ch241-ch260 · 245-ch245

Chapter 245: Fujutsushi

"Then, Soushi goes first, please."

Past five in the afternoon, and with Kasumi-san joining us after work, it's time for the Floor 30 challenge.

First the three of us—me, Kasumi-san, and Soushi—go in and clear it; then comes Aikawa's turn.

One at a time means whatever happens, we can keep them safe.

If the unforeseen occurs, we just shove the one person into the 'Left Hand Gate.'

Eh? Lunch?

We didn't make it......

Soushi's leveling took longer than expected.

I also fielded complaints that too many of his golems were duds.

The morning thief commotion left me a little...... keyed up, you see.

Every time I remembered it, the embarrassment hit and the strength went into my thrusts.

Golems went down one after another with way too much momentum, and their magic stones kept shattering, apparently.

I feel like I've been making a lot of embarrassing blunders lately......

Last time I even got suspicious of Kasumi-san, of all people...... and I was thinking about THAT, you see.

So for lunch, we took our time over Kasumi-san's handmade bento.

There was time, and I managed to finish the extra-large helping of Chikuzen-ni, so let's call it all's-well-that-ends-well.

"Understood. Natsukawa-san, do not step in front of me under any circumstances. And your job priority is settled, I take it?"

"Yes! If 【Enchanter】 doesn't show up, or if some rare job I've never even heard of appears, I'll come straight back to the warehouse. In that case, please run it once more after Aikawa."

Soushi is gunning for fujutsushi and nothing else.

Well, even if it doesn't work out today, it's no problem.

Think it over overnight and start again first thing tomorrow—that's the beauty of 【Gate】.

"Then, Haruki-san, whenever you're ready."

"Yes, ma'am. 【Gate】, 【Scouting】....... All clear. Let's go."

The 'Left Hand Gate' sits a little behind the spot where the Floor 30 Ogre King spawns.

The usual place.

No monsters spawned right now, and I've confirmed no one is here, so we move to Floor 30.

"Whoa, so this is Floor 30. Different from headquarters, isn't it."

Soushi did his homework with videos, apparently.

He couldn't find any videos of Chiba's Floor 30, though, so it's the headquarters one.

The only difference from headquarters, I think, is the scenery showing through beyond the dungeon walls.

Same forest setting, but Chiba's feels like it stands in open ground where the forest breaks here and there.

Oh......

(【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】)

I activate 【Charge・Spear】 and start banking MP.

I probably won't need it, but I'm carrying a charge—Soushi.

Better safe than sorry.

"Ten seconds. Here it comes."

Kasumi-san calls the remaining time and lowers her visor.

I follow suit.

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

Super mode, activate!

Three, two, one—spawned.

The Ogre King, as always, tries to leap away the instant it spawns, but it's not getting away.

"GUGAAH......"

The severed head, flying through the air, lets out a cry—but even that soon dies out.

(【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】)

I extract the magic stone from the body slumped on the spot.

Let's save this stone so we can promote anytime.

......We'll probably need it soon.

"GOH. GOOOH."

The Forest Ogres all charge toward us at once.

And Soushi?

"Natsukawa-san? Natsukawa-san! Are you all right!?"

What's wrong with him?

He's standing there in a daze.

Shocked, is he?

Did a good job show up or something?

"Eh? Ah, yes. I'm fine. One moment, please. Ah, it's showing—no, wait, that's not it? Huh? There are TWO? Which one? Hold on. Sorry—heading back. But I have to memorize them, so, um, one, two, three...... nine, ten......"

Counting—is that the number of jobs? That many, huh.

For me it was three, if I recall......

Kasumi-san and I take up positions flanking the 'Left Hand Gate' and Soushi.

"Soushi!"

The Forest Ogres close in.

"Okay. Sorry—retreating."

With a short "okay," Soushi's presence vanishes.

"Kasumi-san, fall back first!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

One slash.

The Forest Ogres rushing me—several at once—aren't cut so much as blasted away.

When I turn around, Kasumi-san has done the same, and a few are sprawled on the ground.

Anyway—Soushi needs another run.

"You rushed out, so no 【Enchanter】, huh? What else showed up?"

Back at the warehouse, Aikawa is on Soushi the moment we return.

"Hold on—wait. I'll forget. Let me write it down, so wait."

There were ten-something, after all.

Once roughly thirty minutes pass with no one left in the Floor 30 boss area, the Forest Ogres here despawn.

Step back onto Floor 30 in that state, and one minute later the Ogre King revives and spawns too.

Which means Aikawa's turn is in thirty minutes, and until then, everyone has nothing to do.

All of us are glued to Soushi's notebook.

【Enhanced Warrior】

【Magic Swordsman】

【Magic Spearman】

【Magic Club User】

【Torrent Mage】

【Frost Mage】

【Enchanter】

【Mess Cook】

【Baker】

【Head Chef】

【Patissier】

【Tea Master】

【Barista】

【Freezer】

【Talismaneer】

【Synthesis Mage】

Fifteen!

Seven upper-rank general jobs, huh......

These almost certainly come from the 【Cooking】 special skill.

"I see—you're torn between 【Enchanter】 and 【Magic Spearman】. Let's go 【Magic Spearman】."

Is that so?

Has Soushi awakened to Hiramatsu-ryu too......

"I'm not torn. I'm going fujutsushi."

Fujutsushi......? Which one's that?

"I see...... Though something has been on my mind—you were dazed even before the job selection screen appeared, weren't you?"

Kasumi-san's question......

Come to think of it, he WAS spacing out.

"Eh? Ah—well, how do I put it...... The Ogre King scared me. Our eyes met, you see. And I thought, I can't beat this thing......"

Soushi lowers his eyes.

Now that he mentions it, the Ogre King let out a cry, which was rare.

Was that it threatening Soushi?

"What are you talking about? The Ogre King is a monster that five Level 30 Double-Ranks barely take down together—of course it's scary. Once you have your upper-rank job, you'll be fine!"

Aikawa thumps Soushi on the back.

Well, the Ogre King IS the dangerous one.

I went all the way to Floor 38, and it's still stronger than that floor's golems.

Something feels wrong about THAT thing living on Floor 30.

I wonder what the other dungeons' Floor 30 bosses are like?

"But 【Enchanter】 won't raise your stats much...... Wouldn't 【Magic Spearman】 really be the better choice?"

She's really pushing it......

So Kasumi-san's recommendation is 【Magic Spearman】.

"No, it's fine. If anything, this settles it. Close combat just isn't for me, I think."

Really?

Well, the dungeon does keep pushing magic jobs on Soushi.

【Torrent Mage】 and 【Frost Mage】.

Soushi was born with 【Water Mage】 from the start, so one of these two should be the upper-rank job he was born holding.

"Hmm. But let's confirm them from the top anyway, just in case. There are lots I'm curious about. This 【Enhanced Warrior】—that's the upper-rank job of 【Staff User】, right?"

"That is correct. It learns upper-tier self-enhancement skills. Its weapon enhancement becomes general-purpose, slightly weaker in effect, but it gains armor enhancement as well, giving it stable strength. Its stats, too, should have been fine for a close-combat job."

Kasumi-san answers Aikawa's question.

You can stack further self-enhancements on top of that, after all.

The downside is it sounds like terrible fuel economy?