On the way back to the Clan House with Team 2, Tsutomu said to Hannah,
“By the way… Seriously? Flame Attack? What the hell were you thinking?”
“Hehehe… Wasn’t that awesome, Teach!? NOW I finally feel like I’m a real Magic Fist successor!”
Hannah proudly puffed out her chest and started laughing ominously at her achievement… of shouting out a nonexistent skill’s name and ending a battle in a blaze of glory. Tsutomu, seeing that Hannah was eagerly waiting for him to say something, decided instead to turn to Leleia and Amira.
“You two made good use of your Spirit contracts. Keep it up.”
“Tsutomu… the hell did you say to her?”
“Nothing much, really. Just reminded her of what she had set out to do.”
“…Yeah, you’re not fooling anyone. Why would she even start getting nice and cooperative all of a sudden?”
Amira, not satisfied with the non-committal answer she had gotten, pressed herself against Tsutomu and put an arm over his shoulder in an attempt to make him talk more. Leleia’s eyes as she observed the two grew colder and colder.
“Excuse me, would you mind keeping yourself away from her?”
“Teach! Why d’ya gotta ignore me like that!?”
And so Tsutomu was tormented further by Leleia and Hannah’s complaints on the rest of the way back to the Clan House.
Afterward, Tsutomu had Team 2 organize an evaluation meeting among themselves, and then he went out alone again. While his primary objective of the day was to watch Team 2’s Winter General battle, there was another thing he wanted to observe as well. Specifically, he was interested in the Light and Dark layers that Ealdred Crow was currently exploring.
[The monsters aren’t all that different from what I know. We might need some spellcasters, though…]
So far, the monsters seemed unchanged from the roster of the Dungeon’s counterpart in Live Dungeon, which was more or less what he had expected. In these Light and Darkness layers, there were ethereal-type monsters, against which magic-based Jobs were more effective.
Since there were times when the Dungeon was pitch dark, a reliable light source would likely be essential. And since monsters could exhibit behaviors that did not conform to the game’s typical patterns, Tsutomu kept a close watch on Ealdred Crow while they were being shown on Monitor #1.
[I knew it… They really are in a league of their own.]
In contrast to the time they had been stuck on the sixtieth layer with the Fire Dragon, Ealdred Crow was now recognized as the leading major Clan of Explorers. Tsutomu had anticipated this outcome because they were the major Clan that had invested the most resources, both of the human and material kind.
Until now, most major Clans had primarily consisted of unique skill holders. As the three-role team composition grew in prominence, however, the significance of unique skill holders had diminished. In God’s Dungeon, it was more effective to have five individuals who could perform their designated roles than to have a one-man army. Tsutomu was well aware of this fact.
[And the Silver Beast… looks like they’re still busy preparing for stuff.]
Silver Beast, which had been competing with Ealdred Crow on the Snow Field layers, originally had the structure of a mid-tier Clan, but they were now laying the foundation to become a major clan. Their main purpose was to raise funds to take in orphans, but now they were caught up in various marketing schemes due to the Ice Magic Stone, and Dungeon exploration was not their current focus. As such, as a Clan of Explorers, their progression appeared to be stagnating.
“As for Golden Tune and Scarlet Devil Squad… well, they’re probably nothing to worry about. Doesn’t look like they’ll catch up anytime soon.”
The two major Clans with unique skill holders did not show any signs of making it past the Winter General yet, though that did not necessarily mean they had been simply sitting idly by. In particular, Leon and Weiss, who were unique skill holders, seemed to be practicing evasion-based Tanking strategies, much like Hannah.
Since they were the core of their respective Clans, however, changing their fighting style would naturally take some time for their teams to readjust themselves into a cohesive unit again.
[So for now, it should be fine if we can just hold our current position. After that, we can focus on the ninetieth layer’s boss.]
In order to be the first to clear the hundredth layer, Tsutomu had planned to let Ealdred Crow take the lead up to the ninetieth layer. After all, even with prior knowledge from Live Dungeon, conquering up to the hundredth layer without the knowledge unique to this world would be quite challenging. Therefore, he found it necessary to observe some other Clans to explore the Dungeon first.
And since Tsutomu had no intention of dying — for as long as he could manage, at least — it was necessary to achieve his victories over the layer bosses on his first attempts, considering that their fights could not be retreated from. For this purpose, it was essential to study whatever information was available, meaning some other team needed to engage the layer boss first and serve as a preview.
In fact, if he had not gotten any prior information on the Mount Golem at the seventieth layer or the Winter General at the eightieth layer from the Monitors, a first-attempt victory might have been impossible. Tsutomu planned to let Ealdred Crow face the ninetieth layer’s boss first, analyze whatever information he could collect, and then take on the challenge himself.
[Unless there are additional peculiarities unique to this world, it should be manageable… But it probably will be challenging either way.]
So far, he had observed many such peculiarities — such as the behavior of various monsters, the nature of the black flames emitted by the Black Dragon, and the criminally delicious taste of the Shell Crab — and confirmed that they had never been like that in Live Dungeon, both in terms of gameplay and background information. As such, for the ninetieth layer’s boss, there might be something unique worth watching out for, and the only way to know was to observe Ealdred Crow’s battle.
With all that said, he intended for his team to conquer the ninetieth layer before Ealdred Crow could. And then, for the hundredth layer, he planned to go in without any prior observation through the Monitors. Tsutomu did not want to get himself killed, of course, but he was afraid that being the first to conquer the hundredth layer could be essential to him. In order to find a way back to his original world, he felt that he had to take that risk.
[I’m sure there’s something there… but what if there isn’t?]
