered by dust and smoke.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to find out the clear conditions that trigger Rimdobmur.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a rigid set of conditions, it¡¯s more general, like if you make him angry.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I suppose. I mean, really, how did the Americans beat that thing?¡± (Kei)


    I question the sanity of the person who defeated Rimdobmur due to the huge difference in power between us and Rimdobmur that I can still clearly see.


    By the way, I knew that  Rimdobmur had been defeated, but I hadn¡¯t looked into the details of it at all. I¡¯ll have to look into that when I get back.


    ¡°I guess we didn¡¯t make any harvest today.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I haven¡¯t collected anything. I¡¯ve defeated a unique monster though.¡± (Kei)


    I killed a unique bird monster and Haru killed a unique bear monster. Aside from the Bird, the Bear seemed to be strong, so I could expect a good drop, but it would be impossible to get it back now.


    I think I¡¯ll have to leave my life behind in exchange for the drop items.


    ¡°Do you want to go home today?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go home. I¡¯m tired.¡± (Haru)


    We were afraid to transition from the entrance of the forest, so we climbed up the long staircase and transitioned to the first level from the 15th level exit.


    Then we got home.


    ¡°Arghhhhh!¡± (Haru)


    Haru was making a strange noise. Haru¡¯s eyes were on her computer. I¡¯m cooking lunch, and Haru is doing some research on Rimdobmur.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Haru. What¡¯s the matter you sound funny.¡± (Kei)


    I jokingly warn Haru, who is sprawled on the floor and making strange noises. No, is she just ranting?


    ¡°Brother. I¡¯ve got some information about the defeat of Rimdobmur in America. I mean, it was written on the website we looked at yesterday.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What did it say? It doesn¡¯t say the level of the person who defeated it, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. So there¡¯s not much information. I¡¯ll explain in order.¡± (Haru)


    The first one to defeat Rimdobmur was one of the American mercenary groups. They have expanded their activities into the dungeons and are currently considered the strongest in the United States and the world, and they are cooperating with the government during their explorations.


    The number of people in the mercenary group is quite large, with more than 20 people over level 40 alone. At this point, we can see the difference in strength between us and Japan.


    Well, I don¡¯t know what would happen if the Self-Defense Forces, which Japan is probably hiding behind, were to make their activities public.


    In terms of technology, items, and so on, looking at the market, it would be strange if there weren¡¯t people who had production skills and were also of a higher level than us.


    There are things on the market that would be hard to get in our home dungeon. All of those things, though, are going to be very expensive, over 100 million.


    Back to the topic at hand, it was 16 members of the mercenary group that defeated Rimdobmur. It seems that the government has a certain skill that prevents them from violating the rules of the dungeon.


    In other words, things like the time of Gan Ceann will not happen.


    And finally, there were sixteen people who participated in the defeat of Rimdobmur, and thirteen who returned. We know that three of them were killed in the battle.


    However, this is the only information.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot we don¡¯t know, isn¡¯t there? How strong is that mercenary group?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they breaking the rules when there are sixteen of them fighting?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What kind of skill does their country have in the first place?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°How is it that three people died when they were supposed to have been carefully planned?¡± (Kei)


    The two of us fell silent together. Most of our knowledge of dungeons came from our own dungeon diving.


    I guess you could say that our dungeon experience consists of this house alone.


    But that¡¯s why we know too little about our surroundings.


    If we were normal explorers, this would be fine, but we are stronger than the Strongest Five.


    Information Vulnerability, that¡¯s the word that comes to mind. Our current situation is that we are Muscle Brains, for an easier term.


    ¡°Maybe we need to gather more information than just our own search for answers once. Fortunately, we have the money.¡± (Haru)


    Haru chuckles. That¡¯s right. There is only so much information available in society. I think it¡¯s essential to ask around and get information from the lips of people who don¡¯t have to hide it.


    If that¡¯s the case.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I guess I¡¯ll have to do a field survey. Either way, we¡¯ll have to do it sooner or later, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s just the two of us on our first trip. I¡¯ll look into it. So if I had to sum up our goal in one sentence¡­¡± (Kei)


    ¡°In search of information and power, go to America.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll start searching for information for today. Before that.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry and won¡¯t we have lunch first?¡± (Haru)


    I put the lunch I had made on the table.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± (Kei & Haru)


    With a new goal in mind, the Kizaki family enjoyed a slightly brighter meal than usual.

 CH 44

    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m bored. Let¡¯s go explore the dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, after a little more research. Like we¡¯ve decided.¡± (Kei)


    It¡¯s been a few days since we met Rimdobmur again. We¡¯ve been researching in the morning and going to the dungeon in the afternoon.


    We found out after our research that the Magic Items collected in the dungeon were unexpectedly plentiful in both variety and quantity, and that we could find several of the Item Pouches (very small) every day. The price of these items has been steadily dropping, and now I can buy them for about the price of an expensive car.


    People from rich families wear them on a regular basis, and recently a famous YouTuber bought one and introduced it to the world.


    That¡¯s because it can hold 100 kilograms, so it¡¯s very easy to use. You can do mountain climbing with just one pouch. I¡¯m not sure why he used mountain climbing as an example.


    By the way, a [Magic Item] is a general term for anything that can be obtained in a dungeon and can be used outside the dungeon to cause supernatural phenomena.


    Well, let¡¯s leave it at that.


    And lately, it seems that Item Pouches (small) are being discovered about once a week. The price of these jumps up significantly. This is because big companies have a lot of money and participate in auctions. It¡¯s impossible for individuals to obtain these items.


    I thought to myself, ¡°We¡¯re not very well-informed people¡±, we didn¡¯t even know this level of information.


    Well, what I¡¯m trying to say is that selling items is not as conspicuous as I thought it would be.


    However, we don¡¯t have that many items to sell either. We don¡¯t have many items that we can sell, but there seem to be a lot of expensive items that are being sold in the market.


    Knowing this, we hurriedly sorted through the items we had acquired so far and tried to gather items that we could sell at a reasonable price.


    No matter how many magic items we had found, there was a high possibility that we would be identified if we sold expensive items, and even if the items were not that expensive, we would probably be noticed if an individual put a number of them up for auction.


    Recently, large corporations have been setting up their own auctions, and the state-sponsored auctions will soon be closed.


    If several large corporations are going to hold auctions, they can sell their products anonymously in various places.


    Of course, your name will remain anonymous to the companies for financial and security reasons, but all information will be treated as anonymous.


    This means that neither the buyer of the Magic Item nor any other large company will know who put it up for sale. This would increase the number of items sold somewhat.


    However, in reality, such a dangerous thing cannot be done because there may be horizontal ties between companies. [T/N: Horizontal ties/relationships are more or less equal. Like buyers and sellers. Unlike vertical ties that are about the hierarchical relationships.]


    I don¡¯t know how scary the adult world is. We¡¯re just kids, and there¡¯s no harm in being as careful as possible.


    That¡¯s why we decided to dive into the Tokyo Dungeon once a week.


    We had made up our minds, though. But another piece of information forced us to scrap that plan.


    The Treasure Tool, which is a limited first-time drop from the boss of the 15th level of the dungeon, the Minotaur, can also be obtained by defeating the boss of the 15th level of another dungeon, the Minotaur.


    However, you can only activate as many skills as you have at the same time. That is two.


    I¡¯ve looked up a lot of information, but I¡¯ve never heard of a player having three skills, so I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s basically two.


    This was discovered by the Hero Party who is commonly known as the strongest in Japan.


    After conquering the 15th layer of the Hokkaido dungeon, it seems that all four members of the party have obtained a second Treasure Tool. However, the second Treasure Tool had a different shape but the same type of weapon, so only the two boys had any use for it.


    After receiving this information, a certain party started to move.


    Party Name: 893


    Recently, they have started calling themselves the strongest survey party in Japan, and have been investigating dungeons in Japan.


    They are popular among explorers because the information they find is quickly leaked to the private sector.


    Not that it¡¯s a coincidence, but I was wondering how popular the top five were. Well, as expected, I found a bunch of sites that looked at the popularity of the top five and other top exploration parties.


    I thought the most popular party was the Hero Party that had supposedly defeated Gan Ceann, but apparently not.


    I checked out someone¡¯s blog, which seemed to have a popularity ranking based on online voting. The person who wrote the blog seemed to be famous, and the number of people voting seemed to be in the five figures.


    And the result?


    The result was that the winner got first place by a huge margin over second place.


    A party for only the most beautiful women. [Yamato Nadeshiko].


    This party seems to have stolen all the votes from the men because they are all beautiful and strong. There are rumors that they don¡¯t get along with each other, but I guess that¡¯s the way it is with any celebrity group.


    And the 2nd place is the [Hero Party].


    There is nothing special to mention now.


    The third place goes to the self-proclaimed [893 (PacSun)] survey team, which is famous for being both strong and friendly.


    The fourth place goes to the [Grapevine Association], a group consisting of only women with martial arts experience.


    They are just plain strong. They are said to be the second strongest after the Heroic Group.


    And lastly, [The Biceps].


    It seems that these people are also strong, but well, they¡¯re not very popular because they¡¯re just a group of four muscular uncles.


    Now, let¡¯s get our thoughts back on track. So, what did the 893 verify?


    What they verified was the weapon they were carrying when they attacked the 15th layer of the second dungeon.


    It¡¯s not uncommon for the Hero Party or other ordinary explorers to change their weapons after gaining some experience. Even with the same sword skills, the use of a one-handed sword is completely different from that of a two-handed sword, and the seemingly similar use of a one-handed sword is completely different from that of a sword.


    If you use a one-handed sword in the way you use a sword, it won¡¯t be powerful enough, and if you use a sword in the way you use a one-handed sword, the blade will crack and bend in no time.


    That¡¯s what 893 was looking for. He thought that if he changed the equipment he used, the treasure he received would also change.


    893 also had already gotten the Treasure Tool for their main weapon.


    So, when each of them managed to subdue the Minotaur with a unique combination of brass knuckles, the Treasure Tools they got were brass knuckles and gloves with metallic knuckles embedded. Everyone was equipped with a fist that suits each member.


    The conclusion that the 893 came to was that the treasure tools they would get would be the types of weapons that they had used in the battle against the humanized cattle, regardless of their skills, and among them would be the ones that suited their fighting style.


    Because it seems that one of the 893 had been fighting with a dagger/push knife all along, and the weapon that came out was a glove that could be used to summon a dagger by making a dagger-gripping-gesture. In return, the power of the recoil was reduced, and it turned out to be well adapted to their fighting style.


    So for now, we decided to continue diving into the Tokyo dungeon and defeat the Minotaur.


    Haru and I decided that we have to get a sword and tonfa treasure.


    Unfortunately, neither Haru nor I can use the first Treasure Tool at the same time because it¡¯s a two-handed weapon, but I¡¯m sure it will come in handy one day.


    There was a lot of other information that we didn¡¯t know that was widely accepted in the world. That¡¯s why we decided not to stop collecting information after the first day, but to spend every morning on it.


    They had to keep gathering information. But they also needed to continue to get stronger. All for the sake of entertainment.


    To escape the Forest area that they had grown tired of.


    The siblings are willing to go through the trouble.


    Well, they may not like hard work actually.

 CH 45

    ¡°Good job.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Woooo!!!¡± (Wolf)


    The wolf howled with its large mouth raised. Haru swiftly jumps toward the mouth of that wolf, large enough to eat people.


    She waved her favorite Tonfa and smashed the wolf¡¯s mouth as it howls.


    The wolf was the 10th-floor boss, also known as the Black Wolf. Defeating this monster is such a feat that one can be called a mid-rank explorer.


    Incidentally, in general, those who have just started exploring are called Beginners, those who have defeated the 5th-floor boss, the Hobgoblin, are called Beginner Explorers, and those who have defeated the 15th-floor boss are called Intermediate Explorers.


    The Black Wolf, the proof of being an Intermediate Explorer, was bashed from below with its mouth gaping. The impact reverberated through its brain.


    The next moment, it turned into black mist and disappeared.


    It only took five seconds from the time the siblings entered the Black Wolf¡¯s room to this point. Even the Black Wolf, the proof of an Intermediate Explorer, could not fight properly against the siblings, whose abilities far surpassed those of Intermediate Explorers.


    ¡°OK, let¡¯s go to the next one.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to find the stairs from here. I¡¯m not sure what the Black Wolf¡¯s drop is. It¡¯s huge.¡± (Kei)


    This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a Black Wolf drop that I¡¯m not familiar with.


    ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s not the usual fur. It¡¯s more like a pelt.¡± (Kei) [T/N: Pelts are untreated skin (hide) and fur coat. Furs are treated coat w/ or without the skin (hide). Well according to Google-sensei.]


    The fur that dropped was bigger than the usual fur. Usually, the furs we drop are about a meter square, although there is a margin of error in size. However, the one that fell here was¡­


    ¡°It looks like a tiger pelt that a rich man would display in his house.¡± (Kei)


    That¡¯s exactly what it looks like. The color was the usual shiny black, but the pelt was still in the shape of a wolf as if it had been stripped from a wolf.


    However, the fur was not the size of a black wolf; it was about four meters square when laid open.


    It was much smaller than the size of the original Black Wolf, but it was still bigger than a normal tiger.


    Normally, I don¡¯t remember what monsters drop what kind of items, even though I keep a record of it, but I do remember what the bosses drop. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. Maybe they were on the market, but I hadn¡¯t done much research on the regular drop items.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to check it out when I get back to the surface. Maybe it¡¯s a tremendous rare drop.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. I¡¯ll check it out when we get back.¡± (Haru)


    I lifted the heavy, large pelt with ease and shoved it into my item pouch.


    I follow Haru who had already started walking as if nothing had happened.


    From our point of view, we¡¯ve already experienced many drops from the dungeon that we didn¡¯t know about, so we didn¡¯t have to worry about any of these.


    The only thing that bothered me a little was that the Black Wolf, which we had defeated so many times before, suddenly produce such a rare drop that we had never seen before. Moreover, it happened when we have just come to the dungeon in Tokyo and defeated it. What if it does?


    How much of a coincidence would that be?


    ¡°Oh well.¡± (Kei)


    After exiting the 10th floor, we quickly descended to the 11th floor.


    The two siblings were very open-minded, despite what they might say.


    ¡°Brother, tired.¡± (Haru)


    We¡¯ve been walking on the 11th layer now. It¡¯s been about an hour.


    Killing monsters and walking has become a hassle, so now the two of us are walking hand in hand, activating our stealth.


    Thanks to our high status, we don¡¯t get tired. Physically.


    Naturally, our minds are tired and stressed. Yeah, I¡¯m having some kind of d¨¦j¨¤ vu about this situation.


    ¡°I wonder if a staircase will suddenly appear in front of me. Then I can go to the shrine and give a thousand yen.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°A thousand yen? If I¡¯m going to spend it on money, I can eat out, so I want to eat out. The ingredients may not be as tasty as Minotaur, but I think the cooking skills are different.¡± (Haru)


    We are gradually becoming less and less poor by selling the dungeon drops. Now we can even go to high school.


    However, even if we can escape poverty, it is not easy to escape the habit of being poor. The feeling of not wanting to spend more money than necessary, which had been ingrained in Haru after living in poverty for half a year, was still firmly rooted in her mind.


    Suddenly Haru stops.


    ¡°Brother, the monsters disappeared simultaneously in the distance. It looks like there are some pretty strong explorers. Maybe they¡¯re high-level intermediate explorers?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If they¡¯re that strong and roaming around these levels¡­¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re strong, but they haven¡¯t reached the fifteenth level, so they haven¡¯t vanished.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I guess. That means¡­¡± (Kei)


    I headed in the direction of the explorer with Haru pulling me by the hand. A few steps later, the explorer¡¯s presence vanished.


    ¡°They got to the stairs.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to follow them.¡± (Kei)


    If they were that strong, they would at least know the way out of this level. If that¡¯s the case, we should just follow them.


    Well, they were giving directions without knowing realizing it. Also, we aren¡¯t bothering the other party.


    If we go to the place where the explorers disappeared, we will find a staircase.


    We went down the stairs and grasped the explorers¡¯ presence. It seems that they are still moving forward at a steady pace, killing all the monsters around them.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s chase after them quickly.¡± (Kei)


    We¡¯ll go from this floor to the 14th floor. We continued stalking the explorers who were walking steadily, without letting them detect our presence. As a result, we were able to safely reach the 15th floor.


    By the way, the search for the stairs on the 14th floor was luckily finished in about 30 minutes.


    ¡°We did it!¡± (Haru)


    Haru smacked the door of the boss room as if to relieve stress, and the door slowly opened.


    ¡°Gugaa!¡± (Minotaur)


    It was a Minotaur that appeared.


    The Minotaur in the Tokyo dungeon was not sitting on a rock but was standing with its ax on the ground like a cane.


    I wonder if Minotaurs are unique to each dungeon.


    Seeing the Minotaur lift its ax and screams, this is my carefree thoughts as it happens.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re next, right? Nice to meet you.¡± (Haru)


    Haru crossed her tonfa behind her back and walked lightly to the wall. She leaned against the wall without hesitation.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going.¡± (Kei)


    I approach the Minotaur with my bare hands not touching my sheathed sword. The first attack will come soon.


    ¡°Gaaarh!¡± (Minotaur)


    The ax swung down and glowed as the Minotaur screamed. The impact sends a shockwave heading towards us.


    ¡°You are looking quite impatient this time.¡± (Kei)


    I muttered, but I easily dodged it by taking a step to the side and walked straight to the Minotaur.


    As I walk leisurely along, it raises its ax again.


    The ax is glowing, but the flow of magic power is a little different than before. I¡¯ve seen this kind of flow many times. I¡¯ve actually used it myself, so there¡¯s no problem at this point.


    The last time I looked at the strength of a Minotaur, it was 160. Minotaurs are considered melee skills-type, so their Strength is about two-thirds of their Fighting Power.


    It¡¯s probably on par with what I have now. And I have proven myself from the two battles recent battles and my status has also improved. If so.


    ¡°[Power]¡± (Kei)


    The glowing ax swings down at my unprotected head, and I raise my hands toward it. I raise my hands toward it, putting all my strength into one moment, using the ground as a firm foundation. I bring my hands together above my head.


    Bam!


    There is a smacking sound.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t the sound of my head being split open. It was the sound of a man grabbing an ax that had been swung down. It was a serious sword fight.


    The impact of the ax swinging down created a breeze, and the hood of the jacket I was wearing fell off.


    The ax stopped about ten centimeters above my head and didn¡¯t move.


    Speaking of which, I open my mouth.


    ¡°Hey, Minotaur. Do you know what nuclear weapons are?¡± (Kei)


    When we first defeated the Minotaur, they knew what a bomb was. The Minotaur should have never come into contact with humans.


    So I decided to ask him again. It wouldn¡¯t be interesting if I asked the same question about bombs as last time, or maybe an intermediate explorer had just learned to say such things in battle.


    That is why I said ¡°nuclear weapon¡±. Last time it was a bomb, so this time I¡¯m going to up the scale. There is no particular meaning. There¡¯s a reason why no one would say ¡°nuclear weapon¡± in the middle of a battle.


    And.


    ¡°Are you flustered?¡± (Kei)


    I could sense a hint of agitation in the Minotaur¡¯s somewhat human-like behavior.


    ¡°Thank you for your silent confirmation.¡± (Kei)


    I pulled and twisted the ax, which had loosened because of the Minotaur¡¯s agitation, and removed it from its hand.


    The head of the Minotaur flew through the air so smoothly that you could almost hear the sound of it swooshing.


    With the same momentum that I had used to rip the ax out of the Minotaur¡¯s hand, I slashed it into the Minotaur¡¯s neck. It was a clean-cut, no blood spilled, and it disappeared into a black mist.


    ¡°It was a little interesting reaction.¡± (Haru)


    Haru casually walks from behind me.


    ¡°It still knows about bombs, but also nuclear weapons. That was unexpected.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°There were some theories that the dungeons were from some fantasy world that has moved to Earth. I thought that theory was quite strong, too.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I agree with you, but I don¡¯t think there are any nuclear weapons in that world, because magic is enough and it¡¯s not powerful enough to be used in a dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°In addition, electricity is not available in dungeons, so even if there is a world where dungeons existed originally, I don¡¯t think nuclear weapons can be activated there. It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t use electronic devices in the dungeon, but that you can¡¯t use electronic devices in that world. Something like that.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, that theory turned out to be wrong when the Minotaur knew about the nuclear weapons. After all, there are a lot of unknowns in dungeons.¡±


    ¡°Yup. That¡¯s right. Well, let¡¯s check the drops for the time being.¡± (Haru)


    We sat near the items dropped by the Minotaur and began to check those.


    And the siblings had forgotten. They forgot that they had come here to get a sword and tonfa Treasure Tool. It would be some time before they remembered that.

 CH 46

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a card on the floor. Lucky.¡± (Kei)


    I sat down on the spot where the Minotaur had fallen and checked the items that had fallen. There were two skill cards that dropped this time. Both of them were silver, a bit rare. And meat, as usual. About a kilogram.


    Lastly, two rings.


    ¡°Hmm? By the way, did Haru participate in the battle? When I think about it, I feel like you contributed zero effort in the battle.¡± (Kei)


    If you think about it, I¡¯ve done all the fighting this time by myself.  With that in mind, it feels weird that there are two cards dropped.


    ¡°I joined in a little. When brother caught the ax, I hit the Minotaur with magic power. It¡¯s not [Magic Bullet], it¡¯s magic power itself, so it doesn¡¯t do any damage.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Is that so? I didn¡¯t notice. I was not alert enough.¡± (Kei)


    I was quite surprised, I didn¡¯t realize that Haru shot magical power. Nevertheless, I picked up the card.


    One card for both of us, it¡¯s sucked into our hands. What are our new skills?


    ¡°Let me take a look at your status brother.¡± (Garu)


    Haru is right! My inner voice says.


    ¡°Please do.¡± (Kei)


    I stop myself from using [Material Cognition], and I left it to Haru¡¯s [Inspection].


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s done. It looks like brother¡¯s skill is amazing. Maybe you¡¯ll win this time.¡± (Haru)


    Haru seems to have finished examining my skills quickly and began to explain.


    Moreover, the new skill is great.


    ¡°Curse¡­ Put a hex on what you enchant.¡±


    I don¡¯t know, but I guess it¡¯s a winner. I¡¯m going to try it on my sword.


    ¡°[Curse]¡±


    The sword shined black after I activated it. I tried to swing it as it was, but nothing seems to have changed. However, the black shine just vanished.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, please it try later. Next is mine. It¡¯s passive and like this.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Dual Attribute¡­ 2 kinds of Magic Attributes can be used.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a jackpot. To be honest, I wonder if it was okay for it to not be gold.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, more than that, gold skill cards have broken a performance. I¡¯m fine with this.¡± (Haru)


    The Golden Cards we¡¯ve used so far made a huge impact on the outcome of our battles. Although they¡¯re strong, I think a silver card is good enough.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. By the way, please check our status.¡± (Kei)


    Name: Haruka


    Proficiency: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: (Fissure) Explosion (Electric)


    Level: 71


    Strength: 81


    Magic Capacity: 169


    Skill: Analysis, Magic Bullets, Rampage, Magic Synthesis


    Magic: Bomb, Time Bomb, Impact, Number, (Plasma), (Fissure), (Separation), Barrier, (Collapse)


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting / Magic Manipulation / Dual Attribute


    Name: Touka


    Proficiency: Enchant / Alchemy


    Magic Attribute: None (Curse)


    Level: 71


    Strength: 104


    Magic Capacity: 139


    Skill: Stealth, Positioning, Material Cognition, Domination, Shortcut


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain, Slow, Loss, Unprotect, Curse


    Passive: Perception / Acceleration / Alchemy


    Well, of course, there wasn¡¯t that much change from last time. Haru¡¯s level has increased, though.


    ¡°The next is the Treasure Tools. My tonfa and brother¡¯s sword. Hmm? Huh?¡± (Haru)


    Haru seems to be quite pleased, so I leaned towards her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s a Treasure Tool. My sword, hmm? I don¡¯t know. TheTreasure Tools are probably determined by the way you fight?¡± (Kei)


    I ask Haru hoping for it to not be so, even though I am remembering it now.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve read that the main method of combat, the skills used affect the resulting Treasure Tools.¡± (Kei)


    However, the reality is cruel, and I¡¯ve always known. In other words, this Treasure Tool¡­ What is could it be?


    ¡°Then what¡¯s this Treasure Tool?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly the weapon I used this time. We didn¡¯t use any weapons.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I used an ax, either.¡± (Kei)


    Haru didn¡¯t use any weapon, and I killed the Minotaur with its won ax, but it¡¯s hard to say that I used the ax since it¡¯s the opponent¡¯s weapon.


    I didn¡¯t use any magic circle this time, so it can¡¯t be considered as a weapon I used with Enchanting or Haru using her magical power.


    ¡°Do you want to try it for the time being?¡± (Kei)


    I picked up the one that I somehow knew belonged to me and channeled the magic power into it.


    ¡°Woah, what is this?¡± (Kei)


    The ring was then pulsing with magical power and it was soon sucked by the original ring I had. Then it disappeared completely.


    ¡°It combined to one. I don¡¯t want my fingers to get crammed as I get more rings, so is this a good solution, I guess?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, brother. We¡¯ll check what¡¯s inside at home. I don¡¯t want to spend too much time here, we might inconvenience the person who will do the next boss fight.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know the size of it, also it¡¯s too cramped here. Let¡¯s go back to the Forest and try it out?¡±


    I picked up all the dropped items and walked straight to the magic circle that leads out of the boss room.


    There was nothing special about it, and after descending to the Forest, we were transitioned to the first level. Let¡¯s just say it was lucky that we didn¡¯t meet any people here. We were one of the few intermediate explorers here.


    And then there was the problem of the Black Wolf¡¯s Pelt.


    Nowadays, each company buys monster drops, and the less expensive ones are sold there.


    The market system is changing more and more without our knowledge, and even though we are still young, we feel the passage of time.


    Well, whatever. I take the fur to the reception desk. I thought about looking it up on the internet first, but I figured that since it was a normal drop from a Black Wolf, there would be no problem, so I just brought it in.


    ¡°I would like to request for this material to be sold.¡±


    I spoke to the lady at the reception desk, making sure that Haru was hiding behind me. She looks just like the receptionist of a guild in a fantasy game. Even though we have been living in a fantasy world for a while now, it still tickles my fancy.


    ¡°Yes, so you¡¯re selling materials. Please put them in this box.¡± (Receptionist)


    The receptionist quickly took out a large box, and I could see that she had no trouble with her movements and that she lifted the box easily.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m not mistaken. Are you an explorer?¡± (Kei)


    The question without the subject. In other words, is the receptionist a searcher? It¡¯s also a fairly high level.


    On the other hand, the receptionist smiles and returns in a whisper.


    ¡°It¡¯s not widely known, but all the receptionists in this company are intermediate level explorers.¡± (Receptionist)


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°My friend and I messed up while we were working in the dungeon, and so we got transferred to this department.¡± (Receptionist)


    ¡°So sometimes such things can happen.¡± (Kei)


    Looking at the receptionist with a mischievous smile on her face, I take out the items we got today from my backpack, except for the Minotaur drops. Since we had gone through many of the monsters on the way, we had enough to fill our backpack with today¡¯s harvest.


    Incidentally, I couldn¡¯t fit the Black Wolf¡¯s Pelt in my backpack, so I wrapped it around itself, tied it in a knot, and tied it to the top of my backpack. I felt like a mountain climber.


    Why don¡¯t we use the Item Pouch? Because not many ordinary people use them. However, there are a few intermediate explorers who have them, and it seems that all top-performing explorers have them. In fact, they often buy them themselves. We are not going to show them what we have those ourselves.


    I turned the backpack upside down, threw out all the contents into the box, removed the fur from the backpack, and put it into the box as well.


    ¡°I will start verifying them.¡± (Receptionist)


    The receptionist looks at the item seriously.


    As I watched, I noticed that none of the receptionists here were using any skills to check the items. There seemed to be no movement of magic.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this deceptive?¡± (Haru)


    Haru muttered behind me. I could barely hear her voice, but the receptionist raised her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The only thing you can sell here is dropped items, and as long as you know what they are, you can tell them apart by looking at them, so we don¡¯t get it wrong.¡± (Receptionist)


    The receptionist shifted the box of items to the side, as if she had completed her inspection, and then typed something into the computer in front of her.


    ¡°Please show me your [Dungeon Exploration License] to verify your identity.¡± (Receptionist)


    ¡°Oh, here.¡± (Kei)


    We hurriedly took out our licenses and showed them to the receptionist. The receptionist is very professional and doesn¡¯t read it out loud. She just touches it once with some kind of scanner and immediately smiles at us.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve verified your information. As I mentioned earlier, if the item is disguised to look like another drop item, it is no longer a dungeon item, and we are calling those people frauds.¡± (Receptionist)


    ¡°Is there anyone like that?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a person before, but I¡¯ve heard of a few people who have. A [Black Wolf¡¯s Whole Body Pelt]? It¡¯s the rarest drop of the black wolf. You¡¯re very lucky.¡± (Receptionist)


    She seemed to have finished typing the data into the computer, and when she rechecked the pelt, she taped the enter key. Then with a tap on the computer keyboard, the purchase price appeared on the screen beside me.


    ¡°It¡¯s higher than I thought. I don¡¯t think there were any items that were that good.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s the price of a Black Wolf Whole Body Pelt, right? The drop rate is said to be about five percent, so it is sold at a high price. The price will be transferred to the account on the license that I just received. Thank you for coming today.¡± (Receptionist)


    After the receptionist gave us a formal bow, we bowed back and left the line.


    Each search permit allows the holder to set up an account, and the money from the sale of items is automatically transferred to the account. It seems to be a measure against robbery and the difficulty of having cash on hand.


    Well, we managed to get a good deal of money today.


    ¡°Tomorrow well experiment again.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, we will. I can¡¯t wait to use the Treasure Tool.¡± (Haru)


    We walked out of the Dungeon Dam, Haru and I chatting as we left the reception area.

 CH 47

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± (Haru)


    Haru walks in front of me and opens the shabby door of our house.


    This shabby-looking door is quite strong, as it is processed using [Alchemy] with items from the dungeon. However, it should not be made too strong, because if it is made too secure, it could be blown away by the dungeon¡¯s special characteristics.


    It is said that before the Dungeon Dam was opened to the public, they made a very strong door and kept it unlocked so that it would not be blown away by the dungeon. If that¡¯s the case, then this house should be just like that, and the lock has not been reinforced in any way.


    It was the locks of a long-abandoned house in the countryside. It will probably break just by kicking it by someone with an unenhanced physical strength.


    The fact that it had never been blown off by the dungeon before proved that it was not a problem.


    The sky was already starting to get dark, and it would be better not to dive into the dungeon again, considering our supper and fatigue.


    Entering the house, I closed the lock, which was only for appearance, and took off my gear.


    Even if we make money, it¡¯s still not enough considering the possibility of not making any money in the future.


    Who knows when our information will be leaked and when our home dungeon will become unusable? No one can predict that. If we were found out, we might end up with a criminal record.


    Both of us completed junior high school. If we were both junior high school graduates with criminal records, there would be no place that would hire us.


    Even in this day and age, it¡¯s hard to get a job as a junior high school graduate. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s better to earn enough money while we¡¯re still kids so that we can live without doing anything in the future.


    By the way, we are children, but what about taxes and other things? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if there are things that need to be paid and haven¡¯t been paid yet, it¡¯s the parents¡¯ responsibility. Even though the old man had left the house without permission, he was still our guardian on paper.


    With this in mind, I finished tidying my gear and put it in the safe. I went out for a run, as usual, ate dinner, took a bath, and went to bed.


    By the way, this evening¡¯s dinner was thinly sliced Minotaur beef stir-fried with yakiniku sauce. It was very tasty as usual. [T/N: Yakiniku is the equivalent of barbeques. The standard yakiniku sauce is made with soy sauce, mirin (sweet cooking wine), garlic, and sesame seeds/oil. It¡¯s a mildly sweet and super savory sauce. ]


    And then.


    ¡°Okay, brother. Let¡¯s go explore!¡± (Haru)


    The next day, we spent the morning gathering information on the dungeon drops that had been announced to the public, while pacifying Haru who had immediately said something like this upon waking up. I found something that still bothered me.


    It said that the appearance rate of rare drops and other items in Tokyo and other dungeons seemed to be unchanged.


    However, I don¡¯t know exactly what the drop rate is because this is real life, not a game, and sometimes explorers say that the drops are better in this dungeon.


    Well, that¡¯s it. It¡¯s like when you¡¯re in a pachinko parlor and this machine is more likely to hit the jackpot today. Or that it¡¯s better not to play gacha games in a row. I guess it¡¯s part of those baseless wish-fulfillment stories.


    Aside from that, the dungeons in this house lacked some of the drop items compared to other dungeons.


    It seems that the things that drop are generally divided into about four types. It¡¯s not exactly what the government says it is, but what the internet has come to call it.


    A drop rate of more than 76 percent is called a normal drop.


    A drop rate between 31 percent and 75 percent is a semi-regular drop.


    Those with drop rates between 6 percent and 30 percent are quasi-rare drops.


    And anything below that is a rare drop.


    That¡¯s all there is to it, generally speaking. However, there are some people who claim that there is actually a super rare drop below that.


    However, most people think that these super rare drops are usually unique monsters that look exactly the same as the ones listed above because the strength of the monster is not fixed and the monster is stronger than normal or looks slightly different.


    If you still call it a super rare drop, you¡¯ll be treated like a chuunibyou.


    And aside from the super rare drops, there are other things that are called rare drops.


    The rare drops that have been revealed on the Internet have never appeared in our dungeon.


    Not all monsters have these rare drops, but some of them do. I¡¯ve never seen it from those monsters either.


    For example, that rare rabbit. It¡¯s a very high experience rabbit that you can only meet once in a while. They only have rare drops, and if you get a drop, you¡¯ll get a magic tool. Well, the number of times we¡¯ve seen a rare rabbit is barely two digits, so we can¡¯t even verify it.


    While I was researching this, the morning ended and I made lunch while Haru badgered me telling me to, ¡°hurry up¡±.


    I ate up my lunch with great speed, put on my gear, and finally dove into the dungeon.


    ¡°Okay, brother. Let¡¯s get going. Go!¡± (Haru)


    While saying the same thing every morning, Haru, defeated a goblin that appeared in front of us with a single kick before heading to the transition area.


    ¡°The place we are going to go to is the Forest. We¡¯ll do it right outside the cave so that we don¡¯t have to worry about attracting Rimdobmur¡¯s attention.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger!¡± (Haru)


    When I got confirmation while transitioning, Haru appeared at the destination and posed in a salute.


    My bad. It was while we were transitioning, so I hardly saw the joke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± (Haru)


    As soon as she left the cave, Haru channeled her magic power into the ring. 893-san wrote that the Treasure Tool rings seem to contain the new Treasure Tool along with the previous Morning Star. You just have to think about what to use before letting your magical power flow through.


    Incidentally, after the new Treasure Tool was added, the ring¡¯s name changed to ¡°Touka¡¯s Treasure Tool 2¡± and ¡°Haruka¡¯s Treasure Tool 2¡±. Apparently, the last number was a number that indicated how many Treasure Tools were inside.


    I saw something round and transparent floating in front of Haru. I know it¡¯s the Treasure Tool, but it¡¯s obviously not a tool. If I had to say.


    ¡°Liquid, magical power?¡± (Haru)


    Haru asks a question. The round thing floating in the air was just water floating in weightless space, and it looked like a magical power of a different quality from the magical power that I usually use. The size is about 30 cm in diameter. It¡¯s not big at all.


    ¡°Haru, do you know what it is?¡± (Kei)


    I asked, thinking that the person who was using it would know better.


    ¡°Yeah. This liquid is probably unusual, but I think it¡¯s magical. But you can touch it and see it with the naked eye.¡± (Haru)


    When Haru touches the liquid, it dents by that amount, slowly leaves Haru in a bouncing manner, and slowly returns to Haru.


    ¡°Although it doesn¡¯t mix with my normal magical power, it can be finely moved using [Magic Manipulation].¡± (Haru)


    The liquid took a human form and waved at me. I almost waved back but stopped.


    ¡°Fufu. Let me use magic for the time being. [Collapse]¡± (Haru)


    Haru probably manipulated it. Then the liquid was splattered, it stuck to the nearest tree and was dyed black.


    ¡°That is. Is it okay to use Collapse?¡± (Kei)


    While [Fissure] ends immediately if left unattended, the [Fissure] she is now using will never end. It didn¡¯t look like Haru was still manipulating the magical power.


    ¡°Huh¡± (Kei)


    Something happened that made me cry out.


    The tree, to which the liquid touched, began to wear out. The original [Collapse] has the power to shred the wood, but it does not have the power to swallow the shredded pieces.


    ¡°Oh.¡± (Haru)


    Haru shouted in admiration as she manipulated the liquid with her magic power, causing it to spread.


    The tree that was being sucked into the black liquid was not coming back out but was being sucked into the liquid that was in volume.


    In no time, the tree fully disappeared.


    Pan!


    With the sound of Haru¡¯s hand-clapping, the liquid returned to its colorless state.


    The place that had been covered in black magic just now.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a little overkill.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the way it is.¡± (Haru)


    The tree was gone, the ground was gouged, and there was nothing left of it.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s okay. Brother your next.¡± (Haru)


    Haru quickly erased the magic liquid and handed over the place to me.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m gonna do badly after seeing Haru¡¯s.¡± (Kei)


    While murmuring such nonsense, I head to the place where Haru had stood.


    ¡°So, Touka¡¯s Second Treasure Tool!¡± (Kei)


    There is no part where I¡¯d make a misstep, so I let my magical power pass through the ring while muttering firmly.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s cool.¡± (Haru)


    Magical power was clinging to my body. Unlike Haru¡¯s magical liquid, mine is almost invisible to the naked eye. I am just shining slightly? That¡¯s about it. However, it seems that I, the person, who is covered can completely understand what it is.


    ¡°It¡¯s like an armor.¡± (Kei)


    The magic power that clung to me was completely hardened, and when I tapped it, it made a thumping sound. Moreover,


    ¡°Is the weapon on your hand included in the effects?¡±


    When the sword is unsheathed, it seems that the sword is also strengthened by the magical power.


    ¡°Brother, is it sharp?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± (Kei)


    I walked up to a nearby tree and swung with all my might. The tree is cut in half with just that. Even to the place where the sword didn¡¯t touch.


    If you try to cut the tree with your sword, it might cause the sword to become bent. The sword was swung just far enough to scratch the wood. And yet, the sword cut the tree in half.


    ¡°It looks like its reach has been increased. Maybe it¡¯s a magic blade?¡± (Haru)


    I looked at the sword as I swung it and saw that there was no mark on the blade at all. On the contrary, there was not a trace of anything touching the sword. No, I guess literally nothing touched the sword. That¡¯s how strong this magical power is. However.


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    That¡¯s it. It¡¯s still good enough but compared to Haru¡¯s liquid magic power. It¡¯s just this. Well, there¡¯s some luck involved, so it can¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°Okay, Haru. we¡¯ll hunt in the forest today.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup.¡± (Haru)


    If that¡¯s all there is to it, then let¡¯s forget about it. We¡¯re going to hunt again today.


    Well, we got Treasure Tools, though it wasn¡¯t what we were aiming for. So what should we do next?


    Keeping that in the corner of my head, I readied my sword.

 CH 48

    After trying out the new Treasure Tool the day before yesterday, we haven¡¯t found anything new to do, and are currently eating lunch as usual while thinking about what to do.


    ¡°The ultimate goal is to go to America, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to get the money, information, visa, etc. for that.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°You¡¯ve looked into prices, right? How much does a plane ticket cost?¡± (Haru)


    Naturally, there are more dungeons in America than in Japan, and they are concentrated in urban areas. Currently, there are nearly 30 dungeons open to the public, and Hawaii is said to be the most popular among tourists.


    And that¡¯s the Land of the Free, America. The requirements to enter a dungeon are lower than in Japan. In fact, many dungeons only require proof of identity. It¡¯s almost as if there¡¯s a lack of safety management.


    However, there are ways to deal with this. Some dungeons are designed so that you have to pay an entrance fee to enter the dungeon, and while the price is high, there are dungeons that are more secure.


    The most secure dungeons that are open to the general public, for example, require you to be a US citizen and pass a background check that you have to pay for. You can¡¯t have a criminal record, and you always have to have a co-signer who meets the same standards.


    So we can¡¯t get in. I¡¯m a Japanese citizen, and I don¡¯t personally know any American.


    On the other hand, there are some dungeons that are easy to enter and are also well guarded.


    These are the dungeons that have been built in tourist destinations such as Hawaii. These dungeons are designed to make it easier to enter, while still having enhanced security because it is important to let tourists in.


    As I expected, I couldn¡¯t find out much about the security procedures. It seems that even the most heavily guarded dungeons have actual regulations. Moreover, they are much more stringent than this.


    And, well. That¡¯s about it. If you want to enter a dungeon with the best safeguards, Hawaii is a good place to go. But that¡¯s not our goal.


    ¡°The dungeon where the mercenary group that defeated Rimdobmur is located is in New York, right? It¡¯s a tourist attraction, but the security in the dungeon isn¡¯t that great.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re going, right? How much is the flight to New York?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s not more than 150,000 yen, but that¡¯s for the general public, that¡¯s the problem.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to bring our own weapons. Is there a transit flight option? Wouldn¡¯t that be cheaper?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll look it up.¡± (Kei)


    I quickly ate up the rest of my lunch and opened my computer to check the prices.


    I heard that it¡¯s cheaper to use transit flights. Especially for a casual flyer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If you¡¯re trying to get on an armored aircraft, it¡¯s still cheaper to fly direct.¡± (Kei)


    The number of armored aircraft has been increasing since the dungeon was opened to the public. It¡¯s a plane that can carry people as well as equipment for dungeon exploration.


    However, due to the weight of the equipment, the number of people that can be carried on these planes is reduced, a large amount of security is put in place, and the cost of entering the country is higher, so the price is many times higher than normal.


    One way from Japan to New York costs about 500,000 yen. A round trip would cost as much as one million yen. By the way, if we took a transit flight, it would cost an additional 100,000 yen or more.


    The money we made when we sold our magic tools to learn swordsmanship and buy other things we needed was pretty much gone. If we went to America, we would have no money left.


    ¡°Do you plan on selling anything to make money again?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯d like to stop for a while because I¡¯ve sold some recently and I feel like we¡¯re about to be marked out. I want to stop for a while because I feel like we¡¯re being watched and I¡¯ve read some stuff on the Internet about trying to find out who sold those items online.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I see. You¡¯ve made it so that people think that our strength is just barely enough to beat the Black Wolf, just barely enough to be an intermediate explorer.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they think we are a little higher because the two of us beat the black wolf, but I don¡¯t think we are at a level where we can produce much in the way of items. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m going to be able to sell anything for a while.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Do you want to go public as powerful explorers?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, but they might ask us how we got so strong, or they might force us to dive into dungeons as a job. That¡¯s just like the current top five. If that happens, we won¡¯t be able to enjoy ourselves. We¡¯d be forced to write reports on our explorations and smile at the TV cameras.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, absolutely not. Then it¡¯ll be hard to make ends meet.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    The two of us put on our gear, vaguely thinking about finances. Equipment, oh, by the way.


    ¡°Haru.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? What?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°How do we get a passport to go abroad? We don¡¯t have a guardian.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ah!¡± (Haru)


    We were in over our heads. Without a passport, we cannot go abroad, and without a guardian, we cannot get a passport. What¡¯s more¡­


    ¡°Haru. We¡¯re two junior high school graduates and we don¡¯t understand a word of English.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± (Haru)


    The two of us are in for a rough ride.


    ¡°So, first things first.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°The fact that we can¡¯t get passports because our shitty dad disappeared.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°And the monsters.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Can I deal with it?¡± (Haru & Kei)


    And how did the siblings relieve their stress?


    It was the annihilation of the poor monsters.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking lately, isn¡¯t this sword not that sharp?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m using a Tonfa.¡± (Haru)


    Gugyaa!!!


    Gyagu!!!


    The place where we were talking was the usual Forest. However, it has already been used to relieve stress and is now in a state of absolute ruin.


    We, siblings, are raiding the forest with a ban on powerful magic enforced on both of us.


    Haru uses [Bomb] and [Fissure], while I use [Strong Slash], [Speed], and [Power] to kill monsters and destroy trees.


    Perhaps because of this, there are already few trees left standing, and I can see Rimdobmur well above me.


    Soaring gracefully in the sky. Howling casually as if nothing had happened. It was a stark contrast to the stress we were currently venting. He looks as if he has nothing to worry about.


    ¡°Hey, brother. There¡¯s a perfect punching bag in the sky, can¡¯t you see it?¡± (Haru)


    Haru points to Rimdobmur and says that. Normally, I would say, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s try to knock it down anyway. It¡¯s a proper punching bag.¡±


    We headed for the entrance of the cave as we talked about such nonsense. It was a good place to hide.


    I look up. Target confirmed.


    ¡°[Scythe] [Intangible Armor]¡± (Kei)


    ¡°[Morning Star] [Liquid Magic]¡± (Haru)


    After testing out our new Treasure Tools, we decided to give them names when we got home. We decided to name them after we got home because it was easier to visualize them with a name, and also because they were had to touch compared to the previous ones. So we named them: [Intangible Armor] and [Liquid Magic].


    Intangible Armor because it is formless and you can put magical armor on any object. And Liquid Magic, for the liquid magic power that lasts longer and is more powerful than ordinary magic power.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go. [Fissure] [Separation] [Collapse]¡± (Haru)


    The Liquid Magic that appeared increased in power and size under the influence of the Morning Star.


    Through Magic Synthesis and Rampage, the three spells became one and went berserk.


    ¡°Finally. [Impact]¡± (Haru)


    The magic of another attribute is added on top of the three magic contained in the liquid magic, and it burns up vigorously.


    ¡°Go!¡± (Haru)


    As Haru swings down her Morning Star that has above her head. A giant fireball flies towards Rimdobmur.


    The speed is not really fast probably because of its massive size. If you try to evade it, you will be able to easily evade it. However, the opponent is Rimdobmur.


    ¡°You know about pain, but you haven¡¯t actually experienced it, have you?¡± (Kei)


    Rimdobmur flies in the sky not thinking or worrying about the fireball flying towards it. He doesn¡¯t know about pain.


    There is no need to dodge something that poses no danger. However, the magic this time is different.


    A loud but brief explosion rang out above us.


    The sound of an explosion from [Impact]. The sound of that explosion is engulfed by another magic.


    ¡°Gugayaah!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    The next sound was Rimdobmur¡¯s scream and the crackling sound of a collapsed space.


    ¡°Good damage. Brother you¡¯re next.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Thanks. Mine¡¯s a little more shabby than yours, though. [Shortcut]¡± (Kei)


    My body glows with the enchantments, and I can see the dark glow of the [Unprotect] spell on Rimdobmur, as it appears to have been successful.


    ¡°First stage, success. [Domination]¡± (Kei)


    I took complete control of the magic within me and around me, piling on more and more of the same magic, keeping it in the form it was in just before it was activated.


    That magic is Bind. Originally, it was just magic to slightly restrict the enemy¡¯s movement.


    However, it was a magic that was layered with [Domination] and strengthened by [Power]. What would happen if it was clad in armor?


    Rimdobmur was hit by Haru¡¯s magic, tearing its wings to shreds and lowering its altitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s well within range. This is the first time I¡¯m doing this, but I¡¯ll experiment on you while I¡¯m at it. Please, Haru!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger!¡± (Haru)


    Haru opens her own Item Pouch and pulls out a large number of fangs and horns. The strength varies. Some are from the lower levels of the dungeon, while others are drops from the Forest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± (Kei)


    I thrust the blade of my scythe into the ground. Keeping Rimdobmur firmly in my sight and I adjust [Positioning].


    And.


    ¡°[Alchemy]¡± (Kei)


    Now that I¡¯m using Domination, there¡¯s no point in chanting. But I can concentrate better too.


    A large number of thorny vines pop out all at once from the ground in front of where Rimdobmur is flying. Naturally, viners and I are connected through my magical power. In other words, I am sort of touching the vines. Then, it¡¯s time to finish this.


    The metallic drops near me disappeared in an instant. The second step was also a success.


    ¡°Gugggiiaaaah!!!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    A large number of thorns scrape and peel off the scales of Rimdobmur, and had even gouged out its flesh.


    ¡°Iron Thorns are successful.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­ is it a little underpowered?¡± (Kei)


    This is a forced metal [Alchemy] process. It is made possible by using [Domination] to process different types of material to work. Something that I would normally not be able to do.


    The cost of the attack is unusually high due to a large amount of magic power and material I had used.


    In return, as can be seen from the result in front of us, the penetrating power of the long-range attack is currently the strongest that we can use.


    The wings of the Rimdobmur, which had taken the brunt of it, were riddled with holes and one of them was missing, making it impossible for it to fly, and its body was covered in scars. However,


    ¡°Brother, how much magic power do you have left?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s all gone. My headache is killing me. Haru too, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, I added more magic to the Liquid Magic. If I can¡¯t kill it with this, it¡¯s never been powerful enough.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, do you want to go home?¡± (Kei)


    So while confirming with Haru, I threw my scythe at Rimdobmur with all my might.


    The scythe spins around and thoroughly pierces Rimdobmur.


    ¡°Gugagyaaa!!!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    It was blown away. Then we watch the scythe fly high in the sky and vanish. The scythe flying in the sky disappears after I release it. The Intangible Armor has already disappeared due to the lack of magical power, and this is the end of the Treasure Tool¡¯s duration.


    ¡°Ah. The others are getting close, so this seems hopeless. Yeah. Huh.¡± (Haru)


    Haru looked at the ground around Rimdobmur.


    It¡¯s as if a meteorite had hit the ground. And in the center of it, even without wings, stood up on two legs and, Rimdobmur roars.


    ¡°We can¡¯t win even if we fight in close quarters. Should we go home?¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯m not going to force a battle with it. It¡¯s not as if we can win since it still has enough magic power to gouge the ground after being shot down. We¡¯ll just be picked off.


    ¡°Rimdobmur is a magic oriented monster. It¡¯s the opposite of Gan Ceann.¡± (Haru)


    Regarding the weakness of Rimdobmur.  If a monster¡¯s Magic Capacity is high, it is hard for magic to work against it. The more Strength, the harder it is for physical attacks to work.


    In other words, there is a great chance we will win against Rimdobmur as long as we get close enough.


    ¡°Well, if we easily could do that, we wouldn¡¯t have such a hard time.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go home. I¡¯m tired and I¡¯m hungry.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Let¡¯s have an early dinner tonight.¡± (Kei)


    The siblings quickly gave up and left. The purpose was to relieve stress, anyway.


    So, what¡¯s the next goal?


    Finding their parent?

 CH 49

    I have no idea where to start when it comes to finding my parents.


    I suppose I could hire a detective, but those are usually expensive.


    If we could defeat Rimdobmur with just a small increase in level, we wouldn¡¯t need to look for our parents, but based on yesterday¡¯s fight, it seems that we don¡¯t have a high enough level yet.


    ¡°You¡¯re making a phone call?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, normally I¡¯d call before I consider anything.¡± (Kei)


    The piece of sh*t father who disappeared after leaving a note is still our parent, for the time being. He left a phone number and an email address.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s give him a call.¡± (Kei)


    I picked up the house phone and pressed a number that I was familiar with but hadn¡¯t dialed in a while.


    Ring, ring, ring, ring.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Who the hell knows my number? Who the hell are you?¡± (Voice)


    ¡°¡®Who the hell are you?¡¯ Hasn¡¯t your personality changed too much? Old man.¡± (Kei)


    The person who answered the phone was my old man, who had the worst mouth I¡¯d ever heard. No, he wasn¡¯t this bad-talking before.


    ¡°You¡¯re Touka? It¡¯s been a while. How are you? Are you starving? I was expecting to hear from you that you don¡¯t have any money, but you didn¡¯t call me. I don¡¯t have any money either. But this phone number is new. Did you buy a phone?¡± (Voice => Father)


    ¡°I moved to an abandoned warehouse because it seemed like it would be hard to pay for that expensive apartment. I bought a phone. We aren¡¯t starving.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. I was worried about you kids. Even though I left my details, you never tried to contact me. Did you find a part-time job?¡± (Father)


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to keep in touch with you, but I thought I¡¯d just stay out of your way. As for the part-time job, I faked it by using the seal my old man didn¡¯t bring with him, and when I explained the situation, they understood.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, did I forget my seal? Besides, you started calling me father ¡®old man¡¯ before I knew it. What¡¯s wrong did you graduate from using dad?¡± (Father)


    I was a little annoyed. I¡¯ll punish him a little here.


    I beckoned Haru over and told her something.


    ¡°Old man, there seems something that Haru wants to say to you. Here.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that? Oh, what¡¯s up, my sweet Haru~!¡± (Father)


    I handed the phone to Haru. I¡¯ve already told her what I want her to say. Go on, Haru.


    ¡°Disgusting, Die, Trash.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Gaha¡ª!¡± (Father)


    ¡°Waa, ehem.¡± (Kei)


    Haru returned the phone to me and I thought to myself. Well, I was the one who asked her to say ¡°disgusting¡±. However, I can¡¯t let a girl say ¡°die¡± or ¡°trash¡±. It¡¯s too late, and it¡¯s not good for her education. The damage to my old man will be huge, but that¡¯s okay.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to hear Haru¡¯s true feelings. I called you because I had to. Where are you?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Good luck! Where am I? I can¡¯t say that even if it¡¯s Touka. I¡¯m having a good time with my current wife.¡± (Father)


    Ah, If you think you¡¯re poor because you were tricked by a woman, you¡¯re not.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it, your wife. Is she going to be our stepmother? Does she know that you left us and went away from home? If you¡¯re hiding it, it would be bad if she knew?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? I know. I know. My wife was the one who suggested that I leave home in the first place. It was my own decision to leave with all the money, as expected. But I gave her the rights to the apartment and other things I couldn¡¯t take with me, so that¡¯s good. And now that I¡¯m married, she¡¯s your stepmother. I¡¯m not going to let you see her, though. You¡¯ll know where I am.¡± (Father)


    ¡°I want to say I feel sorry for the person who married my dad, but it sounds like she¡¯s living a normal life. And you can¡¯t tell me where she is.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, give up. You can earn money by exploring dungeons. You¡¯re thinking in that direction, right?¡± (Father)


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. No. Then I¡¯ll look for her on my own. By the way, what¡¯s your wife¡¯s characteristics?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re interested in your stepmother too? She¡¯s cute. She¡¯s a former single mother with a beautiful child who left home about a year ago to go to college and apparently becoming a freelancer. She had no time for her kid, so she started playing pachinko and horse racing. Now she¡¯s stopped both, and we¡¯re living together in a room without a TV with me.¡± (Father)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. See you later.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t go near your house. If Haru catches me, she¡¯s going to kill me. See you around.¡± (Father)


    The phone goes dead with a click. It¡¯s a shame, but it seems that the old bastard is enjoying his life. And as expected, he wouldn¡¯t tell me where he was. Well, if he¡¯s going to tell me, there¡¯s no point in him leaving a note and disappearing.


    Still, I was surprised to hear that it was the wife who initiated the disappearance from the house. And,


    ¡°Haru, did you record it all?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll analyze it.¡± (Haru)


    We had been recording the audio of the phone conversation from the beginning because we knew he wouldn¡¯t tell us where he was. We thought it would help us to find out where he was.


    We couldn¡¯t trace the call, and even if we did, we wouldn¡¯t be able to use the advanced technology to extract our old man¡¯s voice from it, so we just turned up the volume and listened to it over and over.


    ¡°Then Haru, play it for me.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger!¡± (Haru)


    I don¡¯t expect to be able to find anything with this, but I¡¯ll at least get some information. When I was on the phone with him, he seemed to be outdoors.


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s a little scary how much information is out there.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I know we are being duped.¡± (Haru)


    The result. Although it was called analysis, it was easy to find out where he was. I¡¯m not sure if my old man was really trying to hide it.


    In the audio we heard, there was the sound of metal scraping, the sound of a lot of people gathering around. But we didn¡¯t hear any shouting, so it was unlikely to be a festival. It was still too early in the morning to have a festival.


    And the occasional voices of goblins and wolves. It was probably dungeon-related.


    Well, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have to go to the dungeon. Based on what I¡¯ve heard so far, it¡¯s probably not in Tokyo. So, I can only guess, thinking about where my father would want to go.


    ¡°Haru, do you want to go around the dungeons all over the country for the time being?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t even want to see him, but for the sake of the passport, can we go through all of them in about a week?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, since it¡¯s our first trip together, let¡¯s take it slow, maybe one day for each dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± (Haru)


    And so we began to plan our trip, forgetting about our afternoon dungeon exploration.

 CH 50

    We decided to visit dungeons all over Japan, but it was difficult to use airplanes. Airplane security is usually very strict, and you have to pay a hefty surcharge to carry weapons, even within Japan.


    However, there are few places in Japan that are difficult to get to without an airplane. You can go from Hokkaido to Kagoshima by land, and even Okinawa, which is far away, can be reached in about two days by boat.


    But if you go outside the country like New York, it will take more than ten days by the sea, and it is more expensive than taking a plane.


    Once you are out of the country, no matter what you do, except smuggling, it will cost you a lot of money due to the fact that you have to bring in weapons.


    So the best way to go is by land or sea if you¡¯re in Japan, and by air, if you¡¯re going somewhere abroad.


    Aside from that, the best way for us to get around the dungeons in Japan is by train. Fortunately, Okinawa doesn¡¯t have any dungeons, so that shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    There are ten dungeons in Japan: Hokkaido, Iwate, Niigata, Chiba, Tokyo, Toyama, Osaka, Shimane, Kochi, and Kagoshima. We can¡¯t enter the dungeon in Chiba, and we often go to the dungeon in Tokyo, so we will go to only eight of them.


    I thought it might be helpful to find out which other dungeons have stores open near the dungeons and where the excitement is but after some research. They said it could be anywhere.


    Come to think of it, Tokyo Dungeon also has a plaza-like area right in front of the dungeon dam, where I often see mobile stores.


    During the peak hours of the Dungeon Dam on weekends and holidays, there is a line at the entrance, so I guess they are profitable. I have no idea how these businesses and individuals get their spots, though.


    This means that I¡¯ll have to visit all the dungeons until I find my father. If that¡¯s the case, the first place we¡¯ll go is.


    ¡°Hokkaido, right? The north would be a good place to start.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s summertime, that¡¯s good. I also want to eat fish.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hokkaido, right? How long would it take to get there?¡± (Kei)


    I did a quick search and found out that it would take about 10 hours to get there, and we could go if we had 40,000 yen to spend. It¡¯s more expensive than usual because of the weapons.


    ¡°Haru, when is the best time to go to Hokkaido? We¡¯ve got shopping to do and other preparations to make.¡± (Kei)


    It was not good to decide the date alone, so I consulted Haru. Haru pondered, ¡°hmm¡±,  and clapped her hands.


    ¡°Okay, tomorrow is good. We¡¯ll buy our luggage on site. It would¡¯ve been hard if we¡¯re in a foreign country. However we¡¯re still in Japan, so we can easily find what we need.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Umm, tomorrow?¡± (Kei)


    Despite being confused by Haru¡¯s words, I think in my head whether the plan is okay.


    First of all, regarding crime prevention at home, I think it¡¯s okay considering that I¡¯ve been to Tokyo so far.


    A thief wouldn¡¯t aim for such a tattered house. Just in case, I want to install a security camera, but I don¡¯t have the time. Considering the current time, even if you hurry by bicycle, you will come back at night, and the price of a taxi is not stupid.


    Ah, I still want to buy a motorcycle. I want a solid medium-sized bike instead of a moped. I don¡¯t have a license.


    And thinking things through, I¡¯m still worried about the dungeon. I don¡¯t think it would be a problem to be away for a day or so. We¡¯ll probably be gone for a week or more, so I¡¯ll need some kind of burglar-proofing.


    The house key is useless because it can be broken with a kick. Or rather, if we make it stronger than that, the house will be destroyed by the dungeon.


    If that¡¯s the case, I think a good security measure would be to hide the house visually. I¡¯m not even sure what would happen if the entrance to the dungeon was covered with carpet.


    In the first place, we don¡¯t even know what kind of explosion would occur if we blocked the dungeon. Well, since it easily destroys reinforced concrete walls, this rundown house will surely be obliterated without a trace.


    I¡¯ve heard that the blast destroys all obstacles and then sucks everything around it into the dungeon. Well, in other words, this entire raggedy house will be sucked into the dungeon.


    ¡°I guess this is it.¡± (Kei)


    I was tired of thinking about it. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t figure out what I couldn¡¯t figure out.


    ¡°Haru, you haven¡¯t thrown away the cardboard yet, have you?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I put it outside where it won¡¯t get rained on. I put rocks on top of it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, I get it. Behind the woodpile.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± (Haru)


    I went outside to the roofed area and found a bundle of wood on the ground. Behind it is a bundle of cardboard boxes. They were still the same ones I had used when I moved in. There was also the cardboard box that contained the furniture I had bought just a few days ago.


    After three trips back and forth between the house and the yard, I brought it all into the house.


    ¡°Haru, help me assemble this.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? Sure, but what¡¯s it for?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°To hide the dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    We silently assembled the cardboard, and when we had accumulated a certain amount, we pierced it with sharp objects and ripped bits of it to pieces without losing their shape.


    After assembling all the cardboard boxes, they looked like they had been used up. No, I had a pile of cardboard that looked like it was destined for the garbage. Okay, the rest.


    ¡°If we go tomorrow, we won¡¯t be diving in dungeons anymore, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. We don¡¯t have time anymore.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re good then.¡± (Kei)


    After confirming with Haru, I threw the broken cardboard into the basement one after another. After throwing some of them in, I crushed the rest of the cardboard again and put them in a garbage bag.


    There were four of them. Throw them into the basement. Finally, walk around the basement, kicking cardboard and other debris off the floor, which is now covered with pieces of cardboard and garbage bags.


    ¡°Okay, the garbage house is complete.¡± (Kei)


    Yes. What I was creating was a simple garbage house. Even a burglar aiming to burglarize the house would not leave the furniture on the first floor and look for a basement full of trash, or rather, trash and no furniture at all.


    ¡°Waa, so messy.¡± (Haru)


    Haru looked at the basement and made a disgusted face. Certainly, if you keep it so dirty in the countryside, bugs will live there when you return.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do our best to clean up when we get home. Bugs are better than burglars.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Bugs? Oh, bugs. Yeah, I guess so.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s reaction was weak. It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t like bugs. Come to think of it, I was worse at bugs than Haru. So is it purely a dislike of mess?


    The amount of trash in the basement is such that you can hardly see the floor, but you can easily kick it away. If you know that there is a dungeon there, you can easily reach the dungeon.


    This would not be as strong as the key to the house, so there would be no danger of explosion. We can even see the fence that is the entrance to the dungeon if we want to. Then there¡¯s one last thing.


    Bring a stepladder and push away the trash. I climb it.


    ¡°Oh, Haru. Can you get a flashlight and turn off the lights in the room?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger.¡± (Haru)


    Haru immediately goes up to the first floor and comes down with a flashlight. She turned on the flashlight and turned off the lights in the room.


    The light in the basement was unexpectedly dim. Even when the sun is still up, it¡¯s pitch black if you turn off the lights. That¡¯s why I used the flashlight.


    I removed the bulb, letting Haru light my hand. I got off the stepladder and put it against the wall.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back.¡± (Kei)


    I went back to the first floor, kicking over nearby objects and covering the floor with garbage.


    The reason I removed the light bulb was simple. It was too bright.


    No, that kind of brightness is just right for daily life. But for a thief, it would make the environment easier to find. If you remove the light bulb, you have no choice but to use a flashlight.


    Even with a bright flashlight, a flashlight is designed to illuminate a small area. It is not suitable for searching for something you don¡¯t even know is there.


    When you return to the first floor, open the safe and put the light bulb inside. In addition, I put everything related to the dungeon in there as well. In the Item Pouch inside the safe.


    Come to think of it, if you look at this safe, it¡¯s pretty obvious that all the important stuff is in here.


    It¡¯s a magnificent safe that probably wouldn¡¯t be found in an average home. I¡¯m confident in the strength of this safe, but the most important thing is to avoid being targeted. Unlike dungeons, this one can be sealed tightly without any problems.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Haru. Can you hide this safe by using [Crafting] on the wood?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? I can.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then, please do it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Got it.¡± (Haru)


    Haru hurriedly went outside to get some wood and tools from the basement.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time, so while you¡¯re doing that, I¡¯m going to make some food.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, I understand.¡± (Haru)


    Haru told me to look at the clock, and sure enough, it was that time. The sun sets late in the summer, so it¡¯s hard to tell the time.


    I could hear the sounds of wood being sawed and drilling behind me as I quickly made dinner.


    About ten minutes passed and I finished cooking dinner. I had forgotten to cook rice, so I made a beef stew using leftover stew roux. The meat was Minotaur beef, with a few vegetables.


    I could eat this with bread even without rice.


    It was so easy to make that it took me less than half an hour to finish. By that time, the noise behind me had stopped.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready. You¡¯re as quick at making things as ever.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Of course.¡± (Haru)


    The safe in the back was all covered with wood and fixed in place, except for the door. It looked like a simple interior. You can find a lot of things that you can use to make your life easier.


    The door of the safe was empty, but it was made in such a way that it could be fixed by simply applying some glue and inserting a wooden board. She must have used a chisel.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re all set. Tomorrow I¡¯ll go to the bank in the morning, withdraw some money, and go to Hokkaido. Even though we¡¯re buying stuff there, even it¡¯s a jacket or underwear, bring something that can fit in your bag.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°OK. I¡¯ll prepare it later.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s eat before it gets cold.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°¡±Thank you for the meal¡±¡± (Haru & Kei)


    And so we were off on a journey, or rather a trip, to various parts of Japan in search of our parent.


    Now, I just hope that nothing will happen.

