Technically, testing the effects of the Awakened One title wasn't necessary—the description made the benefits clear enough.
Still, actually putting it into practice was an exhilarating experience.
After all, my experience multiplier had skyrocketed from 8x to a staggering 12.8x at just skill level 1!
In the Floor 7 Monster Room, that translated to exactly 592,448 experience points per lap. Back when the multiplier was "only" 8x, I was pulling in 370,280, so this was an increase of over 220,000 per run. This was absolutely insane!
The efficiency was monstrous. Consequently, the sheer euphoria of the grind was soaring through the roof.
Perhaps it was just my imagination—or maybe I was just that high on the rush—but the agonizing pain and leaden fatigue caused by Asceticism didn't bother me in the slightest.
Don't get me wrong; I could still feel the pain and the exhaustion. However, the agony no longer caused my muscles to seize up, and the fatigue didn't leave my mind in a fog.
I felt perfectly normal. I could move with the same clarity and ease as if the skill wasn't even active.
Then again, that might have just been the high from the massive experience gain. I was in a similar state of "sage mode" yesterday once I got going.
For the record, we kept the rotation going until just after 6:30 PM that day, deciding to head back after 135 laps. During all those battles, the actual effects of Equanimity never became clear.
Seriously, what is that skill even for?
I didn't notice any downsides, so it wasn't a problem, but it remained a mystery.
In any case...
"Man, at this rate, I should be hitting the next level by the day after tomorrow!"
I spoke with a beaming face after we finished our final lap, collected the goblin drops, and finished our preparations to leave.
Actually, "beaming" might be an understatement; it was more like pure, unadulterated relief.
Ever since the experience required for my next level climbed past 100 million, I had been terrified that my sleepless nights were going to return. Unlike the period when the dungeon was closed, I was at least able to "consume" experience now, so the withdrawal symptoms might not be as severe, but still.
『Wait, that’s way too fast!』 『Earning 100 million experience in two or three days? What the hell is going on, seriously?!』 『Normally, going from Level 39 to 40 below Floor 10 takes about three months, you know? And even beyond Floor 10, doing it in two or three days is unheard of!』 『They're basically operating at a level past Floor 10 even if they're a party...』 『Leveling Junkie Bro is just going to keep accelerating, isn't he...?!』 『What’s going to happen when he actually goes to the lower floors?』 『Part of me just wants to see how far Leveling Junkie Bro can actually go.』 『Same here. Seriously, isn’t he basically on the path to becoming a top explorer like Headshot Yakuza or Master Denshiro?』 『Hinata-chan really put in the work this stream too.』 『Yeah, the number of times she had to cast healing magic per lap definitely went up.』 『No, I mean, "good job taking care of Leveling Junkie Bro" in a general sense lol.』 『True, she basically had to nurse Leveling Junkie Bro back to health every time he collapsed in ecstasy lol.』 『Hinata-chan is a literal angel. I want her to take care of me too lol.』 『But seriously, wasn't Hinata-chan exhausted? They did so many laps, she must have been spamming magic.』 『I mean, she was using potions to recover, but how did her MP even hold out? Is Hinata-chan's stomach okay?』 『Wait! Does that mean Leveling Junkie Bro was forcing her to chug potions?! That’s total Potion Harassment!』 『You were making Hinata-chan chug potions even though she didn't want to?! I had a "that’s hot" moment for a second, but that’s actually a huge no-no, Leveling Junkie Bro!』 『Hinata-chan, you should just say no if you don't like it! We’ll help you sue Leveling Junkie Bro if you want!』 『Hey, Leveling Junkie Bro! Stop pushing Hinata-chan so hard!』
"..." "..."
Just as we were getting ready to leave, the very topic I had been dreading finally surfaced, sending a slight chill down my spine.
I instinctively locked eyes with Hinata-san, and we had a silent conversation.
It was fine. I had already set up an alibi just in case this happened.
Specifically, I had Hinata-san pretend to drink potions throughout the day, even when she didn't actually need them.
The reason? To deceive the viewers about the actual number of potions she was consuming.
And why was that necessary?
