While feeling the cold gazes of Yuji and Hiiragi-san drilling into my back, I remained motionless, my finger still pointed toward the spot where the stairs to the 32nd floor likely sat. I had made the gesture with a burst of momentum to try and smooth over the awkwardness, but since neither of them was giving me a reaction, I was stuck. I couldn't figure out my next move.
Well, I suppose they just didn't know how they were supposed to react.
"......"
"......"
"......"
A delicate atmosphere drifted between us as we each monitored the others’ presence, everyone waiting for someone else to break the silence.
After a long pause, Yuji finally let out a sigh and spoke up awkwardly.
"......Ah, well, you know? Daiki... I get that this is uncomfortable, okay? For now, just drink this. It looked like you hit your head pretty hard."
"......Thanks."
What Yuji tentatively handed me was a mid-grade recovery potion, the kind we each carried for public use. While high-grade recovery potions were more effective, the supply on the market was so small that keeping them as standard equipment would be overkill. I thanked him as I accepted the bottle.
I thought I would probably be fine, but I had struck—or rather, been struck in—the head with incredible force. While the probability was low, I couldn't entirely rule out something like a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Yuji was right to insist I drink a mid-grade recovery potion just in case.
"......Phew."
"Alright, you drank it? Good. Then that’s the end of that. Let’s move on."
Once Yuji confirmed I’d finished the potion, he clapped his hands with an exaggerated motion, clearing the awkward air and shifting the topic.
"The point is this: putting aside the methods for a moment, we successfully found the objective. That means your idea is effective, Daiki."
"T-That’s right. If we can find the goal from the starting point, we can drastically reduce the time it takes to clear a floor."
Hiiragi-san followed Yuji's lead and offered her own praise for my idea, though she still seemed a bit hesitant. I knew she was trying to cheer me up, but to my current self, it felt like she was just poking at an open wound.
I knew it was just my imagination, but I really wished for some quiet time to let my heart heal.
"You’re right. Reducing the time spent searching for stairs is a huge advantage on a floor with visibility this poor. If the unique drop items aren't worth much, then there’s no reason to fight monsters in such a disadvantageous location."
When our opponents were Grass Lizards, I didn't feel much of an appetite even if lizard meat dropped. It might be delicious once cooked, but as someone who hadn't tried it yet, I didn't find it very appealing. As for the lizard skin... I wondered if it could be used for bags or belts. Given its durability, it might even work for leather armor.
Wait. If I thought about it that way, were the drop items from Grass Lizards actually quite useful?
"U-Um, guys..."
"Hm? What is it, Daiki? Something else?"
"Oh, no. I mean... for now, why don't we actually go to the spot I found? Everyone's talking as if the stairs are definitely there, but we won't know if this method is truly viable until we confirm the site. We need to see if they actually exist."
"......Now that you mention it, that’s true."
At my suggestion, Yuji and Hiiragi-san both took on expressions that said, Oh yeah, good point. It wasn't impossible for the dungeon to have set up decoys or illusions as a countermeasure against "cheating" our way through. We couldn't call this search method a success until we physically stood at the stairs. It would be one thing if it was just a wasted trip, but there was always the chance that what looked like stairs was actually a trap.
Usually, the two of them would have realized that without me saying anything. They had likely just been rushing the conversation to help me forget my pathetic display. Which meant, in the end, this was all my fault... Sigh.
"Well, let’s head over for now."
"Right. If there aren't any stairs where Kokonoe-kun pointed, then that whole search method was meaningless. It’s better to check now than later."
With that decided, we set off to verify the stairs, planning to evaluate my scouting technique further along the way.
It turned out that the results of the search I’d conducted at such a great sacrifice were correct. Since we were nearing the time limit for our return, we took the shortest path toward the predicted location and immediately ran into a swarm of monsters. In our experience, monsters tended to cluster in high density along the shortest path to the stairs. This meant there was a very high probability that the path to the 33rd floor lay ahead of us.
I was truly glad my sacrifice hadn't been in vain.
"Are we close?"
"I think so. We've traveled a fair distance, so if this floor is the same size as the ones above... probably."
After finishing off a pack of Grass Lizards that had ambushed us, I glanced back toward the entrance stairs to judge our relative position and answered Yuji’s question. Based on the distance, the objective should be coming into view any moment now.
"Still, the shortest route really is crawling with monsters. Dealing with them isn't hard, but at this rate, it might actually be faster to take a detour through a less populated area."
"True. Depending on the obstacles, the shortest path isn't always the fastest. It’s fine for today, but for future runs, we should definitely look into mapping out more efficient routes."
That said, mapping takes time. If we were just passing through a floor rather than using it as a hunting ground, there was no need to go to all that trouble. Since there weren't any other explorer parties around these floors right now, we could just keep forcing our way through as we’d done before. Depending on the payout for the drop items we gathered today, we could decide later if we wanted to turn this into a regular hunting spot and create a proper distribution map.
For the time being, our priority was pushing forward to expand our explored territory, so brute force would suffice.
"Ah, there they are."
"Thank goodness. They're really here."
"This proves that Kokonoe-kun's search method is effective."
As we pushed through the tall grass, the stairs leading down to the 33rd floor appeared exactly where I’d expected. My method was officially validated.
Though, the execution definitely needed work. I didn't want to slam my head like that ever again.
