“Congratulations, Nina has reached Level 41!”
“So, that’s how it is.”
It was the fifth day of our dungeon conquest. We were supposed to start the full-scale assault today, but to test the full power of the Sexy Panther Mantle, Nina and I had ventured into the dungeon together since early morning until our scheduled meeting time. Nina had repeatedly felt like she was leveling up, so we decided to check it at the Hero Exclusive Reception, and as expected, our suspicions were confirmed.
(I guess I was being drained by the other two all this time, which is why my level wasn’t rising suddenly.)
To organize our thoughts, each Hero has different personal skills upon their birth. My rare skill, “All Abilities Super Boost,” enhances all abilities of those I party with. Nina’s rare skill, “Companion EXP Doubler,” doubles the EXP of her companions. When these two skills combined, our levels rose much faster than we could calculate. However, it stopped abruptly, I believe, because those abilities get dispersed when the number of companions increases.
“We will now check the Hero-exclusive magic you acquired at Level 40. Please place your hand on the crystal.”
Heroes gain Hero Magic for every five levels they gain. The higher the level, the more unique the magic acquired. The magic I gained at Level 40 was “Harmony Heal,” a simultaneous heal for everyone.
“It’s been confirmed! The magic you acquired is ‘Just Colors’!”
“What does it do?”
“It allows you to mark monsters or people with a colored glow! Try casting it on me as a test.”
“Hmm… ‘Just Colors!’ …Oh, it’s red!”
“Yes, I’m enveloped in a red glow. Please dispel it.”
It’s incredibly conspicuous. Once Nina chanted again, the glow disappeared. It seems surprisingly useful, like for designating which enemy to defeat first.
“Next, Mr. Derus.”
“Ah, yes.”
I handed over my Hero Porter Card. Come to think of it, my Porter Level increased normally even when we were a four-person party. Perhaps it’s not recorded based on my personal experience, but increases automatically based on the number of monsters defeated by the party.
“Congratulations, your Porter Level has jumped to 43!”
“Thanks a lot.”
“Here’s a commemorative gift for reaching Porter Level 40! It’s 200 pieces of emergency food, senbei crackers!”
“Let’s see… ‘Grandma’s Porter Porter Yaki.’ That’s a long name.”
“Here you go. They’ll get damp if you leave them out for too long, so please put them in your Porter Bag, or rather, into your Item Box, Lord Derus.”
The senbei, taken out from the item storage shelf, were then promptly placed into the Item Box, and our conversation concluded.
“Yo, already dungeon diving?”
“Good morning, Karna!”
“Clarice is here too.”
“Yes, I’ve left the deciphering of the revelation to the executives. They probably think it’s nothing important.”
“Alright, we’re all here. Then the four of us will dive in again.”
We four once again presented our Adventurer Cards at the reception and headed underground.
“Seriously, the dungeon today is rough.”
“It’s tough when even the shallow floors throw strong enemies at us mercilessly.”
“Shall we just call it a day?”
On the floor of the Guild’s underground dungeon entrance, a party emerged from a suddenly appeared door, complaining as they nursed their injuries. This was likely a warning to parties about to enter. It truly is a holy nation.
“It seems a bit rough, doesn’t it?”
“However, Mr. Deles and I have this on now.”
“I’ve seen it since earlier. It’s the Bikini Armor under the mantle, isn’t it? For you too, Mr. Deles?”
“No! It’s that mantle! Who would benefit if I wore Bikini Armor?”
“Derus, I don’t mind. I’ll help you shave all the hair on your body if that’s the case.”
This was the conversation as we were about to enter a dangerous dungeon.
“Jokes aside, this Sexy Panther Mantle that Mr. Deles and I have provides body lightening and speed amplification effects.”
“This is amazing! It can stretch and shrink to some extent based on the Hero’s magic power!”
“However, it’s exclusive equipment for rare classes, so it doesn’t seem to work for Karna, the warrior. Clarice, I have a regular-sized one, would you like to borrow it?”
“Th-then I’ll borrow it. It’s a glossy black color that doesn’t quite suit my Holy Maiden attire from the Church of the Goddess… but wow, it’s really lighter.”
“Since you’re not in the front lines, I don’t think there’s a risk of over-movement, but please get used to it quickly. Let’s go.”
The large entrance automatically closes when a party enters. The next party to enter will almost always find themselves connected to a different location. It seems they usually close it and reopen it if they happen to arrive at the same place.
“Speaking of which, I remember there was a time when we opened a door and it led to the Boss Room.”
“Yes, it was quite a while ago, it connected to the Demon Lord Darknest Ent’s room at that time.”
“Wow, that must have been tough. Did the Demon Lord even enter this Guild?”
“No, it seems they couldn’t go in or out, even the Demon Lord. Apparently, nine Adventurer Parties rushed in and defeated it during the brief time the door was open.”
“You were lucky. I wonder if something like that will happen again.”
As we spoke, it was our turn, and the door opened to reveal a path that looked like a normal cave. Usually, they look like they’re made of wood, so this is unusual. Perhaps it’s a deeper floor.
“Derus, let’s conserve your strength today. In preparation for a long battle, please remain as a Porter for now.”
“Understood! We’re starting the full-scale assault now! Let’s do our best!”
“You’re easy to read, boyfriend. Leave the front lines to me.”
“Then I’ll handle the healing. How about you, Killer, with your Attack Magic?”
“I’ll instruct you as needed, but Clarice, don’t be too concerned about conserving your strength. Come on, let’s go.”
And so, we ventured deep into the dungeon, known as the “Karakuri Dungeon.”
And then, ten hours later.
“Seriously, what was that trap room earlier?”
“I don’t know. There were six ascending and descending cages lined up, and two people were placed in each cage and given a question.”
“Indeed. If we answered correctly, the cage went up, and if we were wrong, it went down.”
“Yes, it was a system where whoever pressed the switch button on their cage first could answer.”
“Mr. Deles and I were made to sit in what was called the audience seats. It was labeled as a ‘Six Churches’ Inter-Pair Competition,’ and people from other churches looked annoyed.”
We were presented as representatives of the Church of the Goddess. I hope Nina didn’t get forcibly converted.
“However, the pair accommodation ticket for Starri Island for ten correct answers was taken by Ruanko Pure Faith.”
“It’s a shame, considering we almost reached nine.”
“What is this eye drop as a participation prize?”
“Let’s find out its effects at the Guild. It looks like we’re nearing the exit.”
“Ah, I’m having another revelation! ‘An Up-and-Down Quiz, its original material is old (omitted)’ What could this mean?”
Putting that aside, strangely, this dungeon has a peculiar property: the more strongly you wish to “go home,” the closer you get to the exit. Conversely, even if you wish to “go to the Boss Room,” there’s no feeling of getting closer. It’s a strange dungeon. As we continued, we reached a passageway made of wood. I could sense that the exit was near.
“Oh, we’ve reached a fork in the road.”
“The right path leads to the exit door. What about the left?”
“I’ll go take a look. Uh… No way…”
“Huh? I’ll go too… I recognize this. It’s the door to the Boss Room!”
“Really?!”
Having experienced the Demon Lord’s Room before, I knew it. This was almost certainly it. We returned to the junction with Clarice.
“Nina, what should we do?”
“This is troublesome. Even if we come back, such a chance won’t come easily.”
“What about supplies?”
“Mr. Deles and I have plenty thanks to our Item Box, but what about Karna’s stamina and willpower?”
“If it means we can finish this in one more fight, I can manage it. What do you say?”
Should we take the exit or challenge the Demon Lord’s Room? After much deliberation among the four of us, we came up with an outrageous plan.
===
Reflection omitted
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