Having finished our reconnaissance flight on the 34th floor, we quickly packed up to head home. Our scheduled return time had already passed, and lingering any longer would only make us later.
Whether it was a battle or a scouting mission, knowing when to make a clean exit was vital.
"Well, shall we head back?"
"Yeah."
"Yes."
With that decided, I took the lead as we retraced our steps. Luck was on our side; the monsters hadn't had time to respawn yet, allowing us to breeze through the 33rd and 32nd floors almost without stopping.
I’d have to look into the specific respawn times for this area eventually.
"Ah, looks like they’re finally starting to show up again around here."
"True. Though they're not snakes, so they won't be much trouble."
Exchanging idle remarks, we watched a defeated Grass Lizard dissolve into particles and vanish. We took a short break while keeping an eye on our surroundings. We had been walking straight since the 34th floor, and since the scenery was so repetitive, we needed a bit of a breather.
Once the monster had completely particleized, a skill scroll appeared in its place.
"Oh, a skill scroll. Lucky us."
"So, Daiki, what’s the prize?"
"Hmm, hold on a second..."
I used my Appraisal Analysis skill while picking up the scroll.
"Oh, this is a winner. It’s a Heat Resistance skill."
"Ooh, a rare one. Well, the skins have a heat resistance effect too, so I guess it’s a related drop."
"Resistance-type skills are in high demand for more than just dungeon diving," Hiiragi-san noted. "They usually fetch a fairly high price."
We all let out small smiles of relief and joy. Depending on the specific type, resistance scrolls usually traded for anywhere from the high six figures to the low seven figures.
Specifically, a Heat Resistance skill would easily clear a million yen.
"With a Heat Resistance skill... I wonder if the fire department would be interested?"
"There's also a chance for steelworking companies, the Self-Defense Forces, or even the Coast Guard," Yuji suggested.
"Since it’s Heat Resistance, it doesn’t stop the flames themselves, but simply being able to endure high-temperature environments for long periods would be a godsend for people in those professions," Hiiragi-san added.
Humans aren't built to work in extreme heat for long. Even light activity can turn fatal if the ambient temperature hits 50 degrees Celsius. Firefighters diving into burning buildings can only manage a few minutes of activity even with specialized gear.
Given that, a Heat Resistance skill that relaxes those physiological limits is a coveted prize. Even raising one's threshold by 10 degrees would significantly extend the time someone could work in a high-temperature environment.
"Since the Self-Defense Forces explorers have been doing advance surveys, a fair amount of these might be flowing into the government sector, but private sector demand probably isn't being met at all," I said.
"Well, it's only natural for life-saving organizations to get priority."
"Look at it this way," Hiiragi-san said. "Since the military-grade finds go to the government, the ones we secure can go to private companies. If the levels of private-sector explorers rise overall, we won't be competing for the same supply. It might lead to a good division of roles."
"Though it'll probably take another year for the average explorer's level to get there," I replied.
While that might be an effective system in the future, it wasn't functioning yet. That was likely why private companies were willing to pay such high prices to get ahead of the competition. Otherwise, there was no way a cost-conscious company would drop over a million yen on a single skill scroll. It was an investment in the future.
Well, as the ones cashing in, we had no complaints. I stowed the scroll away in my Spatial Storage.
"Alright. Cleanup's done. Let's keep moving."
"Yeah."
"Yes."
Having finished our break, we set our sights on the surface once again.
By the time we reached the 20th floor, we decided to take a break for lunch at the staircase plaza. From this floor up, the number of explorer parties capable of reaching this depth increased significantly. Several other parties were nearby, setting up camp bases or resting. We kept a reasonable distance and began preparing our own meal.
Since we were in public view, we stuck to simple portable rations.
"Cereal bars and chocolate... man, I’m starting to crave something warm, like a soup," I muttered.
"It gets the calories in, but it feels a bit pathetic, doesn't it?" Yuji agreed.
"We'll be home soon enough, so we just have to endure it for now," Hiiragi-san said.
We chewed on our cereal bars with weary expressions. Of course, I had plenty of real food stored in my Spatial Storage, and even our backpacks held a few instant meals.
But...
"...Then again, it's hard to eat well in a situation like this."
"True. We'd stand out in the worst way possible."
"Exactly. They say a grudge over food is a terrifying thing..."
I chewed my bar and looked around, feeling my mood sink. One party sat nearby with hollow eyes, crunching on dry instant noodles. Another party was staring with bloodshot eyes at a single tin of food, the air between them thick and dangerous. A third party sat drinking plain hot water with expressions so vacant they looked like they’d achieved enlightenment... What on earth was wrong with everyone?
