After descending the long staircase leading down from Floor 10, we finally arrived at Floor 11.
The landing opened into a plaza, just like the previous floors, and I could see a teleportation circle glowing on the floor further back. The dungeon’s interior remained largely unchanged—it still felt like a heavy, stone-built underground ruin.
Holes were carved into the walls of the plaza and the passages beyond at regular intervals, where the dungeon’s "Everlasting Candles" flickered with a steady light.
However, compared to Floor 10, the passages were wider and the ceilings were significantly higher. At this point, it felt as though I’d wandered into the ruins of giants.
『The visuals haven't changed much, huh?』
『I can tell it’s gotten way wider, though.』
『So this is Floor 11...』
『If I recall, the Shinjuku Dungeon is almost entirely unexplored from Floor 11 onwards, right?』
『Headshot Yakuza made it to Floor 25, but he always takes the shortest route and hasn’t explored Shinjuku Dungeon that many times...』
『Aside from him, there are only a few parties that have moved on to other dungeons now, right?』
『Wait, does that mean the only ones currently exploring below Floor 11 in the Shinjuku Dungeon are Leveling Junkie Bro and Hinata-chan!?』
『Yep.』
『Wait, besides the Yakuza Bro, how far has it been cleared?』
『I think it was around Floor 13.』
『What? Are there even maps for it?』
『There shouldn't be a map of the entire floor. It probably hasn't been explored corner to corner.』
『Floor 14 and beyond are completely unknown. Even when the Headshot Yakuza streamed his Shinjuku Dungeon run, he started suddenly from the Floor 20 boss room.』
『Hey, hey, hey!! The difficulty just spiked in a non-combat way!!』
『What are you gonna do, Leveling Junkie Bro!?』
『Don't you need companions with Trap Detection or scouting skills!?』
While the viewers were discussing various things in the comment section, Hinata-san and I first stepped onto the teleportation circle to register the floor.
Now that we could teleport to Floor 11 whenever we wanted, we could start our exploration directly from here next time.
And so.
Since a question had come up in the comments around then, I turned toward the drone to answer.
"Of course! My experience points would decrease, so I will not be adding more companions!!"
『"Of course!" my ass!!』
『Then what are you gonna do!?』
『If you just wander around without a map, you’re seriously gonna die!?』
『It’s gonna be bad if you can't find traps yourselves from here on out!?』
『Or do you plan on getting a Trap Detection skill yourself?』
『Hah!? Is that an option!?』
Do you remember the talk about traps in the dungeon?
When I say traps, I don't just mean monster rooms that act as trap rooms. There are also standard pitfalls, spears, and mechanisms that fire arrows. It’s been confirmed that from around Floor 16, teleportation traps exist in addition to these.
Teleportation traps aside—the reason we haven't triggered any of these traps so far is that their locations were all known. The maps on the "Modern Dungeon Strategy Wiki" clearly list the locations and types of traps. Once set, dungeon traps don't spontaneously increase, disappear, or move; they are fixed.
That was why avoiding them was easy.
However, from Floor 11 onwards, the situation changes.
The number of people capable of exploring Floor 11 and below drops off sharply, so maps aren't properly made for any dungeon, and information isn't shared.
Especially in an unpopular dungeon like Shinjuku, only a handful of explorers have ever set foot past Floor 11. The wiki only has incomplete maps. The types, numbers, and positions of traps are almost entirely unknown.
That is precisely why scouting skills like Trap Detection become necessary... but very few people actually acquire them.
The majority of explorers never make it to Floor 11, and up until Floor 10, you can avoid traps just by looking at a map.
There is the option of training to unlock the Trap Detection skill and then spending points to get it, but...
"No, I will not be acquiring the Trap Detection skill!" I answered firmly.
Because skill points are a waste.
『Then what are you gonna do!?』
『Do you plan on dying!?』
"Don't worry. I have a plan."
In the first place, even among the top tier explorers who advance through unknown floors, it’s rare to find people who have acquired skills like Trap Detection or Trap Disarm.
Since dungeon traps are completely fixed, once you find them, they’re easy to avoid. Therefore, few explorers are willing to allocate precious skill points to these skills.
So, how do the pioneers explore unknown floors?
The answer is simple.
Macho Sensing and Macho Disarm.
...
I'm sorry, that’s half a lie.
While a significant portion of the crazy explorers in the top tier do advance using Macho Sensing and Macho Disarm, an intelligent and clever man like myself will use a slightly smarter method.
Well, I’ll explain that method later—
"Anyway, shall we move forward for now? Even if it's incomplete, we have a map for Floor 11, and there shouldn't be any traps near the stairs. We need to verify if we can fight properly on this floor before worrying about traps."
"Yeah, you're right."
