Chapter-07 · EP-100

Episode 100: Bored with First-Floor Exploration

Tokyo Dungeon Academy, Tutorial Dungeon, First Floor.

It was the first exploration class after Golden Week. Several weeks had passed since dungeon exploration in class began. For me, exploring the first floor had already become boring.

How many hundreds of slimes had I defeated? Now that I was level 5, the enemies on the first floor didn't even give experience points. And with classmates watching, even if a slime dropped a potion, I couldn't rank it up. Grinding for experience or collecting items wasn't a problem, but exploration that offered no benefit whatsoever was extremely tedious.

"So, what did you do during GW?"

Mizuno, my party member, asked the other member, Shiraishi.

"I went to see the Gladiators at the Tokyo Dome."

"Seriously? Lucky!"

Gladiators. An event where dungeon explorers fight one-on-one. Popular as a sporting spectacle, tickets traded for high prices.

"The fight was between explorers over level 30. It was seriously intense."

"I wish I could have seen it too."

Shirou listened to their conversation, walking with his wooden sword at his hip.

Just then, another party approached from down the passage.

It was a three-person group centered around Kyoya Murasakimura. He was accompanied by Sendo and Tetsuya Akaishi.

"You guys."

Murasakimura stopped in front of Shirou and his group.

"You shouldn't be chatting idly in the dungeon. This is a dangerous place. You need to be alert to your surroundings."

"Ah, you're right. Sorry, I'll be careful."

I apologized honestly. Murasakimura was right. Complacency was dangerous.

But Mizuno thought differently.

"But we've already reached level 2, so the first floor is boring. By the way, Murasakimura-kun, have you reached level 2 yet?"

Murasakimura's expression stiffened.

"…No, we're still level 1."

Sendo and Akaishi also averted their gazes uncomfortably.

"I see. Well, do your best."

At Mizuno's light-hearted tone, Murasakimura and the others left without a word.

Shirou lightly tapped Mizuno's shoulder.

"Mizuno, wasn't that kind of out of line?"

"You think so? I didn't mean anything bad by it."

That was practically making fun of Murasakimura. Murasakimura was the one in the right.

But Mizuno was completely nonchalant.

"By the way, are we the first ones to reach level 2?"

"No, Yuno's party is all level 3."

"Eh?!"

Mizuno and Shiraishi both exclaimed in surprise.

"Amazing… But was Hayasaka-san really that strong?"

Shiraishi tilted his head in thought.

"Come to think of it, I heard Takigawa-san is incredibly strong. She beat a boy in the First Swordsmanship Club."

"I heard that too."

Mizuno nodded.

"So Takigawa-san did the fighting and raised the other two's levels."

I interjected to curb Mizuno's growing arrogance.

"Well, you could say that. Lately, she's been one-shotting Huge Slimes too."

"Huh? You mean the first-floor boss? Can you really defeat it that easily?"

Shiraishi's eyes widened.

"No, Iori is special. Normally, I think you'd struggle quite a bit."

Just then, Yuno's party happened to pass by. Yuno, Iori, and Maika.

"Hey, Hayasaka-san!"

Mizuno waved his hand broadly.

The three called out walked over to us.

"What is it, Mizuno-kun?"

"Is it true you guys are already level 3?"

"Yeah!"

Yuno answered brightly.

"Lucky. Having strong friends. If you party with Takigawa-san, you just keep leveling up without doing anything, right?"

"W-well, I suppose…"

Yuno's expression clouded for a moment.

"Hey, I've been doing most of the leveling for you guys too, haven't I?"

"That's true."

Shiraishi admitted honestly.

"Then raise us to level 3 too!"

Mizuno latched on.

"Fine, but it would mean going to the Shinjuku Dungeon on the weekend and diving to the third floor."

"Huh? The third floor all of a sudden? No way! I'm fine with moderate progress."

"Well, unless you're a noble, there's no need to push yourself to level up, right?"

Shiraishi shrugged.

They didn't seem keen on actively leveling up.

Just then, I remembered inventing the Water Magic Water Jet Cutter in the Okutama Dungeon. After all, the Water Magic skill came from Maika. If I, who was bad at magic, could do it, Maika should be able to as well.

"Come to think of it, Maika, I thought of a way to power up Water Magic. Interested?"

"Eh? I want to know. Tell me."

Maika's eyes sparkled.

"You know how when you squeeze the end of a hose, the water comes out with more force? I think imagining that might increase the power of Water Magic."

"I see! I'll try it right away."

Saying that, Maika floated a water sphere on her palm. It was a different form from the Water Jet Cutter I had meant.

"No, not like that. From a hose…"

"Hmm…"

Maika closed her eyes and concentrated.

The water sphere visibly shrank. It was being compressed.

Then Maika launched it forward.

Bang!

It hit the wall with a sharp sound, and the rock face at the impact point crumbled apart.

"Amazing…"

Everyone watching was speechless.

"I did it! I can do it, Shirou-kun! With this, even I might be useful to Iori-chan!"

Iori nodded with satisfaction.

"As expected of Maika!"

It was a different way of using the magic than I had intended, but Maika, a true mage, had powered it up immediately.

I was speechless at such incredible magic.

Beside me, Yuno clenched her fist with a complicated expression.

At that moment, I didn't realize that a small shadow had begun to fall over Yuno's heart.