arc2 · 022-ch22

Episode 22: Cram-Style Study Method

　Well, following Yasu's case, exam prep also needs major changes.

　I want to jump into the dungeon right away, but studying is important too. But now that my intelligence is up like Yasu's, I probably won't need to spend that much time on it.

　Maximum one week. I'll try to finish in three days. I can do it. Probably.

　Suzuka was in the science track, so math and science aren't too concerning. If I just understand the content and formulas again, I should be able to get by without spending much time.

　English wasn't my strong suit either, but at middle school level it should be fine. It depends on how much my memory has improved thanks to intelligence, but if I can memorize middle school vocabulary I should be able to manage.

　Social studies is basically a memorization game. This also depends on intelligence, but I remember some things from the past, so if I work hard I should manage somehow.

　The problem is Japanese language. Suzuka can't understand the author's intent. Instead of what the author is thinking, Suzuka answers based on what he thinks. Because of that, he used to get scolded by cram school instructors all the time, but has that been fixed now...

　Plus, I'll take this opportunity to research Explorer High School too. I don't feel much attraction to it, but if it's really good, I might actually want to take the entrance exam.

　I looked up some of Explorer High School's iron rules a little, but I decided to research them properly as a break from studying.

　I'll go buy workbooks tomorrow, but for now let's review the textbooks.

　Thus, Suzuka's exam prep began.

◇

"...You're amazing. If you can do this well, shouldn't you be going on to higher education?"

　That was my mom, who was grading Suzuka's answer sheet. The answer sheet Mom was holding was past questions from Takaozan High School, which Yasu is aiming for. Since Mom marked it, she couldn't grade written response questions, but other than that the accuracy rate was over 90%. An undisputed passing score.

"My level went up and my head got better too. That's all it is."

　The past few days of serious studying paid off. The benefits of status were beyond imagination—I could memorize vocabulary and history smoothly. It was also content I had remembered from my previous life, and I understood exam tendencies, so I was able to cover the exam range in just a few days of studying.

"Anyway, with this the exams should be fine, so I'll be heading to the dungeon starting tomorrow."

"You're really going to become an explorer? I'm not planning to stop you, but with your head this good couldn't you aim for a better school?"

"I could get in probably, but what I want to do right now is dungeon exploration. Well, cheer for me."

　Maybe because the test results were good, the pressure from Mom disappeared. I could hear voices like "Haa, amazing, isn't our child a genius?"

　When Suzuka returned to his room, he quickly organized his decisions about future explorer activities. Being able to think about future dungeon exploration policies during breaks from exam prep over the past few days was also a good opportunity. It's better to have concrete goals when you want results.

　First, the most important thing for future exploration is whether to operate solo or in a party.

　The biggest benefit of operating in a party would be the expanded range of exploration.

　If there's a member who can use recovery magic like Yasu, even if you get somewhat injured you don't need to retreat. If there's a tank member, it's easier to find openings to attack even against powerful enemies, and if there's a magic-using member, they can provide support from long distance.

　Not only that, with party members the enemy's aggro is also distributed, so you can take on more monsters too. And above all, with more people you can cover each other, so the survival rate increases significantly—that's important too.

　But, party activities had a problem. That is—you need to gather members to explore together.

　Other than Yasu, I don't have any leads for classmates.

　Only Yasu had maintained a relationship even after middle school graduation, so the others' personalities are a vague memory. Besides, this season everyone is doing summer cram school for exam prep like Yasu, so inviting them is difficult.

　If it were someone like Ikezaki who's going to Explorer High School it'd be easy to invite, but because Suzuka's face has become too refined, sometimes they give him disgusted looks, so that's rejected. The delinquents might come if I invite them, but I don't have a good impression of them so I don't want to explore together.

　There are two other candidates for party members: Explorer High School students, or using the party matching system.

　With Explorer High School, parties are already formed, so you could ask Explorer High School students and have them add you to their party. But this has a problem too—Explorer High School's policy doesn't match Suzuka's exploration policy.

　True to democracy, party policy also prioritizes the majority when it comes to number of members. Naturally, the opinion of a late-joining younger middle school third-year wouldn't get through. Being bound when you want to explore freely isn't my intention.

　And above all, asking unknown students from another school to let you into their party is too high a hurdle. Suzuka thinks if you're going to expend that much effort, it's better to go alone.

　Also, the last one, the party matching system, refers to the well-known party recruitment system among explorers.

