arc2 · 057-ch57

Chapter 57: Reconnaissance ②

The second floor of the Yokohama Blue Brick Warehouse Dungeon wasn't all that different from the first floor. There were slightly more monsters, and correspondingly, it looked like there were more parties as well.

I looked around thoroughly and confirmed the location of the stairs. That should be fine for tomorrow. With the rest of the daytime, let me experiment with whether I can take down monsters on my own.

First, I searched for an isolated monster from above. Right away, I found just the right one.

(There, there—that's a... Crowcat, aka "Scratch Cat.")

Crowcats are F-rank monsters, same as Bite Dogs. A perfect opponent for Hayate practice.

However, since Asahi isn't nearby this time, if Hayate gets destroyed, that's it for today. I need to minimize damage as much as possible.

Since the other side doesn't seem to have noticed me, I tried launching a surprise attack from behind.

"Kyaa!?"

Hayate doesn't make any sound, so the surprise attack was a success, but I'm not sure if I actually dealt any damage or just startled it.

So this time, I tried to dodge the Crowcat's attacks while looking for openings to counterattack.

When the Crowcat came in with a scratch, I dodged by moving left and right. Then, when it got impatient and lunged at me, I slipped underneath its belly and swept its hind legs to throw off its balance. But as expected of a cat-type monster—it righted itself mid-air and landed without falling.

"Shaa!"

The Crowcat arched its back and took a threatening stance. It doesn't need to get that angry. I don't have any other means of attack, after all.

After that, I tried ramming into it, charging at its tail, and eventually even flew straight into its mouth—but that backfired as it bit down, reducing Hayate's durability to zero and causing it to disappear. Maybe I dealt a little bit of damage, but yeah, taking it down solo was impossible. Hmm, what a shame.

With Hayate gone, I ended the reconnaissance there. I'll eat lunch and then think about a patrol flight route. I got up from my chair, stretched, and headed downstairs. Mom went to pick up the condo keys today. She's also going to register the facial recognition and stuff, apparently. So I'll have to make my own lunch.

I boiled some pasta, tossed it with sauce from a packet, and done. The flavor is carbonara, my favorite. I wolfed down a serving in no time and headed back upstairs. Total time: fifteen minutes. Whenever I'm doing something I like, I tend to neglect things like meals and sleep. Looks like my sister's going to scold me again.

Reflecting a bit on my own habits, I sat down at the PC and opened the Dungeon Agency's website. It has a map showing the locations of all dungeons across Japan. I'll use this as reference to plan my patrol route.

My summoned drones cost 20 MP to summon. With my current MP at 200, I can call up to ten units even if they get destroyed. If I get my hands on mana recovery potions, I might be able to do a bit more.

In other words, even if I explore deep into a dungeon, I don't need to return to the entrance—I can just sever the connection and resummon, starting fresh from here. Thinking about it that way, maybe a patrol route of ten nearby dungeons would be ideal? But there aren't even ten dungeons nearby. And I should keep some MP in reserve for emergencies, so there's no need to force it to ten.

I could increase the number if I use Asahi, but if Asahi's power runs out, the summoned drones disappear, so it's better to keep Asahi here for emergencies.

For now, I set up a patrol route including: Yatsugatake Dungeon, Tokyo Skyscraper Dungeon, Yokohama Blue Brick Warehouse Dungeon, Chandelier Castle Dungeon at Mousie Park, Saitama Haunted Forest Dungeon, and Inubohsaki Tower Dungeon.

Oh, right. Since my drone can register with transfer stones, if I register it properly, I can instantly return to the first floor. If that works out, I'd need to adjust the patrol route each time. Well, I'll think about that once I can actually register.

(Oh, looks like Mom came back while I was thinking about all this.) Umi should be home from school soon too, so let's look for furniture and other things we need through online shopping.

I turned off the PC and headed downstairs with my phone.

▽▽▽

"Alright, that should cover most of the furniture."

Once all three of us were together, we stared at my phone and picked out shared furniture first. A hundred-inch TV, a large-capacity refrigerator, a washing machine with a diagonal drum design I'd never seen before, a microwave with some weird thing called a "stone oven dome" attached to it, a bed for deep sleep—all the necessities—plus a massage chair that kneads your feet too, a disc-shaped vacuum that cleans automatically, decorative plants, and other things that aren't strictly necessary but nice to have.

"Okay, next let's each pick out things we want for our own rooms!"

Mom and Umi were being a bit reserved despite my high spirits. Oh right, maybe my sense of money has gotten numb and I'm acting weird. But it's true we have the money now, and I want to buy the best stuff we can for things we need. Mom and Umi seemed to agree on that.

Regaining my composure, I went first. What I urgently need right now is a high-spec PC for video editing. And a chair that won't tire me out even after sitting for long periods. I'll focus on getting those set up.

Mom was picking out beauty appliances and cooking equipment. Umi, looking a little embarrassed, ordered a study desk, a full-length mirror, and a popular home game console. You little cutie!

Well, I managed to order everything I could think of for now. Anything I remember later, I'll just order as it comes up. Everything's set to arrive at the new tower condo in three days, with a specific delivery date.

After that, I'm thinking about getting cell phones for the three of us. Mine and Mom's are pretty old, and Umi doesn't even have one to begin with. If I ever get famous, having one would be absolutely essential as a self-defense measure. Plus, her commute to school is going to get longer.

When I brought this up, Umi—who'd been hesitant at first—said "thank you" in a small voice after I explained why we needed to buy them. My sister is seriously an angel, isn't she?

And so, our living environment is gradually coming together. That condo has solid security, so even if my identity gets exposed after we move, we should be safe. Probably.

Also, following Mom's advice about being worried over the large sum I'm earning, I'm considering hiring someone to manage the money. Even if I become an Explorer and get tax exemption, leaving that much money unattended could cause serious problems.

In some cases, we might also need someone to protect us from malice around us. What was it called again, a security consultant or something? I'm not too familiar with that area, so I'll look into it next time.

While looking forward to our new life, the three of us ate dinner together again today.