After finishing our warm-ups and light sparring in the private room to get our blood pumping, we headed out with about half our allotted time still remaining.
"All right, we're all ready. Shall we head to the gate?"
"Yeah, sounds good. But before that, let’s grab some water and hit the restroom."
We went with Yuji’s suggestion, stopping for a quick hydration and bathroom break in the waiting area. I took the opportunity to scan the room and the free space where many other explorers were warming up, but the Watchers were nowhere to be found. Since I didn't feel any eyes on us either, they had likely already moved toward the gate.
While Mika and Saori-chan left their bags with us to use the restroom, the three of us held a quick briefing on our next moves.
"Since they aren't here, do you think they went to the gate ahead of us?" I asked.
"Probably," Yuji replied. "If they intend to monitor our actions inside the dungeon, they’d want to eliminate the risk of losing us by entering after we do."
"I agree," Hiiragi-san added. "If you're going to monitor someone in a dungeon, lying in wait is the most effective tactic. Though they do run the risk of being mistaken for PKers and getting counterattacked."
"True..."
If someone was just standing around in a dungeon—not resting or injured—and clearly watching someone else, they were bound to be suspected of hunting for a player kill. Especially near the entrance of the first floor.
"Well, we’ll find out once we get there," I said.
"Right."
"Indeed. But putting that aside for a moment, how far are we descending today?"
We temporarily shelved the matter of the Watchers to discuss the training plan for the girls.
As for how far...
"I want the two of them to get used to dungeon exploration as soon as possible, but we can't push them too hard all at once. I’m thinking we’ll focus on the first and second floors today, mainly concentrating on hunting monsters. I’d like them to experience dealing with traps too, but it’s pointless if they aren't even comfortable with combat yet."
"Well, that makes sense," Yuji said. "Ultimately, if you don't get used to hunting monsters—to the act of killing—you won't get far as an explorer."
Fortunately, everything up to the third floor was part of the tutorial floors, making them the perfect place for the two of them to gain combat experience. If they didn't learn how to manage their mindset here, it would be far too dangerous to let them go any further.
"But... it’s not something you just get used to easily, you know?" Hiiragi-san cautioned.
"I know that. In fact, it would be a problem if they got used to it too easily."
If they claimed to be perfectly fine with killing monsters after only one or two trips, I would have to worry about their mental state. It would be one thing if they just naturally had high resistance to that kind of thing, but it would be a disaster if their previous trip had caused their emotions to become extremely dulled. In the worst-case scenario, they might end up intoxicated by the blood and do something unthinkable.
"So far, I haven't seen any signs of that in Mika-chan or Saori-chan, so I think they’re fine... but we need to stay vigilant."
"Yeah," Yuji agreed. "If we see even the slightest hint of those symptoms, we stop the exploration immediately. Agreed?"
"Yes, of course," Hiiragi-san said. "We can't let them push themselves until they break."
"I’m in as well."
"Thanks, you two."
I gave Yuji and Hiiragi-san a slight nod of thanks. As the one responsible for Mika and Saori-chan, I was grateful that they were prioritizing the girls' well-being.
Just as our plan for the day was settled, Mika and Saori-chan returned.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"We're back."
"Yeah, welcome back."
Seeing them return, the three of us stood up. Mika and Saori-chan picked up the gear they had left with us and began checking their equipment.
"Everyone, make sure you haven't forgotten anything."
"I'm good," Yuji said.
"I'm fine too," said Hiiragi-san.
"Ready!" Mika chirped.
"Yes, I'm all set," Saori-chan added.
"All right. Let’s go."
After a final check, we left the waiting lobby and headed for the entrance gate.
As usual, there was a long, snaking line at the dungeon entrance. And, just as expected, the three Watchers who had been tailing us were visible within that queue.
"...They really are here."
"Yeah. It was predictable, but still..."
"Hey," Hiiragi-san whispered. "Aren't they quite far ahead in line?"
Just as she pointed out, the trio of Watchers was positioned about twenty groups ahead of the end of the line. With twenty groups between us, there would be a difference of more than ten minutes in entry time.
Surely they didn't plan to wait for nearly ten minutes inside the dungeon? If they hung around near the entrance for that long, they’d almost certainly be mistaken for PKers.
"They are indeed quite far ahead," I noted. "At that distance, it seems like it would hinder their ability to monitor us..."
"Maybe they have a plan? I doubt they'd stand in that spot without some kind of strategy," Yuji murmured.
For a moment, a flash of unease crossed our faces. One possible tactic in this situation was that they were decoys, and the real observers were hidden elsewhere.
"...How about it? Is anyone else there?"
"No... nothing," Yuji replied. "I don't feel any gazes or presences other than those three."
"I don't feel anything either," Hiiragi-san added.
Nothing was being caught in the search range of our senses. This meant either there was no "main team" to begin with, or we were being watched by someone at the level of Genya-san or an assistant instructor.
If it was the former, that was fine, but the latter would be the worst. If we were being watched by professionals while leading the girls, there would be no way to escape their surveillance.
"Hey, Onii-chan? What are you three whispering about? Let's get in line already."
"Ah, right. Sorry."
Mika shot us a suspicious look as we huddled. I suppose it was only natural, considering we were just standing near the entrance without joining the queue.
Led by Mika and Saori-chan, the three of us took our places at the very back of the line.
"With a line this long... I guess it’ll take about thirty minutes to get in?"
"Sounds about right. The line is long, but each team seems to have a decent number of people."
Ahead of us in the line, we saw a variety of groups: one wearing matching bandanas with embroidered emblems on their right arms, another clad in identical black cloaks, a group of armored warrior cosplayers carrying banners with "Furin Kazan" written on them, and even a group wearing full metallic plate armor.
