ch381-ch400 · 388-ch388

Chapter 388: Boneless Skeleton

"So why are we in THIS dungeon? By the way that conversation was going, it should be Floor 40!"

I get what she wants to say.

But we made plans to that effect, so here we are.

"Until the exams are over, I guess it's this dungeon? Wait—more importantly, Soushi, are you okay?"

"Oh, the cold? All better. My throat was killing me too, but Shiraishi-san fixed it."

No—the EXAMS are the question here.

Come to think of it, 【Heal】 apparently doesn't work on colds themselves.

But it does restore whatever's gotten worn down, so quite a few people apparently come in for 【Heal】 just so a cold doesn't drag on.

The elderly can avoid falling apart after a cold "clears up," and just like medical advances, if 【Healer】s keep multiplying, might the aging society advance even further?

On the other hand, the world's population keeps growing, and dungeons to feed it are increasing too—strictly vetted, like this latest round.

Even if the world's population hits ten billion, maybe world peace holds, thanks to dungeons.

Which is, admittedly, me parroting the modern history textbook I studied yesterday.

"Ahh, right, riiight. Overdoing it hurts the studying, huh. As for whether Soushi's okay—hmm, tough call? At the current pace, though, I think he'll pass next year with room to spare."

Aikawa-sensei has already written him off.

Maybe better to lock him in the dungeon and make him study.

No—the point is, don't bring him adventuring.

"Then for Soushi's sake, let's clear Floor 20 today!"

"Ohh!"

The two of them shout it in unison.

If we make it to the World Tree, I'll let Soushi and Aikawa rest.

And so the rain dungeon—the World Tree dungeon—resumes its conquest.

From Floor 15.

Rivers everywhere, so many you'd say we should just go by boat—we hop along, boing-boing.

Heading toward the World Tree while hunting for the 'Gate to the Next Floor.'

There's a time limit before dark, so on flat ground we jog while staying alert.

︙ ︙

'Weee! One boneless chicken, pleeease!'

(This is a WEAPON shop, you know...... Again? I told you the dungeon is dangerous.)

We'd entered Floor 17 and were debating what to do now that the road was gone when THAT 【Telepathy】 came flying in.

'It's an emergency this time, so it can't be helped!'

(Huh? Emergency? What happened?)

'I heard when I called Natsuki yesterday—you two had a fight, right? About that...... Could you be the one to give in, Haruki-kun? That's what I wanted to ask, and that's why I'm using 【Telepathy】 today. Natsuki's stubborn, you know? When it was me, she didn't speak to me for something like five months. At this rate she might end up graduating still mid-fight......'

We already made up!

That Aikawa—she went and told her about yesterday......

And now Mizuki, worried, has snuck into the dungeon AGAIN.

"I could just barely make that little island with a jump, I think...... Hey—Haru-kun, are you listening?"

There's no road anymore.

Only little islands floating in the river—or sandbars, I suppose?

The river is wide, the current real, and the islands are spaced quite far apart.

I could manage it with super mode or a dance buff, but stat-wise Soushi might not.

And those islands are crawling with crocodiles of every color.

Slippery in the rain, and the thought of falling into a river in full armor—the very thought is chilling.

"This guy's gone quiet on us again. Is something up with this dungeon?"

No—cross-wiring......

'Huh? There's no road anymore? Don't say that! Natsuki is a precious friend of mine. She even put her body on the line protecting us the other day, and I've given nothing back. So this time, could you do it for my sake? If there's anything about Natsuki you want fixed, I'll have a word with her for you. Shiro-san too, so......'

Oh, there is.

"Should I go get a boat? A rubber dinghy wouldn't cut it, right?"

"Could we not use that long spear, pole-vault style? What do you think?"

"Time out—quick break. Gotta take a call."

I do have a plan, but with chatter coming from both directions, let me reset.

It's not the phone I need to deal with—it's the 【Telepathy】.

"Oh? You know where to find a boat?"

"I see! Like a boatman—plant the long spear in the ground and push along, huh?"

No—we're just going to jump to the island in sight via the 'Eye Gate,' normally?

"Never mind that—get home, now."

I produce the 'Left Foot Gate' and urge them back to the warehouse.

'Ah...... sorry...... Was I annoying? Yeah...... I was, huh......'

"No, no! That was for Aikawa!"

"Hah?"

"Eh? Wait, am I the one being told to stay?"

Ohh, I mixed it up......

'Ah, are you with Natsuki? No—stop her! Please!'

And it's gotten through to Mizuki too......

︙ ︙

'Huh? I can call you? Ohh—I can? Then I'll call right now!'

We're in the dungeon, so you can't reach us, you know?

I tell her Aikawa and I are on perfectly good terms, and wrap up the 【Telepathy】 with Mizuki.

The dungeon is dangerous, so from now on, if something happens, please call—that's what I told her.

"You come home soaked to the bone every single time, so Mama-san's been asking me what on earth is wrong with you."

I sprinted, so this time I went without the umbrella.

It's just going to the toilet and back, and changing clothes every time is a chore......

"I suppose I'll have to say I lost a quarrel with Soushi and got hit by a water spell."

"Say it was TRAINING or something!"

Good thing I took 【Water Mage】, huh!

"Huh? You said you took a call, right? In THAT outfit?"

"You went outside looking like THAT?"—and Aikawa turns master detective.

I only went as far as that shrine and back, so I never actually left the dungeon.

For some reason, Mizuki keeps the special skill secret even from Aikawa.

"No—it was 【Telepathy】" is not an option......

Well, it IS a rare skill that lets you converse with someone deep inside a dungeon, and strange organizations might come after it.

Hiding it is only natural, right?

Is Mizuki surprisingly knowledgeable about dungeons?

"Break's over. Let's go."

"Huh? The boat?"

"Oh, he's grabbed the long spear. Pole-vaulting after all?"

I already planted the 'Left Eye Gate' on a distant island a while ago.

Once I've confirmed the crocodiles' positions with 【Scouting】, I 'Weapon Enhance' the long spear and attack from the warehouse.

Floor 17 at this point doesn't even pay out EXP, you know?

Once the yellow crocodile at the center is down, we move.

A yellow one sat at the center of every island, so I suspected they were serving the 'watchman orc' role.

"Here we go. We're already linked to the island—combat starts the second we're through the 'Gate.'"

"Hold it, hold it. Let me 'Weapon Enhance' first. Dance, dance—THEN we go!"

I take up my weapon and dance along too, and the three of us storm the island and wipe out the crocs in one go.

"When did you even set up a 'Gate' here!?"

The violence of a level gap.

Fully buffed, even Soushi moves like a Triple-Rank melee job.

However many there are, crocs from the teens floors can't slow us down.

Island to island in this fashion, we found the 'Gate to the Next Floor' and pushed on to Floor 20......