I think looking at Hinata-san’s Status will make it clear.
This is what Hinata-san looks like now:
【Name】 Mashiro Hinata 【Level】 32 Experience until next level: 1,973,065 HP: 69/69 (9 up!) MP: 98/220 (31 up!) Strength: 30 Constitution: 39 (9 up!) Intelligence: 135 (16 up!) Spirit: 85 (15 up!) Agility: 60 Dexterity: 100 (20 up!) 【STP】 0 【SP】 0 【Skills】 Intermediate Healing Magic (Lv. Max), Mind Concentration (Lv. Max), Fleet-footed (Lv. 3), Charm (Lv. 2), Holy Magic (Lv. Max), Life Magic (Lv. 4), Fire Magic (Lv. 5), Holy Fire Magic (Lv. 1), Saint (Lv. Max), Healer (Lv. 4) 【Titles】 Beguiling Beauty, Saint
Hinata-san had gained two levels over the last two days, so her stats had become quite respectable.
Additionally, her Fire Magic level had reached 5. This was because I’d had her use the Fire Magic skill orbs that had dropped. Her skill level was already 4 when we arrived at the dungeon yesterday, so we had quite a few orbs left over.
I decided we'd just sell all the remaining ones.
As for why the Fire Magic level was "5" instead of "Max," it was because a skill evolution was possible. However, she couldn't use orbs to level it up further from there; it would require spending skill points, so I left that decision up to her.
Now... enough with the distractions.
The real issue lay in the unfamiliar skill and title. Here are the details:
【Title】 Saint — For saving many lives in a time of peril and earning deep gratitude. Possessing a heart of mercy and the power of healing, you are worthy of the name Saint. Grants the title skill "Saint."
【Skill】 Saint (Lv. Max) — Unlocks the recovery limit up to 2x. Increases the effects of healing and holy-type skills by 2.0x. Additionally, reduces the MP cost of healing and holy-type skills by 50%.
Healer (Lv. 4) — During combat, if the user deals zero damage to enemies and restores an ally's HP, 4 MP is restored at the end of the battle.
Seriously, this is just too broken!
The reason our efficiency in the Monster Room had increased by such a ridiculous margin compared to our run before the dungeon closure was entirely thanks to Hinata-san!
Specifically, that title skill, Saint! It was insane!
Who even thought of this performance? No wonder Saint Bellwood was able to become a top-tier explorer with her harem party!
During this run, I had Hinata-san use three skills per lap: High Heal, Bless, and Heal.
Normally, that would cost 25 MP per lap.
However, by spending the skill points she had been hoarding, Hinata-san had raised her Saint skill to its maximum level all at once. This slashed the MP cost down to 12.5.
Interestingly, while the reduced MP cost isn't reflected on the status screen itself, it is calculated precisely to the decimal point internally.
I knew this because when she used Heal (normally 5 MP) twice, each cast costing 2.5 MP, her status would show a total reduction of exactly 5 MP. On the first cast, it would look like it cost 3 MP due to rounding, but the internal total remained accurate.
But I digress.
The bottom line was that the Saint skill allowed her to cast far more magic. That alone was massive.
However, the Healer skill also had a deceptively large impact.
Unlike Saint, Healer wasn't a title skill. It was a general skill that healers with Healing Magic could eventually acquire through experience.
Its effect was simple: if you dealt no damage to enemies and healed an ally, you'd recover MP equal to the skill level at the end of the battle.
This skill had improved Hinata-san’s endurance exponentially.
With both Saint and Healer active, her actual MP cost per Floor 7 Monster Room lap was effectively reduced to just 8.5.
At 15 laps per hour, that meant a total expenditure of 127.5 MP. However, Hinata-san naturally recovered 110 MP every hour. In other words, her net consumption was only 17.5 MP per hour.
When we first entered the dungeon yesterday, her Healer level was only 2 and her total MP was slightly lower, so she actually did have to use mana potions... but now, she barely needed them at all.
It was insane. I’ll say it again: it was absolutely insane!
But it wasn't just "insane" in terms of efficiency. It was dangerous in a very literal sense.
