ch121-ch140 · 122-ch122

Chapter 122: A Body That Can Never Stream Again

First, without entering the hill, I take position outside the range where the watchman orcs blow their horns.

What I take out here is the orc spear I picked up earlier.

I plant the jumonji spear in the ground and ready the orc spear.

(【Charge・Spear】)

MP: 585→584

"Haruki-san?"

"I'm charging, so give me about ten seconds."

【Charge・Spear】 shows no visible effect until you've charged about 10 MP into it.

"The thing you wanted to test with the picked-up spear—that would be 【Charge・Spear】, I take it?"

"Yes. I'm going to try targeting the watchman orc from here."

At my words, Kasumi-san raises her visor and looks up at the hill.

"I see. With a high-rank job's stats, you should have the reach. And you intend to factor in 【Charge・Spear】's penetrating power as well... The only question is whether you can hit it."

I'll be adding 【Aiming】 into the mix, so it should be fine.

The watchman orc is on top of the hill, but with my current stats, it's well within range.

Add super mode on top of that, and distance is no object.

I shouldn't even need shield super mode for this.

MP: 585→575

(【Charge・Spear・Agility Up】【Charge・Spear・Endurance Up】【Charge・Spear・Strength Up】【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】)

MP: 575→573

I started the skills once 10 MP had drained, and finishing the full set took another two seconds.

It's practically spell-chanting at this point.

"Here I go. 【Charge・Spear・Aiming】!"

MP: 573→563

Must be the 【Aiming】 at work.

The spear left my hand and flew dead straight for the watchman orc's center, exactly as aimed, and ran it through.

Having surely crushed the magic stone, the spear kept on flying, clean through.

At this angle it shouldn't reach the wall, at least.

MP: 563→562

(So this is it...)

One MP drained, and then the super mode effect cut out.

If I had to guess, the MP keeps draining until the thrown spear comes to a stop.

This must be what emptied my MP on my first trip to Floor 30.

The skill's effect keeps running until the attack is over.

Then again, I threw it intending full penetration...

Back then I did confirm I had 1 MP left at the moment the spear left my hand.

But the moment the Ogre King's magic stone shattered, the status screen switched over to job selection, so I never got to check the MP between there and the wall...

Penetration is the problem, isn't it.

If only it would just explode on the spot...

If I learn 【Charge・Spear・Burst】 and skip weapon enhancement, maybe the weapon itself will explode the instant it lands?

"Zanshin... I take it? Magnificent form."

No, I was just lost in thought.

Kasumi-san keeps talking.

"Taking down a watchman orc without letting it blow its horn is something only a select few among bow jobs can manage. And for magic jobs, landing a hit at this range would be no easy feat either."

Bow jobs can hit with perfect accuracy but lack the stopping power.

Magic jobs have the power, but past a certain distance, they simply never connect.

Still, a handful of genuinely top-tier adventurers on either side could surely manage it.

Both 'Red Shadow' and 'Sword Saint-chan' lose a fair chunk of time on this watchman-orc floor.

That handful of elite bow users might actually post some surprisingly good Dungeon Time Attack times...

"Still, to think 【Aiming】 raises thrown-spear accuracy. That's a first for me. When I thought of thrown spears, my mind went straight to 【Javelin】 and 【Homing】—but it seems that was a misconception of mine. I simply must spread the word about this too..."

Huh? Normally 【Aiming】 doesn't improve thrown-spear accuracy?

Wait... or did it work because I was convinced it would?

Skills really do run on anything-goes logic...

MP: 562

My starting MP was 585.

Twelve charged into 【Charge・Spear】, another 10 spent on 【Aiming】, plus the 1 siphoned off after the throw—23 in total, then.

If 23 MP of consumption handles a watchman orc, that's more than practical for a Time Attack.

Besides, I don't have to think about the trip back, so I can afford to burn MP far more lavishly than any other challenger.

Wait... do I need to film the return trip too? 'Red Shadow' did upload that.

Well, Time Attack planning can wait.

Onward.

"Now the orcs on this hill won't come swarming after us. Let's walk along the edge to the next hill. This should shave off a good deal of time."

The two of us talk as we walk.

"Time... you say? Could it be that you're interested in Dungeon Time Attack, Haruki-san?"

Ah, the time talk slipped right out of my mouth.

"Well, yes. I was thinking I could probably beat the Chiba record, maybe..."

"If I recall, Red Shadow's rules require uploading unedited proof footage, do they not? Absolutely not."

"Huh?"

"If a high schooler went and beat Red Shadow's record, the view count on that video would be catastrophic. A high schooler being a Triple-Rank with a high-rank job is already bad enough on its own. And Red Shadow has a great many fans overseas as well—you'd draw eyes from abroad too. Haruki-san, you must not stand out."

Right.

Standing out is forbidden.

I see...

It's no good, huh...

I can never appear in a video again. I have become a body that can never stream again.

I am one who lives in the shadows...

The legend of 'Spring Shadow' shall never be known by another soul, for all eternity.

"I suppose you're right... sniff"

"Huh? You're THAT broken up about it? Um, uh... Oh! I know! I know exactly how amazing you are, Haruki-san! Things more amazing than 'Red Shadow' or 'Blue Shadow'—more amazing even than the 'Sword Saint'!"

"Ah, Kasumi-san, if you go any farther—"

"Bwooon."

"Huh? Ah, wai—"

Kasumi-san looks at her feet, then up at the hill, then at me.

Guess my warning came a beat too late.

Well, it's not like you can see the watchman-orc range with the naked eye.

These things happen.

"It's your turn, Kasumi-san. Go right ahead."

"Huh? Well... yes. I'll be right back. Do cheer up, now."

Kasumi-san dashes off, glancing back my way.

She cuts down one orc, then two, but her feet never stop moving.

Every so often she looks back over her shoulder, worried about me.

(Kasumi-san is so kind. She really doesn't need to fret this much...)

I'd love to wave a hand and prove I'm full of spirit, but distracting her would be bad.

I'll just stay moping for now.

Well, I am genuinely a little down, but not about that.

I was only sulking because it looks like 【Ninja】 is out of the running for my Floor 40 sub-job pick.

For kind Kasumi-san's sake—if some undiscovered or unregistered spear job ever came up, I'd love to take it for her.

We're not going any deeper than Floor 40, so there's no need to insist on a strong job.

Though with not a single production skill to my name, high-rank production jobs surely won't appear in my options...

But what if one did?

"Hah... hah... All... finished."

That was fast.

Don't tell me she's planning to take on the Dungeon Time Attack in my place?

"Hah... hah... A video. Let's... let's film a video."

So you DO want the Time Attack? I'll go grab some spears, so please catch your breath and settle down.

Quick as a flash, I scoop up the orc spears.

Two spear-wielding orcs nearby, so two spears this time.

Once I'm back at Kasumi-san's side, we walk toward the next hill together, talking as we go.

"Suu, haa. My apologies. I've settled down now, so allow me to continue. As long as nothing gets uploaded to the net, filming a video should be perfectly fine. Let's film you beating the Chiba time, Haruki-san, and show it to Mia-san and Shiraishi-san. I'm certain they'll sing your praises. And not just Chiba—we can go to all sorts of dungeons. The three of us will praise you together, so please don't be so downcast."

Filming a video "just for the three of us to enjoy" is THE textbook pattern for an absolutely-guaranteed leak, isn't it?

The old "we only ever shared it on a private account, but somehow it slipped out" routine...

And this would be a DUNGEON video—there's more than enough chance of some strange force getting involved. Absolutely not.