ch121-ch140 · 125-ch125

Chapter 125: The Attending Physician's Sampling

MP: 300→268

MP consumed: 32.

【Charge・Spear】 burns 1 MP per second, 【Charge・Shield・High】 burns 2.

So with both super modes running, I drain 3 a second.

It felt like I'd been moving for a good minute, but in reality it was an affair of about ten seconds.

With the skills released, the world's speed returns to normal.

The severed Orc Knight head I'd sent flying comes dropping out of the sky, and the orc body that had been standing there topples over.

"Spear Saint..."

Such words slip out of Kasumi-san's mouth.

"That's the skills' power, not mine, you know?"

Because everything was slow, I somehow managed to imitate Sword Saint-chan's movements—but without the skills, it's just slow, sluggish flailing.

Sword Saint-chan can do it with no skills at all. That is exactly what makes her a 【Sword Saint】.

Haruki Kasugano's full power is Hoshino Chiharu's ordinary.

And yet, for just one moment, I glimpsed a distant height I was never meant to lay eyes on...

"Haruki-san... why did it have to be a special skill like 【Gate】? If not for that, you could have become the savior of the spear world..."

The 'spear world'? What's that?

The spear world already has a super-idol called 'Spear King-chan', doesn't it?

That's more than enough, surely.

"Right then, let's collect the magic stones and press on. It's only around four o'clock, yes? We can push another floor or tw—ah."

A nosebleed.

I scramble my helmet off.

"Haruki-san!? How are you feeling? Sit down first. I'll fetch Shiraishi-san right aw—"

"I'm fine. Last time I ran double super mode, I walked all the way home from Floor 14. The magic stones come first. Could I ask you to handle those?"

It's only a thin trickle.

Nothing seems about to go seriously wrong.

A little rest should sort it.

"Very well. I'll do the dismantling, so please rest right there."

Kasumi-san hands me tissues from her pouch as I sink down where I stand.

Well prepared, aren't we.

Me? I'm not carrying anything, though?

(Aw, your brand-new helmet's gone and gotten stained with nosebleed~)

I thought I'd be fine, but even a short burst is a no-go.

And here I am with Endurance 150...

I stuff the tissues in my nose and pitch in too.

Weapons get collected.

The halberds, of course—and the Orc Knights' spears are all-iron, more than good enough for throwing.

Anything else... the quiver should do, I think?

And then, the Orc General's armor.

(Time to strip it right off~)

Urgh, the nosebleed...

Haven't done this in a while...

Pull the magic stones out while I'm at it, and that's everything.

"This side's finished as well. Let's head back quickly."

If we returned from here, we'd have to fight the boss all over again on our next visit, so we moved on to Floor 21 first, then used 【Gate】 to return to the warehouse.

"I'll go call Shiraishi-san, so please wait right here."

Still in her armor, Kasumi-san dashes off.

(I suppose I'll tidy up what we picked up...)

Not that it's tidying so much as piling it off to one side...

Besides this General armor, there should be one more set over at Mia-san's shop.

One set is earmarked for Soushi, but spare stock never hurts.

If anything, maybe I should gather up a whole pile for Mia-san's shop's opening sale.

But it IS Mia's WEAPON shop—would she even stock armor?

Well, halberds would work for stocking, I suppose.

That makes six Orc Knight spears now.

I'd like a few more for Floor 40...

Might be worth commissioning Mia-san for spears made purely for throwing.

Would she hate making disposable weapons?

She does sell shuriken, so I'm probably safe?

"Well, well—been a while. Here I am."

Huh?

The people Kasumi-san brought back were Shiraishi-san and... Dr. Amamiya.

"She happened to be in Chiba, so I asked her to come."

"Turns out she's your little boy's attending physician. Lucky you. Have her look you over before I cast 【Heal】."

Attending physician?

Well, the doctor at the general hospital right nearby did throw in the towel on me, so I suppose she'd technically count as my attending...

Dr. Amamiya researches dungeon-derived illnesses at the university hospital, and apparently she's the leading expert in the field.

Her age is... apparently off-limits information.

A beautiful doctor in her prime.

"Why is Dr. Amamiya in Chiba?"

"Checking on some construction progress—and looking for you. More to the point, let's have that examination. I'll be taking what's stuffed in your nose. The nosebleed... still trickling a little, I see."

"Construction?"

Dr. Amamiya produces cotton swabs and a case from her pocket and stuffs one up my nose.

"Shall I hear the situation? How exactly did this come about?"

What construction?

Well... I can ask about that later...

"Fuga fuga. Do you know about super mode? It means keeping 【Charge・Spear】 and its stat-boost skills running, and..."

Swabs stuffed up my nose, I explain only the spear side.

"I know it. So you're a 【Charge Spearman】, hmm... I see. Could you tell me every skill you used? Ah, I'll take one from the other side too."

A swab gets stuffed up my other nostril.

You said 'take' just now, didn't you?

This is not treatment. This is collection.

The tissues I'd stuffed up my nose earlier got collected too—and pocketed.

"Fuga fuga—【Charge・Spear】【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】【Charge・Spear・Strength Up】【Charge・Spear・Endurance Up】【Charge・Spear・Agility Up】."

I'm not holding a spear, so the skills aren't active.