It was still fresh in my memory how those creeps had been targeting Hinata-san before. To be blunt, they were after her even when she was just a normal healer.
If the world found out she had the Saint skill?
It would cause a total catastrophe. After all, it was common knowledge that Saint Bellwood’s ability to cure terminal illnesses and regenerate limbs was rooted in this very skill.
Furthermore, there was a non-zero chance that Saint Bellwood would move to eliminate Hinata-san if she found out a rival "Saint" had appeared. That woman was an absolute approval-seeking monster!
For those two reasons, we absolutely could not let anyone know Hinata-san had acquired the Saint title.
Some might ask: why not just limit the number of laps to something less suspicious?
Hinata-san and I had considered that.
However, we ultimately decided to use the Saint skill to its full potential.
The reason was simple: leveling. Specifically, for the sake of self-defense.
I hadn't forgotten what Headshot Yakuza told me about the requirements for using skills and stats on the surface. We were determined to meet those requirements as quickly as possible.
This wasn't just my obsession, either. Hinata-san was on the same page. Seriously. It wasn't like I forced her or begged like a child.
You needed at least 400 HP or MP, or 200 Intelligence and Dexterity to use magic skills, or 200 Strength and Dexterity to use combat arts skills on the surface.
Once those conditions were met, our safety in the real world would increase exponentially. If the effects of HP were reflected properly, even someone with a handgun wouldn't be a major threat.
Was there any better safety measure than that? No!
From the beginning, my goal had been to ensure Hinata-san’s safety, and we decided to accept a bit of risk to maximize the efficiency of reaching that goal.
And—I had already thought of a way to minimize that risk.
"A-Ah, no, I'm okay! I'm not pushing myself too hard, I promise!"
As the viewers continued to flame me for Potion Harassment (Why?!), Hinata-san stepped in to frantically defend me.
"Umm, I actually have the Healer skill. So I'm not drinking nearly as many potions as you might think! And I've also taken some skills that reduce MP consumption..."
By choosing to reveal the Healer skill, she provided a plausible explanation for her MP recovery.
She also publicly admitted to having MP reduction skills. There are actually several skills besides Saint that reduce MP costs. They aren't nearly as potent and don't offer the extra buffs that Saint does, but they can be unlocked by frequently using magic, so they aren't exactly unheard of.
『Ah, okay, that makes sense.』 『Healer, huh? I forgot healers could get a skill like that.』 『Wait, what's the Healer skill?』 『There's a skill like that? What does it do?』 『Keeping it simple, the Healer skill restores MP after a battle. It's not much, but it adds up.』 『And she has reduction skills too?』 『Come to think of it, Hinata-chan had magic skills from the start, and she’s been an explorer for a year. It’s not weird for her to have unlocked some reduction skills by now.』 『As expected of Hinata-chan! With Healer and reduction skills, she’s basically a veteran healer now!』 『As a day-one sub to Hinata Channel, I'm literally crying at her growth.』
The comment section seemed satisfied with the explanation.
Hey, we weren't lying. Not really.
Besides, Hinata-san’s full status wasn't public. To the viewers, her total MP, natural recovery rate, and full skill list were a Schrödinger's cat. Even if the math felt a little off, they couldn't prove anything.
...Well, if someone meticulously analyzed the stream VOD, they might realize something was wrong, but for now, it was fine.
Once I saw the viewers were satisfied, I immediately fired my next shot.
I needed to pull their attention even further away from Hinata-san’s MP suspicious. I was going to drop a much bigger bomb to make sure the previous doubts were completely forgotten.
I clapped my hands twice to get their attention.
"Ahem. Everyone, I have an announcement to make."
『Oh?』 『What is it?』 『Leveling Junkie Bro is being surprisingly formal.』 『I smell a major announcement.』 『Is it about the fact that your backpack hasn't gotten any bigger even though you've stuffed it with like a million magic stones?』
...I hadn't even mentioned it yet, but someone had already noticed.
I nodded solemnly. "Not even close."
『It's not that?!』 『Then what is it?!』 『Wait, now I'm actually really curious about the bag!』
I figured I had to address that first or they wouldn't listen to anything else.
