The one month anniversary of my unemployment passed without me noticing.
I originally thought about taking it easy for a month, but I’ve been pretty active.
I started working as a seeker like it was a part-time, but at first I was unsure about it, because I was spending money instead of making it. But now I’m actually making money, and I can live without worries if I sell all my equipment.
Honestly, I’m more affluent than I was in my corporate drone days.
This is an unpopular occupation, but I can see why there are always a certain number of people who decide to become seekers. Not to mention the people that do it as a hobby.
The dungeon sure does have its charms. I really get that now. I have to.
After all, I’m really into it.
There’s mortal danger, and it’s a tough dirty job, but my body starts itching for it when I don’t go to the dungeon.
Yesterday I only went to the tenth floor and fought monsters there, but I felt like my body wanted more when I got home.
And so, I’m going to the dungeon today, and I’m thinking about staying the night there again.
◇ ◇ ◇
The seventeenth floor.
Using my unemployed light footwork as a weapon, I get to suddenly go to the dungeon. Staying the night here was also a sudden decision, but I’m prepared.
I bought food, and I tended to the equipment yesterday, so it’s all fine.
There are two skeletons coming at me from the front, and a giant spider from the side.
The giant spider is the most troubling, so I fire bullets at it, but it easily dodges. I fire again, and again, but it dodges every time.
But I still got it to pull back a little, so I use that time to smash the skeletons. It’s not like they just stand in front of me, they react, but they’re so slow, that I put them down before they can swing their weapons.
I’m pretty quick, thanks to the agility bracelet and Physical Strengthening, so they can’t keep up.
There’s only the giant spider left, and it tries to run up a wall to get away, but I quickly accelerate after it.
I think it can see me with its many eyes, and it tries to evade me, but my greatsword cuts it down.
I exhale, and collect materials.
I’ve been getting used to collecting them recently, so I can do it quickly. Well, knowing these are worth money is a nice motivation.
Then I keep exploring, taking down monsters and collecting their stuff.
I explored this place a bit last time, so I quickly find a spring. There are several giant spiders here, but I evade their string and keep them in check with my magic, before cutting them down.
It’s rare for multiple giant spiders to be gathered like this, I think as I approach the spring, but then I notice some sort of pressure coming from above.
I look up, and see a lot of giant spiders wriggling.
There’s one among them that’s larger, but they’re just looking at me, showing no signs that they’ll move.
I retreat while sweating a lot. I can’t take on so many.
There must’ve been over a thousand there, and while it didn’t feel like they would attack, I don’t know if something won’t happen that changes that.
I slowly, slowly make my way out of the room, and the giant spider that’s bigger than the others falls.
I keep my eye on it to see if it will attack, but half of its body is gone, and others are munching on it.
I know what this is. Some spiders present their bodies to their children for sustenance. I didn’t know giant spiders did that too.
I try to contain my increasing heart rate, and walk out of there quickly.
The giant spider’s eyes that are facing me while its children eat it are creepy.
I didn’t expect to come face to face with a monster secret like that.
I just learned another habit of theirs I’d rather not know.
Also, they should stop doing that in springs. Can’t you go somewhere else?
I don’t feel like camping on this floor, so I head to the next one.
◇ ◇ ◇
The eighteenth floor.
I hit a rock lizard with an earth bullet, but it doesn’t go down. I fire again, but despite it being a direct hit, it’s still coming towards me. I skewer it with thorns from below, but it’s still moving its legs to try to run to me. I add two more thorns, and it finally stops moving.
These rock lizards that appear on the eighteenth floor have a tough surface, like they’re protected by rock skin, so earth bullets don’t damage them. But that’s not the case below, so they’re easy to defeat if you flip them over.
It’s also possible to attack them from below with magic, without even flipping them. Also, their weapons are their strong jaws, so they’re not scary unless they get close.
Next, I come across two skeletons, a giant spider, and a rock lizard.
The skeletons and rock lizard are coming at me, but the giant spider looks like it’s watching, away from the others. I think it will attack if it sees an opening.
The rock lizard is the closest one, so I try to skewer it with earth thorns, but it suddenly leaps to dodge. My surprise means I’m slow to react, and let it get close, but I strike it hard with my greatsword and pull back.
The skeletons approach me in the meantime, and attack with a sword and iron club. I dodge the sword, block the iron club with my shield, and shatter the midsection of one of them with a one-handed swing of my greatsword.
One down.
But the giant spider sees an opening after my swing and shoots string, hindering the movement of my upper body.
I immediately make use of the talons of my divine bird boots, kick and grab the skeleton, and throw it at the giant spider.
