I’ve been writing my report.
It blocked my nose and mouth.
I couldn’t breathe.
Actually, my whole body was trapped by mister move suppressor.
What are you going to do? Am I getting reparations?
Well, jokes aside, I do intend to write everything that happened.
This might be pretty dangerous. I managed to escape from mister move suppressor, that capture ball of string, because I used Physical Strengthening, but it might be dangerous if this thing is used against people.
It would be one thing if all it did was restrict movement, but if it sticks to someone’s face like it did with me yesterday, they’ll die.
I’m writing that there should be some way to prevent that.
Should I write suggestions? I don’t know how it was developed, so I can’t think of anything. Actually, wouldn’t it be rude to tell them to do this and that, when I don’t know?
And surely Ai isn’t expecting that from me.
I understand that this request was to maintain relations between us. They could’ve just had one of their employees test the new item. In fact, I’m pretty sure they did. There’s no need to do something stupid like handing a prototype to someone who isn’t from their company. That just means they see even more value in me… In my Healing Magic. Probably. I’m not too sure.
After getting to a certain point writing the report, I decide to go to the dungeon to use the remaining capture balls to confirm how they feel.
Even if they aren’t being completely honest with me, I have to do a proper job testing as long as I’m getting paid.
◇ ◇ ◇
I’m at the seeker association in front of the dungeon, also known as the guild, to get magic potions like the one I got from a treasure chest.
There are a lot of people here. It’s eleven in the morning, and I’m pretty sure this isn’t supposed to be a busy time.
I think it’s because it’s summer, but maybe there’s an event going on. But something’s the same as always, the employees looking busy.
I head straight to where potions are sold, but all I see are regular potions. I can’t find magic potions.
Luckily, there’s an employee right here, and when I ask about them, I’m brought a duralumin case from the back.
Ooh, I don’t really get it, but it looks important.
Eh, magic potions are silver, right?
How much are they?
Two hundred thousand?
Expensive!
…Kuh, give me one.
What precautions?
Maximum of one per day? Any more and it could be fatal…
Is this a dangerous drug?
Normal potions are different depending on their quality, and range from ten thousand to thirty thousand. This is too expensive for something that could kill me. Am I getting ripped off?
Maybe I’ll ask the consumer affairs center.
Anyway, after getting the magic potion, my eyes stop at the poster by the cash register.
Production skill courses
・Alchemy
・Smiting
・Sewing
・Cooking
・Medicine
Etc
Date: ×/× Starting at ten o’clock
Eh, they have this… I ask an employee how to take part, and apparently I could talk to a receptionist in the guild. Anyone registered in the guild can take part, but others have to pay a fee.
It’s happening tomorrow, so maybe I’ll check it out.
There are also courses for combat skills once a week, and they also teach how to use weapons.
I don’t feel like joining those.
My moves are based on what I traced from the adult goblin and warrior kobold, so I don’t have to go out of my way to ruin that.
With my plans for tomorrow settled, I head to the exit to go to the dungeon.
My plan today is to find the staircase to the twenty-third floor.
I pass by a line of people in front of a reception desk, and all of a sudden, an old lady receptionist talks to me.
Yes yes, what is it?
Looking after these kids?
What do you mean?
I have to look after them as their senior?
No, I mean…
What do you mean you know I’ve been taking down orcs, and have to do my duty?
Hm, I see.
So apparently, it’s customary for seekers to offer some guidance to new seekers after they clear the twentieth floor. That’s over after they clear the boss of the tenth floor, and there’s a reward involved.
I’m impressed by that custom, and I’m even given maps all the way to the tenth floor. And since there’s a lot of new seekers just starting out, they don’t have enough people for all of them.
Sounds rough.
I toss the maps, leave the new seekers, and head to the dungeon.
◇ ◇ ◇
The first floor.
Nope, I couldn’t get away.
The moment I tossed the maps, people started looking at me with harsh expressions, so I had to pick them up and say I was joking.
Now I’m here with the newbies, but I don’t know their names.
I told them I’m Tanaka, but I guess they got a pretty bad impression of me after I tossed the maps, because they didn’t respond.
Oh well.
I’m not getting involved with them after this, so it doesn’t matter.
Yes, that means I can just call them what I want.
They seem like university students, two guys and two girls.
Both guys are over a hundred and eighty centimeters tall, and although of different types, they’re both handsome. They look pretty buff too.
I’ll call the black-haired one simple hunk and the blonde one gold hunk.
As for the girls, one is beautiful and looks cold and dignified. She looks unapproachable, but has an enchanting smile when she talks to the others.
The other is also beautiful, and her liveliness feels like people will feel energized just by looking at her. She’s proactive in how she talks to others, and she’s surely this party’s mood maker.
Let’s call the dignified one Daiko, and the energetic one Muco.
…
What’s with this party of perfect people?
Handsome guys and beautiful girls. I feel like having to deal with these normies will destroy me mentally.
The way they don’t seem to have any blind spots makes me wonder if they’re the main characters of something.
If I had to find a flaw, it’s their lack of a flaw. They’re all beautiful, and without a contrast, they seem normal.
Ah, thank goodness, there is a flaw.
Some people giggle when they pass by us.
Did something happen?
I can hear a bit of what they say.
A pig surrounded by beautiful people?
…Yes, I’m the flaw.
◇ ◇ ◇
We advance smoothly through the dungeon, and the four of them take down monsters swiftly without my help. They all seem versed in some sort of martial art.
Like that simple hunk. He uses a sword, and he’s been using the art of sword drawing. He gets into position all imposing, and with a swift movement, cuts a monster down.