The very first place Tsutomu had been sent to in this world was the Ancient Castle of Oblivion, where the hundredth layer’s boss, the Corroded Elder Dragon, resided. As such, Tsutomu believed that there might be some kind of event or revelation beyond the hundredth layer, but there was no guarantee. It could simply open the way to the secret dungeon or, perhaps, there might not even be a way to return to his original world.
[And what would I do then? Maybe I’ll have to live here forever… I mean, I kinda don’t want to…]
This world was incredibly comfortable for Tsutomu. It was based on Live Dungeon, after all, so he could apply the knowledge he had here, and Dungeon exploration in real life was truly enjoyable. And he had friends here — not just Amy, Garm, and Camille, but so many other reliable comrades.
However, perhaps things were almost too comfortable. As a result, he felt a sense of unease and fear, which he simply could not shake off. He had never been one to be able to completely detach himself from the reality he was familiar with — not even when he was addicted to Live Dungeon.
Given that Tsutomu had finally reached the eighty-first layer, he could not help but think about what could be ahead. Lately, it was the only thing on his mind. It never crossed his mind all that much while he was actively exploring the Dungeon or talking with Clan members, of course, but whenever he was alone, it was all he could think about.
In this world, Tsutomu was the only one who knew about his true self. He felt a profound sense of loneliness because of this, and he feared that if he shared too much with someone, he might not be able to return to how he originally was. So, when Camille had previously inquired about his past, Tsutomu had chosen to not tell her anything.
[Nineteen layers to go, huh…]
With that thought in mind, Tsutomu gazed at the Monitor where Ealdred Crow’s main party was displayed.
▽▽
Both of Absolute Helix’s teams had progressed past the eightieth layer and gained access to the Light and Darkness layers. Following this achievement, the teams disbanded temporarily, and until they reached the ninetieth layer, they were free to team up however they wished. Still, if they encountered a difficult mid-boss monster like the Bolseyer, Tsutomu would have to step in and issue direct instructions.
“Tsutomu, you gotta team up with me,” Amira said before dinner, being the first to approach Tsutomu with this proposition. With her vibrant, faintly glowing red hair, she was most likely in her <<Dragon Form>>.
Following her, Leleia, holding the miniature girl-form Gnome in her arms, also approached him.
“Tsutomu, the Spirits are waiting to go adventuring with you. Please include me in your team.”
The Gnome held out its arms, demanding Tsutomu to lift it up. The latter only answered with a non-committal smile. Considering that both Amira and Leleia had been in Team 2, their desire to team up with him was quite strong.
“Teach! You wanna see my Flame Attack up close!?”
“S-Sir Tsutomu! I’d like to team up with you, too!”
“…Uh, okay, sure. I’ll go with you guys tomorrow. Korinna, can you team up with the others?”
“Y-yes! I understand!”
Korinna, who had looked somewhat down upon seeing fellow Team 2 members flocking to another Healer, perked up upon hearing Tsutomu’s request. She then happily devoured the cheese doria that had been served to her for dinner and wore a contented expression.
Amy, who had been trying to encourage the gloomy Korinna, looked on as the girl ate, and when she noticed Korinna’s expression, she cracked a dry smile. At that moment, a spoonful of cheese doria was extended before Amy’s eyes.
“Say ‘ahh.'”
“…Uh, Dini, this looks pipin’ hot, you know.”
“Fuu~~”
It seemed that Diniel had misinterpreted Amy’s concern for Korinna as a desire to eat the cheese doria. After blowing on the hot spoonful, Diniel then presented it to Amy again.
After locking eyes with Diniel, Amy reluctantly took a bite, knowing it likely was still likely hot on the inside.
“AHH! It burns!”
“I knew.”
“You KNEW!?”
Amy, with her sensitive tongue of a cat, predictably writhed in discomfort after tasting the hot cheese doria, while Diniel proceeded to take a sip of water with a composed expression. After finally managing to swallow the cheese doria that had caused a minor disaster in her mouth, Amy playfully nudged Diniel’s shoulder in annoyance.
In the midst of their conversation, Xeno and Garm appeared to be discussing Daryl.
“It seems that Daryl might be getting a sponsorship request specifically for him. Isn’t that great?”
“…I’m not so sure. The more attention he gets, the more he withdraws. Can he handle it?”
“I’m sure he can — after all, he hasn’t been forced into acting. His genuine reactions are part of his appeal. In fact, issues might arise if and when he gets used to performing those reactions…”
So far, Daryl had received training from both of them, inheriting Garm’s strength and Xeno’s popularity. Their guidance was bearing fruit, with Daryl building himself up consistently in both aspects. In fact, he had recently gained a fan club, further increasing his influence.
“Changing the color of his <<Combat Cry>> seems to have been effective. It’s impressive enough to make him stand out as an individual. Perhaps you should try it as well, Garm.”
“…I don’t like the sound of doing that.”
“Come now, you do realize that there are things your apprentice can teach you, yes?”
Garm, with his arms crossed and a furrowed brow, was engaged in a thoughtful discussion with the cheerful Xeno, even while they were in the middle of a meal.
After dinner, while everyone was relaxing on their own, Tsutomu read the newspaper while letting the playful Gnome sit on his back. As he was lost in thought, wondering why the Gnome’s hair was so silky smooth even though it was made of clay, he heard a voice calling him from behind.
“Mister Tsutomu, may I have a moment?”
Ollie, who had finished cleaning up after dinner, approached Tsutomu with a letter in her hand. Tsutomu observed the formal seal on the letter and responded with a slightly furrowed brow.
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