arc3 · 037-ch37

Episode 37: District 3 Exploration

Summer vacation exploration, day 11. Starting today, I plan to explore District 3.

Once you reach District 3, just getting there is a struggle. Even walking straight takes two hours. Round trip, that's four hours.

Right now, I'm doing about nine hours of dungeon exploration per day, but roughly half of that ends up just being travel. Since my baggage is light, Suzuka decided to run all the way to District 3 to maximize exploration time.

Suzuka's spirits are high. After all, today I'm clad in brand-new armor.

Yesterday I bought a tracksuit from Meichuu, a Japanese brand. It's special fiber that not only has anti-cutting effects, but also mixes in materials that easily conduct mana through the fabric, so by wrapping myself in mana, I can apparently further boost its defensive power.

The durability is leagues apart from the school's designated tracksuit, and the design looks cool too—it's Suzuka's favorite.

"It was good that I got to talk with Kirin yesterday. There really are so many things I don't know about myself."

After shopping finished, I had tea at a café that Kirin's party frequents. Our conversation was casual small talk, but for Suzuka, it was very meaningful because I was able to learn about Explorer High and about explorers in general.

Kirin had only talked to me because she was genuinely interested in Suzuka—not to crush me or recruit me.

"She did tell me I could explore with them if I was interested... but nah, probably not."

Even after listening to what she had to say, Explorer High held no appeal. While I could join a party as an outsider from Explorer High, the disadvantages of having to match their exploration pace were significant.

Explorer High is a high school for acquiring knowledge and techniques to work as an explorer. There was a major gap between Explorer High's mindset toward dungeons and Suzuka's own motivation for dungeon exploration.

For Suzuka, dungeon exploration is play. I'm hooked on this world where I can explore unknown worlds and become stronger myself. You could even say I'm obsessed. Calling it "play" doesn't mean I'm slacking off or exploring with half-hearted feelings.

If I said Suzuka's image of an explorer was like a pro-gamer, would that be easy to understand?

A pro-gamer researches day and night, comes up with countermeasures, and grinds the game to reach the top of that game. If you keep at it that much, you might even end up hating the game itself, but even so, you can't help picking it up and playing. That kind of heat and agency wells up from within as a positive force.

On the other hand, explorers in this world are an established type of profession. Especially in modern times, it's common to belong to a guild—an explorer version of a company—and do exploration. That's why there's inevitably this "employee" feel about it, or maybe a salaryman temperament.

I go to dungeons because it's work. I don't want to do desk work, so if I'm going to work, being an explorer is best. I have nothing to do on my days off and I'm bored, but going to dungeons is work so I don't want to do it. I get that kind of atmosphere.

You could say the difference is between a sole proprietor and a hired salaryman. For Suzuka, dungeon exploration is fun so I do it, and being able to make money from that makes me even happier. By attending Explorer High and interacting with Explorer High students, I'm afraid I might end up connecting exploration = work as common sense.

Even if work was busy and I worked overtime and came home, even if I skimped on sleep and cut into my sleeping time—I still didn't care and continued to be obsessed, playing games. That's the kind of life Suzuka was living before doing FX. But before I knew it, thinking "I gotta get up early tomorrow" or "Hmm, maybe I won't do it today," my passion cooled down.

Having had that experience, Suzuka understands that this heat is finite and precious. To ensure no regrets remain when that heat cools, I'm now giving my all to dungeon exploration.

When I told this to Kirin, it turned out Kirin felt the same way. Kirin always feels that way too and intends to do something about it eventually. She says her level is still low so she can't make a move yet, so she's focusing on leveling up. That's why she prioritizes the dungeon over school, and she said she doesn't match the pace taught at school.

As proof of that, she said her party is already exploring District 2, which would normally be explored by second years.

"If they're exploring District 2, I wondered if there was a chance, but seriously, Kirin is amazing. I was kind of worried they wouldn't line up."

What I was worried wouldn't line up was the Green-Yellow Wolf armor series. I've collected all five types of the Gale Rabbit armor series, but I only have three of the Green-Yellow Wolf armor pieces. Conversely, Kirin had all the Green-Yellow Wolf armor but was missing the Gale Rabbit armor.

