ch201-ch220 · 203-ch203
Chapter 203: Onward to Floor 32
"Then, let's depart. Haruki-san, whenever you're ready."
"Yes, ma'am. 【Gate】, 【Scouting】.... All clear. Off we go."
"Alright, stay safe out there."
"Take caaare!"
"..."
From the workshop area of Mia-san's shop, we head to Floor 29 through the 'Right Hand Gate'.
Today's goal, for starters, is to push on to Floor 32.
And since it's just the two of us, Kasumi-san and me, the plan is to carry out the Flirting Strategy.
The official pretext is an experiment to see if rare golems spawn—flirting is the true objective.
Everyone saw us off, but Aikawa looked haggard, or maybe that was just my imagination.
Lack of sleep, maybe?
I turn to check whether Kasumi-san is all right, and she flashes me a big smile before lowering her visor.
Ready to go.
She seems in perfect condition, so first up: Floor 30.
"Let's go in head-on. I'll take the Forest Ogres, so if the Ogre King comes leaping at us, please deal with it."
I see—stay charged up, and take down the Ogre King the moment it charges in.
"Understood. Once the Ogre King is down, we pick up no magic stones and go straight for the 'Gate to Floor 31'—that works?"
"Let's do that."
She nods and steps into the 'Gate to Floor 30'; I follow.
No charging yet.
If I start building it now, I'll burn through 100-plus MP.
Charging can wait until the monsters spawn.
Even then, I should bank around 30—more than enough.
Skipping the magic stone pickup means we're free to shatter them.
Honestly, the me of today can reach the magic stone through even the Ogre King's steel-hard skin with just 10 MP charged.
Of course, that's on the assumption I've got super mode active and land the hit without it guarding.
We come to just short of the Forest Ogre spawn point, and the moment Kasumi-san readies her spear, 【Presence Detection】 reacts.
One minute since we entered Floor 30.
(【Charge・Spear・Magic Up】【Charge・Spear・Endurance Up】【Charge・Spear・Agility Up】【Charge・Spear・Strength Up】【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】)
I begin charging.
At the same time, Kasumi-san engages the Forest Ogres spawning right before her eyes.
A rising slash from below—one.
The raised spear swings down—two.
A horizontal sweep beheads the third, and the group of Forest Ogres that spawned nearby is cleared out.
The front is open, but the Ogre King still hasn't moved.
"GOAH!"
As Kasumi-san advances calmly toward the Ogre King, Forest Ogres come at her from both sides at once.
For an instant, I waver—should I go help her?
Should I use the 'Left Eye Gate'?
But I hold it in.
Trust in Kasumi-san.
Ducking both attacks, Kasumi-san falls back to my side for the moment.
Rather than get caught in a pincer, she seems to have chosen to face both of them head-on.
She steps in again at the Forest Ogre whose stance was broken by her dodge and cuts it down—a splendid kill.
But the other one attacks, and this time she receives it on her spear.
For an instant, Kasumi-san's movement stops.
As if it had foreseen that very instant, the Ogre King leaps in.
A jump attack that closes the distance in a heartbeat.
I step forward.
It all happens in an instant, but to me in super mode, it's more like two instants.
Forward...
The Ogre King can't dodge in midair.
It notices me stepping in and tries to guard, but the jumonji spear is faster.
With the side blades held vertical, the spear threads between its hands and catches the Ogre King dead center.
I feel a solid connection, but I can't kill the momentum of its leap, so I divert it past me, sliding behind it as if trading places.
Kasumi-san has already finished off the other Forest Ogre and dodged clear.
Leaving the Ogre King skidding across the ground—zazazah—we break into a run for the 'Gate to Floor 31'.
"GOOOH. GOOOH!!!"
The usual frenzy.
Forest Ogres in this state might even have slightly boosted abilities.
Side by side, the two of us swing our spears and sweep away the enemies in front.
Once we're out of the encirclement, all that's left is diving into the gate.
Kasumi-san goes through first, and I follow.
"Hahh, hahh. Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Not a scratch. Floor 30 cleared without incident."
Should we rest for a bit?
"Whew. I've gotten really strong, haven't I."
"You've always been strong, Kasumi-san?"
"No—two months ago, I struggled just to bring down a single Forest Ogre on Floor 25... If two or more of them had me surrounded, I'd stall for time however I could and wait for my party's rescue. That's how I used to fight. And now I can kill one in a single strike without even using an attack skill. I've gotten unbelievably strong. So this is how much a single high-rank job can change things..."
"True. Just taking the high-rank job made things a lot easier, didn't it."
I was shocked by the Ogre King's strength the first time I came to Floor 30, too.
It's not a monster Double-Ranks should be facing.
Against the Orc General, I played decoy and let Soushi and the others build experience, but with this one, that would be impossible.
If they were ever going to try, it'd have to be after picking up a high-rank job, probably?
It's in a league of its own compared to other monsters.
But even this Ogre King, I can now read its movements and put it down in one strike.
"Once your physical abilities rise this far, I feel like the kata of the existing martial arts don't quite fit anymore."