Yeah... let’s just pretend I didn't see some of those.
"There certainly are some people with... eccentric tastes," Hiiragi-san noted.
"Wow, look at those outfits," Mika said.
"I wonder if those people in full plate find it heavy?" Saori-chan asked.
"Ah... yeah. If their level is high enough, I'm sure they're fine," I replied.
Following my gaze, the girls had spotted the groups ahead and started talking about them. As your level rises, your physical abilities improve, so wearing heavy plate armor wouldn't significantly hinder your movement or endurance, but... why choose that? It had to be for the aesthetic.
Compared to their first trip, Mika and Saori-chan seemed to have more mental breathing room, as they were now observing their surroundings along with us.
"When you look at it calmly like this, there really are all kinds of people..." Mika said.
"There sure are..." Saori-chan agreed.
They watched the surroundings with great interest, letting out occasional gasps of admiration.
In the past—right after the general release—most explorers entered the dungeon wearing standard-issue gear sold by the Dungeon Association. Recently, however, there had been an increase in explorers entering with outfits that looked more like cosplay. Apparently, the materials used in these costumes and armor were similar to what the Association sold, so there were no issues with defense. Specialty shops for that kind of gear already existed, selling semi-custom pieces.
Apart from the frontline explorers or corporate-sponsored teams who were serious about progress, most people only explored on their days off and remained at relatively low levels. Because of this, a trend had emerged where people prioritized armor that suited their personal tastes, even if it meant discarding the level-up enhancements they had already accumulated on their old gear.
To be honest, I didn't quite understand the mindset of people who would gamble their lives on their hobbies. Even if it was only a low-level enhancement, it was directly linked to one’s safety. To make the decision to throw away equipment you’d carefully raised just to match an outfit’s style...
"I'd pass on those kinds of outfits, but I think I’d like to try wearing something a bit cuter," Mika said.
"Ah, I get that. Our current gear is focused purely on practicality, so it’s rugged and not very cute," Saori-chan agreed.
After looking at their own reflections, the two began discussing what kind of outfits they would prefer. The three of us watched them chat happily before looking down at our own gear and sighing. Since our equipment enhancements had reached such high levels, we couldn't exactly swap them out now.
It wasn't that I was dissatisfied with my current gear, but I did have a bit of curiosity about those custom outfits. Hiiragi-san in particular looked like she wanted to join the girls' conversation.
"Since weapon enhancement effects can be transferred, I wonder if it’s impossible to do the same for armor?" she mused.
"Transferring armor enhancements, huh... Maybe by unraveling the fabric back into fibers and reweaving it?" I suggested.
"Or maybe by mixing it with materials from the dungeon, like we did with the weapons," Yuji added.
Either way, it sounded like an incredibly labor-intensive and tedious process.
Even the weapons we were using now were pieces that Kyosuke-san had managed to reforge only after extensive trial and error, all while being prepared for the possibility that the enhancements might be lost. Since transferring armor enhancements would require similar experimentation with the risk of losing everything, it wasn't something that could be done easily.
"If production-type skills like the ones in games existed, maybe a simple exchange would be possible..." Yuji said.
"Even if a skill scroll like that were found, it probably wouldn't ever be released to the public," I countered. "The impact on existing industries and society would be too massive."
As I suggested, it was possible that production-type skills like alchemy already existed among the dropped skill scrolls. If so, swapping or enhancing equipment might become easy, but in reality, it was doubtful that such a skill would ever hit the open market.
It was unknown how a production-type skill would function, but if it worked like existing skills—consuming EP to activate—it would be nothing short of a revolution. Things that previously required complex processes, numerous personnel, time, and money could suddenly be produced by a single individual in a short period. If that happened, industries like agriculture, manufacturing, and fishing could be completely overturned.
The scenario that demanded the most caution, however, was the possibility of individuals secretly mass-producing hazardous materials like gunpowder or poison. Until now, the distribution of materials needed for such things had been strictly managed, and a social system was in place where they couldn't be produced or purchased without a formal reason. But what if the foreign element known as a production-type skill appeared? Someone using such a skill might be able to mass-produce the substances needed for dangerous items without anyone ever noticing. It was unthinkable that the government or the Association would ever allow such skill scrolls into general circulation.
"True. When you think about it that way, we can't really change our armor now," Hiiragi-san said.
"I guess the best we can do is wait and see if those skills ever show up," I concluded.
Hiiragi-san wore a disappointed expression as she stole one last glance at the group of cosplayers.
After waiting for thirty minutes while observing the other explorers, it was finally our turn to enter. The trio of Watchers had already passed through the entrance gate.
"Please present your cards."
"Here."
Prompted by the staff member standing by the gate, I tapped my Explorer Card against the reader. After a short electronic beep, the gate opened.
"You're all set. Please enter."
I gave the staff member a slight nod, put away my card, and hurried through the gate to join the others.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go?"
"Yeah."
"Yes."
We exchanged lighthearted banter as we usually did while turning on our helmet lights, and Hiiragi-san removed the sheath from her spearhead. It was then that I noticed Mika and Saori-chan’s expressions were a bit stiff with tension.
"...Are you two okay?"
"Y-yeah."
"...Yes."
"Here, take a few deep breaths and try to calm down. You've been here once before; you know there’s no need to be that nervous, right?"
The two of them followed my advice and took several deep breaths. The effect was immediate, and the stiffness vanished from their faces.
"...Okay, I'm fine. I've calmed down."
"I'm okay now too."
It seemed they had managed to shed just the right amount of nerves. The two of them also switched on their lights and removed their spear sheaths with practiced movements.
Yeah, they should be fine.
"All right. Let’s head out."
After forming our formation, we stepped forward into Mika and Saori-chan’s second dungeon exploration.