ch121-ch140 · 132-ch132

Chapter 132: The One More Time Pattern

"So it was a prank, huh. Don't scare me like that~. So where the heck are we?"

No, not that kind of surprise.

"Floor 30, though?"

"...Kasumi-san?"

Not believing me, Mia-san turns to Kasumi-san.

"It's Floor 30."

"Eh?"

"It's a surprise."

Just to drive it home!

"Pyeee—"

Sounds like it finally sank in.

Surprise: success.

Though maybe that was a bit too intense?

"Mia-san, calm down! It's all right. There's no danger. Look behind you—that is the 'Gate.' We can return to the warehouse whenever we like!"

"Eh? We can go back? Then let's go back! This place is dangerous."

Mia-san starts walking back toward the warehouse.

Kasumi-san grabs Mia-san's hand in a firm grip and tucks her under her arm.

"The Ogre King will be spawning any moment. Please bear with me a little longer."

"The Ogre King!? Pyeee—!"

Fair enough.

We could've sent her back for a bit and had her return after, but it's already boss-spawn time.

If she leaves now, the job selection screen might not trigger.

Reading the situation as 'unforeseen circumstances,' Kasumi-san had scooped Mia-san up exactly per the original plan.

Thanks to Kasumi-san's special skill, 【Equipment Weight Reduction】, she should barely feel any weight with Mia-san in her arms.

If anything happens, she'll dive straight into the 'Left Gate'—no cause for worry.

Time for me to focus on the Ogre King.

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

The 'True Super Mode,' now with 【Charge・Spear・Magic Up】 added.

I'd activated 【Charge・Spear】 before coming over to Floor 30, so it was already charged with a good 100-plus MP.

(There it is—【Charge・Spear・Aiming】.)

Just like last time, the Ogre King tries to spring forward the instant it spawns.

All I get is its back, but under super mode its movements are slow.

My spear has time to spare.

I release 【Charge・Spear】's MP-laden attack, plunge it into the back of its skull, and blow the head clean off.

People call 【Charge・Spear】 the ultimate romance job, but MP-wise, I don't think it's anything all that special.

That attack carried 100 MP, but if Kasumi-san drove her 10-MP 【Slash】 into the Ogre King's skull ten times with not a hair's deviation, she'd get more or less the same result.

All it really means is ten attacks' worth of power packed into one strike.

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

I go into super mode once more.

The Ogre King's headless corpse had slumped down—I go back in because I want that magic stone.

Without firing the charge attack, I drive the jumonji spear's butt spike down into its left chest.

(Hard!)

Gakin! Was that the sound of striking bone?

Steel skin, and bones even harder than that...?

Is this thing really a boss Double-Rank adventurers can take down?

I manage to open a hole just big enough for a hand and shove mine in.

The magic stone is... there it is.

It's huge, so no trouble finding it.

With a pop, out it comes.

"Grrr. GRRRAH."

"Pyeee—"

The Forest Ogres have entered frenzy.

"Mia-san, how's the job list? The moment you pick, we're out of here."

"Job? Pyeee—! There's something weird on it~. Special—it says special, pyeee—!"

Mia-san answers Kasumi-san's question.

This is the 'turn back and try again' pattern, then.

"Haruki-san, we're pulling back for now!"

Seeing me already bolting their way, Kasumi-san carries Mia-san straight into the 'Left Gate.'

I follow right behind.

"Oh my? All finished, are we?"

Shiraishi-san greets us.

"Mia-chan? Are you all right?"

"Pyeee—"

She may in fact not be all right.

"Shiraishi-san, please."

"Leave it to me—【Heal】."

Pekah! Green light wraps around Mia-san.

"Hold on, 【Heal】 shouldn't work on that!"

Mia-san's sharp tongue is back to normal.

It plainly worked!

Seeing Mia-san kicking her legs wildly, Kasumi-san sets her down.

"You can one-shot the Ogre King? Who are you, a 'Sword Saint'!? No, wait, that's not the point. What was that 'surprise' crap!? And what the heck was that just now? 'Ga—'...moga moga."

Kasumi-san claps a hand over Mia-san's mouth and answers in a low voice.

"What you just saw was Haruki-san's special skill. Please keep that strictly confidential. Also—raise your voice inside a dungeon and someone might hear you. Please keep it down. We'll go into the details tomorrow, once we're out of the dungeon. Right now, let's talk about your job, Mia-san."

Moga moga-ing all the while, Mia-san nodded.

"Got it. ...I got it. My high-rank job, right—first off, 【Namer】 was on the list. That's why I hesitated. It's a special job, so I figured it'd never show. Never planned for it. Sorry."

Swallowing the urge to point out she'd said 'got it' twice, Mia-san quietly began.

【Namer】, huh... Isn't that the high-rank job of Japan's number-one production-class crafter?

Blue Ocean's weapons and armor should have been reforged and named by that very person.

Word is they can only name one item a day, so the waiting list is enormous and the prices are insane.

With a job that amazing on the list, was there really anything to hesitate about?

"There wasn't anything like a 【Blacksmith King】 or 【Blacksmith Saint】 on there. Well, that's about what I expected. What there was..."