 CH 51

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s cold.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s colder than I expected.¡± (Kei)


    We¡¯re in Hokkaido. Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido. The dungeon in Hokkaido was located at the edge of Sapporo.


    Dungeons seem to be in the most convenient places, but they are often made in the most crowded places.


    This can be seen from the fact that they are not found in the middle of the ocean or desert, and that they are often found in densely populated areas.


    And you would think that if that were all there actually is, there would be a number of dungeons in Tokyo. It is the government¡¯s opinion that dungeons are likely to be built in places where there are many people, with their locations determined randomly.


    In other words, it doesn¡¯t mean that dungeons can only be built in places where there are many people.


    Aside from that, the Hokkaido Dungeon is also known as the Sapporo Dungeon. The Hero Party who is currently called Japan¡¯s Strongest must have also explored Sapporo Dungeon. Anyway, I¡¯d like to see how strong they are, but I¡¯ve only seen them recently and they shouldn¡¯t have changed that much.


    That said, the last time I saw them was three months ago.


    I feel that they will change enough in 3 months. The First Heroes have the Guardian Staff of the Saintess and the Spirit Sword of the Paladin, which we had to give to them as a bitter sacrifice.


    It¡¯s no wonder they¡¯re slaughtering a lot of people in the forest right now. They could use [Sanctuary] to block the lured monsters and then use the Sword of Faith, the skill of the Spirit Sword, to cut them down. I don¡¯t know how strong the [Sword of Faith] is, so I can¡¯t say for sure.


    And now we are. We¡¯re in front of the dungeon. The square in front of the entrance to the dungeon dam, to be exact.


    One thing I noticed is that the plaza is by far the largest in addition to Tokyo. It looks like it could hold an event. But then I realized there was a stage. I guessed that events were actually held here. I¡¯ll have to do some research on the Internet.


    ¡°Brother, it seems that a few days ago there was a mock battle event for other explorers of the Hero Party here.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, I was just about to look it up.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No, it says so right there.¡± (Haru)


    Looking at the place Haru pointed to, there was a sign with information about the event schedule and other dungeon-related information. And the Dungeon Market is on the far right of the Dungeon Dam.


    The Dungeon Market, which was initially only in Tokyo, is also created for each dungeon, and companies sell there.


    ¡°Would you like to go see the Dungeon Market?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a hassle to just go to the dungeon. We wouldn¡¯t be able to capture much of it anyway.¡± (Haru)


    We hurriedly made our way to the dungeon market.


    Why are we going to the dungeon market? Well, as you may have guessed, my parents were not there. I thought there was a possibility that they just weren¡¯t there today, so I took a picture and did some scouting. Haru also followed behind me, with her hand grabbing my clothes. Well, in other words, Haru didn¡¯t do much of anything.


    As a result, it turns out, no one knows them. Well, that¡¯s expected. We didn¡¯t expect to hit the target right from the start since we had to go through eight dungeons in total. And by the way, I think our father had the inconvenient body of not wanting to be at places that are too cold and hot. That¡¯s why he wouldn¡¯t go to Hokkaido, the coldest place in Japan.


    But if that¡¯s the case, Kagoshima will not be an option too. It seems to be too hot for him.


    And then, of course, he would have free time, I thought. I thought so, but it¡¯s eight o¡¯clock now.


    Well, Hokkaido is far away. I had to stop by a bank before I came here, so we had to buy train station lunches. It¡¯s already time for dinner. The dungeon market closes in an hour.


    All we did when we came to Hokkaido was ask around. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. Our plan is to head to Iwate tomorrow morning, where the next dungeon is located.


    Well, let¡¯s enjoy the little time we have.


    The inside of the Dungeon Market was different from Tokyo, where it looked like a big warehouse, and it looked like it was surrounded by ice and rocks, which was somewhat fantastic. It was as if I was in a glacier and the lights were surrounded by ice-like material. The ice is made of some unknown material that doesn¡¯t seem to be glass or plastic.


    No, it might actually be just glass or plastic, but for some reason, it looked like that to me.


    Unlike the dungeon market in Tokyo that I saw a few months ago, there were no gaps between the stores. The large, empty space I had seen before was gone.


    As we were walking around the market, we found something interesting.


    It was a poster.


    ¡°Let¡¯s decorate the Dungeon Market with Dungeon Materials.¡±


    That¡¯s what it said. The Sapporo Dungeon collects materials that people have that can¡¯t be sold for money under the guise of donations and uses some kind of skill to make the dungeon market more luxurious. From what I¡¯ve heard, the icicles on the ceiling and the glowing ice on the walls are made with these skills.


    It¡¯s certainly not ice or plastic, then.


    I wonder if I noticed them because of the presence of dungeon items. I¡¯m not sure.


    That was when it happened. It was at that time that the entrance became noisy, just like any other time.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡± (Crowd)


    ¡°Good work.¡± (Crowd)


    ¡°How were the drops today?¡± (Crowd)


    It is Japan¡¯s Strongest, the Hero Party. All four are walking with Item Pouches. As expected, those who earn more than 100 million a month are different. I think. Well, we both have an Item Pouch. Perhaps that Item Pouch was either obtained by themselves or purchased.


    In the waist of the Hero shines a magnificent sword sheath. I would like to say that the sword there was a gift from us. The gift we gave was the sword, so I could only see the handle outside the scabbard.


    And what is with the appearance of the Hero?


    ¡°They¡¯re stronger.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Is the aura different?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know.¡± (Haru)


    Somehow the Hero Party seemed to be well.


    It feels like they¡¯ve grown up a lot somehow.


    Then the Hero pulls his sword from the scabbard then he stands overlooking the entire market.


    And he opened his mouth.


    ¡°I have something to report for everyone today! And I would like to ask for everyone¡¯s cooperation.¡± (Yuki)


    That¡¯s what the Hero suddenly said.


    I just want to say one thing.


    The only thing I would like to say is that the slightly louder voice of each person is not enough to be heard in the large Dungeon Market.


    Most people can¡¯t hear you. Especially when they are too far away.

 CH 52

    ¡°I think everyone knows, but we are the Hero Party.¡± (Yuki)


    The leader of the party, a.k.a. the Hero, began to speak after confirming that the other explorers were gathering at the call of the Hero Party.


    ¡°We were diving in the forest area inside dungeon today, and when we came back to the 14th layer, we encountered a unique monster. Naturally, we defeated the unique monster with our own hands.¡± (Yuki)


    There was a murmur around me. It was not a murmur of surprise, but a murmur of admiration for the hero, who was as strong as ever. One unique monster is nothing to worry about now.


    ¡°But there was a problem with that unique monster. The only problem with this unique monster was that it seemed to have an instigation skill. In the time it took us to defeat it, a lot of monsters had gathered under it.¡± (Yuki)


    The Dungeon Market quieted down as the Hero¡¯s story grew more and more serious, and everyone listened carefully to his voice. I wondered if this was charisma, rather than strength. Well, I respect him.


    ¡°We defeated the monsters that were around the unique monster, but it seems that the influence of the unique monster was a bit more widespread.¡±


    Then, the Hero paused his words and a bitter expression crosses his face.


    ¡°The monsters that reacted to the skill of the unique monster did not scatter even when we killed the unique monster, and they are gathering and pointing their fangs to the upper layers.¡± (Yuki)


    A murmur spreads. A shocked murmuring. It¡¯s no wonder everyone is shocked. What the Hero Party has caused is a stampede. Since that had been caused by a 14th-floor monster, it would require at least the ability of an intermediate explorer to deal with all of those monsters.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to add to the grief, but the monsters don¡¯t know the way to the upper levels, and it¡¯s taking most of the monsters on each level with it, so they¡¯re slowly making their way up.¡± (Yuki)


    At one time, Stampede was thought to stop at the boss room. The front and back of the boss room can only be traveled through transitions. And the monsters can¡¯t use the transfer team. That is until they found out.


    When a monster meets some conditions, it becomes a stampede and gains the right to move through the floors. It is speculated that all Stampedes are treated as one unique monster, but it is not certain.


    And then there are the Stampedes. These monsters enter the exit hall of the Boss Room and run into the walls. And then, they will move directly to the door of the Boss Room.


    As it turns out, the boss room is no obstacle for the Stampede.


    And what it means is.


    ¡°The worst that can happen is that the ground will be flooded with monsters. Like when the dungeons first appeared on Earth.¡± (Yuki)


    Yes. In Japan, after the first dungeon was built and some experiments were conducted, they have never let the monsters out of the dungeon. That¡¯s why we don¡¯t know much about the threat of monsters on the ground. At first, the damage was small because the monsters were weakened. So what about this time?¡¡Maybe they will be weakened. However,


    ¡°The monsters that are going up the dungeon now are not the small fry monsters from the first four floors like they were the first time, and if we put them on the ground, the casualties are likely to be greater.¡± (Yuki)


    We need to deal with the monsters, but there are not enough of us to deal with them with a few elites. If so, what should we do?


    ¡°I want everyone to help me. Protect Japan, Hokkaido, and this city!¡± (Yuki)


    The Hero¡¯s words created a moment of silence in the dungeon market, and then,


    ¡°¡±¡±Oooo!¡±¡±¡± (Crowd)


    The explorers raised their voices in a shout. They were filled with the fighting spirit and determination to improve. And a boundless spirit of exploration. People went into the dungeon in search of treasures, in search of power, and in search of the unknown. And they sought the unknown. That¡¯s what explorers are.


    ¡°Everyone, tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m., according to the judgment of each person¡¯s ability, the front line will be deployed at the top of the stairs of each level above the fifth level!¡± (Yuki)


    ¡°¡±¡±Oooo!¡±¡±¡± (Crowd)


    Here in Hokkaido, a great alliance of explorers has been created.


    And here are two people who can¡¯t read the mood.


    ¡°Brother, what are we going to do?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s not leave tomorrow, let¡¯s do some light fighting and see what happens.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, we can deal with anything and probably won¡¯t lose.¡± (Haru)


    The brother and sister who had enough time were not in a hurry, nor were they motivated. They just forgot one fact.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to reserve a place to stay.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, by the way¡­¡± (Haru)


    ¡°¡±Huh?!¡±¡± (Haru & Kei)


    In the end, we stayed at a hotel a little far away from here for the night. Well, the hotels near the dungeon were either impossible to get into without a reservation, already full, or expensive. And we can¡¯t stay there because of that.


    So we stayed at a hotel a few stops away by train.


    ¡°Aah, still sleepy.¡± (Kei)


    Sleeping late. And we have to be in front of the dungeon by seven o¡¯clock. Even if we just watch, it¡¯s not a good impression to join in the middle. We have to be careful because people who make a bad impression stand out more than people who make a good impression.


    The time was now 7:00 am. The mission is about to begin.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone, for gathering today. We are about to start a monster interception operation.¡± (Yuki)


    The hero and his party went up to the stage and began to speak with microphones. Surrounding them were many men and women of all ages with weapons, and if you looked closely, you could see TV cameras. The scale of the event was truly quite impressive.


    ¡°First, we, the Advance Explorers, will go on a raid from the 6th floor onwards, each party in turn. I want the rest of the groups to take down every single monster before the fifth layer. The order should be from the strongest to the least.¡± (Yuki)


    After saying that much, the hero let out a sigh.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can get. There is no reward. Still, for the sake of honor, for the sake of Japan. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s start the mission!¡± (Yuki)


    ¡°¡±¡±Ohhhhh!¡±¡±¡± (Crowd)


    With an explosive cry, the sound of metal clanking rang out, and explorers poured into the dungeon one after another. It is a breathtaking sight to see such a large number of people diving into the dungeon all at once at the same time.


    And then,


    ¡°Well, shall we go too?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep, we can¡¯t transfer, so let¡¯s go slowly.¡± (Haru)


    The strongest siblings also began to move forward.


    When they entered the dungeon, there were already no people around. They probably moved to the standby area right away. I had memorized the map of the lower levels, so I proceeded without hesitation. There were no monsters on the path at all. I guess I would normally think that was ominous. Well, in all likelihood, the explorers who came before us had probably eradicated them.


    In any case, they are small fry monsters that will die if we kick them.


    I walked straight through the first floor and immediately saw the stairs to the second floor. There were dozens of people gathered there. They wore equipment that made them look like beginners. The fact that no monster materials were used in their equipment suggested that they were explorers who hadn¡¯t even made it past the fifth floor yet.


    Continuing down, we came to the stairs from the second floor to the third floor. Some people here are wearing equipment made from monster materials. I guess they just don¡¯t have good equipment for the lower levels. I saw many people using equipment from outside the dungeon.


    And the stairs leading down to the fourth floor. The atmosphere of the explorers here was different from those at the top. Perhaps this is where the intermediate-level explorers are.


    Some of the explorers were talking to each other, but there was a lot of caution. I could see that there was always some kind of skill or magic at work.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this, aren¡¯t the people upstairs too complacent?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep, they weren¡¯t using any skills or anything.¡± (Haru)


    Well, I understood well that those who can¡¯t do that can¡¯t become Intermediate Explorers. And then, monsters started to arrive, about three every minute. I couldn¡¯t tell if the monsters were normal or Stampede monsters anymore.


    It was time to go to the next floor.


    ¡°Hey you, siblings. You¡¯d better not go down there. There¡¯s a lot of high-level Intermediate guys around. You¡¯ll get caught.¡± (Older Explorer)


    ¡°Oh, sure. Well we¡¯re intermediate level, so can we join with the interception here?¡± (Kei)


    It seems that it is better not to go to the lower levels. The main reason for this is that you will be noticed. And well, if an older explorer gives you advice, you might as well follow it.


    ¡°Then, Haru. Let¡¯s do it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah!¡± (Haru)


    We pulled out our weapons with enthusiasm. From the front, we could see the monsters rushing towards us. And then,


    ¡°Teryaaa¡ª!¡± (Older Explorer)


    The older explorer who was in front cut it in one slash.


    ¡°Oi, kid. There aren¡¯t many monsters now, so you can put away your weapons and rest.¡± (Older Explorer)


    No, well, I appreciate the concern, but¡­


    The brother and sister thought.


    Will you let us fight, even for a bit? Soon.

 CH 53

    Since then, the number of monsters has been gradually increasing. No, I think it¡¯s too much.


    ¡°Everyone protect the front line while pushing them down little by little! Don¡¯t get yourself hurt!¡± (Vanguard Explorer)


    The monsters are currently crammed into the stairs of the dungeon, and the shield specialist is forcing them back in. The number of monsters is still increasing one after another, and this state will not last long.


    ¡°Shoot your magic!¡± (Lead Explorer)


    At the same time, countless lights flew through the air, blasting the monsters away. It creates a short gap between the monsters and humans.


    ¡°Push them back!¡± (Lead Explorer)


    ¡°[Shield Bash]¡± (Vanguard Explorer)


    The skills from the shield specialists are activated simultaneously. This is one of the many shield skills, and it uses the mass of the shield to smash the enemy.


    A number of Shields will charge into the group of monsters, and the monsters in front of them that are sandwiched between the Shields and the monsters behind them killing both monsters.


    This strategy is repeated over and over again to maintain the front line, but this strategy does not allow the vanguard to do anything except defend. The Shields and the monsters are always jammed close together, so there¡¯s no place to swing a weapon. That¡¯s why,


    ¡°I¡¯m vacant.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Free time.¡± (Haru)


    So we¡¯re sitting back and watching. Of course, we are not the only ones watching, other vanguards and support-type explorers are also supporting the Shields. By the way, the person who gave the instruction from a while ago is also the person with the most powerful Sword Proficiency here.


    ¡°It looks like the front line is about to collapse, so why don¡¯t we go down one more layer?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, okay. The moment the monsters start to overflow, we can use stealth to get in.¡± (Kei)


    Of course, an outbreak of monsters means that people with Shield Proficiency will be outnumbered, and that moment is fast approaching.


    ¡°A Unique is here, and it¡¯s a cow type. It¡¯s approaching while crushing other monsters and will breach the Shields.¡±


    With the voice of the person acting as a representative of the shield, the Shield users begin to be overwhelmed by the monsters.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be crushed if we keep going like this, so clear the way!¡±


    ¡°Okay, with my signal the rearguard should evacuate. Each party should go on a separate raid. Shield team, clear the way!¡± (Lead Explorer)


    The Shields that were about to be crushed spreads out, to the left and right, to release the pressure from the monsters, and suddenly the barricade disappears.


    Monsters began to overflow as if a dam broke down. Their number is immeasurable. Well, if you look at their abilities against ours, we should be able to annihilate them safely. Because a huge number of vanguards can act.


    ¡°Haru, let¡¯s go secretly.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Got it.¡± (Haru)


    We also have to take action.


    We kept my body as low as possible and slipped into the gap between the monsters¡¯ legs. Normally, the monsters would have compressed us and we would have died, but the two of us were a little too strong.


    No one saw us move, my sword is slicing through the monsters around us, and Haru¡¯s tonfas are blowing them away.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re going to be gone, we might as well leave a souvenir?¡± (Kei)


    I look up at the unique cow-type monster that I just saw. I applied my [Strong Slash] skill to my sword, forcefully rotated my body from a running stance, and swung upward.


    ¡°Brother, nice!¡± (Haru)


    The blade easily slices off the cow¡¯s head and turns it into a black mist.


    The sword slashes monsters after monsters, creating a gap for a person to move between the monsters. Then a black shadow runs through the gap at a tremendous speed.


    ¡°It was unexpectedly easy to get out. Nobody noticed.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been through a mountain of monsters.¡± (Haru)


    After passing through a certain number of monsters, the two of us kicked the ground and leaped upwards. Our feet caught the wall and we kept going. This is what we call Wall Running.


    It¡¯s a good idea to kick the wall to avoid touching the ground, since kicking the wall will naturally cause propulsion on the opposite side of the wall.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m fine here. [Fissure]!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Whoa, so sudden?¡± (Kei)


    Haru¡¯s swung up her tonfa before unleashing an extraordinary amount of magical power then, the space cracks.


    The crack created through the space spreads into the passage where monsters are crowding, and then,


    ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing for me to do, is there?¡± (Kei)


    After that, there was not a single shadow of a monster left in the passage.


    ¡°Well, I can kill them if I hit them lightly, but I tried to forcibly expand the range by using [Magic Manipulation]. It¡¯s easier to use than I thought.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. There are still more enemies.¡± (Kei)


    She killed all the monsters we could see, but the passage was soon filled with monsters.


    ¡°Can I use that one?¡± (Kei)


    Collecting the drops from the monsters that Haru defeated earlier, and selecting only the metallic type. It might have been a good thing we don¡¯t have much time, I guess?


    ¡°[Domination]¡± (Kei)


    I whispered and the magical power surrounding us stops moving.


    ¡°[Bind] [Alchemy]¡± (Kei)


    I use my [Domination] skill to make [Bind] thin and hard and expand it into a web. I¡¯ll use my [Domination] skill to forcibly alchemize the dropped items into the vines from [Bind]. What can I do with it?


    ¡°A fence that can never be destroyed by these monsters.¡± (Kei)


    While maintaining [Bind] in that form, I deactivate [Domination]. The army of monsters doesn¡¯t care about the fence and pushes forward. And what does that mean?


    ¡°Brother, isn¡¯t it too horrible?¡± (Haru)


    The first monsters charge into the fence, the second ones hit the previous ones, and so on, one after another.


    ¡°Too loud.¡± (Haru)


    What you hear is the voice of a monster screaming under pressure from the front fence and the monster behind. It gradually turns into a scream of death demons and disappears.


    It¡¯s a trap. A trap that takes advantage of a large number of monsters and the fact that the monsters are a force to be reckoned with. The monsters that are constantly coming at us crush the monsters in front of them to death. Furthermore, you can say.


    ¡°I like the drops. They¡¯re all cheap, though.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. It¡¯s a fence, so they¡¯ll come out on their own.¡± (Haru)


    The items dropped by the squeezed and dead monsters in front of us are pushed by the monsters behind us and roll to this side of the fence on their own.


    Sometimes there are monsters that use long-distance attacks or magic, but these monsters are not strong enough and will be squeezed by other monsters and die before they reach the front of the fence, so there is no need to be alarmed.


    The monsters kept coming and dying one after another. Quantity over quality, as the saying goes. Even the occasional unique monster was being squeezed to death by other monsters, but the fence that one person had built showed no signs of being broken.


    ¡°Brother, aren¡¯t you free?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, all I do is maintain [Bind].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing to do.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. There¡¯s no need to retreat because there¡¯s no sign of people even though there are so many monsters.¡± (Kei)


    Although I don¡¯t know any siblings who would say such a thing, this is a path that must be taken in order to go up to the upper levels. This is why so many monsters gather here, and there are no attacks from behind.


    In addition, the groups of Intermediate and Advance Explorers who are working further down are too busy dealing with the monsters to come to us. The most relaxed group would be the people above us.


    Since all the monsters have been killed without fail, the people above us only need to eradicate the monsters that had already gone up earlier.


    How long has it passed since then? My sister and I were chatting while pinching the calpas that had been collected like the rare times when we were at a game center. The number became fewer and fewer until the monsters were no longer overwhelming, and after some time we felt the presence of a person. [T/N: Calpas are like dried meat sausage snacks. They look like small-cut salamis or hotdogs. Haven¡¯t tasted one but I like most sausages.]


    ¡°Oh, my brother. Signs of people.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Seriously? Let¡¯s get out of here. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯ve been here that long even though we¡¯ve stopped a lot of monsters.¡± (Kei)


    I put Calpas in the Item Pouch, and when I saw the fence, there was a pile of items piled up high. From the perspective of us siblings, they are worth little money, but we can¡¯t afford to leave them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s collect them. If you connect the mouth of the Item Pouch to the pile, it will automatically store the items.¡±


    I put the Item Pouch I had just put away to the pile of items, retrieved all of them as quickly as possible, and quickly left the place.


    When I returned to the ground, it seemed that a number of parties had already returned and it was very crowded.


    ¡°Hey, you brother and sister? You guys were in the dungeon, right? We were worried you were dead.¡± (Older Explorer)


    The people who suddenly spoke to me were probably the ones in front of the stairs leading down to the fourth floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was afraid I would be a liability when the monsters came through, so we ran upstairs. But still, it¡¯s amazing. There were hardly any monsters up there.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, I see. Life is the most important thing. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t us who didn¡¯t let the monsters through, but the people further down. After that, we didn¡¯t have many monsters coming our way. Have a safe trip home.¡± (Older Explorer)


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± (Kei)


    The man who spoke to me was kinder than I expected. I was expecting him to accuse me of running away. Is it because I¡¯m a child?


    Oh well. It seems that the people who were really in the lower levels of the hierarchy below us have not yet returned, and it would be better to run away before they find out anything unnecessary.


    ¡°Well, Haru. Shall we go to the next dungeon?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯ll sleep on the train.¡± (Haru)


    I don¡¯t have that much memory of the dungeon, which wasn¡¯t much of a challenge. In the end, we just ate calpas and relaxed. If that¡¯s the case, all we have left is time and a drowsy feeling.


    I wondered when the train would come, and began to walk to the station, thinking about that.


    It was then that I heard the news of the hero¡¯s return from behind us.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, I¡¯m sleepy.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, I want to sleep.¡± (Haru)


    These siblings were the only ones who were still at their own pace.

 CH 54

    ¡°We¡¯re here, in Morioka.¡± (Kei) [T/N: Morioka is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Touhoku region of northern Japan. This is from Wikipedia-sensei.]


    ¡°Oh, the air is so clean. I thought it the same in Hokkaido, too.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°There is a dungeon here too.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, and it¡¯s night again.¡± (Haru)


    It¡¯s midnight and the sky is dark. The distance from Hokkaido to Iwate was surprisingly long, and it was impossible to arrive in the middle of the day. But I have a hotel reservation for today. I made the reservation from the bullet train, so there should be no problem. [T/N: Iwate Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Touhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture. This is from Wikipedia-sensei.]


    ¡°It was unfortunate that we had to arrive in Hokkaido and Iwate at night twice in a row, it was expected since we hadn¡¯t thought about taking the travel time into account.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be good to get rid of the fatigue from the long bullet train ride, right? I don¡¯t even know how many more prefectures we¡¯ll have to visit.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, Hokkaido was good because I enjoyed the stampede. How about Morioka?¡± (Kei)


    In reality, we hadn¡¯t come here to play, but to find our father, so it was no wonder we are bored.


    Still, the essence of what the two of us were doing was to have fun. As long as we had fun, that was all that mattered. We may consider the possibility of inconveniencing others, but if we can enjoy ourselves, we will do it without hesitation. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t even think of going all the way overseas.


    Are we heartless? That¡¯s human nature. We¡¯re not employees of a company or students at school so we don¡¯t have to conform to our surroundings.


    We ate ramen at a restaurant on the way to the hotel, and it was very good. We hadn¡¯t had much time to eat since we arrived in Hokkaido, so it was even better. The food I ate most slowly was probably the calpas. Calpas is a snack, though. I also went to a convenience store to buy breakfast for tomorrow, and then headed to the hotel.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a hotel. It¡¯s quite normal.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t waste money, you know. We¡¯re about to traverse Japan, so it¡¯s going to make a small difference.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, the twin beds. If I had a single bed, I would have kicked brother out of the room.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯ll spend the money necessary. Before we came here, I¡¯ve done all the research on the bullet train, so let¡¯s sleep?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not sleepy. I slept on the train.¡± (Haru)


    The hotel was a business hotel and there were no other services, so I took a shower in my room and went to sleep.


    Haru said she wasn¡¯t sleepy but fell asleep on the bed before she could take a shower. I guess she¡¯ll have to take a shower tomorrow morning.


    Now, let¡¯s go to bed. I heard that there were a number of mobile vending trucks in the Morioka dungeon. There is a good chance that my parents are among them. Well, we won¡¯t know until we see them. It¡¯s all up to tomorrow, then there¡¯s nothing to do but sleep. Then,


    ¡°Haru, goodnight.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Gu¡­ ny¡­¡± (Haru)


    The reply she gave was just some sleep talk and snoring.


    ¡°Good morning brother, get up.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, good morning. You look like you¡¯re the one who woke up first, but I woke up Haru, didn¡¯t I?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother, breakfast.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ignore me.¡± (Kei)


    I threw Haru a loaf of bread that I had bought yesterday.


    Haru takes it, tears open the bag, and put it in her mouth. Haru¡¯s favorite is the bread with apples. My favorite was the yakisoba bread. After munching on it, we checked out of the hotel. [T/N: I don¡¯t know about bread with apples in it. But I know about walnut and apple bread. They remind me of apple pie for some reason. Yakisoba bread is just stir-fried yakisoba between a hotdog bun. Noodles and bread are an evil and delicious combo. They taste good together but they pack a ton of calories. My old-man-body can¡¯t deal with the calories.]


    ¡°So, ready to go?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, the dungeon is close from here.¡± (Haru)


    The hotel we stayed at was relatively close to the dungeon, and it would take us less than half an hour to get there.


    When we arrived at the dungeon, it was already crowded with people. There were a number of people wearing equipment other than weapons, and the area was lined with mobile vending trucks and small stores. Just like in Hokkaido, it looked like a small festival was going on.


    The first thing I did was to walk around and see if my father was there.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m going.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll ask around for the time being.¡± (Kei)


    Shopkeepers, receptionists. I showed photos to the people who often stayed here for a long time, told them about his features, and asked if they had seen him. There were some who said they might have seen him on the way to the dungeon, but they must have been mistaken because they said he was in the dungeon as an explorer.


    After all, my father has a bad leg, so he can¡¯t exercise too much. Dungeons were the last place he wanted to be.


    ¡°I knew it, he¡¯s not here.¡±


    ¡°No, not here. Is he further west?¡±


    After about two hours of asking the shopkeepers and other people around us, I finished questioning everyone. It was a reasonable amount of time since we even went to a nearby store that had nothing to do with the dungeon, just in case.


    I¡¯ve just finished questioning the owner of the last store, a Japanese sweets shop, an old lady. She kindly offered us some tea, which we drank while discussing our future plans.


    ¡°What should we do with the rest of our time? I¡¯d like to stay in Morioka today, but I don¡¯t feel like diving into a dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°We¡¯ll start at the first level anyway. I¡¯ll only get bored.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ah, why do we have to look for him in the first place? If our parents aren¡¯t here, I believe we should be able to apply for passports on our own.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, the documents say that we¡¯re living with our parents. I don¡¯t want them to think that we were abandoned. If they think we¡¯ve been abandoned or something, that¡¯s true, for sure, but then they¡¯ll probably put us in an institution or we¡¯ll have to fill out some complicated paperwork.¡± (Kei)


    I held up a rather unflattering picture of my father in front of me, complained a bit, and drank my tea.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just take a look around Iwate for sightseeing.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. I wonder if there are any places that rent bicycles?¡± (Kei)


    I drank the rest of my tea and stood up. I put the photo I was holding in front of me back in my pocket.


    ¡°Excuse me. Is that person Kizaki-san?¡± (Voice)


    It was then that I heard a voice from the back of the store.


    Startled by the voice, the words, and the presence, I looked behind me. There was a very beautiful woman, probably a little older than me, peeking out from the back of the store.


    ¡°Oh, Karen. What is the matter?¡± (Old Lady)


    The Old Lady, the owner turned around and asked with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Grandma, but I recognized that man in the photo.¡± (Karen)


    The woman then turns to look at me.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Karen Isogi. Are you a child of Kizaki-san?¡± (Karen)


    And that person. She seems to know our father.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Touka Kizaki. I am the son of the man in this photo. This is Haruka, my sister.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± (Haru)


    I greet her and introduce myself, and Haru also bows her head in response.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for our father right now. Do you have any information, even a little?¡± (Kei)


    What I want to ask is where my father is. I didn¡¯t want to stay here too long if I could help it, so I got right to the point.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know about that, but I¡¯ve talked to them a few times when I was living alone in high school. In Osaka.¡± (Karen)


    ¡°Osaka? Excuse me, but how many years ago is that?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Six years ago. I was helped by Kizaki-san from a drunk man who was trying to pick me up. We talked for a little while.¡± (Karen)


    Considering my age, that was six years ago.


    ¡°I was in elementary school or junior high school?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember most of it, but didn¡¯t he say he was going to Osaka a few times on business trips?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, I think he did. I don¡¯t remember if it was in Osaka or Kyoto.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It was probably Osaka. I remember it just barely.¡± (Kei)


    I remembered that he had been away from home for about a week on business several times when we were about that age. I think,


    ¡°Did my father help you? From being picked up?¡± (Kei)


    I highly doubt it. After all, he is a very random person. He¡¯s the kind of guy who would make fun of anyone who was being hit on.


    ¡°Yeah, he was cool. ¡®Oh, you want to pick up a girl. Play with this old man instead of that girl.¡¯ he said, leading the man away from me.¡±


    The woman said with nostalgia.


    ¡°The man got angry and tried to hit him. He just ducked and said something, and the guy ran away. Does Kizaki-san do any martial arts?¡± (Karen)


    It¡¯s hard to say if he was a martial artist or not. I¡¯ve never heard of it, though.


    ¡°He gave me some advice on my aikido, so I think he might have done aikido.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe he did. I don¡¯t know, but he was dodging very skillfully.¡± (Karen)


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± (Kei)


    As I listened to the woman¡¯s story, I tried to sort it out in my head, but all I knew was that this person was an old acquaintance of my father¡¯s, and I couldn¡¯t locate him now. Besides, it was too much trouble to listen to my parents¡¯ heroic tale forever.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m about to go. Thank you for the information.¡± (Kei)


    I broke off the conversation at a good time.


    ¡°Oh, I see. You said you were going sightseeing. I hope you enjoy Iwate. But I¡¯m only here because I have a few days off from work.¡± (Karen)


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll have fun. Thank you very much.¡± (Kei)


    I bowed my head and thanked the elderly woman who owned the store, and Haru bowed his head as well. When I was about to leave the store.


    ¡°Oh, wait a minute.¡± (Karen)


    I was stopped in my tracks by a voice calling out for me to stop.


    The woman quickly went into the back of the store and came out in about 30 seconds with a piece of paper.


    ¡°This is the information of the person who was close to Kizaki-san who I talked about earlier. The Japanese bar that I said I often go to. It might give you a clue.¡± (Karen)


    On the paper, she handed me, her name, the name of the Japanese-style bar, and the location was written in clear, bold letters.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± (Kei)


    I bowed again at her thoughtfulness, and this time I left the store. And finally.


    ¡°Thank you very much for my father¡¯s information. Please do your best to explore the dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, thank you. I¡¯ll do my¡­ best?¡± (Karen)


    By the time the woman questioned her words, we were already walking out of the store.


    The next stop is Osaka.


    ¡°Brother, next time we¡¯re going to Osaka. I want to eat takoyaki.¡± (Haru)


    Haru says.


    ¡°We went to Kyoto on a school trip in junior high school, but we didn¡¯t get to go to Osaka. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    The next stop for the siblings was Osaka. They decided to visit a man in Osaka.

 CH 55

    ¡°Hmm~?! It¡¯s delicious.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hot, hah, foo, hah!¡± (Kei)


    Two days have passed since the day I talked to the woman in Iwate. Why has it taken two days? It was quite simple.


    Osaka was very far from Iwate.


    We both have only one cell phone, and I haven¡¯t bought a book in a while. Since we only use our phones for the internet and phone calls, we don¡¯t really know how to play games.


    After enduring those 15 hours of boredom, the two of us got off the bullet train, enjoyed some sightseeing, and went straight to the hotel.


    The next day, we were on our way to the tavern, relying on the map function of our phones and the name of the tavern that we were told about.


    For breakfast, we bought takoyaki at a store near the hotel. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because it¡¯s the real thing, but it tastes really good. Well, for now. My mouth was burned.


    Even if your status increases in dungeons, this part of your body doesn¡¯t get stronger. I don¡¯t really know why.


    ¡°Hey, shouldn¡¯t it be here?¡± (Haru)


    After a short walk from the train, Haru, who was looking at the map, turned her gaze to the side.


    ¡°Oh, this is it. It¡¯s this one, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Kei)


    What we found there was a rundown store. The closed sign on the door proves that it is a store. I think.


    ¡°It¡¯s not open yet.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Thinking about it, how can a bar be open in the morning.¡± (Kei)


    Yes, this is a bar.


    Speaking of bars, the best time to make money is from evening to midnight. If they were open in the morning, they would be in trouble.


    ¡°This is the place, what should we do?¡± (Kei)


    It was a long walk from the nearest station, and there was no place nearby where I could kill time. In the first place, the store opens at night, so even if I wanted to kill time, I would have to kill almost ten hours. That¡¯s a lot of time.


    ¡°Hey, brother. I think this is both a shop and a house. It¡¯s a two-story building, but the top is for living.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hmm, seriously? Oh, you¡¯re right.¡± (Kei)


    When I heard Haru¡¯s words, I looked up at the second floor and saw what looked like a rundown house. I¡¯m also sure the second floor isn¡¯t a bar.


    ¡°Is there an entrance in the back?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, maybe this way.¡± (Haru)


    Haru walked towards the back of the store.


    ¡°Hmm, this is a bar. What do you want, kids?¡± (Voice)


    Surprising!


    Both of our shoulders jerked up.


    It was a voice that suddenly came from behind us. We don¡¯t always use our skills [Detection] and [Perception], when on the surface. Even so, our experience in exploring dungeons has made us sensitive to the presence of people. Well, that¡¯s what I thought.


    ¡°Excuse me, how long have you been there?¡± (Kei)


    The old man who had spoken to us smiled awkwardly as he scratched his head, hiding his confusion.


    ¡°This is a bar, a place that serves alcohol, so it would bother you if there were kids wandering around.¡± (Voice => Old Man)


    He said it as if it were a matter of course. Well, judging from the way he was talking.


    ¡°Excuse me, but are you the owner of this tavern?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, I am. Is there a problem? I don¡¯t serve alcohol to children though.¡± (Old Man)


    The old man speaks in a tone that seems to be distrustful, and also joking at the same time.


    ¡°Our last name is Kizaki. We came to ask about my father and his friend, Hayashiga-san, and their whereabouts.¡± (Kei)


    I told him honestly. We have nothing to hide.


    ¡°Kizaki? Hmm, yeah, you people.¡± (Old Man)


    The old man looked at us as if he were judging us and muttered. His eyes are sharp, and Haru hides behind me. No, she¡¯s been behind me from the beginning, so nothing has changed. When I talk to people, she¡¯s always hiding behind me.


    ¡°Oh yeah, you guys. You don¡¯t look alike.¡± (Old Man)


    ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯re going to say when you judge and look at me?¡± (Kei)


    His words made me uncomfortable, and I said so.


    ¡°Oh, hahaha! The eyes are just like Kizaki. So why do you want to ask about them?¡± (Old Man)


    ¡°Yes. My father disappeared, so I¡¯m looking for a clue. I¡¯m also looking for Hayashiga-san for a clue.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, okay. Then let¡¯s start with the most obvious one. Let¡¯s start with the easy one. It¡¯s Hayashiga. He¡¯s dead.¡± (Old Man)


    ¡°Really?¡± (Kei)


    I couldn¡¯t help asking back. I didn¡¯t expect to be told that he was dead. My mother and Hayashiga-san, my father¡¯s acquaintances, have also died too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know why, though. I don¡¯t know why, but I heard that three of them were killed in the line of duty in the Self-Defense Force last April. Your father was at the funeral. Your father was at the funeral too, with a wife, who I didn¡¯t know. He¡¯s a grown man and he¡¯s crying like a baby.¡± (Kei)


    The old man stopped talking and wiped his eyes as if he had been overcome with tears.


    ¡°I met them when I was about 50. They were living in Osaka for their work in the Self-Defense Forces. They used to come to my store complaining about it. When I thought about it later, there were things they said that I shouldn¡¯t have heard.¡± (Old Man)


    The old man said and laughed heartily.


    ¡°They got along well and they had a strong sense of justice for no other reason. This shop also happened to get drunks and quarrel, but they are the ones who stopped them. At that time I would buy them a round of beer. Then he¡¯d just say, ¡°Excuse me, old man.¡± I thought it was a very cheeky kid.¡± (Old Man)


    The old man let us in and served us tea while he talked.


    ¡°After a while, the two seemed to be have been promoted, and I don¡¯t know what the Self-Defense Forces have been doing, so I don¡¯t know, they just suddenly moved to Tokyo. They both came to me and said with a chuckle, ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± Then they left only an email address and went to Tokyo. That¡¯s all I know about their pasts¡± (Old Man)


    The old man gulps down a can of beer, I don¡¯t know where he got it from.


    ¡°Then, about a year ago, that guy Kisaki suddenly called and brought his wife with him, saying he was staying here soon. I was surprised because she didn¡¯t look like the wife I had seen before, but I heard she had died and then he remarried. Oops, was that inappropriate? Sorry.¡± (Old Man)


    ¡°¡®So, my life in the Self-Defense Forces is over. I¡¯ll live in peace from now on¡¯, he said, drank a beer and left. His wife dutifully drank oolong tea. She said she¡¯d be the one to drive.¡± (Old Man)


    ¡°So, a few months before. Hayashiga died. The funeral was in Kyoto, Hayashiga¡¯s hometown. I went there too. Kizaki was crying in front of the casket, he said, ¡°I told you so.¡± And that was about it. I haven¡¯t seen Kizaki since then. ¡°(Old Man)


    The old man seemed to have said all he needed to say and stood up.


    ¡°Well then, do you know where our old man went?¡± (Kei)


    That¡¯s the most important question. I didn¡¯t come here to listen to old stories about my father.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you came to ask me. Yes, I know. He¡¯s somewhere in Shimane. He hates dungeons, but he can¡¯t seem to stay away from them. Well, you guys should go home now. I¡¯m going to bed.¡± (Old Man)


    The old man pushed us back, kicked us out of the store, and smiled at us.


    ¡°Because my business is open at night. I¡¯m already sleepy.¡± (Old Man)


    The door slams closed. It makes a rattling noise and has a lock that is good as our own house.


    ¡°He was a strange man, wasn¡¯t he?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, I was scared.¡± (Haru)


    In Haru¡¯s mind, the old man seemed to be a scary person. He had a scary face, though.


    ¡°And I couldn¡¯t speak at all.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of that of Old man¡¯s communication skills.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be told that by Haru.¡± (Kei)


    We both laughed.


    ¡°Our father is probably in Shimane. It¡¯ll be the last prefecture he¡¯ll ever visit.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, so let¡¯s go apply for a passport and go to America.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    I laughed again. It hadn¡¯t been a long trip, but I was relieved to see the end. There was a stampede in Hokkaido, and we met a mysterious woman in Iwate. In Osaka, we met a scary old man.


    We also learned that our father was a former Self-Defense Force member.


    ¡°Last spurt! Let¡¯s do our best.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, after we check the Osaka Dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    Haru cheerfully headed toward the station. It was a road she¡¯d taken at least once before. There was no hesitation in her steps.


    By the way, next is stop the last prefecture, and we will be reunited with our father for the first time in a long time.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to talk to me. Tell me why you left and why you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± (Kei)


    I muttered to myself in a voice that no one could hear, and followed Haru.


    There is only one day left before the journey of the siblings to find their parent ends.

 CH 56

    After getting my father¡¯s whereabouts from the old man at the bar, we took a little peek at the Dungeon Dam in Osaka, and then we headed for Shimane Prefecture as planned.


    The bullet train was as boring as ever, but since we knew exactly where we were going, it wasn¡¯t as tiring as the trip between Iwate and Osaka.


    I knew I would be able to see my father in Shimane.


    However, as we talked about my father, we found out that we both had different perceptions of him.


    I had a clear perception of him as a parent, even though he was like that, and even though I said I hated him, in reality, he was just a parent I didn¡¯t really have a high opinion of.


    Haru, however, was not like that. As for my mother, she was not at home much. I thought that my father was also absent for the same reason as my mother, but from what the old man at the tavern told me, he was probably too busy working to come home.


    However, a parent¡¯s work and a child¡¯s emotions are not the same things. Haru had to live a life without much contact with her parents. I acted as a substitute parent for Haru, who was only one year younger than me.


    As a result, Haru no longer cared about our parents, and fortunately or unfortunately, she took to me very well.


    As for this trip, part of me wants to find out why my father left us, but Haru is just trying to get her passport made. The rest is sightseeing, I guess.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the Dungeon Dam?¡± (Haru)


    Haru pointed to a large building surrounded by concrete walls.


    ¡°Oh, yes, it is. It¡¯s as big as ever. There aren¡¯t many people here though, are there?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I think there were just too many people in Osaka. What about the population of Shimane?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That and the population of the surrounding prefectures, right? I hear some of them drive hours to get to the dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Are they battle maniacs?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah. I think a few hours driving each direction is a bit much.¡± (Kei)


    The siblings were talking about this, but their ultimate goal was not in their minds for now. They had forgotten that the purpose of this trip was to dive into the American dungeons in the first place.


    Of course, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem later on.


    ¡°Hmm? There are mobile vending trucks, but they¡¯re not here.¡± (Haru)


    Haru, who was looking around, said. It seems that my father is not in the area that I can see. But still.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that he¡¯s just not here today, or that he¡¯s operating out of sight from here.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°So it¡¯s the usual routine of interviewing?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Haru should probably just stay behind me anyway. We have to avoid him realizing that we¡¯re here and running away. Next time we won¡¯t be able to track him.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Of course!¡± (Haru)


    We started to listen in, a little more aware of our surroundings than usual.


    However, if you listen normally like in other prefectures, there is a possibility that information about our father will flow. In fact, at the store I went to ask in Iwate asked us, ¡°are you guys detectives?¡±


    Fortunately, it seemed that it was just said in jest and I didn¡¯t feel like I had made them feel uncomfortable, so they spoke normally. But if my father knew we were there, as he did then, that would eliminate the possibility of us ever meeting.


    That¡¯s why.


    ¡°Fu~nyu~, eating, and walking sounds good. Yes, um.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Ah? Oh, thank you.¡± (Kei)


    Haru took a bite of the skewer that I offered her, savoring the skewers made of delicious dungeon meat with a goofy expression on her face.


    I see, this is indeed delicious. It¡¯s the kind of taste that makes you realize just how inadequate the food we were cooking was.


    ¡°Maybe I should seriously study cooking.¡± (Kei)


    It tasted so good that it made me mutter something like that.


    But why are we eating out, something we¡¯ve never done before due to financial reasons? Do we have very poor planning for the future?


    The customer is God. Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t know that phrase? We decided to genuinely believe in that phrase.


    It would not make a good impression if we just asked around and left without buying anything. That¡¯s because we are not customers.


    That¡¯s why we decided to buy only one item at each store we went to. And the first store was a restaurant,


    It was a grilled skewers shop using meat from the dungeon. The store was a food stall, not a mobile store. But what a surprise. The store used charcoal rather than gas to cook all the meat as if they were more concerned about taste than efficiency. Perhaps that¡¯s why the prices were a bit high, at 500 yen per piece.


    The smell of smoke around the stall was not so bad, and when I asked why, I was told that they were doing something about it with a magic tool they had acquired by accident.


    The magic tool looked like a square stone about 20 centimeters square, and the effect was to create a small tornado. The effect was to create a small tornado. How small is small?


    I looked at the ceiling of the stall and saw that there was a thick tube piercing through the ceiling, and at the bottom of the tube was the magic tool.


    Incidentally, it seemed that the shopkeeper¡¯s uncle had acquired the magic tool and was actually an Intermediate Explorer.


    When I tried to tell him that we were the same, he was quite surprised. It¡¯s hard for high school students to raise their level because of their schoolwork, so Intermediate Explorers are rare, and there are only a handful of high school students who are Advanced Explorers.


    Incidentally, the source of this information seems to be the National Dungeon Dam Store Front Network.


    It was a frightening experience for me to see the information network of merchants.


    After I finished talking with the owner of the skewer shop, I greeted him smilingly and started to walk away, when Haru, who had been waiting behind me, showed up. I handed her one of the skewers I had bought, which led to the scene I had just seen.


    And of course, there was no information from the first store. When I showed him the photo, he twisted his head and said he had never seen that person in the store.


    So, I went to the next store.


    The owner of the store was a woman. She was an Auntie.


    ¡°Oh, excuse me. By the way, have you ever seen the person in this picture running a store?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, I have. I might have seen him before, but I don¡¯t remember him well enough. I¡¯m sorry. Here you go.¡± (Auntie)


    ¡°Yes, thank you. This is the payment. Thank you.¡± (Kei)


    The second store was a mobile store. The woman seemed to be busy, so I just asked her a few questions, picked up the product, and left. It was shaved ice. I gave it to Haru for now.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± (Haru)


    Haru took the shaved ice, wolfed it down, and held her head down. As with the burn in her mouth, the pain in her head from eating cold food could not be prevented even by raising her level.


    So we went to a number of stores after that, and unfortunately, both Haru and I could not find my father even when our stomachs were full. It would have been nice to at least have some information, I thought. The most promising information we had was that he looked familiar, but that was about it.


    If that¡¯s the extent of the information, it¡¯s probably the same without it. There was a high possibility that it was a mistake.


    ¡°Brother, isn¡¯t that all the stores nearby?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. What do you mean you don¡¯t have even a little bit of information?¡± (Kei)


    From what the old man at the bar had told me, he was sure that my father was in Shimane. And the information we got on the phone from him is that he is related to the dungeon.


    So the Dungeon Market? But there was no way that a newcomer could get a job at the Dungeon Market.


    It was getting close to dusk, and in front of the dungeon there were people going back to the dungeon, and the only sounds I could hear were people talking and shoes scraping on the ground.


    You can¡¯t ride a vehicle to the entrance of the dungeon, and since you¡¯re not moving with heavy equipment, there¡¯s no big cart moving around.


    Surrounding us are many people with tired faces, but showing their joy, displeasure, and grief.


    Hmm? What are they thinking about?


    ¡°Hey, I heard that this Dungeon Dam has a strong safety deposit box. I guess that¡¯s why the people walking around don¡¯t have much luggage.¡± (Haru)


    Haru walked leisurely, looked at a nearby advertising paper, and spoke to me.


    ¡°Hmm? Secure deposit box?¡± (Kei)


    I asked a nearby person about it, and he told me that it was common here to pay for weapons and armor and keep them in a safe.


    ¡°Haru, that¡¯s weird.¡± (Kei)


    It was here that I finally realized my mistake.


    ¡°The sounds we heard on the phone were voices talking about monsters and the scraping of metal.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, what? Even though the weapons are in a safe deposit box?¡± (Haru)


    Haru understood what I meant and nodded his head.


    I headed straight for the nearest stall and spoke to a woman who owned it.


    ¡°Excuse me. Is there any dungeon related metal stores around here?¡± (Kei)


    The shopkeeper smiled a little and replied.


    ¡°There is. My store. Touka-kun, Haruka-chan.¡± (Shopkeeper)


    The shopkeeper said with a smile and began to clean up the store.

 CH 57

    The woman who knew us quickly finished cleaning up the store.


    ¡°Nice to meet you both. I¡¯m Rei Kizaki. I¡¯m your new mother.¡± (Rei)


    She said this.


    ¡°Now, get in the car. I¡¯ll show you to Shiki-san.¡± (Rei)


    Whether she knew we were too surprised to move or not, she didn¡¯t care about our reaction and pointed to the passenger seat and the back seat of the car.


    By the way, Shiki is my father¡¯s name. I don¡¯t usually call my father by his name, so I felt a little uncomfortable. And this person.


    ¡°Is it true that you suggested that my father leave our house?¡± (Kei)


    My father said that his wife had suggested it. If that was the case, then this person was the one who created the current situation.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I told him to run away.¡± (Rei)


    ¡°Really?¡± (Kei)


    Once we got into the car, the conversation didn¡¯t continue any further until we reached a rundown house.


    ¡°I¡¯m home, Shiki-san.¡± (Rei)


    When the car arrived at the house, Rei-san got out of the car and left, so we quickly followed her.


    The house didn¡¯t have an intercom like ours, and the door made a creaking sound as it opened.


    ¡°Welcome back, huh?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°¡±Ah¡±¡± (Kizaki¡¯s)


    It was our father, Shiki Kizaki, who came out from the house.


    ¡°Oh, you guys are here. How did you find us? I thought I hid it in case you were curious.¡± (Shiki)


    When he saw us, he started talking as usual. It had been a year since he had seen us, but he was still talking like normal.


    ¡°This person showed us around, you¡¯re annoying, get away from me.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Guha.¡± (Shiki)


    Haru¡¯s insult jumped straight out of her mouth and straight to his chest, and he just fidgeted before collapsing.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s disgusting.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, I honestly think that¡¯s disgusting too, old man.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Shiki-san, I think it¡¯s disgusting too, you know.¡± (Rei)


    Then the three of us went on a verbal tirade. Even his wife said that to him.


    As it is, my father stands up energetically and turns to Rei.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rei. Can I clean up later? I have something to tell everyone. Come on. Let¡¯s have a little talk in the back. Tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± (Shiki)


    Unlike the foolish father from earlier, he instantly took on a serious expression and walked straight into the back of the house.


    We gulped at the sight of his serious expression and followed him.


    But then,


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your house small?¡± (Kei)


    Such words came out of me.


    ¡°You¡¯re a rude b*stard to call someone¡¯s house small. If you¡¯re living in poverty, you¡¯ll understand. We can¡¯t afford it. We¡¯ve lost our jobs.¡± (Shiki)


    My father said with a scowl and sat down on the other side of the short table in the middle of the room. We put our bags at the end of the table and sat down.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± (Rei)


    Rei-san came over to us with a slow but steady voice, placed a cup in front of us, and left the room.


    ¡°Shiki-san. I¡¯ll clean up.¡± (Rei)


    ¡°My bad, please do.¡± (Shiki)


    The door clicked shut, and it was just us and my dad in the house.


    ¡°Well, girls. I¡¯ll tell you one thing first.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°What? We have money.¡± (Haru)


    Haru replied to our father¡¯s serious voice, looking annoyed. Why money though?


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t have any money!¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a great way to start. Disgusting.¡± (Haru)


    I look around while watching my father silently lie down on the short table.


    The room is small, with barely enough room for two futons because of the furniture. As far as I could tell, there was only one bath and one toilet. The kitchen is located in the hallway. This was probably the only room. It was so small that I wondered why there was such a small house. The layout is completely apartment-like.


    I had no idea that they were so poor. In our current state, we¡¯re obviously richer than he is. While thinking about this, I turned my attention to my old man.


    ¡°Hey, Touka. Don¡¯t look at our house with pity on your gaze.¡± (Shiki)


    My old man was lying down on the short table and turned his face toward me.


    ¡°So, what are you guys doing here?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°We¡¯re here for passports. We want to go abroad.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What? Overseas? We don¡¯t have money. Why are you saying that?¡± (Shiki)


    My father took a breath and stared at me.


    I thought I saw magic move in his eyes for a moment.


    ¡°A dungeon. You guys too? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re doing well if you have enough money to go abroad. Intermediate or advanced?¡± (Shiki)


    I narrowed my eyes a little. There are not many explorers who make enough money to go abroad. You have to be an Intermediate Explorer.


    It¡¯s true that there are many Intermediate Explorers. If you look for them, you can find them easily. But they are a small percentage of the total.


    ¡°What did you find out?¡± (Kei)


    I don¡¯t know how he knew that we were successful explorers. The magic that had just moved in my father¡¯s eyes was so small that I couldn¡¯t even activate my skills.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sickle, that must be a lie, what about Haru?¡± (Shiki)


    Haru interrupted our father¡¯s words.


    ¡°What are your skills? It¡¯s not appraising because it requires magic to interfere with the other person, it¡¯s not enhancing because it doesn¡¯t affect the outside, and it¡¯s not passive.¡± (Haru)


    After Haru said this, she manipulated her magic power to send it towards our father. The other end is our father¡¯s eyes. This is where the magic power just moved.


    There is no direct interference with the body with magic power. That¡¯s why ordinary people don¡¯t notice it.


    ¡°Kya!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Was that Haru? You can¡¯t attack your father¡¯s eyeballs, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± (Shiki)


    As my father moved a little, Haru made a small surprised squeak, and her magical power was scattered.


    My father¡¯s face shifted to the side to escape from the magical power that was approaching, and the leg that was supposed to be cross-legged poked Haru¡¯s legs.


    ¡°You can¡¯t use magic if you don¡¯t concentrate on it. So magicians, huh, again?¡± (Shiki)


    The father started to speak as if he was explaining, but halfway through his speech, he paused with a puzzled look on his face, which quickly turned into a frown.


    ¡°So what about magicians? Old Man.¡± (Kei)


    I was curious about the rest of the story, so I encouraged him to continue.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Touka, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t speak of this any further. Is there anything else you want to ask me, or did you guys only come here for the passports in the first place?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about my old man¡¯s skills. I don¡¯t understand the skills of strong people anyway.¡± (Kei)


    Haru must be referring to the skills of the Advanced Explorers from some time ago. That skill was much stronger than our own and made no sense to me.


    After Haru told him that it was only for the passport, my father nodded again.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So, old man, of course, you¡¯re going to apply for a passport for us, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t act like a guardian now and say it¡¯s dangerous to go abroad.¡± Kei


    Haru poked the old man who is about to nod off to wake him up and asked him.


    ¡°Ah? Ah, if you¡¯re going to pay, I¡¯ll write the paperwork. It¡¯s already night, so the procedure is tomorrow. Would you like to write the paperwork tomorrow so that you can pick it up near your house?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Yes, please do that. I don¡¯t want to have to come here to pick up my passport.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, well, you can¡¯t stay here. Get the hell out of here. Find a hotel or something and be here tomorrow morning at ten.¡± (Shiki)


    My dad stands up and tries to see us off, so he drinks up the rest of our water and stands up.


    ¡°Haru and Touka. Now that my whereabouts are known, call me next time for any advice. Don¡¯t go into the dungeon too often.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± (Haru)


    Haru returns just a single word back to our old man and begins walking


    I turned to my father, who was saying, ¡°Oh, Haru doesn¡¯t seem to miss me as much as always,¡± and asked him one last question.


    ¡°Old man, why did you quit your job?¡± (Kei)


    A moment of silence, and.


    ¡°I was scared. I was afraid of the dungeons, and the people who happily walked into them. Now that I know what a dungeon is, I¡¯m even more scared.¡± (Shiki)


    My father let out a small sigh and looked at me with powerless eyes.


    ¡°Hey, Touka. Can¡¯t you try to keep yourself out of the dungeon?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± (Kei)


    I answered his question immediately.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± (Kei)


    My father fell silent.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m going.¡± (Kei)


    Since my father had gone quiet, I decided to leave. Haru seems to be waiting for me some distance away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything, Touka, because I¡¯m limited by certain skills. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t tell you why I ran away from the SDF. But don¡¯t die.¡± (Shiki)


    Unlike the powerless eyes of before, Dad¡¯s eyes and tone of voice were stronger than ever.


    Just like my old man.


    ¡°I understand. Old Man.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°See you, Touka.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. You¡¯d better say those lines when we¡¯re leaving.¡± (Kei)


    I think that¡¯s a little too formal for a man I¡¯ll see again tomorrow.

 CH 58

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯m home¡± (Haru)


    It¡¯s been two days since we found our father. The next day, we did some paperwork to get passports, and then came straight home to apply for the passports before heading back home. I was surprised at how easy it was to get a passport.


    And now we have done all our business and are back home. It wasn¡¯t that long, but it was an exhausting trip. I think what made it so stressful was the fact that we had to endure the agony of travel time.


    I saw that the house had not been ransacked, and the lock on the door was not broken. Well, it¡¯s a raggedy lock, so if you kicked it, you could break the whole door, and I¡¯m sure even an amateur could pick it easily. Is that not true? I¡¯ll try it next time.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go to the dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, first we have to check if there¡¯s any sign of intruders and have dinner. It¡¯s nighttime. No dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Is it no good?¡± (Haru)


    To tell the truth, I¡¯m itching to get into the dungeon too, but it¡¯s a rule we¡¯ve made together, and I know that if I break it once, the next one, and the next one, and so on, will just pile up.


    I¡¯ve had a few friends whose wallets were emptied because of it. Well, that¡¯s not important.


    I went into the dark basement and turned on the light, but it didn¡¯t come on.


    ¡°Brother, you took off the light bulb before we went.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, yes, I did. Oh, yes, I did. I forgot all about it.¡± (Kei)


    I went back to the first floor and returned to the basement with the bulb and a flashlight. When I illuminated it with a flashlight, it was the same complete garbage house as when we left the house.


    I looked around, but there was no sign of any movement. No, I don¡¯t know exactly how the trash was arranged when I left the house, but I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s dust on the cardboard and bags.


    ¡°Okay, Haru. Let¡¯s clean up?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Rejected.¡± (Haru)


    Since I had turned the basement into a dump, I thought it would be necessary to clean up, but my opinion was outright rejected.


    ¡°It¡¯s messed up anyway, so it¡¯s faster to push it into the dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you mean.¡± (Kei)


    If you leave something in the dungeon for a long time, it will disappear. If I leave it there today, it will probably be gone tomorrow.


    I quickly set up a stepladder, installed a light bulb, opened the entrance to the dungeon, and dropped the trash in there.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to throw the garbage into the back of the dungeon from the bottom, so drop it from the top.¡± (Kei)


    The amount of garbage was too much to just drop from the top. The place where I dropped the garbage was not inside the dungeon, so there was a good chance that the garbage would not disappear.


    After a minute or so of throwing the garbage into the back of the dungeon, the garbage in the basement was completely gone.


    Leaving aside the fact that the entrance to the dungeon does not have a status upgrade, so it was just my normal body that did the throwing.


    Fortunately, there were no insects or rats in the basement.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s eat!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I wanted to enter the dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    I patted Haru on the head, who sounded resentful as she watched me close the entrance to the dungeon, and I went upstairs to make dinner.


    And the next day,


    ¡°Brother, let get going to the dungeon!¡± (Haru)


    Haru was a little more energetic than usual, but she didn¡¯t wake up early, and after a good night¡¯s sleep, I woke her up. It¡¯s been like this ever since. I usually look up information about dungeons in the morning, but I didn¡¯t have anything that I thought I needed to know after the trip on our way home, so I think it¡¯s okay today.


    So now I¡¯m cleaning my weapon.


    Haru¡¯s weapon is a blunt weapon, so it takes less time to clean and is already ready to go. However, I¡¯m using a sword, so it¡¯s not that easy to finish. I don¡¯t have to sharpen it every day, and I don¡¯t have to be that meticulous about it, so I can finish in about ten minutes.


    Once the preparations were done, I quickly changed my clothes and put on my gear while listening to Haru¡¯s urging from right beside me. I feel like it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve worn any serious gear, but it¡¯s strange that it hasn¡¯t actually been that long.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°OK, let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    We were going to explore a dungeon for the first time in a long time.


    ¡°Brother, today, let¡¯s go around the forest by destroying small groups instead of annihilating everything. I think that would be more fun.¡± (Haru)


    Haru was walking with a happy gait as she decided on the day¡¯s activities. The slime that appeared in front of her was blown away by Haru¡¯s light kick, and then crushed to death.


    ¡°Transition, Forest.¡± (Kei)


    We muttered as we arrived at the Transition Area, and descended into the Forest for the first time in a long time. At the same time, information rolled into my mind.


    Signs of monsters were detected by my [Perception], they are just small fries. But even that small fry is many times stronger than the feeble monster presence I saw in Hokkaido.


    ¡°Still, this is good enough.¡± (Kei)


    These words escaped out of my mouth.


    ¡°Hokkaido was too weak.¡± (Kei)


    Haru, holding a tonfa in both hands, began to walk leisurely, her arms twirling both tonfas. I put my right hand on my sword, which is still in its sheath, and follow Haru.


    ¡°Grrr¡­¡± (Wolves)


    The first to come out is the five wolves, though.


    ¡°The first one!¡± (Haru)


    Haru rapidly approaches the first wolf and swings her tonfa, which crushes its bones and blows it away before it has time to avoid her. That was all it took, and the wolf died.


    ¡°Good one.¡± (Kei)


    As the second and third wolves rushed in, I cut them all down with my drawing slash.


    ¡°Hey, Haru.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm?¡± (Haru)


    As soon as I asked Haru, she swung both her tonfas to silence the wolves.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this get boring?¡± (Kei)


    Yes, this battle was uninteresting. They¡¯re not even enemies, just a bunch of forest critters. It¡¯s no wonder we¡¯re strong enough to take on a hundred forest monsters at once.


    ¡°Yeah. Brother, change of plans [Impact]!¡± (Haru)


    The magic that Haru unleashed hit a nearby tree and destroyed it. Haru declares this while the roaring sound of the trees falling is in the background.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut down all the trees in the forest before we go home.¡± (Haru)


    Only a few hours remained before the forest ceased to be a forest.


    ¡°[Chain] on my sword.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°And [Impact].¡± (Haru)


    Every time I hit a tree with my sword, half of the trunk is cut down, and the slash is transmitted to the surrounding trees by the effect of [Chain].


    The trees that were cut together are then knocked down by the blast from [Impact].


    ¡°Pugya!¡± (Monster)


    The sound of a fallen tree causes the monsters that come toward us to die instantly with their necks being cut or their skulls crushed.


    The monsters lose their lives one after another, and we siblings are getting better and faster as if there¡¯s an inversely proportional relation between our strengths.


    ¡°[Impact] [Decaple] [Separation] [Collapse]¡± (Haru)


    The number of magic used by Haru is increasing one after another, and I am increasing the power and range of effect by using [Chain] and controlling the attack.


    And then.


    ¡°Guga, Guaaahhh¡ª-?¡± (Rimdobmur)


    Look up at the clear sky without any obstruction, we can hear the troubled cry in the sky. The forest under its eyes is disappearing one after another, and it was probably confusing.


    Is it because of the dungeon system that it still doesn¡¯t want to attack us?


    ¡°But still, there was no nest of Rimdobmur.¡±


    We walked around the entire forest for five hours without finding any Rimdobmur nests. In addition, for some reason, we only found one mysterious human-shaped stone monument.


    I tried touching it and pouring magic on it, but nothing happened. I tried to see if it would break if I kicked it, but it didn¡¯t. For the sake of my honor, I¡¯ll just say that I hurt my leg in hunting.


    Well, for the time being.


    ¡°My whole foot is swollen!¡± (Kei)


    Haru seems happy, so let¡¯s end today¡¯s exploration.

 CH 59

    It had been a few days since we had returned home, and both of our eyes were glued to the computer screen.


    After our outburst in the forest on the first day, we had no idea why we had done what we had done. If you think about it, cutting down all the trees was obviously a waste of effort, and what was the fun of killing trees that didn¡¯t move?


    In the first place, I think it would be more exhilarating and pleasant to fire a full-powered magic barrage at the Rimdobmur, which is still too hard to defeat. I think that¡¯s the thinking of a psychopath, though.


    After that, I continued my previous method of killing monsters from a fixed position in the forest in an attempt to take practical action. I didn¡¯t get any unique monsters that were particularly strong, and I didn¡¯t get any new skills, but I did get an interesting-looking magical item.


    It was called the [Potion Bottle]. The function of the bottle is that what you put inside it will not deteriorate. The bottle does not break. Unlike ordinary potion bottles, it doesn¡¯t break even when the contents are gone, which is why it is a magical tool. However, the capacity is small. I looked it up and found that it holds only about 100 ml. I don¡¯t think I can use it to hold drinks.


    So, we were living such a fulfilling life. Today, we were gathering information about dungeons on the Internet as usual, and we came across some information.


    ¡°A member of 893 succeeded in creating an intermediate level potion using his pharmaceutical skills. The effect is enough to heal a broken bone instantly.¡±


    Compared to the previous potions that only healed small wounds, the effects of the Intermediate Potion would be remarkable. If there is such a thing, I would definitely want to get it before I go abroad.


    However, the problem is how to get it. Currently, the only way to obtain Intermediate Potions is to buy them from members of the 893. And at a very high price. It was not a price we could afford.


    If that was the only way, our eyes wouldn¡¯t be glued to the computer screen. What we paid attention to was the article written a little below it.


    ¡°Brother, is this real?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, I suppose there¡¯s a chance that you¡¯d have to have some sort of medicine making skill to do it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°My skill is Crafting. Maybe I can do the same thing.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It is worth a try.¡± (Kei)


    The article there was the content of an interview with the creator of the Intermediate Potions.