　You can check it on terminals installed at each Explorer Association, and you can recruit party members from scratch or recruit temporary members. You can also see information from other associations, so it's convenient for temporary expeditions or when changing bases.

　Explorers sometimes die from unexpected accidents, and people who want to earn steady money or aim for higher ranks often disband parties due to differences in thinking. Thanks to this system, there were many who found party members to explore with.

　However, this system had a fatal problem. That is—the explorer rank among the recruitment requirements.

　Those who recruit members using this system are basically restricted to 4th rank and above. Suzuka, who is 5th rank, isn't invited.

　That's natural, since Explorer High School's graduation requirement includes promotion to 4th rank explorer.

　Almost everyone who becomes an explorer is a graduate of Explorer High School. Everyone is 4th rank or above, so no one would specifically recruit a 5th rank. If such an application existed, that would be a suspicious case. Shouldn't go near it.

　Plus, a 5th rank explorer like Suzuka is a rank anyone can achieve. To enter the dungeon you need a license, and if you have Japanese nationality you can register to become a 5th rank explorer. Those attending training facilities, those who enter the dungeon just once to receive the dungeon's blessing—everyone is 5th rank.

　Therefore, when people say "explorers," they sometimes refer to 4th rank and above.

　As a result, if Suzuka were to look for party members, the only choice is Explorer High School students, but since Explorer High School's policy doesn't match him, that option is effectively nonexistent either.

　After all, solo is the only way. Originally I was planning to go solo before meeting Yasu too—that's what you call sticking to your original principles.

　I wouldn't mind forming a harem party, but for now I've decided to work hard solo.

　Plus, it was fun fighting Boss Fox. Sorry Yasu, but one-on-one combat might suit me.

　In the fight against Boss Fox, the area boss of Floor 1 District 1, Yasu drew the Underling Foxes' attention so I could fight Boss Fox one-on-one. I can still remember that feeling of elation from that time.

　And, solo activities aren't just fun. There were proper practical benefits too.

　Until reaching level 10, Suzuka's stat increase averages were consistently in the 9s, close to the maximum value of 10, but there was once when it was a low 7.

　Since explorers' increase average is said to be 5, even 7 is in the high category, but compared to Suzuka's previous increases it was still low.

　When the stat average only went up by 7 was when I leveled up fighting Clay Pot Turtles that didn't feel like much of a threat anymore as I was matching pace with Yasu.

　Suzuka hypothesized that perhaps in dungeons, the stat growth rate changes depending on how much risk you take. Based on that hypothesis, when he researched dungeon-related materials at the library, he immediately learned that his hypothesis was correct.

　Actually, come to think of it, that was something obvious without even needing to research. For example, stat ups at training facilities average a mere 2. The reason is said to be the instructors' excessive protection and the excessive firepower of heavy weapons.

　In other words, if you level up comfortably in a safe state, your stats don't grow. Which means—the more risk you take, the better your stat increase values become.

　That's why it's not about not using guns, but rather—it's obvious that defeating Drunken Sheep in a 5-person group and defeating Drunken Sheep solo wouldn't have the same stat growth.

　Solo has many risks, but if you're aiming to be a top explorer, I think this is the optimal solution above all others.

　Alright, I've decided to operate solo, so next is my summer goals and goals for this year.

　First, my summer goal is to find the gate to the 2nd floor. In dungeons, gates leading to lower floors exist in District 3 of each floor. I could find out immediately where the gate to Hachioji Dungeon's 2nd floor is if I researched it, but I'd rather find it myself.

　In other words, my summer goal is to grow to a level where I can operate solo in Floor 1 District 3. Floor 1 District 3 has monsters up to level 40, so raising my level to 40 during this summer break becomes the goal.

　By this world's common sense, this leveling schedule is abnormal. For Explorer High School, the average level up per year is 10~15. In other words, Suzuka is trying to finish two years' worth of Explorer High School student leveling in about 30 days.

　Compared to Suzuka, Explorer High School's leveling time feels long, but that's natural. After all, Explorer High School is a high school even if it's a vocational school. It's not just about learning dungeons. As minimum general education, they study math and English normally too.

　Of course, in addition to regular classes, there are more dungeon-related classes. There's physical education focused on basic training to improve basic physical ability, and combat skills training divided by each profession like front line and rear guard.

　Dungeon-related classes naturally have classroom lectures too. Differences in fields and tactics for each floor and district of dungeons, characteristics and handling methods of various monsters, precautions during dungeon exploration, how to maintain distance from other parties inside dungeons—there's a mountain of things to learn and do without even entering the dungeon.

