Seven hours after we started our exploration, we finally reached the 29th floor. Once you get past the 20th, the number of explorers capable of descending further drops off sharply, so we moved at a light jog and made it down faster than I’d anticipated.
Between the 25th and the 29th, I think we only ran into a few corporate explorer parties at the staircase plazas.
"So, what’s the plan? Which floor do you think we should use for our camp base? I was leaning toward the 26th since no one was set up there..."
"I don't know, I'm thinking the 23rd," Yuji said. "There were more corporate explorer parties than student explorer parties, and I think the monster types are more manageable there."
"I’d like to say the 29th—right here—but honestly, this floor is a bad idea for several reasons," Hiiragi-san added. "If a small party like ours was just casually camping in front of the door while other parties are pushing down from the floor above..."
It would be strange... no, it would look suspicious. On the 28th floor, a large-scale corporate explorer party had already established a camp base. It was a substantial, well-built setup, making it clear they intended to stay on that floor for a significant amount of time.
We hadn't encountered a single student explorer party since the 25th floor, yet here we were, even further down. If we just pitched a tent on what could be considered the front lines for corporate explorers...
"...Yeah. I guess here is out of the question."
"Right. It seems like a bad move in a lot of ways."
"I agree."
Setting aside the issue of scouts, the likelihood of drawing unwanted attention would skyrocket. We’ve already caused enough of a stir back at the sports festival; there’s no point in providing them with more gossip. What we did during the sports festival was a performance at a level that a high-level explorer could potentially pull off if they really tried. Now that the dust has settled, the general impression is probably just that an explorer student got a bit carried away by the heat of the event... or at least, that’s what I’d like to believe.
However, if a small party like ours were to camp on the 29th floor of the dungeon, the narrative would change. This is a floor where corporate explorers establish rear-line support and form massive parties to challenge the depths. Camping in such a place is practically begging people to be suspicious of us. Since we have secrets we’d rather not have investigated, we didn't want to take that risk.
"In that case, it’s either the 23rd or the 26th..."
"It comes down to whether we want neighbors or isolation."
"That’s the question..."
Two candidates. Both had their pros and cons, making it a difficult choice.
On the 23rd floor that Yuji recommended, one student explorer party and two corporate explorer parties had already set up camp. The student explorers weren't high schoolers but a university circle, so the chance of them causing unnecessary trouble was low. The corporate explorers also had decent setups—though not as grand as the one on the 28th floor—so no major problems should arise. As neighbors for a night, they seemed alright. On the flip side, because there would be eyes on us, I wouldn't be able to use my Spatial Storage skill openly. It wasn't a deal-breaker, but it would require some restraint.
On the 26th floor that I liked, no one was currently camping. That meant I could use my Spatial Storage without hesitation. Since we’d brought along plenty of gear, we could spend a very comfortable night. But there were downsides. The monsters on that floor, Iron Tail Foxes, are about the size of a normal fox and are incredibly fast. They use their small stature to close in rapidly and attack with tails as hard as iron. If you let your guard down, a single hit can break a leg. Naturally, they don't attack alone; if an explorer is immobilized, they’ll be swarmed in seconds... Well, for us, they’re more of a nuisance than a threat, but still.
"If we want to practice social interaction, it’s the 23rd. If we want comfort, it’s the 26th," I summarized. "If we're on the empty 26th floor, we won't have any interpersonal trouble, but..."
"It’s not a great idea to avoid other parties forever," Yuji noted.
"I agree. Since we’re planning to do more dungeon stays from now on, we won't be able to get by with just basic greetings like we have until now," Hiiragi-san added.
If we were going to spend our lives on the empty front lines, our old policy would be fine. But if not, interacting with other explorer parties would eventually become a necessity. Being completely unaccustomed to it would only make things harder down the road.
Behind our backs, people might start calling us a top-tier party that's actually just a bunch of socially awkward loners.
"Hey, Daiki. I think the people on the 23rd floor would be a good starting point for our first real interaction."
"They’re university students and working adults, so it might be easier than dealing with high schoolers our age," I said.
"That’s right. If we deal with people our own age, there’s a higher risk of jealousy or resentment because of the difference in our gear and progress," Hiiragi-san pointed out.
"Because we’re using 'cheats,' we’re way better off compared to your average explorer..."
If you compared us to typical student explorers, the differences in funds, equipment, and training environments were endless. If we accidentally let something slip during a conversation, it could easily cause friction. Everyone is prone to a little envy when they see someone doing better than them. While we could potentially smooth things over later, pride often gets in the way with people our own age. It seemed wiser to practice our conversation skills with people who were at least a little older.
Well, it was only "slightly" better, but it was a start.
"Then, are we agreed on setting up the camp base on the 23rd floor?"
"Yeah, works for me."
"I’m in. I don't think we need to go out of our way to mingle, but we should at least get used to talking enough that we don't look miserable when someone speaks to us."
And so, we decided to pitch our camp base on the 23rd floor and attempt some passive social interaction....Wait, when I put it that way, doesn't this just sound like social rehab for loners?