Apparently he also practices kendo, but the way he swings his sword differs a lot.
The gold hunk uses a naginata, Daiko a bow, and Muco throws rocks. But her form is strong, and it’s clear she has experience playing baseball.
They keep advancing, not minding me, and overtake the other newbie seekers.
They really have no interest in me, but it’s not like they don’t speak to me at all.
Hum, why do you have that on your heads?
Ah, a camera. Are you going to upload this?
No? It’s just for your circle?
I quietly lower my face shield.
The maps allow us to reach the tenth floor’s boss room in five hours. It took me thirteen days to get here, and ten hours.
It really feels like it’s so much more efficient with a party.
I open the door, and enter the boss room.
?
There’s nothing here. The other four look confused too.
We leave, go in again, and nothing.
After repeating this a few times, there’s still nothing.
I guess the boss is away from home.
Then someone calls out to us from behind.
Whut? The boss won’t spawn unless someone who hasn’t defeated it goes in first?
There’s an awkward mood in the air.
I clear my throat, thank the big boobed beautiful girl with glasses who told us that, and we enter again.
◇ ◇ ◇
Two goblins await in the boss room. But not just regular goblins, adult goblins. One is wearing armor and holding a longsword, and the other has a robe like it’s a mage and is holding a staff.
Both feel like fighters.
The adult goblin I fought before was strong. Actually, the boss changed.
It was like this on the twentieth floor too, so could it be that there’s a random chance of something else spawning?
I look at the other four, and they’re all intimidated by the intensity of the adult goblins, and not moving.
But the battle won’t wait for them.
The adult goblin with the staff, the mage goblin, fires a few ice arrows. The four standing still don’t react, and struggle to even close their eyes.
I immediately get in front of them and smack the arrows down, and shoot earth bullets in return. But the one holding the longsword quickly gets close and attacks, which I block with my greatsword.
The sounds of the battle make the others snap out of it, and they finally start moving.
The simple hunk cuts at the warrior goblin to try to back me up, and it steps back.
But then ice arrows fall like rain. I can see a smug expression in the mage goblin’s face like it won.
I use Earth Magic, spending magic energy to create an elliptical wall that blocks the ice arrows. I can’t see it through the wall, but I bet it looks frustrated.
The warrior goblin attacks again, appearing from behind the wall and cutting at the gold hunk, and while he manages to react in time because he’s paying attention, one strike breaks his naginata, and the blade almost ends his life.
I get between them to stop that, block, and kick to drive it back.
I feel magic energy welling up from the mage goblin moving close to the wall.
I take two capture balls out of my Storage Space, infuse them with magic energy, and throw them at the warrior goblin.
They fly straight towards it, but it senses danger and doges one by twisting its upper half. But the one heading towards its legs is a direct hit.
The warrior goblin is stuck to the ground, and looks surprised as it tries to move.
Meanwhile, the mage goblin is activating magic. This is different from the arrows, it’s a blizzard to freeze everything.
Daiko is the one closest to it. She fires an arrow, but the magic makes it freeze and fall.
She looks like she’s despairing, but she’s not the only one, they all do.
I use Physical Strengthening, jump in front of her, and infuse my greatsword of fortitude with magic energy. I’m using a lot this time, just in case.
I swing it, and a slash flies off, cutting through the blizzard and robbing the mage goblin of one of its arms, also dispersing the blizzard.
Stop.
Just as I’m about to run towards it, the warrior goblin escapes from the capture ball and gets in my way. Looking at the string on its legs, it looks like it cut itself loose.
It’s glaring at me with rage.
◇ ◇ ◇
Hm. We managed to get through it.
They were easy to beat, but doing so with these four was tiring.
I didn’t want to hear complaints about them not getting skill orbs because they weren’t involved, so I had to make sure they were.
I didn’t know how much I should weaken them, so I cut an arm off each, and trapped the warrior goblin with a capture ball before having them attack. It was basically beaten to death.
They were baffled at first, but attacked once I explained why I was doing that.
Daiko looked unhappy with it to the very end, but when I yelled at her angrily, asking if she was going to do anything, she borrowed a sword from the simple hunk and finished it off.
She’s more determined than I thought.
When I praised, saying she could really do it if she tried, she cried tears of joy.
Skill orbs fell around the boss monsters, but for some reason, I couldn’t touch them.
Apparently it’s true that each person can only get one skill from a boss. And even though it was a different boss, I did get my skill orb on the tenth floor.
I take the sword and staff the monsters were using and give it to the other four. They’re reluctant to take them, but I have no use for them, so I make them take them.
Then I regret it, thinking I could’ve just sold them.
There are four treasure chests next to the door that leads to the portal. Four treasure chests for four newbies, so each opens one. I was thinking they’d tell me to take one, but they don’t, and I just watch with arms crossed as they open them.
They get equipment like a necklace and bracelet. If it’s like my agility bracelet, it will boost their abilities in some way.
Lastly, the gold hunk asks with a happy expression if he can upload this.
I smile.
“Of course not you idiot.”
ーーー
Hobgoblin warrior and mage (adult goblin)
Have a one in four hundred chance of spawning.
They are not quite as strong as the adult goblin fought before, but their threat comes from their coordination, making them surpass the other adult goblin.
ーーー
Haruto Tanaka (24)
Level: 16
Skills: Earth Magic, Trace, Healing Magic, Spatial Grasp, Toughness, Magic Energy Control, Physical Strengthening, Poison Resistance, Storage Space, See Through, Parallel Thinking, Sewing, Limit Break
Equipment: Agility bracelet, greatsword of fortitude, divine bird boots
Status: Fat (All abilities boosted)
ーーー
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