arc3 · 155-ch155

Chapter 155: The Explorer Exam

University had unexpectedly given me a sparring match with a high-rank explorer, but even during that, Parallel Thinking had been dutifully farming EXP for me.

Hayate and Shiden were cutting down monsters on floors twenty-one and thirty-one of the Mouse Park Dungeon. This time, I wasn't thinking much about conservation — the plan was to just slaughter every monster that showed up and call it quits when MP ran low.

Maybe a little MP went to waste, but it saved a ton of time and stress. From now on, this might be the way to do my background EXP grinding.

In the end, I leveled up twice before my MP ran low, so that's where the grinding ended. Current level: 27. Three more to go until 30. My physical abilities seem to have risen again, and my MP has climbed past 7,000.

By my math, that's enough for nearly seven hundred rounds of Thunder Bullet Machine Cannon fire. Rising MP is a good thing — my fuel economy is atrocious, after all.

With the grinding done, I dismissed Hayate and Shiden and sent Asahi back to the Dungeon Agency.

(Right, tomorrow's the Explorer Exam. Might as well do some prep.)

I sat down at my computer and reviewed the Mount Fuji Dungeon intel one more time. Not that my own first-hand knowledge isn't the more accurate of the two. Then I figured I'd brush up on my fundamentals for fighting with a katana.

Taking up the wooden sword I'd borrowed from the university, I ran through the basic forms again and again in front of my room's mirror. Somewhere along the way, I could feel my own signature style starting to take shape.

First, iai. The art of drawing the katana from its sheath in one motion and cutting your opponent down with a single strike. Stillness into motion — few could keep up with a movement that reaches top speed in an instant.

After the draw, the stance that feels most natural to me is the waki stance — blade held around hip level, tip hidden behind me. Though while the standard form grips the katana two-handed, my waki stance holds it in one. A feat only possible thanks to my raised stats.

I moved my body for a light hour or so, cementing the image of fighting with a katana in my head.

"Alright, prep complete! Now for a good dinner and a good night's sleep."

After a shower to wash off the sweat, I had dinner with Mom and Umi and slipped into bed early.

▽▽▽

"Good morning. Soramine here."

"Good morning. I'm Arihara, and I'll be serving as your examiner today. Examinee number 600 — Soramine Sota-san, yes? This way, please."

Since the setup was that we were meeting for the first time, we began with introductions. Other examinees stood around us, listening to their examiners with serious faces. They seemed to have one examiner for every two or three examinees. Only Arihara-san was assigned to me — but nobody seemed to be treating me as anything special, which was a relief.

We moved a little apart from the other examinees to go over today's test content. Hayate and Shiden, by the way, were already inside — transferred to floor ten, descended straight down to floor eleven, and now tucked away somewhere deserted.

"First — please take this katana."

"Ooh, so this is the Magic Steel katana!"

I took the katana out of its case and examined it carefully. That glossy black blade is gorgeous! I swung it two or three times, and even that little was enough to feel it settling into my hand.

"Soramine-san, you wield that katana like you've done it for years."

"Yes, I've practiced a little. If possible, I'd like to test the katana before bringing out 'that' to finish them — would that be all right?"

With this weapon, I felt like I could take down a goblin or two, so I gave it a shot and asked Arihara-san.

"From those practice swings, I judge it no problem. However — you will listen carefully to my instructions. I cannot allow myself to lose you here, Soramine-san."

"Yes, understood. I'm in your hands."

That's a relief — Arihara-san approved. If I pass, I might be able to work as an explorer even without my drones.

"Then let us depart at once. Your exam will take a separate route from the other examinees', so there's no worry of being seen."

Arihara-san, being the one in charge of the examiners, had apparently arranged the exam venue neatly on our behalf. For my sake — I'm grateful.

"Thank you. I'm ready on my end as well. Let's go."

The time had come at last — my first entry into a dungeon. A path I'd traveled countless times by drone, yet walking in on my own two feet carries real emotional weight. Just before passing under the gate, a shiver ran through me.

"Are you all right?"

