ch301-ch320 · 310-ch310

Chapter 310: The Deadline

"So—you really don't need to join the New Dungeon survey?"

The next day, Kasumi-san asks us—having come to the Chiba branch from school.

Well, "us" means Soushi and Aikawa, really.

"If Haruki's not joining, we're not going either."

It's late October already.

We haven't even filed our Triple-Rank applications, so today is the absolute deadline for signing up for the New Dungeon survey.

Soushi and Aikawa both said they wouldn't take part—this is the final confirmation that they really mean it.

"Haruki-san will not be joining, but you two could still go along with Anego-san and her people? The production-job holders are only registering to look around, it seems—and if you would escort them, I could rest easy."

I've already discussed it with Kasumi-san and decided not to take part.

Word is the chairman has his eye on me—I can't afford to stand out any further......

Taking the survey job means beating the Floor 30 boss.

That's too hard for the production-job folks, so they'd apparently just trail after Anego-san's party helping with camping and mapping.

"Those folks will be fine left alone. They got their upper jobs, and they're doing great work here too...... Entrance exams are close—no spare time to leave Soushi idle. And you'll be busy with Association work, won't you, Kasumi-san? If Mia-san's gone too, someone has to keep an eye on Haru-kun."

Everyone who took part in the everyone-to-Floor-30 operation—including Hondo-san's party—has transferred their registration to the Chiba branch.

Apparently they even filed their preferred survey site as the New Dungeon in Chiba branch territory.

Right now, production-job holders are renting and building shops one after another at the Chiba branch.

(There's even a torii up now—is building a shrine inside the dungeon really allowed? What they'd enshrine, I'd love to know......)

And as an interesting facility: the lady who went from 【Tamer】 to 【Animal Keeper】 plans to open a shop for pet grooming and massage, and she's building a dog run on her roomy plot.

She can communicate to some degree even with other people's pets, so she'll look after pets whose owners struggle with training—and, showing off her talking ability, spread the word about 【Tamer】s and 【Animal Keeper】s, apparently.

Hayashi-san, spotting an opportunity, apparently thought to make 【Heal】 for pets a Chiba branch selling point—but ran into fierce opposition from every quarter, and things have gotten quite messy, or so I hear......

"Mmm-mmm-mmm. That is so. I must make the rounds of every dungeon in my jurisdiction...... Then—please see to it that Haruki-san studies properly."

I'd rather she not phrase it as if I don't study.

For exams, Aikawa and I are fine.

The vampire girl and the delinquent girl aren't aiming at such high-ranked universities either, so no worries.

The problem is Soushi.

Different department, but he's applying to the same university as me.

Even with his current stat corrections, whether he'll make it in time......

"That settles it—leveling up, then. We have to raise Soushi's stats as much as we can!"

"There you go again—that's exactly what I mean!"

What do you mean?

︙

︙

"Crap, I'm getting nervous."

I want to try the new leveling method, but for that, we have to beat the Manticore first.

Soushi says he'll do it, so I decided to have Mia-san help out while we're at it.

But he IS nervous.

It's fine, it's fine.

It's simple work—just laying charm-covered sheets down on the ground.

"Here we go. 【Gate】!"

The moment we move to Floor 40, everyone starts running.

Last time three of us did this work; this time five of us split it, so we should have time to spare.

We've adjusted the length of the charm-wrapped stakes too—no chance of failure.

For the record, Mia-san and I are on ground duty.

"Mia-san!"

"Done!"

Once we're done, we fall back.

"Dance, here we go!"

With all three having finished their stakes, it's dance time.

During yesterday's exploring, Mia-san gave dance lessons, so the signature pose has been changed: arms crossed, right hand brought to the chin—a pose that makes you look smart.

Anego-san's signature pose from way back, I'm told.

"Not bad at all, is it? Pupupu."

Even Mia-san approves of the signature pose.

The three of them are positioned the same as when we beat the Manticore before.

Aikawa at the head, Kasumi-san toward the tail, and Soushi running back this way.

This time he hid in the 'Left Hand Gate' with us, with time to spare.

I'm conserving MP too, thinking of what comes after.

"It's coming. ......Now!"

The instant the Manticore appears, I tap Soushi's shoulder to cue the activation.

'Fujutsu'! Here we go—!

Water spray bursts up and ruins visibility—and out of it the tail-snake lunges for Kasumi-san.

But she knew it was coming and handles it calmly.

A deft sidestep, and she pins the tail-snake's body to the ground.

"Got it?"

Mia-san plants the flag......

Someone always does this, don't they?

When the spray clears, there lies the Manticore.

Kasumi-san draws her spear back out and pierces the tail-snake's head again for good measure—but its presence had already vanished before that......

"We did it. Presence gone—. It's deeead."

"Oh? Really? Yes—! This time I took it down in one—!"

"Huh? Really? No surprises, right?"

That was anticlimactic.

Well—an attack of 1600 MP, with last time's lessons applied, so a natural result.

Strictly speaking it wasn't one strike but about eighty, though.

"I didn't do anything, though? Oh—【Status】. My level went up."

Aikawa leveled up—41 now, probably?

Soushi only hit 41 on the way home yesterday, so he hasn't.

"Timer started. We have no time to waste. Let's begin."

Right.

We came here to level.

From now until the next Manticore spawns is leveling time.

The next one spawns in as little as 30 minutes, so past 25 we have to retreat.

"【Gate】. I'll put it out over there. 【Gate】. Let's go."

After putting the 'Right Eye Gate' up nearby, I tell Kasumi-san the destination and bring up the 'Left Eye Gate' too.

Once we've moved below the cliff, Kasumi-san dashes out and one-shots the magic stone of a Sand Golem nearby.

Kasumi-san's spear, with her second upper-tier weapon enhancement, sank into the Sand Golem's back with no resistance at all.

"Haruki-san, please take the legs."

Kasumi-san lifts the Sand Golem swiftly, but its sheer bulk means she can't fit it through the 'Gate' alone.

'Heyyyy! Golems! Over heeere! This way,......'

Mia-san's shouts carry down from the clifftop.

She's really going at it.

"......This waaay—"

Once through the 'Left Hand Gate,' Mia-san's voice comes through much closer.

"All ready. Mia-san, whenever you're ready."

At Soushi's feet, a stake driven deep into the ground.

The rope running from it is tied around Mia-san's waist.

"Mia-san, please be careful not to catch on your lifeline."

I hand the Sand Golem Kasumi-san brought over to Mia-san.

"I know!"

"Ah, wait, wait—I want to see too!"

Aikawa, who was collecting Manticore materials, comes over toward the cliff too.

"All right! Nice crowd gathering. Here we gooo—! ORYAAAAH—!"

Mia-san hurls the Sand Golem off the cliff.

......A moment later, a roar and a shudder.

Down below, golems drawn by Mia-san's shouts had gathered.

However sturdy golems are, when the same kind of golem drops on them from a hundred meters up, they don't stand a chance.

"Oh? 【Status】. 36! It went up! Yes—keep 'em coming. Next round, please!"

The debris flew a long way, but the actual kills were maybe three or four?

Still, we got results—that's what matters for a first attempt.

The fact that her level rose even at this distance means the golem Mia-san just threw down was judged to be her attack.

Golems are heavy—there's no way they can climb this cliff.

So long as we can beat the Manticore, we can level one-sidedly.

A new leveling strategy.

Its name is...... what should it be?