arc2 · 110-ch110

Chapter 110: Still Got a Long Way to Go Compared to Explorers

I'd managed to defeat two Phantoms, but when I challenged a group of three next, their coordinated magic attacks shot down Hayate. I decided the risk was too high and called it quits.

So from now on, I'll be targeting Phantoms that are moving around alone or in pairs. Also, this dungeon has monsters other than Phantoms. There are Living Dead—an upper variant of zombies—wandering the corridors, and Living Armor that looks like a room decoration until it suddenly starts moving.

Getting caught up with those things at the same time would be way too dangerous, so I'll stick to fighting only in spots where I can take on Phantoms exclusively. In the end, just like everywhere else, finding good spots to fight takes more time than the actual combat. Even so, both safety and efficiency are better here than in other dungeons.

【You defeated the Phantom】

【You have leveled up】

I'd lure Phantoms into high-ceilinged grand halls or blind corners of corridors and take them down. Using about four or five Hayates per pair of Phantoms, after three hours of fighting, I finally leveled up when I defeated my tenth Phantom.

My current level is 17. The appropriate level for D-rank is probably around 20, so it seems like leveling up is gradually slowing down.

Also, I picked up an interesting drop item. When I put it in Storage, the name shows up as "Soul of a Lesser Spirit." It's a whitish, crystal ball-like item. When I looked it up, apparently it contains the resentful voices of lesser spirits, and if you break it, you can hear an eerie scream.

I wondered what the hell you'd use something like that for, but smoke-like stuff is constantly moving inside the orb, so it apparently has some value as an antique. It's kind of a neat item, so maybe I'll give it to the president as a thank-you gift next time I visit Yamamoto Electronics. Having decided that, I returned Asahi and Hayate to the Transfer Stone room once, then headed to the living room for lunch.

When I entered the living room, Mom had made hamburg steak and was waiting for me. Getting to eat hamburg steak in the middle of the day—what luxury. This might be one of the café menu items too.

Mom works at the café on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. I hope she doesn't overdo it and wear herself out.

"Sota, it's rare to see you eat this much!"

I'd been starving, so I ended up eating three of Mom's delicious hamburg steaks and going back for seconds on rice. She's right—I don't usually eat this much. Could this be what Himehana was talking about, that your appetite increases when you level up?

"I've been feeling great lately!"

Ever since leveling up, my physical abilities feel higher and I seem to have more stamina. My scrawny body even seems to be putting on some muscle. Anyway, I've been feeling fantastic, so I made sure to play that up for Mom.

"That's strange—you're always cooped up in your room. Are you doing strength training or something?"

Ugh. Mom hit me right where it hurts. I just gave a wry smile and answered, "Something like that," before heading back to my room.

(Alright, I'll head to university this afternoon. As for Asahi and Hayate... since I went to the trouble of bringing them here, I'll keep using Hayate to earn at least a little more EXP.)

While getting ready to head to university, I decided to keep sending Hayate on kamikaze charges against Phantoms.

▽▽▽

I took the train to university as usual. As always, I ended up in a crowded car—what a pain. Oh wait, no. I got a seat when it was empty, so it started getting crowded after I got on.

I got off at my usual station and walked quickly toward the university. Though, to be fair, I don't have any lectures today, so there's no real need to rush.

After arriving at the university, I headed straight for the training room. Come to think of it, when I first enrolled here, I used to go train a lot. Back then, I genuinely believed I'd awaken to a combat-type job, so I was pretty serious about my training.

Walking the path to the training room, some old memories came back to me. Thanks to that, I was able to find the room without getting lost.

As expected of a university that trains explorers, the training room is quite large. A wide variety of equipment was set up, and several students were working hard at their training.

When I walked in, there was a bit of a commotion. This was definitely Himehana's fault. That girl going and calling me her childhood friend in front of everyone like that. Sure enough, the male students who'd been training stopped mid-exercise and were whispering while glancing my way. Maybe my hearing had gotten better along with my physical abilities—I could clearly hear the word "Himehana," so there was no doubt about it.

Well, that doesn't change what I'm here to do. I went to a spot with as few people around as possible and decided to measure my current physical abilities. The results...

(Are these even numbers a human being is supposed to be putting up?)

My grip strength was over 200 kg on both hands, my back strength exceeded 500 kg, and my vertical jump surpassed 2 meters 5 centimeters. Records completely unthinkable for the old me. Though, among explorers, these might actually be on the low side. After all, my initial HP stat was in the lowest tier.

Still, with physical abilities like this, I might actually be able to take down F-rank monsters on my own. I've had a magic iron sword prepared as a decorative piece, but I might end up needing it sooner than expected.

After that, I also tried the bench press, squats, the exercise bike, and the treadmill. I looked up world records and compared them to my own, and it turns out I'm just slightly above the world records for unawakened people.

But when I checked the records of higher-ranked explorers, the numbers were absolutely insane, so I didn't let it go to my head—I really do still have a long way to go. That said, higher-ranked explorers have to be careful in their daily lives too, or they'd casually destroy doors and stuff. I should ask Himehana how she handles it next time I see her.

While checking the changes in my body at the university, Hayate had continued its kamikaze runs against Phantoms. After taking down another twelve, my remaining MP dropped below 300. Something urgent could come up later, so I should probably call it a day here.

I had Hayate patrol the Tokyo Mouse Park Dungeon while returning Asahi to the Dungeon Agency rooftop. I'll have Hayate keep patrolling until dark, then bring it back to the condo. I want to check what's in Storage too.

With that plan forming in my head, I left the university.