Oops. Arihara-san saw that, huh.

"Yes — a warrior's shiver."

At that, Arihara-san gave a soft chuckle and walked on.

I passed under the gate behind him. My first dungeon, at long last. While experiencing the strange sensation of first-timer nerves over scenery I knew by heart, I took a great step forward.

(So this is the real thing — a dungeon! Amazing!)

The Mount Fuji Dungeon is a large cave-type dungeon. Cool air clings to my skin. Something a drone could never feel. So this is the air explorers have been fighting in.

And today, I'm taking my first step toward becoming an explorer. My body shivered once more — the warrior's shiver, or that cool air?

"Now we'll move away from the entrance. Please follow me."

Come to think of it — being able to enter a dungeon means Arihara-san is an Awakened too?

"If you can enter a dungeon... does that mean you're Awakened too, Arihara-san?"

It had been on my mind during the walk, so I asked.

"Come to think of it, I never told you. That was unfair of me — my apologies. Yes, just as you guessed, I'm Awakened as well. My Job is 'Tracker.' As it wasn't a combat type, I gave up on the explorer's path and took a position with the Dungeon Agency instead."

Ohh — Tracker. Not a combat type, sure, but it sounds like a Job that'd shine in scouting. He says he gave up on the explorer's path, but judging by his bearing, his level seems decently high. He must have spent some time active as an explorer.

"Here we are. Two goblins wait in the chamber ahead. I shall take one — the other is yours."

Just as he said: peeking into the chamber from the corridor, I saw two goblins. I'd thought my resolve was solid, but with the real thing before my eyes, my hands wouldn't stop trembling. Nerves, maybe.

But I can't stumble here. I call up the memory of my childhood friend dancing through battle, as I'd watched through my drone's camera.

"...Whew. I'm ready. Let's go."

One deep breath, and I dove into the chamber after Arihara-san.

"The left is mine — please take the right."

Arihara-san, who'd entered ahead of me, was already slashing into a goblin with a dagger that had appeared in his hand at some point. Huh — so Arihara-san fights with a dagger... wait, this was no time for leisurely observation.

I rested my hand on the hilt and quietly closed the distance to my goblin. Time to try one of the techniques that had become my specialty — iai.

"Hah!"

One flash.

One swing, and the goblin's head went flying.

Sure, I'd been sulking ever since that overseas explorer mopped the floor with me — but against goblins, I now knew I could hold my own just fine.

"Um... when your goblin falls before mine does... I can't exactly grade the exam..."

It seemed my one-strike iai kill had somehow finished my goblin before Arihara-san finished his.

"Sorry about that..."

Figured I'd better apologize.

"No matter — the fact remains that you, Soramine-san, defeated this goblin. Which means the exam ends here as a pass."

I'd passed the practical exam! I was officially an explorer, then! A fist pump escaped me before I could stop it.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you very much!"

I returned Arihara-san's congratulations. Oh no — the joy is creeping up on me. I'm far behind Himehana, but the explorer I'd dreamed of being... that's finally me.

"That concludes the Explorer Exam — but you had something you wished to verify, if I recall correctly?"

Yes — something I absolutely had to check while we were here for the exam anyway. When I raised it with him in advance, the kind-hearted Arihara-san said he'd help me see it through.

"Yes — then let us head to the Transfer Stone room."

We returned to the entrance once more, then moved to the Transfer Stone room beside it.

"So this is the Transfer Stone... it's lovelier in person than through a camera."

I'd seen this stone countless times through my drones' cameras, but with my own eyes, its blue looked a shade deeper.

"Yes — I remember being quite moved myself, the first time I saw one."

As he spoke, Arihara-san's gaze turned distant. Reminiscing about the old days, perhaps.

"Well then — let's find out..."

What I wanted to verify was this: could I myself jump to the floors my drones had registered? The Mount Fuji Dungeon's stone is registered through floor ten. Did that registration cover me too?

I gently extended a hand trembling with nerves and touched the Transfer Stone.

〈Which floor would you like to transfer to? Tenth floor〉

It seems my records and my drones' are one and the same.