Then the rock lizard jumps at me with its mouth wide open, but I press it down with my divine bird boots and skewer its stomach with a thorn.
I free myself of the string with Physical Strengthening, and destroy the skeleton, before cutting the giant spider’s head.
That was tougher than I expected.
I still don’t have that hard of a time if I use Physical Strengthening, but in my normal state, they manage to hit me.
I have magic too, but since both use magic energy, I need to be conscious of how I use it, or I’ll run out before I know it.
It’s one thing if I’m on my way back, but even if I’m resting to recover my magic energy, I have to fight monsters if they approach me. And if I use magic energy then, that’s just going to delay my recovery even more.
I need to be economical with my magic energy, or it’s going to catch up with me eventually.
I keep going, avoiding monsters as much as I can.
It’s not hard to avoid monsters like skeletons that tend to make their presences known, but it doesn’t go so well with stealthy ones like giant spiders. I can pick them up with Spatial Grasp, but by the time I do, they’re already within fighting distance.
At least come at me one at a time.
◇ ◇ ◇
By the time I find the spring on the eighteenth floor, both my stamina and magic energy are in a rough state.
There are two parties camping here, looking like they’re getting ready to make dinner.
I take out my tent from my Storage Space to camp a little far from them. I stored it while it was set, so I just have to take it out.
I also take out a bucket and pot, and pass by the parties to get water.
It feels like both parties are friends, and I pass by them without any real thoughts.
I don’t really mind.
Their excitement doesn’t concern me.
The time I spent as a loner thinking that sort of thing wasn’t just for show.
I’m about to go back with my water, when someone calls out to me again.
What? More bandits?
I turn around cautiously, and see a member of that harem party. So one of these two parties is that one.
Yes, hello, it’s been a while.
Yes, since yesterday.
So, what is it?
Yes, actually, my mom contacted me telling me to come home right away, so…
What? There’s no signal in the dungeon?
Hum, it’s water under the bridge. Let’s look ahead.
Eh? Dinner? Why, thank you.
The bow user of the harem party invited me to have dinner with them.
This feels like the sort of thing that might get me arrested, but we’re in the dungeon, and the other members of her party are here, so it’s okay.
And it’s free food, so I’ll gladly take it.
But I soon regret it.
There are eleven people in total, all from the same grade and all friends with each other.
Even a guy that’s used to being alone won’t have a good time after being thrown into this lively mood. Not to mention the disparity between students and a corporate drone.
Yes, I’m okay.
It’s tasty.
Here I am, an adult causing a minor to be concerned about him.
Hum, so are you all in the same grade?
Ah, in the third year of high school. So what are you doing after you graduate?
Ah, sorry, I shouldn’t ask personal questions.
Are you on vacation now?
Ah, dungeon exploration counts for attendance.
Eh? Me? I’m twenty-four.
No, keep talking the way you’ve been until now.
Apparently they thought I was their age, and didn’t pick up on my mature charm. Actually, the bow girl looks like she just forgot.
Maybe it’s because they learned my age, but the subject shifts from school to the dungeon. What monsters we’ve faced, which ones are strong, have we found any treasure chests, have we fallen for traps…
Then the harem trap mentions that they triggered a teleportation trap, and things get more heated.
Eh, that’s crazy.
It came out of a treasure chest?
No, nevermind me.
By the way, you made it here pretty quickly.
Eh? Map?
What? That?
I try to force the subject away from me, but I hear a word I can’t ignore.
The students are all looking at me with surprised expressions, but I have other things to worry about.
The seeker association, commonly called guild, offers seeker cards and all sorts of services. All stuff I don’t know about.
No, I’m exaggerating. I knew about the seeker association, and the purchasing counter is even in their building.
I don’t have a good impression of them because they keep badgering me to register with them, so I’ve been working as a seeker without registering.
I didn’t know that if I did, I could buy maps all the way to the twentieth floor.
There’s also auctions for stuff that comes out of treasure chests, and a ten percent discount on weapons and equipment. And a free monthly stats check.
Well, I don’t care about the last one.
I’m sad now. I’ve been walking around so much looking for staircases, and I feel like it was a waste of effort.
No, forget that. It’s fine, I made money doing it.
Then I ask them about seeker etiquette, and why they became seekers, until it’s time to call it a night.
Apparently they’re doing this to earn money for university tuition and living expenses.
I honestly see them in a better light now.
◇ ◇ ◇
I’m a little sleep deprived because I was woken up a few times, and had to take down monsters, but the ant queen honey perks me right up.
The students are still asleep, so it’s quiet. Even the one keeping watch is asleep, and doesn’t notice me.
After taking down monsters that were coming this way, I continue exploring the dungeon.
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