After reaching the ninth floor, I check Map.
There are a lot of people, and a lot of monsters. But a few in particular catch my attention.
Especially on the right side… I see three reactions together that are bigger than the others.
…No doubt about it, those are superior species… Either kings or lords.
Are we going to have to fight multiple kings and lords? I see other reactions around them too.
I infuse Map with magic energy to enlarge it, and see two more places with either kings or lords. One is moving alone, while the other has minions.
The materials we read said there was a low chance of encountering them, but… Are they just being left alone?
Also, I see a lot of reactions from people on the edge of the dungeon.
This dungeon expands the further down we go.
It felt like it would take us three days to reach the edge of the eighth floor, breaks included. Without them, it would be one. But here, I feel like it would take longer.
The dungeon is also a maze, so walking around saps people’s stamina, not to mention the monsters.
And yet, people are going to the edges. Is it related to treasure chests?
I don’t know if this is true, but there are rumors that the contents of the treasure chests get better the longer they go unclaimed.
Also, going to places where others don’t go increases the chances of finding them, so Argo says some people go out of their way to walk far.
But there are a lot of people. I see fifty reactions in the place that’s furthest away.
I assume that’s Jetblack. If a party went up to where they are, there would probably be a quarrel over a treasure chest if they found one.
I assume a big clan like Jetblack has magic bags.
Opinions are split over if going after rare items from treasure chests or hunting monsters to go to the boss room again and again is the most effective tactic, but maybe treasure chests are better, if they’re going around looking for them.
“Over on the left… There are three lord class monsters. But I don’t think anyone knows, so that might be a good place to hunt some monsters.”
I say while looking at Map.
“I don’t know. Should we brave the risk of fighting lords, or go around steadily hunting others?”
“It would be bad if monsters gathered there like on the eighth floor. The passage is bigger too.”
So far, even as the floors got wider, the passages didn’t.
But since this passage is wider, that means fighting more monsters at once.
“Ah, true. But what if they’re purposefully leaving these monsters be?”
“Purposefully?”
“Maybe they’re letting them gather a large group so the guild issues an urgent quest with a good reward.”
I’ve heard about that from Siphon. Artificially inflating rewards like that.
“Adults are dirty.”
Argo smiles awkwardly at how direct Hikari is.
“So should we leave them?”
“Hn, should we hunt them? We’re not going to settle down here anyway, and even if they really are leaving them be and we hunt them, it’s not like they’ll issue a complaint. And we can just say we’re newbies that didn’t know.”
“We have bad adults here too!”
Says Hikari, but this time she’s smiling.
“And it doesn’t matter how much they have if we have Chris.”
“Our Chris is the best.”
Rurika agrees with Argo. And Chris looks embarrassed.
“Lead the way, Sora.”
I nod, and look for a route on Map. This is pretty complex and intricate, and hurts my eyes.
Ah, this is a dead end. Ah, this one leads back to the start.
It’s only after a five minute hard fought battle with Map that we start walking.
I can’t mark things on Map, so it would’ve taken even longer without the Memory skill.
◇ ◇ ◇
“Goblins this time… Go for it, Sora.”
I use magic against the goblins, enveloping twenty-three of them in my Firestorm, leaving not even cinders after the flames are gone.
Chris and I take out goblins and ogres with magic, Argo, Rurika, and the others take out orcs, and we fight demons centered on Mia.
Sometimes monsters come alone or in pairs, and sometimes in groups like this.
It’s simple if we can easily dispatch them with magic, but if not, that’s trickier.
Incidentally, orcs can be taken down with magic too, but we choose to collect them for food.
They’re not a good way to make money, but selling their magic stones is still a good return on investment. Although we typically only spend money on food, and not on stuff like potions.
Mia and I can heal injured people, and Argo’s party tends to their own equipment, while I can use Alchemy to fix ours.
Although everyone tends to their own equipment when it comes to day to day maintenance.
Two days after we entered the dungeon, we finally reach the place with three superior species.
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Thanks for the treat.