"Sen-seiii!"
"Oh? Hello. What brings you here today? Do you have business with me?"
"It’s not exactly urgent~. Just a progress report! A progress report."
"Ah, I see. And... how are things on your end?"
"Yeah, things are going pretty smooth! The number of growth individuals is increasing fast. This method really is efficient, after all! Although plenty of them fail and die in the process, being able to make them grow all at once is seriously handy~."
"Is that so? That is good to hear. Things are proceeding smoothly here as well. Our forces are finally coming together."
"Right~? I mean, was it the Fragments Weapons? I never thought those Irregulars could be used like that. As expected of Sensei!"
"Heh, thank you. However, it isn't something worthy of such praise. I had already heard from the Master that there were humans who awakened to Skill Seeds because of them. Our vessels are the same, after all."
"I guess that’s true~."
"Even if someone awakens to a Skill Seed without being granted a 'seed' directly, it is meaningless to us... however, we have already proven through ourselves that if we grant them a seed later, they grow rapidly. Thus, the reverse is also true."
"Muuu."
"Oh? What is the matter?"
"...Sorry~, I didn't even think of something that simple~."
"Ah, no, no! My apologies, I didn't mean it like that!"
"Pout."
"I am always helped by you, and I rely on you....Won't you cheer up?"
"...Sigh. Well, I know you didn't mean any harm, Sensei, so it's fine."
"Thank you....Whew, you have me breaking into a cold sweat."
"Fuhihi. That vessel looks pretty inconvenient~."
"Well, it has a troublesome constitution... but its abilities are excellent."
"Anyway, getting back to the point... if things keep going like this, will the day we can raid the Master be coming soon?"
"Now, I wonder. The Master seems to have been on high alert ever since the Dungeon Terrorism incident. Even if we gather our forces, the current reality is that getting to the Master in the first place is difficult."
"Ahh~, yeah, I thought so... The Master stopped meeting with us too, after all."
"Indeed. I have looked into it... and it seems the only ones currently meeting with the Master in person are a select few collaborators who were entrusted with the Synchronicity Series."
"Ah, those little dolls~. Well, certainly, if he keeps those dolls by his side twenty-four-seven, it serves as proof of his innocence to the Master. But wait, hasn't he treated them differently from us right from the start?"
"Presumably... according to the Master, weren't they people he had known since before? Or perhaps he knew they were exceptionally strong from the beginning."
"Ah, like old comrades~?"
"It is merely a guess."
"So, what do we do? Do we just have to wait for the Master to set a trap like you said before, Sensei?"
"That is one option... but as of now, there has been no movement from the Master. It is quite troublesome..."
"I see~."
"Our forces are increasing, and it is unthinkable that the Master will do nothing, so the situation will eventually change. Besides... perhaps we may be able to go and see the Master from our side?"
"Hmm? Did you think of something?"
"Yes. Take a look at this."
"What’s this?"
"This is the DungeonTube channel of the Special Crisis Case Explorers. Something quite interesting is happening in the Minato Ward Dungeon at the moment."
"Something interesting?"
"Yes. An explorer party that was granted a seed created a Special Variant to obtain a Fragments Weapon in the Floor 10 monster room, but..."
"Wait, is it this boy on the screen? Huh, he looks like a pretty promising kid. He’s already quite strong even at this point... wait, hmm? Come to think of it, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before...? His opponent is... metal slimes? There are a lot of them, but is this thing the Special Variant?"
"That is not the main body. It seems it absorbed other slimes and split. Furthermore, the one fighting it is a different explorer from the one who was granted the seed."
"Ah, I see. If I look closely, this isn't the monster room. In that case, did the guy who brought out the Special Variant die?"
"No, no, he is alive."
"Eh? But he brought out a Special Variant in a monster room, right? If you’re inside, you can't get out unless you defeat the Special Variant. And yet the Special Variant seems to be outside the room... doesn't that mean he died?"
"No, he did not enter the monster room from the start."
"Eh? What do you mean~?"