『Well, I guess that makes sense.』
『If he says he has a way to handle traps, there’s no need to worry.』
『I find it hard to trust the Leveling Junkie's words, though...』
『But surely he wouldn't lie when his life is on the line.』
『I wonder... maybe...』
Once everyone was satisfied, we began walking deeper into Floor 11.
However, since I couldn't be absolutely sure there were no traps, I walked in front and had Hinata-san follow a few meters behind, just in case.
Shortly after that.
『They're here!!』
『Five of them right off the bat!?』
『They’re smaller than the Gob-Kin, but they’re still huge!?』
『It’s orcs!!』
Our first encounter on Floor 11.
Further down the passage, humanoid figures about 2.5 meters tall emerged from the darkness, illuminated by the candlelight.
Their faces looked more like boars than pigs, with two tusks protruding from their mouths. Their bellies were covered in thick fat, but their shoulders, chests, and arms were brawny and powerful. Their bulging, vascular muscles radiated an intimidating presence.
The same went for their legs and back muscles; their entire bodies were encased in thick muscle.
Conversely, they wore only a single pelt of an unidentified animal wrapped around their waists. In their right hands, they gripped crude clubs that looked like they’d been carved straight out of giant trees.
These were the Level 31 Normal Orcs, the monsters of Shinjuku Dungeon's Floor 11.
Compared to the well-equipped goblins of Floor 10, they were larger but didn't look quite as formidable at first glance. Their muscles were insane and they were massive, but because their equipment was so poor, they didn't seem like a high-level threat.
Still, I couldn't be careless.
Even as classless Normal Orcs, their stats were higher than the Floor 10 goblins, with some exceeding 200. In other words, in terms of base stats, they were roughly equal to my current self.
On top of that—
『Wha!? Red auras!?』
『They’re all using Fighting Spirit!!』
『That’s not all!!』
『Their clubs are glowing!!』
『It’s Impact Aura!!』
The orcs, noticing our presence, immediately shifted into combat stances. Red auras enveloped their bodies, while pale blue auras coated their clubs.
The skills possessed by Normal Orcs were Level 5 Increased Damage with Blunt Weapons, Level 5 Fighting Spirit, and Level 5 Impact Aura—the blunt weapon version of Sword Aura.
The auras dwelling in the clubs the orcs raised began to expand.
They were preparing a wide-range projectile attack fueled by a large amount of HP.
There was no need to wait for them to attack. I immediately dashed forward. I wouldn't use Fighting Spirit yet. I intended to see how much HP I could conserve while still winning.
"You pig bastards! Over here!!"
I activated my long-dormant Taunt and moved diagonally forward to the right—approaching the wall to pull their line of fire away from Hinata-san.
"GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!"
In response, the orcs let out a roar and swung their clubs all at once.
What was unleashed from the massive clubs were shockwaves of pale blue aura. The shockwaves fired by the five orcs didn't cancel each other out; instead, they merged, filling the space like a massive wall of energy as they flew toward me.
Danger Sense Sensei sent a clear chill through my entire body.
But even without the Sensei’s warning, it was obvious the shockwaves were closing in.
The attack range was wide and it expanded the closer it got, so I wouldn't be able to dodge in time.
Therefore—I swung my sword at the approaching shockwaves.
Sword Aura. Flying Blade.
If moving sideways was no good, I would try to slice through the shockwave and slip through the gap. But—
"Are you serious!?"
I realized it the moment I unleashed the strike. The chill from Danger Sense Sensei didn't stop.
That meant my Flying Blade would lose in power to the orcs' shockwaves.
A few moments later, that became reality. The Flying Blade collided with the shockwaves and was shattered into tiny pieces without ever cutting through.
However, I had already reset my sword and was unleashing a second strike.
Flying Blade. But this time, I activated Asceticism and layered Blue Sky Beyond the Clouds onto it.
This time, I sliced through the orcs' shockwaves.
The chill vanished from my body. A portion of the approaching pale blue shockwave was cut open, creating a gap. I slipped into that space and passed through the massive shockwave.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
"——!?"
However, waiting on the other side of the shockwave were the orcs, who had already closed in. Perhaps because I’d activated Asceticism, they were raging with maximum aggro.
They were fast!
As expected, if their stats near 200 were enhanced by Fighting Spirit, I wouldn't be able to handle them while my own stats remained at base levels. If it were one-on-one, I could manage by following Danger Sense Sensei’s guidance, but there were five enemies.
Now that they were this close, fighting without any enhancement was difficult.
"Tch!!"
Clicking my tongue, I activated Fighting Spirit.
Using my rapidly increased agility, I consecutively dodged the tree-like clubs being slammed down from overhead.
Thus, I escaped the orcs' semi-encirclement—and counterattacked.
First, a Flying Blade. I unleashed it with the intent to bisect an orc.
"Gugah!? GUOOOOOOH!!!"
"——!!"
I intentionally chose a strike without Blue Sky Beyond the Clouds. While Fighting Spirit was active, the damage multiplier was only the 2x from Increased Damage with Bladed Weapons.
