After finishing lunch, we returned in front of the dungeon.
It seemed like she also planned to join the dungeon exploration.
In other words, there was no need to worry.
There was no rush, so it was perfectly possible to join her and form a party to explore the dungeon this afternoon as a temporary measure and try working together.
However, I thought it would be dangerous for me, as I had barely any experience on the third level, a new environment for me, so I decided to take it slow.
We picked up our gear from the general information office and put it on.
I only have a spear, but Kazane-san has quite sophisticated gear, like leather armor and two daggers.
Although I also had room for improvement in my gear.
So, I decided to go to the weapon shop first.
“Oh, hey there, brother! Do you know Kazane-chan?”
The bald guy in the store said as soon as he saw me entering with Kazane.
Before I could respond, she replied.
“No, it’s the first time we meet~. We bumped into each other a while ago, and I was the one who started the conversation. We came up with the idea of forming a party, and now we are going to try exploring the second level.”
“Oh, I heard that my brother can use [Earth Heal]. He seems like a promising member for you.”
“Yes, indeed. Although nothing is certain, we want to see how we are collaborating together.”
“Well, even just increasing the number of people makes a difference. So, you came to buy something, right?”
“Ah, yes, it’s me… I’m interested in the 4000 yen wooden shield.”
Since I have some money, I thought of investing a bit in my safety.
After paying, I had about 880 yen left.
By the way, I decided to separate daily expenses like ramen cost from my dungeon budget for now.
Initially, I thought of spending up to 10,000 yen as an initial investment, but if I keep spending without limits, my daily life would get complicated.
In any case, now I had gear with a short spear in my right hand and a wooden shield in my left hand.
And I think it’s quite primitive to have only weapons and a shield without armor.
After shopping, we both exited the weapon shop. And this time, we finally headed towards the dungeon.
With Kazane, we stood under the magic circle and teleported inside the dungeon.
***
Once inside the dungeon, I remembered something I had forgotten to do.
“Ah, right! I haven’t acquired any skills yet. Kazane-san, could you please wait a moment?”
“Of course~. Take your time.”
So far, I hadn’t used the skill points I gained upon reaching level 3.
I opened the stats board and went to the skill acquisition screen.
After reviewing the list of available skills, I began to contemplate.
In my mind, there were some promising options.
One of them was to improve [Spear Attack Strength (+2)], as I had bought the spear but had not acquired this skill yet.
According to what the shopkeeper said, “Seekers who possess this can excel in melee combat,” so it was supposed to be a powerful skill.
Another option was the spell [Rock Bullet] as a long-range attack method.
Normally, there is a certain distance before melee combat begins in most encounters, so having the ability to attack from a distance would significantly increase the advantage by increasing the frequency of attacks.
However, it would consume MP, which would be a drawback by reducing the number of times I could use [Earth Heal].
The third option was [HP Increase (x4)]. Since my HP in normal state is equal to “resistance x3,” a sudden increase of more than 30% in my HP was expected.
In summary, I would simply be more resilient.
Another option is the skill of [Presence Detection].
It is a skill that allows quick detection of the presence of monsters and other beings.
Although I don’t know the exact range of its effectiveness, considering that it could avoid ambushes or even create opportunities to carry out ambushes, it is presumed to be a powerful skill.
Now, what should I do?
Perhaps it would be good to hear the opinion of a veteran in dungeon exploration.
I decided to consult Kazane-san about the skills I was considering acquiring.
After presenting the four options I was undecided about to Kazane, she seemed to ponder for a moment before responding.
“First and foremost, when it comes to which skill to acquire, it’s a personal decision, so you should decide for yourself. However, I can tell you for certain that I have the [Presence Detection] skill, so if we are together, the effectiveness of that skill would overlap. If the premise is to team up with me, maybe it should be a lower priority.”
“I understand.”
“But if you plan to explore solo, then it is definitely a valuable skill, so you might consider it as a reference.”
Yes, this has become even more complicated.
Well, whatever.
It doesn’t seem like there will be a definitive answer to this dilemma, so I’ll decide randomly.
Following my intuition, I chose to acquire the [HP Increase (resistance x4)] skill.
Considering that I will soon be exploring a dangerous area with the high-level Seeker, having a wide safety margin seemed like the wisest decision.
With this, my HP increased from “27/27” to “36/36”.
I noticed that by increasing the maximum limit, it quietly creeps towards that new maximum, which is quite useful.
“Done. I have finished.”
“Got it! Shall we go then? The staircase to the second level is this way~.”
I proceeded to follow Kazane, who headed left from the initial room.