"It seems he captured other explorers on Floor 3, and after moving to Floor 10, he threw the captured explorers and a Magic Stone into the monster room. The fragment that serves as the core tends to choose the fragment of the person with the highest level nearby... though that is not guaranteed."
"Ah, so that’s how... ugh. Humans do such horrible things to their own kind. They really are an inferior lifeform after all..."
"Yes, killing one's own kind is barbaric... well, he is a particularly cowardly individual even among humans, so one could say he was cautious to that extent..."
"A coward who sacrifices others~?"
"It seems cowardice and malice can coexist, you know? At least in creatures known as humans."
"Hmm."
"Well, putting that matter aside... the one I am focusing on is the man currently fighting the metal slimes."
"This kid, huh... are you going to give him a seed? I think it’s a good idea. He looks like he could get much stronger, so is he a vessel candidate?"
"No, I will not give him one. I am thinking of having him fulfill a different role."
"A different one? What are you going to make him do?"
"Exactly what I mentioned earlier. I intend to have him work for us so that we may meet the Master."
"Hmm~?"
"I did a little research, and it seems it has been less than two months since he became an explorer."
"No way!? And he’s doing this!? Isn't that growth speed a bit too abnormal!?"
"Yes, it is quite irregular. And if he is a talent of that caliber... don't you think he would be chosen as a collaborator for the Master?"
"Well, I guess so~....He seems even more excellent than my vessel, so it wouldn't be strange if that happened."
"Yes. His growth speed is faster than even my vessel. At this pace, I believe it will happen in the not-too-distant future."
"Uh-huh....And then?"
"Don't you see? If he is a collaborator, there will surely be a time when he meets the Master in person at least once."
"...Ah!! The first time he goes to meet him in the hidden area!!"
"Exactly."
"But~, unlike when it was with our vessels, it’s on Floor 30 now, right? Won't it take a long time for this kid to get that far?"
"...I wonder? He might arrive surprisingly quickly... though I am considering providing some secret assistance in that regard."
"I see~. Ah, so that’s why you won't give this kid a seed?"
"Yes. There seem to be limitations, but the Master is apparently able to identify Skill Seed holders. If I were to give him a seed, he would no longer be able to reach the Master. And for the same reason, those we have granted seeds to will never be chosen as the Master's collaborators..."
"So that’s why you’re using an outsider, huh~."
"That is correct."
"I get it now~. I mean, we have to be careful too, so we don't get found out by the Master before the raid."
"Indeed. However, as long as we do not meet him in person, it should be fine. Unless he actually examines our bodies with his power, he shouldn't be able to be certain."
"I see~. Then that’s a relief—ah!"
"What is it?"
"I thought I’d seen this kid somewhere—he’s 'Inabauer Bro'!"
"Ah, it seems that name is famous overseas due to the influence of internet memes. In Japan, he appears to be called 'Leveling Junkie Bro'."
"Hmm, I see, I see~. No wonder... I think I might be getting interested in this kid. Fuhihi!"
"...Feel free to do as you wish, but please refrain from anything that might jeopardize the plan."
"It’s okay, it’s okay! I know where to draw the line!"
"If that is the case, then very well..."
"—By the way."
"What is it?"
"Where is the guy who brought out these metal slimes?"
"Currently... ah, it seems he has decided to head deeper into Floor 10 together with Leveling Junkie Bro and the others."
"Deeper into Floor 10? Is there something there?"
"The main body of the metal slimes is there. He probably judged that they couldn't defeat it themselves and intends to have others do it for them."
"Hmm....Doesn't that mean that guy will end up fighting Inabauer—I mean, Leveling Junkie Bro? I bet he plans to steal the Fragments Weapon that drops, right?"
"..."
"I don't care about the guy you gave the seed to, but won't it be a problem if Leveling Junkie Bro dies?"
"............Well, if he is the sort of person who can be killed by someone like him, he won't be able to become the Master's collaborator anyway... so it shouldn't be a particular problem. I will simply find someone else at that time."
"I see~....Don't die on me, Leveling Junkie Brooo."