The Flying Blade slashed diagonally across the orc’s torso. But it was shallow.
No, it had sliced through the orc’s thick skin and reached the flesh beneath. A significant amount of fresh blood sprayed out.
Still, it was shallow. With this level of damage, it was far from enough to kill an orc.
"No good, huh...!!"
These guys were actually pretty tough.
They were likely equal to the super-buffed goblins in the Floor 10 boss room—no, they might even be more troublesome.
Impact Aura was a nuisance. Its projectile attack had a wide range. Its power was likely inferior to something like Sword Aura, and a single hit wouldn't kill me as I was now... but if my actions were delayed by taking a shockwave, I could end up taking a one-sided beating. That would be fatal.
"Fine then...!!"
I dodged the orcs' attacks and this time unleashed a counter-Flying Blade with Blue Sky Beyond the Clouds. Its damage multiplier was 10x.
"Hah!!"
"Gugah!!?"
The Flying Blade sliced through the orc's neck, killing it in a single blow.
Continuing to keep my distance, I fired off Flying Blades one after another. If a strike aimed at the neck connected, even an orc would fall in one hit. However—
"Tch."
A Flying Blade I unleashed with the intent to bisect one diagonally across the torso was blocked by thick skin, fat, and muscle; although it dealt a fatal wound, it wasn't enough to kill it instantly.
And with just a fatal wound, monsters in the deeper floors won't stop moving. For the few seconds or tens of seconds until their life ran out, they would ruthlessly try to kill me.
A critical hit to the neck was a one-shot, but other attacks wouldn't take them down in one blow.
Even an attack using Blue Sky Beyond the Clouds only had that much power.
Regardless—
『He wonnnnnnnnnnnn!!』
『Man, that was easy!!』
『Looks like he can fight just fine even on Floor 11!!』
『Well, I knew that already!!』
『Anyway, that was so easy it’s hilarious lol』
When all the orcs were defeated by the Flying Blades, the viewers began writing in the comments.
In the end, the battle finished in less than ten seconds. I hadn't taken a single hit. Perhaps that was why the victory looked easy to them.
On the other hand—
"Takeo-kun, are you okay? You have a bit of a troubled look on your face..."
The battle over, Hinata-san approached and spoke to me with concern.
As expected of Hinata-san, she seemed to have noticed that my reaction was different from usual.
I nodded and answered, telling her what I’d learned from that fight.
"At this rate, moving forward is going to be a bit difficult."
"..."
『Hah!? Why!?』
『I thought you defeated them quite easily...』
『What’s the problem???』
"Well, you see..."
I explained.
First, if I didn't use Blue Sky Beyond the Clouds, it would take quite a long time to defeat the orcs.
And because the orcs' stats were high, I wouldn't be able to fight them properly without using Fighting Spirit myself.
Fighting Spirit aside, using Blue Sky Beyond the Clouds meant using Asceticism, which meant taking 25 or more damage from poison and consumption every 10 seconds. Moreover, this damage would increase as my HP rose.
Even if I finished a fight within 10 seconds without taking a hit, the HP consumed would be 30 plus alpha.
I had to say it was a fairly large drain for a battle against trash mobs—that’s what I explained.
『No, no, no, no!?』
『Calling that a large drain is setting the bar way too high!!』
『I think that’s totally within the acceptable range, though.』
『Hinata-chan can heal your HP, so what’s the issue...』
『You know, Leveling Junkie Bro might not know this, but for normal explorers, taking much more damage and being drained way more in a single fight is normal, okay?』
『Besides, it’s rare for a battle to end in less than 10 seconds, you know?』
The viewers said so, but...
Granted, there was no problem. Even if stronger orcs—for example, a special variant orc—showed up, I could probably defeat them without issue by using Blood Vengeance or Mighty Blade in addition to Fighting Spirit and Blue Sky Beyond the Clouds. Now I could also use Silver Lightning Magic and Magic Shroud, and once the long cooldown ended, I could use Brave Heart, not to mention Hinata-san's support magic.
However, the burden compared to trash mobs on Floor 10 and below was on a different level.
I had known this would happen, but... as I was thinking that.
"Takeo-kun, is the impact of not being able to use Goblin Genocider really that big?"
It seemed Hinata-san understood as well. She pinpointed the problem accurately.
"Yeah, that’s it... I didn't feel it as much against the slimes..."
The enemies had gotten stronger, and I had gotten weaker. The resulting difficulty I felt in fighting was unexpectedly large.
"I thought so... In that case."
Hinata-san nodded slightly and then looked up. She looked at me with a dignified expression, as if she had made a major resolution.
"Takeo-kun, how about something like this?"
"Huh?"
Hinata-san leaned in close to my ear and whispered—likely so her voice wouldn't be picked up by the drone.
"Shall we... use Charm?"
Fua!!?