Once the location was decided, the rest was quick. We carved our way through any monsters in our path and sprinted back up six floors, reaching the 23rd in less than thirty minutes.
"We made it back faster than I expected."
"There aren't many explorers this deep, so if we just run flat out, it doesn't take long."
"More importantly, you two, let's get the base set up. It's getting late."
Oka—y.
Pointing at her watch, Hiiragi-san urged Yuji and me to get moving. Not that there was actually that much to do.
First, we scanned the staircase plaza to find a spot for our base. The previous arrivals occupied three of the four corners. The corporate parties had claimed the areas along the walls near the stairs to the 22nd floor, while the student party had set up in the middle of the right-hand wall.
"The middle of the left wall, then? That's our spot."
"Yeah. Being right by the passage means less reaction time if a monster wanders in, so that wall is the safest bet."
"Right, that gives us plenty of space between us and the other parties. If we're too close, everyone just gets tense and irritable."
"Then let's set up on the left."
As we approached the wall, we gave short nods to the three parties watching us. It’s better to show a little humility and friendliness than to act arrogant or ignore people—it leaves a better impression. We were going to be sharing the same room for several hours, and nobody wants to spend that time in a hostile atmosphere.
The nods seemed to work; the wary glares softened into curious stares, likely because we were such a small party to be this deep.
"For now, the first impression seems okay."
"Looks like it. If we're nervous about our neighbors, they're just as nervous about us."
"Rude neighbors are hated everywhere. You just have to smile and say hello when you make eye contact. That’s really all it takes," Hiiragi-san said.
She was right. A simple, friendly greeting makes it much easier to coordinate if something goes wrong. If we stayed silent or looked grumpy, no one would even want to come near us.
With the first contact out of the way, we started pulling gear from our backpacks and setting up the base under the watchful eyes of the other explorers.
"First, the camp screen... the privacy blind."
"It’s awkward for everyone if we’re all just staring at each other all night."
"You two, stop talking and help me. This is impossible to do alone."
"Ah, sorry, sorry."
At Hiiragi-san's direction, Yuji and I hurried to help. First, we assembled the segmented poles and attached the wall sheets. Honestly, it was so flimsy that it felt like a strong breeze would knock it over, but it was light and compact, which made it perfect for our needs.
Since the sheets were so thin, they didn't block light at all; if we turned on a lantern inside, we’d essentially be putting on a shadow puppet show for the whole floor. What's even the point of a camp screen if you can't use a light inside?
"Alright, that’s done. Still, these things are as thin as paper."
"We chose them specifically because they take up almost no space, so we can't really complain," Yuji reminded me.
"A proper one would be twice the size," Hiiragi-san added. "With bags this size, anything bigger would make people wonder how we managed to pack the rest of our gear."
The bags we were using for camouflage were large, but they were still just standard commercial packs. They weren't the kind of mountain-climbing rigs where you strap your tent and sleeping bag to the outside. Since they were designed to look normal in a city, we didn't have much room for bulky overnight gear, food, and tools.
Because I have Spatial Storage, we opted for bags that wouldn't hinder our movement... but if we're going to make a habit of this, we might need to upgrade to slightly larger "decoy" bags.
"Well, we can figure that out later. Let's finish the setup."
With the camp screen up, we unpacked the rest. First was the leisure sheet for the floor. Like the screen, it was ultra-thin, so it felt like sitting directly on the stone... but it was better than nothing.
"...Yeah, the ground is cold."
"You knew that would happen. Hurry up and put the insulation mat down."
Once I laid the silver mat over the sheet, the cold lessened slightly.
After another ten minutes of productive bickering, our camp base was finally complete.
"So, what's next? Should we start on dinner?"
"Nothing else to do, so sounds good to me."
"I agree. I'm actually pretty hungry."
Dinner time. But before that, I poked my head out from behind the screen and gave another nod to the other parties before holding up a pre-prepared sign. It simply said "Cooking." If we didn't give them a heads-up, the sight of smoke rising would cause a panic. It was just a small bit of etiquette to keep the peace.
With the announcement made, I pulled out a disposable instant BBQ stove I’d picked up at a home center and clicked a lighter. These things are great—they catch fire instantly and burn for a solid hour.
"Alright, we’ve got fire. Let’s get the water going."
I placed a disposable aluminum pot on the stove and filled it with a little base water.
"Teacher, if you would!"
"Create Water."
Hiiragi-san held her hand over the pot and chanted the spell. A sphere of water about the size of a shot-put appeared from her palm and splashed into the pot. This was the Water Magic she’d learned from a Slime Dungeon skill scroll specifically for this trip. One cast produced about a liter of water.
Carrying water is exhausting and takes up a massive amount of space. Being able to produce it on-site was a total game-changer.
"Thanks, Hiiragi-san. Now we just wait for the boil..."
As the three of us huddled around the pot, I felt the presence of several people approaching our camp screen. I didn't sense any hostility, but I wondered what they wanted.
We adjusted our positions, ready to stand up at a moment's notice as we waited for them to speak. Please, just let us eat in peace...