April 10th.
As we had originally planned, Hinata-san and I arrived at the Shinjuku Dungeon first thing in the morning.
Today was the start of our overnight exploration—a heart-pounding, exciting two-day trip.
"Now then! Hinata-san! Let's get moving already!"
"Y-Yeah. I get that, but Takeo-kun, wait, wait! Just calm down a bit!"
"What is it!? Did you forget something!?"
I had energy to spare thanks to resting all day yesterday. On top of that, even though searching for a new hunting ground was the priority, the fact that this was an overnight trip meant I might be able to spend more time leveling than usual. I couldn't help but feel a bit overexcited.
As soon as we descended to Floor 1, I crouched down in front of Hinata-san, intending to carry her on my back as I usually did, but she stopped me.
"It's not that I forgot something... It's just, we have all this camping gear today. It would be wrong to make you carry me on top of that. You'll wear yourself out, and we aren't in a hurry, so let's just walk normally, okay?"
"Mmm...!!...You're right. I have a few things I want to discuss on the way, so let's do that."
I hesitated for a moment, but ultimately followed Hinata-san's advice.
The camping gear was designed to be compact and lightweight, but it still added up to a significant weight. Furthermore, since we had brought actual bentos and rice balls for today's lunch instead of portable rations or preserved food, my backpack was quite heavy.
Moving while carrying Hinata-san plus all the gear might indeed result in excessive stamina consumption. I decided to conserve my strength for the battles ahead.
"Well then, shall we?"
"Yeah, let's go."
The two of us began our trek through the dungeon.
By the way, Hinata-san hadn't started her stream yet. For the sake of the highlight reel, the plan was to start the broadcast once we reached Floor 5.
"So, Takeo-kun, what was it you wanted to talk about?"
Since she asked while we were walking, I dived into the topic I had been preparing.
"Right. Hinata-san, you're currently Level 19, aren't you?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"I was wondering what kind of skill build you're planning to go for from here on."
"...Build?"
"Ah, I mean... what kind of role are you envisioning as you allocate your status points and skill points?"
When I asked, Hinata-san fell silent for a moment. Her expression turned strangely somber, which I found puzzling.
"Hinata-san? Is something wrong?"
"...Takeo-kun, is there something... you want me to do?"
I hesitated for about a second before answering.
After all, what I was about to propose was meddling in someone else's skill build. I didn't intend to force her, but given Hinata-san's personality, there was a high probability she would simply accept my suggestion as law.
And the build I was proposing was entirely for my benefit, not hers. While it was a legitimate evolution of her role as a healer, it wouldn't help her become a solo combatant.
Would that be a disadvantage for a fighter like her?
Despite my doubts, I couldn't suppress my own desires. As a leveling fanatic, I wanted to explore the possibilities of the Seeker-type skills—those "crap skills" that were considered even worse than Killer-type skills!
So, I agonized for a single second and then made my move.
"—There is."
"...I see....What do you want me to do? Maybe a skill so that I can fight—"
"I want you to acquire Support Magic, Hinata-san!"
"—Eh?"
Wait. Did she just start to say something else?
"Hinata-san, did you just say something?"
"Ah, no! It's nothing! So! You want me to learn Support Magic? Why is that?"
Though I was curious about why she seemed so flustered, I continued my explanation.
"The truth is... in order to put the leveling method I've been researching into practice, I need someone with Support Magic. However, this method has almost no benefit for you, Hinata-san..."
"Um, what do you mean?"
"I'm planning to use the Seeker skill to level up."
Hinata-san froze. Then—
"...Eh? E-Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!!? N-No way, Takeo-kun, that's impossible!"
She rejected the idea with a shout. Apparently, even she knew about the Seeker skill.
"That skill increases experience points at the cost of lowering your stats, right!? Besides, your intelligence is still at its initial value! That means if the skill activates even at Level 1, your level will drop to 0!"
Let me explain the mechanics here.
Due to various titles and skills I had acquired, I was far behind my original schedule, but I had always intended to use the Seeker-type skills to power-level on the shallower floors.
While it's currently infamous as a useless trash skill, Seeker is known as a one-of-a-kind skill that increases acquired experience points.
Well, I had recently discovered that titles like Goblin Genocider and Lust Murder also increase experience against specific species... but since that information isn't public, the general consensus is that Seeker is the only way to boost experience gains.
