ch181-ch200 · 198-ch198

Chapter 198: Sub-Job Decided?

"Hey, you there—"

Ah...

Did someone just call out to me?

(I thought it was far enough away that it'd be fine, but that was a fail. Oh wait, no time for that. Gotta run.)

I'd just arrived on Floor 19 and entered the 'Gate to Floor 20', but apparently a party that had been some distance away on Floor 19 called out to me.

I'd known they were there since before I came back down from 21 to 19, thanks to 【Scouting】—I figured since I'd be entering the 'Gate to Floor 20' right away, being seen wasn't a problem.

Was something the matter, I wonder?

But I'm already on Floor 20, and I can't go back.

If it's within a minute, they could enter this boss floor after me—but surely nobody's crazy enough to do that... though I can't exactly swear to it.

In any case: Floor 20 boss battle—the Orc General and his entourage of Orc Knights.

Ideally I'd charge up the hill in one go and take the Orc General down the instant it spawns, but the slope is punishingly steep.

Puffing and panting, I circle around behind the spawn point and catch my breath.

Then, the instant the Orc General spawns, the jumonji spear's thrust sends its head flying.

So far, so good.

The problem comes next: when I go to take out one of the bow-wielding Orc Knights, the other one starts firing arrows.

This will be Soushi and Aikawa's first time on Floor 20.

Kasumi-san told me not to overdo it with them, so at first I'd like to defeat everything myself, but taking both bow users down simultaneously is difficult.

I take the right-side bow user and the magic user, and sure enough, an arrow comes flying from the opposite side.

"Now then, what to do about this..."

I wipe out all the orcs on the boss floor and strip the Orc General's armor while I think it over.

Would the orthodox approach be best—attacking properly from the bottom of the hill where the 'Gate to Floor 19' sits?

The magic user is fine either way—I can bring out the 'Left Eye Gate' with time to spare even after its 【Fireball】 comes flying.

The classic "I saw it coming, with room to spare" move.

With arrows, though, no such luck...

"I should haul the halberd back too... Selling them as a set might look nicer. Collect the spear as well... ah!"

I go to collect the halberd for Mia-san's shop stock, and remember the thrown spear.

There WAS a long-range attack option, wasn't there.

Without 'Aiming' I can't land it well, but it's a necessary MP expense.

Can't put a price on safety, after all.

Once I've got a plan, it's back to the warehouse.

It's just before one in the afternoon.

I was making good time coming back from Floor 31, but today there were quite a few people hunting on Floor 21 again.

That's put me a little behind schedule.

"I'm hooome."

...Nobody here, huh.

Kasumi-san's not around either.

I wanted to be back before her lunch break ended, but it seems I missed it.

Better get changed quickly and go report that I'm safe at the counter.

Soushi and Aikawa are over at Mia-san's shop, probably?

Better hurry over and bother them there too.

(It's packed)

The Association facility is quite the crowd.

A huge line stretches out in front of Kasumi-san.

People gathered hoping for one glimpse of the rumored 'Her Majesty the Spear King'?

There's a line in front of Shiraishi-san's window too.

With summer break on, there's no room to level up at the HQ dungeon, so Chiba-born adventurers come to the Chiba Dungeon around this time, apparently.

Add the otherworlder rumor on top, and the Chiba Dungeon is booming.

Hayashi-san must be in a state where her laughter won't stop, huh?

With this many people, all I need is for Kasumi-san to know I made it back.

I pass in front of the counter, and Shiraishi-san notices, nudging Kasumi-san with her elbow.

The moment Kasumi-san and I make eye contact, mission complete.

I give Shiraishi-san a small bow too, and head for Mia-san's shop.

︙

︙

"Sub-jobs decided?"

My lunch break over, Soushi and Aikawa gather at the warehouse.

Armor on, ready to hit Floor 20 whenever.

"Mine was decided a while back... I'm going with 【Water Mage】. Apparently it suits me best."

Soushi picks his born-with-it job, 【Water Mage】.

That IS the one most suited to him.

The dungeon has willed it...

The 【Water Mage】 + 【Chef】 combination is famous—a delicious pairing that can produce 'the dungeon's delicious water' with magic.

Soushi's special skill 【Cooking】 is high-rank-job equivalent, so he might manage 'the dungeon's SUPER delicious water.'

But from the way she's talking, it sounds like Aikawa hasn't decided yet...

"I'm still deciding. I want to think it over, including what showed up today. I'm worrying about the high-rank job too. There's no info out there on 【Dancer】's high-rank job, and it's driving me nuts. I have to consider that 【Dancer】's high-rank job might not be combat-related, sooo, what to do? 【Knight】 or 【Monk】 apparently have all sorts of strong high-rank options, but Soushi and I have always said we want to fight by buffing each other, so... I was thinking maybe I should take 【Staff User】 after all?"

I see—she's undecided because she's thinking about the high-rank job too...

Soushi intends to choose a buffer high-rank job derived from 【Staff User】, doesn't he.

And Aikawa's stuck because she doesn't know what would come from 【Dancer】.

"What did Kasumi-san say?"

She consulted her too, right?

"She said go spear-line. But I use a sword and shield, you know."

Well, fair enough.

But if your job isn't a sword-wielding line yet, there's still time, isn't there?

"【Charge Spearman】 is technically a self-buff job too, but no buffer-type showed up for me at Floor 30. Hmm. If it's about the sword, how about 【Naginata User】? You can use 【Slash】 and such with a sword too, and it apparently has defensive skills as well—good as a sub, they say?"

"Ugh, don't say the same thing as Watanabe-san. I TOLD you I'm thinking about the high-rank job too."

Right, sorry.

"Then how about using a spear until 【Staff User】 shows up?"

Soushi and I both spear-users went in and got our jobs, so any club-like stick should do.

"Don't say the same thing!"

Whoops.

She'd already been urged onto spears to her limit, hadn't she...

"Well, we agreed to wait and see, factoring in the jobs that showed up on today's Floor 20. There's no need to decide in one day, right?"

Soushi steps in between us.

"Right. Today we're looping Floor 20, and I'm thinking of having you two fight a few times. You up for it?"

"That's the plan. I'm gonna fight my hardest so good jobs show up!"

She's fired up, isn't she.

Then let's go.

"I've left the 'Left Hand Gate' behind the Floor 20 Orc General. I'll take out the General and the dangerous ones first, so once you cross over, hide behind the 'Left Hand Gate'. Watch out for the bow users and the magic user. 【Gate】.【Scouting】.... Here we go!"

Along with the jumonji spear, I carry one more Orc Knight's spear and enter the 'Right Hand Gate'.

"Um, what about the dance?"

No MP cost, right?

Then she may as well use it.

Duration's one minute, so if she uses it now, it should wear off right around when I finish the General.

"Please do. The General goes down right about one minute in, and there'll be a little breathing room then—I think we can get another 【Dance・Let's】 in at that point."

We take up positions on either side of Soushi and Aikawa—ready.

"Okay! 【Strength Up・Dance】【Endurance Up・Dance】【Agility Up・Dance】【Magic Up・Dance】【Weapon Enhancement・Dance】. Here we gooo. 【Dance・Let's】! Right, left, right, left..."

Left, right, left, right—we match our box steps to the rhythm.

""And POSE!""

The signature pose!

We hadn't planned it, but all three of us struck a pose at once.

"Heyyy. Now they're copying us. Ah-ha-ha."

"Seriously, we think the same things? Pfft."

"Ah-ha-ha! We might make a pretty good party, huh."

All three of them had struck Mia-san's fired-up pose.