    It started with a purely dungeon-related story, talked about parties and recent activities, and then moved on to talk about potions.


    There was also a section on how to make potions using his potion-making skill, which was something we were interested in.


    According to him, the potion-making skill involves holding the material in your hand and using the skill to turn it into a bottled potion.


    So, in order to see if he could make potions for other people, he tried to make potions by hand, and I was able to do so.


    The Spirit Tree Leaf, a rare drop from a Treant that appears in the depths of the forest. I drained the water from them, crushed them in a mortar and pestle, and mixed them with clean water while applying magic power. By doing so, the crushed leaves somehow dissolve into water and become an Intermediate Potion.


    All of these actions need to be done inside the dungeon, and of course, it says that the bottle did not appear after making the potion.


    However, it is said that many people tried that method, but no one succeeded. What was made was just water with leaf powder mixed in it. If you drank it, there was no restorative effect and it just tasted like leaves.


    However, there were only a few of these leaves, and the number of people who were able to experiment with them was too small, as well as the fact that there were few people in the dungeon who had the skills to dry them.


    And we had a pretty good idea of what was causing it.


    ¡°For the time being, that Spirit Tree Leaf is the one.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a rare drop from a monster that doesn¡¯t come around often, so it might be tough to get.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen Treants many times.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°There are no rare drops in our dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    As Haru says, rare drops are not available in our dungeon. In that case, we have no choice but to go to Tokyo Dungeon and get some.


    ¡°It¡¯s really hard to avoid being discovered in the forest.¡± (Haru)


    Nowadays, more and more people are exploring the Forest, but if there were two of us there, we would definitely attract attention. If there were two children exploring the forest while four adults were busy fighting, it would be a rumor at best or an invasion of privacy at worst.


    What¡¯s more, Treants appears deep in the forest. You¡¯ll have to move around in the forest for sure. Even if you move in secret, there¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ll be discovered. If that¡¯s the case,


    ¡°Do we move on the assumption that we will be discovered?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± (Haru)


    The biggest problem we have is that people know that we are searching for them, and from there they can find out our identities. If that happens, our strength will be known, and at present, we are overwhelmingly stronger than the Hero Party, so the media will look at us a good material to report on.


    If that happens, it will be hard to avoid the dungeon in our home from being discovered. Even though our property is protected by law, there are many people in this world who do not abide by it.


    If we become famous for living in such a shabby house, it will only be a matter of time before we are targeted by burglars and our dungeon is targeted. In that case, even if we became well-known, it is good if our identity is not revealed.


    ¡°I thought it would be a good idea to go to the Tokyo dungeon not to hide, but to disguise ourselves. What do you think?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Is it a disguise to pretend to be someone?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what it is.¡± (Kei)


    Haru listened to my words, pondered, and then clapped her hands.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that. So we¡¯ll have to get new equipment first.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    If we go with our usual equipment, we¡¯ll be recognized, so we¡¯ll have to get new ones. Also, we convince ourselves that it is a necessary expense since a sigh is about to spill out.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go shopping instead of hiding in the dungeon today.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay~¡± (Haru)


    We quickly changed into street clothes, grabbed our wallets, and got on our bicycles.


    And¡­


    ¡°Haru, which one do you want to buy?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, the parka?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s too heavy with no hood.¡± (Kei)


    We had just arrived at the place where we had first collected items for dungeon exploration. We didn¡¯t go to the Dungeon Market because we were afraid of spending a lot of money, thinking that this would be enough since we were not looking for full-fledged explorer¡¯s equipment but for disguise.


    And now we¡¯re standing in line at the clothing store.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s decide the theme for the time being.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What is the theme? Is it like Spring Outfit?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but it¡¯s different! How do you go around entering the dungeon? What do you do?¡± (Haru)


    Haru asked me, and I thought about it in my head. I thought I could just disguise myself and go in, but in reality, it¡¯s not that easy. I had to dress in a way that would make me unrecognizable, but I didn¡¯t want to look suspicious.


    Even though I would be wearing normal gear when I entered the dungeon, if the forest were to report the presence of such a suspicious person later, they would be warier. However, if you hide your face, it is certain to look suspicious. Okay, let¡¯s do that.


    ¡°Haru, if we go for fantasy style, it will look suspicious, so let¡¯s go for a modern style.¡± (Kei)


    That¡¯s what I came up with.


    In the dungeon, everyone would cover themselves in fantasy gear, and the only people to watch out for would be those carrying weapons or hiding behind cloaks and hoods. This is especially true if they have weapons exposed. If so.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that if you wear modern clothes and hide your face with a mask and hat, people won¡¯t think you¡¯re suspicious?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother you idiot.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s try it.¡± (Kei)


    I had a slight resurgence of Chunnibyou, and I pulled Haru, who had a disgusted face, to the back of the store.

 CH 60

    ¡°Brother, how about this? Oh, some sunglasses!¡± (Haru)


    We¡¯re currently going from store to store, looking for equipment. Even if we buy cheap clothes, it won¡¯t be a problem if we go home and used [Alchemy] on them with dungeon materials, so we¡¯re focusing on appearance and ease of wear. I¡¯ve already decided on clothes, pants, and shoes, and the rest is just accessories.


    By the way, I haven¡¯t even bought any clothes yet. I didn¡¯t buy them because I might change my mind halfway through the trip.


    Haru, who was reluctant at first, must have gotten into the mood as she chose her clothes. She is now cheerfully picking out accessories. However.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about fashion. I will leave it to Haru.¡±


    To be honest, I don¡¯t really know what to wear, good or bad. All I can do is pick an outfit line and pick something that looks good. Haru had made the final decision on what to wear.


    ¡°Well, this, this, and this, Brother, money.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, let me check first. I said I¡¯d leave it to you, but I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d let you decide for me. So which one?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what you call, ¡®I leave it to you¡¯. Here.¡± (Haru)


    Haru handed me a black cap that I would normally wear when exercising, and a fashion mask, or was it a cloth mask. No sunglasses for now.


    Haru¡¯s hat was something fluffy on top of her head, with a brim in front. The colors weren¡¯t all black, but I plan to use black materials in the alchemy to make it black.


    Eventually, we decided on everything to buy, so we headed back to the house, buying the clothes we had decided on. The sky was tinged with orange, and we realized that we hadn¡¯t eaten lunch when we got home.


    I quickly start cooking dinner as I watch Haru start to change into the clothes I bought her. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t eaten any Minotaur meat lately. The meat that the monsters in the forest drop are quite tasty, so I¡¯m quite satisfied with them. I don¡¯t see any problem with that, though.


    ¡°How about you, Brother?¡± (Haru)


    Haru, who was changing her clothes behind me, called out to me, and I turned around to see her standing there, wearing an outlandishly colored outfit.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good because the colors are strange.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    I had originally bought it with the intention of dying it black through alchemy, so the color was all random. Well, if we wear it before we dye it, it will be like this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use [Alchemy] on the clothes tomorrow. Did you see any black monsters in the forest?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°There was a black bird.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Birds don¡¯t drop fur. So Black Wolves again?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, the Black Wolf¡¯s materials are weak. We should¡¯ve just bought black clothes and use [Alchemy] on them for performance.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. The purpose is not performance but appearance.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Haru)


    Haru is still dissatisfied and is pondering what to do about it.


    The color of the hoodie we are using now is close to black, but this was not a problem because it was originally a black hoodie and only the performance of the dungeon item was changed using [Alchemy].


    ¡°Oh, come on, Brother. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s just the performance or performance ¡®and¡¯ color, but can¡¯t you just alchemize ¡®just¡¯ the color?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh? I see, I¡¯ve never done it before.¡± (Kei)


    I took out items of different colors from the Item Pouch in the safe and smelted them one by one.


    I¡¯m not sure what to do with it. It¡¯s difficult because there¡¯s so much information. I guess it¡¯s easier to just send them all to the right place. I mean, this seems impossible. I can¡¯t seem to get it right, so I force myself to transfer the colors, leaving it to the amount of magic power I have.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a failure.¡± (Haru)


    Looking at the material picked up by Haru, the color changed, but the color was very uneven, and there were places where the color did not change, which was quite a disappointing result.


    ¡°Then, hey. Why not use [Alchemy] to turn hoodie black using a black material and then do it again but transferring only the properties of the strong materials?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, can I do that, I think? If so, the lowest possible level of Black Fur is good. It¡¯s easy to alchemize.¡± (Kei)


    The difficulty of Alchemy skills depends on the use of strong materials. The more information you have to process in your mind when using Alchemy, the more difficult it will be.


    So if you repeatedly alchemize the same thing, the strength of that thing will increase, making it more difficult to alchemize. However, the number of times I¡¯ve alchemized has something to do with it, since the difficulty level increased even when I repeated alchemizing things that didn¡¯t get any stronger.


    The more information you process in your mind, the more difficult it becomes. Is it true that smelting only colors is harder than smelting everything? It¡¯s easy to copy and paste a sentence on a computer, but it¡¯s just as troublesome to copy only the Kanji characters in a sentence.


    I wonder if the reason why only properties are easy is that everything is purely quantified. The strength of a substance is just as it is, and skills and so on are just letters, so they are not as detailed as colors.


    ¡°Okay, dinner¡¯s ready.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Thanks for the meal.¡± (Haru)


    We had dinner, took a shower as usual, and went to sleep.


    The next day.


    We unusually dove into the dungeon in the morning. However, we were just collecting fur by defeating the Black Kobolds that appeared around the 12th floor, so it was nothing special.


    At our level, if we kicked it too hard, it might explode. There was no difference in the drops, but we didn¡¯t want to get ourselves dirty with flesh and blood, so we kicked them gently so that the Kobold would die after hitting the wall.


    Incidentally, the kobold¡¯s name is technically High Kobold. It is a Kobold with a sword and is a little stronger on this floor. Unlike wolves, they don¡¯t gather in packs, which is probably why they are so strong. It doesn¡¯t matter, though, because they¡¯re kicked to death before they can raise their swords.


    And now that we¡¯ve collected a certain amount of fur, we return home and spread out the gear we¡¯ve bought. It was a lot of work, as we needed a good number of furs for everything from shoes to hats. The drops are not 100% fur either.


    ¡°So, [Alchemy].¡± (Kei)


    It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve done this, so I put my hand over my clothes and said the word [Alchemy] out loud. In the blink of an eye, the High Kobold Fur on my hands was gone and all my gear was dyed black. And then,


    ¡°And again, [Alchemy].¡± (Kei)


    The next step was to use [Alchemy] to transfer only the properties of the powerful materials I had obtained in the Forest into black clothing. Perhaps it was because I used the fur of a weak High Kobold, the resistance was minimal.


    ¡°Brother, what about the soles of our shoes? What about the plastic part?¡± (Haru)


    Since I used the fur and only used [Alchemy] on the cloth part, there were various parts that I couldn¡¯t enhance.


    ¡°I have a substitute, wait for it. [Alchemy].¡± (Kei)


    The rubber part is made of Slime Gel dropped by the Big Slime that appears in the Forest. Using Haru¡¯s crafting and magic, the water is drained from the gel and it becomes rubbery.


    Since we don¡¯t have plastic, we¡¯ll use wood, which is a strong and flexible material found in Treants.


    For the zippers of the parka, I used a Horn from the Forest.


    And.


    ¡°How is it Brother?¡± (Haru)


    Haru spun around on the spot with a triumphant look on her face.


    Haru¡¯s hands are wrapped in the pockets of a loose-fitting, one-size-fits-all parka, and she¡¯s wearing long, black pants that show the lines of her legs, and black, low-heeled boots on her feet. Her mouth was covered with a mask, and on her head, she wore that hat I mentioned. In addition, she was wearing a small silver earring that I don¡¯t know where she got it from, giving her the air of a grown woman. Although the fact that she was still tiny was quite something.


    I, on the other hand, was fine. I¡¯m wearing loose, sturdy-looking pants, gray clothes, an open-fronted parka, and my hat. Of course, I wore a mask. But¡­ That¡¯s right.


    ¡°Haru, I¡¯m the only one that looks suspicious.¡± (Kei)


    Compared to the mature-looking Haru, my clothes seemed to make me a bit too suspicious-looking.

 CH 61

    ¡°Okay, brother. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s cheerful yet small voice was raised in a corner of the Dungeon Dam. She was dressed in her usual explorer¡¯s attire. The sad truth is that this outfit is slowly becoming outdated.


    Those who have increased their level and strength outside the dungeon are now wearing full plate armor. They change to more flashy equipment. Helmets and hoods have become a symbol of the outdated, easy-to-move clothing that was popular in the beginning.


    However, such clothing is certainly the best way to start exploring dungeons on the cheap. They are often seen as poor people who can¡¯t afford dungeon-produced equipment. So many people who try to become explorers these days have a lot of money.


    Well, what I mean to say is that those of us who are really poor don¡¯t have to worry about it. Because we don¡¯t have any money.


    The reason we can eat good meat and live in houses with unusually strong doors is not that we have money, but because we are self-sufficient.


    Anyway, that¡¯s not the point.


    ¡°Well let¡¯s go, Haru.¡± (Kei)


    We were going to explore the Tokyo dungeon for the first time in a long time.


    If you chant ¡°15 floors down¡± in a whisper, you can go to the place after defeating the Minotaur. I learned from my research that advanced explorers who are able to defeat Minotaurs go down the stairs to the Forest after reaching this point. And the Forest has a Transition Zone at the entrance. Who would go to the trouble of descending a long flight of stairs to the 15th floor?


    Well, that is why we moved here, where there are fewer people.


    ¡°Okay, Haru. Let¡¯s go change our clothes at the corner.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay, before anyone finds us.¡± (Haru)


    We quickly made our way to the corner to change into our black gear, using all the stealth we could muster. However, because of the type of clothing, it is not possible to put it on top, so Haru quickly took off her pants and put on the newly purchased ones.


    ¡°Okay, we won!¡± (Explorer 1)


    ¡°Yeah, I thought I¡¯d die.¡± (Explorer 2)


    ¡°Power is justice. I don¡¯t understand magic.¡± (Explorer 3)


    ¡°That¡¯s not something you should say if your proficiency is magic and you¡¯re beating people with magic from your hands.¡± (Explorer 4)


    I suddenly felt a flow of magic power and heard a voice. Haru, who had just taken off her pants, and me who was next to her jerk up.


    ¡°Hey, Haru. Change your clothes faster.¡± (Kei)


    I cover Haru with the parka I was wearing while calling out to her in a whisper, having finished changing just in case. However, Haru froze in surprise and didn¡¯t move. Her mouth was moving as if in a panic, but she couldn¡¯t speak. As I looked at the men with my eyes like saucers, cold sweat broke out on my forehead.


    Fortunately, the group of four men who had probably transitioned after killing the Minotaur was walking slowly and chatting.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s rest here.¡± (Explorer 1)


    ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯ll go down these stairs and we¡¯ll be in the forest you¡¯ve been longing for.¡± (Explorer 2)


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you said you wanted to see a flying dragon and a beautiful senior explorer.¡± (Explorer 3)


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who wants to see beautiful explorers!¡± (Explorer 4)


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t want to see it. A toned body that could bury evil monsters.¡± (Explorer 3)


    ¡°¡±¡±Want to watch!¡±¡±¡± (Party of 4)


    ¡°So, let¡¯s go to the forest!¡± (Explorer 1)


    ¡°¡±¡±Oh!¡±¡±¡± (Party of 4)


    The men went down the stairs to the Forest without noticing Haru, who stopped moving her pants, and me who was hiding her. If they had taken a break instead, we would surely have been exposed.


    Haru puts on her pants at a tremendous speed as soon as the men disappear and crouched down on the spot. I couldn¡¯t see her face, but her ears were as red as they had ever been.


    It took about 10 minutes for Haru to recover. We finally covered our faces with masks and went down to the forest.


    ¡°There are signs of people everywhere.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t recognize them, so I guess they¡¯re not around.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe they¡¯re not near. It would be safer to fight near the entrance. Oh, here comes a monster.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°OK¡± (Haru)


    I can¡¯t use my sword, so I cut off the monster¡¯s head with a survival knife enhanced with alchemy. It¡¯s easy to kill a monster with a survival knife, even if you can¡¯t cut it off.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, too.¡± (Haru)


    Haru came running up to me and swung the bat in her hand. The monster¡¯s face twisted from the neck and was crushed.


    ¡°Exhilarating.¡± (Haru)


    I can¡¯t help but sigh when I see Haru¡¯s satisfied look.


    The bat is a metal bat that uses the crowbar that Haru first used as a weapon as its shaft, and then strengthened with metal from the dungeon to make it thicker and now resembles a nail bat.


    At the time, there was no alchemy skill, so the only way to make it stronger was to increase its weight and strength. However, unlike ordinary metal bats, the inside of the bat is full of metal, so it is unusually heavy compared to its appearance.


    Haru was not good with bladed weapons, so she brought them with her. As a matter of course, it has been enhanced with [Alchemy]. When I asked her if she wanted to try a new crowbar, she said it was a memento of her life and she would keep it. By the way, when I asked her what the memory was, she said it was a commemoration of the first time she seriously hit a living thing with an object. Scary.


    As I headed deeper into the dungeon, killing and missing monsters soundlessly while using stealth, I saw a battle in front of me.


    There was a large Treant that was swinging its branches and dropping fruit like bombs, and the explorers were attacking the Treant.


    ¡°Oh, the Treants are all taken.¡± (Haru)


    As I watched Haru¡¯s frustrated face, I suddenly remembered her words.


    Haru said that the explorers seemed to be heading deeper into the Forest.


    The information on the Intermediate Potion was recent, and I¡¯d say that information was well in season. If that¡¯s the case.


    ¡°Oh no, Haru. Maybe all the explorers here are looking for Treants.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Why? Ah!¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s face also quickly turns pale.


    ¡°Brother¡­¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Haru.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°¡±Let¡¯s get on with the hunt for Treants.¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    I don¡¯t remember much after that. I just ran at high speed over the trees and found the tree-mimicking Trent with Haru¡¯s help. It was impossible to distinguish a normal tree from a Treant by sight, and the only way to break the mimicry was to inflict a certain amount of damage or catch it off guard.


    If you let your guard down while standing close to the tree, the Treants will attack you, and if you inflict a certain amount of damage, they will judge that you are dangerous and attack you. In other words, you can¡¯t throw a rock from a distance to see if it¡¯s a Treant while keeping a safe distance.


    If you¡¯re going to throw from a distance and do more than a certain amount of damage, you need to throw a good sword over and over again. Treants are monsters with a hard surface and a lot of strength.


    If I use Haru¡¯s Detection, the distinction is instantaneous and the rest is easy. All I had to do was Enchant myself with magic and kill the Treants with a single blow.


    I heard that our tremendous speed and attack power, as well as our pitch-black attire, made us feared by those who were exploring the forest that day.

 CH 62

    ¡°Hey, do you see that? The black one on the tree.¡± (Explorer 1)


    ¡°Oh, who is that? I thought they came downstairs, but before I knew it, Treant was dead. How do they even know which one is Treant?¡± (Explorer 2)


    One day in the forest, a party of men were standing around, looking up, their faces pale and dumbfounded. There were four of them. But even if they are not in a position where they can be observed by these four people, there are probably a number of people who are making the same reaction.


    It¡¯s not normal for anyone to be able to maintain a sense of normalcy after seeing something like that.


    The man¡¯s frightened voice was answered by another man¡¯s trembling voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that. It¡¯s not just that. There was so little presence of him that you might have missed him if you didn¡¯t look carefully. Seriously, what are they?¡± (Explorer 1)


    ¡°It¡¯s a demon. It¡¯s a demon. It¡¯s a dungeon demon. I¡¯m leaving now. If he sees me, he¡¯ll kill me.¡± (Explorer 2)


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go ahead. We¡¯re leaving too.¡± (Explorer 3)


    ¡°We should not come to the Forest for a while. It was a mistake to come here in the first place to get materials for Intermediate Potions.¡± (Explorer 4)


    The 16th floor of the Tokyo dungeon. In this forest, where only Japan¡¯s best Advanced Explorers are found, two black shadows are feared. The shadows were ascending the stairs.


    ¡°Hey, Haru. Is this amount enough?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes. I thought it would be hard to get one because it¡¯s a rare monster, but there were so many of them. I got one too.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Haru, when did you get those.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°While I was running.¡± (Haru)


    The Forest Demon ascended the stairs. The Kizaki siblings quickly ran from the forest to the 15th floor. Few people can imitate the act of jumping at the stairs several steps at a time and kicking the wall while climbing at a tremendous speed.


    ¡°Well, can the hero do it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, what?¡± (Haru)


    Haru, who is running in front of me while I have an inner soliloquy, turns to me while tilting her head. Just climbing the stairs casually without slowing down, though.


    ¡°No, the way we climb the stairs is pretty outrageous when you think about it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, it is. We can do it because we know where the ground and the walls are.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°But our current level is 75, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. We went up the day before yesterday.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Our proficiencies are for rearguards. But our vanguard skills are twice as strong as rearguards.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re not strong enough.¡± (|Haru)


    ¡°Then we¡¯re not as strong as the heroes, are we?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s right.¡± (Haru)


    If you are an ordinary person, they might feel regret there? However, the brother and sister pair did not. This brother was different.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re that we are far beyond. I feel relieved.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯m a little bummed that we¡¯re losing.¡± (Haru)


    I can hear Haru complaining, but I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to deal with it poorly and end up having to stay in a dungeon and train to level up.


    But there¡¯s one thing that the siblings haven¡¯t been aware of since they entered the dungeon. That is their status that is invisible to the eye. It¡¯s true that the more strength you have, the stronger you become and the more powerful you are. But that¡¯s not power.


    People have experience, skills, tools, and many other things.


    In this regard, the weapons of those siblings are weak compared to the Spirit Sword of the Paladin that the hero has. The weapons that can be found in dungeons are incredibly valuable, but they are just as strong. However, this is only true for weapons that have a unique name.


    Although the siblings were not as strong as the heroes and had weaker weapons, they had enough experience.


    They had the time and experience of exploring dungeons every day, and the resistance to fatigue that comes with it. The experience of killing monsters without using magic despite their low strength.


    They had an unusually strong safety margin, powerful skills, and even a healer. In addition, compared to the heroes who set their own hours and go home on time, the experience of the siblings in dungeon exploration and combat is incomparable.


    It¡¯s not that the Hero Party and the other Five Strongest Party are lazy, it¡¯s just that people respect them for their activities outside the dungeon, such as appearing on television.


    By the way, the siblings who somehow don¡¯t know themselves up to this point. They don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be behind the brave in close quarters battle.


    However, there is something that these two have not thought about. That is buffs. An enhancement that works on your status outside of your status.


    The equipment, which was alchemized with the abundant items from their dungeon, surely raised the status of the two, and in addition, they had a [Proof of Combat with Two].


    This is how the two of them are. Even their strength has the same status as the brave, and even Touka surpasses the brave.


    The fact that no one knows, that the power of these two people was already more than cheating.


    ¡°Okay, transfer, 15th-floor entrance. Let¡¯s go, [Power].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Thanks, bye.¡± (Haru)


    Boom!


    We climbed up the stairs and quickly made our way to the entrance of the 15th floor, where we opened the door to the boss room. At the same time, Haru, who has been strengthened by me, jumps forward and blows the face of the Minotaur.


    Before I could even raise my weapon, the Minotaur¡¯s life was snuffed out and it turned to mist. After picking up the dropped items, I take out the necessary items from my Item Pouch. It was a board containing the trash skills I had been collecting.


    What I took out was heat and airflow. When it is activated by channeling magical power on it, the Spirit Tree Leaves are placed there. Then the leaves will be dried in a few minutes. From there, as 893 says.


    ¡°¡±Complete!¡±¡± (Haru & Kei)


    30 minutes in time. The brother and sister finally got an Intermediate Potion.

 CH 63

    About two weeks have passed since we completed the Intermediate Potion. I drank the Intermediate Potion once to see if it worked. It tasted like a normal potion, with no distinguishing characteristics. As for the recovery power, I¡¯m not sure.


    Fortunately or unfortunately, we hadn¡¯t been injured badly enough to be able to use the full power of the Intermediate Potion. But that didn¡¯t mean we didn¡¯t want to be in pain from the experiment, so we decided that it was okay.


    These days, my status is too high to get injured. Now, even if I get hit by a car outside the dungeon, I¡¯ll probably only have minor scrapes and bruises all over my body.


    At any rate, even though we made a lot of intermediate potions, we didn¡¯t have anywhere to store them, so we put them in the Potion Bottle we had gotten before, and drank the rest. I felt it would be a shame to throw away something that could potentially be worth over a billion dollars if sold.


    That¡¯s it for our Intermediate Potions. Today, we decided to do a final check on our passports as the day when we could get them was getting closer.


    And when I say final check, I don¡¯t mean checking our luggage. To begin with, we hadn¡¯t prepared any of our luggage yet.


    Final confirmation was the purpose of our going abroad. After some time had passed, I had almost forgotten that our purpose was to find out how to defeat the Rimdobmur. We wanted to see who was the only person in the world who had defeated the Rimdobmur and see how strong he was and how he did it.


    In other words, we wondered if we really couldn¡¯t defeat Rimdobmur with our current strength. Because we have already succeeded in bringing Rimdobmur down to the ground. At that point, our abilities are capable of defeating Rimdobmur. But we can¡¯t finish him off. With our status, our magic power runs out at that point, and we can¡¯t get any closer. We may be able to handle close combat, but we are only rearguards.


    If our magical power is lost, there is no way we can do it. The breath of Rimdobmur will easily blow our lives away.


    ¡°Now, Haru, are you ready?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I brought as much as I could. If we win today, we won¡¯t have to go abroad.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Most people would want to go abroad even if there¡¯s nothing to do. We don¡¯t even speak a word of English.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Right. Customs, right? We¡¯ll get stopped at customs.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°And then I¡¯ll be the yes man and I¡¯ll say something stupid and they¡¯ll send me back to Japan.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Woah, don¡¯t be so scary in real life, brother.¡± (Haru)


    I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s possible because I¡¯ve never actually been to a foreign country, but it makes me worry about it more. We¡¯re just siblings living in a small pond. Well, I heard that nowadays you can use your smartphone to translate, so it may not be a problem, but how good is the translation? I¡¯m very worried.


    ¡°Brother, are you listening?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hmm? What?¡± (Kei)


    When I was thinking about stuff, Haru¡¯s words didn¡¯t seem to come through.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready, let¡¯s go. We¡¯re ready to go. I¡¯ve done some preliminary research on the Rimdobmur overseas.¡± (Haru)


    Haru made a triumphant face as she headed for the basement.


    ¡°Oh, really. What did you read?¡± (Kei)


    Haru spun around with a slight smile, pointed her finger at me, and said proudly,


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t read English, so the information gathered 0.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°You can use¡­¡± (Kei)


    As I looked at Haru¡¯s smug face, my true feelings leaked out. No, I thought we had gotten some good information, but I got nothing. It¡¯s good to have lower expectations, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to raise it for no reason. So it¡¯s not bad that I spit out some venomous words.


    ¡°You¡¯re the worst.¡± (Kei)


    Haru laughed at my words and jumped down to the dungeon. The fence with the ladder that we had used to get in and out of the dungeon and basement was now just a door.


    Now that our status is up, and we have one hand free, we can climb out of the dungeon and into the basement with a simple jump. I can feel our growth even in such a small way.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± (Kei)


    I responded to Haru¡¯s voice from inside the dungeon and quickly jumped down into the dungeon.


    And the,


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    It was as if they were playing baseball. The conversation took place in the middle of a forest full of large trees. Each of the trees is very thick and hard. Only a few of the trees have fallen in disarray, and two people are standing on top of them.


    In the girl¡¯s hand is a small round object. The boy¡¯s palms are facing that circle as if he is worshipping it. Well, even if it sounds strange like that, in the end, it¡¯s just a battle preparation.


    Last time, I think each of us had been firing the maximum amount of magic from the beginning. Since we couldn¡¯t defeat it, we decided to change things up this time, so Haru is using [Rampage] and I¡¯m using [Domination] to strengthen her [Liquid Magic].


    The strategy is the same as last time, push and shove. Since each of us did our best and didn¡¯t have enough firepower, we decided to work together. On top of that, I¡¯ve never seen Rimdobmur avoid the first hit.


    Perhaps it¡¯s only after you¡¯ve been harmed that you finally recognize it as dangerous. Perhaps it is only after you have been harmed that you recognize it as dangerous, or even detestable. So why is this? The Rimdobmur, far above us, has been glancing at us viciously for a while now.


    Well, that¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s because we¡¯re using too much magic. The total amount of magic between the two of us is quite a lot, both in quantity and quality.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going.¡± (Haru)


    Haru reduces the density of the sphere of [Liquid Magic] and makes it a little larger. I¡¯m going to use my Domination to embed my magic into it. First of all, I am using [Intangible Armor] through my treasure, and enchanted multiple [Impact], [Bomb], [Fissure], and [Collapse].


    When the color of liquid magic power became chaotic, we moved on to the next stage. Packed it with magic from my debuff system; the power of [Liquid Magic] is compressed by two people. The amount of magic in it doesn¡¯t change much, but compressing it requires many times more power than at first.


    The amount of magic and other data in the liquid magic must be too much. In simple terms, I should say that it has become stronger because of the increased quality.


    Using my Domination, Haru¡¯s Magic Manipulation, and the natural manipulability of the Treasure Tools, we managed to compress it to the same size as the first and covered it with Intangible Armor again. The armor was then covered again with layers and layers of armor. However, it should burst upon impact. The image is that of a Dutch Tear. The image I created was that of a burst of energy caused by a scratch in one place. The image of magic is quite important. [T/N: Dutch Tears or Prince Rupert¡¯s Drop are glass beads that are tear/tadpole-shaped with tough beads and brittle tails that cause quite the explosion once the tail is broken. Google-sensei has videos on how powerful the explosions are.]


    ¡°It¡¯s completed.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m tired. I feel like I¡¯m going to be unable to throw it at Rimdobmur.¡± (Haru)


    We finished making a bomb filled with a lot of magic. We sat down on a fallen tree with it floating in the air. A short break. I drink some tea from my canteen to moisten my throat. Then I buff myself and Haru to enhance our performance. I put on my [Intangible Armor] and prepare to use my scythe Treasure Tool at any time.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m going!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, three, two, one.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Take this!¡± (Haru)


    The magic bomb that Haru threw was probably due to her Magic Manipulation. I will speed up and approach Rimdobmur. The direction gradually changes on the way, and I adjusted it so that it hits.


    Surprisingly there was no sound.


    As the bomb exploded, the sky around Rimdobmur was dyed black and no smoke was rising. A completely silent bomb. Even the wind stops as if the sound had disappeared from the world. And,


    ¡°Guga¡ªGuiyaaaaa!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    Then, a loud scream. For some reason, the voice that shook the forest didn¡¯t seem to be filled with energy.


    Gradually, the blackness of the sky disappears, and along with it, shiny things and a red liquid that looks like an upturned bucket fall from the sky.


    Boom!


    Finally, a large mass fell.


    ¡°Giryaaa!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    I looked up at the sky and saw a reddish-black Rimdobmur with its body gouged out and one leg missing, flying through the air, spewing red liquid. The huge body was slowly and unsteadily fleeing.


    ¡°Do you plan on escaping?¡± (Kei)


    Immediately, I picked up my Treasure Scythe and threw it at Rimdobmur with all my might. Even with this, the strength of my status is high, and the Scythe is in a state of enhancing Strength through magic, so the Scythe rushes straight to Rimdobmur.


    ¡°Gagya!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    With a loud cry, it was repelled by its tattered tail.


    ¡°Damn!¡±


    I jumped on reflex, the blade of my scythe pierced deeply into the place where I was.


    ¡°Brother, are you okay?¡± (Haru)


    Haru came up to me as if in a panic, but fortunately, nothing happened.


    ¡°I avoided it just barely. Rather, does Haru still have magical power?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Do you have any?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, see you again.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°See you again.¡± (Haru)


    This is the second time we¡¯ve failed to kill Rimdobmur.


    ¡°Well, this reaffirms why we go abroad.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. How to defeat the Rimdobmur. Among other things.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°We need to make sure we¡¯ve got the right firepower and prevent the Rimdobmur from escaping.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay brother.¡± (Haru)


    Haru looks tired, but she had a big smile on her face.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we check the part of Rimdobmur that didn¡¯t disappear?¡± (Kei)


    At the end of Haru¡¯s line of sight is a large object dropped by Rimdobmur.


    A single leg stained with blood had fallen.

 CH 64

    ¡°A leg.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s a leg.¡± (Kei)


    The leg that fell down made a small crater in the ground. If we get close to one of the legs of the Rimdobmur, it will show us its size more clearly than ever before.


    In the first place, Rimdobmur is a monster that seems to be flying all the time, and the size of its legs should not be that big compared to its whole body.


    ¡°I tried to use my [Inspection], but this result is not good.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Part (Leg) ¡­ Wind Dragon Rimdobmur¡¯s leg, Strength 105.¡±


    I don¡¯t know anything about the results of the Inspection. Or rather, we can see it. This leg has been scorched and tattered by Haru¡¯s and my magic.


    Is it okay that we destroyed the monster part in this state? As I recall, when you destroy a part of a monster, either the main monster dies, or the part regenerates. Or it disappears when the part is carried to another level.


    In other words, the part you cut off from a monster is not a drop item. Normally, enemy parts are left alone.


    ¡°Hey, brother. Could this meat be delicious?¡± (Haru)


    Haru was staring at the leg. Are you going to eat it? It¡¯s not even a drop item you know?


    ¡°You see, basically, only humanoid monsters and monsters whose bodies are made of meat can have their parts destroyed.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If it¡¯s a beast type, the neck is easier to cut. Humanoid monsters are easier to cut because they are the same as us.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t have a chance to eat the meat from the severed part. It¡¯s easier to kill the monsters.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. I mean, I don¡¯t want to dismantle the body when the meat is dropped after killing it. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, but you know. In the story, dragon meat is supposed to be the best.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Is that so? It looks sinewy and tough. The blood looks poisonous.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°OK, let¡¯s eat it!¡± (Haru)


    Haru takes a knife from the inside of her parka and stabs it into Rimdobmur¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Fugya!¡± (Haru)


    When I saw this, I hurriedly grabbed Haru by the scruff of her neck and pulled her close. The knife leaves Haru¡¯s hand and stays stuck in.


    ¡°Stop it because it may be poisoned. We haven¡¯t found any abnormal status in the dungeon yet.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re doing it. Your debuffs?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯m just an explorer. No monsters have come and done it yet.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Oh, my meat!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Give up. I¡¯ll never let you eat that.¡± (Kei)


    As I said this, I pulled out the knife that Haru had stabbed into it. The leg that touched my hand was covered with something like scales and was quite hard.


    ¡°Hmm? Brother. Try reinserting the knife again.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Ah? Okay.¡± (Kei)


    I grabbed the knife I had just pulled out and swung it down at the hard leg with all my might. However, We would be in trouble if the knife broke, so I aimed at the gaps in the scales.


    ¡°Brother, the strength is decreasing.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Part (Leg) ¡­ Wind Dragon Rimdobmur¡¯s leg, Strength 83.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. It¡¯s not an item, so that¡¯s why it has strength.¡± (Kei)


    Haru tells me that the Strength that was 105 before was reduced to 83 on the display of her [Inspection].


    ¡°Would you like to get it to 0 for the time being?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay. Anyway, I¡¯ll do it because I don¡¯t have magical power.¡± (Kei)


    Since all the magical power has been used up in the battle with Rimdobmur, I will slash it many times with the sword on my waist. And,


    ¡°Oh!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Seriously?¡± (Haru)


    As its legs become zero Strength, it transforms into a black mist as if it were a monster. What was left was one 3 cm thick piece of meat and one large claw in the place where the legs were, and 10 shiny green scales.


    The claws were at least as thick as my arms, and one of the scales was as big as my fist. The meat was marbled with many white stripes.


    ¡°It¡¯s meat, brother.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Why it¡¯s real meat. And the quality is for truly premium meat.¡± (Kei)


    Haru¡¯s eyes lit up and I let out a sigh. For now, I picked up the meat and put it in my Item Pouch.


    ¡°When we get home, you¡¯ll grill it, just rub it with salt okay?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yes, yes, we are not done yet. Find out what these are.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Lesser Dragon Claws ¡­ claws of a Lower dragon.¡±


    ¡°Lesser Dragon Scale¡­ Scales covering lesser dragons.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s a low-ranking dragon?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What? By the way, what about the previous ones?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°The character for the word ¡®dragon¡¯ was different. It was ¡®dragon¡¯ (ýˆ) with the less number of strokes.¡± (Haru) [T/N: Ryuu or Dragon kanji used are ¸o or ýˆ. The difference is ¸o is the more modern and popular kanji for dragon while ýˆ is an older sometimes referred to as the ¡°Chinese Dragon¡±.]


    ¡°Ah, is this the one with the most strokes? That¡¯s a dragon (ýˆ).¡± (Kei)


    I pick up the Lesser Dragon Scales. If I try to bend it with all my might, it will bend, but there is no sign of cracking. Hard and flexible. Isn¡¯t this the most durable item we¡¯ve ever found?


    That¡¯s ten pieces. Considering the quantity, it would be difficult to make a weapon out of them even if the scales were large.


    After shoving all the scales into the Item Pouch, the next item was the Lesser Dragon Claw.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty big and heavy. I wonder if it¡¯s because it¡¯s a toenail? It¡¯s also very hard.¡± (Kei)


    I looked at my feet and saw that the claw was gone, and turned to the side to see Haru holding the claw in her hand, trying with all her might to break it. I¡¯m not scared at all. Even though Haru is not powerless, her strength is more than enough.


    ¡°Haru. Hold it steady with all your might.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay.¡± (Haru)


    Haru holds the end of the claw firmly and holds it like a sword. It¡¯s long, so it doesn¡¯t seem to be a problem looking for a place to hold it. I stand in front of the claw and pull out my sword. Raising the sword and bringing it down. And then,


    A high-pitched sound echoed, and the Lesser Dragon Claws jumped out of Haru¡¯s hand and rolled on the ground.


    ¡°Brother that hurts.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°My bad.¡± (Kei)


    Haru stared hard at me, but I brush it off and pick up the claw that has fallen to the ground. The claw I hit with my sword was scratched. No, it was only scratched.


    Only a sword that has I have strengthened to the maximum with my [Alchemy] only made a scratch. Normally, it could have cut it into two or clashed it near the middle. It would have caused great damage to the Claw, such as reaching into the middle and getting stuck.


    This is a good weapon. It might be a little heavy for my sword, but if I could alchemize it into Haru¡¯s tonfa. If it were my sword, I could alchemize the scales. And if I can give it the right skills. Then, perhaps.


    It would be stronger than the named weapon that we had given to the Hero Party before. I can¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Haru, the schedule for tomorrow and beyond has been decided.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? What?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hunting Rimdobmur.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, I like that.¡± (Haru)


    Haru laughs when she hears my schedule.


    ¡°For meat!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°For weapons!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°¡±Let¡¯s do it!¡±¡± (Haru & Kei)


    At that time, the word ¡°overseas¡± was completely absent from the minds of the siblings.

 CH 65

    ¡°This meat is delicious, isn¡¯t it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make me bloated at all. Maybe it¡¯s even better than foie gras?¡± (Kei) [T/N: Foie gras is duck or goose liver that has been marred in controversy. It¡¯s said to have a buttery taste and melt in your mouth texture but it was done by force-feeding the birds in cramped cages to minimize movement and to fatten them up. The foie gras in most markets are considered to be humane and cruelty-free. Well this is according to articles from Google-sensei.]


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never had it.¡± (Haru)


    We¡¯re eating a small piece of meat for dinner. The Lesser Dragon Meat. It¡¯s a drop from Rimdobmur. No, to be precise, it¡¯s a drop from subjugating a part of Rimdobmur¡¯s.


    Since then, I¡¯ve tried to find out if it¡¯s possible to destroy the parts of other monsters. As a result, I found out that it is possible, though it¡¯s not as profitable. The Hobgoblin on the 5th-floor boss didn¡¯t have any part destruction drops, but the Black Wolf and Minotaur on the 10th and 15th floors did.


    However, since the drop from the destruction of a part is only about 10% of the item obtained from killing the main body, we decided that there would be little benefit in the future.


    I also found that the number of drops from the main body did not change after or before I got the drop from the part destruction. In other words, it is better to kill unique monsters that may drop rare magic tools or skills, and you might not know when they will appear next, after getting the drop by destroying their parts.


    After a couple of weeks of experimenting, we went to Rimdobmur to cast spells, take a break, and recover our magic, and then went out to get our passports, which we had almost forgotten about, and went back into the dungeon. After two weeks of diving into the dungeons several times, we had finally succeeded in getting ourselves fully equipped.


    The first few times we dove, we were aiming for the legs because we had gotten a taste of the first part destruction, but then we realized that it didn¡¯t have to be the legs. This is what I was able to get.


    ¡°Lesser Dragon Patagium¡­ A Lesser Dragon¡¯s wing membrane.¡±


    This is also the most powerful cloth material we can get now, and we needed a lot of it because one of them was a rectangle about a meter on each side.


    As for the Rimdobmur, it recovers when we leave the forest, so we can hunt all we want, but the recovery of magic power is slow, so we don¡¯t have all day to hunt. In the meantime, we had some free time, so we rampaged through the forest without using any magic, and went to see the nest of the Rimdobmur.


    It seemed that the Rimbdobmur, whose wings had been destroyed by us, had fallen to the land and walked back to its nest, its path dripping with blood and gouging the ground.


    Furthermore, I could see that the Rimdobmur was recovering at an astonishing rate as it returned to the nest. The peeled and charred surface of his body was back to normal in minutes, and the missing parts had regenerated in about an hour. In other words, it would only take about an hour to reap the benefits of part destruction.


    I also found out that even if I fought it at close range after bringing it down to the ground, I would have to attack it before it returned to its nest and stand around to prevent it from returning to its nest. The boss of the Forest may be more of a Vanguard skill killer than I thought.


    And last but not least. This fact we also noticed just a few days ago. We couldn¡¯t level up. No matter how many drops we got from Rimdobmur, we couldn¡¯t raise our level at all. When we thought about it, it was only natural. Because we didn¡¯t kill it. The only time we could get experience from monsters was when we killed them.


    Since we were only killing normal monsters to pass the time, there was no way we could level up. We hadn¡¯t made any level changes in the past two weeks but had only strengthened our weapons.


    ¡°So, brother. Is everything completed?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah. The weapon has been enhanced as well as I can with this. I think it¡¯s probably at least as good as the hero¡¯s.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°The skill is still [Strong Slash], right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it, can I? It¡¯s not often that we get a weapon with a skill attached to it. And when we do, it¡¯s always a weak one.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°The tonfa just got heavier and harder.¡± (Haru)


    As planned, the weapon enhancements include claws for the tonfa and scales for the sword. For the cloth parts of the equipment and other items, we used a flying membrane. However, it would have used a considerable amount of magical power to use [Alchemy], probably because the Lesser Dragon materials are powerful.


    In the process, I tried to find a potion to restore the magic power, but I heard that it has not been found at the moment.


    ¡°So we¡¯re finally heading overseas.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I hate it. I don¡¯t like it. I only know English from junior high school.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it either. So, our goal is to defeat Rimdobmur. We can¡¯t just level up and call it a day.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s why it doesn¡¯t matter if we equip ourselves, the magic power remains the same, so our rearguard skills are useless.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It means that we won¡¯t die, so we¡¯ll have to see the people who defeated Rimdobmur.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Right.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So we need to find out when and where they¡¯ve been in the dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand because it¡¯s all in English.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I have to copy and paste everything into the translation software.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What a pain!¡± (Haru)


    We spent the morning using our computers and phones to check out foreign websites. There are times when the Japanese we put into the translation software don¡¯t make sense, but since there is no other way to translate, we try to make a reasonable guess.


    Since we had to start from the title of the site, it was very difficult to find out what it was, as we were looking at completely unrelated sites.


    In the end, it took us several hours to find it. Surprisingly, I found the information on a Japanese dungeon site I was browsing to relax.


    ¡°The American mercenary group, the only ones to have conquered the forest, will be coming to Japan on a World Tour to conquer dungeons!¡±


    When we saw the site, we froze with our mouths wide open. Apparently, this information had been made public a month ago.


    In other words, our search for our missing father and obtaining passports was a waste of time.


    ¡°It was a waste of time!¡± (Haru)


    It turned out to be just another trip.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay because we don¡¯t have any money anyway.¡± (Kei)


    Today, I understood firsthand that information is more important than anything else in human life¡­ *Sigh*.

 CH 66

    ¡°Brother. The deadline has long since passed.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, the deadline passed for quite some time.¡± (Kei)


    It was for an American mercenary group. As soon as we found out that the only party that defeated Rimdobmur was coming to Japan. We were the ones who tried to find out that information.


    The mercenary group is going to give a lecture in Japan in a wide dome. I don¡¯t know, but I guess they¡¯re going to talk about how to prepare for going into dungeons and how to fight.


    The dungeon has only been open for half a year, and it¡¯s a hot topic. It was a lecture by the world¡¯s top person in such dungeons. It would not be surprising if their popularity surpassed that of Japan¡¯s top idols.


    All the seats were already reserved, and the lottery for the seats had already ended. It was confirmed that we would not be able to go see them.


    Why are these mercenaries going around the world giving away their own strategy in the first place? I was curious, so I took out my phone and looked them up.


    It seemed that a website with information on the mercenary group had been created in Japanese, and I was able to find them immediately. I don¡¯t know who created the site, but it introduced the mercenary group, and at the top of the page was a picture of 16 men in their gear. These men were probably the members.


    According to the site, they are a mercenary group. According to the website, their mercenary group doesn¡¯t travel to that many countries.


    This is a country where explorers have grown up to the point where there is a possibility of challenging Rimdobmur. And they are only visiting a few countries where the strength of the explorers is this high.


    In addition, it seems that they¡¯ve already completed the 24th floor of the American dungeons and are now leveling up because they can¡¯t stand the boss of the 25th floor. Apparently, he¡¯s as strong as Rimdobmur. Hmm?


    ¡°Hey, Haru. Why does the 25th-floor boss get stuck with the same strength as Rimdobmur?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? What?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°See, this site.¡± (Kei)


    I show Haru the site that introduces the mercenary corps that I was looking up from earlier. It is clearly written that the 25th-floor boss has the same power as Rimdobmur.


    ¡°Really. Could it be a translation error?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°There has been no mistake in the other sections, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then, what is it? It¡¯s smaller but has the same strength, and it¡¯s difficult to fight.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°So, they¡¯d clearly say they¡¯re of equal strength. And that¡¯s the most likely scenario. What could be the name of the 25th-floor boss?¡± (Haru)


    The name of the boss of floor 25 that the mercenaries mentioned is written on the section I pointed to.


    ¡°Emperor Goblin¡±


    Translated into Japanese, it is the Goblin Emperor. To be honest, I don¡¯t know how it is different from Goblin King I guess the difference between an emperor and a king is whether they rule over a kingdom or an empire?


    If I had gone to high school, I might have learned something about that, but I didn¡¯t have that knowledge.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to hit them because they¡¯re humanoid and not that big of a target, but if they use weapons, they¡¯ll become quite the powerful enemies.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s overwhelmingly stronger than the goblin kings we¡¯ve seen before.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely more than twice as strong.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I found out from Rimdobmur, but knowing the strength of monsters is not very helpful.¡± (Kei)


    Mumble while remembering the Goblin King¡¯s status and Rimdobmur¡¯s status we saw earlier.


    The Goblin King was close to 200 at the time it weakened, and Rimdobmur exceeded 1000. Our current strength is a little 250. Even now, it hasn¡¯t even reached Gun Saen¡¯s strength of 300.


    ¡°Well, is it fine? It¡¯s no use fighting with the strongest.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s defeat Rimdobmur and level up again.¡± (Haru)


    You can¡¯t know what you don¡¯t know. Stressing yourself thinking about it is useless, so it¡¯s useless to think about it.


    ¡°Hmm? We can go to this, right?¡± (Haru)


    While we were talking, Haru, who was looking at the smartphone I gave to her, finds some information that interests her.


    ¡°Demonstration: Subjugation of Rimdobmur!¡±


    The information about it was written at the bottom. And the conditions for participation.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this have a reservation system?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Apparently not.¡± (Haru)


    Haru pointed to one part of the lengthy explanation.


    What was written there was a free participation clause. I wondered how many people would come to such a valuable experience when it was open to the public. I wondered how many people would come if we made such a valuable experience free. Being able to observe the defeat of the Rimdobmur meant that we could go to the forest.


    At that point, the party would be one of the few advanced explorers, so the number of people who could observe would be small.


    But, well.


    ¡°¡®We are not responsible for your death.¡¯¡± (Kei)


    The notes were written at the end. It seems that the mercenary corps¡¯ ability is good enough to stably subdue Rimdobmur. But that doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s no danger.


    Even if the worst happens and an attack is directed at you, you can either block it or avoid it. However, you must accept that you have no one to complain to if you die during the worst-case scenario.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it a reasonable deal? With the strength of Rimdobmur, it¡¯s possible to die from receiving an attack. Like our first time.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I remember when that happened.¡± (Kei)


    When we first came to the Forest, I remember we appraised Rimdobmur, and he roared at us.


    ¡°The roar was enough to knock us out for a day.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°We even had a Treasure Tool.¡± (Haru)


    After reading most of what was written on the website introducing the mercenary group, Haru turned off her phone.


    ¡°Then, will we participate?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°We¡¯re going to participate.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°In black?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Of course.¡± (Kei)


    The date for the mercenaries to arrive was closer than we thought. It was less than a month away.


    ¡°Well, do you want to level up for now?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Let¡¯s do our best today!¡± (Haru)


    We quickly changed into our gear and went into the dungeon.


    And then.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the first drop of its kind?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah.¡± (Kei)


    The two of us found a new material again.

 CH 67

    The day we decided to observe the mercenary group¡¯s defeat of Rimdobmur. We had come down to the forest to get the parts of Rimdobmur as usual.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s start by hunting the small fry without using magic.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger!¡± (Haru)


    Since we have not succeeded in defeating Rimdobmur, we do not get any experience points even if we destroy a part. However, since we have to use all our magical power to destroy a part of Rimdobmur, we are only hunting small fires without using magical power.


    The location is the entire Forest. The Forest was so large that even with both of us siblings¡¯ speed, several hours would have passed by the time we made it around the Forest.


    A normal explorer would not be able to stay focused for such a long time, so we would have to take breaks. I don¡¯t know if I should say it¡¯s terrible, but we used to long hours of combat and being under pressure of fighting monsters.


    I¡¯ve been running and hunting for several hours non-stop. It¡¯s a trick that I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do without the status I¡¯ve gained.


    And this is my current status.


    Name: Haruka


    Proficiency: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: (Fissure) Explosion (Electric)


    Level: 79


    Strength: 91


    Magic Capacity: 190


    Skills: Analysis, Magic Bullets, Rampage, Magic Synthesis


    Magic: Bomb, Time Bomb, Impact, Number, (Plasma), (Fissure), (Separation), Barrier, (Collapse)


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting / Magic Manipulation / Dual Attribute


    Passive: Perception / Acceleration / Alchemy


    Although we hadn¡¯t leveled up in a while, we are almost at level 80. Looking at it, I think a three-figure level is still far away, but that¡¯s probably too much to hope for. Even at this level, the small fries around here are giving us nothing. Moreover, it¡¯s getting harder and harder to level up from beating the monsters here.


    If you look at what people are saying on social media, they¡¯re saying they got injured by a bunch of monsters. There are words like that circulating.


    Even the monsters we call small fries are dangerous monsters in the eyes of other people. So maybe we¡¯re being too cautious.


    But.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get to the next boss before we get to really dangerous monsters, right?¡± (Hru)


    ¡°I think that¡¯s because we are prioritizing food and material collection more than leveling.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, that could be it.¡± (Haru)


    We both have a weakness for good food, probably because we lived in poverty for a while. If there is a tasty ingredient, we will go hunting for it, ignoring the strategy.


    On top of that, Haru tends to get carried away when she finds something interesting, and I like to strengthen my weapons as much as possible. It seems we¡¯re both very particular about things like that.


    ¡°But even though there are a lot of monsters and it¡¯s hard work, the strength of the individual monsters is weak.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, there are only two of us though.¡± (Haru)


    In our case, the usual party of four is reduced to two. If you try to fight in the same place with just yourself, you might not be able to compete with a monster unless you raise your level to the point that the monster that you normally struggle against becomes a small fry.


    That¡¯s how big the difference is between a party of two and a party of four, and it makes you realize the power of numbers.


    I wonder what would happen if the dungeon didn¡¯t have a four-person limit. It might have been normal for 100 people to charge into a boss battle.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s the last of them.¡± (Haru)


    There seems to be another monster in the first place we passed, but there¡¯s no point in trying to kill it, so we ignore it and stand at the entrance of the forest.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s start.¡± (Kei)


    I thrust out my hand as usual, and magic power gathered there.


    I used my Enchantment on Haru¡¯s [Liquid Magic] that Haru summoned, and I mixed our magic together using [Domination]. Using, [Intangible Armor], which is my Treasure Tool, I made it harder, sharper, and more powerful.


    ¡°Brother, the precision of the attack has improved recently, and we can now choose which part to destroy.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So, legs or wings?¡± (Kei)


    Haru smiled and patted her neck.


    ¡°If we aim at the neck well, can we kill it with a single blow? The neck is not that strong, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Haru)


    It was true that Rimdobmur¡¯s body was hard and covered with scales, but the scales on the parts that needed to be moved, such as the feet and the base of the wings, were less dense. That¡¯s what we noticed by looking at its legs from the dropped parts repeatedly.


    And it was probably the same for the neck. Even if it wasn¡¯t powerful enough, if we gouged out half of it, it wouldn¡¯t be able to support itself and would die. Even if we could only gouge out a third of it, it would most likely bleed to death before it could escape back to its nest.


    ¡°OK. Do you want to try it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Haru)


    Haru controlled her magic power to make her [Liquid Magic] denser. In addition to the magic I¡¯ve been using, I¡¯m using my [Positioning] skill to make my aim more precise.


    The speed at which Rimdobmur flies in the sky is constant. The forest is large and it does not switch directions much.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Haru!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ready, brother!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°¡±3. 2. 1. Go!¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    The magic flew straight up, with a slight deviation, but using the skill [Positioning], it was precisely adjusted to head for Rimdobmur¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Did we get it?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s dead from based on its reaction.¡± (Kei)


    The magic exploded noiselessly, enveloping Rimdobmur. But the reaction of Rimdobmur has not disappeared. Unfortunately, it seems that it didn¡¯t die instantly.


    ¡°Graaaaaaahhh!¡±


    A roar that made the air tremble echoed. It was the usual cry of Rimdobmur. But this time it means that our attack on its neck did not even reach its vocal cords.


    Something glittering descended from the black shadow created by the magical explosion.


    A horrifying amount of magical power engulfed us. No, it enveloped the entire forest. All at once, the reaction of the monsters around us shifted away from here.


    ¡°Uh, what. What is this?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Let¡¯s run away for the time being.¡± (Kei)


    This magic power is clearly different from the reactions of the Rimdobmur so far. An amount of magic that makes even the magic that we poured every bit of our magical power laughable.


    Even the black shadow in the sky is swallowed by the magical power and changes its shape like a tornado. The movement looked as if everything was being sucked into the center. We were on the lookout for it in the center of the forest, and we ran into the cave that was the entrance to the Forest. We stood in front of the magic circle of transition and turned our eyes toward the Forest.


    Boom!


    A resounding boom echoed. What fell while knocking down the trees in the forest was a light green ball. It was probably about five meters in diameter. It seemed to say, ¡°I¡¯ll show you something¡±.


    Then it hits the ground and explodes.


    ¡°That!¡±


    Winds that far surpassed one from typhoons rushed into the cave, and something that flew in the wind gouged my cheek.


    Once we look at the forest again the wind just stops.


    ¡°Wow, seriously!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Seriously, what happened?¡± (Haru)


    It was no longer a forest. All the trees in the area visible from the back of the cave had been uprooted. There stood Rimdobmur, who was cladded in a horrifying film of magical power.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s run away.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep.¡± (Haru)


    I quickly channeled my magic power into the magic circle and began the transfer. As we were transferring, a small green sheet flew at me and gouged out my cheek, before hitting it hits the cave wall.


    We then returned to the first floor.


    Yes, this is how we got our hand on it. A material that would create a weapon far superior to even the weapons of the brave.


    ¡°The reverse scale of the Storm Dragon¡­ A reverse scale of a wind dragon.¡±


    The Siblings finally embark on a serious capture of Rimdobmur.

 CH 68

    In a forest with no one around. There is no wind, the trees do not sway, and all you can hear are the cries of animals. In the midst of all this, two black figures with an unusually thin presence are talking to each other while behind a tree.


    ¡°Well, the capture of Rimdobmur was happening in the afternoon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup, you said that we would be able to dive into the dungeon in the morning using following the directions and reach the forest at three o¡¯clock.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If that were the case, we wouldn¡¯t have had to come so early, would we? There¡¯s no one here.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t want people to have the chance to see me while I¡¯m changing clothes again.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that happened before.¡± (Kei)


    Looking at the pocket watch in my hand, the two hands point directly above. In other words, it¡¯s already 12 o¡¯clock. I think it¡¯s too early because they come at about 3 o¡¯clock.


    In anime, you see people arriving at the meeting place an hour before the date, but what about three hours? To be honest, I think even an hour early is too early.


    My theory is that 20 to 10 minutes before the meeting is about right. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re meeting someone important for work.


    ¡°Brother, what are you thinking about? Oh, [Fissure].¡± (Haru)


    While was thinking about this, Haru asked me a question. Then, a monster jumped out. However, the monster seems to have already been split into two pieces by her magic of [Fissure].


    I¡¯ve banned the use of sound-emitting explosive spells just in case someone comes.


    ¡°I thought we were too early to have come here. We can¡¯t kill time because we don¡¯t have any electronics or entertainment gadgets.¡± (Kei)


    ¡° We can¡¯t even sleep because the monsters keep coming.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If one sleeps, the other will get bored.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯m bored too.¡± (Haru)


    If you just look up, you can see Rimdobmur flying in the sky. We can see the sky above us, thanks to the leaves that have just fallen from the trees that we¡¯re covering our heads.


    The sky is a ceiling that looks far higher than it is.


    ¡°Haru, how high is the ceiling here? It¡¯s obviously longer than the stairs that we used to come down.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, the stairs might be a kilometer high. I am not sure about the exact height, but 1 kilometer is the closest.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°The tallest building in the world hasn¡¯t reached a thousand meters tall, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°How high could it be inside?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± (Kei)


    If we look at the side, all you can see is a lot of trees. You can¡¯t see any walls.


    The conversation was over, and they couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say. As siblings, they have always been together, so there is nothing new to talk about.


    The siblings were forced to wait for three hours, perhaps they did it of their own volition? Anyway, when the foreign mercenaries showed up in the forest, their eyes were blank and they were just hunting the monsters that came near them.


    ~3rd Person Perspective~


    And here was the group of mercenaries from overseas. Their name was [Angus Another].


    It is a mercenary corps created by their leader Angus, who gathered mercenaries who were interested to explore the dungeon.


    Their total numbers are unknown, but the level of their top members is over level 50. This is a level that even Japan¡¯s highest-level Hero can be easily defeated.


    Among them, there are 24 people who have come to Japan this time. According to the explanation, there are 20 explorers to fight, and 4 members to assist with supplies. Incidentally, even the auxiliary members are over 30 levels, which is not something to laugh at.


    Today, they were going to dive into the dungeon and demonstrate defeating Rimdobmur. 20 combatants from the mercenary group and advanced explorers who can go to the forest were in front of the Tokyo Dungeon. There are also many other reporters and spectators who are crowding the square to the brim.


    The mercenary group had held a lecture with an interpreter in a large hall two days earlier, where they had talked about many things other than how to defeat Rimdobmur. The information was gathered by the mercenaries on their own or learned while traveling around their country, and it included many things that were new to the Japanese.


    First, the rules of the dungeon. As we all know, the dungeon prohibits more than four people from moving together. This was something that the government had to learn the hard way, as they had been punished by Gan Ceann for breaking this rule.


    However, a more detailed rule has been discovered on this information as well.


    Though nobody knows how it works, it means that even if more than five people are searching, there is no problem as long as all actions are done by only four people.


    In other words, even if eight people are exploring together, even if a monster appears, if only four people are actually fighting and the remaining four people are not. It will then not be treated as a joint battle unless they are readying something.


    Furthermore, the dungeon seems to use visual information to make this decision, so as long as the four non-fighters are not in a fighting stance and do not have weapons, there is no problem no matter how many people there are who are trying to kill the monster.


    In addition, there is a penalty for breaking this rule. What is generally known in Japan is that there is no item drop or experience value and that there is a possibility of some kind of disturbance. However, it seems that the mercenaries had their eyes on something other than this.


    Why didn¡¯t the first person to dive into the dungeon come back?


    Those who didn¡¯t dive into the dungeon because they were surprised by the lack of electronic devices at the entrance and the status, they generated had no problem.


    However, the police and others who acted as an organization anywhere in the world and went deep into the dungeon were very unlikely to come back.


    So, perhaps out of courage, this group of mercenaries actually created that kind of situation and experimented with it.


    As a result, the monsters went crazy. For some reason, the monsters became stronger and stronger, or they moved in a coordinated manner, blocking the retreat.


    It was clear that they were trying to kill the intruder. In addition, the mercenary group members who had raised their status and accompanied them had dealt with the situation, so there were no injuries.


    The next piece of information is not so much a rule as a performance. The boss monster has high intelligence. This applies to unique monsters as well, and although they are not as intelligent as humans, it was confirmed that they act with a strong will rather than instinct, and seeing this, they thought that the dungeon might actually be a boss monster.


    Incidentally, they are not sure exactly what the dungeon is, since appraising it doesn¡¯t reveal anything.


    However, even the most intelligent monsters don¡¯t seem to understand language, so they restrained a Minotaur that seemed to be the most intelligent and talked to it about various things, but it didn¡¯t respond.


    They concluded that since no one would be insane enough to talk to a monster, it was probably impossible for it to learn language even if it was intelligent.


    In fact, I heard that not a single person in the lecture hall raised their hand when asked if they had ever talked to a monster. Well, there is a high possibility that they are just too embarrassed to raise their hands because they are Japanese.


    The mercenaries talked about many other things, and a few hours later, the lecture was over.


    The lecture was filmed and would be sold a week or so later.


    Two days passed. Finally, it was time to dive into the dungeon.


    With TV cameras and microphones pointed at them, the leader said something.


    ¡°From now on we will dive into the dungeon.¡± (Leader/Translator)


    Naturally, the person beside him translates. When he was done, the leader opened his mouth again.


    ¡°We promise that we will defeat the dragon and return safely.¡± (Leader/Translator)


    Tension runs high in the busy and crowded square.


    ¡°Let us depart!¡± (Leader/Translator)


    With that voice, the square echoed with cheers. The 20 mercenaries, their guides, and other explorers went into the dungeon.


    What did the mercenary corps say last before entering the dungeon?


    ¡°Ittekimasu.¡± (Leader) [T/N: The leader apparently spoke a little Japanese. It means ¡°I¡¯m going/see you later.¡±]


    It was a single word addressing the people.

 CH 69

    ~A Japanese Explorer¡¯s Perspective~


    The members of the mercenary group proceed into the dungeon, and the leader takes out an item. It is an item that has yet to be found in Japan. It looks like a smartphone and is made of a metal-like material that can be folded in half.


    The leader opened it with a practiced manner, put it close to his mouth, and poured magic power into it.


    The leader began to speak in English, but his voice entered the mind of the guides and the spectators who were following him.


    ¡°Hello again, John, I am leader, Angus Another.¡± (John)


    His accent was very bad and was pretty stunted, but it was clearly in Japanese in everyone¡¯s mind.


    It could be reorganized as ¡°Hello again. I¡¯m John, the leader of [Angus Another].¡± People could think it was what he said.


    The people around him shouted in amazement as they saw their first translation-type magic tool.


    ¡°Listen, rules, before, protection, please.¡± (John)


    Does he mean that we should follow the rules that were mentioned earlier as a precaution?


    The rules are that they would take care of all the enemies, so no hostile actions should be done against the monsters. There are several rules, such as don¡¯t make any noise. It was carefully explained to the people who would be following them.


    The party of spectators, who seemed to have gathered at random, were those who had been chosen in the lottery and allowed to accompany them. Naturally, those who failed to win the lottery would have to wait somewhere in the Forest for their arrival.


    ¡°Last rule, I can speak, Translate, You speak, I can¡¯t, Thank you.¡± (John)


    Lastly, the item is a translation tool, which means that it will translate the words you speak and let the other person hear them, but it will not translate words spoken by others and let them understand them back. In other words, if the participants want to speak to them, they should speak in English. That¡¯s how it works, apparently.


    It was impossible to really know what the mercenaries were capable of at the higher levels. I guess that¡¯s only natural. If they have raised their status to a certain level, they can probably blow away a monster with just a light kick.


    It¡¯s not just about them blowing away the monsters. The fact that they were able to kill them with a light kick, and leave them almost intact, showed how skilled they were.


    It took some time, but they were making steady progress. There was no hindrance to their actions, and they were able to proceed on time.


    Hobgoblins were defeated with a light kick. The Black Wolves¡¯ heads flew through the air as the mercenary party swung their swords lightly.


    The Minotaur was hit with a skill. I¡¯m surprised because it¡¯s the first skill, [Strong Slash], I saw him use.


    Moreover, we couldn¡¯t see the whole battle scene, the 24 members of the mercenary group were divided into eight groups of three, and they placed a Japanese in the place of one of the extra slots as their member, so almost everyone was able to record the battle.


    However, it seems that the difference between the level between the Japanese and the mercenaries was so great that some of them could not even see the actual battle. It was a record that showed no matter how strong they were, they could not catch the speed of the mercenaries.


