arc2 · 024-ch24

Episode 24: Floor 1, District 2

　When the Boss Fox's smoke was absorbed, he felt the sensation of leveling up.

Name: Suzuka Jozenji

Level: 11

Vitality: 96

Mana: 97

Attack: 103

Defense: 96

Agility: 104

Dexterity: 101

Intelligence: 96

Storage: 41

Skills: Swordsmanship (1), Body Control (2), Mana Control (1), Snatch, Thought Acceleration (1)

"Finally, stats that go over three digits. Looks like combat with risk really does give better stat growth."

The growth compared to level 1 is incomparable. Stats aren't added uniformly across all players; the increases vary individually.

Generally, risky level-ups are believed to improve stat growth, but most explorers avoid taking such risks.

Naturally so. Taking risks isn't a one-time thing. To keep leveling up, you need to constantly keep taking risks.

It's like betting all your money in FX on whether it'll go higher or lower, picking one side.

You might get lucky once. If you have good luck, it might continue for a few times. But you need to repeat this dozens, hundreds of times. Ordinary sensibilities wouldn't give you the confidence to keep winning at that.

And so, explorers who only build average stats mostly hit their limit around level 100.

Once you reach level 100, monsters of the same level end up with higher stats than you, making them difficult to defeat. Even at the same level, you fall outside the suitable range. This is a phenomenon called the growth limit among explorers.

If you want to be active on the front lines like Explorer Rank 1st class or Special class, you need to build your stats like Suzuka. Only those who keep winning life-threatening gambles can stand on the front lines.

"Yeah, solo is definitely more profitable. This skill probably manifested because I was pushed to the edge. If I fought safely, I probably wouldn't have gotten it."

From this level-up, he was able to learn Mana Control (1) and Thought Acceleration (1).

While fighting surrounded by numerous enemies, he was fighting with his head boiling hot from thinking. Predicting their next moves without looking from the enemy's positions, stances, and movements he glimpsed for an instant. While constantly thinking this through, he blocked enemy attacks, dodged by weaving through gaps, attacked, and retreated.

The battle earlier was exactly like that. Because he used his head that much, he probably learned Thought Acceleration.

Mana Control was probably learned because he realized the skill's effect. When he was receiving the Boss Fox's final attack, the magic iron pipe was glowing a dull light. That was due to mana. The magic iron pipe, containing magic iron, has the characteristic of being easy to conduct mana through.

When Suzuka tried flowing mana into the magic iron pipe in his hand as if putting strength into it, a dull deep green light lit up. Maybe thanks to learning the skill, he's become able to perceive mana, which was previously an unknown power.

Mana isn't just for magic - if you flow it into weapons like this, you can strengthen them, and you can also perform body enhancement. It's an indispensable skill for doing explorer work.

"Still, the skill I wanted most won't come easily. That's a shame."

Suzuka moved his injured left arm cautiously and expressed his disappointment.

The skill Suzuka wanted most was Recovery Magic. Since he's exploring alone, he'll sometimes take monster attacks like this time. In those moments, having Recovery Magic or not makes a difference between heaven and earth in continued combat capability.

"Ugh, it hurts..."

He couldn't help but wince at the pain. When he moved it a little, a dull pain assaulted him. But his arm moved without issue. When he rolled up his clothes and looked, there was a large bruise on his upper arm, but it wasn't swollen up tight like a broken bone.

Maybe he has a hairline crack, but if it moves, it's fine.

"Sigh, I'm covered in mud... Maybe I should buy armor or something."

He brushed the dirt off his clothes, took wet tissues from his backpack and wiped the dirt from his face. He decided to take chocolate and take a short break.

Eating something sweet helped his mind calm down a bit. When he looked at his outfit again, his school-issued tracksuit was dirty with stubborn dirt stains that wouldn't come off.

He was wearing the tracksuit because it was easy to move in and didn't matter if it got dirty, but it might be about time to change.

Unlike Yasu, Suzuka hasn't purchased a new weapon, so he has savings of a little over 40,000 yen earned from the dungeon. It might not be bad to visit a shop that sells dungeon equipment once to see what kind of armor there is.

"Well, after I finish exploring for the day though."

Putting the chocolate and water bottle into his backpack signaling the end of his break, Suzuka started walking in a direction different from the dungeon entrance.

Even with his left arm injured, Suzuka doesn't stop exploring. The thought of turning back for just that hasn't even crossed his mind.