"This backpack is an expansion bag enchanted with Spatial Expansion and Weight Reduction. Hinata-san and I were selected as Special Crisis Case Explorers, and as part of the government support package, we were loaned these bags."
There was no point in hiding it—mostly because I couldn't.
The list of Special Crisis Case Explorers is actually available on the Japan Explorer Association website. It went live yesterday, so there was no harm in mentioning it.
I assumed some viewers had already checked, but since our names were probably buried at the very bottom of the list, they might have missed it.
『Wait, what?!』 『Eh?!』 『For real?!』 『I had a hunch, but it's actually true?!』 『Can you really get picked for that if you haven't even cleared Floor 10 yet?』 『Congrats... wait, is that a good thing?』 『To explain: it's not just the top-tier guys. They're actively recruiting anyone with powerful skills or high potential to join the top tier soon. Naturally, I already knew Leveling Junkie Bro and Hinata-chan had been picked.』 『Explainer Bro?! No wait, it's Expert Bro, lol!!』 『I knew too lol. The stream was just so full of bigger bombs that I didn't even think to bring it up lol.』 『Same here. Too much other stuff going on lol.』 『Me too. I mean, the start of yesterday's stream basically eclipsed everything else lol.』 『Between the opening fight and the ahe-face, I totally forgot lol.』 『The list was all over the news, and you can see it on the association's site whenever you want lol.』 『If you guys knew, say something! And Leveling Junkie Bro, you should've announced it sooner!』
It turned out quite a few people already knew.
The comment section descended into chaos again. I clapped my hands once more to bring them back to the present.
The conversation had already drifted away from the MP suspicions, but I was going to finish what I started.
"Actually, I have another experience-boosting skill besides Seeker, Asceticism, and Awakened One."
『What?!』 『Wait, what?!』 『Hey, hey, hey, hey!!!』 『Another bombshell!』 『I suspected it, but you really had one more?!』
"The skill is called Goblin Genocider. It's the final form of the Goblin Killer evolution chain. When facing goblins, it unconditionally doubles all stats except HP and MP, quadruples damage dealt, and—most importantly—doubles experience gained."
『Haaaaaaaaaa?!』 『What the hell is that skill?!』 『An evolution of the evolved Goblin Killer?! That exists?!』 『Wait, wait, wait! That's way more of a bomb than I expected! Too much info!』 『Wait, that performance is totally broken?!』 『Even if it only works on goblins, isn't that way too strong?!』 『Wait, does that mean Leveling Junkie Bro was actually dumping points into Goblin Killer?!』 『He's seriously got balls of steel. That could've ended his career if it didn't pay off!』 『No, wait, what are the evolution requirements?! Leveling Junkie Bro, do you know how to get it?!』
"I have a pretty good idea of what the requirements are. I’ll be posting that information on Hinata-san’s ZX account as soon as the stream ends. Hinata-san."
"A-Ah, right....Um, so, that’s all for today’s stream!"
『Wait!』 『Wait a minute, Hinata-chan!』 『I still have questions!』
"Thank you all for watching today. I hope you’ll tune in for the next one too. See you then!"
"Good job today!"
『Wait, wait!』 『Seriously, wait!』 『Hinata-chan!』
Ignoring the desperate pleas of the viewers, we cut the stream and made our way back to the surface.
As a side note...
The total value of the magic stones and loot we collected during this run exceeded 382 million yen.
Even after splitting it with Hinata-san, that was nearly 200 million yen each—pre-tax, of course.
Additionally, we had four Fire Magic skill orbs that dropped from the Archmages. Hinata-san used one, leaving us with three.
At the suggestion of the Japan Explorer Association staff, we decided to put those up for auction on the association's official portal.
I wonder how much they’ll fetch...
Honestly, I’ve already earned far more money than I know what to do with, so I wasn't that concerned. It was already well beyond my personal capacity to manage. Aside from buying better weapons or equipment, I couldn't even think of what to spend it on.
I wonder if the day will ever come when I actually find a use for the digits that keep piling up in my bank account.
If I could use cash to buy experience points, I'd dump my entire life savings into it without a second thought...