    The bosses were defeated much faster than expected, taking less than 10 seconds. As a result, the 24 mercenaries arrived at the forest at 2:30 in the afternoon.


    Finally, Japan¡¯s first subjugation of Rimdobmur by foreigners would soon be recorded.


    ~Kei¡¯s Perspective~


    Cheers could be heard from the entrance of the forest and two people felt the presence of several monsters drifting towards them.


    The two shadows are on the branches of a tall tree, yawning without paying attention to the noise. They had come up to the top of the tree because they cannot rest peacefully on the ground.


    There was nothing much to do, so they were playing some sort of parkour-like game. Still, after all that, they are still bored.


    The feelings of the siblings come out as sighs of relief, and they thought about annihilating the nearby monsters.


    As they thought about that, they heard cheers.


    They quietly sigh that they didn¡¯t have to do anything unnecessary with the easy-going mood.


    ¡°They are finally here. Wow, they¡¯re strong.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems that they¡¯re all used to dealing with monsters.¡± (Kei)


    Once we focused on the mercenary corps, we saw four people killing the approaching monsters quietly.


    And then there are the Japanese who stand there with pensive looks on their faces.


    ¡°Hmm? Is that a smartphone?¡± (Kei)


    Haru shook her head and looked at what a member of the mercenary corps took out.


    ¡°What is the result of the [Detection]?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, like this.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Handheld Translator¡­ a small tool that turns words into a language that people around you can understand.


    ¡°It¡¯s what it¡¯s called. However, it also consumes a lot of magical power.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah. You can only hear English, so I guess it¡¯s telepathy for short distances only. I don¡¯t think you can use it in battle.¡± (Kei)


    Whenever the person with the translation tool speaks, you can see the magic power flowing and hear only English. Of course, we couldn¡¯t understand a word of it. Whenever anyone heard their words, their Japanese companion would tilt their head slightly and ask to repeat while having a puzzled look on their face.


    ¡°Maybe the accuracy of the translation is not that good.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Probably, there are like, differences in expression or common sense that make the translations inaccurate?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know we¡¯ll have to ask them.¡± (Kei)


    I watched as the translation tool was put away in their bag. Then I sat up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ah!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°First time hearing something like that.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Haru)


    The siblings took up their weapons and stealthily followed the mercenaries and others into the forest from the treetops.


    All for the purpose of subjugating Rimdobmur.

 CH 70

    ¡°I, build, place, fight, now.¡± (John)


    The leader of the mercenaries, Angus, takes out a large ax from an Item Pouch strapped to his waist.


    ¡°That¡¯s a drop from the Minotaur, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, probably. You have an ax in addition to your own weapon, right.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°We have to use our magic and skills. Do we have to do it in such a way?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Most likely.¡± (Haru)


    While we were looking at and commenting on the ax, all of the mercenaries took it out and started chopping down the trees around us. The power of their ax swings surpasses our own.


    ¡°They have an Item Pouch that holds a lot.¡± (Kei)


    It¡¯s probably an Item Pouch (Large) that they¡¯re using. The one I¡¯m holding is the Item Pouch (Medium).


    We have an Item Pouch (Medium), which can hold ten tons, but theirs is probably an Item Pouch (Large), so it probably has more capacity.


    ¡°Can it hold a hundred tons?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°The Item Pouch? We¡¯ve been using one that holds 10 times more than the lower grade one. Is there a need for such a thing?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, we wouldn¡¯t need to use that much. Are they going to start a trade or something? Oh no.¡± (Kei)


    While we were talking, the members of the mercenary group started cutting down the tree we were in, so we hurriedly jumped to another tree.


    They had been doing this for almost an hour. Just as we were getting bored, they finally finished cutting down the trees. What a long time they took! It must have been the result of spending that much time. The land that had been opened up was quite large, and there would be more than enough space for Rimdobmur to lie down.


    ¡°We, fight, here, lure, next.¡± (John)


    The mercenaries¡¯ said a few more instructions again. It¡¯s amazing that they took this long and didn¡¯t even take a break. I¡¯m sure if you look at it in terms of physical strength, this level of work would be no hardship at all.


    But cutting down a tree is a simple task, and it requires you to pay attention to the monsters around you. It can be hard work for some people. We¡¯re fine with it, though.


    ¡°One more, Before, This.¡± (John)


    The mercenaries and others started walking deeper into the forest. The deeper you go, the stronger the monsters appear. Well, the world¡¯s strongest mercenary group is there, so I guess they don¡¯t mind.


    I can clearly see that the four of them take turns defeating the monsters that come out one after another, thereby reducing the consumption of physical strength. It would be a good reference for a group battle, but unfortunately, there were only two of us. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get a chance to practice it.


    And how long did we have to walk? We arrived at the deepest part of the forest. What lay before us was not a tree, but a vast wall. Seeing this made me realize once again that we were underground.


    Then there was another stone monument in the shape of a man. If you look closely, you¡¯ll see that it¡¯s the same one we saw in the dungeon at home. Come to think of it, in the dungeon at home, the stone monument was located at the far end of the wall.


    ¡°This, Attack.¡± (John)


    Suddenly, Angus¡¯ leader slashed the humanoid stone monument. Then,


    ¡°Huh?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Why did¡ª?¡± (Haru)


    One pale ball of light floats from the stone monument.


    ¡°Attacker, Trap, Range Attacker, Recovery, Maximum, 20 people.¡± (John)


    I couldn¡¯t understand the Japanese phrases just by listening to them. However, besides them were the members of the mercenary group. A total of 20 people attacked the stone monument one after another.


    If they are vanguards, they use the weapon of their Proficiency. If they have magic Proficiency, they use magic. If they have Recovery Proficiency, they would attack with their skill.


    So, matching what they are doing with the unintelligible Japanese from before.


    Those who are going to fight will attack the stone monument according to their Proficiencies. There is also a maximum of 20 people who can fight.


    ¡°Hmm? That means this battle is¡­¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a common battle in online games. Just like Raids, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In other words, is Rimdobmur is a Raid Battle monster limited to 20 people.¡± (Kei)


    I sit down on a nearby tree, using [Stealth]. Haru also sat on the tree, throwing her hands.


    There are two reasons why we¡¯re so shocked.


    First of all, the first is that we hadn¡¯t noticed their simple strategy until now. And that their strategy,


    ¡°We only have two of us.¡± (Kei)


    It¡¯s definitely not usable for us.


    Also, I heard later that people with Proficiencies such as Recovery and Trap also have their own means of attack. With my Enchant, the magic of debuffing my opponent seemed to be treated as attack magic.


    I wondered why the mercenary group had found that way. If you are a vanguard, you can just attack with your own weapon, so is that why it was easy for them to realize it?


    Even if you appraise it, especially?


    ¡°Haru. What was the result of the appraisal of that stone monument?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see¡­?¡± (Haru)


    Haru nodded her head, trying to answer my question. She froze for a few seconds and then clapped her hands.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t used it. [Inspection].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°How is it?¡± (Kei)


    I notice that I haven¡¯t seen the stone monument. It would be nice if we could make it so that we could always use [Material Cognition] or [Inspection], but then our mind would overflow with too much information. It would be a shame if we fell asleep feverish every time we went diving into a dungeon.


    ¡°Brother, I got it.¡± (Haru)


    Show your strength here, you who are powerful.


    Join forces of 20 or less


    Defeat the evil dragon.


    Those without strength will remain untouched.


    Those of you who dare, declare it.


    [We peep into the abyss.]


    ¡°The result from [Inspection].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Why didn¡¯t we see this coming? No, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that we can¡¯t win even if we knew.¡± (Kei)


    While we were talking about it, everyone must have finished attacking the stone monument. There were twenty lights floating around the monument. The mercenaries also did a final check of their weapons and lined up neatly.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t move, don¡¯t defend, don¡¯t attack, Or else.¡± (John)


    Angus said and put away his translation tool. He slowly looked around and raised the large sword in his hand upwards.


    ¡°We peep into the abyss!¡± (John)


    ¡°Brother!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I know. Let¡¯s put some distance.¡± (Kei)


    We hurriedly distanced ourselves. Then we saw something happen when Angus¡¯ Leader put away his Handheld Translator and said something in English that we couldn¡¯t hear.


    The reason is simple. Something similar to an enormous magical power overflows from the stone monument. It is not some simple power like magical power, but it was just strong and terrifying.


    With a shout from Angus¡¯ leader, the mercenary corps ran towards the place where they had just cut down the trees. Turning around and looking behind, something like a magical power is stretching straight towards Rimdobmur.


    The invisible, chain-like form, which can be seen only because of the passives [Detection] and [Perception], wraps around Rimdobmur.


    It was probably just a coincidence that I was able to see it. It was only one fragment. Even though the dragon¡¯s body was large, the change was so small that it could not be seen unless one looked closely.


    The reverse scale on the neck, below the face. w was able to see the reverse scale disappear into a black mist.


    In the meantime, the mercenaries and we had returned to the place where they had cut down the tree. At the same time,


    ¡°Haru, use [Inspection].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I can¡¯t, it would be an intervention in the battle. And also.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s the opposite when we peeled off the reverse scale.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°How strong is this one?¡± (Haru)


    I felt that the sign of Rimdobmur weakening. However, Rimdobmur¡¯s magical power is the same. That¡¯s all I can observe


    The amount of magic has not changed, only the strength has decreased. When the reverse scale was removed by us, only its magic power seemed to have increased.


    What happened this time is the opposite. Its strength is reduced. And the cause is.


    ¡°It must be a spell, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s a much higher level debuff than the one brother can use right now. Maybe a Seal?¡± (Haru)


    That was when it happened. The shadow of a dragon is seen from above and it was much darker than usual.


    It was farther down than usual. A sign that it was flying low, just past the trees in the forest.


    ¡°Guaaagyeah!!!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    An earth-shaking roar echoed. There was not a shred of reason in that roar. When I turned up, Rimdobmur, who had some black muddiness mixed with its beautiful green scales. It was also emitting a huge amount of murderous intent.


    Here was the beginning of the battle between the world¡¯s strongest mercenary group and a dragon.

 CH 71

    ¡°Gugagyegah!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    The members of the mercenary group gather on a battlefield cut out of trees. The captain, Angus, is giving orders, but since I don¡¯t understand English, it¡¯s unclear what he¡¯s saying.


    ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever fought Rimdobmur head-on, have we?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve only been able to take off by surprise or just run away from the beginning. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how they fight.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    We are now far enough away from the combat that we won¡¯t be affected by the effects of the fight since we are observing the battle atop a tree.


    I¡¯ve torn off the leaves that are in the way with my hands, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯m taking part in the battle.


    In order to understand the situation, we¡¯ve rechecked the Proficiencies of the 20 mercenary group members.


    There are 11 Proficiencies: Sword, Shield, Fist, Bow, Spear, Club, Trap, Hunt, Magic, Heal, and Enchant. You can easily tell them apart if you have knowledge of their roles and what they are specialized in.


    The Proficiencies of those in the vanguard and bow-users can easily be deduced by what weapon they have. Trappers and Hunters are always running around, and the Trappers often have something that can be used as a trap. For the magic-users in the rear, Magicians use attack magic immediately, while Healers and Enchanters often up. Honestly, Enchanters and Healers are barely distinguishable.


    So, in the case of the mercenary group, there are 15 vanguards. But all of them had weapons that exhibit quite the range, and none of them have Fist Proficiency. This makes their equipment look like they are more concerned with solidifying their defenses than attacking. Either they were aiming for a counterattack, or they are fools who are so focused on defense that they were willing to take the attack.


    Well, since they are not amateurs, I doubt the latter. And the rearguard hides himself close to the vanguard to avoid being attacked.


    Normally, as the norm, the vanguard and rearguard would be divided between the front and the rear, but this time the enemy was attacking from above with overwhelming firepower. So, they had to form a different formation than usual. However, they still move with familiarity.


    The captain shouted something. No, he voiced a command. At the same time, the Rimdobmur in the sky bellowed. It was not a cry but used a breath of air as an attack. A tremendous amount of magic power and vibrations rained down on the mercenaries, but they were unable to damage the defenders.


    As it is, Rimdobmur passed through the sky, but they did nothing and just held their ground. If we had been in their current position, we would have been able to strike back with certainty. Using Magic and Bows would be easy.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they fire magic?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hey, they can hit it from that distance. It¡¯s much closer than the distance when we attack.¡± (Haru)


    When we usually attack Rimdobmur, we usually do it before it becomes hostile, so it flies far above the top of the tree, but now Rimdobmur is flying just above the tops of the trees. That¡¯s a position where people with vanguard skills of the mercenary group, who are stronger than us, can strike directly at it.


    Rimdobmur who circled back and returned spits out a massive cannonball of air. It was like they were being carpet-bombed, but it contained a huge and dense amount of magical power, but with the command of their leader, the magic was dispersed by the vanguards before moving on to their next action.


    ¡°They don¡¯t use any skills.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep. They don¡¯t seem to have been buffed by the Enchanters. They just might be strong against the element.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So is their equipment good?¡± (Kei)


    The mercenaries have already defeated Rimdobmur and have already fought the 25th floor¡¯s boss. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve got better materials than us, of course.


    What¡¯s more, they¡¯re the strongest in the world. They probably have a lot of money. If they have the money, they could get a named weapon that we couldn¡¯t ever get.


    The question is, who will sell it to them?


    ¡°Oh, next one is a powerful gust.¡± (Kei)


    While we were pondering, Rimdobmur was launching its next attack from the sky. A strong gust of wind is created by channeling magical power on its wings.


    Even though they have increased their power by diving into the dungeon, their weight hasn¡¯t changed in any way, so a strong wind would normally blow them away.


    But even with winds far stronger than those typhoons, they avoided being blown away by sticking their weapons in the ground or by sticking together.


    How long has it passed since then? Rimdobmur had used breath, wind balls, and strong winds as his attack pattern, firing repeatedly at the mercenaries below.


    Needless to say, the results were clear. No one was injured. It was as if he hadn¡¯t even used any of its magic. Rimdobmur must have realized that. He found that long-range attacks were ineffective, so what should it do next?


    ¡°Oh, will the battle finally start?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, they are spreading out.¡± (Haru)


    It¡¯s going to be a melee. As I heard later, Rimdobmur seems to have low magic and high strength. I thought the amount of its magic was high because our magic didn¡¯t work that well, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    So, by destroying the reverse scale, the amount of magic will be raised to the same level as its strength. By following the dungeon¡¯s system, they can lower its strength to the same level as the amount of magic it has. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s probably a good thing we didn¡¯t go near the Rimdobmur that we shot down.


    The earth trembled as Rimdobmur landed.


    ¡°Gyaaaa!!!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    And it roared.


    Along with the captain¡¯s cry, magic rains down on Rimdobmur. However, all of the magic was adjusted so that it did not fly straight down but drew an arc and hit from above.


    It¡¯s a trick that even the most advanced explorers can¡¯t pull off. I don¡¯t know if we can do it either.


    The plume of dust spreading around Rimdobmur spread with a roar.


    Its wings were torn into pieces.


    ¡°Wow, so that¡¯s the vanguard skill used by the world¡¯s strongest.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It looks powerful.¡± (Haru)


    A pale light shoots from the sword swung by the leader, breaking the ground, cutting the wind, and even ripping through Rimdobmur.


    The attack made a huge hole in its wing, making it impossible for it to fly again.


    When the leader was done, the rest of the vanguards attacked in unison with their skills. The leader¡¯s skills were indeed strong, but they could only show their true value at a distance. However, that would need to involve his companions.


    That¡¯s why they attacked in order. They blinded Rimdobmur with magic, blocked its way out, and pinned it to the ground with the leader¡¯s skill. And beyond that, it¡¯s the unspoken devastating end.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home?¡± (Kei)


    Looking at the clock, I asked Haru. The battle is indeed a fine and well-planned one, but it is all but impossible for a party of only two like us to imitate.


    There¡¯s probably not much to be gained by staying here and watching the battle.


    ¡°Yeah. In our case, even if we reduce its strength. What¡¯s the point?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°First of all, we are weak at close combat.¡± (Haru)


    When we looked back at Rimdobmur, we can see that it is overrun and it will not be able to fight back. Even so, its scales are hard.


    ¡°Their firepower is weak, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, they are. I¡¯m a little disappointed.¡± (Haru)


    Angus is the leader of the world¡¯s strongest mercenary corps. The skill he released certainly hurt Rimdobmur. However, it is only its patagium.


    It didn¡¯t break the wing or sever it, it just punched a hole in the membrane. He is a [Sword] who has the Proficiency to slash.


    From a distance, the Rimdobmur was covered in wounds, but nothing else. How much time would it take to kill it?


    It had already been a little over two hours since they had arrived at the forest.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad I found a clue to their strategy. Let¡¯s go back home, brother.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s probably enough to beat it. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    We jumped down from a tall tree without even being on the defensive and started walking. We don¡¯t even have a weapon, our hands. There are no signs of monsters around, perhaps due to the influence of Rimdobmur.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home and have supper. We have to hunt Minotaurs.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep, if we get some on the way, we can cook them once we get back home.¡± (Haru)


    While the mercenary group fought to the death, the siblings leisurely headed home.


    A few hours later. Little do they know that the dungeon in Tokyo will bring about a revolution in the world.


    They were unaware of the power that was growing deep underground.

 CH 72

    ¡°Well, after all, the mercenary corps¡¯ subjugation plan was useless.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I agree. It seems that they haven¡¯t returned yet from the posts on the internet. Oh, it seems that the Hero Party and the members of the Grapevine Association party headed for the Forest area in the Tokyo dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, from the perspective of someone who can fight in the normal way, their way of fighting will be a good model.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°We are two rearguards though.¡± (Haru)


    We had gotten bored with the mercenary group¡¯s fighting and decided that they would not be of any use to us, so we had come home.


    The information about the mercenaries¡¯ return hadn¡¯t been posted online yet, so I guess they were still fighting. Really, it¡¯s been quite long.


    Still, that was what I call planning a real strategy.


    It turns out that our tactics were nothing more than brute force tactics. Well, it can¡¯t be helped that we can¡¯t imitate their methods.


    ¡°For the time being, let us summarize what we learned today.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Haru)


    First.


    Attack the stone statue at the back of the forest and declare the activation phrase.


    Doing so reduces the strength of Rimdobmur and removes the dangerous reverse scale from the fight.


    ¡°The only thing is, even if this reduces its strength, it doesn¡¯t mean we can get close enough to fight it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s not like the mercenaries, who are much stronger than us, we¡¯re able to get through that many attacks.¡± (Haru)


    Considering this, I feel that it is likely that Rimdobmur¡¯s status before the decrease in strength made it invincible among people of that level.


    Originally, the magic capacity of Rimdobmur is not high, so our magical attacks can do damage, but usually, those attacks do not hit Rimdobmur.


    The reason is simply the distance. Magic is not as fast as you think, and it is not as accurate as you think. It¡¯s like that. It¡¯s like using a pistol to shoot something a kilometer away. If you shot at it multiple times, you may hit once, but in the end, it¡¯s not powerful enough.


    In our case, we are forcing ourselves to use our combined skills to hit the target.


    ¡°We¡¯re pretty close, too. If we can just get another shot at the firing the same magic we used the first time, we can win.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°The Magic Ball hadn¡¯t been used yet.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°We also haven¡¯t used the ones made from reverse scales yet.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Those are disposable. I want to use it when we really need it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Like in games, we would defeat the last boss without using it at all.¡±


    A Magic Ball (Medium) was obtained by defeating Gan Ceann before.


    I thought it might be possible to replenish our magic power with it. The result was half successful.


    The magic power that could be put inside was only a single person¡¯s magic power. In other words, it was impossible to put the magic power of two people into the Magic Ball, and it was also impossible for two people to take the magic power out of one Magic Ball.


    ¡°Haru, even if we recover our magical power, it¡¯s not enough to kill Rimdobmur.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I thought I could do it. Enchantments and [Intangible Armor] were more important than I expected. And also [Domination].¡± (Haru)


    Haru replenished the magical power from the magic ball, and the oversized magical power released collided with the breath released by Rimdobmur and was easily stopped. That¡¯s right.


    Far from adding power using Enchant, I also cover the surface with [Intangible Armor]. In the first place, the density of magical power contained in the spell is small because the magic is not compressed by [Domination].


    With that kind of magic, we can¡¯t kill Rimdobmur.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the point of weakening Rimdobmur would be for us anyway. It¡¯s not like the magic gets weaker when you¡¯re far away from it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The only thing it does is to increase the damage when Rimdobmur falls to the ground, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Because it is originally focused on strength, so it won¡¯t change much.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Haru)


    While we were chatting, I wrote down our strategy for dealing with Rimdobmur.


    It took about half an hour for the conversation to gradually come together and for us to finish deciding on the entire strategy. Even though we siblings are used to fighting, we are novices at planning a strategy. It¡¯s not like we can come up with a good plan just by worrying about it.


    In the first place, there are only two of us and also, we can only use a few methods, so we can¡¯t be choosy about our plans.


    ¡°It¡¯s still brute-force, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°There¡¯s no other way for muscle brains, you see.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, things made from the Reverse Scale of the dragon are also dangerous. Those would be usable in the dungeon though.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that Haru knew how to use those.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°If you understand the theory, you can make something if you have the right materials.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Is that so?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Of course.¡± (Haru)


    We put away the paper where we wrote down our plan. Then I cooked and eat like always.


    Today¡¯s supper is a Minotaur cutlet, then we prayed for success in defeating Rimdobmur tomorrow.


    Originally, fighting Rimdobmur would be like a deathmatch. There are only a handful of organizations in the world that can defeat Rimdobmur with zero casualties. It¡¯s not sane to challenge it with just two people.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not scared.¡± (Kei)


    I muttered softly as I fell into my futon after the day¡¯s routine was over. Haru is sleeping quietly on the futon beside me.


    I didn¡¯t tell Haru, but there was something I thought about when I saw the mercenary group fighting today. They were walking around in their own way, keeping an eye on their surroundings.


    They were determined not to die, no matter what. They were walking into danger on their own, but they were clinging to life. Such seriousness.


    In their case, it¡¯s a good preparation that costs money, leads to leveling up, and gives them strength.


    On the other hand, what about us? What is a dungeon to us?


    A dungeon is a place to find food, a place to improve oneself, a place to pass the time.


    It¡¯s a source of entertainment.


    It¡¯s a game, and we¡¯ve never risked our lives for it. There is a big difference between having almost died and having risked your life.


    I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s for everyone. I¡¯m sure that a lot of people have had experiences close to death. It doesn¡¯t have to be the worst too. Maybe you choked on a piece of mochi and couldn¡¯t breathe for a few seconds, or you got a leg cramp in the pool and almost drowned. In more severe cases, you may have fallen down the stairs or been hit by a car.


    Yet, we don¡¯t think about dying when we eat rice cakes, swim in the pool, or walk down the street.


    That¡¯s what diving a dungeon is for us. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll die tomorrow, either.


    ¡°That¡¯s the beauty of it.¡± (Kei)


    It¡¯s good to be cowardly and careful. I¡¯ve often seen in anime and novels that if you don¡¯t stay cautious and worry about your safety, you¡¯ll die.


    However, I¡¯m not completely focused on that. Reality is not as full of dangers and such events as those stories. And there¡¯s a peaceful everyday life in between the dangerous parts. The everyday life that is not written in the stories. Those are some that color people¡¯s lives. That¡¯s what I think.


    Stories that seek beauty in unique events and changes. A reality that seeks beauty in peace and tranquility. I don¡¯t know if either is good or not.


    However, we think of dungeons as entertainment, like games, and that¡¯s why we spend our valuable daily lives in them. Isn¡¯t that much more meaningful than diving dungeons as a job?


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s tough to play with a ban on respawn.¡± (Kei)


    Still, we will not die tomorrow.

 CH 73

    ¡°Okay, are you ready, Haru?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Everything¡¯s great. Potions and other consumables are ready.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So, are you good to go?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± (Haru)


    After watching the mercenary group fight, I thought about our own fighting style again. In the end, we decided to push forwards with leveling and firepower just like before. This is unavoidable because we don¡¯t have their personnel.


    It¡¯s December now. It¡¯s been a long time since we first encountered Rimdobmur. However, I think it was still not that long considering that it was less than a year ago.


    As usual, I pass through the transition and land in the forest.


    ¡°Okay, Haru. It¡¯s a revenge rematch. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger!¡± (Haru)


    We chose the front side of the wall as our battlefield. The reason was to keep the wounded Rimdobmur as far away as possible from its nest at the back of the Forest. So that it couldn¡¯t easily return to its nest and try to recover.


    Also, this time, unlike before, we had prepared a variety of tricks.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go. There.¡± (Haru)


    Haru casts magical power on the knife he had in his hand and throws it upwards. Naturally, this knife couldn¡¯t be just a knife.


    ¡°It burns well¡±


    The knife had two trash skills. That is [Ignite] and [Rampage].


    The [Ignite] skill literally creates fire the size of a lighter when activated. Then there¡¯s [Rampage].


    [Rampage] is a skill that Haru often uses to strengthen the power of magic by diffusing the flow of magic power. But this skill has a big trap. The magic power is in disarray. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t use precise magic, so she had to rely on her magic¡¯s firepower alone.


    Haru used her passive skill [Magic Manipulation] to force herself to be able to use magic as she normally did.


    It seems that there is a similar skill called [Madness] among the vanguard Proficiencies.


    So, what happens if an object uses this skill? Normally, there is nothing that would happen. It¡¯s only natural that it would not work since it doesn¡¯t have any magic power, to begin with. However, what if the magic power is put into it right before? It¡¯s not a matter of activating a skill, it¡¯s a matter of forcibly supplying magic power from another source.


    The [Rampage] skill uses the trapped magic power to strengthen the magic that was supposed to be used with the destruction of the object.


    This method requires the object to be the medium for the magic, as well as the [Rampage] skill and the magic of the person that would use it.


    Furthermore, objects do not store magic power. It¡¯s an advanced technique that forces magic to flow into it and make it stay within the object for a short time.


    The result of this is the disappearance of everything around it once it¡¯s used, so who would use it?


    The knife that was enchanted with [Rampage] and [Ignite] was supplied with magic power by Haru, strengthening the minuscule fire.


    ¡°The leaves are disappearing faster and faster. Also, this is quite hot.¡± (Haru)


    The strengthened fire becomes a large fireball that burns and scorches the tough leaves but keeps the trees intact within the dungeon. The result is a pseudo-wildfire.


    If the trees in this forest are large enough, the oil will not be enough to burn them. That¡¯s why this method is so important. It would be the best way to remove only the leaves over a large area.


    By the way, trees that are tougher than leaves are probably impossible to burn. When I looked up, the branches now without the leaves were still fine, just slightly scorched but pretty much intact.


    ¡°Now you let us cut them down, [Speed] and [Power].¡± (Kei)


    I crouched on a drawing stance before pulling out my sword.


    Then [Strong Slash]. I swung down the sword cutting diagonally the trees with the incinerated leaves.


    The trees in this dungeon are incredibly durable. If I could just bring all of them back, I could probably build a wooden structure that would exceed the strength of modern reinforced concrete.


    Then we thought. If we could use that strength, we could make a trap using those wood.


    Certainly, Rimdobmur is quite tough. Even if it was wounded and shot down, crashing to the ground would not cause much damage. Its flexible and strong body would soften the impact.


    However, what if the place of fall was not on the ground, but on the top of spikes? Trees that are planted at some distance from each other can also be made into a terrible trap for the huge Rimdobmur if they are carved into spikes.


    The length of the tree spikes should be about 5 meters from the ground. This maximizes the potential energy from Rimdobmur by taking in its flying altitude along with the length needed to pierce Rimdobmur.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done. Haru, give me the Magic Ball.¡± (Kei)


    After a while, I finished cutting the surrounding trees diagonally, and asked Haru to lend me the Magic Ball, and took out a large number of metallic materials from the Item Pouch. It was all the metallic materials we had acquired this far.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go. [Alchemy].¡± (Kei)


    With my right hand, I touched the tree with the spike pointing upwards and buried my left hand in the pile of materials. I forced myself to use alchemy to turn the surface of the wood into metal.


    We took the trouble of removing Haru¡¯s magical power from the Magic Ball and replacing it with mine. While replenishing my magical power, the surface of the tree is changed to metal one after another.


    Meanwhile, Haru pushed and carried the unwanted parts of the cut-down trees, creating an improvised fence that will delay the approach of the monsters.


    When all the cut trees had been alchemized with metal. The magic power inside the magic ball was about half of what it had been at first, and there were many large thorns around the ball that reflected light in various colors.


    ¡°So, come on. Let¡¯s go first.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Got it. Failure is not an option.¡± (Kei)


    When I looked up, I saw Rimdobmur flying gracefully above us. This is the opponent that we are going to play against. There is also no shortage of opponents.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± (Haru)


    The two youth¡¯s lively shout echoed through the forest, and their hands were filled with magic power.

 CH 74

    So, Haru turns her palm upwards, [Liquid Magic] floats above it as usual.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to do a little extra work today, though.¡± (Haru)


    When Haru draws a circle with her finger pointing toward the [Liquid Magic], the magical power begins to rotate in tandem with it.


    It gradually spreads while drawing a whirlpool, and spreads to my eyes.


    I held up my palm to the whirlpool.


    ¡°First, [Intangible Armor].¡± (Haru)


    The crystals of light that appear around me shatter like glass, and some of the shards dive into the vortex.


    The swirling of [Liquid Magic] has increased its rotation swallowing the [Intangible Armor] that has become numerous fragments in a blink of an eye. Then the fragments that are spinning inside the whirlpool glittered and shined.


    ¡°So far, so good.¡± (Haru)


    Then I extend my other hand to Haru, Haru¡¯s hand then firmly clasped my hand towards her.


    ¡°So, brother, I am more thankful of your control more than ever. [Rampage]!¡± (Haru)


    The magical power that started to rampage because of Haru danced violently and is continuously being transmitted to me.


    However, the magic has quickly spiraled down has been converted into a more powerful magic.


    And then.


    ¡°Treasure Tool, [Morning Star].¡± (Haru)


    A powerful medium for magic that we haven¡¯t used for a long time appeared. Further improving the quality of magically enhanced by [Rampage].


    Then Haru inhales,


    ¡°[Impact] [Fissure] [Separation] [Collapse]¡± (Haru)


    Four spells are activated in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°[Decaple]¡± (Haru)


    Meaning ten times, it is the most powerful variation Haru can use from her magic [Number]. With that, the number of spells that Haru is currently controlling jumps up to ten times.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s bad. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you brother.¡± (Haru)


    With forty powerful spells floating around us, Haru threw out her arms and stepped back.


    It¡¯s something quite crazy. There is even the danger that any spell before activation that has lost its control will begin to go berserk.


    However, I am here.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s up to me. Treasure Tool, [Scythe]. Then [Domination].¡± (Kei)


    My mind became clearer, and with my [Spatial Awareness], I could see the flow of magic power from each spell. I connect my magic power to the spells that have left Haru¡¯s control, just as Haru loses her control.


    If you want to take over someone¡¯s spell, you have to cut the connection between the person and the spell, change the direction of the spell towards you, put it under your control, and then use your own magic power to do these things. However, this is different now.


    The connection between the spells and Haru has already been severed, so they only needed to be connected to me.


    The spells have not been released yet, so there is no need to change their actions.


    Controlling forty spells is easily done with the least amount of magic power.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re cooking.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Except I am making something dangerous that could kill a dragon. Well, could it kill a dragon?¡± (Kei)


    The controlled spells reduce their density and dissolve into the [Liquid Magic].


    Mixing the ingredients called spells into the [Liquid Magic].


    ¡°[Slow] [Loss] [Unprotect] [Curse]¡± (Kei)


    Then I mix in the spices called debuff spells.


    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m in a hurry and the process is already troublesome, so I don¡¯t even try to use any shortcuts.


    ¡°So, Haru. Just as we planned.¡± (Kei)


    Watching Haru control the [Liquid Magic] into a sphere, before compressing it as I assist with controlling it. Once that¡¯s done, I¡¯ll cover it with the [Intangible Armor] around me on the surface of the [Liquid Magic] before hardening it.


    A sphere that was burning black was finally completed.


    ¡°Perfect, here I go!¡± (Haru)


    Haru gently raised her hand diagonally upward and began to aim. Rimdobmur came flying in the sky as usual.


    We have a Magical Bomb, a black [Liquid Magic] that flew according to Haru¡¯s instructions.


    I use my [Positioning] skills to slightly alter the direction of the bomb. We can¡¯t do anything about it if it doesn¡¯t hit.


    ¡°Then as a bonus. [Chain]¡± (Kei)


    The last of my magic power is drained from my body, and the [Liquid Magic] glistens and sparkles.


    And then,


    BOOOOM!


    This time, I aimed a little below the base of the wing. From my previous experience, I know that if I aim at the root of the wing, I can destroy the wing. If the magic is more powerful than usual, it can destroy the wing even if it is a little farther down.


    If not, it should be effective enough to make it impossible to fly back up.


    Black flames swallow the gigantic frame of Rimdobmur, which is accompanied by a loud explosion.


    The black flame spreads upwards, then a gigantic body falls.


    Due to the influence of the spell, the wings are completely removed at the root, and only the opposite wing has air resistance but began to bend as Rimdobmur falls from the sky.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading down.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger!¡± (Haru)


    Even with its status, once the gigantic Rimdobmur falls, death is not inevitable.


    Since the battle has begun, the Treasure Tools are left out, then we moved towards the area where we predicted Rimdobmur to fall.


    The earth shakes and the sound of something falling. And then, faintly but firmly, I hear the sound of something breaking through the flesh.


    ¡°Gugyaa!!!¡± (Rimdobmur)


    Rimdobmur¡¯s roaring echoed. It wasn¡¯t just the threatening or angry voice I¡¯d heard so far. You can feel the pain and fear somehow.


    ¡°What do you think? Its reaction doesn¡¯t seem to be getting any weaker.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, hmm? Brother, let¡¯s go down!¡± (Haru)


    As we watched the smoke billowing up from the fall, we jumped upwards following a sudden feeling of discomfort.


    An explosion rang again.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re fine.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a little too lively. I think it¡¯s fine for us to give up.¡± (Kei)


    I turned my attention to the place where we had just been and saw a small crater. If we hadn¡¯t avoided it, we would have been dead for sure.


    ¡°I have a feeling there¡¯s a lot at stake in this battle.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°So, let¡¯s be careful. Here it comes.¡± (Haru)


    An air bullet that created the crater on the ground blows away the dust cloud, and Rimdobmur appears.


    A puddle of blood spreads on the ground. The right wing of Rimdobmur is gone, and even its right foreleg is shredded around the middle. Several stakes are poking out from its hard-scaled body.


    Obviously, it should have been fatal damage. Rimdobmur, who should have suffered instant death damage, still growls and began to stand up.


    However,


    ¡°This is the end.¡± (Haru)


    Haru slowly walks toward Rimdobmur without losing her vigilance. Still, Rimdobmur growls.


    Even so, it¡¯s scary because we can¡¯t win in close combat when it¡¯s at this state.


    Then I take out the Magic Ball from the Item Pouch. Before I throw it to Haru.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± (Haru)


    Haru puts her hand in her Item Pouch and takes out one item.


    ¡°The reverse scale of the Storm Dragon¡­ A reverse scale of a wind dragon.¡±


    The reverse scale that we got before. It¡¯s not just an ordinary scale.


    ¡°[Disaster Dragonification]¡± (Haru)


    Along with those words, magical power is poured into the reverse scale. The reverse scale shines red and black.


    The skill, [Disaster Dragonification]. It¡¯s a very simple and powerful skill. It is the greatest trump card and weakness of all dragons, and once this skill is activated, it gradually raises the quality of the magic power until the activator destroys itself.


    ¡°This is the end.¡± (Haru)


    Haru holds the reverse scale in her left hand and the Magic Ball in her right hand and puts the two together.


    A large amount of magical power contained in the Magic Ball began to increase due to the influence of [Disaster Dragonification]. This will continue until the Magic Ball destroys itself.


    ¡°See you!¡± (Haru)


    Hold the combined reverse scale and Magic Ball in one hand. She is now done.


    ¡°[Rampage]¡± (Haru)


    About the skill she just used, it¡¯s not Haru¡¯s skill, but a skill attached to an object. It was attached to a leather bag that looked be durable enough.


    Haru did not hesitate to put the reverse scale and the Magic Ball inside it and closed its opening.


    Next,


    ¡°So, brother we should run away!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh yeah, let¡¯s run!¡± (Kei)


    She throws it inside the gaping mouth of Rimdobmur, which has just opened wide.


    The three objects were united by putting the two objects inside the leather bag have been combined, enhanced, and will result in a single conclusion.


    The magic power has been enhanced to the extreme berserks and increases in density until the Magic Ball is on the verge of destroying itself, and then it is even more compressed and runs more rampant inside the Magic Ball.


    Then, once the Magic Ball destroyed itself, the large amount of magic power would have no place to stay and escape.


    That day, the Forest area of two dungeons in a certain country was shrouded in light. The light ran over the surroundings through different means.

 CH 75

    ~3rd Person Perspective~


    The sound of the earth trembles. People heard a cry. Then they heard a growl.


    Somewhere, there is the sound of an explosion, the sound of things tearing. Then they heard the sound of something crashing.


    People were gradually beginning to realize that this place, the most mysterious place on earth, was safe. If you¡¯re careful, you won¡¯t die. If you get hurt, it¡¯s most likely only a minor injury. Those who were seriously injured must have done something stupid. Somewhere in the back of my mind, they began thinking that.


    People were intoxicated by the sensation of successfully hunting monsters and the sensation of becoming stronger. They forgot about the pain they suffered, and the suffering they will soon endure.


    They were convinced. They thought that they, the humans, were invincible.


    They were convinced, that the monsters are weak. That they would never become the hunted.


    They didn¡¯t even consider the reason why monsters existed in the slightest.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the backup coming yet?¡± (Explorer)


    ¡°No, they haven¡¯t come yet. They¡¯re taking a long time to seal off the dungeon, arrange people, and prepare.¡± (Explorer)


    The cave is narrow and long. The dungeon was packed with monsters until there were no gaps, and they were steadily advancing towards the surface.


    A number of skills and magic were used to kill the monsters, but the number of monsters had not decreased. No, they may be decreasing, but the monsters are appearing faster than that.


    This is the 14th level of the Hokkaido Dungeon. There are only a few of them, but they are the Strongest Party in Japan. They are the ¡°Hero Party¡±, the ones exploring the dungeon.


    ¡°Yuki, the number has increased, so let¡¯s go down immediately. [Inferno]!¡± (Arisu)


    Arisu¡¯s magic sets a large number of monsters ablaze and instantly transforms them into item drops. However, there is no time for them to pick up the items, and the succeeding monsters rush in, and the items were trampled on.


    ¡°I will stop then. [Sanctuary]¡± (Risa)


    Risa¡¯s [Sanctuary] creates a wall of light in front of the monsters that are rushing towards them, and the monsters that are crushed between the walls and the monsters behind them die one after another.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold for much longer! Gouta-kun, please.¡± (Risa)


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m next. I¡¯ll take care of it. [Great Shield], [Shield Bash]!¡± (Gouta)


    A shield that covers Gouta¡¯s whole body cladding him with light. Then it grew to about twice its initial size. Then he charges towards the monsters. The charge, which gained more momentum because of [Shield Bash], crushed and knocked away the monsters that were trying to break through the [Sanctuary].


    Monsters rush in, and the Hero Party pushes them back. The battle, which seemed to be at a deadlock, has become a defensive battle in which the heroes are losing their magical power and mental energy.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I¡¯ve never seen a stampede like this.¡± (Yuki)


    ¡°Maybe it has something to do with the sound of the earth.¡± (Gouta)


    As they entered the dungeon, they heard the earth below them shake, and at the same time, the monsters around them started running towards the dungeon exit.


    Seeing this, they hurriedly hunted down the surrounding monsters, asking for help from the explorers outside the dungeon, before heading deeper into the dungeon.


    The reason they didn¡¯t use the Transition Magic Circle is that they would have missed the monsters on the floors they bypass.


    Stampedes can be artificial, accidental, or summed by unique monsters. If it is a unique monster, it will become quite a dangerous situation if they miss it by transferring.


    That¡¯s why, while defeating all the monsters they encounter, they proceed through the dungeon where the number of monsters gradually increases in number and strength, and as a result. At present, the rate at which the monsters appear has exceeded their subjugation speed. They are now stuck on the 14th floor.


    However, this is the only way to reach the 13th floor. It¡¯s also true that if they defend this place, the explorers on the top will not be in danger.


    There was no option for these brave men to evacuate.


    Changing the focus to Tokyo. The party of advanced explorers were gathering there, hoping to follow in the footsteps of the American mercenaries who had recently defeated Rimdobmur increased.


    It didn¡¯t have to be in Tokyo, but maybe that¡¯s because Tokyo is so popular. If up to 20 people can participate in the defeat of Rimdobmur, the more people there are, the easier it is to find companions.


    It was at such a time that the stampede occurred. It was fortunate that there were so many high-ranking explorers. The senior explorers, led by [893] and [Yamato Nadeshiko], launched a subjugation campaign, and in no time their hands had reached the Forest.


    Rimdobmur flew over the forest, blowing away the monsters below with its breath. Still, there are some that escaped. The monsters who were lucky to avoid the attack of Rimdobmur start running toward the entrance of the Forest.


    ¡°Itsuki-san, I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± (Kuminaga)


    ¡°Yes, Kuminaga-san you go over there.¡± (Itsuki)


    In addition to Kuminaga, the leader of the [893]. The leader of [Yamato Nadeshiko], Itsuki has recently become quite famous. It seems that she was able to grow rapidly after acquiring a certain item.


    ¡°[Super Hard Hit]. Good one!¡± (Kuminaga)


    A shock wave appears from the metal club that Kuminaga swung, blowing away the surrounding monsters.


    ¡°Please! I [Summon] you, Pyon-chan!¡± (Itsuki)


    Along with her command, the necklace around Itsuki¡¯s neck shines brightly.


    ¡°Kyuu~! Kyuu!¡± (Pyon-chan)


    A silver rabbit jumps out of it. If you¡¯re an explorer, you might have never seen it, but people know about it. It¡¯s an Experience Bonus Rabbit.


    The rabbit, Pyon-chan, runs through the monsters with her small body, jumps high, and then comes down like a lightning-fast ball.


    Pyon-chan, who came down, created a small crater from the impact causing the nearby monsters to explode.


    ¡°As expected of the one and only ¡®Summoner¡¯.¡± (Kuminaga)


    Kuminaga watches the sight and shouted in admiration.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just lucky. It was just a coincidence that I found this magic tool.¡± (Itsuki)


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. Still, aren¡¯t you little too lucky?¡± (Kuminaga)


    She usually gets expensive magic tools whenever and meets Experience Bonus Rabbits. She almost always encounters them. Each one is considered ¡°pretty lucky¡±.


    Then again, this is because of her skill, an S-class passive called [Great Luck].


    Then to a small, tattered house in the countryside is the next location. Within the house, a boy and girl were chatting leisurely.


    ¡°Hmm? Is it over?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, I think the current monster is a 12th-floor monster, so they are still coming.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m bored.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯m bored too.¡± (Kei)


    The siblings had set up a small chair and desk at the entrance of the dungeon and were leisurely drinking tea.


    However, the path in front of them was filled with metal thorns and a pitch-black hole was opened just before it.


    In addition, a thin barrier had been deployed at the end of the hole, making it impossible to even jump over it.


    ¡°Oh, the next wave of monsters has arrived.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, here they come.¡± (Kei)


    A large number of monsters moved towards the thorns, and other monsters shoved the monsters in front against the thorns. Leaving those in front either dying or getting severely wounded.


    Moreover, they can¡¯t even try to jump over the hole and escape.


    The siblings just continued sipping their tea and watched the entire scene play.

 CH 76

    The Magic Ball caused a big explosion inside Rimdobmur destroying Rimdobmur from the inside. The trees in the vicinity disappeared, leaving behind a large number of item drops.


    ¡°My ears hurt.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If we hadn¡¯t been so far away, we would have died instantly. Oh, the drop items didn¡¯t disappear.¡± (Kei)


    Although somewhat scattered, the crater that has been created in the place where Rimdobmur once stood, the drop items are now lying inside.


    Large amounts of scales, nails, fangs, skin, bones. There¡¯s also meat. Everything was of such high quality that we were reluctant to use them.


    We have a certain number of them, though, having destroyed its parts many times. We¡¯ve got a certain number of them, but we¡¯re still seeing drop items here and there that we¡¯ve never seen before.


    ¡°Ooh, it is an all-you-can-eat meat party from Rimdobmur!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Today¡¯s supper will be super awesome.¡± (Kei)


    Haru goes straight into the crater and picks up the scattered meat. As soon as we get home, we¡¯ll wash it and cut off the dirty parts. There¡¯s going to be a lot of work to do.


    ¡° Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to pick up stuff too?¡± (Kei)


    While Haru is collecting the meat, I first collect the scales. With this alone, it seems that many various types of equipment can be made. I am very grateful.


    ¡°Brother, I see four skill cards. Two are gold.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, I found a reverse scale. If we got them because we didn¡¯t weaken it, that means we¡¯re the only ones in the world who have ever had them.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a disposable item.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Maybe it can be used as a material for [Alchemy] when we enhance or craft our weapons.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that skill can be used for weapons.¡± (Haru)


    As Haru says, the skill given to the reverse scale is [Disaster Dragonification].


    Even if the skill that strengthens Haru¡¯s [Rampage] when used on a weapon, it will become eventually become useless since it destroys the item once it is activated.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s everything.¡± (Kei)


    When I finished picking up the last of the scales, I looked up to see Haru standing on top of the crater, looking around with a grim expression on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± (Kei)


    Haru turns to face me while tilting her head a little.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there supposed to be a lot of monsters? The monsters that were in the distance earlier have disappeared straight away.¡± (Haru)


    I tried using [Perception], but there is not a monster around.


    ¡°Is it the influence of Rimdobmur?¡± (Kei)


    It is quite possible that the monsters are gone due to the aftermath of the earlier battle. It¡¯s a little weird, though.


    ¡°Even so, isn¡¯t it strange that the monsters aren¡¯t coming back? You know that right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s strange. What¡¯s wrong, Haru?¡± (Kei)


    Haru turns in one direction looking quite shocked.


    ¡°I just sensed a monster running at the edge of the range of my [Detection]. Over there!¡± (Haru)


    While saying that, she pointed in a certain direction.


    ¡°That is the entrance to the Forest area.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep. By the way, I feel that the first monster that I was able to sense using [Detection] was heading there.¡± (Haru)


    If the monster was really headed for the forest entrance, then it was climbing up the dungeon.


    The only time monsters move through the levels is when a Stampede occurs. Stampede occurs when an explorer hunts too many of a certain type of monster, flees with a large number of monsters in tow, or when a unique monster of the type that can tow monsters appears. That was it.


    Up until now.


    ¡°Haru, let¡¯s head back home immediately. The monsters are heading in the same direction, so it¡¯s likely a stampede.¡± (Kei)


    Hurrying out of the crater I tell her this.


    ¡° A stampede caused by a unique monster can¡¯t gather monsters from other floors. That means¡­¡± (Kei)


    In the dungeon, normal monsters, magic, and skills cannot interfere with other floors. However, there is an exception for a monster to move up a level.


    It must be according to a unique monster. It is only by following a unique monster that a normal monster can move up a floor by recognizing that another monster is moving up a floor. In other words.


    ¡°It¡¯s an irregularity. It¡¯s likely that ordinary monsters are moving through the hierarchy on their own.¡± (Haru)


    Monsters move through the levels without the influence of unique monsters. What does that mean?


    Haru, who now has quite the anxious expression, added more to my words.


    ¡°The same thing may be happening throughout the entire dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, now!¡± (Kei)


    I pulled out the sword on my hip and ran straight for the entrance to the forest. The closer you get to the entrance of the dungeon, the more monsters we encounter.


    ¡°This is bad.¡± (Kei)


    The cave at the entrance to the forest was crowded with monsters.


    ¡°Brother, follow me¡±


    Haru, who overtook me who stopped in front of the cave, casually jumped over the monster¡¯s head and headed to the back of the cave with the monster¡¯s head as a foothold.


    I soon followed her and headed into the cave. I slashed at the monster, hoping it would stop it, but it disappeared underneath the monster¡¯s feet as if crushed by another monster.


    If this is the case, I will soon be stepped on and crushed to death.


    ¡°Take Thiiiiis!!!¡± (Kei)


    Haru steps on the Transition Magic Circle, swinging her Tonfa and killing nearby monsters.


    I also use [Strong Slash] to send the heads of several monsters flying and before landing in an empty space.


    ¡°¡±Transition Room.¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    Hand in hand, we touched the magic circle and chanted that, and the scenery changed from a cave full of monsters to a transition room full of monsters. The Stampede seems to have occurred even on the first floor. Nevertheless.


    ¡°This kind of looks cute.¡± (Kei)


    I muttered unintentionally.


    Compared to the giant monsters in the Forest that could crush us if we weren¡¯t careful, there were slime and child-sized goblins that were only as tall as our knees. There is no shadow of a monster above our waist, and if we swing our legs, the monsters disappear.


    ¡°Do you want to go home?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Haru)


    Relieved by the weakness of the monsters on the first level, which I now remember, I walk towards the entrance, clearing the way with a simple kick.


    ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t it a little dangerous?¡± (Haru)


    ¡° It¡¯s not the situation that¡¯s bad, but the way it looks.¡± (Kei)


    Unlike the other dungeons, the Kizaki family¡¯s dungeon is a two-meter high pit. The actual entrance to the dungeon is located two meters down and to the side of the basement, so we assume that there was originally a cavity under the basement where the dungeon was built.


    The difference between the floors is two meters high, but small goblins and slimes can¡¯t climb it. Even so, monsters will try to climb it by trampling on other monsters and using them as footholds.


    However, the entrance to the dungeon is covered by a fence, and the fence is not so fragile that monsters on the first level can break it.


    Since the fence cannot be broken, you cannot get out of the dungeon, and other monsters can only move forward from behind.


    The goblins and slimes had formed into a single mass at the entrance. If the monsters gathered here, some of them would be crushed to death. However, the monsters here were not so lucky.


    Light-weight goblins and soft-bodied slimes. Since slimes can act as a cushioning material, goblins do not get crushed and die, and the amorphous slime fills the gaps between goblins.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to eat a hamburger for now.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°A hamburger steak from Rimdobmur sounds delicious though.¡± (Kei)


    It has become a living wall that is unpleasant to look at.


    Hah


    One big sigh.


    ¡°Haru, I¡¯ll take care of that one, you take care of the one in the back.¡± (Kei)


    We have almost no magical power anymore. I left the back to Haru and smashed the wall of monsters.

 CH 77

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s starting to get troublesome.¡± (Kei)


    We managed to kill all the monsters that had accumulated at the entrance of the basement. We could not go up to the house without leaving such monsters that were also wielding swords and were constantly being replenished.


    However, the monsters were not interesting to hunt because they were only small fries that could be killed by kicking them rather than wielding a sword, and even if you looked at the experience value, it was only a few measly drops.


    In addition, the monsters we¡¯re facing are from the second floor. In the dungeons, only monsters from the fifth layer drop items.


    What we¡¯re doing now is to keep the monsters off the ground and to keep them from destroying our house. There is no benefit to us in hunting monsters. We are only doing it because we know that if we don¡¯t hunt them, we will suffer a great deal of damage.


    ¡°How annoying.¡± (Haru)


    As she mutters, Haru doesn¡¯t even look surprised. She just kicks off the approaching monster without even looking behind.


    ¡°Brother, can¡¯t you set a trap with your [Bind]? That would be easy, right?¡± (Haru)


    Well, it would be, if I could. Still, my Magical power is gradually being replenished. I might be able to shoot a few shots of [Bind]. But that was no good.


    ¡°[Bind] won¡¯t last long. If I don¡¯t change it into another material using [Alchemy], once the magical power disappears it will also disappear in a blink of an eye.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Then, you should just use [Alchemy]. The width of the path is narrow enough you¡¯re your amount of magical power, right?¡± (Haru)


    Haru leans her head toward the monsters and she swung the tonfa in her hand with all her might. Not only are the monsters hit directly by Tonfa, but also the monsters nearby are blown away by the impact and die. In front of Haru, not a single monster remained.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the materials I need. I can¡¯t do it without the proper items even if I can us [Alchemy].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°In that case.¡± (Haru)


    Haru blows away the approaching monster again and mutters, oh.


    ¡°This is because we can¡¯t get items.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    Just by moving my body forward and swinging my sword, the nearby monster will die. Still, it¡¯s not enough to empty the path, and I can see the next monster coming in without pause.


    ¡°At this pace, monsters from the 5th floor onwards will soon come. We just have to have patience until then.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We shouldn¡¯t use magic because we want to save our magical power.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If we don¡¯t use [Bind] and [Alchemy] wastefully, we won¡¯t be overwhelmed.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, take this!¡± (Haru)


    Then Haru grabs the approaching Kobold, and she throws it at the monster behind it.


    ¡°Geegoo!¡± (Kobold)


    The Kobold went flying in the air screams and pushing back other monsters, and the impact causes them to pop off and die.


    ¡°Hmm, this is inefficient. It seems faster to swing the weapon.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But I want a range attack method that doesn¡¯t use magical power.¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯m worried, but there is nothing I can do with no items and while we¡¯re trying to preserve our magical power.


    ¡°Oh, brother. There¡¯s an item drop.¡± (Haru)


    While I was thinking about this, the monster I killed dropped a fur.


    ¡°So, we are almost there. If we can find metallic materials, I can use [Bind] and [Alchemy]. Then you can rest. Haru, let¡¯s go!¡± (Kei)


    I swung my sword as I took another step forward. I turned my gaze away from the monster I had slashed, kicked the floor, kicked the wall, jumped over the monsters, and kicked the ceiling. I spun my body around and landed on top of the monster, crushing it in the process.


    ¡°Brother, go!¡± (Haru)


    As Haru swings Tonfa around, the monsters that were near Haru are blown away toward me. At the same time as I landed, I tucked my legs as much as I could, swinging my sword while rotating my body sideways, and jumping again.


    All the monsters on our side have disappeared from where I was earlier, and items are scattered there.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay, Brother.¡± (Haru)


    Immediately open the Item Pouch and collect only metallic materials such as horns and fangs while slashing the approaching monsters. Skins and similar items will not be used because they are less useful with large magical power consumption, so we cannot use them.


    ¡°Brother, did we get everything?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°We took everything except for the ones that are increasing in number right now. I¡¯d like to have more. Maybe these are enough.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s my turn. I¡¯ll use a little magic since I recover magic power faster than you.¡± (Haru)


    When Haru comes out in front of me, she takes out the metal material that he just collected from the Item Pouch.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t need to use magic that much. Let¡¯s try [Bomb] with less power.¡± (Haru)


    Is it because of Haru¡¯s [Magic Manipulation? That [Bomb] has its explosive power suppressed, as it explodes over Haru¡¯s hand. No, is that even an explosion?


    ¡°Yeah, success. I thought I could do it because explosions are fundamentally the same as combustion, but it was more difficult than I imagined.¡± (Haru)


    The [Bomb] that flew out of Haru¡¯s hand went on to envelop the metallic material on her hand. When Haru opened her hand, the material fell while being wrapped in the flames of [Bomb], and at the same time it hit the ground, it burned.


    Behind us, the monsters are blown away by the [Magic Bullets] that were stealthily used.


    What was left after the material that received [Bomb] as it fell on the ground was a metallic puddle. The metallic materials of low-level monsters are soft and have a low melting point.


    ¡°Good.¡± (Haru)


    As she draws a line with her tonfa to cut the puddle of melted material on the ground, we will be able to produce a number of metal plates.


    ¡°Oh.¡± (Haru)


    Haru, who suddenly stuck out her hand, froze as if she remembered something, then she blows away a monster with her tonfa and then turns to face me.


    ¡°Brother, is there a way to harden the metal?¡± (Haru)


    I let out a sigh at Haru¡¯s question. I wondered if she hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead.


    Certainly, if you can turn the molten metal made by Haru solid, you can mold it into a weapon and throw it to defeat monsters. However,


    ¡°No, you see.¡± (Kei)


    I grabbed Haru¡¯s hand, as kept smashing the monsters. Then I pulled her behind the puddle of molten metal. Letting the monsters move and run towards us


    ¡°It can become a trap.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, we made a trap brother.¡± (Haru)


    Monsters are do not have fear. Even if they know that it is a trap, if there is no other way, they will push through the trap. Especially low-level monsters.


    ¡°There are many monsters with fur.¡± (Kei)


    The wolves¡¯ feet, which set foot in the melted metal, burned from the heat of the metal. They soon were engulfed in flames. But, sooner or later they will put themselves out. However, what burns is not their body, what burns them is the floor itself.


    ¡°[Bomb]!¡± (Haru)


    If Haru heats the metal in regular intervals and melts it, the monster will die but the leather item drops will burn and disappear. And the metal item drops will melt, expanding the molten metal puddle.


    ¡°For the time being, until this trap can no longer be used. My magical power will be preserved.¡± (Kei)


    I also put in the collected metal items and melt them.


    ¡°Haru, I¡¯m going up the house, so make the trap bigger. I¡¯ll bring down a chair and something to eat.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger.¡± (Haru)


    Moving back, I opened the entrance and returned to our house, and from behind, I heard a cheerful shout, ¡°[Bomb]!¡±

 CH 78

    ¡°Brother, haven¡¯t you collected enough magical power? The puddle is quite big, too.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s barely enough to cover the entire path. Just until we have enough materials, I will then use [Alchemy] to strengthen [Bind]. So, I¡¯d like to save as much as possible for when I do that.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°So, until this trap stops from working?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    After unintentionally creating a molten metal trap, we found a short table and cushion chairs from the living room. We brought some tea, a frying pan, and oil from the kitchen.


    The short table and cushions were placed at the entrance to the dungeon, and the frying pan was oiled. Then, the frying pan was placed near the hot, molten metal.


    ¡°Haru, I¡¯ll go back to the house.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay, if it looks dangerous, I¡¯ll pick up the frying pan.¡± (Haru)


    I went back up and got some tableware and chopsticks from the kitchen. Then also bringing down a cutting board and a kitchen knife.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s use the time in between attacks for dinner. Today we¡¯ll have yakiniku.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh good. The frying pan is getting warm. Oh, it¡¯s getting a little too hot.¡± (Haru)


    I borrow Haru¡¯s Item Pouch and took out a lot of meat from inside.


    Rimdobmur¡¯s meat. It¡¯s the most delicious meat we¡¯ve ever eaten, and it¡¯s a luxury item that we couldn¡¯t eat much of because we could only get a slab by destroying a part.


    ¡°Brother, move faster, so we can cook sooner.¡± (Haru)


    Haru hurries me as moved the knife across the meat. It would be a shame to dispose of the trimmed pieces, but since they were in contact with the ground, we couldn¡¯t just eat them.


    I give the thin slices of meat to Haru. Haru then used the chopsticks to grill the meat in the frying pan.


    I slid the plate across the table and handed it to Haru, who placed the roasted meat on it in turn. Inside the dungeon, there were the cries and screams of monsters. But the sound of grilling meat echoed through the dungeon.


    There was no way that the sound of the monsters was going to dampen my appetite now, and the savory smell of the meat made my stomach growl with hunger.


    After a while, the meat would pile up on the plate and we would not need to grill anymore.


    Then we sat face to face at the table. We sat down and put our hands together so that we don¡¯t have to turn our backs on the monsters.


    ¡°¡±Itadakimasu!¡±¡± (Haru & Kei)


    We didn¡¯t have much time, so we didn¡¯t have anything to go with the meat, but Rimdobmur¡¯s meat is still delicious.


    Perhaps Rimdobmur¡¯s meat is not yet on the market. The fact that we, poor children, eat a lot of high-quality meat that no one can eat makes the meat even more delicious.


    And one more thing.


    ¡°I feel like my magical power is recovering faster.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s probably true. I didn¡¯t know that because I haven¡¯t had the chance to eat so much of this meat before, but could it have that effect?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe we just didn¡¯t notice it, but other monsters¡¯ meat might have the same effect.¡± (Haru)


    We continued to eat the meat, but no monsters were able to break through the trap. The few monsters that did get past the traps by accident, such as being blown away by other monsters, didn¡¯t even get us up and we just waved our weapons and they died.


    It wasn¡¯t until a few minutes later that the monsters that we¡¯re able to get past the traps began to appear. We had already eaten our fill of meat, and it wasn¡¯t until some time later that we finished cleaning up.


    Since we had no time to waste, we distributed the skill cards dropped by Rimdobmur and also brought out a small chair that Haru had made earlier as a DIY project, since we didn¡¯t want to kill the monsters on a cushion on the ground.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m getting more and more unsettled, can you make the trap now?¡± (Haru)


    Haru had stopped using the [Bomb] a while ago and had cooled it down to make it easier to use with alchemy. The puddle of metal has already melted, overlapping and filling the road in small blobs.


    ¡°I¡¯ve recovered my magic, also I¡¯ve got plenty of material to work with.¡± (Kei)


    I placed the monster¡¯s horn I had just picked up into the metal mass and placed my hand on it.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll try using a new spell, because this is a new spell I got when we defeated Rimdobmur.¡± (Haru)


    Haru also turns her Tonfa forward.


    ¡°Got it, you¡¯ll shoot magic, while I start making the trap.¡± (Kei)


    Haru takes a quick breath of air and cries.


    ¡°[Prison Gate]!¡± (Haru)


    A black ball about the size of marble appeared from the tip of the tonfa, and it flew slowly but straight to the ground ahead, disappearing as if it had been absorbed.


    Then, with a buzzing sound, a black light appeared, and as if following it, a black hole spread out. It spread until it covered the entire street and stopped moving.


    ¡°Is it some installable magic?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. However, it consumes the most magic of all the magic power I have.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then I have to work hard. [Bind]!¡± (Kei)


    The thorny vines growing from the ground moved as close as possible blocking the road. And then,


    ¡°[Alchemy]¡± (Kei)


    In an instant, the thorns turn into thorns of molten metal. The molten metal combined with the thorns entwined with each other, creating an extremely solid wall.


    ¡°Good. This should last for a while.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, I wonder if it will be enough for an hour.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s more than an hour.¡± (Kei)


    Along the path of the dungeon, there is a black hole with no visible bottom, and after jumping over it, there is a solid wall of thorns. This was a trap that was difficult to overcome for even the most casual of explorers, let alone a monster without any sense of intelligence.


    ¡°Well, do you want some tea?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s. If we put the computer on the floor right outside the dungeon, we can watch the video from inside the dungeon.¡±


    The siblings return to their seats and start chatting without paying attention to the monsters that died without even the chance to cry out.


    It would be a few hours or even days before the siblings noticed the change in the world.

 CH 79

    ¡°Oh, my level has increased.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ah, I just went up to. It¡¯s nice that our levels go up even though we¡¯re not moving.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re just talking and drinking tea.¡± (Kei)


    The monsters that come to us gradually become larger and more ferocious. Are the monsters that are coming now from the 13th floor? Most monsters jump in the hole [Prison Gate] or hit the thorn wall made by [Bind], and then fall back into the hole.


    Since the speed of each monster has increased, the processing speed has also increased, and more experience can be gained. Our current status has risen to our present level.


    Name: Haruka


    Proficiency: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: Fissure, Explosion, Electric


    Level: 82


    Strength: 95


    Magic Capacity: 202


    Skills: Analysis, Magic Bullets, Rampage, Magic Synthesis, Magic Formation


    Magic: Bomb, Time Bomb, Impact, Number, Plasma, Fissure, Separation, Barrier, Collapse, Prison Gate


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting / Magic Manipulation / Dual Attribute


    Skill: Stealth, Positioning, Material Cognition, Domination, Shortcut


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain, Slow, Loss, Unprotect, Curse


    Name: Touka


    Proficiency: Enchant, Alchemy


    Magic Attribute: None, Curse


    Level: 82


    Strength: 120


    Magic Capacity: 170


    Skill: Stealth, Positioning, Material Cognition, Domination, Shortcut


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain, Slow, Loss, Unprotect, Curse,


    Seal, Safe Zone


    Passive: Perception, Acceleration, Alchemy


    There are four magic spells and skills we acquired after the battle against Rimdobmur.


    Haru was [Prison Gate] and [Magic Formation], and I received [Seal] and [Safe Zone].


    When we looked up the details through [Analysis], all of them have unexpectedly good effects.


    ¡°Prison Gate¡­ Open a door to the ¡®Prison¡¯¡±


    ¡°Magic Formation¡­ Weave a three-dimensional magic formation in the air. ¡°


    ¡°Seal¡­ Create a space where neither you nor others can use magic or skills.¡±


    ¡°Safe Zone ¡­ Create a space where monsters won¡¯t notice you.¡±


    Since it we are in such a state, verification of the spells and skills has not yet been done, but they seem to be quite powerful.


    As we saw, [Prison Gate] is powerful installation magic, and with [Magic Formation] we can use the three-dimensional magic power formation attached to the Guardian Staff of the Saintess that we saw before.


    There may be restrictions on [Seal], but if we use it when we are in close combat against a magic-based monster, we will be able to stop the monster¡¯s attack.


    [Safe Zone], we can easily take a break in a large area like the Forest, where it is difficult to return quickly. The important thing is how long before the monsters notice you, the size of the area, and the amount of magic power consumed, but there is no way to be sure in the current situation.


    Come to think of it, the monster drops that fell into the [Prison Gate], for some reason they were coming out of the ground near Haru.


    There was just too much of them. We couldn¡¯t be bothered to manually put them away in our item pouches. So, I placed an item pouch with the mouth facing down where the items were coming out. We¡¯ve been doing it that way for a while now, and it¡¯s been working great.


    The thorns created with [Bind] and [Alchemy] become less effective as the monsters get stronger, so I had to use [Alchemy] again using a stronger material every time a crack appears.