　In addition, during long holidays there are internships at various explorer guilds, so it's not an environment where you can always enter dungeons.

　I thought that after finishing basic lectures like how to handle guns and how to behave in dungeons like at training facilities, you'd be doing dungeon exploration the whole time, but Explorer High School is properly a high school.

　Also at Explorer High School, they don't go fight strong enemies just because their level went up! Instead, to get used to fighting monsters, they fight Drunken Sheep and Underling Foxes over and over again.

　They conduct combat training with level margins, raising levels safely. That is Explorer High School, and it's the education supporting the foundation of current explorers.

　But, Suzuka's environment is different. Having his mother acknowledge that his academic ability isn't an issue, he gained an environment where he can stay in the dungeon and focus on exploration. There are no friends or teachers to criticize that. Therefore, he can even set a goal of reaching level 40 in one summer.

　You need to raise your explorer rank to 4th rank to graduate from Explorer High School, right. The promotion exam to 4th rank is defeating Floor 2 District 1 monsters, so I could graduate before even enrolling with this.

　When you go down the stairs leading to the 2nd floor, it becomes Floor 2 District 1. If you can stably defeat the monsters there, you can also pass the 4th rank explorer promotion exam. If Suzuka progresses smoothly, by around fall he should be 4th rank explorer.

　But, that would stand out too much. Usually a 4th rank promotion exam taken by Explorer High School students being taken by a middle school student would definitely stand out.

　Standing out isn't necessarily a bad thing. You might get scouted by a top explorer guild as a blue-chip recruit, and if you gather attention your desire for recognition would be satisfied. But, Suzuka wasn't interested in either. Especially regarding desire for recognition, he was thinking of avoiding it as much as possible.

　That kind of thing is like a drug—once you taste it, you can't get out. I don't want to be swung around by fixation on desire for recognition, and I feel it's better not to get involved from the start.

　In the era before Suzuka time leaped, the spread of SNS made it an easy era where even ordinary people could satisfy their desire for recognition. And, it was also an era where many people were drowning in desire for recognition.

　Suzuka isn't a genius. He thinks that pursuing both dungeon exploration and satisfying desire for recognition won't lead to great success. Since right now he purely wants to pursue dungeon exploration, he thinks he should distance himself from his surroundings so he won't get led astray.

　Honestly speaking, I do want to be praised, but I can easily imagine that if that happens I'd be expected by those around me, and trying to respond to those expectations I'd lose sight of what I really want to do.

　Plus there's the Unique Skill issue, and first I want power to defend myself. If I proceed with conquering the 2nd floor to level up, I'll stand out. So, this year's goal is completely conquering Floor 1. This is the only way.

　Each dungeon floor is divided into 5 districts. And the stairs leading to the lower floor are in District 3. In other words, even if you find the stairs to the 2nd floor in District 3, Floor 1 still has Districts 4 and 5 left unexplored.

　Districts 4 and 5 are special and are called demon realms where very few approach. That's because to raise explorer rank, power to defeat monsters from upper floors is required.

　So to raise explorer rank, once you find the stairs you go to the next floor immediately, so there are basically no people who explore Districts 4 and 5.

　In addition, monster levels jump sharply in Districts 4 and 5. Monsters that appear in each district, excluding area bosses, have set level caps.

　Floor 1 District 1 is up to level 10.

　Floor 1 District 2 is up to level 20.

　Floor 1 District 3 is up to level 40.

　Floor 1 District 4 is up to level 70.

　Floor 1 District 5 is up to level 100.

　Just by changing from District 3 to District 4, monsters with double the level appear. That's why Districts 4 and 5 are areas where Explorer School says absolutely never to enter.

　By the way, the level caps for District 1 of other floors are as follows.

　Floor 2 District 1 is up to level 50.

　Floor 3 District 1 is up to level 80.

　Floor 4 District 1 is up to level 110.

　In other words, being able to explore Floor 1 District 5 means you can also operate in Floor 4 District 1. If you reach level 100, you can reach the level of a mid-tier explorer who is 2nd rank, and if you can raise your level to that extent, you can handle even some conflicts even if you possess a Unique Skill.

　This year's goal is quite a severe goal, but what Suzuka is aiming for is the pinnacle of explorers. When setting goals, this isn't the time to be cautious.

　Alright, goals are set, I'll work hard starting tomorrow!!

　Fired up, Suzuka went to sleep early for tomorrow.