◇

If you walk for ten minutes from where he fought the Boss Fox, you arrive at Floor 1, District 2. Like District 1, grassland continues in District 2 too, so visually there's little change, but there was a reason Suzuka noticed it.

"Oh, what's this? Creepy."

What Suzuka is going back and forth across is the boundary that marks the division between districts.

Each district has a membrane-like thing called a boundary, and though it can't be seen visually, there's a mysterious boundary that you understand when you pass through it. Repeatedly going in and out of the unfamiliar sensation, he quickly got bored and moved forward.

Since grassland continues as usual, visibility is good. Looking around, scouting is easy.

"Hmm? That's another party fighting. In dungeons, it's basically a rule not to get close to other parties. Let's go the opposite way."

He hadn't seen other parties at all in Floor 1 District 1, but in District 2 there were other parties right away. Probably Explorer High School students. Since it's summer break, their exploration times happened to overlap.

Proceeding while avoiding the other party, he immediately encountered monsters.

Wooden Goblin: Level 9

Wooden Goblin: Level 11

Wooden Goblin: Level 10

Wooden Goblin: Level 9

There was a small-statured goblin with light green skin and one small horn growing on its forehead. Despite having "wooden" in the name, its body isn't made of wood. It's called a Wooden Goblin because it holds wooden weapons like wooden swords and clubs.

"So those are the goblins said to be the nuisance monsters of this dungeon."

Usually Suzuka takes off his backpack to fight, but this time he keeps it on and grips his magic iron pipe tightly as he approaches.

This monster called goblin. There are many types and they're fairly common dungeon monsters, but they have a very troublesome nature.

The troublesome nature is that, like Suzuka's Snatch skill, these guys sometimes steal items from explorers. They can't steal the contents of storage, but if you leave luggage around, it gets stolen immediately. They also jump on weapons and snatch them, so they're opponents you can't let your guard down against.

Mid-tier explorers can also purchase backpacks that can be put into storage, but for the wallets of explorers active in Floor 1, that's impossible. For beginners, they're unpleasant opponents you can't let your guard down against.

However, in shallow areas like Floor 1 District 2, you don't do overnight exploration, so the small amount of luggage is at least a mercy.

Suzuka approaches these dungeon troublemakers head-on. Since it's his first time fighting them, he won't launch surprise attacks and will confirm how they fight.

Goblins are heard to have cruel and cunning personalities. Suzuka also doesn't let his guard down and doesn't avert his gaze from the goblins.

He learned it from the battle with Boss Fox. Monsters also fight desperately. If you let your guard down thinking they're weaker, you'll get tripped up, and Suzuka, who's operating solo, can easily die from a single mistake.

Casual thoughts like "I'll try fighting a bit" aren't allowed. If you're going to do it, do it thoroughly. Kill them for sure, and only take what you can take.

The Wooden Goblins also noticed Suzuka, and their ugly faces twisted evilly as they floated nasty grins.

"Gyigya, gigaga" they were talking to their companions in unpleasant voices. Probably saying something like "Easy prey came!" "And it's alone!"

Having things stolen is a troublesome nature, but that's it.

As goblins, they're smaller than the petite Suzuka. They probably don't even look 150 centimeters tall. These Wooden Goblins gathered toward Suzuka in a swarm, but without anything worth mentioning, they changed form into smoke.

"For just having troublesome characteristics, they're not a big deal."

There are also larger Wooden Goblins in District 2, so those might be a bit better.

He displayed his stats, but his level hadn't gone up and he hadn't learned any skills either.

When he opened his storage, one micro magic stone and two items had dropped.

"A wooden spear and a wooden club. That's also a reason they're hated."

Wooden Goblins drop wooden weapons with a high probability of 50%. They drop them at high probability, but there's no demand for wooden weapons.

There are woods that conduct mana easily like magic iron, but those are items dropped by enemies in deeper floors. Wooden Goblins only drop ordinary wooden weapons.

They sell for only 100 yen, and since they drop frequently, they're harassment-like items that clutter up storage.

When other items drop with storage in a full state, they don't disappear, but pop randomly in the surrounding area. If it's something like wooden weapons, that's fine. But if it's an item like Drunken Sheep's mutton, that's a problem.

Therefore, when fighting Wooden Goblins, it's important to frequently check your storage.

"Well, if they sell for 100 yen, I can buy juice on the way back. Not bad, right?"

Confirming that there's still space in storage, Suzuka walked out in search of the next prey.