    ¡°Hmm? A strong one seems to be heading here.¡± (Haru)


    When Haru suddenly stands up, she points her Tonfa towards the back of the dungeon and tells me.


    ¡°Well, I felt it just now. It¡¯s unique large beast-type. It¡¯s too big to evade.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Do we have a trap for that?¡± (Haru)


    No, I don¡¯t think so. We might be able to get by if we can drop it inside the [Prison Gate], but the thorns will surely break.¡± (Kei)


    Thanks to [Perception] I can see that the monster is heading straight towards us without any hesitation. Even though there are turns down the road. In addition, the unique monster seems to be relentlessly trampling other monsters and causing the small fry monsters to disappear one after another.


    ¡°We really have to take it head-on? We can¡¯t let it escape outside the dungeon, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If we¡¯re not careful, the impact of that monster hitting the wall will cause our house to collapse.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°We¡¯ve used our Treasure Tools, so we can¡¯t use them today. This is hard.¡± (Haru)


    As we plan our strategy, we soon see the dust, and a unique monster appears in the distance.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bear. Brother I will use magic to kill the momentum, can meet it, brother?¡± (Haru)


    The unique monster was a huge, black bear. Its body is big, but its claws and fangs are even bigger, and its eyes are bright red. The fur looks more spiny than furry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do it, but that¡¯s the only way. I¡¯ll be getting ready now! [Slow] [Power] [Guard].¡± (Kei)


    The bear¡¯s speed slows down a little, and I now have more offensive and defensive power.


    ¡°Roger, [Magic Formation].¡± (Haru)


    A cloud of light appeared in front of Haru, creating a familiar shape. Haru placed her hand gently on the form and smiled fearlessly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going. [Barrier]! [Collapse] [Decaple]!¡± (Haru)


    A wall of light forms in front of the bear, but it is broken after a moment of intense struggle. But.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± (Kei)


    I am surprised at the sight in front of me.


    In front of me is magic with 10 layers of [Collapse].


    For some reason, the magic that was supposed to wrap around and attack the enemy became an overlapping wall that will receive the bear¡¯s charge.


    ¡°I thought it might happen because [Bomb] could be used in a new and interesting way. And I was right.¡± (Haru)


    Then a black wall formed by overlapping [Collapse] spells was touched by the bear¡¯s leg damaging it.


    ¡°I was wondering what would happen if I didn¡¯t use the monster as the target of [Collapse] and used all my strength on the space, but I guess this actually happens.¡± (Haru)


    I don¡¯t know much about it, but it seems that the space where the [Collapse] overlaps is twisted, and a small looping space is created there. Therefore the bear can¡¯t move forward no matter how hard he runs.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m almost at my limit.¡± (Haru)


    Nodding to Haru¡¯s voice, he pulls out his sword and kicks the ground. The bear¡¯s limbs run through the side of the [Collapse] wall.


    Put the power of ¡°strong sword¡± given to the sword and cut off the limbs one by one. It would not have been possible to cut it off if it was in its original state, but its limbs became brittle due to [collapse].


    ¡°This is the end.¡± (Kei)


    I tore through its limbs and confirmed that the bear was struck down and pushed back. Then, I used the trap [Prison Gate]


    The bear couldn¡¯t resist and fell to [Prison Gate], where it disappeared after a few seconds of struggle.


    ¡°Just in the nick of time.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What does it mean? Is another monster worse than a Stampede?¡± (Kei)


    After defeating the bear and taking a breath of relief, we noticed the monsters crying from behind the dungeon and hurriedly recreated the trap.

 CH 80

    The screams of the ferocious monsters have died down, and the slimes and goblins can be seen moving in the distance.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± (Haru)


    Tens of minutes had already passed since the group of monsters in the forest had been wiped out. After that, a few more monsters appeared here and there, but now they¡¯re gone and all I can see are the monsters in the first layer, which probably appeared regardless of the stampede.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I guess that¡¯s the end of earning experience. Well, it went up quite a bit.¡±


    My level has gone up by two since I looked at my status before. If we think about it, that bear must have had quite a bit of experience. During this stampede, we were able to defeat a total of four unique monsters.


    Except for the bear, the other unique monsters were strong enough that we could beat them without using any magic or skills, but they were still unique monsters. I guess we can expect some decent drops.


    All of the dropped items from the monsters we killed were stored in mine and Haru¡¯s item pouches directly received from the [Prison Gate], so we don¡¯t know what was dropped. We¡¯re going to check it slowly after this.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re done, but I am still stuffed since it was easy because we weren¡¯t moving. What do you want to do after this?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s already night, why don¡¯t we take a bath and go to bed?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. When now that I thought about it, I now feel sleepy. Can I take a bath first?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to do some maintenance on my equipment, so let¡¯s go and rest. Then, do you want to go home?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup. Let¡¯s go!¡± (Haru)


    When Haru raises her hand lightly, the hole made by the [Prison Gate] disappears.


    After seeing it, I put my hand in the Item Pouch and take out a lot of low-level metal drops.


    The metal thorns in front of me from the [Bind] and [Alchemy] have been turned into stronger materials to withstand the oncoming monsters, so they are not easy to destroy.


    Touching the low-level metal material with my left hand, then touching the thorny vines with my right hand, then I used [Alchemy]. If I hit it with my sword I can confirm that the material of the vines has changed since they are easily cut.


    ¡°This should be okay.¡± (Kei)


    I can put a big piece in the Item Pouch as it is, but if I try to use them for something in the future, it would be difficult to use it if it is still this big, so I have to make it smaller before storing them.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go home!¡± (Haru)


    I followed Haru as she cheerfully walked back to the basement with a wry smile on my face. Speaking of which.


    Looking back, I can see slimes crawling without any sign of them aiming for the entrance.


    ¡°Is this stampede related to the subjugation of Rimdobmur?¡± (Kei)


    Going home, I polished my weapons as I ponder about this. Haru took off her equipment and headed for the bath.


    There are a few suspicious things about this stampede. Because of the timing, we thought the stampede was directly caused by the defeat of Rimdobmur, or the huge explosion used to defeat it.


    But if the explosion was the cause, the monster would have come at us. So it¡¯s more likely that something happened in the defeat of Rimdobmur.


    None of the monsters we killed with the traps caused a stampede, so it can¡¯t be that a special monster appeared.


    If that¡¯s the case, does that mean that defeating Rimdobmur will cause a stampede in the entire dungeon? No, if such a fact exists, there¡¯s no way we wouldn¡¯t know about it. Recently, we¡¯ve been researching information about the dungeon. I¡¯ve been gathering a lot of information about Rimdobmur, among other things.


    And there was another strange feeling.


    ¡°The timing is too strange.¡± (Kei)


    I was getting sleepy and couldn¡¯t think straight. I didn¡¯t want to fall asleep, so I said what I was thinking out loud and woke up.


    To be honest, I¡¯m not sure when the stampede started. We only noticed it when we saw the monsters leaving the forest.


    However, we can tell from the type of monsters that had accumulated at the entrance of the dungeon that it hadn¡¯t been that long. Was it during or after the battle? Is the cause due to an internal or external factor?


    ¡°External factor?¡± (Kei)


    The types of monsters that appear in each level of the dungeon are the same in every dungeon. If that¡¯s the case, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the cause of this apparently abnormal stampede was something outside of our dungeon.


    I reached for the computer that was nearby but I stopped my hand.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m done with my bath. Good night.¡± (Haru)


    Haru drowsily went into her own futon and fell asleep.


    ¡°How about tomorrow?¡± (Kei)


    I put my polished weapon in my Item Pouch and put it in the safe. I took a quick bath, laid out my futon next to Haru¡¯s as usual, and went to sleep.

 CH 81

    I open my eyes slowly to the sound of a nearby electronic ringing. I look to my side and see Haru asleep. The sun had already risen, and it was past noon when I looked at the clock.


    ¡°Oh, the phone.¡± (Kei)


    I hurriedly woke myself up and went to look under the pillow for the phone, the electronic sound that had already woken me up.


    ¡°Yes, hello. Kizaki speaking.¡± (Kei)


    I had quit my part-time job when I was injured before, so I wondered what the call was about. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve received a call.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a while. Touka. Are you safe?¡± (Caller)


    The voice on the other end of the line was my father¡¯s, a voice I had heard many times before but hadn¡¯t heard much lately.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, old man. It¡¯s been a while. What do you mean are we okay? We¡¯ve been able to live well.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Eh? You guys haven¡¯t watched it on TV? No, there are no dungeons near where you live. Is Tokyo the closest?¡± (Caller => Shiki)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So, what about the dungeons?¡± (Kei)


    While I asked my father, I open my computer and open the search page.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really know do you? So, you¡¯re okay? You¡¯re going to have to let go of the house and pack your bags. You guys are explorers right. Don¡¯t let go of your weapons.¡± (Shiki)


    I stopped to search for dungeons as I listened to the story and turned my attention to the news written.


    ¡°The Dungeons have Overflowed.¡±


    As my father spoke, the words on the news screen on the Internet brought back memories of yesterday.


    ¡°I knew there was a big stampede in the dungeon. Is that why?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s it. All over the world, monsters from dungeons have come to the surface. Hmm? What¡¯s happening?¡± (Shiki)


    My father¡¯s voice faded away from the phone, and I heard another soft voice.


    ¡°Captain, please help me. We¡¯ll be breached if we don¡¯t.¡± (Voice)


    ¡°I¡¯m no longer your captain. Endure it a little more. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± (Shiki)


    He put his mouth close to the phone again, and his voice grew louder.


    ¡°Okay, Touka. Don¡¯t forget. For some reason, the monsters on the ground are less weakened than before. And you can use a little bit more of your status near the dungeon. You know what this means.¡±


    Originally, a monster weakens to a tenth of its strength when it comes to the ground. Explorers can only use their stat enhancements inside dungeons. If so, that is the only possibility, right?


    ¡°Is the surface gradually becoming a dungeon?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s probably the correct answer. I don¡¯t know if the dungeon on the surface will stop at this point or if it will continue until the whole surface has completely become part of the dungeon. That¡¯s why I am telling you.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°What is it old man?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°This is something I shouldn¡¯t say while I was in my old job. Touka¡­¡± (Shiki)


    heard my father sucking in a breath on the other end of the phone.


    ¡°Live at the very least. No matter what. Don¡¯t ever, ever die. See you again.¡± (Shiki)


    The phone seemed to have been disconnected from the other end, leaving a beeping sound.


    ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s wrong brother?¡± (Haru)


    I turned my head to see Haru looking at me, her head upper body has risen, with half of her body still under the covers.


    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency. I¡¯ll explain it to you, but you need to change your clothes and put your gear right away.¡± (Kei)


    Haru stares at me blankly with sleepy eyes, rubs her eyes, and then looks at me again. She looked at me with clear eyes and must have sensed the mood. I jumped up from the futon.


    ¡°Good morning, wash your face and change your clothes, and your equipment ready.¡± (Kei)


    Haru disappears into the washroom after listening.


    ¡°Well, should I pack our luggage as soon as possible?¡± (Kei)


    I open the safe and take out my gear. And then.


    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t changed my clothes either.¡± (Kei)


    I started to change into my everyday clothes.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re ready to go. So, what happened to you? I feel like I¡¯ve run out of things at home.¡± (Kei)


    Haru was looking around quizically. I had already put some of my belongings in my item pouch and was preparing to leave the house at any time.


    ¡°Please Haru. Please calm down and listen to me. If we¡¯re not careful, it could be life or death for us.¡± (Kei)


    Haru nods when she heard my words.


    ¡°I got it.¡± (Haru)


    I talked to our father earlier. I explained to her what is happening in the world right now.


    And maybe yesterday¡¯s stampede was the cause.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re preparing our equipment so we can escape. But brother. Aren¡¯t relatively safe here? We are quite far from the other dungeons.¡± (Haru)


    In fact, We don¡¯t think the monsters themselves are that dangerous. If we¡¯re trying to survive on our own, we can escape to the dungeon in the basement if a monster appears since our status is meaningless on the ground.


    Looking at yesterday¡¯s stampede, 16th-floor monsters are the ones trying to get out of the dungeon. Only small fry monsters up to the forest and the unique monsters are the ones moving.


    Basically, if your status is functioning, you can easily defeat them. Even if you get sleepy, monsters don¡¯t come to the rooms in front and behind the boss, so you can sleep there.


    However, there is one thing that even we can¡¯t beat.


    ¡°There¡¯s an overwhelming shortage of supplies. The stores are probably already being hoarded, and the only edible food that drops in the dungeons is meat, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, we have food. That¡¯s right. But there are no vegetables.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°There¡¯s also water and salt. Your appetite will be fine, but you¡¯ll probably die of malnutrition or be killed by a monster due to malnutrition-related complications.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°This is bad.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So bad.¡± (Kei)


    Haru groaned and used the computer to look up information.


    ¡°Actually, the most reasonable thing to do is to evacuate to a place where people are.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°But then we won¡¯t be able to move for a while.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, we won¡¯t be able to live freely and sleep comfortably.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s not a good thing.¡± (Kei)


    Haru stops looking around.


    ¡°Brother, I heard that all the strong explorers go into dungeons to kill monsters.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I guess so. I¡¯m sure there are people who do it because it¡¯s something they can do. What¡¯s the matter then?¡± (Kei)


    Haru finally smiles when I asked.


    ¡°We are strong.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°We¡¯ve been fooling around ourselves, but I think we¡¯re probably one of the best in the world.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Looking at the previous Angus Mercenary Corps, I¡¯d say so.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s why brother.¡± (Haru)


    After this, Haru¡¯s words went straight to my chest for some reason.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we save the world?¡± (Haru)

 CH 82

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we save the world?¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s words caused a moment of uneasiness in me, but they soon disappeared.


    ¡°By the way, Haru liked RPGs about heroes.¡± (Kei)


    When we were still living in our previous house, both Haru and I played games like normal middle school students. But with me doing chores and Haru being in the art club, there was no way we could spend time together, and that didn¡¯t mean Haru, who wasn¡¯t very social, had enough friends to hang out with.


    Haru and I were basically playing games separately. Haru was addicted to RPGs. By the way, I was into action games.


    Haru¡¯s favorite among them seemed to be RPGs about heroes.


    ¡°A hero fights alone to save the world. He also helps people in trouble. It¡¯s a classic story, but it¡¯s a good one, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°In most modern games, there are multiple heroes fighting together.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, It¡¯s not that different from a single player.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe.¡± (Haru)


    In other words, Haru wants to imitate a hero during this stampede.


    But that¡¯s it.


    ¡°Haru, if we are seen by people, there will be an uproar.¡±


    If anyone finds out about us, we won¡¯t be able to lead a peaceful life as before. In fact, I¡¯m not sure if my days of hiding in dungeons can be called peaceful.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we hide in black clothes as we did before?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It will be difficult to move if people are looking for you. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they find out who we are.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± (Haru)


    Even if you hide your true identity with black clothes, the more famous you become like a black suit, the more people will look for you. There are a lot of people looking for you. You can¡¯t hide your range of activities or your height. There is no way to hide your skills.


    The leader of the group of brave men, Yuki, is probably more powerful than us in terms of his strength.


    For those who don¡¯t use magic or enchantment, he¡¯s only a decent force.


    That wouldn¡¯t be the hero that Haru calls it.


    If so.


    ¡°If we were to be, wouldn¡¯t we be more of a shadow hero even if we did our best?¡± (Kei)


    Helping the real hero like the time against Gan Ceann, we¡¯ll be able to do this without revealing ourselves or even being noticed. We even offered the glory of victory.


    If we are heroes who make the heroes shine, this position would probably be for a shadow hero.


    ¡°Oh, doesn¡¯t a Shadow Hero sound cool?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I wish there was a way to hide our identity.¡± (Haru)


    We may be able to blend in with the other explorers and help them in battle. But that won¡¯t get us to places with strong monsters that normal explorers can¡¯t fight.


    ¡°In the end, we just went back to the beginning.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, if it¡¯s useless to think about it.¡± (Kei)


    I take out our equipment.


    ¡°Would you like to try the simplest one? Let¡¯s just go to the dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, I understand.¡± (Haru) [T/N: You really doused that one. Shame.]


    After deciding that it was useless to think about what we didn¡¯t know and beg for what we didn¡¯t have, we began to explore the Forest.


    ¡°Hmm, there are very few monsters.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, they are too few, as expected.¡± (Kei)


    The inside of the dungeon was different. In a forest where you usually encounter monsters after a short walk, there was still little sign of them.


    ¡°Haru, make some noise.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger. [Impact].¡± (Haru)


    A magic circle appeared in Haru¡¯s hand, and a ball of light flew out from it, hitting a tree in the distance and exploding.


    The tree hit by [Impact] disappears and falls down with a roaring boom. However.


    ¡°Only a few came.¡± (Haru)


    The heads of the four wolves drawn to the sound went flying. Then we began checking the surroundings with [Perception].


    No monster is approaching other than the wolves that have just been defeated.


    ¡°Maybe the monsters that were killed outside the floors have not yet been replenished?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I thought the forest monsters were emptied out during the stampede, but if that¡¯s the case, there might not be anything left on the first level.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, there was no sign of any monster until we entered the Transition Room.¡± (Haru)


    But if that was the case, why didn¡¯t the wolves we just killed leave this level? Was it just a coincidence?


    Moreover,


    ¡°Rimdobmur hasn¡¯t been revived either.¡± (Kei)


    Even if we climb a tree and look up, we can¡¯t see the shadow of the dragon. That giant can be seen even in the distance.


    If we run through the forest while talking like that, we will reach a familiar place.


    ¡°This is the nest of Rimdobmur. What are those?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Has there been anything like this before?¡± (Haru)


    In the middle of Rimdobmur¡¯s nest was a translucent sphere. It¡¯s like,


    ¡°An egg, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right in terms of shape. It¡¯s looked like an egg except that it¡¯s translucent.¡± (Kei)


    The translucent mass is clearly in the shape of an egg.


    When we tried touching it, our hands passed through without touching the egg. Then an unpleasant sensation sticks to the hand. It¡¯s like magical power. It¡¯s very similar to something we felt before.


    It¡¯s something similar to the magical power that the Angus Mercenary Corps used to seal the Rimdobmur.


    If so,


    ¡°Haru, let¡¯s go to the stone monument.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh? I understand.¡± (Haru)


    There must be a hint on that stone monument.

 CH 83

    ¡°Oh, there was a change.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Really¡­¡± (Haru)


    When we got to the bottom of the monument, we saw a hole in the wall behind the monument. As we approached the monument, a part of the wall lit up and disappeared.


    ¡°But this has nothing to do with the anomaly, does it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, it probably does. Maybe we just defeated Rimdobmur and now we can go to the next level?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I guess so. Let¡¯s go there anyway. It¡¯s our first new level, so let¡¯s be careful.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay!¡± (Haru)


    We entered the cave that had formed behind the monument and soon found ourselves on a gentle staircase heading downward. It was an uneven staircase that looked like it had just been carved out of rock.


    The dungeon was not bright like the previous floors, and the only light source was coming from the forest.


    Still, as we descended the stairs, the light source gradually faded, and it became pitch black. Not only could I not see my feet, but I also couldn¡¯t even see my hand in front of me.


    Fortunately, there were no signs of monsters around me, but if they appeared in a place like this, I would have no choice but to run. If I could use my [Spatial Awareness], I might be able to fight, but I don¡¯t want to fight in such a situation.


    ¡°Oh, how about this, [Bomb].¡± (Haru)


    A small dim ball of light shines on Haru¡¯s hand after her chant.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a satisfactory light source, but it is better, right?¡± (Haru)


    The light in Haru¡¯s hand is from her [Bomb] spell was reduced. It¡¯s certainly not enough light if we have to fight, but now I can see my feet, somehow.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s enough. Is your magical power consumption enough?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm. If I intensify the light, it will consume a lot, but if it is about this much, my magical power recovery rate is just enough.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Is that so, keep at it.¡± (Kei)


    The ground changes as we walk while being alert to the surroundings.


    Until now, the path had been bumpy, but suddenly it became smoother.


    ¡°It¡¯s paved.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯ll strengthen the light a little bit.¡± (Haru)


    The ball of light moved a little farther from Haru¡¯s hand and becomes brighter.


    ¡°It¡¯s cobblestone. It¡¯s as if a machine was used to make it. Maybe all these cobblestones are the same size, until the millimeter.¡± (Kei)


    Haru touches the stone pavement and confirms it.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s been worn out over time, and it feels like it¡¯s freshly made. There is still sand here. The places where there is sand are sparse and uneven. It¡¯s hard to believe that it was created together with the dungeon. Brother, do you think the wind blew it this far?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°This cave, the road was created only after we approached it. There was no wind that I could feel. What if the sand is blown by the wind that does it matter?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No, there¡¯s more to it. Does it mean it¡¯s been like this since the dungeon was built?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Or maybe a monster has come and brought it.¡± (Kei)


    I took a step back and patted the ground on the unpaved rock surface.


    My hands remained clean. I could feel the unevenness of the ground, but no sand.


    ¡°Haru, the sand is only on the cobblestones. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s on the rock surface.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Really? Let me check.¡± (Haru)


    Haru checks the rock surface while moving the light on her hands. She walked around for about a minute before returning to me.


    ¡°Brother, there are two possibilities. This rock surface may be an area where monsters cannot enter, and another is¡­¡± (Haru)


    ¡°The other possibility is that the rocky surface was created later. Is that it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That would mean that there are no monsters in this place right now, or at least they¡¯re not walking around, so I think that¡¯s more plausible.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t seen any monsters so far. So, you¡¯re saying that before the rocky surface was formed, someone entered the area, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the dungeon creator, a monster, an alien, or an Otherworlder.¡± (Haru)


    It¡¯s something I¡¯ve never paid attention to before, but the darkness around us makes me warier. I guess that¡¯s why such trivial things bother me.


    I wondered if there was any sand in the area in front of the boss room where the monsters couldn¡¯t get in.


    Now I don¡¯t know. If there was sand on the ground, was it there originally or did it stick to our shoes? Or it could be the ground that was scraped by our shoes.


    In that case, would it be absorbed by the dungeon?


    If it was sand that came in from our shoes, it would disappear. But what about sand that has been scraped off the ground? I don¡¯t know.


    We had entered this part of the dungeon to answer our questions, but now we had more questions.


    ¡°Shall we go forward for now?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know if I think about it anymore.¡± (Haru)


    The first thing we need to do is to find out if there are any monsters in this cobblestone area.


    There are many things I don¡¯t understand, but I feel like I¡¯m getting closer to the essence of the dungeon. That¡¯s why.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to be more careful than ever.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Don¡¯t walk too fast and erase the evidence.¡± (Haru)


    We are not stopping.

 CH 84

    ¡°Hmm, brother. There¡¯s a door.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s a door. It¡¯s bigger than the door of the Boss Room.¡± (Kei)


    As we walked down the dark, cobblestone street, a large door appeared in front of us. The door, which seemed to be made of metal, was larger than the doors in the boss¡¯s room, and in the dark, we could only vaguely make out the whole picture.


    ¡°There were no monsters, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep. Maybe there weren¡¯t any monsters here originally.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think monsters would just open this door and wander in.¡± (Kei)


    Haru slowly and cautiously approached the door and touched it.


    The door slowly opened, and a weak light gradually leaked out from behind it.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s move back.¡± (Haru)


    Haru stepped back to get some distance from the door and held up the tonfa.


    At the same time, I feel something strange leaking out from behind the door.


    ¡°It is the same as the egg of Rimdobmur, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s much stronger than that.¡± (Kei)


    That unidentifiable something is the same kind of curse from the battle with Rimdobmur and Rimdobmur¡¯s egg. It was as if the intensity of it had been amplified and filled the space.


    ¡°Maybe this is the cause of the stampede?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility. I¡¯m not sure if it had anything to do with us defeating Rimdobmur, so I can¡¯t say. It¡¯s not unrelated. Hmm?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ah, the monsters are coming. I guess the only place where there are no monsters is on this side of the door.¡± (Haru)


    I step back from the open door and check the monster with [Perception].


    ¡°Humanoid, a little over 1 meter in size. Has a weapon. Goblin?¡± (Kei)


    The shadow of the enemy I recognized from my [Perception] was almost identical to the goblins I had seen on the first floor. The only differences were that it ran faster and had a weapon. Also. I could tell from their presence that they were strong.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± (Kei)


    With an ugly scream, the goblin appeared from around the corner and leaped towards us, his sword glowing in his right hand.


    ¡°Take this [Bomb]!¡± (Haru)


    The magic that flew out of Haru¡¯s hand flew straight towards the goblin in the air.


    ¡°What the¡ª?!¡± (Haru)


    The next moment, it was sliced by its sword.


    Perhaps this goblin is wiser than the monsters that we¡¯ve faced before.


    When the goblin that cut through the [Bomb] lands as it is, it takes a clean stance and swung its sword from the side.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not sure if this guy is better than me with a sword. Please cover me as I attack.¡± (Kei)


    I intercepted the goblin¡¯s sword with my own, letting the momentum carry the swing, as our swords clashed.


    At the exact moment, my sword hits its sword, I forced my arm and pushed it in, forcing the goblin¡¯s sword upward with my arm.


    The goblin¡¯s arm is dragged upwards, and I take a step to the side and raise my sword instead of following up with another slash.


    ¡°Nice one brother! [Fissure]!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯m moving back!¡±


    A crack appears in the space penetrating the goblin. However, it got away from being killed by twisting its body away from [Fissure], it was not enough to kill it.


    ¡°Well, even if it got away, you shouldn¡¯t stop moving. [Strong Slash].¡± (Kei)


    The skill in the sword caused the blade to glow, and it sliced through the goblin¡¯s neck.


    ¡°You won?¡± (Haru)


    Then Haru kicks the head of a goblin that I slashed. It rolls on the floor before its body turns into a black mist and disappears. There are no drop items.


    Using [Perception] to carefully check that there are no monsters around us before we can lower our weapons.


    ¡°Well, not only does it have skills but it also has swordsmanship and better physique. Those have now become normal.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yep. The speed as it moves is the same as that of a strong monster in the Forest, but if they can avoid or use slash, slow spells may not work against them.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Because it ran straight from outside the range of [Perception], your ability to search for enemies is far better than mine.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°When I noticed, it was already running towards us, so it was searching at a wider range than my [Detection]¡¯.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I wish it was just this goblin¡­ Haru, come over here.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± (Haru)


    I noticed a monster has entered the range of [Perception] and called Haru.


    It seems that [Detection] is not responding to it based on her reply.


    ¡°A monster is coming. It¡¯s a slime with the same size as the first layer. It¡¯s sluggish though.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, my [Detection] is not reacting to it. That means it has [Stealth].¡± (Haru)


    From around the corner where the goblin appeared earlier, I can hear a sloshing sound.


    ¡°The first priority is to avoid them for now. If we can attack safely, we¡¯ll do it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger.¡± (Haru)


    With that reply, a black translucent sludge peeked out from around the corner.

 CH 85

    What appeared in front of us was a black translucent sludge. The gelatinous slime was the same slime we had seen on the first level.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve seen it outside the first floor.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, it looks a little different.¡± (Kei)


    The slime was blacker and slightly larger than the one on the first floor. It moves very slowly. It¡¯s not surprising that it¡¯s not always as fast as it should be when it¡¯s moving at full speed, so we have to be careful.


    ¡°Haru. couldn¡¯t do it earlier because I was in a hurry, but I¡¯ll ask you to use [Inspection].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. [Inspection]. [Inspection]?¡± (Haru)


    Haru repeatedly chanted [Inspection], but each time she does she became more confused. Meanwhile, the slime was steadily approaching.


    ¡°What happened Haru? Is there a problem with the status?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, it looks like [Inspection] is being rejected. [Inspection]. Yeah, it really is.¡± (Haru)


    If you take a closer look at the slime at the moment of Haru¡¯s [Inspection], you¡¯ll see that it shakes a little bit, although it¡¯s hard to tell because it was already gelatinous. However, there was a slight glow whenever it happens.


    Aside from the shaking, a slight glow can be seen once it activates the skill. If it¡¯s magic, it should be a magic circle. If it¡¯s a skill, you can tell by the light when it¡¯s activated.


    It¡¯s not always easy to tell if it¡¯s a skill, but this time it seemed to be a glowing one.


    ¡°It¡¯s specialized on stealth since it hinders [Detection] and [Inspection].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right, so Stealth?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s different.¡± (Kei)


    As we were talking and watching the slime, it suddenly shrunk and reduced in volume.


    ¡°Oops, [Strong Slash].¡± (Kei)


    It jumps at us at a tremendous speed. However, if you are vigilant, you can easily dodge it. Shifting my body, I attack the slime that has passed by me.


    ¡°Oh, brother, good job. That slime is weak.¡± (Haru)


    Haru, too, takes a slight step back to get out of range of the attack and clacks her tonfa as if she¡¯s clapping.


    The slime that was sliced open with [Strong Slash] was split in two and moved in a swirling motion. It seems that the slime has little fighting ability as it can be cut so easily.


    ¡°Oh, hey. Isn¡¯t it getting bigger?¡±


    The slime that was split into two swelled up as it wriggled and writhed. Both swelled to the size of the original slime, then it slowly come towards us like the original slime.


    ¡°Wow, it was split and regenerated into two. I wonder if magic will work.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Maybe it will. But can you wait for a while? I¡¯ll try to beat it with just physical attacks.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay, be careful.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Roger that.¡± (Kei)


    The slime compressed itself again and jumped.


    Shifting my body, a little and letting the sword swing at the destination of the slime without using any skill. The two slimes that jumped into the blade are torn apart and split into two.


    Now there are 4 slimes.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep at it.¡± (Kei)


    The slimes that started to regenerate were sliced further, but the regenerated slimes seemed to be unable to move and were left to their own devices.


    If there are too many slimes, you can catch them with your sword and fling them into the depths of the dungeon, where they will regenerate and return on their own.


    No matter how many times you repeat the process, the slimes will not stop splitting and regenerating, and before you know it, you¡¯ll find yourself surrounded by an overflowing sea of slimes. Whenever I tried to jump, I found myself stepping on other slimes, which crushed them and sent them flying in strange directions.


    ¡°Brother, is it time for me to use magic? Maybe there is no limit to their regeneration?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible to keep slashing at them, at least, from what I see. It seems that at least it can¡¯t be cut down easily. Physical attacks are not effective with them. Magic, please.¡± (Kei)


    ¡° I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a good idea to use a hammer or something similar to crush it without leaving a trace. Here. [Impact] [Decaple].¡± (Haru)


    Ten spells rained down on the slimes and they exploded.


    In the blink of an eye, a large number of slime disappeared, and only a few slimes remained.


    ¡°Maybe they are also resistant to magic. I thought I¡¯ve beaten them all. Or is it their regeneration skill? They¡¯re quite formidable.¡± (Haru)


    The remaining slimes had most of their bodies gouged out, but they were slowly recovering. When I saw this, one skill popped into my head.


    ¡°Oh, this might work. [Seal].¡± (Kei)


    As soon as I felt a large amount of magic power being consumed, a circle with a radius of about 10 meters was formed around me.


    It was the skill I got recently, [Seal].


    I hadn¡¯t used it before, but when I tried it, I realized how useless it was. It consumed too much magic power, and if we couldn¡¯t use magic or skills, we wouldn¡¯t be able to use our rear-guard skills.


    Instead, the regeneration of the slimes stopped, and after wriggling painfully for a while, they disappeared into a black mist.


    It might work in special cases like this, I guess?


    ¡°I should have done this from the beginning.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s an experiment.¡± (Haru)


    We looked around and picked up the items that had fallen at the spot where the last slime had died.


    ¡°Ah, is it a healing item? Or a poison?¡± (Haru)


    Haru seems to have already used [Inspection] and will she¡¯ll tell me the result soon.


    ¡°Regeneration Gel ¡­ Consume the magical power of the user and promote the regeneration of the body. It doesn¡¯t stop until the magical power is gone, so the body may swell and die. ¡°


    I listened to Haru¡¯s explanation and quietly stored it in my item pouch.


    ¡°OK, let¡¯s go?¡± (Kei)


    ¡° Yeah, I didn¡¯t see anything yet. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    Suddenly, we had acquired an incredibly ridiculous potion, and we pretended we hadn¡¯t seen anything as we walked deeper into the dungeon.

 CH 86

    After defeating the slime, we went deeper into the dungeon. The dungeon doesn¡¯t seem to be that big as we are walking. All the roads and turns are at right angles, so it will be easy to make a map.


    Monsters appear less frequently than in the Forest before the stampede, but more frequently than in the Forest post-stampede.


    As with previous dungeons, it will be difficult to determine if the number of monsters has decreased.


    However, the monsters that appear are strong, and although there are currently only goblins and slimes, their fighting ability has been increasing to a certain extent.


    ¡°Brother, we¡¯re not getting close to any slimes, are we?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°None are in the range of [Perception]. How about you with the goblins?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°There¡¯s none within the scope of [Detection].¡± (Haru)


    The fact that there are monsters that sneak past Haru¡¯s [Detection] skills has put a lot of pressure on her. Even if we don¡¯t know the details of the monster, the skill [Detection] has an overwhelmingly wider search range than my [Perception].


    If a monster approached, there was plenty of time to take precautions. But now we don¡¯t know. The fear that they might already be approaching is unfathomable. Even though this is the normal state of an explorer.


    But that¡¯s the same with us.


    Goblins on this level move at an unusually high speed and run straight towards us from outside Haru¡¯s [Detection] range.


    By the time I got them within the range of [Perception], it would just be a few seconds before the goblin was visible.


    I always have to be more alert than usual. Once again, I understand why explorers don¡¯t spend long periods of time searching day after day.


    ¡°Brother, goblin at 2 o¡¯clock.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it. [Speed].¡± (Kei)


    I cast an Enchantment on myself to increase my speed, then sheath my sword and look in the direction of the goblin Haru had instructed me to look.


    The goblin is now within my [Perception]. At the same time, I see the goblin running towards us from afar.


    I lowered my center of gravity and kicked the ground to get into the goblin¡¯s side. If I slash at the goblin as it is, I might get a counterattack if I can¡¯t kill it, so I touch the goblin¡¯s hand holding the sword without grabbing the sword.


    Grabbing the hand, I use the goblin¡¯s momentum to turn it. This is a technique I¡¯ve done before in aikido. The ground was cobblestone, and the goblin was unable to defend itself against my technique.


    The moment the goblin lets go of its weapon due to the momentum of having its hand twisted, I kicked the goblin in midair and put my hand on my sword.


    ¡°[Strong Slash]¡± (Kei)


    I swung the sword down at the neck. If the sword that cuts the goblin hits the ground as it is, my blade may get chipped, so I make sure that only the tip of the sword cuts the goblin. If more than half of the neck is slashed open, the goblin will soon die.


    ¡°Haru, a slime is coming from behind.¡± (Kei)


    I don¡¯t lower my guard even after killing the goblin, and I stare at the defeated goblin until it turns into a black mist, letting Haru know that there¡¯s a slime within my [Perception].


    ¡°Okay. I see it. [Separation].¡± (Haru)


    Watching the goblins turn into black mist, looking behind me I saw the muddy slime¡¯s surface crack.


    The slime gradually loses its volume and turns into a black mist.


    ¡°Nothing is within the scope of [Detection].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°There is no reaction within the range of [Perception] too. I¡¯m tired.¡± (Kei)


    Making sure there are no monsters in the vicinity, we both release a sigh.


    ¡°The goblin drop item is a claw. Maybe the materials from Rimdobmur has better performance, so let¡¯s save it in the item pouch.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°The slime dropped a crystal again.¡± (Haru)


    The monster we had just defeated had a one in two chance of dropping a black stone.


    I feel that there¡¯s magic inside it, even if it looks like obsidian. However, based on the result of Haru¡¯s [Inspection].


    ¡°Magic Crystal¡­ Crystalized Magic.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t explain anything clearly. Does it make sense that the analysis is not a magical crystal but a crystallization of magical power? I don¡¯t know how to use it for the time being, so we¡¯ll have to save it.


    As I received the magic crystal from Haru, I checked her face, and although it was hard to tell, I could see that she was tired.


    By the way, she was sighing a while ago.


    I wonder if Haru can see that I¡¯m tired too. I¡¯m also tired from this exploration.


    ¡°Haru, want to head home?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t been able to explore much, but is that okay?¡± (Haru)


    Haru tilts her head, though she looks a little better.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get hurt. Let¡¯s go home early and rest.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup. I understand.¡± (Haru)


    Kei took his sword and slowly walked back the way they came, keeping an eye on his surroundings.


    Speaking of which.


    It¡¯s probably because they are tired from the battle. The reason for this search, to investigate the stampede, had completely slipped from the minds of the siblings at that moment.

 CH 87

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m tired.¡± (Haru)


    After returning to the Forest on foot, we jumped to the first floor by transferring and came back to our house. As soon as we got to the basement, Haru took off her gear and lay down on the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry the gear up.¡± (Kei)


    I carry Haru¡¯s things and go up the stairs. However, I leave Haru¡¯s equipment in its place and open my computer after removing my own equipment.


    I wonder what happened to the monsters flooding all the dungeons. Looking at the Japanese dungeons in order, I could see that the situation was bad.


    A number of monsters have escaped from the dungeons. They are focusing on monsters that are particularly dangerous to the general public, so more numerous and weaker monsters are escaping.


    However, it seems that no dangerous monsters have left the dungeon yet, and the only people who are evacuating are the residents of the neighborhood, who are safer hiding in their houses if they are even a short distance from the dungeon.


    In addition, there was one more important piece of information. The dungeon is spreading out. In the square in front of the entrance to the dungeon, magic is already flying around and battles with monsters using skills are already taking place.


    It seems that even though we¡¯re outside the dungeon, there¡¯s almost no status drop for the monsters.


    If the dungeons continue to expand at this rate, it won¡¯t be long before the entire planet is a dungeon.


    In developing countries, monsters are already roaming the earth, and goblins have been found being eaten alive by predatory animals.


    ¡°[Speed]¡± (Kei)


    I tried to use the magic as a test, but although it worked, its effect was so slight that I couldn¡¯t feel it.


    It seems that our dungeon has hardly expanded at all. However, since I can use magic, it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not expanding at all.


    If our dungeon continues to expand, it will only be a matter of time before other people notice.


    ¡°Brother, what are you looking at?¡± (Haru)


    Haru lazily came up from the basement and came over to me. She rests her chin on my shoulder and slumps against me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like there are any areas that need to be evacuated right now. But the situation is not good, and although there was no information on it, there are probably going to be fatalities, or maybe there already are. It¡¯s hard to imagine the stampede coming to an end without a major incident.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Moreover, if there are a lot of Forest monsters, they would need a strong explorer to deal with them.¡± (Haru)


    The more I think about it, the more I realize how bad the situation is.


    ¡°Hey, brother. I wonder, is the stampede in this house over because we wiped it out? Or did the key monsters pass by unnoticed among the other monsters that got out?¡± (Haru)


    Haru stopped speaking there and pointed to something written on the edge of the internet page I had opened.


    It was an article from overseas, about a surge of monsters and many deaths. It said that the number of monsters was still increasing.


    ¡°Is it because we didn¡¯t achieve some goal?¡¡If people dying was the cause of the increase in monsters. What if the energy needed for the monsters to grow is the death of people?¡± (Haru)


    When Haru had said that much, I finally understood what she meant.


    ¡°Overseas, it¡¯s not that there were more deaths overseas because there were more monsters.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe there were more monsters because there were more deaths.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°The reason why Rimdobmur did not appear yet.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Because no one died in this dungeon and we defeated all the monsters.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Is this dungeon out of fuel?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What we fought today were monsters that have been in the dungeon for a long time, waiting for explorers.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a new monster that appeared today. That¡¯s why they had fighting skills that they shouldn¡¯t have had right after they were born.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Those skills weren¡¯t originally theirs.¡± (Haru)


    Haru thrusts in as I was beginning to be convinced.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t have anyone to fight, you wouldn¡¯t have developed like that.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That is true.¡± (Kei)


    Even if the last hypothesis is wrong, it will become an even more dangerous situation if the previous ones are right.


    ¡°So, the purpose of this stampede is to replenish the fuel that creates monsters?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So, the dungeon ran out of fuel when we and the mercenaries defeated Rimdobmur at about the same time.¡± (Kei)


    I found a bulletin board on the Internet where people were exchanging information, and I wrote on every one of them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die! If you die, the number of monsters will increase as many die!¡±


    With these words, I put up the URL of the page I just visited.


    When a number of people read it and notice it.


    The battle between the Stampede and the humans,


    It had turned into a war between monsters and humans that are protecting Earth.

 CH 88

    ¡°Brother, we¡¯re getting more and more responses. Some people are saying it¡¯s not true, but I guess they are in the minority.¡± (Haru)


    After spreading our speculation on the Internet that monsters would increase as people died, I was cooking lunch as usual.


    I was relieved to hear this information from Haru, who had been watching the Internet for reactions to our idea.


    Although I didn¡¯t want to stand out, I didn¡¯t necessarily think it was a good idea for other people to die. If there¡¯s a way to save people without being exposed, I¡¯ll do it right away.


    ¡°Haru, what¡¯s going on in Tokyo?¡± (Kei)


    What I¡¯m most interested in is the dungeon in Tokyo. The other dungeons are too far away from here to do anything about it, and it can¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°Hmm, this could be bad. I don¡¯t think they can keep up with the monsters. Also, there are pictures on social media of monsters standing all over the city.¡± (Haru)


    Hearing those words, I thought about it. I think about the risks. And then.


    ¡°Haru. Are you willing to go to Tokyo?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°To protect the city?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°To protect people, to be exact. As our old man said, we should value ourselves more than any number of other people¡¯s lives.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s why¡ª¡± (Kei)


    When I had said that much, Haru continued.


    ¡°If you are absolutely safe, it¡¯s okay to go and help. I want to go to help. Sometimes I want to check things myself.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± (Kei)


    I asked back, not understanding what Haru was trying to confirm.


    ¡°The stampede is too long. I didn¡¯t mind it because we¡¯re probably faster at dealing with monsters than you are, but I think it¡¯s crazy if there are still enough of them to push explorers around.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    I put my newly prepared lunch on the table. Then I look at the internet using our smartphone. There is no information about the stampede settling down in any dungeon around the world.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best to just take a look at the situation and see how we¡¯re doing.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case.¡± (Kei)


    In addition to our usual gear, I prepare something to hide our faces. In the event of an emergency, I transferred the items I would use from my item pouch to my backpack and put them together.


    ¡°Basically, ¡®we¡¯ won¡¯t do anything. If we, do anything, we¡¯ll do it in an inconspicuous way. If we fight in public, we¡¯ll pretend to be Intermediate Explorers.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. I understand.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then, for the time being.¡± (Kei)


    We sat across the table.


    ¡°Want to eat lunch?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°¡±Thank you for the meal.¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    After finishing lunch, we quickly made our preparations and placed the thorns that we had made using [Bind] and [Alchemy] at the entrance of the dungeon, although we were not sure how long they would last.


    And now, we were in Tokyo.


    There were hardly any people walking around the city, which should have been overflowing with people every day.


    I guess it has something to do with the fact that the monsters have left the dungeon. This place is close to a dungeon. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if there were monsters.


    Then, while I was thinking about such things.


    ¡°Brother, there¡¯s a monster over there.¡± (Haru)


    Haru pointed in a direction between buildings, not in the direction of the dungeon.


    ¡°Would you like to go there for the time being? Our status is increasing, so we should wait and see.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Alright.¡± (Kei)


    Since we are in the city, we head toward the direction that Haru¡¯s [Detection] tells us while firmly not pulling out our weapons. As walked a little further, there was something in the range of my [Perception].


    ¡°It¡¯s a goblin. They¡¯re humanoid, so it¡¯s going to be an easy fight.¡± (Kei)


    I looked between the buildings that had the reaction, and there was a goblin looking around. Is it lost?


    The goblin saw us, it raised its hands and jump at us. But.


    ¡°Slow.¡± (Haru)


    The way it runs is unsteady as if it has no strength as if it has already been exercised to the limit.


    And it¡¯s slower than the goblins on the first level. The way he swings his arms and moves his legs.


    I lightly grabbed the hand that the goblin had swung down and spun it around. Since it wasn¡¯t a person, I spun it halfway around and dropped it headfirst to the ground.


    The goblin doesn¡¯t even grunt at that and stops moving. After a few moments, the goblin disappeared.


    ¡°It died too easily.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, are the goblins getting weaker outside of the dungeon?¡± (Kei)


    A goblin of this strength could be defeated by a child. There are situations that you gain the courage to attack unhesitatingly an enemy who is trying to kill you.


    Of course, the goblin gave no drops.


    ¡°Well, do you want to go to the dungeon?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Haru)


    We left the place where there were no traces of goblins and headed for the dungeon.


    As we approached the dungeon, we began to hear people¡¯s voices, which became louder and louder.


    Cursing, shouting, and screaming. We could also hear the roar of monsters, and the sound of metal clashing.


    It seems that at least some monsters with hard metal-like parts have come out to the surface.


    I went to the square in front of the dungeon and found it crowded with people. Most of them were probably spectators.


    A fence had been put up to confine the monsters that had come out of the dungeon, and explorers seemed to be fighting the monsters inside the fence.


    Monsters that tried to climb the fence without fighting the explorer were hit from outside the fence and fell back inside.


    Just as I thought, there was a scream and the mass of people parted neatly. There was a goblin who must have climbed over the fence. The goblin, which had fallen off the fence and was lying on the ground, immediately stood up and jumped at the nearest woman.


    Its steps seemed faster than those of the goblin we had just fought.


    ¡°Hey, stop. You.¡± (Kei)


    Haru, who had somehow stepped forward, grabbed the goblin by the neck and brought it to the ground again. And then.


    ¡°Hiyaa!¡± (Haru)


    She grabbed its leg and swung it around and threw it inside the fence.


    It must have been a little too low. The goblin hit its head on the fence, spun around, and fell inside the fence.


    Haru looked around and noticed that the eyes of the people around her were on her.


    ¡°Brother¡±


    The cool image she had earlier was nowhere to be seen as she rushed towards me, hiding her face.

 CH 89

    After consoling Haru, who came back with her face hidden, I asked a nearby person about the current situation.


    According to the person, many explorers, mainly ¡°893¡± and ¡°Yamato Nadeshiko¡±, are trying to break through the Tokyo Dungeon, but there are currently several monsters on the ground.


    There is a possibility that the speed of the explorers¡¯ extermination is not fast enough, or worse, that the situation is beyond imagination.


    In the dungeon, where electronic devices cannot be used, there is no way to communicate information. Even so, once they returned by transfer, they would not be able to return to the depths of the dungeon that day.


    In the end, there was very little that I could learn from the conversation. In the first place, many of the onlookers outside the fence seemed to be people who were not even explorers.


    If that were the case, they wouldn¡¯t know the danger level of the monsters, and even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t be able to give detailed information based on their assessment of the situation.


    ¡°So, Haru. What are we going to do?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve been confirming who¡¯s entering the dungeon. If we can get in, we¡¯ll go to the Forest, and then we¡¯ll follow the monsters up to the top. Or the other way around.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If you attack from above, there¡¯s a chance we¡¯ll get dragged down by weaker monsters and won¡¯t be able to advance. It¡¯s probably safer on the ground, but we can¡¯t support the explorers from behind.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go from below.¡± (Haru)


    After deciding how to move into the dungeon, we quickly went to a nearby public restroom to change our clothes.


    With the monsters coming out of the dungeon, it was only natural that the changing room I had used before was no longer available.


    I changed into a black hoodie over my usual gear. I pulled the hood up to cover my face.


    I put all the clothes I had changed into an item pouch and hid them under the hoodie.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll plow through before they say anything else.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger!¡± (Haru)


    Both of us, without weapons, waited for the moment when there would be a gap in the crowd of people at the fence. And then.


    ¡°Now!¡± (Kei)


    The moment the goblin climbs over the fence and falls to this side of the fence, we start running. The crowd makes a path to the fence to get away from the goblin.


    As soon as the goblin wakes up, Haru steps on its head and jumps over the fence. I followed suit, slashing the goblin¡¯s neck lightly with my knife, which I only took out for a moment so that it wouldn¡¯t be visible to others, and then jumped upwards. The distance was a little too short, so I grabbed the fence, lifted myself up, and landed behind it.


    I watched as the goblin turned into a black mist behind me, and entered the dungeon with surprised explorers around me.


    When we entered the Forest area, we saw a different scene than the usual Forest and our home dungeon where the monsters had disappeared.


    A dozen or so explorers had gathered at the exit of the cave. It was also the entrance to the Forest, and they were facing the direction of the Forest.


    ¡°This is not good. Can we handle it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not noticeable. The enemy here is really strong, and it¡¯s obviously a monster we¡¯ve never seen before.¡± (Haru)


    There were three huge monsters camped outside the cave. All of them were probably unique monsters.


    The first is a Red Bear. Is it about 5 meters in size? The second one was a white earth dragon that didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of hiding in the ground. And the last one is a Silver Treant.


    Except for the unique monsters, I couldn¡¯t see any of them. Maybe all the other monsters in the forest had already been killed or were on their way up.


    It seems that the short-range attacks of the Earth Dragon and the Bear, along with the medium-range attacks of the Treant, have made it impossible to reach them.


    ¡°Haru, which one do you want?¡± (Kei)


    If we destroy even one of them, the burden on the other explorers will be reduced. If so, which one will be the most troublesome for the other explorers to deal with?


    ¡°Then, it¡¯s the Treant. From the looks of it, most of the other explorers seem to be good at melee combat.¡± (Haru)


    Among the explorers Haru pointed to, there were two parties that I remember seeing on the internet news. ¡°893¡± and ¡°Yamato Nadeshiko¡±. And,


    ¡°Hmm? Is that Itsuki-san?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, right. The person we met in Morioka. If she¡¯s here, she must be pretty strong. Then let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Haru)


    I run past the explorer and leap in front of the three monsters. [T/N: My bad, Karen Isogi was Karen Itsuki apparently. She¡¯s their Father¡¯s (Shiki) acquaintance.]


    With the knife in my right hand, I blocked the bear¡¯s fist from in front of me and twisted my body to avoid the claws of the earth dragon. And then.


    ¡°[Strong Slash]¡± (Kei)


    I pulled out my sword from my item pouch and hit the branch of the Treant that was stretching out.


    I couldn¡¯t cut it off, but the movement of the branches was slowed down with a dull creak.


    ¡°Take, this!¡± (Haru)


    Haru slams her Tonfa into Treant¡¯s non-reacting face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take some distance.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger.¡± (Haru)


    We, who have now attracted the Treant¡¯s attention more than enough, run deep into the Forest.


    From behind, the Treant chases after us knocking down trees as it moves.


    It took about a minute. We ran straight away, but there was no sign of any other monsters, and we were far enough away that we couldn¡¯t even see the entrance to the forest.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s far enough away. Haru, please. [Chain] [Curse].¡± (Kei)


    Something black enveloped Treant.


    ¡°Leave it to me because it will be done soon. [Collapse] [Decaple].¡± (Haru)


    Treant¡¯s movements are completely suppressed, and its body is crushed by ten black spheres.


    ¡°This is the end. [Prison Gate]¡± (Haru)


    A black hole opens underneath the crushed Treant, completely ignoring Treant¡¯s resistance and sucking it in.


    ¡°You¡¯re done. Want to go home?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, if we get rid of this one, the others will be easier. Let¡¯s go back slowly and carefully, I guess?¡± (Haru)


    With no one else¡¯s eyes on them, the siblings easily defeated the unique monster, and without feeling the fatigue of battle, they began to leisurely return home.

 CH 90

    As we were walking to get out of the Forest, we heard the sound of battle from afar. I looked over to see the explorers standing around against the two unique monsters we had just seen.


    ¡°Is it okay to leave them alone?¡± (Haru)


    Haru muttered, and at the same time, a bear fell to its knees and was decapitated by a sword.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think they are having a hard time. They¡¯re tired, but they¡¯re not going to get seriously injured.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I doubt it.¡± (Haru)


    The sound of an explosion and the scream of the final one, the dragon, can be heard.


    I¡¯m sure the dragon has suffered some injuries as well.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re going to go to the first level and check?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    We bent down, hid in the bushes, and tried to sneak out so that they wouldn¡¯t see us as they fought. That¡¯s when it happened.


    ¡°Kya!¡± (Explorer)


    At the same time, we hear a cute voice coming from the side where the explorers are fighting, and at the same time, a person falls into our view.


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous¡±


    I hurriedly reached out my hand to support the body. It¡¯s probably because of her status. She stops without hitting the ground. But this is unexpected.


    ¡°¡±Oh¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    Haru and my voice overlap.


    Whenever a human falls, they try to grab something nearby. This time it was just my head. It was probably just a coincidence. But this time, I had to curse the coincidence.


    Her hand firmly grabbed the hood of my head and yanked it off. Our eyes met.


    ¡°Hello. Itsuki-san.¡± (Kei)


    I said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Go. Finish it Pyon-chan!¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was followed by the scream of a dragon. And then I heard the sound of it falling. It seems that they were able to defeat the dragon as well.


    Itsuki-san looks at me and Haru several times and reveals a terrified expression.


    ¡°You guys are the ones I met at my parents¡¯ house. But those clothes are the people from earlier, right? And what about the monster from earlier?¡± (Karen)


    Itsuki-san seems to remember my face well and becomes confused.


    ¡°Where did Itsuki-san go? Is she safe?¡± (Explorer)


    Another explorer who was fighting may have noticed that Itsuki-san was missing. She was looking around and calling out for Itsuki-san.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. The person from earlier, Kya!¡± (Karen)


    Haru pulled Itsuki-san¡¯s shoulder, who was panicking and trying to find answers from us, Haru placed her hand on her mouth.


    Then she brought her index finger in front of her mouth, a gesture to keep quiet


    In order to not draw attention and there¡¯s the fact that I can¡¯t grab the woman, I throw something from my item pouch into the distance.


    ¡°What is that?¡± (Explorer)


    The explorers all took up their weapons and looked in the direction of the sound. But there are exceptions to this rule.


    ¡°Haru, get down.¡± (Kei)


    When I noticed it, I forcibly pulled Haru¡¯s hand. Itsuki-san leaves Haru¡¯s hand and Haru crouches. The next moment, a silver animal passed through the place where Haru¡¯s head was just before.


    ¡°Whoa. Is that an Experience Bonus Rabbit?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Why is it here? It¡¯s quite strong.¡± (Haru)


    The rabbit stands in front of us as if to protect Itsuki-san.


    I stopped myself from pulling out my sword, knowing that I had found some good experience.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry, but there seems to be something wrong. And if we fight, they¡¯ll know we¡¯re here, so let¡¯s run.¡± (Haru)


    The explorers, who had been distracted by the noise earlier, began to notice that there were no monsters.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry. I hope you don¡¯t mind if we¡¯re not mentioned. We¡¯re on your side.¡± (Kei)


    I said and started to run to get out of the forest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone get killed. Bye-bye. Oops, that was close.¡± (Haru)


    Haru waved her hand briefly and began to run as well. It seems that she saw an opening there. Experience Bonus Rabbit aims a kick at Haru¡¯s face, but she evades it easily by tilting her face with a smile.


    The rabbit, whose attack did not hit, ran straight into the explorers.


    ¡°Woah!¡± (Explorer)


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± (Explorer)


    ¡°Oh, what is it Pyon-chan?¡± (Explorer)


    I hear a surprised voice from behind. Fortunately, the Experience Bonus Rabbit seems to have caught their eye and we weren¡¯t exposed.


    ¡°Itsuki-san, did you fall again?¡± (Explorer)


    ¡°No, I just stumbled. Haha.¡± (Karen)


    The voice of Itsuki-san covering for us never reached us.


    ¡°So, Haru. What should we do?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, for now, I think we should take the shortest route to the surface.¡± (Haru)


    We¡¯re going up a long flight of stairs from the Forest to the 15th floor. However, we are not walking as seriously as we did at first, we are jumping high and kicking the walls as we acrobatically go up.


    It¡¯s a fast-paced feat made possible by our enhanced status. Thanks to this, I am able to go up the stairs several times faster than I normally would.


    ¡°Haru, do you remember the way?¡± (Kei)


    I suddenly wondered. I had only passed this way once before.


    ¡°Perfectly. On the contrary, I don¡¯t remember anything other than the shortest route.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you to guide me as usual.¡± (Kei)


    As soon as I made the last jump and reached the 15th floor, we passed through the boss room and ran to the 14th floor.


    In order to one-sidedly defeat the monsters heading for the ground.


    Without thinking that there are more enemies than those before.


    Part of the cave. It was an unfamiliar place where the ground was dyed bright red.


    The screams of the monsters echoed through the cave, and then, their voices were cut off with the sound of something being torn apart.


    Dripping. Gnashing. The sounds of liquid dripping and chewing echoed through the air.


    But no one hears that sound. They had already disappeared.

 CH 91

    ¡°Brother, if we turn there, we¡¯ll be on the seventh floor.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Already the seventh floor? I guess there are no monsters after all.¡± (Kei)


    We¡¯ve been running ever since we left the Forest, but we¡¯ve been able to go up the dungeon at a pretty fast pace.


    Thanks to our status, we didn¡¯t get tired, and since no monsters appeared, we didn¡¯t have to slow down or feel mentally fatigued.


    I guess all the monsters have already left the ground. Would it have been better to stay at the entrance and defend myself instead of entering the dungeon? Such thoughts crossed my mind.


    The absence of monsters made me feel uneasy, but I climbed the stairs and stopped.


    I looked for a monster using my [Perception]. Nothing is there. I wonder if it¡¯s out of my range.


    ¡°Haru, you sense any presence?¡± (Kei)


    I ask her, but she¡¯s already stiff with a serious expression. I waited for about five seconds, and she shook her head.


    ¡°No. Nothing at all. There¡¯s no sign of anything. No monsters, no people.¡± (Haru)


    If that¡¯s the case, then what is this? The smell of blood drifts from this area.


    The smell of blood.


    Even if you can smell blood during the process of killing a monster, the smell disappears as soon as the monster dies.


    There is no reaction from the living monsters around me even if I search for them with my skills.


    If that¡¯s the case, the smell of blood means that a person has shed a lot of blood here.


    ¡°Brother, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°No monsters, apparently. There¡¯s no blood anywhere that I can see. Let¡¯s proceed with caution.¡±


    I think someone died here, a human being. What could be the cause?¡¡A pack of monsters?¡¡Pure lack of fighting ability?


    I really doubt it. There would be no weak explorers entering the dungeon during this stampede.


    The only other possibility is a unique monster. It¡¯s a strong possibility.


    If so, has the monster been defeated yet? Seeing that a powerful unique monster was stranded in the forest, it¡¯s highly possible that the unique monster here is a weaker one.


    Yes, it¡¯s possible.


    ¡°Brother, dodge!¡± (Haru)


    Her voice seemed to be coming from somewhere far away.


    I didn¡¯t have time to think about anything else. I think it was almost a conditioned reflex.


    A glittering wall made of [Intangible Armor] formed beside me.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a red silhouette break through the wall I had just built without any difficulty and I was immediately blown away.


    I feel my consciousness edging to oblivion.


    My body that flew straight to the side probably flew more than ten meters without hitting the ground because I was tossed quite strongly before I fell to the ground.


    Even after I hit the ground, the momentum isn¡¯t dissipated and I just rolled over and over.


    I reached out with my left hand to stop my body from rolling, but it somehow passed through.


    Before I could reach out with my right hand, I slammed into the wall and came to a stop.


    My vision was spinning and I couldn¡¯t see my surroundings clearly. Though I am not dizzy. My vision is covered in red.


    ¡°Brother¡ª¡± (Haru)


    I hear a voice calling me from afar. I felt as if my consciousness had become a little clearer.


    My vision was as dark as ever. I wonder if I¡¯m bleeding. I wiped my eyes with my right hand.


    My vision became a little clearer. My vision was red. The ground, the walls, and the ceiling were all red.


    Is this blood?


    I felt a liquid on my right hand. I looked over and saw that my hand was stained red with red liquid.


    I wondered why this place was so bloody. What was that thing that blew me up? I put my hands on the ground and tried to stand up, but my body rolled to the left.


    ¡°Oh, this must, be a joke.¡± (Kei)


    The words spilled out in a choppy string.


    I should be able to stand with both arms, right? Both arms.


    Holding both hands in front of my face I froze. I only had my right hand in front of me.


    Pain suddenly shot through my left arm.


    It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. No, this is burning!?


    ¡°GIIIIYAAAAAA!!!¡± (Kei)


    I screamed like an animal due to the intense pain.


    My vision becomes distorted again. On the contrary, the pain makes my head clear. I want to faint, but I can¡¯t.


    ¡°Brother, are you okay? Wait a minute. Portion, oh. Quickly, quickly.¡± (Haru)


    Haru comes into my distorted vision.


    Haru takes something out of her bag and drops it.


    She picks it up again, manages to open the lid with trembling hands, and drops it again.


    I roll over and touch the base of my left hand to the spilled potion.


    With a sizzling sound of something burning, the pain fades. The wound stopped bleeding and then closes.


    I guess I didn¡¯t have enough of the potion. The closed wound was a tattered mess, though it was no longer bleeding, there was no left hand there.


    ¡°Haru, what happened?¡± (Kei)


    I said slowly and looked at Haru, who was looking back at me with a frightened look on her face.


    ¡°What is that?¡± (Haru)


    What I saw was a humanoid creature with a height of about 2 meters. It is so close but there is no reaction from [Perception].


    The color of the body is sparse, ranging from black to white, and there are many large and small hands growing out of every part of the body.


    Only one feather sprouted from its waist, and it had a two-pronged tail. One end of the tail was like a pair of scissors, and the other end was shaped like a human face.


    It had no lips, so its teeth were bare and black. A beak sprouted from its cheek, and for some reason, the place where hair should have been was filled with countless eyes.


    ¡°Hungry, Eat.¡± (Creature) [T/N: Its words are in katakana so it must be speaking in a different language.]


    In his hand, he was holding a human¡¯s left hand.


    The left hand that had been attached to my body until just a while ago was slowly brought to its mouth as if it¡¯s making me watch it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat that!¡± (Haru)


    Haru shouted. Its arm, which was moving to the front of its mouth, blew off as if it exploded, and my hand rolled on the ground.


    Haru is now holding a morning star.


    Haru¡¯s eyes are full of rage, and there is not a shadow of fear.


    ¡°Hurt, No.¡± (Creature)


    The creature stares stunned at its missing arm. Bubbles gush out from the wound in its arm. The foam becomes finer and finer, and the volume increases. In just a few seconds, it had grown long and thin, and its original hand was there again.


    I pull out my sword with only my right hand and stand up, using it as support. I wobble a little, probably because my weight has changed. I don¡¯t think I can fight like this.


    The wound on my left hand is closed, but it still hurts, and I¡¯m aware that my body is not moving properly in front of that thing. Perhaps it¡¯s the fear of losing my arm.


    Yet, somehow, even though I was supposed to be terrified of the creature in front of me, my head was the calmest it had ever been. Behind me was a wall. The place where I was blown up was a dead end.


    Fortunately, the monster didn¡¯t move. It didn¡¯t attack us, it just stared at us blankly.


    I put my sword back on my hip, put my hand on Haru¡¯s shoulder, and spoke to her.


    ¡°Haru, do you know its name and strength?¡± (Kei)


    Haru glanced at me with a surprised expression and looked at me with a few tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Fake Chimera Gluttony. I don¡¯t know what its strength is. The numbers keep changing and changing too fast for me to read.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then we have no choice.¡± (Kei)


    I take out my scythe, my Treasure Tool, in my right hand.


    ¡°Haru, there is no way out. We¡¯re going to get out of here alive, no matter what it takes.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes!¡± (Haru)


    With our determination, the battle was on.

 CH 92

    ¡°Haru, there is no way out. We¡¯re going to get out of here alive, no matter what it takes.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes!¡± (Haru)


    I aim at the Fake Chimera Gluttony. Spells are thrown to the chimera one after another. At the same time, I used the registered three spells and skills in [Shortcut].


    ¡°[Slow] [Loss] [Unprotect] [Curse]¡± (Kei)


    All the debuff spells I can use.


    ¡°[Shortcut] Haru, go for maximum firepower.¡± (Kei)


    Using [Bind], thorny vines began appearing like they are growing from the space around the chimera, and while wrapping around the chimera, the numbers increase a hundred-fold wrapping the chimera over and over.


    [Bind], [Chain] and [Positioning] are now registered in [Shortcut].


    By using [Positioning] I can target where the spell will land and activate, the thorny vines of [Bind] appeared from around it, and it multiplied because of the effect of [Chain].


    Even if that chimera has the power to blow me away. I will be able to stop it from moving with that number of thorny vines. Then for Haru.


    ¡°Here I go. [Rampage].¡± (Haru)


    A blast of magical power came from Haru. Haru holds her Morning Star like a spear and began sprinting towards the Chimera.


    ¡°[Barrier].¡±


    The Chimera swung its arm, but it was deflected by the [Barrier] that was activated in a slant, but she ducked her head.


    Still, Chimera¡¯s arm breaks through the [barrier], and the arm passes just above Haru¡¯s head.


    ¡°Take this!¡± (Haru)


    Haru charges straight towards the Chimera and pushes her Morning Star against its belly.


    The chimera¡¯s body seems soft and hungry enough to swallow half of the Morning Star.


    ¡°[Decaple] [Impact]¡± (Haru)


    Along with a strong light, the belly of the Chimera that Haru hit with the Morning Star expands and explodes with a loud boom.


    Half of its body is blown away by the explosion. Everything below the waist disappears, and the abdomen and chest are well scooped out. My [Bind] was also completely blown away.


    ¡°Hurt, No, Eat, Eat.¡± (Creature => Gluttony)


    The chimera still crawled and moved, picking up and eating the scattered pieces of itself as it shouted. As it did so, bubbles began to erupt from the lower part of its missing waist.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I have a method for your recovery. Haru, move back. [Seal].¡± (Kei)


    When I invoked that magic, I could feel the magic power drain out of me at a tremendous rate.


    However, it seemed to be quite effective. The regenerating foam stopped, and the foam that have lost its shape fall to the ground.


