I purchased the essential dungeon clothing set for 5,000 yen. Although there were dungeon shoes available, as they rarely sustain damage, I decided to hold off on buying them for now. Special shoes with extraordinary effects are too expensive and beyond my reach.
Dungeon clothing, when worn by a seeker, automatically restores itself and cleans off stains like blood or sweat as long as the ‘Durability’ remains intact. This eliminates the need for laundry, which is quite convenient.
After buying the dungeon clothing, I had about 14,000 yen left in my dungeon budget. Considering other equipment purchases, the ‘Longspear,’ a step up from a shortspear, was priced at 25,000 yen, which was also a bit too costly for me to afford.
When Oosako-san appraised my shortspear and wood shield as a service, it turned out they still had over 80 ‘Durability’ remaining. There was no immediate necessity to replace them.
To boost my combat capabilities a bit, I decided to spend 12,000 yen on a “Leather Armor.” This should increase my defense to some extent.
Despite wanting to become stronger, it’s crucial not to rush and overlook the essentials. I aim to steadily strengthen myself step by step from the ground up.
With our shopping at the armory shop completed, Kazane-san and I finally headed towards the dungeon. However, before doing so, a brief postscript:
Regarding the incident involving that man Nitta, after consulting the Dungeon Comprehensive Guide, he underwent various investigations and received a certain punishment. A quick summary trial conducted by the specialized seeker-related agency imposed a fine of 30,000 yen, a stern warning, and the threat of license suspension in case of a repeat offense.
According to Oosako-san, the weapons shop old man, initiating an immediate license suspension might have aggravated the situation, potentially leading to further complications. It was considered that it could have the opposite effect as a deterrent against crime.
In any case, Nitta no longer openly provoked us or caused trouble upon seeing us. Perhaps he was keen on avoiding license suspension.
Maintaining security within the seeker community seemed quite challenging, I pondered.
Since becoming a seeker, the second day of dungeon exploration began smoothly. Kazane-san and I delved into the dungeon around noon, passing through the first and second layers via the shortest route to reach the third layer directly. In the third layer, we efficiently defeated groups of monsters we encountered while advancing in map exploration.
In terms of combat strength, there wasn’t a significant difference compared to yesterday’s exploration. Thanks to acquiring the “Spear Attack Power Up (+2),” I could defeat Kobolds with a single spear strike more frequently, but adversaries like Goblins still required at least two hits to take down.
However, when I suffered attacks, it felt like the damage was reduced by about 30% due to wearing the Leather Armor. With slightly increased HP and agility, overall I felt more at ease than yesterday, and the frequency of using “Earth Heal” had somewhat decreased.
Taking moderate breaks such as eating lunch and snacks (prepared by Kazane-san’s ‘Item Box’), we spent about half a day exploring the third layer of the dungeon.
When the map of the third layer was mostly unveiled, we discovered the staircase leading to the lower levels. Kazane-san checked her watch and seemed lost in thought. Her watch, crafted using magic stone energy, was also specifically designed for dungeon exploration.
“We’ve found the staircase to the fourth floor. It’s… around 7 PM now.”
Considering the time and our remaining resources, Kazane-san proposed descending to the fourth floor.
“Well… but we have to consider the return journey, too.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
It was already quite late. Moreover, my MP had depleted to about half of its maximum, while Kazane-san had only about 20% of her MP remaining after using attack magic extensively.
“I think it’s best not to push ourselves too hard. Let’s save the fourth floor for another time.”
“Agreed. I’m feeling a bit anxious too, so shall we call it a day for today?”
With that, we reached a consensus. We decided to continue mapping the third layer a bit more before eventually returning. We exited the dungeon a little past 9 PM.
As usual, we visited the magic stone exchange counter at the Dungeon Comprehensive Guide to exchange the defeated monsters’ magic stones for cash. In total, Kazane-san and I received 16,740 yen each in cash.
Additionally, during today’s dungeon exploration, three treasure chests appeared in total, each containing an HP potion. Kazane-san intended to use these during her solo explorations, so she handed me 2,250 yen and took all three potions.
Thus, my total income from today’s dungeon exploration amounted to 18,990 yen. A warm… feeling of wealth.
Furthermore, during today’s exploration, both I and Kazane-san each gained a level. I advanced from level 5 to 6, while Kazane-san progressed from level 9 to 10.
I debated between the skills [Item Box], [Lock Bullet], and [Spear Attack Power Up (+4)], ultimately choosing to bet on [Spear Attack Power Up (+4)]. I thought that being able to defeat Goblins with a single blow would be a great advantage, and the result was spot on. In the subsequent battles, while not a complete kill, I significantly increased the likelihood of defeating Goblins with a single strike, marking a significant progress.
Upon leaving the dungeon, my status looked like this:
Name: Rokuyari Daichi
Level: 6 (+1)
Experience: 284/355
HP: 48/48 (+4)
MP: 20/40 (+4)
Strength: 11 (+1)
Endurance: 12 (+1)
Agility: 9
Magic: 10 (+1)
Skills
[Earth Heal]
[Mapping]
[HP Up (Endurance x4)]
[MP Up (Magic x4)]
[Spear Attack Power Up (+4)]
Remaining Skill Points: 0
I’m steadily leveling up. Let’s continue working diligently without rushing.
Later, I went for a late dinner with Kazane-san and bid her farewell. Since I have a full-time job for the next five days, any dungeon explorations with a party will have to wait until my next day off.
“Well then, Kazane-san, see you next week.”
“Yes, see you next week… But if I’m left alone in dungeon exploration without you, I might feel so lonely that I could die. If you happen to break our promise next week, prepare for a flood of calls to the contact you gave me, okay?”
Kazane-san said with a cute upward glance. Is she trying to kill me?
I replied while maintaining a calm demeanor, “That sounds scary. But I’m looking forward to diving into the dungeon with you again next week. Today was fun. Thank you.”
“Hehe, I feel the same. Thank you.”
After parting ways with Kazane-san, I rode my bike back home.
Although I have work starting tomorrow – I had decided to submit my resignation letter to the workplace.
