ch361-ch380 · 379-ch379

Chapter 379: Boneless Chicken, Again

"Cheap ponchos really do get all steamy, huh—"

Aikawa mutters, flapping her clinging poncho.

It's afternoon—we're off to the rain dungeon with the gang, Floor 11 cleared and just into Floor 12.

"I told you to buy the expensive one!"

"But fighting monsters in expensive stuff is a no, right? One scrape and it tears—wear the good stuff and there'll never be enough money."

Even worn under armor, the armor itself gets soaked next.

Our current armor is metal on the surface, but the contact side is lined with cloth for grip and shock absorption.

If we're having all of it made in waterproof material anyway, new armor might honestly be faster.

Rain dungeons really don't play nice, do they.

'One boneless chicken, pleeease!'

"How many times do I have to tell you—we don't sell that here!"

How many times do I have to say it's a WEAPON SHOP......

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

The two of them, in unison.

"Hm?"

Oh, this can only be......

'Huh? We're connected, right? Helllooo! Any signal in there—?'

(We are, but......)

It's the not-the-goddess goddess.

I mean, the actual goddess wouldn't be ordering boneless chicken, right?

Whoops—reaction on 【Presence Detection】.

I point at the brush, then hold up two fingers.

"? Two of them? Why aren't you talking?"

(Because it'll cross-wire.)

This 【Telepathy】 skill—honestly, I have no idea how far what it carries actually goes.

What I mean to send definitely gets through, but things I don't mean to send might be leaking too.

Anyway—before anyone thinks any stupid thoughts, end the call.

(Nothing. I am nothing...... Mu-mu-mu.)

'Mu-mu-mu? Is now OK? Natsuki told me you'd all be in the dungeon from this afternoon......'

Soushi skewers the crocodile monster in the brush from above.

One presence vanishes.

Crocodiles from the teens floors—is this dungeon OK?

I mean, "scary animal" is the image, but actually fighting them wasn't that bad.

They're small crocs, clustered in the little streams; as long as you don't approach those, you almost never run into one.

Just a few hiding in the brush like this, now and then.

And 【Presence Detection】 sees every last one of them.

The teens floors might be the easy part of this dungeon.

No—in Chiba the danger only really starts at Floor 15, so something might be waiting deeper.

(We've already gone deeper, but a little's fine? What's up?)

Aikawa's having a slightly rough time, though.

In the brush her sword can't get a clean touch, and her reach is short—ground-hugging crocodiles are an awkward fight for her.

With a spear you just skewer the snout from above and the croc can't do anything, plus you've got reach, so its attacks never land.

Dance enhancement works on anything, so a spear might suit her better here.

'Well—how do I put it, um...... Oh, right! I just wanted to try 【Telepathy】 again! So, to you, Haruki-kun!'

She's on Floor 1 of this dungeon right now, isn't she.

(Dungeons are dangerous, so you're not allowed in. Watch out for the turtle monsters there. They're big, so you'll know when one gets close—when that happens, get out of the dungeon right away.)

'Hmm, a turtle? Doesn't look like one's nearby though...... Fufu, but that was very adventurer-like of you just now.'

Well, turtles are slow, and monsters don't exactly storm the 'Floor Gates,' so probably fine?

Still—she "wanted to try 【Telepathy】," huh.

In Mizuki's case her parents would oppose a license too, so sneaking in like this is the only way she'd ever get to use it......

Or should she just get a license in secret......

No. Her big sister died in a dungeon.

(But why me? Aikawa's here too, you know?)

'Oh, you're going to say that? By the way, Natsuki knows NOTHING about 【Telepathy】. A special skill has to be kept secret, right? So it's secret from everyooone.'

So Aikawa doesn't know......

With me it was unavoidable—she used it to say thanks the other day.

So the list of people she can 【Telepathy】 is: me. Got it.

"Magic stone's tiny. Were Orc ones about this size? ......What's with him? He's stopped talking."

Soushi's back. I gesture: keep moving.

"Special-forces make-believe? Hand-sign practice? Wh—what? You want me to use THIS? No—talk to me!"

I toss Aikawa the jumonji spear and mime driving a bare hand into the ground.

Glad it got through.

"What's gotten into him all of a sudden? If something's bugging him, just say so! The poncho? Then tomorrow we'll go buy......"

(Shut it. Just keep moving.)

'Eh? Did that just get through? No no no—pretend I never said it! Embarrassing—forget it!'

Mmm-mmm. Cross-wired.

(Ah, sorry—that was meant for Soushi. I didn't hear anything, OK? What was it you said?)

'Really? You're not just acting like you didn't hear it? This 【Telepathy】—it's honestly hard to tell how much of it gets through.'

Fair.

Plus it connects one-way from her side—surely I can't be getting my thoughts read without ever noticing I'm connected?

(Can't I cut this from my side?)

'......You want to cut it, do you?'

Oops. Rude phrasing?

(Not like that—I just wondered if it was possible. You know, skill verification.)

'Really? ......Sure, try it. Cut it from your side.'

Right—and HOW?

Maybe the way I put away a 'Gate'......

(Cut, cut...... did it work?)

'Huge success! It's cuuut!'

Oh good, that's a relie— WAIT. It is NOT cut, you know!

(No, seriously—it hasn't been cut.)

"Why are you grinning to yourself?"

"Just leave him alone. Oh! Look! Isn't that the 'Gate to the Next Floor'?"

Ugh. It was showing on my face, huh.

Well, well—she's right. The 'Gate to Floor 13.'

'Hmhm, I see—so it can't be cut from your side, huh. Good thing I asked.'

"Good thing," is it?

As long as she doesn't put that to evil use......

"Careful past that brush—there's a river."

The rain is hammering down and there are puddles everywhere, so it's hard to tell where the river even is.

The brush especially—no sight lines. Caution required.

"He talked!"

The two of them cry out at once.

I mean, with you two right in front of me, I can't exactly use hand signs either, can I?

Boing—they vault right over the river.

The span's under 5 meters, so it's nothing.

In armor, with my current stats, I could clear 10 meters without breaking a sweat.

Though at appropriate level, jumping this river in full gear might be where people struggle.

Get swept away and it's a straight shot to the croc nest, after all.

By the way, the long-jump world record still hasn't reached 9 meters—but the record for the extreme track and field held inside dungeons was, what, 25 meters?

The Ogre King feels like it'd leap farther than that, and if I go all the way to Ultra Mode I could jump farther too.

'A river? Eh? There isn't one, though?'

(Ah—no, never mind. That was about something over here.)

It seems about half of what I say out loud is leaking through.

'Hey? You really didn't hear what I said earlier, right? Really, really?'

(I couldn't even tell WHICH "earlier" you mean, you know?)

The time I told her to quiet down?

Or was she thinking mean things about me?

'Hmm. ......A little disappointing, I guess? Well, I'll let you off the hook for today. You do sound busy over there.'

And with a "see you tomorrow"—ominous—she cuts 【Telepathy】 for good this time, snap.

So you CAN tell when it's cut.

Fine, whatever.

(【Gate】)

Reaching Floor 13, I produce the 'Left Foot Gate.'

The two of them are holding a summit over which way to go.

Just a hunch, but from the pattern so far, I'd bet the 'Gate to the Next Floor' is on the World Tree side.

"Ah—he's about to head back!"

"What? Sulking and ditching us?"

"Surprise!"

......Not.

I handed Aikawa a weapon, so I'm just heading back to fetch her a new one.