    The Chimera reached out to scoop up the fallen foam, but it turned into a mist and disappeared before it could reach its hand. After a few attempts, when the bubbles were completely gone, it slowly raised its head and its eyes met mine.


    ¡°Are you ready to lose your whole body?¡± (Kei)


    I swung my scythe, though it was difficult to use since I only had my right hand. It¡¯s a treasure weapon, so it¡¯s very powerful and has a longer reach than a sword.


    ¡°Hungry, Eat, Hindrance¡± (Gluttony)


    The chimera strikes at me, changing the shape of its arm thus changing its reach. It seems that even though the regenerating foam is a skill, being able to transform its body is an innate characteristic.


    I match my scythe to the swung arm, parry, and slash at it. Even so, I¡¯m no expert with a scythe, and it seems to have been too much for me.


    My hands gradually went numb from the impact, and I couldn¡¯t move them. I was out of breath, and my headache was getting worse.


    ¡°Haru, can you take over for a moment?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay. Can you stop the chimera from moving?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Roger that!¡± (Kei)


    I met its attack many times, looking for an opening, and at the best time, without using the scythe, I entered the Chimera¡¯s range. And then.


    ¡°Got you!¡± (Kei)


    The scythe¡¯s blade pegged the chimera¡¯s body into the ground. I stopped [Seal] so that Haru could use her magic. By that time, I had no more than 10% of my magical power left.


    ¡°Brother, good job [Prison Gate]!¡± (Haru)


    A huge hole appears underneath the chimera that is fixed to the ground. However, the chimera is probably too strong, and instead of completely entering the hole, it is flailing about on top of it.


    ¡°Haru, push it in!¡± (Kei)


    I pulled out the [Intangible Armor] that was broken by the Chimera earlier and wrapped it around Haru¡¯s Morning Star, which was driving at the Chimera, to form a hammer.


    ¡°¡±Go!¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    With a loud sound like the rumbling of the earth, the Chimera¡¯s body sunk and we broke the stalemate.


    ¡°Hungry!!!¡± (Gluttony)


    Chimera was sucked into the [Prison Gate] after that unnerving cry.


    The [Prison Gate] that completely swallowed the chimera shrank slowly, before disappearing.


    From where the [Prison Gate] disappears, a black magic circle and a purple jewel remained.


    I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s fatigue, but my vision seems to be spinning in circles.


    Nevertheless.


    ¡°We won.¡±


    I reach for the purple jewel that fell in front of me and feel my vision spin around.


    This is not good.


    My consciousness disappeared as I realized such a trivial thing.


    I slowly open my eyes.


    I wonder where I am. An unknown room. White ceiling and walls. I¡¯m lying on a bed.


    And next to the bed, an IV drip.


    ¡°Oh, a hospital?¡± (Kei)


    I close my eyes and feel a weight on my stomach. I try to reach out with my left hand, which doesn¡¯t have an IV in it, but then I remember I don¡¯t have a left hand.


    I had no choice but to lift my face and look to see Haru sleeping soundly with a peaceful look on her face. She was sitting on a chair next to the bed, her head resting on my stomach.


    I couldn¡¯t move my right hand and didn¡¯t have my left, so I lifted my leg gently to shake her.


    ¡°Haru, wake up.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, morning?¡± (Haru)


    Haru rubs her eyes sleepily and stretches when she wakes up. She then looked at her surroundings again and wondered what was going on.


    Of course, she couldn¡¯t see anything because her eyes were closed, but this seemed to be a habit.


    She stopped moving for a few seconds, then slowly opened her eyes, looked at me, and opened them again. Her mouth opened as well.


    ¡°Brother, you got up. I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve finally woken up.¡± (Haru)


    As if she was truly relieved, Haru plopped down on my stomach again and repeated over and over that she was glad. I was a little annoyed that I couldn¡¯t even pat her head.


    When Haru was back to normal, I asked her what had happened so far. Incidentally, I was touched to see that Haru¡¯s eyes were moist when she looked up, and she began to act cheerfully to hide it.


    ¡°First of all, why did I collapse? I want to know the reason.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s anemia. You lost a lot of blood if you think about it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So what did you do with me when I collapsed?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I carried you. I carried you in my arms like a princess because I was physically strong enough to run. I took off our black hoodie because it could expose us, and put it in my item pouch.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± (Kei)


    Even though she was in a hurry, she seemed to have taken all the necessary measures to prevent our identities from being exposed.


    It seems that we are seen as the brother, me, who lost his left hand when he was defeated by a monster, and the strong sister, Haru, who can away from the monster while carrying him.


    Before I knew it, my reputation was slipping.


    ¡°Was that the last one. Is Stampede over?¡± (Kei)


    This is what I wanted to ask the most. If the stampede was still going on in Tokyo, there was no point in us going there.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s over, Tokyo is the last one in Japan, and most of the world seems to be over too. It seems that the government is trying to support the explorers and weed out the monsters because it would be a disaster if something like this happened again. In other countries, there have been many cases of very strong monsters leaving the dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    Haru opens her phone and shows it to me. On it was written testimonies from several explorers.


    We were fighting three rather powerful monsters called Unique Monsters in the forest on the 16th floor. At that time, two people in black clothes came to our rescue.


    They easily damaged the monsters, pulled them away from us, and disappeared deep into the forest.


    With that kind of strength, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re still alive and returning to the surface. Without them, there was a good chance that we would have died.


    So we send our greatest thanks to them.


    Thank you so much for saving us.


    ¡°Oh, we were able to help.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, even if we couldn¡¯t be the Hero, we could still be their savior, right? We achieved our goal.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Our goal?¡± (Kei)


    I tilted my head at the unfamiliar words.


    ¡°You see, you told me at the beginning. You said that we could be shadow heroes.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, yeah that happened.¡± (Kei)


    I think the first time I said that was when I wanted to do something against Stampede. At first, it was a word that came to my mind when I thought about entertaining ourselves, but we arrived at this point.


    ¡°We did it because we became strong. Before we knew it, we were the strongest. We were even stronger than the Angus Mercenary Corps.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°At first it was for fun.¡± (Kei)


    There is a rattling noise, and the door of the hospital room opens.


    ¡°Oh, Kizaki-san, you¡¯re up. I¡¯m calling the doctor now, so please wait for a while.¡± (Nurse)


    When the nurse came in, she looked a little surprised when she saw me, and then went out of the room again.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m stepping out for a while because I think I¡¯m going to get in the way. I¡¯ll buy myself a drink.¡± (Haru)


    Haru gave a small wave and walked out with light steps.


    I muttered to myself about what had happened and the current situation.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to be the strongest while we¡¯re searching for entertainment. What am I saying?¡± (Kei)


    I closed my eyes again and was woken up by the nurse who came in again.

 CH 93

    A single arm moves between the keyboard and the mouse.


    What was displayed on the computer monitor was the damage situation in each country.


    In Japan, there were few monsters that overflowed the dungeon, and most of the ones that escaped were reportedly defeated.


    However, they didn¡¯t seem to know the details of the number of monsters that had escaped, so there was a high possibility that there were still monsters outside the dungeon.


    In countries that are overrun with monsters, it is said that monsters are moving freely around the dungeon.


    Another phenomenon that is noticeably happening in such countries overflowing with monsters is the expansion of the dungeon range.


    The range in which the status of people and monsters becomes effective and enhanced is gradually expanding.


    This phenomenon seems to be progressing slowly in countries like Japan, where there are few monsters that have overflowed.


    On the Internet, there is a belief that the phenomenon will spread as monsters leave the area. If this is the case, it will just be a matter of time.


    If this is the case, then the dungeons in Japan, which have not stopped expanding, albeit only little by little, prove that there are still monsters outside.


    In fact, the progression of Tokyo¡¯s Dungeon in the city is the slowest of all the dungeons in Japan.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be the only reason, can it?¡± (Kei)


    I muttered to myself and closed my computer.


    I looked at my watch and saw that it was 24:00. Haru is long asleep. I was sitting on the stairs leading up from the basement, working on the computer.


    I set the closed computer down beside me and stand up with my phone in my hand. Standing right next to the entrance to the dungeon, I chanted.


    ¡°[Power]¡± (Kei)


    Confirming that my body has gained power, I take one step back. Once your body is out of the dungeon¡¯s range, I feel the loss of my status and magic power.


    ¡°If it¡¯s just the effect of the monsters leaving the dungeon, then it doesn¡¯t explain why the dungeon range of my house is expanding, does it?¡± (Kei)


    I take a glance at the calendar hanging on the wall, hold the laptop I just put down, and go up to the first floor. The year had started a few days ago, and I was getting used to living without my left hand.


    However, due to the inconvenience of losing my arm and reconfirming the dangers of dungeons, I haven¡¯t explored any dungeons since the day I fought the chimera.


    The equipment in the vault has never been taken out, and Haru has never asked to enter the dungeon.


    Haru is living as relaxed a life as she did before the dungeon was built. She has started to pull out a futon for me and has recently started to dabble in cooking.


    It tasted indescribably strange, no, I don¡¯t know why I can¡¯t remember it well, but it was nice to know that my sister was taking care of me like this.


    I put the computer on the table and took a glass of water from the table and drank some water. As I feel the water moisten my dry mouth, I am lost in thought.


    Our current source of funds was from selling items in the dungeon. There were still a lot of items that we hadn¡¯t sold yet, so we could live easily for a while, but it would be difficult to live forever.


    And not everything can be sold at the current price. There were things like the stampede this time. Some people may stop being explorers, but more people will be willing to dive into the dungeon.


    I am sure that more and more new items will be discovered, and their quality will improve. If this happens, items that can be sold for millions of dollars now may someday be sold in stores around the corner.


    What¡¯s more, our dungeon was almost completely devoid of monsters.


    I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on now that the stampede is over, but if the monsters are still coming out slowly, we¡¯ll have to change our main dungeon exploration location to Tokyo.


    If I do that, I need to make it look like I¡¯m gradually getting stronger to match the other explorers. There are a lot of problems.


    However.


    I yawned.


    I¡¯m getting sleepy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a good talk with Haru tomorrow.¡± (Kei)


    Yes, I tried to fluff it up before going into the futon.


    The futon was really cold.

 CH 94

    ¡°So, that¡¯s the plan. What do you think, Haru?¡± (Kei)


    At the breakfast table, we talked about our future funds and dungeon exploration.


    At first, when I told her that we might have to dive into the dungeon, she glanced anxiously at the spot where my hand was. Still, as the conversation turned to financial matters, she began to seriously consider it.


    ¡°That means we should leave aside the fact that we shouldn¡¯t dive in with our emotions hindering us, right?¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s gaze sharpens as she looks me in the eye.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s possible to live in ways other than dungeon exploring. But we¡¯re both junior high school graduates, and I¡¯m missing a hand. It won¡¯t be easy to find work.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± (Haru)


    Haru closed her eyes and looked down. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s trying to hold something back, but she¡¯s really thinking about it.


    ¡°Hey, brother. How much do you think we can get if we sell everything we have now?¡± (Haru)


    There are almost no material-type items we have on hand. This is because we used everything, we had stocked in the last match against Rimdobmur.


    So, what about items that are not material-type? What about items that I got in dungeons or equipment that I made myself? Magic Tools. Skill Plates with trash skills.


    There are only a few magic tools and equipment dropped by monsters, to begin with.


    It is very rare to get expensive equipment that can be sold for a high price. The same is true for magic tools. Even if you are skilled, the number of items you can get is limited.


    Equipment that you have modified or made yourself is cheap because it is second-hand, to begin with.


    Even if you sell them all, it¡¯s not enough for two people to live on.


    ¡°It might be a decent amount.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°A little bit, right? The most expensive item is probably the item pouch.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°The value will gradually decrease.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Is it difficult to sell everything while the price is high?¡± (Haru)


    Haru thought about it for a while and then let out a small sigh.


    ¡°Brother, can you even move? You don¡¯t have your other hand.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s question stabbed straight at him.


    Haru stands in front of the vault, opens the door and pulls out a tonfa, takes one, stands up unsteadily, and points it at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared. Just holding a weapon makes my hands shake. It reminds me of that time, and I think the worst.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s hand was trembling slightly. Her hand slowly opens and the Tonfa falls.


    ¡°We¡¯re just lucky we¡¯re still alive. I think about that. How many times are we going to be lucky?¡± (Haru)


    Haru bends down again, picks up the tonfa, and throws it into the open safe.


    The safe that Tonfa was thrown into closed from the impact.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather live in poverty to the bitter end than see my brother die.¡± (Haru)


    Before I knew it, Haru¡¯s eyes had changed to glare, and she was staring right into mine.


    ¡°Still you wish to dive into the dungeon?¡± (Haru)


    I can see Haru¡¯s eyes slightly welled up. Seeing that, hearing those words, there was nothing I could say.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± (Kei)


    I slowly stood up and walked towards the door.


    ¡°I need some fresh air.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°¡®kay.¡± (Haru)


    Haru did not see me off.


    The sun hadn¡¯t even risen yet. I turned to the light pouring in from the side and slowly walked out.


    What I was thinking about was money. To live. I put my emotions aside and only thought about the rational way. There was no room for emotions, and that¡¯s what I was talking to Haru about.


    Haru said that this was better for her than for her brother to die. That¡¯s the same for me.


    If Haru were about to die, I would give up my own life to save her, and she wouldn¡¯t let that happen.


    But in reality, that¡¯s what diving into a dungeon is all about.


    Emotions and reality.


    I couldn¡¯t get my thoughts together, and they kept going around in my head forever.

 CH 95

    ¡°So, brother. It¡¯s about time to tell me your decision.¡±


    The silence during breakfast was broken by Haru¡¯s words.


    It had been a few days since we had talked about whether or not we would dive into the dungeon again. It¡¯s a shame that I still haven¡¯t come to a conclusion.


    No, I know. The first thing I thought was that diving into the dungeon was the best course of action. At least, I can¡¯t think of a better course of action.


    I understand Haru¡¯s feelings. I know the meaning behind her words.


    It would be easy to say it out loud. Still, my petty pride and insecurity. Various excuses came to my mind one after another, and I couldn¡¯t put them into words.


    So I kept quiet. For several days.


    Haru knew that and waited for me to tell her. Today was probably the deadline.


    ¡°Haru, why don¡¯t we have a small mock battle?¡± (Kei)


    I ask, after swallowing the rest of my breakfast.


    Haru looks a little surprised and lowers her gaze.


    ¡°Are you still planning on dragging it out?¡± (Haru)


    I can¡¯t see her expression. But I guess I don¡¯t need to worry about that now.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to fight and then I¡¯ll make up my mind. Okay?¡± (Kei)


    A few seconds of silence. Then.


    ¡°Okay. 30 minutes later. That should be good.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No problem.¡± (Kei)


    I took my gear out of the safe and slowly put it on. It took me a while to put it on because I didn¡¯t have one hand. I tied the scabbard and the sword¡¯s hilt together with a piece of cord to secure it. I put it on my waist.


    I tied the sleeve that hung down where my left hand used to be and secured it so that it would not interfere with the battle.


    I walked out and took out the sheathed sword.


    It had been a while since I had held it up. Without my left hand, my body¡¯s center of gravity was different. The different weight of the scabbard makes me feel a sense of discomfort.


    No problem. If I feel discomfort, I¡¯m not completely weak. All I have to do is regain my senses and eliminate the discomfort.


    I wonder how far I can go in half an hour.


    Aware of the lines of my body, I ran and swung my sword in all directions. I imagined an enemy in front of me and swung my sword. The virtual enemy is myself. Me at my strongest, when I had my left hand.


    I don¡¯t have enough power with one hand, so I can¡¯t fight in a tsubazeriai. [T/N: åŠÆȤêºÏ¤¤ or ¡°tsubazeriai¡±, fighting close and locking sword against sword.]


    I make my movements slow and steady, stepping into the enemy¡¯s space at a moment¡¯s notice and striking a blow to bring him down. By using my shifting center of gravity to move my body, I make my movements unreadable.


    Half an hour must have passed while I was doing this. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Haru coming, and I stop moving.


    Haru has a tonfa in both hands. She¡¯s wearing the exact same gear as she had when she was in the dungeon.


    ¡°Are you ready? If you¡¯re tired from practicing, why don¡¯t we wait a little longer?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Haru, if you¡¯re not yet warmed up, I¡¯ll wait.¡± (Kei)


    We both smiled wryly and then slowly positioned ourselves.


    I put my right hand behind my back and point the tip of the blade at Haru. Haru, in a comfortable position, puts one hand slightly forward and grasps the tonfa in her left hand with the opposite hand.


    ¡°So, brother what do you want to do?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Win against Haru.¡± (Kei)


    When Haru hears my answer, she squares her body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me hear that you couldn¡¯t do it. I¡¯m coming!¡± (Haru)


    With that voice, she stretches her from crouching and charges rapidly.


    ¡°Here I go.¡± (Kei)


    I muttered to myself and thrust at Haru as she approached.


    The target is her stomach. When I fight against Haru, the game will be decided as soon as I get in her range.


    So this is a move to keep some distance. Seeing that Haru dodged to the side while deflecting the tip of the blade with her tonfa, I stepped out in the opposite direction of Haru. The distance between me and Haru opens up again, and I take the same stance again.


    Haru comes at me again and again with feints. I duck and dodge, keeping my distance. When I duck, I don¡¯t duck just barely, but take a big step back.


    Fortunately, thanks to my raised status and the exploration I¡¯ve done so far today, my base stamina has been raised significantly. I won¡¯t run out of energy that easily.


    I just keep running, dodging, and looking for an opening. We struck at each other dozens of times, and crossed weapons dozens of times.


    ¡°Is it time?¡± (Haru)


    I mutter in a voice so quiet that Haru doesn¡¯t even notice, and I hold up my sword again, just like before. Haru, too, is trying to break down my defenses, feinting as she approaches.


    I thrust out my sword in the same manner as before, only to be flicked by her tonfa in the same way.


    I shift the tip of the blade just in time to avoid the tonfa. However, this means that the tip of the blade is also deflected away from Haru. This means I can¡¯t hit her. But.


    I use the momentum of having my sword removed from the tonfa to rotate it and hold it in my opposite hand. I walked straight into Haru¡¯s line of sight and smashed the hilt of the sword into her hand.


    If you face a sword, you should be wary of the blade. You never pay attention to the hilt. It¡¯s even better when it¡¯s right in front of you.


    The handle of the sword hits Haru¡¯s hand and flicks the tonfa. Without looking where Tonfa fell, let go of the sword and put it back in front of her face.


    *Bam!*


    There is a slamming sound. Harus hand was holding a tonfa sticking towards my face.


    ¡°You¡¯re not aiming at my face.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I was planning to stop just before.¡± (Haru)


    We have almost the same amount of experience with weapons, and there¡¯s not much difference in our weapon-wielding skills.


    The only difference between Haru and me is our physical skills and martial arts


    While enduring the pain from my right hand caused by stopping her tonfa, I twist it to drop the tonfa from Haru¡¯s other hand.


    ¡°My win.¡± (Kei)


    I took the tonfa and thrust it in front of Haru¡¯s eyes.


    I take a deep breath and look at Haru. I make up my mind and open my mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m stronger than Haru. I don¡¯t know what will happen when we get into the dungeon, but I won¡¯t drag you down. I¡¯m still capable of protecting Haru. That¡¯s why I want to go into the dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    Self-confidence.


    That¡¯s what I lacked, and that¡¯s what I told Haru.

 CH 96

    ¡°Right in front of you.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Roger!¡± (Kei)


    I follow Haru¡¯s instructions and hold up my sword. When I became aware of it, I felt a hint of magic. Immediately, the grass shook and a wolf jumped out.


    I shifted my body by shifting my center of gravity. I avoided the wolf¡¯s attack then used the momentum of my shifting center to hit the wolf with my sword.


    The sword struck the wolf in the torso and cut it in two.


    Instead of lowering the sword that I swung, I hold it as it is and turn my attention to the surroundings.


    No unnatural magical power. There is no rustling sound. No swaying vegetation.


    ¡°Haru, anything else.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Nothing. We¡¯re good.¡± (Haru)


    We did this with maximum concentration and exhaled.


    What we¡¯re doing now is strengthening our search skills. In other words, it¡¯s training.


    Just like the goblins and slimes in the depths of the dungeon, the monsters of the future will be different and have special abilities.


    We¡¯ll have to be on our guard and ready to fight back with a lot of skills against these creatures.


    That said, it gets really tiring. I¡¯m always nervous. It is quite difficult for us at this moment.


    However, that¡¯s what other explorers say is normal, and people like us, whose first skill is not searching for enemies, never know when or where monsters will appear.


    If you think about it, it makes sense that the other explorers are growing too slowly compared to us.


    The biggest enemy in dungeon exploration is neither monsters nor physical strength. I guess it was how long your spirit would last.


    For those of us who hadn¡¯t trained to train our minds, it was impossible to keep fighting in such a tense situation. Without skills, we would become weak in the blink of an eye.


    So, what to do? What should we do if we rely too much on our skills? That¡¯s when I came up with the idea of training to search for enemies without relying on skills.


    We don¡¯t have the mental strength to go into battle the moment a monster appears. Then we should notice them before they appear in front of us.


    Fortunately, the forest is easy to hear and the moving grass makes it easy to see the approaching enemy.


    There were more monsters than right after the stampede, but fewer than before the stampede. This was a good place to train.


    I¡¯m looking for monsters while forcing myself not to acknowledge my ¡°Passive¡± enemy search skill.


    Even without using the skills, I can now somewhat understand the location of the magic power, but it seems that Haru¡¯s range is much larger. If there is even the slightest sound, swaying grass, or movement of magic, she will notice.


    I trained myself to look in the direction Haru told me to go, check the magic, sounds, and movements, and learn them before hunting the enemy.


    And there was one more training. This was more of an experiment than a training.


    That experiment is the modification of skills.


    Up until now, there have been spells such as Haru¡¯s [Bomb] and my [Bind] that have been used by changing their original forms. But to what extent is it possible to change them?


    Haru¡¯s [Bomb] manipulated everything from temperature, to combustion, to the intensity of light.


    The magic [Bomb] is an explosion, and an explosion is essentially intense combustion. So the flame-like [bomb] that Haru uses is also normal.


    I wonder if that¡¯s true.


    I¡¯m not sure, but it seems very unnatural to me.


    It¡¯s not that the magic of the [Bomb] causes an explosion. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s just a generic term for a certain explosion-like magical attack to be called a bomb.


    If that is the case, then there is no big difference between each magic and the modifications have infinite possibilities.


    It might be possible to establish a technique for attacking with magic power instead of the magic indicated in the status.


    If I could do that, I could seal off the skills of those nasty monsters in the depths of the dungeon.


    ¡°Haru, is there anything else?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any nearby. Let¡¯s take a break.¡± (Haru)


    When Haru puts away Tonfa, he leans against a nearby tree.


    I then sheathed the sword back in the scabbard. At that time, my fingertips touched the magic circle engraved on the scabbard.


    ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t tried it recently.¡± (Kei)


    I muttered quietly and put my hand out in front of me. I imagined a small flame and gathered the magic power in my fingertips. I¡¯ve done this many times and failed. When I can¡¯t gather anymore, I chant.


    ¡°Flame.¡± (Kei) [T/N: This is not a [Skill] or [Magic] like the others]


    For a brief moment, a flame, less than an inch in diameter flickers at my fingertip, then disappears.


    ¡°Oh, brother. What was that?¡± (Haru)


    The unexpected success made us stop moving for a short while.

 CH 97

    I was bewildered for a few seconds by the flames that suddenly appeared from my fingers, but soon I was able to figure out why.


    At any rate, the fact that flames had appeared meant that my hypothesis was likely correct.


    I guess this is how magic is supposed to be used.


    ¡°Brother, let me look at your status.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, please.¡± (Kei)


    Haru uses [Detection] on me and makes a mysterious look.


    ¡°There is no change in status. To summarize, our levels have risen during the battle with the Chimera, by two levels.¡±


    Name: Haruka


    Proficiency: Magic / Craft


    Magic Attribute: Fissure, Explosion, Electric


    Level: 84


    Strength: 98


    Magic Capacity: 209


    Skills: Analysis, Magic Bullets, Rampage, Magic Synthesis, Magic Formation


    Magic: Bomb, Time Bomb, Impact, Number, Plasma, Fissure, Separation, Barrier, Collapse, Prison Gate


    Passive: Magic Recovery / Detection / Crafting / Magic Manipulation / Dual Attribute


    Name: Touka


    Proficiency: Enchant, Alchemy


    Magic Attribute: None, Curse


    Level: 84


    Strength: 127


    Magic Capacity: 180


    Skill: Stealth, Positioning, Material Cognition, Domination, Shortcut


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain, Slow, Loss, Unprotect, Curse,


    Seal, Safe Zone


    Passive: Perception, Acceleration, Alchemy


    Haru tells me my status, but nothing has changed, from skills and magic to magical attributes and skills.


    ¡°Brother, is there any change in you? What about your physical condition, magic power, anything?¡± (Haru)


    I tilted my head and put my finger in front of me again and chanted.


    ¡°Flame.¡± (Kei)


    As I chanted, a large amount of magic power gathered at my fingertips, and a small flame appeared. This time it lasted a few seconds longer than before. The flame flickered clearly on my finger.


    ¡°You¡¯re using a lot of magical power, aren¡¯t you?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, I used enough magic to cast ten enchantments in the last few seconds.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Is your finger hot?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°To be honest, they¡¯re kind of hot. If I hadn¡¯t raised my status, I might have burned myself.¡± (Kei)


    After thinking for a while, Haru puts her finger forward.


    ¡°[Bomb]¡± (Haru)


    Haru chanted a Magic she always uses. A ball of light appeared on Haru¡¯s finger and stayed there.


    ¡°The magic on my finger right now is not hot at all. Even when I try to raise the temperature, it doesn¡¯t feel hot to me. The light coming out is getting stronger, so the temperature must be rising. Can you feel the heat of the [Bomb] in this state?¡± (Haru)


    When I brought my hand close to the [Bomb] currently on the tip of Haru¡¯s finger, I could feel the heat even when I was some distance away. If I get close to Haru¡¯s hand, I am likely to get burned even in with my current status.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty hot. Maybe if I touch that [Bomb], my finger will get burned.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s designed to be used by the invoker. On the other hand, brother¡¯s flame hot even to the invoker. It¡¯s a completely deteriorated version. Or an improvement.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I think Haru¡¯s [Bomb] looks much like an improved version. It¡¯s too convenient for you.¡± (Kei)


    The ball of light, the [Bomb], falls from Haru¡¯s hand, and when it hits the ground, the ground burns with a small boom.


    ¡°I think that the inventors of many useful tools and technologies have worked hard to reduce or eliminate the harm they do to people. I think there are very few things that are truly beneficial from the start.¡± (Kei)


    Haru sticks out her finger and chants.


    ¡°Flame.¡± (Haru)


    Nothing appeared on Haru¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Flame.¡± (Haru)


    The magic gathered at Haru¡¯s fingertips and was released directly into the atmosphere.


    ¡°What is it now?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I just tried to gather the magic at my fingertips. It doesn¡¯t seem to make any sense.¡± (Kei)


    Haru smiles and stares at her fingertips again.


    ¡°Flame.¡± (Haru)


    The magic power gathered at Haru¡¯s fingertips and a small flame appeared. But it was only for a moment, and then it was gone.


    ¡°Oh, I see what you mean. The flame.¡± (Haru)


    Many times more magic power gathered at Haru¡¯s fingertips than before, and fire appeared again. The fire did not disappear immediately but hovered over Haru¡¯s finger for several dozen seconds.


    As I watched the fire on Haru¡¯s fingertips disappear, I asked her a question.


    ¡°Did you discover something?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know the principle, but I think I know how it works. Maybe.¡± (Haru)


    Haru lowered the hand she had been holding out in front of her and gathered the magic near her heart. Haru did not open her mouth or move her hand. But a small flame appeared in Haru¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re staring for too long.¡± (Haru)


    pouted a little and moved the flame to the side of her face. A large amount of magical power was gathered in the path where the flame moved before disappearing.


    ¡°Maybe the trigger for this magic is imagination and magic power, the belief that such a thing is possible and the flow of magic power. I think it¡¯s because my brother and I see and work with magic on a regular basis.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Haru has [Magic manipulation] and I have [Domination]?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m wrong. I¡¯ll tell you my theory.¡± (Haru)


    Haru smiled and created a flame on her chest again.

 CH 98

    ¡°What do you think magic is?¡± (Kei)


    Haru swings the ball of flame floating on her chest from side to side then she tilts her head.


    ¡°What is [Status] in the first place? Then what is [Skill]?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Did you ever think about it and still not understand?¡± (Kei)


    Well, yes, but¡­ Now that we have more and more information, why don¡¯t we start guessing with what we have?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s the case. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while too.¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯ve been thinking about Magic, Skills, Stats, etc. in my head.


    ¡°What I¡¯ve always been thinking about is the unnaturalness of magic.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Which part?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Leaving aside the question of what magic is in the first place, what I¡¯ve been wondering about is the Magic Circle.¡±


    The magic circle we found when we were still exploring the single-digit levels. We still use the magic circle to enhance the power of our [Magic].


    ¡°Why does using magic through a Magic Circle increase its power?¡± (Kei)


    When Haru chanted the small [Bomb], she made the ball of fire on her hand appear and flew it to a distance.


    The magic that strikes the ground creates a small explosion. The amount of magic power used must have been small. The power was set lower than the usual [Bomb].


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it again with the same amount of magic power.¡± (Haru)


    Haru held Tonfa in her right hand and chanted [Bomb]. The magic was activated through the magic circle engraved on the Tonfa. It glowed a little stronger than before, and when it landed on the ground, it caused a stronger blast.


    ¡°The fact that magic can be used without a magic circle in the first place means that there is a high possibility that a magic circle is not necessary for the structure of magic.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It feels the same whether you¡¯re using magic through a magic circle or not.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s weird to think of magic as science, but it¡¯s also weird to think of a magic circle as simply amplifying magic.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°There is something about the Conservation of Energy.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s entirely possible that I¡¯m thinking about it wrong, but I¡¯m thinking of magic used with my bare hands as a light bulb with electricity flowing through it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± (Haru)


    Haru tilted her head and twirled the tonfa around on her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking that the magic circle makes the magic more efficient, but if that¡¯s the case, then we who can perceive magic would feel some sort of dissonance.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, at least it would feel strange.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So magic is a light bulb. If you want to make the light of the bulb stronger, you have to run more electricity through it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Or maybe we should change the light bulb itself to something more efficient.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Like LEDs. But that would be like using a different kind of magic. But even if you can¡¯t change the intensity of the light, you can change the way it appears.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°For example?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°A flashlight or a streetlight, for example. They make the light stronger by focusing it in one direction.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°In other words, the magic circle is such a device like you described brother. That¡¯s why all kinds of Magic work the same way.¡± (Haru)


    Haru nods several times, muttering.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot of assumptions, but I think it makes sense.¡± (Haru)


    Haru looked thoughtful for a few seconds and then looked up with a grim expression.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange?¡± (Haru)


    I quickly pulled out my sword and looked around. There is nothing in my search range.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing?¡± (Kei)


    This is a forest. This is a level where monsters appear very frequently. But I couldn¡¯t feel any monsters at all.


    I hunted all the monsters around me. A few minutes ago.


    ¡°Brother, there¡¯s nothing in my search range too. Let¡¯s go home immediately.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°OK. Let¡¯s run quickly.¡± (Kei)


    The last time the forest was cleared of monsters was during the last stampede. I didn¡¯t feel any signs of a stampede.


    We quickly moved to the Transition Area and returned to the basement.


    There were normal monsters on the first level. There was no such thing as a crowd gathering at the entrance of the dungeon.


    The incident in the Tokyo dungeon was still fresh in my mind, so I left without investigating the anomaly in detail. Perhaps I made the right decision.


    I guess dungeons are supposed to be tackled with that much caution.


    However, in hindsight, I can understand why I was in such a hurry.


    Because.


    ¡°Hey, Haru. Where did Rimdobmur go?¡± (Kei)


    I hadn¡¯t even noticed that the dragon, the symbol of the forest, had disappeared.

 CH 99

    ~3rd Person Perspective~


    In the middle of the forest, not even the sound of leaves rustling in the wind can be heard. In the quiet forest, a moaning sound of someone crawling on the ground with one hand on echoes.


    The owner of the moaning voice was an individual. Their body was peeling off as if it had rotted away. Their body sank to the ground.


    They lifted their almost motionless head with only their pride as someone strong and opened their mouth.


    A slight groan came out of their mouth.


    In response, a woman¡¯s scratchy voice was heard.


    ¡°Shut up. You lizard-like thing.¡± (Woman)


    The next moment, the individual moaning had their head rolling on the ground. The neck, which is large enough to swallow a human easily, is lying at the feet of the woman silently.


    ¡°This lizard doll wastefully takes in magic.¡± (Woman)


    The woman pointed her hand at the huge body, which was about to disappear into mist, and moved her fingers for a bit.


    A shadow emerged from the ground without a single ripple of magic power and swallowed the huge body.


    In less than a second, the dragon¡¯s corpse disappeared without even turning into mist.


    ¡°Clean up that mess too.¡± (Woman)


    The woman raised her chin and pointed at a scale. It was a reverse scale from the neck of a dragon.


    The woman watched as the shadow swallowed all the evidence of the dragon¡¯s presence there, and then sat down on the shadow that had lost its role.


    The shadow shuddered for a moment but quickly transformed into a lavish chair.


    It was a coincidence that this woman had come here.


    The entrance to a dungeon, which she had visited by chance to relieve her boredom. It was one of the few entrances in this world that could open the door to a dungeon.


    What¡¯s more, it was the first time in the world that an entrance to a dungeon could be reached by a fake entrance like this one.


    She just came into this place after it came to her mind, and she visited.


    When she entered, it was strange. There is almost no sign of anything. There were two people in the natural place where she was. Other than that, there was no one else.


    Suddenly, she looked up and saw a lizard giving her an unpleasant look. She killed it without a second thought.


    The others nearby fled to the wall as if frightened. It was unpleasant.


    In the meantime, the only two people present must have sensed something was wrong. They left in a hurry.


    ¡°Oh, the resemblance. They look so much alike that I want to kill them. How can you have the power, the potential, the brains to think, and yet, and yet¡­¡± (Woman)


    She scratched her head, her hands tangled in several strands of hair.


    ¡°I want to kill, I don¡¯t want to kill, I can¡¯t kill!¡± (Woman)


    Raising her fist again and again, and slamming it into the chair she is sitting on.


    She heard a monster¡¯s scream, and the chair disappears into a mist.


    She landed slowly as if there was no gravity, and crushed the black magic stone that had fallen under her feet.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t enough magic power. The entrance can¡¯t be increased anymore. The humans are too weak. They¡¯re too cowardly.¡± (Woman)


    She covered magical power on her legs and kick the tree that was growing nearby. The tree broke and the ground cracked.


    ¡°A Stampede isn¡¯t enough. I have to do something about it.¡± (Woman)


    Tapping the ground twice with her toes. A small black light emerges from there.


    ¡°To protect everyone¡¯s dungeon and tombs.¡± (Woman)


    The black light wrapped around the woman, and she disappears.


    The broken ground, broken trees. It was like it never happened.

 CH 100

    ¡°Oh, we came back after that unpleasant feeling. Are we safe?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup. I don¡¯t think anything special happened. I don¡¯t think there were any monsters in the other levels.¡± (Haru)


    It¡¯s been a few minutes since we felt something different with the forest where the monsters no longer appear. We returned to the basement and let out a deep sigh.


    When I think about it now, Rimdobmur, which should have been in the sky, has disappeared, and even though his presence disappeared, I didn¡¯t even notice it.


    ¡°When we entered the forest, Rimdobmur was there right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It was there when we were killing the other monsters.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then did it disappear when we were experimenting with magic?¡± (Kei)


    Once we were experimenting with magic, I was so focused on it that I wasn¡¯t aware of my surroundings. The reason for this is that I can use my skills to detect if a monster is nearby, and those skills don¡¯t tell me every time that a monster disappears.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s nothing, but we just had a stampede the other day. Let¡¯s take the day off and gather some information.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I agree.¡± (Haru)


    I looked at the time, it was eleven o¡¯clock. If we¡¯re going to dive into the dungeon, we might not eat lunch, but if we¡¯re coming home early, we might as well make some.


    ¡°Haru please gather some information while I make lunch. If something like this happened nationwide, someone would have posted it on social media.¡± (Kei)


    Haru takes out our computer and silently begins to investigate the matter. You can¡¯t use electronic devices inside a dungeon. If it¡¯s on social media now, it¡¯s probably some explorer who noticed something strange before we did and chose to leave.


    To be honest, I don¡¯t think many people can do that.


    Our sensing skills are not directly involved in combat, and they are not quite the best skills, but they are very good skills for dungeon exploration.


    However, there are probably very few explorers with such skills who dive into the deepest levels of forests.


    There are probably countless explorers who have skills that are better than ours and more useful in battle, and powerful explorers are often a group of people who have such skills.


    The Forest is not a place where people who used to be good friends can get along with each other while regarding the unfavorable skills.


    ¡°Brother, that¡¯s.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m not sure if this is a phenomenon that only occurs in our dungeon in the first place, or if there was no one in the other dungeons who could detect it.¡± (Kei)


    There are probably very few explorers in the Forest who have any detection skills.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s neither reason. Our discomfort may be from ourselves.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what happens today. After this, one of the explorers who came out of the dungeon might remember that.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    Haru pulled the computer over to the side of the table and lay back down. I put the rice I had washed into the rice cooker and sat down, right next to her.


    I pulled the computer out of the way and looked it up, but there was still no information about the sudden decrease in monsters.


    Since the last stampede, the monster outbreaks in Japan have slowed down somewhat. However, I haven¡¯t been informed that they have stopped occurring.


    I heard that right after the stampede, there were almost no more monsters, but they recovered in a few days.


    Perhaps the reason for this is that people died abroad.


    Our hypothesis before was that the dungeon was creating monsters using human lives as fuel. So if enough people died, the number of monsters would increase, and in Japan, where there were fewer deaths even after the stampede, the stampede was easily stopped and the monster generation slowed down.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain the lack of monsters this time, does it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe we killed so many monsters that the dungeon decided it was useless to create them?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little late for that? Since the dungeon was opened to the public, there have been hardly any deaths. Compared to the number of monsters defeated all over the country, the number of monsters we¡¯ve defeated must be a drop in the bucket.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Haru)


    While pondering, I went back to the blogs I had found. I gave up on looking for a post that said monsters had just stopped appearing, and instead looked to see if there had been a similar event in the past.


    I chose that blog because it was at the top of the list when I looked it up. That¡¯s it.


    ¡°Oh, we found a really strong person in black in the dungeon. I knew we were being watched.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°You knew? Oh, really.¡± (Kei)


    The blog said that they had seen a woman in black clothes defeating monsters from afar.


    The blog said that they were somewhat scared and didn¡¯t approach the woman because of her actions, so they couldn¡¯t see who it was.


    ¡°The woman was walking alone in the forest like a ghost, and the monster that had attacked her had been obliterated by a single stroke of black magic, the size of a small marble. What a terrifyingly wonderful explorer. I¡¯ll never forget the scene I saw in Iwate that day. Iwate?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°You didn¡¯t wear that in Iwate. Isn¡¯t that a mistake?¡± (Kei)


    The only place we wore black was in the Tokyo Dungeon.


    ¡°No, it clearly says Iwate. And I don¡¯t wander around.¡± (Haru)


    I heard Haru¡¯s words and felt a cold sweat run down my face. I realized that this was proof that there was someone else out there that we didn¡¯t know about, someone who was just as powerful or more powerful than us.

 CH 101

    ¡°It¡¯s quite a feat just to explore the forest alone, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s like they are fighting with just magic. When their magic runs out, it¡¯s game over.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°And they defeated it with a single blow. They¡¯re stronger than the members of the Hero Party right?¡± (Kei)


    I don¡¯t think those with magic proficiencies are supposed to fight on their own. Compared to those with melee proficiencies of the same level, their physical status is halved, and even one attack from a monster will cause considerable damage.


    But if you fight weak-level enemies, you won¡¯t be able to level up.


    ¡°Hmm, I wonder if the person was once an active member at some party then went solo.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If you¡¯ve been active enough to raise your level that much, you¡¯ll at least understand the disadvantages of being alone.¡± (Kei)


    The longer you dive into a dungeon, the more you understand the benefits of fighting with friends. Rather, it will be difficult for a person who is used to fighting within a group to suddenly fight solo.


    We¡¯ve always been able to fight alone, but the situation is different for those who are in a party of four.


    The magicians in the back don¡¯t know how to escape from monster attacks, and the ones who usually protect their friends with huge shields don¡¯t know how to deal damage efficiently.


    Those who are in the vanguard with weapons who seem to be able to fight alone are actually healed by their friends, protected by them, or receive assistance for dealing damage that they cannot do on their own.


    ¡°And then there¡¯s the part where it¡¯s not really human. It¡¯s unlikely, but it¡¯s not impossible, and I think it¡¯s more believable than some of the other strong explorers out there.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°They said that she was a woman, but they didn¡¯t say anything else about her appearance. What makes them think she¡¯s a woman?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to notice their hair length and chest size than their facial features.¡± (Kei)


    I let out a small sigh, feeling that my thoughts were going in circles.


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m off-topic, but Haru could have done what that woman did, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Of course, I can defeat monsters within the forest with just using [Bomb].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to say about the current situation, then. You can¡¯t know the bottom of the story, but if you¡¯re an explorer, it¡¯s best to err on the side of caution.¡± (Kei)


    The first thing we were talking about was the disappearance of Rimdobmur. I will check it again on social media, but there is no information on the incident in the dungeon.


    The only information I could find was that someone had obtained a rare item somewhere, or that some explorers had bad manners.


    ¡°They¡¯re so strong. I¡¯m sure the explorers will talk about them at some point.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It would be a good idea to check the internet regularly for sightings. Maybe it¡¯s someone who owns a hidden dungeon like us.¡± (Kei)


    At that moment, I heard an electronic beep from the rice cooker and closed my computer.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go eat first?¡± (Kei)


    That day, we didn¡¯t dive into the dungeon again but spent a day relaxing.


    The next day, we went back to the dungeon, and the next, and the next.


    There was nothing unusual happening in the dungeon, and many monsters were being generated as usual. The information about the woman in black was never seen again, and the only information seen on social media was about what happened to the Hero and rare items.


    We began diving into the lower floors of the Forest and were able to dive five floors down to the 21st floor.


    The monsters that appeared were the same as those in the shallower levels of the dungeon, and although they used different speeds and skills, it wasn¡¯t too difficult once I got used to them.


    Before I knew it, a week had passed, then a month.


    And at the same time.


    ¡°Who are you? You¡¯re an explorer, just like us. Let him go.¡± (Yuki)


    The Hero and Witch confronted each other.

 CH 102

    Further into the depths of the floor called Forest, which is guarded by a giant dragon.


    The number of explorers who are allowed to enter that place in Japan is less than three digits. It was called the Ruins, a place where powerful and intelligent monsters roamed.


    Explorers who have defeated the Rimdobmur using powerful skills, magic, and tactics rather than their individual skills are often arrogant about their own strength. In the Forest, that strength would be enough. Monsters without wisdom can be defeated with strength, if not the right skills.


    Even the Minotaur, who can understand and use human language, never devised their own strategies. At best, they just respond to what they hear on the spot.


    The explorer, who has raised his level without any technique and is overconfident in his power, enters the Ruins in a state of superiority and sees the enemy. There are slimes and goblins.


    And then they think. Oh, they¡¯re small fries.


    Forest monsters are basically big and powerful. Explorers who have lived in a world where the laws of physics apply unconsciously perceive small monsters as weak.


    It would be a miracle to discover this as soon as you start fighting.


    The small monsters have the power and skill to slay an explorer who slaughtered Rimdobmur. They have the intelligence to trick people, trap them and kill them.


    Those who don¡¯t realize it, or those who don¡¯t have the skill to recognize it, will easily fall to their wicked blade.


    This floor was called the Ruins. The people who have arrived there are some of the fiercest explorers in Japan. But even so, the number of those who lost their lives could not be counted on just a single hand.


    ~Yuki¡¯s Perspective~


    It must have been a coincidence that Yuki and the others found it.


    From the end of the path they had not planned to take, they heard a grunt from a young man and the sound of weapons falling to the ground.


    Even though they normally don¡¯t go near other explorers in dungeons for safety reasons, once they heard his voice, they couldn¡¯t help but head towards him.


    As they turned down the path, they saw three unconscious explorers with wounds all over their bodies. A man was conscious but unable to move due to exhaustion or trauma. And then there was a woman who grabbed the man by the hair and lifted him up.


    ¡°Who are you? You¡¯re an explorer, just like us. Let him go.¡± (Yuki)


    Intuition told me that the woman was not an explorer. She was unarmed and wore only tattered clothes that seemed to offer no protection. The atmosphere around her was similar to the monsters that we had fought this far.


    ¡°Oh, nice to meet you everyone. I am Sostenuto, the hominid, a servant of this dungeon.¡± (Witch =>Sostenuto)


    When we pointed our weapons at her, the woman, Sostenuto, immediately let go of the man she was holding as if she had no interest in him. [T/N: Sostenuto is a musical term for a sustained note. An Italian word, from past participle of sostenere to sustain, from Latin sustin¨¥re. Might mean something. ¡¥\_ (¥Ä)_/¡¥]


    She smiled a modest smile and did a beautiful curtsy as she greeted us.


    She has grace and an elegant manner of speaking. The word ¡°hominid¡± is a bit of a concern, but if that¡¯s all she was, she was certainly a beautiful woman. [T/N: Hominid is the taxonomic family, great apes, where humans are included. Also, the Hominid part is the one that got your attention not the ¡°servant of the dungeon¡±? (-?)]


    However, the tattered clothes and the bloodshot eyes contradicted her previous actions and smile.


    ¡°Those men out there need to be treated. Will you clear the way?¡± (Yuki)


    I asked, keeping the tip of my sword pointed at Sostenuto-san. If her tattered clothes were the result of a battle with a group of male explorers, that was fine. If that¡¯s the case, then Sostenuto-san¡¯s ability is a little higher than the four explorers. In that case, even if it comes to a battle, I think we can win.


    However, the scars on her clothes don¡¯t look like they were made during combat. The damage on her clothes looked more like it had been torn off than cut by a sword.


    ¡°Of course. My Lord told me a long time ago to be kind to intruders. I¡¯m ashamed to admit that I lost my temper. I¡¯m ashamed of myself.¡± (Sostenuto)


    Sostenuto¡¯s pale face flushed slightly and she moved to the corner of the road.


    ¡°Gouta, please.¡± (Yuki)


    ¡°I got it.¡± (Gouta)


    With his shield pointed at Sostenuto, Gouta approached the fallen man and gave him a potion. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s going to wake up soon, but when I saw the wounds on his body disappear, I let out a sigh.


    ¡°What do you think of this dungeon? I¡¯m embarrassed to say that the dungeon I made was just a copy of the one the Lord made, so I think it turned out to be quite poor.¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°What do you mean? And who is this ¡®Lord¡¯?¡± (Yuki)


    I couldn¡¯t understand the intent of the question and asked back. At the same time, I thought it was rude to keep pointing our weapons while talking, so I turned the tip of the sword to the ground.


    ¡°Do you usually use Sorcery? How about Magic in comparison? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s wonderful? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s convenient?


    Compared to Sorcery, which is difficult to use, it is convenient, powerful, and can be used by anyone. The same goes for skills. There are secrets that may be attained after years or decades of swinging a sword. There are depths. But it is not for everyone. You have to be blessed with both environment and talent.¡± (Sostenuto)


    As Sostenuto spoke, she extended her hand, and a black mist formed in it, forming the shape of a sword.


    I quickly readied my sword and stepped back.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be alarmed. I have no intention of attacking. Back to the topic at hand, Skill is a technique. The Lord said that the two are the same thing, just in different languages. What if everyone could use the techniques that are attained after years of practice? A human weapon is not the power of an individual who has been trained, but a technique that can be used by anyone inherited and refined through a short life span, the number of people, and words. A technique that can only be used by one person is no match for the power of numbers, and even if it can be used, it will weaken after a few decades. That is why the Lord created an ideal technique that can be used by anyone and gave it the name Skill, which means the same thing as technique. I cannot wield a sword.¡± (Sostenuto)


    Sostenuto, who had been speaking condescendingly, closed her mouth, held her black sword in an empty direction, and swung it only once.


    The swing of the sword was quick and powerful, but not sharp. Even though I¡¯ve only been swinging for a short time, I can see that it¡¯s an unskilled yet powerful sword.


    ¡°But what if you have the Skills? [Call Code 11029 Flesh Cutter].¡± (Sostenuto)


    At the same time as her words, her sword glowed red, and the sword that she swung left a big scratch on the wall and caused dust to scatter everywhere. Her sword slash was a perfect technique that far surpassed Yuki.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s wonderful. That¡¯s what those people are, children playing around. Yes, I shouldn¡¯t have fought with these children, but they think they¡¯re getting stronger. No, it¡¯s fine to be mistaken. But if you are mistaken, it means that you are the fools we think you are. That¡¯s good. But to be insulted by them, I can¡¯t stand it, well, I truly can¡¯t stand it. Oh, I lost my temper, I suppose. I¡¯m sorry that I took it out on them. But this me has been here for decades, hundreds of years. How many years have passed now? Well, a long time has passed, and I suppose it¡¯s not strange to be on edge once in a while. Isn¡¯t it?¡± (Sostenuto)


    She smiles at me as she gazes around with bloodshot eyes and sends a finger sign to my friends.


    Slowly back away, escape. Step back slowly.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the same in this world, isn¡¯t it, sending signs with your fingertips? But do you know, in the world I was in before, there were people who used their fingers to sign. It would be interesting to try to create the illusion that you can only fake the movement of your fingertips when you should just open your mouth rather than give a poor sign that can be recognized. It¡¯s interesting to try to create an illusion that you can only fake with the movement of your fingertips. Because you are trying to communicate with small movements, you can be surprised by magic so small that you don¡¯t even notice. So what I¡¯m trying to say is, you¡¯re going home. I¡¯m going home, too. Work, work, work. What was my job again? Well, work is work, isn¡¯t it? Oh, yes.¡± (Sostenuto) [T/N: Yep you¡¯re crazy that was some mad rambling with scary implications.]


    Sostenuto-san trailed off and smiled, opening her mouth wider than ever before. The teeth peeking out of her mouth were wrecked and stained black.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it wonderful?¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s as wonderful as it can be.¡± (Yuki)


    I forced a smile onto my tense face and replied.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s wonderful, because it has to be wonderful. Yes, it¡¯s wonderful. Haha, ugh. Oh, well, everyone. I¡¯ll be going now. Excuse me for this.¡± (Sostenuto)


    Sostenuto, who laughed madly while bobbing her face upward, suddenly came back to her senses, smiled that first elegant smile, and quietly bowed her head. Then a black mist enveloped her, and there was nothing there at all.


    The only trace of Sostenuto¡¯s presence was a deep scar on the wall.


    ¡°[Holy Sword]¡± (Yuki)


    I attacked with my most powerful skill I could use right next to the scratch on the wall.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Yuki?¡± (Arisu)


    As the surprised Arisu rushes over to me, she looks at the scratches on the wall.


    ¡°That is the slash that Yuki made.¡± (Risa)


    It was Risa who muttered while stroking the slash. The slash that Risa touched is shallow and can be said to have slightly carved it.


    ¡°We need to get back on the surface now, she¡¯s too dangerous.¡± (Yuki)


    Heading straight home, we carried the two men each who were unconscious along with Gouta.


    The mysterious woman, Sostenuto, appeared in front of the heroes and the explorers who fought against Sostenuto. What did she tell them? It was reported that her abilities seemed to surpass even those of Japan¡¯s strongest heroes and their party.


    However, those pieces of information were never disclosed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t approach anyone in the dungeon especially if they are alone.¡±


    Only that one line was added as a sign at the entrance to the dungeon.

 CH 103

    ¡°Hmm? Haru, look at this.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What is it?¡± (Haru)


    It was early in the morning when I opened my computer and was gathering information about the dungeon through social media as usual.


    Haru peered at the computer screen from behind me and pointed to a spot on the screen.


    ¡°There¡¯s a new warning added. Is there another incident?¡± (Haru)


    In the picture posted with those words was a warning sign at the entrance to a dungeon in Tokyo.


    There were the usual warnings about not exploring with more than five people, not interrupting other people¡¯s battles, and so on, with a new sentence added at the bottom as if it were crammed in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t approach anyone in the dungeon especially if they are alone.¡±


    Even though it wasn¡¯t a rule, it had been said that you shouldn¡¯t carelessly approach other explorers in the dungeon, but the new words were written all the way down.


    I can only assume that something has happened in the dungeon that requires increased attention.


    ¡°Did an incident occur inside?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Or maybe a person who caused an incident outside escaped inside alone. It would be hard to identify the individual since they all have commonly used equipment and their faces are covered.¡± (Kei)


    I don¡¯t even know how much dungeon diving the police can do in the first place.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how many police officers can dive into dungeons. Everyone is armed, but you don¡¯t hear of any shootings or murders. I¡¯ve heard of the occasional shouting match, though.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°There may be some features of the dungeon that we don¡¯t know about. To be honest, I don¡¯t think people all over the world, including us, can adapt to the rougher situations.¡± (Kei)


    As we talked, I searched social networking sites to see if anyone else was making the same assumptions or knew the truth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone who cares much about it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, maybe they don¡¯t notice a little change in the signs they¡¯ve seen so many times. Maybe we shouldn¡¯t go to the dungeons of Tokyo for a while either.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things we¡¯re hiding, and we don¡¯t want to raise suspicion, so I don¡¯t think we should go there.¡± (Kei)


    Recently, we¡¯ve been going to the dungeon in Tokyo more often, about once a week, but the purpose is to sell the dropped items we get from the dungeon at home.


    I¡¯ve been trying to avoid selling items that are too expensive or items from the deeper levels of the dungeon, so I haven¡¯t been able to save much money, but I¡¯ve still been able to live a reasonably comfortable life.


    I guess that¡¯s partly due to the fact that I¡¯ve been gradually improving the quality of the items I sell every time I dive into the Tokyo dungeon. Compared to a month ago, the income from selling items has doubled.


    It¡¯s not enough to go to school, but it¡¯s enough to live a normal life.


    ¡°So, if that¡¯s the case, then from today we¡¯ll be hiding in the basement dungeon for a while?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s about time to aim for a new floor!¡± (Haru)


    For a month, we have been devoting ourselves to the dungeon without work or schoolwork. If you have that much time, you¡¯ll be able to make some progress in the dungeon.


    I was able to fight with only one hand as if it was a matter of course, and I was able to fight smoothly against intelligent monsters.


    I was able to fight monsters with wisdom smoothly because if you observe carefully when the same kind of monster performs the same skill, they all adopt the same posture.


    It was even more precise than forms in kendo. They attacked in the same posture as if they were machines, so it was easy to deal with them once you noticed it.


    They could be easily defeated by focusing on defending or evading normal attacks and counter-attacking at the right moment when they unleashed their skills.


    There were slimes and goblins on the first level of the Ruins. As we progressed through the levels, we found a wolf with an eerie color. It was clear that we had come very far.


    The monsters in the ruins are arranged in a way that matches the levels at the top of the dungeon, in the cave area.


    On the fifth floor of the ruins was a goblin with a huge body that made me hesitate to call him a goblin.


    Its name was Goblin King. It looked quite familiar.


    Unlike the previous goblins, he didn¡¯t have the same posture when displaying his skills. And yet, there was something strange about the way he moved from his shoulders down, which was always the same.


    By the time I discovered it, I had been blown up several times and had a lot of bruises, but I was able to defeat it with only injuries that could be healed with potions.


    The sixth floor. The types of monsters that appeared were the same as on the sixth floor of the Cave. The monsters became stronger, and we got injured several times.


    We decided that we didn¡¯t have enough levels and experience, and then stayed for a week. And today,


    The siblings head for the next floor.


    The seventh floor, which has no special features. They couldn¡¯t believe that such predictions would come true.

 CH 104

    ¡°By the way, it¡¯s the seventh floor of the ruins today, but for now, try not to get hurt. Let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes. If it is the same as the seventh floor of the Cave, there should be few new monsters.¡± (Haru)


    I¡¯ve been planning our dungeon exploration since we started exploring the ruins, basically on the grounds that we should not get injured.


    I think it is abnormal for other dungeon dwellers to plan their retreats and leveling every time they are slightly injured in a dungeon exploration where monsters and lives are at stake.


    Scrapes and cuts can basically be healed in an instant with even the cheapest potions, and expensive potions like those available in the ruins can heal even a crack in the bone.


    I heard that a potion obtained from a unique slime-type monster that appeared in the Ruins cured a missing limb. Of course, that¡¯s the item we want the most.


    Aside from the latter, potions were an item that could be obtained without much difficulty by diving into a dungeon.


    Every time I got injured, I used a potion, and potions were easy enough to get that we could use them so casually. Getting used to using potions means getting used to getting injured.


    When you have to retreat from a dungeon, it is not when you are injured, but when you run out of potions. It¡¯s when you¡¯re injured to the point that you can¡¯t recover using potions.


    If we told the other explorers that we were retreating because of a minor injury, they might laugh at us. Still, we have no intention of changing our policy.


    There¡¯s also the fact that we¡¯re more cautious now that I¡¯ve lost one of my hands. But more than that, we know that a dungeon is a dangerous place.


    We know firsthand that unique monsters that exceed the strength of boss monsters can appear out of nowhere.


    That¡¯s why we calmly pointed our weapons at it when it suddenly appeared.


    ¡°[Bind] Haru, inspect it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Got it!¡± (Haru)


    After confirming that Haru has activated [Detection], I increased the power of [Bind].


    What was in front of me was a humanoid. Not a human-like thing, but a humanoid. Its entire body was glistening and its body seemed to be moving very fluidly.


    ¡°Slime?¡± (Haru)


    Hearing Haru¡¯s mutter, we reflexively distanced ourselves from the humanoid.


    ¡°Haru, the name of the enemy.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Link Slime. Maybe it¡¯s hiding behind a skill. I can¡¯t see its level or strength.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Since entering the ruins, the slimes have been all about concealment.¡±


    I can somehow see Link Slime looking at me, but it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s trying to attack me.


    ¡°I will attack first, [Collapse]¡± (Haru)


    A black sphere attacks the slime that is stuck with [Bind]. The slime did not run away or try to prevent it and received the magic without resistance. The Magic of [Collapse] immediately swallows the entirety of the slime and it faded to black.


    And then the slime enveloped the darkness.


    ¡°Brother, move back!¡± (Haru)


    The [Bind] is destroyed by [Collapse] and there were no restraints on the slime. We watched the slime change shape as we moved away from it.


    Its size is smaller than before. However, the shape is clear.


    ¡°Haru¡¯s appearance?!¡± (Kei)


    The slime had changed into the current Haru, from the equipment she wore to the tonfa she held in her hand.


    ¡°[Collapse]¡± (Link Slime) [T/N: The slime said collapse/hokai but in hiragana (¤Û©`¤«¤¤  ) not in kanji (±À‰²). So it might mean they were the same but not exactly since hiragana characters denote sounds and kanji have meaning on their own.]


    Such a voice reverberated from inside the slime¡¯s body. At the same time, a number of magic circles appeared in front of the slime.


    ¡°Brother, support me [Impact]!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Got it [Power] [Chain]!¡± (Kei)


    A large number of black balls from the magic circle appeared in front of the slime. The magic of [Collapse] appeared.


    On the contrary, the magic of [Impact] from Haru has its power and effect enhanced by [Chain] and [Power], and thus it crushed the magic of [Collapse].


    Their magic was even. All the magic that danced in the air is canceled out, and a beat of silence replaced it.


    ¡°[Bind]!¡± (Slime)


    The slime had a mouth, but no voice came out of it. Forgetting this, I was staring at the slime¡¯s mouth and lost focus.


    A tentacle of light appeared from under my feet, restraining my body.


    ¡°Haru, use your Treasure Tool [Seal]¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay. Treasure Tool, Morningstar!¡± (Haru)


    I laugh grinning while feeling that my magical power has been useless. The space of [Seal] spread around me, swallowing both Haru and the slime.


    ¡°[Collapse] [Impact]¡± (Slime)


    The magic circle has never appeared even as the slime chanted.


    ¡°Prepare yourself¨C¡± (Haru)


    Haru swung down her Morningstar with all her might toward the slime that froze because it was stunned that it could not cast magic.


    ¡°[Seal]¡± (Slime)


    Immediately before the Morningstar collided, I felt the space of [Seal] expanding around the slime. It probably thought it was a destructive blow. But even if it imitates the magic of [Seal], it can neither be used as an attack nor defense.


    The slime was crushed by the Morningstar without any resistance at all.


    A black fog appeared between the Morningstar and the ground, which is proof that the monster has died.


    ¡°Done. Oh?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Could it be?¡±


    The Link Slime dropped the usual potion bottle but with a silver liquid inside.

 CH 105

    ¡°So, we¡¯re finally back in a safe place for now. What¡¯s this?¡± (Kei)


    While saying that, I hold the potion dropped from Link Slime in front of my face. I have [Material Cognition] skill, I can check it out for myself, but I was afraid to check it out for myself because of my high expectations.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Haru please use [Inspection].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Brother you could do it right. It¡¯s a shame if we¡¯re wrong, [Inspection].¡±


    Haru looks at the potion and tilts her head to the side.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about this one. For now, it is called [ Water of Evolution].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What is the effect?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It changes the body of the drinker into the desired form.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Huh?¡± (Kei)


    I couldn¡¯t fully digest Haru¡¯s words, and my head was filled with a series of just nothing.


    ¡°Maybe, if the effect is as it sounds, if you drink it wishing for a hand to grow, it will make a hand grow. But the desired ¡®shape¡¯¡­¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯s ambiguous. It¡¯s like the dungeon in a bad way. The uncertainty is very high, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Kei)


    If you think about the shape in the simplest way, you could make an arm, as Haru said. But I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a good idea to think about it that casually.


    Perhaps it is really only the shape that will change. There is a possibility that the arm will grow as you want it to, but it will not have nerves and will just dangle there.


    Worst of all, it could be that deep down, this is what you want. The worst is when the [Water of Evolution] decides on its own that this is what it wants. I want my arm to be healed first and foremost, but I can¡¯t predict how the [Water of Evolution] will judge that.


    ¡°Is there any other information you can get through Inspection?¡± (Kei)


    As a desperate last resort, I asked Haru again.


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m sorry, but do you want to drink it?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Do I want to drink it?¡± (Kei)


    I crouched down on the spot with my head in my hand.


    If all goes well, my arm will be back to normal. Then the worst-case scenario. What should I do if the shape of my body has changed?


    It says ¡°in the shape, you desire,¡± so I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing that would make me stop being me. For example, I could become a creature or something. If that happens, it¡¯s no different from being dead. I can at least understand that even in my deepest mind, I don¡¯t want to die.


    The problem is that it might turn out to be better than what I am thinking. Now that we¡¯re diving into dungeons more and more, and what I¡¯m looking for is strength, I think there¡¯s a good chance that I¡¯ll end up looking like the Demon Lord or Hero I used to see in games.


    If not, I¡¯ll change into a handsome man with no trace of me left. Or, my gender will change and I¡¯ll become a beautiful woman. No, I don¡¯t think I have any desire to become a woman. If that happens, how can I go back, go back? Hmm?


    ¡°Hey, Haru. I don¡¯t know how potions work, but they heal injuries, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes they do.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What¡¯s the standard for healing that injury? If it¡¯s an intermediate level potion, it¡¯ll heal even if the flesh is slightly ripped off, right¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It depends on the size of the injury. By the way, the level of the body that has lost a finger is small, but it doesn¡¯t bring it back. But I think I heard that a gouged stomach will be healed.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you can heal your stomach and other parts of your body, even though the amount of blood that flows and the volume of your body that is cut down is greater than that of your missing fingers. If you think about it, the fact that a potion can¡¯t heal a missing body part doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the scale of the injury, does it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I see. When the injury is large, you can just increase the amount of the potion you use.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought¡­¡± (Kei)


    There are three types of potions we¡¯ve heard of so far.


    The first is a low-grade potion that drops from the sixth level of the Cave. The first is a low-grade potion that drops from the sixth level of the cave. It heals scrapes, cuts, and even a weapon stuck in the stomach, but it doesn¡¯t bring back blood.


    The second potion, an intermediate-grade potion, is said to be effective enough to heal broken bones. While monsters don¡¯t drop them, the skills required to make them are not that rare, and while they were once very expensive, you can now buy them for a little extra coin.


    Drinking it will bring back the lost blood and wounds, so most injuries can be healed without any problem with it. However, if the missing parts, limbs, fingers, or even internal organs are torn apart, they will not heal, and overconfidence in the effects of the potion will result in death.


    And then there is the recently discovered potion. The name and effects of the potion have not been released, but it is generally called a high-grade potion.


    The rumored effect is the restoration of everything, including even the regeneration of missing parts. Just by drinking it, you will be restored to the pinnacle of health.


    This is not to say that the effect gets stronger as you move up to higher potions.


    ¡°Does the nature of the potion mean that the higher you go, the less of it you need?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case. Brother, have a look.¡± (Haru)


    Haru took out a low-grade potion and pointed to her hand, her fingernails to be exact.


    It¡¯s been a few days since Haru had her nails trimmed, and they had grown to the point where she thought it was time to trim them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for your nails to be this long. I don¡¯t think the length of nails are signs of being healthy.¡± (Haru)


    Haru dabbed a little potion on her hand. Normally, in an uninjured state, the potion would not have any effect and would just drip to the ground. But this time it was different.


    The tips of Haru¡¯s nails glowed, and when the glow disappeared, her nails had shrunk to just the right length.


    ¡°Low-grade potions have restricted healing defects, but there are no restrictions on reducing or returning overgrown parts!¡± (Kei)


    After saying that, Haru closes her mouth and smiles a little.