Here is the detailed description of the Seeker skill, as excerpted from the Modern Dungeon Strategy Wiki:
―――――――――――――――― [Skill] Seeker Lv.1 — All stats except HP and MP are reduced by 20%. In exchange, acquired experience points are multiplied by 1.2. However, if any stat falls below its initial value, the user’s level temporarily becomes 0, and all stats revert to their initial values. This skill activates before attacking an enemy and must be maintained until the end of combat to receive the experience bonus. ――――――――――――――――
Do you see the problem?
Essentially, the skill lowers your stats to boost your experience. At maximum level, it doubles your experience gains. However, at the maximum level, activating it forces your level to "0" and resets your stats to their initial values.
Even at Level 1, if any stat—like my Intelligence, which I haven't invested in—is reduced by 20%, it falls below its "initial value" (the stat at Level 0). This triggers the penalty, resetting all my stats to their Level 0 state.
To put it generously, your stats will never drop below your Level 0 base. "Initial Value" refers to your stats when you are Level 0 with no status points allocated.
However, much like how enhancement-type skills such as Fighting Spirit don't increase your HP, the HP and MP values remain at your current level's maximum. Your acquired skills also remain usable.
On paper, it looks like you could still fight by using skills like Fighting Spirit to buff your initial values. But that's a trap.
You might have noticed that I have several skills that enhance my stats, but most of them come from my titles. Most explorers can only get one or two stat-buffing skills until they reach high-tier evolution or derivative skills.
The standard for warriors is Fighting Spirit, and for mages, it's Mind Concentration. At maximum level, Fighting Spirit doubles Strength, Constitution, and Agility, while Mind Concentration doubles Intelligence, Spirit, and Dexterity.
While there are skills that buff specific stats, they are much weaker than those two, so few people take them. In short, an explorer without special titles can usually only buff their stats to double their initial values.
And double the initial values of a Level 0 character—regardless of how good their skills are—is only enough to defeat monsters on the very shallowest floors.
If that's the case, it's much more efficient to just fight on deeper floors without using Seeker.
The stat penalty isn't even the only downside. You have to spend precious skill points to level up Seeker in the first place. If you put those points into other skills instead, you'd get stronger faster and be able to farm much more experience from stronger monsters.
Therefore—Seeker is useless! It's garbage! Trash! Only an idiot would waste points on it!
That is the absolute, undisputed evaluation of the Seeker skill.
However.
Oh, however!!
If there were another leveling fanatic like me here, they would surely have noticed it too.
I smell something... a distinct scent! An inconsistency hidden in that description!
—"Your level temporarily becomes 0, and all stats revert to their initial values."
Mmm, that's the part that bothers me. Why is it necessary for the "level to become 0"?
Simply resetting the stats to their initial values should have been enough. Furthermore, while it says your level becomes 0, your HP, MP, and skills remain unchanged. Isn't that a bit strange?
There are two major possibilities derived from this inconsistency.
First: The numerical value of the "Level" itself has a hidden meaning that isn't reflected in the stats. For example, some skill effects might scale with the difference between your level and the enemy's level. This is a bit of a meta-gamer read, but I doubt I'm far off.
Second: Having your level become 0 is a requirement for unlocking a derivative or evolution skill for Seeker.
Actually, once you maximize Seeker, you can acquire a derivative skill called Asceticism. I'll explain it later, but Asceticism is also a legendary pile of garbage. Even after maximizing Asceticism, no further skills appear.
Early in the dungeon era, pioneers who saw potential in Seeker tested this extensively. They ended up with two useless skills and ten wasted skill points. The community was filled with the sounds of their lamentation. After countless failed experiments, people stopped taking Seeker altogether, using the "noble sacrifices" of the pioneers as a warning.
But I refuse to accept that conclusion.
The status and skill system of the Modern Dungeons feels too deliberate—as if it were designed by an intelligent entity. If so, is there truly anything that is purely a waste? Would they really make an experience-boosting skill, which is fundamentally vital, into an irredeemable piece of trash?
There's something there. Something we haven't noticed yet.
Because I believe that, I want to explore the potential of Seeker. And for that, I need Hinata-san's help.
Driven by pure egoism, I decided to convince her.
"Hinata-san..."
"Takeo-kun, did you change your mind?"
"Will you... let me protect you on the surface as well!?"
"......Fueh!?"