"We’ll have to find a different way to do it so we don't repeat the same mistake," I said.
"Well... yeah."
"Indeed."
When I gave that warning with a wry smile while rubbing my head through my helmet, Yuji and Hiiragi-san gave me looks that were half-lidded and painfully gentle. If it had been immediately after my blunder, those looks would have wounded my pride, but now that some time had passed, I could take it. I was still a little embarrassed, but once I’d calmed down, it was easy enough to brush it off as a joke.
More importantly, it was about time...
"Is this the limit for today?"
I checked my watch and informed Yuji and Hiiragi-san that we were out of time.
Time up—which meant it was time to start our return trip.
"Looks like it."
"We managed to make it just in time, more or less."
Yuji and Hiiragi-san checked their own watches and let out light sighs, accepting the end of today's exploration.
"I’d like to take a breather and reset, but the visibility here is terrible... Should we head back to the staircase plaza at the entrance first?"
"......Good call. If we’re going to rest, it’s better to do it somewhere with a clear view so we can keep watch."
So, we trekked back to the staircase plaza near the entrance to take our break. Giving ourselves a clear boundary instead of just pushing through would help our focus and nerves hold out longer.
And before we left, there was something we needed to do while no other parties were around.
"Alright, what are we submitting from today's haul?"
It was time to sort the drop items for liquidation. This was definitely something we had to do away from the eyes of other explorers.
"For now, we turn in all the magic items and scrolls. Daiki, anything in here you think we should keep?"
"Hmm, nothing stands out as a must-have."
"Then everything goes to the exchange. Hiiragi-san, anything you want?"
"I don’t need anything either. Selling it all for cash is fine with me."
"Then the magic items and scrolls are all going to the Association."
We divided the magic items and scrolls among our backpacks. Since they had a great exchange rate relative to the space they took up, they were our top priority.
Now, for the real problem.
"What about the material items from the monsters? Do we focus on the lizard materials today? Or should we prioritize the existing material items that have a more stable track record?"
"In terms of rarity, the lizard materials are better since so few parties have made it this far, but if we're talking about actual demand, the older materials will give us a more consistent payout..."
"It’s a high risk to bet everything on rarity and pack our bags with lizard materials hoping for a jackpot," Hiiragi-san added.
We had collected enough lizard materials to fill our remaining bag space, but as Hiiragi-san said, the risk was high. Given our party's current wealth, we didn't strictly need to maximize our profit, but the payout was an easy way to measure our progress and keep our motivation up.
If the payout was too low, even we would feel a bit deflated.
"......How about a ratio of eight to two?" I suggested.
"Yeah, that sounds about right. Bringing in a massive haul of lizard materials would attract too much attention anyway."
"Exactly. If we only turn in lizard materials, it’s like shouting that we’ve made the 30th floor and beyond our primary hunting ground. To avoid being targeted by some persistent scout, it’s better to make it look like we barely managed to secure a small amount through a lot of hard work."
Well, I was sure we’d still get some attention the moment we showed them the lizard materials. To begin with, the Dungeon Association already knew we’d cleared the 29th floor based on our previous sales. A small amount of lizard materials would just suggest we were currently scouting the 30th floor... probably.
Still, there was no reason to bring in a mountain of the stuff and make it obvious.
"So, just a small amount of lizard materials, then?"
"Works for me."
"No objections here."
Once we finished sorting the loot and resting, we were ready to head back. All that remained was to sprint through the dungeon toward the surface, making sure to avoid being spotted by other explorer parties.
"Alright, let's head for the exit."
"Got it."
"Yes."
With our backpacks bulging to their limits and the camouflaged cooling bags we’d retrieved from Spatial Storage in hand, we set off at a brisk pace.
If things went smoothly and we didn't run into too many other parties... it would probably take us about two or three hours to reach the surface.
Whether we could call the trip "according to plan" was debatable, but we managed to make it back to the upper floors in about three hours without being cornered by any annoying scouts or other parties. There were very few people around the 20th floor, so we were able to sprint through that section, but once we hit the single-digit floors, the crowds meant we could only manage a fast walk at best. On the plus side, the high traffic meant there were fewer monsters, so we weren't delayed by any combat.
"Almost at the exit."
"Yeah. But we’re still inside the dungeon. Don't let your guard down until we're actually through the gate."
"Of course. I know the drill."
Yuji gave me the warning in a sharp tone. The moment you're close to the exit is the most dangerous time, as that’s when the tension from a long expedition is most likely to snap. And once that focus is gone, it’s almost impossible to get it back quickly.
We maintained our concentration until the very end, and after a full day away, we finally stepped out of the dungeon. Phew. It’s over.
"Good job, you two."
"Good job."
"Good work today."
I stretched my arms high above my head, working out the stiffness in my body. I wasn't particularly tired physically, but the mental fatigue was real. Yuji was rubbing his neck and shoulders, and Hiiragi-san was stretching her back.
Even with power that far exceeded the average explorer, dungeon crawling was still an exhausting, high-tension job.
"Alright, let's change clothes and then go sell the loot like usual."
"Roger."
"Understood. Then, as always, whoever finishes first waits at the seating area, right?"
"Yeah, sounds good."
After confirming our plans, Hiiragi-san and we parted ways in front of the locker rooms.