    ¡°Maybe we can get it back even if something strange happens due to the [Water of Evolution]. I don¡¯t know if it can grow it back, but I think we have the opportunity to try the [Water of Evolution].¡± (Haru)


    I understand the theory. I¡¯m sure the theory is correct. I made up my mind, and at the same time, I had an item in my head.


    ¡°Haru, why don¡¯t we give a monster some [Regeneration Gel] as an experiment? That poison that the normal slimes around here drop.¡± (Kei)


    What popped into my head was the [Regeneration Gel] that slimes drop. If I used it normally, my body would regenerate so much that it would swell up.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s see if a swollen body can be cured with potions.¡± (Kei)


    I grinned and told Haru that.

 CH 106

    After getting the [Water of Evolution], we immediately returned to the first floor of the Cave section of the dungeon. The reason for this was that it was too dangerous to be in the Ruins if we were going to concentrate on experimenting with the [Regeneration Gel].


    I didn¡¯t feel comfortable experimenting with goblins, so I secured a slime.


    The slime in my arms flails and tries to attack me, but the difference in status is too great for it to do any damage to me or escape my grasp.


    But there was one problem in starting the experiment.


    ¡°Haru, where is the slime¡¯s mouth?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well? The whole body, probably.¡± (Haru)


    The slime I¡¯m holding right now, or rather the slime that appears in the dungeon that was born in this world doesn¡¯t have a mouth or eyes. This is why they are not like living things and are suitable for experiments.


    ¡°Brother, do you want to try on another monster?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That would be a bit too graphic. Probably.¡± (Kei)


    What we¡¯re trying to do is to use [Regeneration Gel] to make the monster over-regenerated and bloated, and then use potions to restore it.


    If it succeeds, I¡¯ll be able to do the same thing with my own hands, so we¡¯ll have to look at some grotesque matters, but I¡¯d rather not experiment with animal or humanoid monsters, no matter how much I¡¯m used to killing them.


    When I think about it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had such a big aversion to killing monsters since I entered a dungeon. If anything, it¡¯s not the defeating of the monster, but the process. I remember the first time I killed a hobgoblin, I almost got very ill from the experience.


    ¡°All right, it¡¯s not like we only have one Regeneration Gel, so let¡¯s give it a try.¡± (Haru)


    Haru didn¡¯t want to see the boars, wolves, and goblins swelling up, so after pondering, she put the [Regeneration Gel] on the slime.


    ¡°Do you want some?¡± (Haru)


    The slime that was doused with the [Regeneration Gel] began to wriggle in my hand as if it would never start to regenerate the moment we doused it with the substance.


    ¡°Spread it?¡± (Kei)


    Haru picked up her tonfa and started spreading the [Regeneration Gel] on the slime. It¡¯s like spreading jam on toast.


    It was when Haru had spread the [Regeneration Gel] so far that it covered half of the slime¡¯s body. The slime, which had been moving as if it was fleeing, suddenly began to lash out on the spot.


    ¡°Woah!¡± (Kei)


    Sensing the obvious change in movement, I threw the slime against the wall. The slime that fell to the ground did not run away or attack but began to constrict on the spot.


    ¡°Is the [Regeneration Gel] working?¡± (Haru)


    Haru held an open potion in her right hand and timed it well.


    The slime, once reduced in size, twitched and twitched for a little while, then suddenly swelled up as if it couldn¡¯t take it anymore. At this point, its diameter had doubled.


    ¡°Haru, I¡¯ll give it a try to see if it¡¯s really regenerating.¡± (Kei)


    I pulled out my sword and slashed at the slime trying not to kill it. The wound on the slime instantly returns to normal.


    Next, I cut through the slime as if I were scraping off a part of it. The sliced part of the slime immediately turns into a black mist and disappears, but the sliced part of the slime immediately starts to regenerate.


    The regeneration speed was slower than a simple slash, but it was still fast enough that the slime¡¯s body returned to the state it was in before it was cut in about 30 seconds.


    ¡°It seems that while the wound is regenerating, the rest of the body doesn¡¯t regenerate randomly.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s an order to the regeneration.¡± (Kei)


    We forgot about the experiment and continued to observe. The slime continued to grow, and when it stopped, it was ten times its original diameter. By the time it stopped, it was ten times its original diameter, and even we were small enough to be easily swallowed by it.


    However, it must have been unable to bear the weight of its increased size. Instead of the round shape like a drop of water it had before it swelled, it became a flat shape on the ground, unable to move.


    The ripples appear and disappear in various places on its body, probably from its effort to move.


    ¡°I mean, this is bad in a different sense.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°You mean it¡¯s not swelling up or something?¡± (Kei)


    Haru tilts her head while poking the end of the stuck slime with her tonfa. Before I knew it, the potion she had on her right hand was placed near the wall of the dungeon, in a place where slime couldn¡¯t reach.


    ¡°Well, the effect of the [Regeneration Gel] is to continue regenerating using the magical power of the user.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, slime was trying to keep it from swelling at first, but it seemed unable to resist. It seems that it¡¯s quite potent.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. The magical power of the first-floor slime is quite small.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well? I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s possible for such a small amount of magic power to swell so much?¡± (Kei)


    We have [Magic] and [Enchant], but there is also [Heal] in the Proficiencies, and the explorer who takes it can use the Recovery Magic on his friends. At first, it is a magic that gives only a small amount of health recovery effect, but if the explorer who uses it reaches a level where they can fight in Forests and Ruins, it is possible to bestow a recovery effect as much as an intermediate potion with one magic spell.


    However, it uses a large amount of magical power comparable to Haru¡¯s [Collapse].


    ¡°Does the [Regeneration Gel] contain ridiculous amounts of magical power, or is the Recovery Magic used by the explorers inefficient at an abnormal level? Which do you think it is?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Inefficient. If the [Regeneration Gel] has that much magical power, the slime in the Ruins will be much stronger, and I know when I see the [Regeneration Gel] that it doesn¡¯t have that much magical power.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    With that in mind, it¡¯s hard to think that the only inefficient thing is Recovery Magic. If it can swell a body to such extent with the magical power of a floor one slime. If it is possible to cause such an event with just that much magical power, it can be said that the magical ability of Haru and me is too low.


    ¡°I thought Magic was more efficient, but I¡¯m rethinking it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve already come to the point where I feel like even the fact that a Magic Circle improving efficiency is fake.¡± (Kei)


    The Haru stands up, she walks up to the potion she had left.


    ¡°Why is it fake?¡± (Haru)


    Haru mumbled and gave a withering laugh, then flicked the potion away.


    ¡°The creator of this dungeon. At least that one has a means of efficiently harnessing magic power, and they haven¡¯t given that means to the monsters. You wouldn¡¯t do that if you were trying to protect the dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    The potion that flew through the air fell onto the immobile giant slime, spreading the potion over its body.


    The slime shrinks little by little while the black mist is emitted from its body. Each time it shrank slower, Haru sprinkled a new low-grade potion on it. The slime, which had been given a total of eight potions and had completely returned to its original state, jumped at Haru and was kicked away, before disappearing.


    ¡°First of all, Brother. Let¡¯s heal your arm. The experiment was a success.¡± (Haru)


    Haru smiled as she threw the empty potion bottle into the back of the dungeon.

 CH 107

    This is the Transition Room. Haru and I had placed a cushion in one corner of the room and were hurriedly arranged potions around it.


    Besides the cushions, we lined up several photographs. All of the photos showed my entire body from the time I grew to my current height until I lost my hands.


    I found a lot of photos, but only a few of them met the two requirements of having my current height and having my whole body in the picture.


    Assuming that the changes in the body due to the [Water of Evolution] would be based on an image, we prepared pictures to make that image clear.


    If we wanted, I could have had naked pictures taken from all directions, but of course, we don¡¯t have such pictures. And of course, I didn¡¯t have any. I mean, who would save such pictures of themselves?


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it.¡± (Haru)


    After arranging dozens of potions around the cushion, I sat down on the cushion in the center of the room. I spread out the photos I had gathered and laid them out in front of me.


    ¡°Come, Brother. I¡¯ll check the process.¡± (Haru)


    Haru said and stuck out her index finger toward me.


    ¡°Drink the [Water of Evolution] quickly! It¡¯s no good if the change starts halfway while you¡¯re in mid-drinking.¡± (Haru)


    Haru sticks out her second finger.


    ¡°Next, wait for the arm to return to its original state. If it looks like a different area is going to change, drink the potion as needed to regulate it.¡± (Haru)


    She raised her hand above her head and held up three fingers, then swung it down.


    ¡°As soon as your hand is healed, you will drink the potion. I¡¯ll keep pouring. Okay?!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah!¡± (Kei)


    I opened the lid of the bottle containing the [Water of Evolution] and said.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup!¡± (Haru)


    I made up my mind, drank the Water of Evolution in one gulp, and that was the end of my consciousness.


    Accessing Submaster core, authentication complete, status to be verified.


    Name: Touka


    Proficiency: Enchant, Alchemy


    Magic Attribute: None, Curse


    Level: 90


    Strength: 134


    Magic Capacity: 193


    Skill: Stealth, Positioning, Material Cognition, Domination, Shortcut


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain, Slow, Loss, Unprotect, Curse,


    Seal, Safe Zone


    Passive: Perception, Acceleration, Alchemy


    Accessing data logs. Begining analysis.


    Confirming suitability for Demihuman race.


    Checking for body defects. Allowing regeneration.


    Referencing memory and behavior data. No problem.


    Calculating threat level. Level 1, no problem.


    Confirm permission to evolve.


    Execute evolution.


    Evolutionary bonus Information 01 is granted.


    ¡°Brother¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s shout woke me up, and I jumped to my feet. At the same time, I felt a strong pain in my head. It was a sharp pain as if I¡¯d been hit hard in the head.


    I rubbed my eyes a few times to clear my blurry vision and looked around. I was in the basement, the entrance to the dungeon. I was lying on a blanket, and my item pouch and weapons were lined up in a corner of the room.


    And beside me was Haru, holding her head and trembling in her sleep.


    ¡°Haru, what¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± (Kei)


    I supported my wobbly body with my hand and extended my hand to Haru. After shaking her a few times, I noticed a strange feeling.


    ¡°Hey, Haru my hand is healed.¡± (Kei)


    The left hand that had grown while I was asleep was now firmly supporting my body. I opened my left hand, squeezed it, and repeated a few times to make sure there was nothing wrong.


    With my right hand, I touched it, pushed it, and confirmed that there was nothing wrong with my bones. There was no strange weakness or overexertion.


    ¡°Haru, get up. I¡¯m back, all of me!¡± (Kei)


    I shook Haru again. She started to move to make small twitches. The next time, I shook her harder. The next moment she looked up as if she was going to jump up.


    ¡°I know your hands have healed! I have a headache!¡± (Haru)


    An hour later, I was standing in the kitchen with my numb legs in pain, after listening to the angry Haru and apologizing to her. Apparently, I had given Haru a big headbutt when she woke up.


    For now, I¡¯ll just remember that the first task of my new left hand was to make cookies to appease Haru.

 CH 108

    ¡°I¡¯m glad my hand is healed now, but¡­ Haru, please try to use your [Inspection] on me.¡± (Kei)


    After Haru regained her good mood, I opened my mouth.


    ¡°Hmm? Okay. [Inspection].¡± (Haru)


    Haru, who used [Inspection] on me while tilting her head, her eyes widened as she tilted her head.


    ¡°What is [Release 1]? What is [Information Disclosure]?¡± (Haru)


    My stats have changed a lot compared to before I used Water of Evolution


    Name: Touka


    Proficiency: Enchant, Alchemy


    Magic Attribute: None, Curse


    Level: 90 (Release 1)


    Strength: 144


    Magic Capacity: 203


    Skill: Stealth, Positioning, Material Cognition, Domination, Shortcut


    Magic: Speed, Power, Guard, Bind, Chain, Slow, Loss, Unprotect, Curse,


    Seal, Safe Zone


    Passive: Perception, Acceleration, Alchemy


    Information Disclosure: No. 1 God¡¯s Blessing


    ¡°Information Disclosure. What is this?¡± (Haru)


    For some reason, Haru¡¯s words ¡°Information Disclosure¡± gave me a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, and as I repeated them, an unfamiliar string of characters appeared in front of me.


    I reached out my hand to touch the floating letters, but I couldn¡¯t touch them, and my hand went straight through them.


    ¡°Haru, can you see these characters?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? It looks to me like Brother is staring at nothing.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Seriously?¡± (Kei)


    The words written in the air read, ¡°Number one, Escape¡±. Just when you think that¡¯s all there is to it, a series of smaller characters appear underneath it, lining up and forming a sentence.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± (Haru)


    Haru walks around me in circles, trying to see the words. But she can¡¯t seem to see it.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll read it. It would be helpful if you could take notes.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay!¡± (Haru)


    No. 1 God¡¯s blessing


    In this world, many labyrinths have been spreading. The Evil Ones are building labyrinths and plan to one day invade and take over the surface.


    I have to protect everyone on the surface. I have to protect everyone on the surface before it¡¯s too late, no matter what it takes. But I¡¯ve lost faith and there¡¯s only so much I can do.


    I need a way to regain my strength. I will build a labyrinth. Someday, I will raise heroes who will protect the surface, and for that, I will stoop to the level of the Evil One.


    Thirty of my former friends were captured by the Evil One and their memories were stolen. They have forgotten their mission to protect the surface, and are being used as pawns by the Evil One to create a labyrinth.


    First, you must save them¡­all 30 of them.


    If anyone is reading this. If anyone reads this, please be brave. I want you to save your strength.


    It is difficult to save my friends directly. First, you must cut down the Labyrinth of Evil.


    Courageous ones, please do not forget.


    As long as you keep on praying for it, god will continue to bless you.


    ¡°¡­Haru, how many dungeons are there at this day?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°How many? Around three digits.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What do you think?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I think they are lies.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    If what I¡¯ve read is true, then the author has 30 friends in the world. The rest of the dungeons are all hostile.


    ¡°Although the shapes of the dungeons are different, the monsters that come out and the drops are the same, but they are hostile right? The people who made them are different? That sounds like a lie.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You said something about protecting the surface, but the last time there was a stampede, monsters were climbing up this dungeon too.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°You¡¯re not protecting the surface, are you? On the contrary, you¡¯re attacking us.¡± (Haru)


    I opened my computer and checked to see if there were any dungeons where monsters did not try to come out during the previous stampede around the world.


    ¡°None. The only thing that matters is whether or not they were able to protect themselves everywhere. Even though there are a lot of places that don¡¯t give out information, at least none of the dungeons are saying that the monsters didn¡¯t try to come out.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Is the information all lies?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I think so, but do you even have to bother telling such a strange lie?¡± (Kei)


    If this really is a lie, then whoever created this dungeon must really like to annoy people.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s weird when you find this message in the dungeon where the stampede happened? Or is the person who made it saying something other than here is the surface?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°If so, it would be strange to create a labyrinth and invade the surface. If this is not the surface, there is no point in making a dungeon entrance here.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    It seems that Haru thought that the thoughts behind the information were improbable, and she fell down on the floor.


    ¡°Every time I think about it, I don¡¯t understand.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, this time it¡¯s exceptionally confusing. I can¡¯t even formulate a hypothesis. I don¡¯t know..¡±


    I lay down on Haru¡¯s stomach, using her as a pillow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look it up later. [Release 1] may mean someone may be giving out information.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe there are limits at this level and we haven¡¯t reached it yet.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Maybe. I sleep a little. brain is tired.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Get up. Don¡¯t sleep.¡± (Haru)


    Haru pats my head that¡¯s on her stomach.


    ¡°Good night.¡± (Haru)


    I slowly close my eyelids, feeling Haru¡¯s voice and the light thump on my head.


    Of course, there was no way I could go back to sleep, and after a few moments of chattering with Haru, I woke up completely and got on with the housework as usual. And Haru went to bed.

 CH 109

    It¡¯s been a few days since my arm came back to life. I¡¯m gradually getting my old life back. However, it was still hard to get my senses back. Just like when I lost my arm, I stumbled when I walked and forgot to hold my bowl when I ate.


    Of course, I can¡¯t dive into dungeons or do any kind of exercise. My daily routine for the past few days has been to take a walk around my house and stretch. I¡¯m hoping this will help my rehabilitation.


    ¡°So, Haru. Now that I can move normally, I think it¡¯s time for us to go to the dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No. If you can move, you should be able to wield a sword next. You need to be able to run as fast as you can while swinging your sword.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s a no.¡± (Kei)


    If Haru is injured, it¡¯s my role to stop her from entering the dungeon, but if it¡¯s my own injury, that will necessarily reduce the odds.


    If that happens, it will be Haru¡¯s role to stop me from entering the dungeon. By worrying about each other a little too much, we ensure our safety when exploring the dungeon.


    We only enter dungeons when we both agree that it¡¯s okay to do so so that one of us doesn¡¯t feel obligated to push the other.


    ¡°See, Brother should be exercising. I also want to go to the dungeon as soon as possible.¡± (Haru)


    Haru threw me a sword that was kept in a scabbard with a string beside it. After confirming that I had received the sword, Haru returned to the computer and resumed her research.


    While I was out of the dungeon for my rehabilitation, Haru had nothing better to do, so she spent all of her time researching.


    What¡¯s on the computer screen now is a blog page in English that neither Haru nor I can read and a famous translation site. The performance of the computer is not very high, so we groaned as we continued our research.


    Of course, the contents to be examined are the [Release Level] and [Information Disclosure], and the [God¡¯s Blessing].


    So far, there are a few examples of [Release Level], but we don¡¯t know what they released.


    If you think about it normally, it would be something like the release of the max level cap, so no one has reached the max level cap at present. No, of course, it¡¯s about the release of the max level limit, but we can¡¯t think of anything else.


    There was no information about information disclosure at the moment. No matter how many times I repeated the search, all I could find was speculation from self-proclaimed experts, enthusiasts, writers, and so on. Since only a few of such people have actually dived deep into the dungeon, we often find misleading things they say.


    They say it¡¯s an alien invasion or a weapon secretly developed by some country. If it is an alien invasion, it is strange that the monsters that appear look too much like monsters imagined by people or creatures that exist on earth, and if the dungeon is a weapon, there is no reason to make such a nonsensical weapon.


    In fact, dungeons have caused a great deal of damage to humans, but at least in Japan, the economic impact of dungeons is overwhelmingly positive compared to the damage they have caused.


    Furthermore, considering the fact that the Japanese language, which is only used by the Japanese, was understood by the minotaur if the dungeon was a weapon, the country where it was created would most likely be Japan. I don¡¯t want to think about it that way, but I think it¡¯s unlikely.


    ¡°Hey brother. Something is happening.¡± (Haru)


    Haru opened his mouth just as I stood up, holding my sword. I was too lazy to swing my sword, so I quickly walked behind her and looked at the screen.


    ¡°I found a hidden room near the entrance of the dungeon Ruins area!¡±


    According to the article, the room was first found in a foreign dungeon, and the location of the room gradually became known among some people.


    This time, one of the explorers who heard about it verified whether the room really existed and found it.


    However, it was in a different dungeon than the one where the rumor had originated.


    The person who found the room was so surprised to find that it really existed that he posted it on social media that day.


    The hidden room that no one could find, and the fact that the entrance to the room looked like a wall to the naked eye, but felt like a wall when touched, along with other unintelligible words, made this information circulating around the world as a rumor. Today, a hidden room has been found in a dungeon in Tokyo, Japan.


    By the way, the foreign man who announced the existence of the hidden room in the dungeon on social media is currently missing.


    ¡°Haru, why don¡¯t we take a look at it and come back so we don¡¯t have to fight?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm, I wonder if it¡¯s okay. At worst, it¡¯s a place where we can handle things on our own. I¡¯m talking about the entrance to the ruins. Brother, you don¡¯t really want to run anymore, do you?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯ll slow down a little, but I won¡¯t fall anymore.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°All right. When monsters appear, you should stay behind me. If you see a monster, get behind me and buff me. Okay?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Roger!¡± (Kei)


    We quickly unfastened the scabbard of our weapons, equipped ourselves, and dove into the dungeon, not knowing exactly where or how to enter the hidden room. You can¡¯t see it, and you can¡¯t touch it.


    Perhaps the entrance could not be found by just banging on the wall in the dark.


    Nevertheless, we have a variety of Magic and Skills. We were confident that we could find the entrance.


    Haru¡¯s [Inspection], [Detection], and [Magic Manipulation]. My [Material Cognition], [Domination], and [Perception].


    We have many ways of detecting and interfering even with the invisible magic power.


    ¡°They can¡¯t stop us with a trick like this, can they? Hmm.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hey. It¡¯s going to be easy, it¡¯s going to be fine!¡± (Haru)


    We used the above 6 Skills till exhaustion, and even used the [Liquid Magic] that is Haru¡¯s, Treasure Tool. Our magic power was almost at rock bottom before we discovered the hidden entrance after four hours of diving into the dungeon.

 CH 110

    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty barren room. There¡¯s nothing here.¡± (Kei)


    It took us four hours to find a hidden door. We were exploring a room that was as large as a Boss Room.


    In the end, we couldn¡¯t figure out how to get into this room after four hours of searching. No matter how much magic I used, I couldn¡¯t find any trace of a door or any strange feeling on the wall. I kept pounding on the walls, but there was nowhere to hear a hollow sound and nowhere to move.


    Just as I was about to give up and leave, my hand on the wall lost its resistance and was sucked into the wall.


    I think that doors only appear when a number of conditions come together.


    It could be the situation, the number of explorers present, or the will.


    It is possible that once we leave this room, we will never be able to enter it again. That¡¯s why we don¡¯t know the condition of the door and can¡¯t be sure.


    ¡°Brother, there¡¯s something here.¡± (Haru)


    When I was thinking about that, Haru, who was looking at the back of the room, found something.


    ¡°A Magic Circle? It looks like it.¡± (Kei)


    There was a cube made of stone about the size of my fist. On its surface were a large number of magic circles.


    ¡°Haru, stay away. [Domination].¡± (Kei)


    I took a distance from the stone and used [Domination] to hit the magic circle with magic power from a distance.


    I think it¡¯s probably a transfer just like the previous Magic Circles, but it¡¯s dangerous if it transfers to a strange place, and there are other possibilities. Just to be sure, I activated the Magic Circle from a distance.


    After a few seconds of applying magic power, the Magic Circles on the surface of the stone began to glow. When one Magic Circle started to glow, the other Magic Circles started to glow in a chain reaction. In the blink of an eye, all the Magic Circles were glowing, creating a bunch of light that I couldn¡¯t see straight, and then, with a familiar sound, it appeared.


    Letters of light floated in the air.


    ¡°Workshop?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It says workshop.¡± (Haru)


    It was the word ¡°Workshop¡± that appeared in front of us. Well, not exactly.


    ? Workshop


    ? Not open


    ? Not open


    Apparently, two of the three cannot be checked.


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Oh, I got it.¡± (Haru)


    Haru tilted her head, poked at the floating letters, and clapped her hands together.


    ? Workshop -Start-


    ? Not open


    ? Not open


    ¡°It¡¯s starting up.¡± (Haru)


    Haru touches the word ¡°start¡± without any hesitation.


    The letters glowed red for a moment, then faded away as if they were melting into the air. It was about the time when I couldn¡¯t see all the letters and couldn¡¯t even recognize their traces. There was a sound like the rumbling of the earth.


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    ¡°Haru, please be more careful.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Haru)


    With our backs to the wall, we readied our weapons and searched for the source of the sound. Is it a demon or a trap? We look around cautiously, making sure there is nothing unusual in the flow of magic. And then.


    ¡°¡±Ouch!¡±¡± (Haru & Kei)


    We were blown away from behind.


    ¡°What is this, a computer?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. It¡¯s not, is it?¡± (Haru)


    The thing that pushed us away was a machine made of a material that looked like iron or stone. It looked like a desktop computer, with a large monitor about two meters high, and a keyboard like a laptop with a huge touchpad-like thing attached.


    Of course, there were no alphabets written on the keyboard-like thing, and although there were keys, they were arranged differently and could not be pressed. And then.


    ¡°¤Ö¤­¤·¤å¤ª¤»¤ó¤¿¤¯¤·¤Æ¡± [T/N: Bear with it for now. It says bu-ki-shi-yu-o-se-n-ta-ku-shi-te.]


    What appeared on the screen was a simple interface and a phrase in hiragana that was hard to read.

 CH 111

    The characters that appeared out of nowhere were very strange to me. [T/N: If you read it, it would literally sound like ¡°Weapon Selection¡±. However, we are discovering this along with the characters so let¡¯s try to do it this way.]


    ¡°It¡¯s a very strange set of characters.¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯ve seen a lot of different characters in this dungeon so far. The first time I entered the dungeon, the proficiency selection was all in katakana.


    I can¡¯t use it, but when I used my sight-reading skill, I felt words being sent to my brain. I heard that it was more like hearing voices rather than letters.


    And this time. In addition to the fact that everything was in hiragana, the characters looked somewhat messy. No, it¡¯s more like they¡¯re not very good.


    The characters I had seen in the dungeon before were as inorganic and precise as the characters in a computer text. I don¡¯t know what it is about this one, but it looks as if someone who is not good at writing tried to write it carefully. I used to write like this when I was in elementary school, or maybe middle school.


    ¡°Brother, I can move them!¡± (Haru)


    Haru is using it as a computer, or is it just a computer now? When she touched the touchpad of the computer, a diamond-shaped cursor appeared on the screen. It¡¯s like a game. At the same time, the characters [¤·¤ó¤ê¤ã¤¯] and [¤Ü¤¦¤¨¤¤] also appeared. [T/N: First: shi-n-ri-ya-ku (Aggression, Invasion or Raid) Second: bo-u-e-i (Defense or protection).]


    ¡°It¡¯s like a game.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    The characters were surprising just because I began to think about a sword or a staff, which is said to be a kind of weapon [T/N: Bukishu or ¤Ö¤­¤·¤å or weapon, Shi and yu makes the shu sound.].


    ¡°I¡¯ll choose [Shinryaku]/[Raid] for the time being.¡± (Haru)


    Haru seems to be accustomed to moving the cursor to move across the Land [T/N: ri-ku] character. When the cursor hovers over ¡°Land¡±, it glows three times and the screen changed.


    At the top of the screen, as before, [Raid] is written, and below that, there are numbered items from 1 to 5 and the characters alongside them are written.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± (Haru)


    1: ¤Ø¤¤¤­¤½¤¦¤¾¤¦ [T/N: he/e-i-ki-so-u-zo-u] 3/10000


    2: ¤·¤ó¤°¤ó [T/N: shi-n-gu-n] 998/1000


    3: ¤·¤ó¤« [T/N: shi-n-ka] 6/100


    4: ¤Ò¤È¤¬¤¿¤·¤ç¤¦¤«¤ó [T/N: hi-to-ga-ta-shi-yo-u-ka-n] 0/1000


    5: ¤·¤ç¤¦¤´¤¦¤¸¤å¤è [T/N: shi-yo-u-go-u-ji-yu-yo]


    ¡°[¤Ø¤¤¤­¤½¤¦¤¾¤¦] means ¡®Weapon Crafting¡¯, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°[¤·¤ó¤°¤ó ] means ¡®Army of God¡¯ or ¡®Invading Army¡¯. [¤·¤ó ¤«] is probably ¡®Evolution¡¯ like the evolution of living things.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°[¤Ò¤È¤¬¤¿¤·¤ç¤¦¤«¤ó] and [¤·¤ç¤¦¤´¤¦¤¸¤å¤è] might be literal. I don¡¯t know much about details on ¡®Hominid Summon¡¯ and ¡®Title Conferment¡¯. Brother.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, you know.¡± (Haru)


    Haru had a tight smile and pointed to the screen we were looking at.


    ¡°Well, it was 998 until a while ago.¡± (Haru)


    2: Invading Army 999/1000


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Kei)


    When I saw the letters Haru pointed to, I felt a cold sweat break out. The number increased for [Invading Army]. If our thoughts are right, the phrase ¡®Army of God¡¯ or ¡®Invading Army¡¯ is a dangerous phrase.


    ¡°Haru, can¡¯t you check any further?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± (Haru)


    Haru gingerly puts the cursor on [Invading Army].


    2: Invading Army 1000/1000


    As the cursor flashed three times, the number increased and the screen changed.


    Invading Army


    Location: Outside


    Target: Living Creature


    Are there any changes


    Execute   Return


    ¡°Wow!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Haru, change the destination for the time being! I have a bad feeling about this.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Done!¡±


    Once she hovered the cursor over the place where it says [Outside], it immediately, lit up three times again, and the place where it says [Outside] became blank.


    ¡°Well, make it [Forest]!¡± (Kei)


    Invading Army


    Location: Forest (0 Floor)


    Target: Living Creature


    Are there any changes


    Execute   Return


    ¡°What is the 0 floor? Never mind, we¡¯ll change [Target] to [monsters] for now.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Did it!¡± (Haru)


    Invading Army


    Location: Forest (0 Floor)


    Target: Monster


    Are there any changes


    Execute   Return


    ¡°¡±Start!¡±¡± (Kei & Haru)


    It has been activated.


    When that sentence is displayed, the screen switches and returns to the original screen.


    1: Weapon Crafting 3/10000


    2: Invading Army 0/1000


    3: Evolution 6/100


    4: Hominid Summon 0/1000


    5: Title Conferment


    [T/N: We know what¡¯s there so I changed it to English words.]


    The difference is that the value of ¡°Invading Army¡± has returned to zero. I had raised the value by 2 in a small amount of time, but as far as I can see, the value is still at 0 and has not moved.


    ¡°This was operated by someone, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean when I say the increase suddenly stopped. Let¡¯s take a look at the Forest and then go back home.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes!¡± (Haru)


    When we left the room, of course, the entrance to the room had disappeared. We couldn¡¯t touch or push our way back into the room, so we gave up and went to check out the Forest.


    There was a hellish landscape.


    Rimdobmur was flying around at ease, but the monsters on the ground were eating each other and killing each other.


    If we returned to the front of the Cave coming down from the 15th floor, countless monsters were pouring into the Forest from there. The monsters running toward the forest attacked each other as they ran, not paying attention to us beside them.


    We tried slashing at them with our swords from the side, but they didn¡¯t fight back, and the monsters killed each other.


    The fact that we had changed the target from Living Creature to Monster must have had an effect.


    As soon as I returned to the first level, there were no shadows of monsters, and since it was the first floor, there were no traces of dead monsters.


    ¡°Maybe all of them went to the Forest.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Looks like it.¡± (Kei)


    We returned to the house and opened the computer without removing our gear.


    ¡°It¡¯s a global stampede all over again. No attacks on explorers?! Monsters are running deeper into the dungeons.¡±


    That¡¯s what I thought. The stampede is happening in all the dungeons. Monsters in all dungeons are heading into the forest without attacking people, and monsters are killing each other.


    ¡°Someone also a caused the previous stampede.¡± (Kei)


    Somewhere in the world, there is someone who knows the location of that room before anyone else. Someone who has uncovered the secret and is exploiting it. I couldn¡¯t help but be convinced of that fact.

 CH 112

    ¡°So, what should we do?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°There¡¯s that.¡± (Kei)


    It¡¯s been a few days since we caused the stampede. It seems that there were no explorers who jumped to their deaths in front of monsters that had no intention of attacking humans, and I saw it said on the news that there were ¡°zero deaths¡± in Japan.


    It¡¯s only natural that explorers only dive to the level where they have an advantage over monsters. If there is a difference in status, you won¡¯t even have to worry about being killed if you bump into a running monster.


    However, this stampede. Haru and I are the ones who have noticed the problem. And someone else who tried to cause the stampede first.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe it wasn¡¯t man-made, you know.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to get into that room.¡± (Kei)


    The next day after the stampede, we were back at the place where the room used to be. Seeing if we could get into that room again, to see if we could find out the secret of that computer.


    But we could not find the door. We looked for the door for several hours, but it never appeared, and our efforts ended in vain.


    ¡°Who would benefit from a stampede?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°If you¡¯re strong, you can kill monsters and get items, but I wonder if it will actually be profitable.¡± (Kei)


    In the event that you want to hunt for a stampede in the entire dungeon, you will need to have the status to be able to kill a good number of monsters at once with a single blow.


    In the event that you¡¯ve got that kind of status, you¡¯ll be able to get rare items and a lot of experience by fighting in the deeper floors.


    ¡°In the first place, there¡¯s no point in setting it up where they attack people, right? In fact, in the stampede we had, no monsters targeted people at all.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Then there¡¯s a criminal¡¯s petty amusement. Maybe it was a monster that caused the stampede in the first place.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Is that a monster manipulating that?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I mean, the cow understood the language, so it¡¯s too early to say it couldn¡¯t have done it, don¡¯t you think?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± (Haru)


    When we played with that computer, the characters that appeared on it were hiragana. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because this is Japan, or because we speak Japanese, or if it¡¯s just Japanese for no reason.


    ¡°By the way, do Minotaurs understand other languages other than Japanese?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s try it out?¡± (Haru)


    So, we were standing in front of a minotaur. If we swing our weapons, we can defeat them. If we hit it with all our might, we can beat it. Even if we don¡¯t aim at it, we can defeat it. So,


    ¡°Haru, run away.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, go away!¡± (Haru)


    We continued to dodge the attacks of the Minotaur in random directions.


    ¡°Haru, speak in English.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. Can you speak English?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Your pronunciation is very Japanese!¡± (Kei)


    We were never good at English, and our limited knowledge of the language was limited to exam words and grammar, so we couldn¡¯t speak with a more westernized pronunciation.


    ¡°Oh, I have a bomb!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°My name is Touka!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Either they can only speak Japanese or they can speak English just fine but we¡¯re too bad at it. Which is it?!¡± (Haru)


    While running around the Minotaur, we shouted in poor English, but it didn¡¯t seem like it could hear us. In the first place, I don¡¯t have enough knowledge about words in English that might affect its actions, so we could see if it could understand us.


    ¡°Which is it?¡± (Kei)


    In the end, we couldn¡¯t verify whether the minotaur could understand English or not that day.


    ¡°So, Kizaki-san. What do you mean by this, Kizaki-san, is there any case of 31 people going missing together? No, there was no such case. If they all disappeared at once, it would be a big deal.¡± (Someone)


    ¡°Well, I think they are probably kids. I don¡¯t know if the children are still students. No, I don¡¯t think they are students.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°So, tell me what you¡¯re actually thinking. First of all, you¡¯re not diving in the dungeon anymore. Where are you gathering such incomprehensible information?¡± (Someone)


    ¡°Hmm? I told you before. It¡¯s a skill. It¡¯s useful, but it¡¯s a shitty skill.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°So, you said it before, ¡®Resonance¡¯, right? You only gave me the name of the skill.¡± (Someone) [T/N: ¹²øQ or kyoumei or Resonance.  So, who is Shiki resonating with? Or is it like sonar?]


    ¡°Because if I told you, you¡¯d tell everyone.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I mean, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s spreading people¡¯s secrets.¡± (Someone)


    ¡°Is that so? You don¡¯t remember that I told everyone about your first love?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°You do remember, don¡¯t you?¡± (Someone)


    While the two men were chatting across the table, a woman with blushing cheeks interrupted them with a beer in her hand.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Rei, your first love.¡± (Rei)


    ¡°Why are you here?!¡± (Someone)


    ¡°Well, hey, it would be strange if your wife was left at home.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°I¡¯m a wife. Fufu.¡± (Rei)


    ¡°What are you two single people talking about? Rei-san¡¯s love type are women, right? I haven¡¯t forgotten that I was rejected after confessing!¡± (Someone)


    ¡°Girls are cute. By the way, Shiki-san¡¯s daughter is cute. Her name is Haruka-chan. He jokingly introduced me as his wife. I took him up on it because it was funny, but I missed the chance to tell her it was a lie. Haruka-chan glared at me, it was so cute.¡± (Rei)


    ¡°Wow.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®Wow¡¯?¡± (Someone)


    ¡°No, I thought she had bad taste. I mean, why are you actually here, Rei?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Work and support. My skills are very useful.¡± (Rei)


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know any of your skills.¡± (Someone)


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a secret.¡± (Rei)


    ¡°Please tell me.¡± (Someone)


    ¡°No.¡± (Rei)


    The more they drank, the more they talked. This is how the night went on for the three middle-aged drinkers.


    ¡°Satou, hen did kids start using computers?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe 20 years ago. Maybe even earlier.¡± (Someone => Satou)


    ¡°If so, I want you to put together a class of exactly thirty students from around there until now. Just the middle school for now. It¡¯s a co-educational school in an area where the language is the official standard.¡± (Shiki) [T/N: They mean formal Japanese minus the idiosyncrasies of those with dialects.]


    ¡°I understand, Kizaki-san.¡± (Satou)

 CH 113

    ¡°What is it, old man?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, I was just wondering what you¡¯ve been up to lately. How are you and Haru?¡± (Shiki)


    That day, I was unusually awakened by the sound of the phone.


    I looked at the clock and saw that it was seven in the morning. I wanted to complain to the person who called me, but at this time of night, anyone who¡¯s awake is awake.


    I reluctantly picked up the phone, thinking it was a sales call or something, but what I heard was my old man¡¯s voice. He probably didn¡¯t know that I was about to hang up the phone.


    ¡°Haru is sleeping. You¡¯re calling us in the morning, what do you actually want?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? I just thought you made a flashy move lately.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°What?¡± (Kei)


    I stopped moving with the phone in my hand. What does he mean we made a flashy move? I think he has some idea. I can¡¯t help but think that the stampede was a flashy move.


    But there¡¯s no way that my father would know about it. We don¡¯t know for sure, either.


    We¡¯re pretty sure we¡¯ve triggered the stampede by moving that computer thing, but there¡¯s no proof.


    After a full five seconds of thought, I opened my mouth.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°The other day, there was a stampede, right? I¡¯m sure that Touka and Haru would have done their best. That¡¯s what I was thinking.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What do you think I meant? You¡¯re hiding something from your parent? Haru is your sister.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to say but shut up. If there¡¯s nothing else, I can do for you, I¡¯ll hang up.¡± (Kei)


    I could see the smirk on my father¡¯s face even through the phone, and I was about to put the receiver down, annoyed.


    ¡°Wait a minute. This is about something serious.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Then, talk about that from the beginning.¡± (Kei)


    When my father changed his tone of voice, I clicked my tongue lightly, after changing from his joking tone.


    ¡°Touka, have you ever met a woman in a dungeon who was empty-handed and wearing tattered clothes?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Empty-handed and wearing tattered clothes? Is she suicidal?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No, of course not. So, you haven¡¯t?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t.¡± (Kei)


    It¡¯s impossible not to notice someone in such a bizarre outfit. In the first place, the dungeon in the basement where we usually explore, we do not get to meet people there. We¡¯ve seen people in the Tokyo dungeon, but those people were not empty-handed and in tattered clothes. If there was such a person, we would certainly go to their rescue.


    ¡°No, I guess not. Then, one more thing. How much do you know about maids?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Maids?¡± (Kei)


    I froze, my mouth hanging open at my father¡¯s words. No, I thought he was being serious.


    ¡°A maid that you would not find in a Maid Cafe. A proper maid like a servant.¡± (Shiki)


    I thought my father had started joking again, but he kept talking in a serious voice. I don¡¯t understand what he means at all, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s serious about it. So I¡¯ll think about it.


    ¡°I can barely distinguish anything. I know they don¡¯t wear miniskirts, but I don¡¯t know if they wear uniforms or not, and I don¡¯t know their manners. I don¡¯t even know what they do for a living.¡± (Kei)


    Nowadays, maids in maid cafes, anime, and light novels have become famous, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to know what a maid really looks like without research.


    I don¡¯t know how many of the maids I¡¯ve seen in my life are based on modern people¡¯s fantasies.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I am ignorant about them that I don¡¯t know what a maid is.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Probably. If you are a high school boy, shouldn¡¯t you know more about maids in maid cafes?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So maybe that¡¯s your hobby? It¡¯s not impossible, but I feel like there¡¯s some weird culture mixed in with it. Is it a hobby? A fetish?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    My dad is on the other end of the phone mumbling to himself.


    ¡°Old man, if you¡¯re thinking, can I hang up?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, sure. One last thing.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°You still have more?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Why do you think the Demon King waits so long in the castle? Please give me an honest answer.¡± (Shiki)


    The fantasy of a Demon King waiting for a hero in his castle has become a common RPG trope. Enemies who are the Demon King¡¯s minions can be met along the journey, but the enemies are weak at first so that the growing hero can defeat them, and they become stronger as they approach the Demon King.


    ¡°Because the Demon King can only exert his full power in his castle.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Aside from that?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Because they want to raise a hero.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Aside from that?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Oh, because he wanted to reduce the number of demons that thought he was part of the problem?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s what you were thinking. No, of course, it wouldn¡¯t be the same. Thank you, Touka. Say hello to Haru.¡±


    My father made a satisfied sound and hung up the phone.


    ¡°What were those questions about?¡± (Kei)


    I went to the kitchen to make breakfast before Haru woke up. As I put together the dishes, I reflected on the call with my old man.


    ¡°The other day, there was a stampede, right? I¡¯m sure that Touka and Haru would have done their best. That¡¯s what I was thinking.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Why did you think we did well in a stampede of monsters that didn¡¯t attack explorers, old man?¡± (Kei)


    I felt cold sweat run down my spine.

 CH 114

    ¡°What did father say?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What did he say? He asked about maids and why the Demon Lord wouldn¡¯t come out of the castle.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°He also asked if Haru was okay.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Really?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± (Haru)


    Haru finished her breakfast and cleaned up the dishes, humming softly.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one more thing. Haru, do you know any women in tattered clothes who go into dungeons alone?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone like that.¡± (Haru)


    As expected, Haru didn¡¯t know about the tattered woman either. In the first place, we usually act together when meeting anyone in the dungeon, so there is almost no information that only I know and Haru does not know, or vice versa.


    It is the result of collecting and sharing information about dungeons, which we have thoroughly implemented since last year.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go do this today. For a change of pace.¡± (Haru)


    Haru turns the screen of the laptop towards me. It was the website of an event being held at the dungeon market.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the dungeon together.¡± (Kei)


    To be honest, I don¡¯t know how they can do that after the massive stampede that happened just before. I¡¯m not going to say that I¡¯m one of those who caused the stampede, even if it was me and Haru, of course.


    ¡°Haru, you must¡¯ve been aiming for this for a long while.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°How do you know?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, you showed it to me as soon as you opened the computer.¡± (Kei)


    Haru seems to have been aiming to go to this event since yesterday, and when she opened the laptop, she immediately showed it to me.


    Haru¡¯s mouth closed and opened like a fish before muttering, then nodding as she was convinced.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s up with you all of a sudden? Haru doesn¡¯t like crowds, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, yes, I do. This is the reason.¡± (Haru)


    Haru worked on the computer and turned the screen to me again. Then I found the words ¡°Dungeon Item Achieve Hall¡± on it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the point is in going there if you already have experience in items dropping in the dungeon?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Below that. This one. A hybrid of machine and Dropped Items. It¡¯s the next generation of tools. I want to see those.¡± (Haru)


    Haru pointed to an image of an unusual-looking car. It said that it used dungeon drop items to alleviate vibrations so that it looked as if it was floating, and that it consumed about one-tenth the fuel of a conventional gasoline car.


    However, it is a dungeon item and cannot be driven on public roads because its safety cannot be guaranteed.


    ¡°You want to make something like this.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So, you want to see it.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I want to see it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Would you like to go?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes!¡± (Haru)


    Haru acting like this is unusual, especially wanting to go out. I¡¯m a little tired from the conversation with my father, but I¡¯ll go.


    I plugged in the charging cord to my phone to prepare for the day.


    ¡°Brother, I found it. The one I saw on the Internet.¡± (Haru)


    I looked around while listening to Haru¡¯s voice, which was unusually excited. Even though there was a stampede just the other day, the Dungeon Market was crowded with people.


    It must be because of the event. It seems that the Dungeon Market, which is usually only open to explorers, is open to the public only today. It was probably because of this that it was so crowded.


    The car I was shown at home was being stared at closely by Haru shat she looks like she was going to stick to it. Perhaps Haru is also using [Inspection].


    I can¡¯t use appraisal skills as powerful as [Inspection], so I read the signboard built next to the car. The items used to make this car were written there.


    [Impact Absorption] Absorbs impact and releases a small amount of magical power


    [Heat Absorption] Absorbs heat and releases a small amount of magical power


    [Float] Makes things float


    [Liquid Storage] Stores liquid and removes mass, but cannot be taken out again.


    [Invert] Reverses the effect


    Underneath, there is a list of all the skills used and the items used that have the effect of those skills.


    ¡°How much would it cost to buy all these items?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°100 million yen might not be enough. Also, it seems that there are items with skills not listed here. Maybe it¡¯s a trade secret.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What skill is it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°[Explosion].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What about the engine? Safety controls?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe. I couldn¡¯t see it from the outside. I was using [Detection] and [Inspection] together and found it. Under the seat, I think.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Seriously. I¡¯m scared to get in. What¡¯s under the hood then?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s something from another skill, I guess they needed a place to connect their skills, so they used the hood.¡± (Haru)


    Haru chuckled and pointed to the area around the hood.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really popular.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup.¡± (Haru)


    The car was near the entrance, but in the back, there were several huge devices that were bigger than the car.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the next one.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± (Haru)


    We started walking in response to Haru¡¯s shout.

 CH 115

    ¡°They¡¯ve been working on it for a while now. Something this small?¡± (Haru)


    A metal box that could hold one person had the word ¡°Generator¡± engraved on it in very good handwriting.


    ¡°Brother, I think I can make one of these and free up the electricity bill!¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, it¡¯s too big.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I can make it smaller.¡± (Haru)


    The sign next to it said, ¡°Power Amplification Generator¡±, which means that electricity is fed into the machine and the energy is amplified by the power of the item.


    ¡°Does that mean the voltage goes up.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it increase the power.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No, because the voltage is proportional or inversely proportional to the power, hmm?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Hmm?¡± (Kei)


    We both tilted our heads in front of the sign. The sign had more detailed information, but we were too stupid to understand it.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s inside it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°It¡¯s full of things like [Amplification] and [Enhancement] and things like that.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Unexpectedly not random.¡± (Kei)


    It is true that if you prepare a large amount of this, you might be able to solve the energy problem, but it would be difficult to prepare that much. It may be possible to prepare a large amount of electricity, but I think this generator has its limitations.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try it when we get home. I don¡¯t know if we have any amplification skills, but we probably do.¡± (Haru)


    All the items we got in the dungeon are stored in a special item pouch with a large capacity. I don¡¯t remember how many items we have, but it¡¯s from several months of saving. I¡¯m sure there are a few items with amplification skills as well.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll try it when I feel like it.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s the kind of thing you avoid doing.¡± (Kei)


    Haru hummed in a cheerful mood, moving around the exhibits at her leisure.


    ¡°Look at that, there¡¯s even a refrigerator.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Is it fine without electricity?¡± (Kei)


    It¡¯s a refrigerator or freezer made with the skill [cooling].


    ¡°I want this.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I want this. I want it.¡± (Haru)


    A bed with the [Ventilation] skill.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need this.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, I think Haru would need it.¡± (Kei)


    This is a beauty device made with several skills focused on [Moisturizing].


    But there really are many different ones. It is difficult to popularize all of them because they are made from items that drop randomly in dungeons, but if they can be mass-produced in the future, the world¡¯s technology will advance forward by leaps.


    ¡°Which one was the best for you, Haru?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°For me, it was the car. Brother and I have a lot of magic power.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We both have magical proficiencies, and our levels are high.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I think that car can keep going without fuel.¡± (Haru)


    The problem is that neither of us is interested in cars in the first place, but if that car could be used on public roads, we wouldn¡¯t need to pay for gas or electricity.


    ¡°It¡¯s efficient, that¡¯s for sure. I heard that gasoline is quite expensive.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Besides, if we could make a bike with that system, we could ride it in the dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    In dungeons, where chemical combustion and explosions cannot occur using electricity, magic-powered vehicles can be used instead. Being able to ride a powered vehicle would be a significant advantage.


    ¡°If we make a high-powered weapon with a mechanism similar to that car and carry it by the vehicle, we may be able to easily suppress a Stampede.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. So it¡¯s going to be guns after all, which is not very fantasy-like.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s convenient to have a long-range, high-power weapon that anyone can use. Even if it costs a lot of money, it¡¯s cheaper than human life.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Maybe some other countries are already doing it.¡± (Haru)


    Haru and I walked back to the car we saw first and circled around it.


    ¡°Which one did you like, brother?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well.¡± (Kei)


    I think I¡¯ll say something different from Haru¡¯s.


    ¡°I want the bed; you know the one with the [Ventilation] skill. I want something that I can use comfortably in my daily life. It would still be interesting to have the same car as Haru¡¯s, though.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Bed, of course, it looked good. It also seemed easy to make.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I read that it was absolutely humidity adapted. It probably gets cold in the winter.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°But we wouldn¡¯t need it if we can keep the bedroom air-conditioned.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°It¡¯ll still be a little more comfortable.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Do you think so?¡± (Haru)


    That¡¯s when it happened. At that moment, I heard what sounded like a loud cheer from the stage in the dungeon market. The words ¡°Heroes¡± and ¡°Hero Yuki¡± are included in the cheer.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it like, d¨¦j¨¤ vu?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Was it like this when we first came here?¡± (Kei)


    You can¡¯t see the stage from where we¡¯re standing, but I¡¯m guessing the heroes are there. The increase in the popularity of Japan¡¯s strongest explorers, who have both beautiful men and women with good personalities, never stops. Recently, they seem to be on TV so much that I wonder when they are going to the dungeon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see.¡± (Haru)


    Haru was excited to go to the crowd, which she normally wouldn¡¯t go near to.

 CH 116

    The appearance of the Hero Party standing on the stage had changed drastically from before. The equipment was flashy but did not interfere with the fight, and the defensive power was high.


    There are a lot of people between the Hero Party and us, so we can¡¯t reach them and use [Inspection], but there is such a thing as equipment that you can tell just by looking at it. This is the equipment that enemies drop in dungeons.


    Compared to the past, the quality of equipment made by humans has improved greatly. With the advent of more and more explorers, more and more details about skills, magic, and unusual ways of using them are revealed. The next step is to establish a technique for making equipment using dungeon items.


    Equipment made from dungeon items with proper technology and skills can surpass the performance of stab-proof and bullet-proof clothing that was made before the dungeon appeared, but only in the dungeon will those be useful.


    However, even such equipment pales in comparison to the equipment that rarely drops from unique monsters in dungeons.


    Most of the equipment dropped by unique monsters is flashy, as if they ignore usability and durability. The equipment of the heroes¡¯ party is different, shining with gold, sprouting spurs, or looking like bare tree roots. If this were any ordinary explorer, I would have guessed that they were wearing strange equipment to stand out, but it would be meaningless for the Hero Party to do such a thing.


    ¡°Brother, the Hero Party are amazing. The quality of their equipment might be better than ours.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°We¡¯re just improving the ones we bought. Their base stats are low.¡± (Kei)


    The only disadvantage we have over the Hero Party is our numbers.  No matter how fast we defeat monsters, unique monsters will not always appear. Also, defeating a unique monster doesn¡¯t always drop equipment, and even if they do, it¡¯s usually something we can¡¯t use.


    ¡°I remember you dropping a sword before. Why didn¡¯t brother use it?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That sword is too long. It¡¯s almost ten centimeters longer than my current one. It would have been a hindrance in a fight.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I have a tonfa, you know. I¡¯ve never seen a tonfa as a drop. I guess equipment that isn¡¯t common doesn¡¯t get dropped in dungeons either.¡± (Haru)


    Most explorers get equipment from dungeons and sell it if it¡¯s not for their use. Basically, explorers who use dropped equipment sell a lot of their own unused equipment and use the money they save to buy equipment that other people have put up for sale.


    In our case, we don¡¯t get much money because we choose to save the quantity and quality of the equipment we sell. Of course, we can¡¯t buy equipment that other people have sold, so we have to put up with it by improving our own equipment.


    On the stage, the progress of the dungeons and explorers up to today is shown on the screen as a video.


    The dungeon appeared, and the exploration began. Ordinary people were able to dive into dungeons. A way to make potions was found, and a technique to make equipment was found. But when you think about it.


    ¡°But when you think about it, it hasn¡¯t been that long since the dungeons appeared.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I thought so too.¡± (Haru)


    The video that started with the first stampede ended up showing the car we were looking at and then disappeared with a single sentence.


    ¡°Starting now, our Investigation about Dungeons is just about to begin!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the beginning, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Starting now.¡± (Haru)


    The events that happened in the hidden room came to Haru and my mind. And also our old man¡¯s words.


    ¡°The dungeon¡¯s development is still in its infancy, and problems will occur in the future.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°In the first place, we¡¯ve had too many problems to begin with.¡± (Haru)


    The Stampede, the Gan Ceann, the Chimera. The dungeon often poses a threat to us. It¡¯s a natural disaster, and it¡¯s our own weakness that causes us to get hurt, and it¡¯s our own fault for choosing to become explorers.


    However, the hidden room raises the possibility that the stampede was the result of human malice. New things are created, and many people gather. As time goes by, some people will try to do something. And one day, some people will succeed in their schemes.


    Both explorers and dungeons alike.


    ¡°What about dungeons?¡± (Kei)


    Something stuck in my mind. What I had experienced in the dungeon, what my father had told me, what I had seen on social media. A lot of information rushed through my mind.


    ¡°Haru, there¡¯s something I want to look into when we get home.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°What?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea about what our old man was talking about.¡± (Kei)


    Haru turned to me and tilted her head with serious eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I hadn¡¯t noticed it, but I hadn¡¯t thought about those.¡± (Kei)


    I wasn¡¯t sure about both the maid and the Demon King. I don¡¯t even know what he meant by those. But I think this is something that my old man wondered about.


    ¡°Why is the slime a slime.¡±


    Only the slime is both a weird living creature and a monster.

 CH 117

    ¡°The slime is a slime, and that¡¯s how it¡¯s shown in [Inspection].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°No, not like that.¡±


    There was no such thing as a monster that appeared in a dungeon that was too strange. Not feeling weird means that all those monsters are within the limits of our imagination.


    Wolves, wild boars, moles, and people appeared in the dungeon. The monsters are all giant, deformed versions of real animals, famous ones that I can recognize just by looking at them.


    The monsters on the first level are strange. Goblins and slimes. I don¡¯t think either of them is based on real creatures.


    No, the goblins could have been modeled after people or monkeys. But the slime is different. Amoebas, planaria, and other creatures that look like slime do exist. But are they the most famous ones?


    Is it something that can be lined up with other animals and made into a monster?


    ¡°Do you know when slime started to be recognized as a fantasy creature?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t think there were any such creatures when I read myths and stuff. Oh, what about Cthulhu?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s a fictional myth. No, I don¡¯t know if you can call a myth fictional, but it¡¯s not some ancient story.¡± (Kei)


    It¡¯s not just slimes. There are other monsters that are believed not to exist in reality: the Rimdobmur and the Gun Saen, two powerful monsters. Rimdobmur is a dragon, and the Gan Ceann looks like a Dullahan.


    ¡°Once again, the monsters were modeled after the creatures of Earth and the cultures that emerged from those cultures.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Are you saying modern pop culture too?¡± (Haru)


    ¡° As far as the slime is concerned, I¡¯d say it is.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I see, so.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°So.¡± (Kei)


    Haru and I paused in silence and looked at each other for a few seconds.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I told you. When our old man said something about maids, we were talking about how much someone my age should know about them.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°How much you should know? ¡®Master¡¯? ¡®Moe Moe Kyun¡¯?¡± (Haru) [T/N: Haru is being cute and emulating actions maids in Maid Caf¨¦s do.]


    Haru grinned as she poked me with her elbow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard those. You know that Haru, right? Our old man was talking about a real maid. Those that serve aristocrats.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ah, I know a bit about them.¡± (Haru)


    While saying this, Haru spreads her hands out to the side and does a curtsy. I don¡¯t know anything about the art of curtesy, but I can tell you that it¡¯s not very good at all.


    ¡°Yes, I can only think of them doing things like that. Maybe our old man wanted to hear those too.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°You mean¡­¡± (Haru)


    ¡°He thinks that the dungeon was created by someone around our age, maybe even Japanese.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Really?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Kei)


    Well, there¡¯s nothing that can be done about it.


    ¡°That everything.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Everything?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Shall we go to the dungeon tomorrow?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup, let¡¯s.¡± (Haru)


    I don¡¯t know what my father is doing or what he wants to do, but I think I can manage without knowing most of his secrets.

 CH 118

    ¡°Still none.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing today either.¡± (Kei)


    We dove into the dungeon as usual, and when we entered the ruins, we looked around. As before, there are no doors, only a quiet path with no monsters.


    I hope there¡¯s more.


    ¡°There¡¯s something here.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°There are people, right?¡± (Kei)


    An empty wall. For some reason, there were legs sprouting from where the door had been before.


    Of course, we are wary of such things, and we are pointing our weapons in the direction we see the legs wiggling.


    ¡°Something that isn¡¯t affected by [Detection], and it¡¯s moving erratically?!¡± (Haru)


    The owner of the foot is probably a woman, wearing leather shoes, or perhaps it¡¯s better to call them women¡¯s shoes with luxurious design.


    ¡°Haru, be prepared to run away at any moment.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Roger.¡± (Haru)


    Without taking our eyes off the wiggling feet, we walked back towards the exit of the ruins. Even if we move away, the movement of the feet remains the same.


    ¡°Maybe they aren¡¯t aware of us.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Maybe. Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    I take out the appropriate drop item from my item pouch and throw it at the foot. The throw might have been a bit strong and so the owner of the foot was surprised.


    ¡°Who is it? Is a Gobu-chan around? Help me!¡± (Foot Girl)


    The item struck the leg and the leg that was fully extended retreated. At the same time, a voice comes from the other side of the wall.


    ¡°They¡¯re Japanese.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yup.¡± (Haru)


    As we look at each other, we hear a sound like something bursting. I realized that I had been caught off guard by the lackluster voice, and hurried to find the cause of the sound.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe It¡­¡± (Kei)


    And what was that sound? It came from under the foot, which was stomping around, screaming in pain. The only thing that could have been in that spot was the item I threw, and there was nothing else on the ground except some shattered pieces.


    ¡°Help, you¡¯re there. Hey!¡± (Foot Girl)


    The owner of the voice, or rather the owner of the foot, stopping their foot around, shouted as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Brother, that foot just stomped and crushed it. The thing we threw is now dust!¡± (Haru)


    Destroying an item is not difficult. With our status, it is possible to smash items in a similar way. But there¡¯s something strange.


    ¡°How are they stomping their feet with the power to crush items, but there is no sign of such impact on the ground?¡± (Kei)


    The foot hit the ground multiple times, but there was no crack, and the sounds that were heard were that of a child throwing a tantrum.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s not get close. Let¡¯s go home for today.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going back slowly.¡± (Kei)


    Keep an eye on the flailing feet and back slowly. I left the ruins without making a sound. We were supposed to run with all our strength after confirming that the distance between the legs and us was sufficient.


    ¡°Boo!¡± (Foot Girl)


    ¡°Gya!!!¡± (Kei)


    The moment he turned around to run, a human¡¯s face filled my sight. Unlike Haru, who was startled and jumped far, I had but some distance to spare and some room to move. With no time to think, I swung my sword with only tempered by my experience of over a year of dungeon exploration.


    After I started swinging my sword, I realized that the other person was another person, but I couldn¡¯t stop my swing. Being able to unconsciously shift the blade that was aimed at the neck, I should be able to avoid killing them instantly at best.


    ¡°The movement is slow¡ªboy. Or rather, why are you using a sword?¡± (Foot Girl)


    The sword was stopped by her palm.


    The tip of the blade was pressing firmly towards her palm, and it was not grabbed by the fingers to stop the blade. The sword is accepted only by the other person¡¯s raw status without using any skill.


    ¡°Brother. Move back!¡± (Haru)


    I heard a shout from Haru when I unconsciously froze after witnessing such a scene, and I hurriedly took some distance from that person.


    Up to that point, I finally recognized the other person for the first time.


    A woman in a beautiful maid¡¯s uniform. Even though we were pointing our weapons at her, she did not show any alarm and was staring at her palms. The only thing I could remember was the shattered item.


    The woman in front of me must be the one who was stomping her legs just now.


    ¡°Hey, boy. There¡¯s something on you.¡± (Foot Girl => Suspicious Maid)


    In the blink of an eye, she was touching my forehead with her index finger. I don¡¯t feel any pain, and I don¡¯t feel any intention of an attack.


    ¡°Here.¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    A blue light explodes between her finger and my forehead. At the same time, I felt as if a very weak kind of magic power was being peeled away from the surface of my body.


    ¡°You too, let me.¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    Again, she moves in front of Haru¡¯s eyes with blinding speed and places a finger on her forehead. A light exploded between her finger and forehead, just as it had with mine. Haru shivered at the light and then waved her tonfa as if in a panic.


    Naturally, the tonfa cut through the air and she was back where she started.


    ¡°Are you guys strong? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen anyone with one of these on.¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    She held up the index fingers of both hands next to her face and waved them from side to side. Blue balls of light twinkled at her fingertips.


    ¡°Was that on us?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. This is called [Resonance], I made it.¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    ¡°Huh?¡± (Kei)


    Before we knew it, we lowered our weapons and froze, our mouths hanging open. [T/N: Dun~ dun~ dun!!! Another weirdo here. Also, she made [Resonance] what¡¯s her relationship with Shiki?]

 CH 119

    ¡°Yup, yeah, I look great and I¡¯m great. I was creating skills like this¡­ I¡¯m in charge of the Tracking-type Skills. I am the leader in managing skills like this.¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    She folded her arms in front of her chest and sniffed.


    ¡°Also, you guys are also using some of mine. [Perception] and [Detection]. It¡¯s your first skill, right?¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    This was the first time I realized that my status was being looked at. We can usually notice it through the influence of magic power especially with Haru¡¯s [Detection]. We may be sensitive to magical powers because we have magical Proficiencies, but high-leveled, experienced explorers will notice it as well.


    In addition, it is possible to resist being seen if you are aware of it.


    But we were unaware that we were being watched. No, even now that we¡¯ve been told they¡¯re watching us, we can¡¯t sense the skills and magic they¡¯re using to watch us.


    ¡°What kind of skill is [Resonance]?¡± (Haru)


    Haru, who had been silent until now, opens her mouth. Haru, who should have stood beside me, is hiding half of her body behind me before I knew it. Perhaps the communicative disorder came to the forefront at the same time as she relaxed her vigilance in the person wearing a maid uniform.


    ¡°Are you going to ask that, really? Well, I¡¯m going to listen to your request, I will! I¡¯ll tell you what I the effect of [Resonance] is.¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    Her eyes suddenly lit up and she spread her hands to the left and right.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best skill that I manage. The effect is to freely browse the status of the marked target. But I can¡¯t say it¡¯s the best skill if it¡¯s just this one!¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    ¡°When I made this skill, I was called a pervert by everyone.¡± She had a lonely look as she muttered things like that, and she nodded with a moved expression on her face.


    ¡°And what are the other effects?¡± (Haru)


    I¡¯m not sure if she was annoyed by the exaggerated movement, but her voice was somewhat sharp.


    ¡°This skill. You can get a portion of the experience gained by the person who marked you. Oh, you know what experience value is?¡¡It¡¯s the kind you get when you kill a demon and collect it to raise your level. What it means is this. If you have [Resonance], your level will go up and up just by slacking off. Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ll become insanely strong because the experience you get is tiny compared to those who are actually fighting. But it¡¯s not fair, because if you mark someone who¡¯s really strong, you¡¯ll get stronger just by playing. I¡¯ll be even more efficient when I¡¯m killing demons too. I¡¯m a genius, aren¡¯t I? I can come up with skills like this. Mwahahaha!¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    I guess you could call it a burst of hearty laughter. I let her keep laughing loudly and I whispered into Haru¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it that bad?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Quite bad.¡± (Haru)


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but our levels are pretty high, both of us are over 90 and will reach 100 in a few months. Of course, we¡¯ve gained a lot of experience along the way.


    Moreover, they have free access to the other¡¯s status. There are people who know our status. And our names are written in the status.


    ¡°What are the conditions for activating [Resonance]?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Well, at first I was going to make it just by looking at it, or just by thinking about it. But then I was told that I couldn¡¯t do that, so I had to make it more restrictive. It¡¯s a shame, isn¡¯t it? So now there are three conditions for activation: touching the target, making eye contact, and them being lower in level than you. The first two are fine, but the other one is terrible, isn¡¯t it? If they¡¯re weaker than you, there¡¯s no point in monitoring them or getting experience from them. Hnn, hnn!¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    Hearing those words, we turned pale.


    The first time we entered the dungeon was a few months before it was opened to the public. We probably wouldn¡¯t have been overtaken in level by ordinary explorers. I¡¯ve heard that in other countries, there were places where dungeons were opened to the public much earlier, and there were also dungeons that the government couldn¡¯t control and people could enter at will. However, it¡¯s hard to imagine that the people who entered dungeons there would come all the way to Japan and target us, a brother and sister with no distinguishing features.


    ¡°There are many kinds of skills and magic, so we have to make a group to manage each field, and the members of that group wear maid uniforms like me. I think there are only two of us awake. The girl with the Blade-type skills and the girl with the Collapse-type magic. Those girls are a little silly¡­ I¡¯m in a jam¡­¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    ¡°Wait, are they all in maid uniforms?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s the master¡¯s hobby. It¡¯s cute, right?¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    I understood the meaning of my father¡¯s words. I¡¯m sure the crazy girls she was talking about had already met some explorers, and somehow the story had gotten to my dad.


    ¡°Brother, maybe that¡¯s related to the conversation with father, right?¡± (Haru)


    Haru also seems to have noticed, and her face is tightening up. I¡¯m starting to realize that there¡¯s something wrong. Especially about my father.


    ¡°By the way, about a woman in black that we saw on a blog before. Also, last time we were told that we should stay away from any lone person in the dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    Neither of the two stories is reported in detail, and the second one gives the impression that there was some trouble and it was hidden. And perhaps those stories are being passed on to those who are managing the dungeons.