Many Explorer High students aim to collect the full set of Green-Yellow Wolf armor, and having a complete set for all party members is apparently one indicator for progressing to District 3. On the other hand, Gale Rabbits are said to be monsters to be avoided due to their ferocity, and there are hardly any people who have the armor.

But Kirin was collecting Gale Rabbit armor just because the design was cute. Gale Rabbits are few in number to begin with and hard to encounter, and they're also difficult to defeat, so even for Kirin, the armor hasn't dropped yet and she doesn't have a single piece.

And it was perfect timing—Suzuka had two types of Gale Rabbit armor in his item box.

Usually I sell items after exploration finishes, and I store items I bring back in my room so they don't get in the way of the next exploration. But because I was completely exhausted from the Rabbit Demon Iron Skin fight last time when the goblins stole my luggage, I'd left them in the item box without selling them.

I happened to be hunting Gale Rabbits and got two armor drops, so I was able to exchange them for the two types of Green-Yellow Wolf armor that Suzuka didn't have.

They asked if it was really okay since Gale Rabbit armor was more valuable, but for Suzuka, it didn't matter because I got armor I thought I wouldn't be able to collect.

"Well, even though they line up, I won't actually wear them though."

The only dungeon-produced armor I'm wearing is Gale Rabbit shoes. Praying that armor matching my fighting style will appear eventually, I rush through District 1 and District 2.

Passing through the district boundary for the second time, it's finally District 3.

"Haa. This is completely different from District 2. Nice view.

Spread before my eyes were gentle hills and groves of trees.

District 3 was hilly terrain.

Both District 1 and District 2 were grasslands, but from District 3 onward, the terrain changes. And it was also the area where the most Explorer High fatal accidents occurred.

The dungeon is designed kindly, and it's said that up to District 3 is the tutorial. In District 1, you get used to the dungeon system, in District 2, you get used to fighting monsters that threaten your life, and in District 3, you get used to terrain changes.

Monsters in District 1 in any dungeon have low killing ability, and unless you challenge the area boss, you almost never die. However, monsters in District 2 also include those with high killing ability like Fresh Green Great Wolf, creating a different kind of tension from District 1.

Districts 1 and 2 are both grasslands, so visibility is good and it's easy to discover enemies, and the ground is flat making it easy to fight. But in District 3, because it's hilly terrain, there are many slopes, and not only the difficulty of detecting enemies but the difficulty of combat itself has risen. From Floor 2 onward, the terrain changes drastically, so if you can't keep up with terrain changes, you'll die immediately.

This is why Floor 1 District 3 is segmented into stages to get used to the dungeon.

If you can reach Floor 2 District 1, you can become a Fourth Rank explorer, which is why Floor 1 District 3 is called the tutorial.

"It looks like the monsters that come out are strong too, so I gotta be careful."

Monsters in District 3 range widely from level 16 to 40. Therefore, not only can challenging the wrong monster easily lead to accidents, but if battles with monsters drag on clumsily, other monsters can also jump in.

"The first monsters I should fight in District 3 are Sphere Moon Snake and Beginning Frog. Stat-wise, Nut Bombarrel Chipmunk should be fine too, so it'll be one of those three."

There are seven types of monsters in District 3 and three types of area bosses. The three Suzuka mentioned are monsters whose maximum level is 30 or below. Suzuka is level 23, but his stats are higher than other explorers, so there should be no problem.

Hilly terrain doesn't have as bad visibility as forests or mountains, but compared to grasslands, the difficulty of enemy detection is considerably higher. Because of the moderately undulating terrain, you can't see through it.

There are large gentle hills, and there are also hills that aren't high like river embankments but you can't see the other side.

For now, aiming for a slightly elevated hill to find monsters, Suzuka fully operates Presence Detection. If I climb over a hill and find a monster waiting there, I'd be done for.

The hills aren't that steep, but compared to flat ground, my progress speed is slower. Fatigue in my legs and waist seems like it'll be nothing to scoff at either.

"Phew. Arrived, arrived. From here I can see pretty well. There's a few scattered around.

I can't see all the way into the distance, but by climbing the hill I was able to find several monsters. Since it's close to District 2, all the monsters I could see were only of the types I mentioned earlier.

"Let's start by taking down the closest ones."

There was a monster that looked like a Beginning Frog at the bottom of the hill, so I targeted it.

Even on a slight slope, running builds up more speed than I imagined, and I was adjusting while going down. Something caught my attention in Presence Detection.