    For example, the Self-Defense Forces.


    I finally got it. I¡¯m confident. Absolutely so.


    ¡°The criminal who used [Resonance], our old man.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Father is the stalker. Was that better or worse¡­?¡± (Haru)


    We put our hands on our foreheads and looked up at the ceiling. [T/N: I think Shiki is going to be f*cking beat.]

 CH 120

    ¡°Hey, yoo-hoo, are you guys okay?¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    The woman poked us as we came to a halt, unable to speak. I turned my gaze back to her, muttering, ¡°Seriously.¡± In retrospect, Haru looked upwards, as if she was chanting a curse targeting the old man, that stalker.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    She put her index finger on her cheek and nodded her head as if she didn¡¯t understand the meaning of my words.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised to find out that our old man used [Resonance].¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ugh, our father! He¡¯s a pervert!¡± (Haru)


    It was distracting to see her place her hands to the side of her face and say, ¡°What?¡± Oh well, I guess my old man has his reasons. He probably just wanted to watch his children. I¡¯ll beat him up. Let¡¯s do that. A parent shouldn¡¯t be someone who is going to be monitoring his kids with a GPS forever.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯ll go now. I just came to check on the two at first. And by two, I mean the two crazy people I mentioned earlier. So, I was looking around for them, and I got sleepy, so I slept there. Then I was telling you to help me because you were near. How was it? How was I?¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    ¡°It was insanely creepy.¡± (Kei)


    ¡° Well, don¡¯t you get a kick out of seeing a beautiful woman asking for help?¡¡Don¡¯t you want to help her? Boo~ You¡¯re so mean.¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    She puffed up her cheeks to the limit and wiggled her body from side to side.


    ¡° We¡¯re the only ones who know about this dungeon, you know. It¡¯s not normal for someone to be here, and it¡¯s not normal for anyone to be alone.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t we all alone!?¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    After feigning exaggerated surprise again, she slipped past us.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯m going to catch the two idiots, bye~bye~!¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    ¡°Wait!¡± (Haru)


    She was about to leave, but Haru stopped her.


    ¡°That room you were just about to enter. Is there any way to make sure that the thing in that room can¡¯t be used?¡± (Haru)


    I was surprised by Haru¡¯s words. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while. It¡¯s not surprising that she knew something about that hidden room. In addition, when we found her, half of her body was inside the hidden room.


    ¡°Yeah, there is.¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    Her answer was surprisingly simple. For explorers like us, the system that can trigger the stampede is quite dangerous, but I guess it¡¯s nothing to worry about from her point of view.


    ¡°Well. Did you guys see the numbers next to the characters?¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    ¡°Oh, we saw them.¡± (Haru)


    What we saw was that the number next to the word ¡°Invading Army¡± was increasing.


    ¡°It¡¯s a number that indicates how much magic power is needed to activate the device, but in the first place I think you won¡¯t be able to move it, so you can¡¯t move it, you know?¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    ¡°But we were able to move it, so we directed stampede to go deeper into the dungeon.¡± (Haru)


    When she heard Haru¡¯s words, she clapped her hands and muttered, ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Well, anyone can start it, but only those with the right amount of fuel, so it would be meaningless to press the start button, you know?¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    ¡°By fuel, you mean those numbers?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯re the ones who put the magic into it to make it ready for activation. If you guys were able to activate it, then one of the two idiots must have been storing magic. Oh, well, I guess I¡¯d better stop then. No, there¡¯s no problem, but it¡¯s also the dungeon¡¯s magic power that¡¯s used to activate it, so if we don¡¯t use it carefully, we¡¯ll run out of fuel. Yeah, I get it. Thank you for telling me, bye, bye!¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    She seemed to have said everything she wanted to say, and then she waved at us and disappeared. We didn¡¯t even blink, she just disappeared in an instant, and there is no trace of magic or presence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home, brother.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go home.¡± (Kei)


    Finally, I heard something I didn¡¯t like. In order to prevent the stampede from occurring, we activated it at our convenience as soon as the number reached its maximum. However, now that we know that the one increasing the number is the dungeon and that it is as strong as the one that was here earlier, there is a danger that we will be attacked by something that is as strong as her. If that happened, we would never win. She is much more unpredictable than Rimdobmur.


    We don¡¯t even know her name, we would meet her soon.


    She disappeared, and with our remaining caution more or less gone, we slowly made our way through the Forest on the way back home. Strangely enough, we didn¡¯t encounter any monsters on the way home.


    ~Suspicious Maid Perspective~


    Even though they were only human, we had exchanged words with them. I instructed the nearby monsters to clear the way and watched them go. They were quite interesting people. I didn¡¯t expect them to appear in front of me marked with the skills I had created. I couldn¡¯t help but peel off the [Resonance] that was attached to them and put on my [Resonance].


    I can¡¯t gain any experience, but I think it¡¯s enough to see those two.


    They were scared of me, but when I played along, they let their guard down. It was so cute.


    Oh, I have a feeling today is going to be a good day.


    As I was sitting on a tree branch, giggling to myself, the branch I was sitting on suddenly snapped into pieces.


    ¡°Muu~, how terrible.¡± (Suspicious Maid)


    I puffed out my cheeks and complained, just as I had done to the other two humans because I knew who had done it.


    ¡°What are you doing to humans, Burlando. Being friendly with a human. A betrayal?¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°Burlando isn¡¯t cute, so it¡¯s okay with Run-chan. Soste-chan.¡± (Suspicious Maid => Burlando) [T/N: Burlando means a playful manner of playing music.]


    ¡°Who will call you that? And I¡¯m Sostenuto. Please don¡¯t abbreviate.¡± (Sostenuto)


    Soste-chan is always cold. Her words are also sharp. That¡¯s why she¡¯s in charge of blade skills.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay. Then I have to find Ada-chan.¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°Don¡¯t abbreviate names. Well, is it okay because it is not my name?¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s look for Ada-chan.¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find Adagio.¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go~.¡±(Burlando)


    ~Kei¡¯s Perspective~


    Meanwhile, in a house far above them. In the Kizaki household.


    ¡°Are you both okay? Are you injured?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Punishment¡ª!!!¡± (Haru)


    Haru was kicking our old man who had come charging at us, perhaps he was worried.


    After all, it was our old man who cast [Resonance] on us. [T/N: Good job Haru-chan. Beat up that stalker.]

 CH 121

    ¡°Come on, help me, Touka!¡± (Shiki)


    This is the first time we¡¯ve had a guest in our house since Haruka and I moved in. The intruder was lying on the floor screaming even though it was someone¡¯s house. There was no elegance in his voice, and for some reason, his voice was sounding desperate.


    ¡°Haru.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Are you done?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes!¡± (Haru)


    There was a loud shout again. Oh, it wasn¡¯t a shout, it was a yell.


    ¡°Ugh. *vomit*¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Oh my God, my old man is a zombie. You¡¯re disgusting. Don¡¯t get up.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°*cough*, *more vomit*¡±


    Of course, we wouldn¡¯t let a stranger into our house, but it was my father who was screaming.


    About an hour after we returned home, our old man knocked on the door, looking more upset than ever. I had just been thinking about [Resonance] we had heard about in the dungeon, and I immediately understood why our old man had come, so I let him in.


    The [Resonance] that had been attached to us was removed by the girl we met in the dungeon. In all likelihood, it was my old man who put the [Resonance] on us, and from his point of view, we have either found out or were killed. Either way, he must have thought that something unusual had happened.


    He looked at me and sighed as if he was relieved. He walked into the room, looked at Haru, and took a deep breath. He lifted his hands and tried to hug Haru, but in an instant Haru had his arms bent and bound.


    He was screaming, but his face was smiling and he was looking like a zombie, so I guess he still had some screams left inside him.


    ¡°Is it fun to be a girl¡¯s stalker? This damn old man!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Ouch, that really hurts. Ouch.¡± (Shiki)


    Oh, my dad stopped moving.


    My dad woke up a few minutes later. By the way, Haru had kicked the sleeping old man, though only mildly. I think she was trying to wake him up.


    ¡°So, I know what [Resonance] is, and I¡¯m pretty sure it was you, old man, who put it on us. I also have some idea about the maid. You can explain it to me, can¡¯t you.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Seriously, you meet that maid? I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe.¡± (Shiki)


    My father puts his hand on his forehead, and he stared on the floor. Soon, I can hear him muttering, ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with my luck?¡±


    ¡°Old man, when you¡¯re doing a Dogeza, your hands should be on the floor, not on your forehead.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not on a Dogeza!¡± (Shiki)


    My father slaps his knees and raises his face. So on a serious note, after begging us to leave the anger later, I take out the tablet from the bag that was loose.


    ¡°The two of you are right, I do have a skill called [Resonance]. It allows you to check the status of the person you¡¯ve designated at any time, once you¡¯ve met them. Of course, there are ways to level up in this house. I¡¯m also aware that there is probably a dungeon in this house. Basement, right?¡± (Shiki)


    As I knew, my father completely understood the situation we were in. But¡­


    ¡°Is that the only effect of [Resonance]?¡± (Kei)


    We had heard about the effects of [Resonance] from the maid we met in the dungeon. This means that we now know that my father is trying to cover up the effects of the skill.


    ¡°Do it, Haru.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°How many levels?¡± (Haru)


    I can see the magic power stretching from Haru to my father with the words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t peek at people¡¯s statuses, please.¡± (Shiki)


    Haru¡¯s magical power, [Detection] is easily deflected. I saw a thin magical power growing from my father towards Haru, surrounding the magical power both were scattered.


    ¡°Is that [Resonance], father?¡± (Haru)


    He reached out his hand in front of Haru and blocked it with his magic power.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m level 94. I¡¯ve never heard of a level as high as this before. The highest level recorded right now is in the upper 80s in America. That¡¯s who they call the strongest in the world.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°No, I heard they¡¯re in the late 70s?¡± (Kei)


    I think that¡¯s what I heard a few days ago, as far as I can tell. I believe it was written that American explorers are the strongest in the world as they are about to approach level 80.


    ¡°Ah, maybe that was the case. I was wrong.¡±


    My dad laughs, ¡°Ahahahaha.¡±


    ¡°Father knows some pretty wild stuff, don¡¯t you? I heard about the maid from brother. Even now, there are probably unannounced level 80s and above.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Come on, you know I can¡¯t say that.¡± (Shiki)


    My dad is playing with his tablet, blurting out that I don¡¯t have anything to do with us. If I look into it a little bit, I can see an illustration of a maid. Normally, I would be put off by my father¡¯s taste in maids, but I couldn¡¯t help but recognize the maid¡¯s outfit in the drawing.


    It wasn¡¯t as tattered as the maid in the painting, but the clothes were similar to the ones worn by the maid we had just met in the dungeon.


    ¡°She¡¯s definitely the one you saw.¡± (Shiki)


    Our old man seemed to be convinced and asked me for final confirmation.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not. The clothes are probably the same, but the face is completely different. The maid¡¯s clothes we saw were not tattered, though they were the same design, and she didn¡¯t have these dark circles under her eyes. She is neither of the other two.¡± (Kei)


    The maid we met was saying that there were two more. Probably one of them is the maid of the painting that my father showed.


    ¡°What? What do you mean there are two? No, if there are two more besides the one, I saw, then there are three in total. How strong are they, can you fight with either of the two?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I couldn¡¯t even follow them with my eyes. If I tried to fight them, I¡¯d die without landing a single attack.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°So, they weren¡¯t enemies, were they? The maid, the one I know, has been attacking explorers. However, it seems that they didn¡¯t kill them despite the overwhelming difference in power.¡± (Shiki)


    The maid we met. The maid that my father knew. And the other maid. After that, I continued to question my father as if it was a coincidence, and I was able to get him to reveal some of the information he knew.


    However, none of the information was directly related to the dungeon attack.


    He said he was starting to get all the information he needed and was going to run around the Kanto area. We were going to dive into the dungeon as usual. [T/N: Kanto Area a.k.a. Greater Tokyo, that includes Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa.].


    However, the inside of the dungeon is not always the same.

 CH 122

    Dungeons are a very mysterious thing. It could be an alien invasion, a fusion with another world, or a military weapon from another country. Ever since the dungeon first appeared, there have been many speculations.


    There have been books that claimed to reveal the true nature of dungeons, and small religious groups have been born. This is because the true nature of dungeons is still unknown, and because they are completely outside the laws of physics.


    Unique monsters and stampede outbreaks that we don¡¯t even know the exact mechanism of. Someday, the idea that dungeons are mysterious will seep into people¡¯s deep psychology, and they won¡¯t notice anything unusual. Oh, it¡¯s always the same.


    In Japan, there have been few deaths, though few. However, worldwide, a large number of explorers have lost their lives in dungeons and not even their bodies have been found. There are times when people suddenly go into a dungeon and don¡¯t come back. People perceive it as an accident.


    They must have been killed by a monster. That¡¯s what dungeons are for. That¡¯s how it is with all explorers. Maybe it was a serious incident, maybe something unforeseen happened. It is always those who have never been in a dungeon who say such words, and such voices are often ignored.


    After all, these are the words of people who have never been in a dungeon.


    For some reason, there are so many people who have stopped thinking about dungeons because they keep thinking that they are outside the realm of the human imagination. That¡¯s why they don¡¯t recognize it. That¡¯s why they don¡¯t realize the malice that lies deep within the dungeon.


    ¡°Brother, a unique one again.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Oh, not again. I see it too.¡± (Kei)


    It¡¯s been a month since we met that maid, and we¡¯ve been exploring the dungeon as usual without any word from my dad. We¡¯ve been exploring the ruins little by little and raising our levels.


    However, there were many times when things didn¡¯t go as usual in the dungeon, and we had to drink potions because we got injured.


    The monsters that appear in the ruins generally have special abilities. If it is a slime, it is a splitter, if it is a goblin, it is a sword wielder. Wolves called their pack mates, wild boars sent rocks flying. However, monsters with special abilities that surpass even these, unique monsters, rarely appear in dungeons. Well, rarely.


    ¡°Today it was lizards, yesterday it was moles. What was it the day before yesterday?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°There was none the day before yesterday, and before that was bats. The day before that, a snake?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. A fire-breathing snake.¡± (Kei)


    A unique monster was appearing in front of us about once every two times. The strength of the monster was also strange. Unique monsters are usually of varying strength and appearance. Some are not much different from the monsters that can be found in the area, and some are like the Black Knight that hunted down the Hero Party.


    And the one we met was like the Black Knight. It was so strong that it was difficult for me or Haru to win alone. However, it¡¯s possible to do so if both of us use our Treasure Tools and fight with all our might. There were enemies that felt strange, but not so strange that we had to retreat.


    The unique monsters that appeared didn¡¯t drop any items for some reason, but we were able to raise our levels.


    One more thing. Whenever a unique monster appeared, the ring on the treasure trove would glow. It glowed as if it was telling us to use it quickly. Once the Treasure Tool ring was activated, it would continue to work for the duration of the fight as if there was no time limit.


    What was unfortunate was that the activation of the Treasure Tool in that state was also counted as a full day. Once the battle was over, it was impossible to reactivate the Treasure Tool back from being a ring again.


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to deal with unique monsters right now. We have to go now.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay. Now that we have the treasure at our disposal, it¡¯s convenient, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Haru)


    And now we were on the 15th floor of the ruins. We were standing in front of the gate of the boss room. It was more than a year ago that we first entered the 15th floor of the cave. Inside was a Minotaur that I don¡¯t know how many times we¡¯ve beaten it. It kept providing us with delicious meat. Even now, we serve it once every two days for dinner.


    ¡°Okay, ready to go?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± (Haru)


    The door leads to a large room as usual. However, standing at the end of it was the maid from that time.


    ¡°Yahoo! Haruka-chan and Touka-kun. It¡¯s been a while.¡± (Burlando)


    The maid waved widely with a smile on her face, no different from a month ago.


    Haru and I stood at the entrance of the room and raised our weapons. We know that she can move at a speed that we can¡¯t even perceive. We also know that resistance will be pointless if she really tries to attack us.


    But it was only after we met her that the frequency of the appearance of unique monsters became strange. It¡¯s hard not to be wary.


    ¡°Did we tell you our name?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Hmmm, I can tell from your status. You¡¯re both level 99. Let¡¯s see your skills.¡± (Burlando)


    She nodded her head with a finger to her chin while looking at us. As usual, there is no movement of magic while she peeks at our status. Perhaps she is using [Resonance] or the ability of as someone on the Side of Dungeon Management.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here to see how well you guys can fight. Well, don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be fighting me.¡± (Burlando)


    The maid then pointed her left hand straight at the corner of the room.


    ¡°He¡¯s the one you¡¯ll be fighting. Let me introduce him to you. He is Mino-tan!¡± (Burlando)


    At the end of where she is pointing, a monster that looks like a larger version of a Minotaur with armor covering its entire body. Its horns are sharper and longer, and beside it lies an ax and shield larger than my body.


    Yes, it was lying down.


    ¡°Why is it in such a state?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Because it was being noisy.¡± (Burlando)


    Mino-tan, as she called it, had been wrapped in chains and rolled into a corner of the room.

 CH 123

    ¡°Look, you¡¯ll be fighting soon. Stand up, stand up!¡± (Burlando)


    The maid shouts to Mino-tan, who is wrapped in chains. Naturally, Mino-tan, who can¡¯t move, screams, but it is ignored. However, the maid was angry at him for not moving.


    ¡°Haru, attack.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right [Collapse].¡± (Haru)


    From the maid¡¯s words, I guess we¡¯ll be fighting Mino-tan. I want to attack it before he is able to move. The black sphere of [Collapse] approaches Mino-tan.


    ¡°Ah! Mino-tan stand quickly before it hits. It¡¯s going to hit!¡± (Burlando)


    In spite of the maid¡¯s cries, or perhaps because of the maid, Mino-tan was swallowed by the [Collapse] with its mouth wide open and eyes wide open, as if it had given up trying to escape the chains.


    ¡°Mino-tan?!¡± (Burlando)


    The maid, who was shouting while looking at Mino-tan who was directly hit by magic smiled as she moved back to get away from us.


    ¡°Brother, I saw Mino-tan¡¯s status.¡± (Haru)


    Unlike me, Haru, who was staring at Mino-tan who was enveloped by [Collapse], mutters.


    ¡°It¡¯s not dead. Anyway, how was it?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Its Strength is 500, not strong, but¡­¡± (Haru)


    Attack power is like the sum of Strength and Magic Power. Normally, the sum of our status Strength and Magic Power is three times the value of our level. If you do a simple calculation, Mino-tan is as powerful as a level 165 explorer.


    ¡°It¡¯s not right because it¡¯s obviously too weak.¡±


    In the first place, monsters differ greatly from humans in body size, intelligence, and thinking. The monsters up to the ruins can block attacks, but not dodge them. They don¡¯t have a wide variety of skills and magic and have at most a few abilities that are typical for monsters.


    Most monsters do not have powerful weapons, but if they do, the weapons are said to be part of the monster. A typical example is the Minotaur. According to the explorers who make a living analyzing monsters and items with their powerful appraisal skills that surpass even the ability of [Inspection], the Minotaur has a weak body in spite of its strength. Other monsters with strong scales on their body parts are also fragile without them.


    That¡¯s what the person said. He said that the strength of a monster is the average of its entire body. And that body also includes the weapon that the monster is born with.


    In other words, monsters are weak in spite of their status. They have a clear weakness, and they are much more fragile than their own status. They are not smart and have a few skills and magic to choose from. That¡¯s why we were able to defeat Rimdobmur, whose strength was over 1000.


    Once again, I think 500 is strange. It¡¯s too weak. One of us, Haru and I, could manage to defeat it without using our Treasure Tools. That¡¯s the extent of their strength. That¡¯s what we noticed when we appraise it. Even the unique monsters that have been defeated by us to this day are inferior in status to Mino-tan.


    ¡°Haru, it¡¯s okay to use [Inspection]. It¡¯s down.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s something wrong.¡± (Haru)


    [Collapse] is powerful attack magic. Weak monsters are swallowed and disappear. and strong monsters are quickly broken down by the magic. So what is with Mino-tan, who hasn¡¯t died or come out of the magic yet?


    That¡¯s when we distanced ourselves from Mino-tan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin! The challengers are the representatives of Earth, Touka, and Haruka.¡± (Burlando)


    The maid raises her voice as she points her right hand at us.


    ¡°The one who welcomes us is Mino-tan, the gatekeeper of the dungeon!¡± (Burlando)


    The maid smiles broadly as she points her left hand at the collapse that envelops Mino-tan. In her hand, for some reason, she was holding a long, thick chain that should not have been there a few moments ago. The undamaged chain was similar to the one we saw wrapped around Mino-tan, and at the same time we noticed it, we heard something being in half from the inside.


    ¡°Battle, start!¡± (Burlando)


    The one who emerged from inside was Mino-tan, unharmed and unbound by the chains.

 CH 124

    Then an attack from the ax backed by its huge body cut through [Collapse]. It¡¯s a huge ax that would have swung your body around if you didn¡¯t have the proper status and skill.


    It¡¯s not that our strength can¡¯t catch the blow, but even if we use our weapons to block it, our weapon could be cut in half. But I don¡¯t sense any danger in that attack.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if their speed is as good as their status, but I¡¯m going to prioritize avoiding Haru.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s keep the distance.¡± (Haru)


    A weapon that is too heavy for a status that is not very high. The speed at which the ax is swung is so slow that it can be avoided as you watch it. It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to set up a counterattack.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go in so please assist me.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m not sure if magic will work.¡± (Haru)


    I approached Mino-tan and went around it. Mino-tan¡¯s eyes are now on me. Since it has just seen Haru¡¯s magic, it knows that Haru can attack from long distances.


    Once I feel like his attention is fully focused on me and just when Haru was completely out of Mino-tan¡¯s sight. I approached it quickly and stopped just outside the ax¡¯s range. As I watched the ax pass in front of me, I sent a signal to Haru.


    ¡°[Impact] [Triple].¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah!¡± (Kei)


    The three lights hit Mino-tan. After confirming that the movement of Mino-tan has stopped due to being hit by [Impact], I took another step. There is a big difference between me and Mino-tan in terms of the length of our arms and the length of our weapons. However, if I timed it right, my speed would be able to cover it.


    It would be impossible to cut through the armor with a sword, so I aimed for the hand holding the ax. Unfortunately, it wouldn¡¯t reach its face. If I jumped, I could reach it, but it would be too risky to take my foot off the ground when I didn¡¯t know what my opponent was capable of.


    I swing my sword at the knuckles of the hand that has already swung the ax. The only thing that was done was a shallow cut.


    ¡°Haru, it¡¯s too tough for its status. We can¡¯t get by with normal attacks!¡± (Kei)


    Immediately, Mino-tan¡¯s hand was swung towards me, so I crouched down and leaped by to Haru.


    ¡°Haru, what have you noticed on Mino-tan¡¯s movements?¡± (Kei)


    Haru, who was watching a little further away than me who was fighting in melee, was able to observe the movement of the enemy better. This is also one of the strategies we have organized in the last month.


    It¡¯s hard to follow the same strategy with unique monsters that look different and have different ways of attacking. There are times when it¡¯s impossible to fight them with the same strategy as before.


    When unique monsters appeared only once in a while, we could only get by with our status, and we could only count on one hand the number of times we had to carefully plan our strategy.


    I guess I was naive now, but I didn¡¯t feel the need to create a system to strategize to match my enemies. Even after fighting powerful monsters, I didn¡¯t think too hard about it because I felt drained from fatigue and a sense of accomplishment.


    ¡°Its muscles are just barely strong enough to swing the ax. There was a certain gap between the time he swung the ax and the time he stopped it. Also, magic doesn¡¯t work. I think it¡¯s some kind of skill.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°What about our language?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I think they can understand. It seemed to drop his center of gravity a little bit when I shouted the name of the magic. Maybe magic is just not as effective, but the impact can still be felt, so it can¡¯t be ignored.¡± (Haru)


    In other words, neither magic nor physical force is effective, meaning that if you fight normally, there is almost no way to win.


    ¡°Haru, I¡¯m going to use my Treasure Tool. Come, Scythe.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yeah. Morningstar!¡± (Haru)


    The ring is shining brightly as it waits to become a Treasure Tool Weapon. This means that, as in the past month, the restrictions on the Treasure Tool have been removed. It¡¯s has become hard to win without the use of a Treasure Tool.


    The next moment we had a Scythe and a Morningstar in our hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if the attack goes through the same way.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I¡¯d like to it him once too.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I wish magic will work [Speed].¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯ve confirmed Mino-tan¡¯s speed, so I¡¯ll increase the speed of my attacks.


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t get caught [Fissure] [Triple].¡± (Haru)


    I approach straight without moving around. Mino-tan, holding its ax to me me, takes no action against me who is running. I¡¯m not sure if Mino-tan is able to attack with a shockwave like a Minotaur, or if they thought it would be ineffective at this moment.


    At the very least, it seems that there is no way to attack from afar with small movements and high speed. If I¡¯m fast enough to dodge at long range, it won¡¯t be able to hit us. And since Mino-tan was the only enemy, there was no need to divert our attention. It¡¯s not like we need to be extra cautious about long-range attacks.


    ¡°Haru, follow me!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Of course. And don¡¯t let my magic collide with you.¡± (Haru)


    It¡¯s not easy to move quickly when you have a scythe. However, it has a different attack power than a sword. In addition, the scythe can be used to avoid enemy attacks by using its unusual shape in combat, even if my speed is reduced.


    From the position where I attacked with my sword, I took one more step closer. Right next to Mino-tan¡¯s leg, I extend the scythe sideways and hook it behind Mino-tan¡¯s knee. Put all of my weight on the scythe and do a full turn. Because Mino-tan swung its leg to shake off the scythe, the blade dug in even deeper.


    Its armor has come off.


    A black line ran through the space where my head had been just before. Three black lines moving right after me pierced the back of Mino-tan¡¯s knees as the armor fell from its knees.


    I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the pain or the loss of balance, but Haru¡¯s magic [Fissure] pierced the back of its knee quickly separating the knee joint.


    Mino-tan collapsed, unable to support itself.


    ¡°It was much weaker than I expected.¡± (Kei)


    Mino-tan dropped its own head on the blade of the scythe that was waiting for it below and disappeared in a black mist.


    Once it¡¯s gone, the monster can¡¯t come back. I stared at the end of the crackling sound.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had my share of weird moments, but to use an enemy this weak to assess us?¡¡What are you doing?¡± (Haru)


    Haru has fallen into a daze with her Morning Star at the ready. It survived the first spell unscathed. The current [Fissure] would not have had a fatal effect even if it caused some damage.


    But still, the maid smilingly continued to clap her hands for more than ten seconds.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m glad to see your growth. I¡¯ve achieved my goal.¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°Yes, you can fight with us. That¡¯s how I see it.¡± (Voice)


    The other maid was standing in the spot where my gaze was focused.

 CH 125

    ¡°This is So-chan.¡± (Burlando)


    The maid with her hands raised, the one who has been here from the beginning, turns to the other maid, waving her raised hands to the side.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Sostenuto, a colleague of this one.¡± (Sostenuto)


    The newly-arrived maid, Sostenuto, bowed deeply and bent her head, glaring at the other maid.


    ¡°Rather, Burlando, didn¡¯t you call me Soste before?¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°Haha, I forgot So-chi.¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°You should at least be consistent in what you call me!¡± (Sostenuto)


    The two maids forgot about us and started bickering with themselves. By the way, we didn¡¯t even know the name of the maid we¡¯d met earlier. Apparently, it was Burlando. We didn¡¯t expect to hear it from anyone other than her.


    ¡°Hey, brother. Sostenuto is the maid father was talking about, right?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Maybe.¡± (Kei)


    Haru whispers to me quietly as she comes to my side.


    Sostenuto¡¯s maid outfit was tattered, and her face looked a lot like the drawing that was shown to us. In Burlando¡¯s story, there were only three active maids, so unless there was another clone, this must be the maid my father was talking about.


    And she was the one that my father was so glad we were safe from. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the Strength part that he was talking about. No, maybe that was part of it, but it seemed to have a different meaning when we talked to Burlando.


    Whether they are hostile or not. Burlando is much faster than us, but she has never attacked us. It seems that Mino-tan that we had just seen, seemed to have been forced to stay on a chain when it was supposed to attack us as soon as we entered the boss¡¯s room, rather than us being attacked by Burlando.


    I¡¯m sure that Burlando has no intention of attacking us. But Sostenuto, the one who seems to have met my father, was different.


    Perhaps the person who had met Sostenuto before us had been shown the will to attack or had actually been attacked. If we assume that Sostenuto¡¯s strength is equal to that of Burlando, the person who was attacked is dead.


    ¡°Have you met an explorer other than us, Sostenuto?¡± (Kei)


    We should be fine. I chose my words carefully so as not to step on any landmines.


    ¡°By explorers, are you sure you mean the human race? If that¡¯s the case, yes. I¡¯ve met them in several labyrinths, and we¡¯ve exchanged greetings.¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°Have you attacked them?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No.¡± (Sostenuto)


    Sostenuto tilted her head immediately after saying this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d call it an attack, but I¡¯ve delivered a lecture to a few humans before.¡± (Sostenuto)


    Sostenuto said, moving her hand. Sostenuto moved his palms from right to left like a slap. I don¡¯t think the speed is a big deal. And that¡¯s assuming it¡¯s us.


    There are a good number of skilled explorers that are vanguards and who are stronger than us in terms of Strength. The reason is that those with magical proficiencies like most rearguards, such as Haru and me, have half the Strength increase of those with vanguard Proficiencies.


    If an explorer is level 50 or so and has a vanguard skill, he or she will have the same strength as us. But what about the combat experience part? Will their eyes be able to catch up with the sudden attacks and will they be able to react appropriately? I¡¯m sure they can¡¯t.


    They are usually fighting monsters that can be defeated with half the strength and half the amount of magic. What if that slap had hit them without them being able to avoid it or brace themselves?


    ¡°What happened to the person you lectured?¡± (Haru)


    Sostenuto opened her mouth to Haru¡¯s question with an expression that showed intense confusion.


    ¡°He looked like he was having a little trouble moving. I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re waving their swords at us, and if our hands lightly hit them, they¡¯d practically fly off the wall. What¡¯s wrong with those people?¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°Ah!¡± The words that escaped from Haru and I overlapped.


    I¡¯m sure Sostenuto is not lying, but her perception is wrong. Perhaps she waved at the explorer at an insane speed and was blown away. And then they attacked her back.


    ¡°Why did you lecture them?¡± (Haru)


    What is a sermon if you are saying the right thing, even if your perception is wrong? I can¡¯t find any reason for an explorer to be lectured by a stranger.


    ¡°Oh, right!¡±


    Sostenuto claps her hands and shouts angrily, the force of her clap creating a gust that pushes us back a step.


    ¡°They¡¯re terrible you know. What are you doing, little girl? Don¡¯t complain if you¡¯re attacked because of wearing such an outfit. They then took out some cloth from a bag and threw it at me. That¡¯s right, at me! It was big enough for me to be completely wrapped in it. I¡¯m sure they are going to catch me in that cloth. And act violently. Because I said I wouldn¡¯t argue. I can at least complain. Of course, I can. That¡¯s why I lectured him.¡± (Sostenuto)


    Sostenuto with puffed-up cheeks stomps on the ground. The ground shook a little with a loud bang.


    ¡°I¡¯m also a woman. Also, my body is something I got from my Lord. I can¡¯t allow it to be defiled, and you shouldn¡¯t look at a woman that way. That¡¯s what the Lord said. If a man looks at you like that, kick him in the groin, and he will become a woman. But that would be pitiful. So, I did it like this, and like this.¡± (Sostenuto)


    She put the fingers of her right hand together and waved them from side to side. The slap was more vigorous than the one she had just shown before, and Burlando, who was beside her, held her hair, which was shaking from the wind pressure.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think they¡¯re terrible?¡± (Sostenuto)


    Sostenuto puffed up her cheeks and put her hands on her hips as if to say she was angry.


    I, Haru, and Burlando, who was witnessing her, sighed.


    T/N: Okay she¡¯s not crazy, she¡¯s just weird. She¡¯s been living in a rock and raised by an OP creator. Geez. I thought we have some real crazy characters here. The Hero Party is lucky to have only met Sostenuto and not the crazy one.

 CH 126

    While Sostenuto is talking angrily to herself, I turn my attention to Burlando, who is sighing like us. Somehow I had the feeling that Sostenuto wouldn¡¯t be able to make any progress in the conversation. I was also afraid that even if we did, there would be a discrepancy in some important aspect.


    Once we turn our eyes to Burlando to speak, Burlando just chuckled and poked Sostenuto.


    ¡°I understand So-chan¡¯s story, so can I continue the conversation?¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°My story isn¡¯t over yet. After that, someone stronger came, acting like I¡¯m some bad person.¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll listen to your story later. Can I talk to them now?¡± (Burlando)


    After placing both palms at Sostenuto¡¯s head and bobbing it up and down a few small times, Burlando tilted her head, saying, ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I understand. You¡¯ll have to ask me later.¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°Yeah, I heard everything already.¡± (Burlando)


    Burlando laughs with a withered ¡°hahaha.¡± While laughing, I felt that her eyes were gazing somewhere far away. Perhaps she heard the same complaints many times with the same level of tension like now.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know what to say, but I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°Well, sit down.¡± Burland snaps her fingers and a cubic block of stone sprouts right behind us. It¡¯s solid and cold to the touch. It is uncomfortable to sit on, but now is not the time to complain about it.


    ¡°You can do such things, huh?¡± (Haru)


    It was only when I heard Haru¡¯s firm voice that I realized I had let my guard down. I grasped the sword at my waist, which I had put back in its sheath.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m amazing. That aside, I¡¯ll tell you something important, so please listen.¡± (Burlando)


    I felt that Burlando¡¯s smile had some meaning behind it.


    ¡°I think I told Touka-kun and Haruka-chan that there were three of us, do you remember?¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°Yeah, Blade-type skills and Collapse-type magic. Which is Sostenuto-san?¡± (Haru)


    Sostenuto nods to Haru¡¯s question, then black fog flowed in her hand, similar to when we defeat a monster, and then it turns into a sword.


    ¡°I manage Blade-type skills. I¡¯m mainly creating skills that are used by [Sword] and [Spear] Proficiency.¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°So-chan can¡¯t swing her sword, though.¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°Fighting is not my job, so it¡¯s okay.¡± (Sostenuto)


    Burlando then began making tea.


    ¡°And the other one is creating collapse-type magic, like the [Collapse] magic that Haruka uses.¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°That child¡¯s head has also collapsed!¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°So did yours.¡± (Sostenuto)


    Sostenuto sighs as if she gave up and turns her hand to Burlando. For some reason, Burlando who was directed stood up vigorously and was looking quite excited.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only recently learned of this. I¡¯ve recently learned that we¡¯re divided into two groups: those who are weak against environmental changes but are excellent, and those who are strong against environmental changes but are clumsy. So-chan and I are actually not particularly excellent.¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°Well, I am better than Burlando, so there are some individual differences.¡± (Sostenuto)


    Somehow, I understand that Sostenuto is a bit clumsy. Burlando is just as we see her.


    ¡°So, you see, the other one who isn¡¯t here now is the better one. She¡¯s smart and if we fight her, we will lose.¡± (Burlando)


    I pulled a face at her words. Burlando, who can move at a speed we can¡¯t even track with our eyes, will lose. I still don¡¯t know if we can win. We couldn¡¯t confirm that, but maybe Burlando is just fast but her attacks are weak. No matter how fast Burlando is, she can¡¯t win if she¡¯s unable to properly defend herself. That was understandable.


    But she said that she would lose. That means that at the very least, she can hit the speedy Burlando with an attack. And of course, the speed of the attack would not be something we can see.


    ¡°The problem is that that poor girl is on a rampage, killing demons she doesn¡¯t like and messing with the system. When we finally found them, they attack and drive us back. It¡¯s annoying.¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°Sostenuto and Burlando can¡¯t win in a fight?¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yes!¡± (Burlando)


    She nods cheerfully to my question.


    ¡°I can hardly fight in the first place, so I¡¯m slowing her down. In the end, So-chan will have to fight alone.¡± (Burlando)


    ¡°So, are you slowing me down?¡± (Sostenuto)


    ¡°Yes. I can chase and run like nobody¡¯s business, but that¡¯s it.¡± (Burlando)


    Burlando said that she creates Tracking-type skills. It would be easy to find someone to run away to, and the same would be true for finding someone who was chasing you and running away to a place where they wouldn¡¯t come looking for you.


    ¡°So, what should we do? You can¡¯t just kick the explorers out of the dungeon.¡± (Kei)


    If such a dangerous person is running rampant in the dungeon in the first place, I¡¯ll have to figure out how to explore. It is possible that we will not enter the dungeon after this, of course.


    ¡°Yeah. Do you guys know any Heroes?¡± (Burlando)


    The word ¡°hero¡± suddenly stopped thinking.


    ¡°The master told me about them. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve ever heard of a man or woman hero. You see, a hero is a person who has accomplished dangerous quests that no one can do. I want you guys to be heroes.¡± (Burlando)


    Burlando looked up, closed her eyes, and paused for a few seconds. After taking a deep breath, she slowly turned her head towards us.


    ¡°Touka-kun, Haruka-chan. I want to ask you guys to subdue our colleague who lost herself.¡± (Burlando)

 CH 127

    ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Kizaki.¡± (Shiki)


    It didn¡¯t take long to find the child I was looking for. As expected, the child was a high school student and was much quieter than I had expected.


    It seems that he has no intention of becoming an explorer and is currently writing a book for the literature club. I didn¡¯t get a chance to read it, but I was told that it was in the genre of science fiction. He said he was inspired by the information about dungeons that is updated daily on the Internet.


    When I asked him if he wanted to make an old-fashioned RPG if it was a dungeon, he said that he had thought about it a few months ago. However, he gave up because the kind of setting he came up with was somehow similar to the real dungeons that exist on earth today.


    He had researched the dungeon first, and said that he is without talent, he could only cut and paste what he saw.


    But I guess that¡¯s not true. If my guess is right, then the boy¡¯s ideas were not influenced by the dungeon, but by his own thoughts. And I am convinced that my guess is correct.


    My children, friends, and the top explorers in Japan, I used the skill [Resonance] on them with and without their permission.


    I don¡¯t know if I have the right to call it parental love, as I left my children behind because they were my children. It was a skill that I used out of my single-minded concern for Touka and Haruka, but it was a skill so powerful that even the two of them, who had grown tremendously without anyone knowing, didn¡¯t notice it.


    The magic power that shifts with use is so subtle that only the most skilled person would notice it if they were paying full attention, and I know that once it is used, there is no way to notice it.


    That kind of skill didn¡¯t work on the boy I¡¯m facing. The ¡°resonance¡± reached the boy properly. Realizing that a connection had been made between myself and the boy, I tried to check his status.


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t become an explorer. Not being in a dungeon, this boy has no status. By nature, humans do not have status, and it only appears the moment they step into a dungeon.


    It¡¯s easy to see what happens when you try to see the status of someone who doesn¡¯t have a status. All statuses are displayed blank. The name, level, and skill are blank.


    But the boy was different.


    His level was 28, his Proficiency was [Sword], and he had three skills that you often see. It was safe. At first, I thought the boy was hiding the fact that he was an explorer. There are examples of people who are not explorers but still have the status.


    There may be dungeons like my children¡¯s that the country is unaware of. And he also has an unconfirmed dungeon. I couldn¡¯t believe that there was only a single dungeon that was born so late and it only appeared at my children¡¯s place.


    I would investigate whether the boy in front of me was a registered explorer after I finished my story. As I paused to catch my breath, a column at the top of the status bar caught my eye.


    It was a column labeled [Name]. Sometimes it was just a first name, sometimes a last name, and sometimes a full name. And although few, there are cases where it¡¯s just the nickname.


    The name written in the boy¡¯s column was ¡°Satou¡±. I had heard that it was the most commonly used surname in Japan. If I didn¡¯t know the boy, I wouldn¡¯t wonder anything about this status.


    However, the boy¡¯s name was definitely not Satou. There was no way that Satou was a nickname, and people whose names were not their real names, such as nicknames, were generally people who usually called themselves by other names. This did not apply to the boy.


    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯d like to ask you again, have you ever been in a dungeon before?¡± (Shiki)


    The boy shook his head. He didn¡¯t seem to be lying. I¡¯m not observant enough to see through everyone¡¯s lies, so there¡¯s a good chance I¡¯m being deceived. I believe that it is dangerous to assume that you can see through other people¡¯s lies.


    Besides. I can¡¯t for the life of me believe that this boy is fighting a monster with a sword.


    At 28th level, he¡¯s not that high. Many people who are unsuited to be explorers quit before they reach level 10, and even if they don¡¯t, many people feel unsafe and quit by level 20. 28 is one step beyond those barriers. It¡¯s only one step ahead, but when you¡¯ve reached that point, you¡¯re pretty good at exploring.


    You can run around the dungeon, look at your enemies and friends, and wield a large blade that you would normally avoid wielding. The first and most basic wall of an explorer.


    I don¡¯t think the boy is beyond it.


    Therefore, I came to the conclusion.


    ¡°So it¡¯s being disguised?¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m sorry, can you repeat that.¡± (Satou?)


    Fortunately, what came out of my mouth was not heard. I immediately laughed to cover it up and told him that it was time to go. This time had been arranged through the high school the boy attended. It was after school and the boy had important club activities to attend to. [T/N: The Satou I know is OP God-like and a lolimagnet.]


    ¡°Thank you for your time.¡± (Shiki)


    I greeted the teachers who showed me around and left the school.


    Touka and Haruka are certainly strong. There is no one in the world who is stronger than my children. Even if they were, they could probably be counted on one hand. But they are still weak.


    The most important key to making the dungeon safe is the boy I was talking to a few minutes ago.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯ve met the boy you spoke to the other day. We should be able to assume it¡¯s true. Oh? You¡¯re not done yet, are you? There¡¯s no hurry, no need to hurry, at all. Though, I want to get this done before my son and daughter are in danger. Sorry to bother you.¡± (Shiki)


    No one knows the truth behind the dungeons. However, there were several men and women who are approaching it. [T/N: Shiki may be a piece of sh*t father but he still cares in his own stupid way. I really want to see his status.]

 CH 128

    ¡°See you here again. I¡¯ll let you know our answer at that time.¡± (Kei)


    Once we had heard the details of the request from Burlando, we came back to the house. Today¡¯s search had been a short one, but we needed to sort out the information.


    Of course, we had no way to contact Burlando, so we decided to meet her in the room where we fought Mino-tan. She said it could be tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or anytime. However, she said that the other one was on a rampage. If I¡¯m going to do her a favor, I¡¯d better do it as soon as possible.


    ¡°What do you think, brother? It¡¯s dangerous, but it¡¯s also very safe. I don¡¯t think we can make the same decisions we¡¯ve been making.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. However, I don¡¯t think we can make decisions based on their words alone.¡± (Kei)


    Another one that even Burlando and Sostenuto can¡¯t compete with. Based on all we¡¯ve heard, I will refuse without hesitation. Even if the maid rampages over and over, if we don¡¯t enter the dungeon, the chances of us getting hurt will be quite low.


    Besides, Burlando had said that all dungeons were connected. And that the maids could come and go as they pleased. I knew this from my father¡¯s information, but now that I¡¯ve been told it again, I can see that it¡¯s both good and bad.


    It¡¯s a cruel thing to say, but even if no one in the world is an opponent, even if they come out of the dungeon, they will still be somewhere in the world. At least, they won¡¯t show up in the basement of this house. Japan is a small country and there are not many dungeons.


    Most of the dungeons where maids appear are overseas, and even if they were to commit a massacre there, they probably wouldn¡¯t make it to this house until much later, or never.


    It would be healthier and better for our lifespan for us to wait here than to go and die ourselves.


    However, there was something in Burlando¡¯s explanation that turned that idea on its head.


    These maids are in charge of managing the dungeon, and one of their duties is to protect the intruders. And by intruders, I assume they mean explorers.


    They invite explorers in and make them fight monsters. I didn¡¯t understand why they were supposed to protect the intruders, but they didn¡¯t explain it to me.


    Anyway, it seems that the maids who are trying to protect the explorers can¡¯t harm us, explorers. However, the standard of ¡°harm¡± was different from that of Earth, and it was loose enough that she could not try to directly kill us.


    Of course, they can¡¯t kill people directly, and they can¡¯t hurt them so that they can¡¯t move. They can¡¯t prepare a monster to kill others.


    They might not intend to kill, but if they prepare a monster in good faith and they die, it¡¯s no skin off their nose.


    If people are attacked by a monster to the point where they can¡¯t move and then another accidentally appears and kills you, it¡¯s also okay.


    She said that it was impossible to kill a monster by mistakenly using the wrong amount of force due to the fundamental difference in ability. If our abilities were a little closer, he said, we could be killed.


    In other words, we would not die fighting the maids. If Burlando and the others are on our side, we won¡¯t get trapped and killed by a monster.


    That said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not the heroes of a manga, right? We could die.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I know. We don¡¯t want to be hurt, and we don¡¯t want to be told to save the world.¡± (Kei)


    We are not the heroes of a shounen manga or the heroes who will defeat the demon king. I¡¯ll admit there¡¯s a bit of a crazy part of us that dives into dungeons even when our bones are broken or our arms are gone, but it was for our own good.


    When we first entered the dungeon, it was largely for the money. The first five levels were empty, but after that, we were able to get meat, which enriched our table.


    When the dungeons were opened to the public and we were able to sell the items we dropped, we didn¡¯t have to worry about money as much as before.


    We sold them in small quantities so as not to arouse suspicion, but as long as we sold the items to a few lucky strangers, we were able to earn enough money not to worry about our livelihood.


    Once money was no longer a problem, we sought out dungeons for entertainment. Stronger and more intense. Our curiosity for the unknown didn¡¯t stop us from getting a few injuries.


    Both Gan Ceann and Rimdobmur were dangerous, but we knew we wouldn¡¯t die. In fact, he had been injured in the battle against Gan Ceann, but we were never in danger of dying.


    That disgusting chimera was a complete disaster beyond our control. As expected, we even stopped entering the dungeon after I lost my arm in that battle.


    ¡°Yeah, no. We don¡¯t have to bother to look at the painful eyes.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Yeah, I know. Our safety is the most important thing, you know?¡± (Kei)


    For someone else. For the sake of many people, we don¡¯t know.


    It¡¯s a virtue to be able to put yourself in harm¡¯s way. It¡¯s a wonderful thing, just like the hero of the story, and I¡¯m sure it will move people¡¯s hearts.


    But for me, the most important thing is Haru, and it doesn¡¯t matter how many strangers¡¯ lives are at stake.


    There is something that tugs at my heart, but I am convinced that this is the best thing I can do for my sister. I¡¯m sure of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to be early. Let¡¯s tell Burlando no tomorrow.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Right. Then no dungeons for a while, huh.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I guess so. We¡¯ve had a lot of hard fights lately, so let¡¯s take it easy.¡± (Kei)


    But the siblings forgot that the girls were not born and raised on Earth, they just took human form and spoke the same language.


    That you are not always able to give a yes or no to a question.

 CH 129

    ¡°Ah, I guess it¡¯s no good. I do think you guys can do it.¡± (Burlando)


    The earlier the better, so we dove into the dungeon unusually early in the morning. The reason for this is to refuse Burlando¡¯s request. The 15th level of the ruins, the place where we fought Mino-tan and received the request from Burlando.


    I opened the door with caution because I thought it was the boss room, and found a smiling Burlando waiting for us.


    When I turned my eyes to the corner of the room, there was Mino-tan, tied up and unable to move as before. No, he looks more rugged than Mino-tan. The weapon on the ground beside him was not an ax, but a halberd.


    The name Mino-tan, which was completely different from the monsters I had seen before, made me feel uncomfortable, but perhaps Mino-tan was an irregularity caused by Burlando. The names I¡¯ve seen so far seem to be simple explanations of their race or appearance, but Mino-tan seems to be like a pet.


    The distance between us made it impossible for Haru to use her [Inspection], so she turned to face Burlando.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to fight that third maid, Burlando. If this dungeon becomes a battleground, we¡¯re going to stay out of the dungeon for a while.¡± (Kei)


    I told her briefly what I had decided yesterday, and her reply was as if she knew the answer, but still held back.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough to not die. I don¡¯t want to get hurt if I can help it, and I can¡¯t tolerate unnecessary pain.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re in the dungeon to have fun, after all.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°I see¡­¡± (Burlando)


    Burlando laughs merrily. But I can¡¯t feel any pessimism in that laugh. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any emotion in that laugh. I felt a little creeped out by the lack of energy in her laugh, or perhaps by the fact that it was so out of place.


    The hem of her dress was pulled down slightly. I looked over and saw that Haru¡¯s smile had tightened. I¡¯m sure I have the same expression on my face.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that. We¡¯re leaving. We¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡± (Kei)


    I¡¯ll try not to dive into the dungeon for a while. I muttered in my mind, but in reality, I said something else. I praise myself for my quick thinking and push Haru back to the entrance of the boss room.


    If we just say that we won¡¯t be coming to the dungeon tomorrow, there might be a contingency. The only thing Burlando wanted us to do was to fight against another one of them. We would need to be prepared, so even if Burlando wanted to force us to fight, she wouldn¡¯t stop us if we come back tomorrow.


    I touched the door to leave the boss¡¯s room. The door didn¡¯t budge a bit. This door is not meant to be opened by pushing or pulling. It doesn¡¯t have a handle, and it opens automatically when you touch it.


    ¡°Um, could you open the door?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s difficult. Just like in the past, the exit is not the door, but the magic circle.¡± (Burlando)


    Burlando replied with a smile like we were just being silly.


    That¡¯s true for the boss rooms until now. Three in the cave and two in the ruins. All the boss rooms were entered through doors and exited through magic circles. But.


    ¡°We got out of this door yesterday.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯s not possible today, is it?¡± (Burlando)


    After the fight with Mino-tan yesterday, we went back to the house through the door. We definitely did not go through the magic circle.


    ¡°There¡¯s no magic circle, to begin with. You have to defeat the boss to get out.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Here.¡± (Burlando)


    At the same time as Burland snapped her fingers, there was a loud cracking sound from the corner of the room.


    This is the place where a monster similar to Mino-tan was tied up a while ago. The monster collapsed when we look at it and it lost its original shape as its head rolled.


    ¡°You can get through. Go ahead.¡± (Burlando)


    The rolling head turns into mist, and a magic circle appears behind Burlando.


    ¡°Oh, thank you. See you later.¡± (Kei)


    I hurried to the magic circle, feeling my clothes being grabbed tightly.


    I said my goodbyes, but there was no reply.


    I walked right past the motionless Burlando and stood on top of the magic circle. I breathed a sigh of relief at the usual feeling of transition. I hold Haru¡¯s hand tightly, holding onto my clothes, and prepare for the transition.


    The moment my vision switched, I felt that the appearance of Burlando, who had her back turned to me, had changed.


    ¡°Yeah. See you again.¡± (Burlando)


    I felt goosebumps rise on my skin as the transition began.

 CH 130

    Is it really okay? At the entrance of the dungeon, a boy with an anxious look on his face, perhaps due to the atmosphere around him or the unfamiliar equipment he was wearing, looked uncomfortable as he fidgeted.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. As you can see, we have permission, and we¡¯re high level. You will not be attacked.¡± (Explorer)


    The heavily armed man standing beside the boy pulled out a document from his pocket and showed it to him. In addition to the various prohibitions, it stated that the boy, who did not have a permit, would be allowed to enter the dungeon only today.


    He was not allowed to leave his guards, not allowed to carry weapons, and not allowed to fight. In addition to that, the boy is forbidden to remove the equipment provided to him, and his activities are restricted to the point where there is nothing he can do.


    Accompanying the boy¡¯s escort were seven explorers dressed in similar equipment. They are not overtly strong-looking equipment like the heroic groups seen on TV, but rather rugged in design.


    They were called the Advanced Explorers, a group of explorers organized not for profit but for the good of the country.


    ¡°Thank you for your time today.¡± (Shiki)


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you. Kizaki-san. I have no intention of letting the monsters through, but if there is an unforeseen situation, I hope you will run away without fighting.¡±


    Lining up beside me was a former colleague and potential subordinate of mine. We used to go out for drinks on our days off, but now he¡¯s at work. I¡¯m in an uncertain position. If I tried to sass him, he would immediately admonish me. That was the kind of guy he was.


    ¡°I¡¯m going in now. Please walk slowly and follow me.¡± (Explorer)


    In front of us were four members of the Advanced Explorers. The two of them stood between the boy and me, and I followed behind him.


    After that tragic incident, it was banned where people fight with more than five people, this is how it works when escorting someone.


    All fighting is done by the front four, and if a monster gets through, the back three carry the escort and run away. If they can¡¯t get away, the front and rear parties will keep their distance and fight separately.


    Today we will be heading further into the forest. It is a hidden room that has not been made public and is only known to a few people.


    Naturally, it was too far away for the boy who would be level 1 for the first time today, so we planned to split the journey into several days. We took the shortest route straight to the hidden room, but there were other points along the way that we needed to investigate, so we planned to visit two of them today.


    I use [Resonance] on the boy as he steps into the dungeon. What I see is the same status as when I first saw the boy. His level is 28, his Proficiency is [Sword], and he has a good status. But that changes the moment the boy enters the dungeon.


    His level is 1, his Proficiency is [Magic], and all three of his skills are gone, replaced by a new skill I have never seen before, [Creation].


    From the name, it is a skill of the production skill system. There was a high possibility that it was a very powerful one. It could be a B, an A, or even an S rank like mine.


    ¡°Did you decide on your Proficiency yet?¡± (Shiki)


    I asked since I hadn¡¯t told him that I had a skill that could allow me to forcibly view his status. After confirming that the boy nodded, I sent a hand sign to the one at the front.


    We quickly made our way to the back of the dungeon and turned the first corner. There we found a room with a transfer team in it. I naturally lead the boy and we stand on the magic circle together.


    ¡°From this magic circle, the explorers will be transported to the places they have explored before, and when they have finished their exploration, they will return to this room. Try saying the fifteenth floor.¡± (Shiki)


    The boy muttered in a small voice, ¡°Fifteenth floor.¡± I checked to see if the magic circle glowed or if there was any movement of magic, but I saw no changes.


    It seems unlikely that only this boy will be free to use the transfer magic circle.


    ¡°If there is even one person like this who has never been to that level before, the transfer will not work.¡± (Shiki)


    With words that seemed to indicate that he could not transfer, he led the boy out of the magic circle, and then himself.


    There was a possibility that the boy alone could move the magic circle, but I couldn¡¯t be sure of that, even for safety¡¯s sake.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be walking to the fifth level, so if you get tired, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know.¡± (Shiki)


    Except for the boy, everyone here was an elite who could fight in the forest without a scratch. There was nothing dangerous about the fifth level, which could normally be conquered with just a single skill or spell, so we took a break on the stairs and were at the fifth level in a few hours.


    Before entering the boss room, I touched the magic circle and conducted the same experiment as the first level, but nothing happened.


    ¡°When you enter this room, the battle with the boss will begin, but I will take care of it, so please stand back and wait.¡± (Explorer)


    The eight of us couldn¡¯t enter the boss¡¯s room, so the four in front of us walked past the boss¡¯s room and we were the only ones to enter it.


    To avoid showing blood to the boy, the boss was defeated by breaking his neck. It¡¯s still a shocking enough sight for those who aren¡¯t used to it, so we remember to shield the boy¡¯s eyes.


    I didn¡¯t see any change in the hobgoblin battle due to the boy¡¯s presence.


    I collected only the boy¡¯s [Self-Assessment] skill card, which can only be obtained once, and returned home that day.


    The next time I came to the dungeon was a week later, and on that day, I proceeded to the 10th level, where I defeated the boss, a black wolf. Like the hobgoblin, no change was seen.


    Then the next week, I came across the 15th level boss, the minotaur. Again, no change was seen.


    I thought the end was in a hidden room. The following week, we entered the forest with this in mind.


    The next week, as we entered the forest, we saw something unexpected.

 CH 131

    ¡°What is this place?¡± (Kei)


    Such words come out of my mouth. It¡¯s like another world, different from a dungeon. If you think the entrance is a cave, you¡¯ll suddenly enter a forest, and if you continue, you¡¯ll end up in some kind of man-made ruins. This is the end.


    I wonder how many people have seen this view. Probably not. It would be impossible to look at a view like this and not tell someone.


    The ground was cracked, and rotting trees were tumbling around, stripped of their roots. The air is filled with a black mist that looks as if a monster has been killed, but the mist is wavering as if it has a will of its own.


    This is a wilderness. It is smaller than the forest, and I can see a solid wall in the distance. And between that and the wall, you can find a number of things to indicate that it was not a wilderness, just by looking around a bit.


    In the distance is a pile of rubble blocking the way to the far side. Near us, there are several smaller piles of rubble that remain in regular order.


    ¡°Haru, let¡¯s go.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Haru)


    I see Haru gripping her tonfa tightly and I put my hand on the hilt of my sword. It¡¯s not as if there are no monsters here, I remind myself.


    There is no pile of rubble in front of us as if it were a road. Even the biggest ones are only knee-high. We pass over small piles of rubble and reach a large pile of rubble.


    ¡°It¡¯s a moat, right?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s buried, so I can¡¯t tell how deep it is.¡± (Haru)


    The pile of rubble we had seen was only a small part of it. The rubble had filled a large trench, a moat, and all we could see was what was left over after filling the moat.


    ¡°Where did all this rubble come from?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go back.¡± (Haru)


    We climbed over the pile of rubble but stopped when we were about halfway through.


    ¡°The size of the rubble is different in the front and the back.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Should we start digging?¡± (Haru)


    From the point of view of where we came into this wilderness, the back of the pile of rubble seems to be more detailed.


    Using our raised status, we finished digging the hole in no time at all. I cleared away a lot of debris, both large and small, and what I saw underneath was what looked like a crushed foundation.


    ¡°I guess all the rubble here came from a building that was built on top of this foundation.¡± (Kei)


    ¡°I wonder why there¡¯s such a building here.¡± (Haru)


    The depth is about the size of our house, including the garden. The width.


    If you look to the right, you can see a wall a few hundred meters away. Surely the rubble continues to that point. The same goes for the left. The distance is about the same as on the right.


    ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s a castle wall.¡± (Haru)


    Haru¡¯s words made sense to me. That¡¯s right, I thought. The moat in the front and the wall in the back. So this place was meant to stop some kind of intruder.


    But if that¡¯s the case, why was it built here?


    This place is far away from the entrance of the dungeon. Even if we were as strong as we are now, even if we knew all the paths, it¡¯s not a place we could reach in a day or two.


    And yet, here we were, on the walls. And yet, here is the wall, a wall that is no less an obstacle than a wall, with a long way to go and a nasty monster.


    ¡°Brother, is that a house?¡± (Haru)


    Haru pointed to the many small piles of rubble near us when we first arrived here.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± (Kei)


    Haru and I didn¡¯t know how to build a castle or a castle town. I¡¯m not sure if there is such a thing as a house outside of a castle wall and moat, but this is a dungeon. It doesn¡¯t matter how normal the castle is outside.


    Just as I was wondering what was going on, I felt a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Do you guys know where you are?¡± (Burlando)


    My hand on the hilt of my sword was grabbed and couldn¡¯t move. I was aware of the voice, but I moved my head to check.


    ¡°What is it this? Burlando.¡± (Kei)


    It was the person we had just parted ways with a short while ago, Burlando. I looked around, but there was no sign of Sostenuto.


    My grabbed hand is pulled and I added more force, but Burlando¡¯s grip also becomes stronger. The pain in his hand began to increase. Suddenly, my hand was squeezed tightly as if it was tense. The next moment, Burlando¡¯s hand left mine and she took a few steps backward.


    ¡°What are you planning?¡± (Haru)


    A cold voice came from behind me. A tonfa, which was thrust out by Haru, was in the place where Burlando was just before, and a drop of red liquid remained.


    ¡°Oh, was Haruka-chan such a scary girl?¡± (Burlando)


    There was a small but sharp cut on Burlando¡¯s cheek, who has a silly expression on her face.


    ¡°You attacked my brother, didn¡¯t you?¡± (Haru)


    I felt Haru¡¯s eyes glance at my hand, and I shook it to show that I was fine. My hand was still moving, but there was a clear handprint of Burlando on it. Haru¡¯s eyes become even sharper when she sees it.


    I don¡¯t feel any pain anymore, but with a bitter chuckle, I pull out my sword and put my left hand on my mouth.


    If the opponent is a monster that doesn¡¯t think, there is no need for such tricks. I hide my mouth from Burlando and cast magic in a whisper.


    Haru¡¯s body glows, indicating to Burlando that I have cast an Enchantment spell. Then I cast a spell on myself. There was no interruption.


    Burlando just looked at us with a blank expression.


    ¡°Are you ready to fight?¡± (Burlando)


    Burlando sees that we have used the Enchantment Magic and the rings on our fingers. Our ring, the treasure glows hot. It is a sign that the restrictions on the treasure have been lifted.


    ¡°We refused, so you came to destroy us like this?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to do anything. I told you. I told you, we want you to take down our colleague.¡± (Burlando)


    Burlando slowly turned around and put her hands to her ears.


    ¡°Come on, a hero has come.¡± (Burlando)


    The words that came out of Burlando¡¯s mouth were carried by magic and flew away.


    The next moment.


    The dungeon shook as the mist swayed in the air.

 CH 132

    The shaking, which became louder and louder, made me lose my footing and caused the earth to shake. I stood with my back to Haru, fearing that she would not be able to hear me due to the earth-shaking making me want to cover my ears.


    There was no way this tremor was just an earthquake. I¡¯ve never even heard of earthquakes in a dungeon. The only way to feel a tremor in a dungeon would be if there was a tremendous amount of monsters running around, or if a powerful attack hit the ground.


    All that surrounded us now was a pile of rubble. Before we knew it, Burlando had disappeared. There are no monsters in sight, and nothing is reacting to [Perception]. The only two people on this large floor were me and Haru.


    I felt the magic in front of me shimmering eerily. I swung my sword at the wavering magic power, thinking it was an invisible enemy, but it passed by without incident. The shaking magic extended to the ground, and if you looked closely, you could see a large amount of magic slowly boiling up from the gaps in the rubble.


    Was it a coincidence, or was it the bond between brother and sister? I grabbed Haru¡¯s hand and she grabbed my arm. Before I could say a word, we jumped in the same direction, pulling each other along.


    It was a hair¡¯s breadth away, and if we had been even a second slower, we might not have made it. A few tenths of a second after we jumped, the ground we were standing on just a few moments ago exploded. I twisted my body in midair to protect Haru from the flying debris of the explosion. I managed to deflect a large object with my sword and used the momentum to get further away from the source of the explosion.


    ¡°Brother, are you okay.¡± (Haru)


    Haru runs up to me in a panic.


    ¡°No problem, Haru are you okay?¡± (Kei)


    ¡°You¡¯ve protected me. I think I would have been better suited to stop the debris.¡± (Haru)


    I didn¡¯t realize that until Haru looked at me with fierce eyes. Haru¡¯s weapon is Tonfa and mine¡¯s a sword. If you just want to deflect a hard object like rubble, a Tonfa, which is a blunt weapon would definitely be easier to use.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± (Kei)


    I don¡¯t regret protecting Haru, but I do regret my actions because as two people exploring a dungeon, we need to be clearer about our roles than the other four people in the party.


    I thought I had gotten used to the division of roles after the rush of unique monsters over the past month, but there were still many things I was not good at.


    The shaking seemed to have stopped with the explosion, and all that remained was a cloud of dust and dense magic that made it hard to see what was ahead.


    The magic that I just felt from below was stronger than the magic that was spewing out of the smoke.


    ¡°Scythe, Intangible Armor, [Speed] [Power] [Guard]!¡± (Kei)


    ¡°Appear, Morningstar, [Inspection].¡± (Haru)


    I cast the Enchantments on myself and Haru, summon our Treasure Tools, and prepare myself for battle as best I can. The Treasure Ring shines just as brightly as it did when I met with Burlando. If this light continues to shine like this, I won¡¯t have to worry about the time limit.


    Almost certainly, it¡¯s Burland or Sostenuto who controls the time limit of the treasure ring. Considering the fact that she sent us to this place, it¡¯s hard to imagine her suddenly lifting the time limit on the treasure here.


    ¡°Brother, [Inspection] is deflected. I don¡¯t know their strength.¡± (Haru)


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t attack yet, let¡¯s observe the situation and priority on evading. Do not block if possible.¡± (Kei)


    If the opponent on the other side of the cloud of dust is a humanoid, it is possible to estimate the attack power by looking at the enemy¡¯s speed. The problem is when they use some skill or magic. It is possible to generate more attack power than the speed at which they swing their sword, by using things like [Power] and [Strong Slash]. What¡¯s more, the enemy we are going to fight is unknown.


    It¡¯s not like there isn¡¯t magic to strengthen the attack other than increasing the power.


    ¡°Oh my, are you going to interfere with me too? You guys are only that strong and with that status. Monster-like presence, are you a monster? Invader, kill. Should you be killed?¡± (Voice)


    A voice came out of the dust and smoke. It was a slightly low, calm voice. It must have been a beautiful voice before. The voice was so so convoluted that they must be crazy.


    ¡°I am? I am? A~, a~. If I don¡¯t kill, magic, regenerate, pork katsu.¡± (Voice)


    In the depths of the fading dust cloud was a shadow. She may have been once dressed as a maid like Burlando and Sostenuto. However, the figure was clad in a black cloth that was so tattered that it was doubtful that it could be called clothing.


    If you look closely, you can see that the black is not the original color of the cloth, but has been stained by unwashed blood and dirt.


    The cloud of dust cleared away. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, and her hands, raised high in the sky, looked so gaunt that their bones stood out.


    Suddenly, there was a blast of magic. Sand and debris flew through the air as if we were in a tornado. It was only a moment, but it was a moment.


    An unconscious blink of an eye.


    In the space of less than a second.


    Our vision was filled with countless magic pouring down at high speed.