I immediately turned around, and a massive jaw spread across my field of vision.

"Th-the-the-th-!!?!?"

Startled and terrified, I couldn't even make a sound, but thanks to continuing to fight monsters as an explorer up to now, I just barely managed to defend with my magic iron pipe in the nick of time.

"Wh-what the hell is this!!"

He came at me with a biting attack with considerable momentum, and in an unstable posture I couldn't fully absorb the shock.

Even with the iron pipe in its mouth, it opened its mouth wide trying to bite Suzuka, and its charging momentum increased. Suzuka hadn't fully grasped the situation either, but while managing to keep my footing and struggling, I succeeded in regaining my posture thanks to the Body Control skill.

From being pushed back to stopping, we're at a stalemate. The monster is forcing its way against me while thrashing around wildly. But Suzuka's physical strength isn't losing either.

Fully operating Body Reinforcement and Mana Manipulation, I succeeded in directly repelling the monster's brute force.

Madness Serpent Mimic: Level 33

By repelling it, I was able to see the monster's full form.

The Madness Serpent Mimic was one of the monsters I intended to avoid fighting first. Overall, it has an olive color tinted with brown, and if it crawls on the ground, it blends in with the grass at its feet, making it extremely difficult to find. That's probably why I couldn't find it just by glancing from the top of the hill.

Plus, because it moves by gliding across the ground, it makes no sound, and Suzuka couldn't notice it until it caught my attention in Presence Detection.

The Madness Serpent Mimic breathes roughly, wheezing, and is threatening in a restless, undulating way. It's a monster where the name "madness" fits perfectly.

Just when I thought it was coiling up, it unleased its accumulated power and came to bite Suzuka again. Its fangs are sharp, and it's an attack I can't be confident about even with anti-cutting armor.

Suzuka, who couldn't stand having holes punched in his brand-new clothes, neither accepted nor dodged, but stepped in to slip past the Madness Serpent Mimic's attack. Immediately, I swung down my magic iron pipe at its extended body.

The magic iron pipe reinforced by Mana Manipulation struck the Madness Serpent Mimic accompanied by a faint deep green afterglow.

While feeling the feedback that I definitely broke something, I dodged the tail that was swung down. When I looked, the place I hit was distorted and dented, but as if that didn't matter, while thrashing, the Madness Serpent Mimic attacked Suzuka.

Attacks that leave no time to catch my breath. But they aren't high-quality moves that could be called combo attacks. It's just a mad attack that only charges forward, and while there's terror toward something incomprehensible, I didn't feel it was dangerous.

Suzuka, who continued to deal damage while grimacing even at the Madness Serpent Mimic's clearly biologically aberrant behavior, is amazing.

"Just being that stupidly huge is scary enough, give me a break!!"

Just as Suzuka said, the Madness Serpent Mimic is a snake of a size you wouldn't see in nature. Its torso is about as thick as a person's waist, and its total length easily exceeds five meters.

A snake of that size is attacking. Suzuka has fought monsters like Rabbit Demon Iron Skin that are like wolves or bears, but with this, he felt a different kind of fear. It's like a primal fear that living things feel.

Adding to that, an attack that seems to ignore pain. Is it right to call it a zombie, or should I say it took drugs, but its mad movements amplify the terror.

Actually, the Madness Serpent Mimic has an ability to put opponents in a panic state. It's an ability that's easier to catch the more you fear the Madness Serpent Mimic, but with the degree of fear Suzuka holds, I seem to manage to avoid catching it.

"Hurry up and die already!!"

The Madness Serpent Mimic attacks in rapid succession, but its attack patterns aren't that many. Or rather, it mostly just opens its mouth wide and charges.

If I get caught and get crushed, I probably won't last long, and even just swinging its tail around looks strong, but because it's mad, its attacks are monotonous. Monotonous, but the fact that it keeps charging endlessly is terrifying though.

Thinking to finish this quickly, I was about to add another blow to the place I just hit, but it ended in failure. That's because Suzuka didn't attack and jumped backward.

DOOOOOON-----------

Amidst clouds of dust, something round was in the place where Suzuka had just been.

Beginning Frog: Level 24

"Haha, couldn't wait, huh, tubby."

Suzuka had already received the baptism of District 3.