There were other parties in the plaza, but they all seemed overwhelmed by the heavy atmosphere, biting into their own rations with looks of profound discomfort.
"...Maybe we should cut the break short and get going."
"Yeah, let's. This place is depressing... it's starting to get to me."
"A break isn't really a break when it’s like this."
We all nodded in silent agreement. We’d finish up quickly and get moving. Staying here would only lead to more mental fatigue. The last thing we needed was someone picking a fight or begging us to share our supplies.
It was best to disappear before anyone took an interest in us.
We sped up our eating, finished in record time, and began packing. Almost as if our movement was a signal, the other parties who had been eating in that weary gloom also started preparing to leave.
Apparently, everyone found this atmosphere unbearable.
"Alright, we're done. Let's head out."
We shouldered our packs and skirted around the other groups, making for the stairs to the upper floors.
However...
"Um, excuse me? Do you have a moment?"
We all froze. Honestly, I didn't want to look back.
But the person who called out didn't take the hint.
"I'm so sorry, but if you have any to spare, could you possibly share some water? We’ll pay for it, of course..."
I didn't turn around, so I couldn't see her face, but she was likely from the group I'd seen gnawing on dry noodles. And of all things, she asked for water. For a moment, I panicked, wondering if my reputation from the previous incident had somehow preceded me.
I seriously considered pretending I hadn't heard her and making a run for it, but...
"Um, excuse me? Could you share some water?"
Having been called out three times after we'd already stopped walking, the window for pretending to be deaf had firmly closed.
I sighed inwardly and turned toward the woman. My answer, of course, was already decided.
"Ah, um, I'm sorry. We don't have much to spare ourselves, so I'm afraid we can't really help you..."
I wore my most apologetic expression and shook my head, telling her that providing water was out of the question.
If Hiiragi-san started handing out water like last time, things would spiral out of control. I didn't want to become known as a mobile water supply station again—honestly, what a terrible reputation to have.
"Just a little would be enough... is it really impossible?"
"I'm sorry. We don't know what might happen on the way up, so we need to keep our reserves full. Truly, I’m sorry."
"...I see. No, you’re right. I’m sorry for asking for something so unreasonable."
"N-no, we're the ones who should be sorry we couldn't help."
She looked disappointed, but she bowed politely and walked away. Seeing how easily she backed off suggested that the rumors from last time hadn't actually spread that far.
To confirm that, she immediately moved on to another party and asked them for water as well.
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I glanced at Yuji and Hiiragi-san.
"...Let's go."
"Yeah. Let's get out of here."
"Yes."
Behind us, the desperate parties began to follow the woman's lead, turning to those around them to beg for supplies. We hurried up the stairs to escape the commotion.
Phew. I'm glad we moved first. If we'd waited any longer, we would have been swallowed up by that mess.
After passing through the crowded tutorial floors—where rookies and veterans were packed in like sardines—we finally stepped outside the dungeon. I took a long, deep stretch to loosen my stiff muscles.
Even now, a massive line snaked out from the gate. The dungeon business was as booming as ever.
"We're finally out..."
"This trip was just... mentally exhausting."
"From start to finish. Seriously, not much went right this time."
"Well, it happens," I said, trying to be the optimist. "Let's just hope the next one is better."
This expedition had been one long string of headaches. It started with the summons from the Association, then the derailment of our plans, and finally having to dodge scavengers in the dungeon. I was starting to wonder if I’d been cursed.
I looked up at the ceiling of the facility with a thousand-yard stare.
"Hey, Daiki, stop daydreaming. You're in the way standing there. Move it."
"Eh? Oh, sorry. Coming."
Noticing the annoyed looks from other explorers trying to get past me, I followed Yuji and Hiiragi-san toward the locker rooms.
"Well, see you in a bit."
After changing, we met back up with Hiiragi-san and headed to the building with the appraisal counters to cash in our drops. I was still a little on edge, half-expecting another "summons."
"It'll end without any drama this time... right?"
"I hope so..."
"Even the Association wouldn't call us in twice in two days... probably."
Given how the last forty-eight hours had gone, we were all expecting the worst. But as it turned out, we were just being paranoid. While there was a bit of a wait, the purchase of our materials went smoothly. No one questioned our loot, and there was no summons.
Relieved, we finally left the Association building.
"Guess we were overthinking it."
"Yeah. Everything went fine. I think we were just on high alert because so much went wrong in a row."
"Still, being on guard is better than being blindsided. But man, I'm tired."
We sat on a bench at the bus terminal, waiting for the shuttle back to the station. We looked utterly drained. Physically, we were fine, but the mental fatigue was heavy.
Still, the rewards for this trip weren't half bad.
"I can't believe the total came to over a million yen... and that’s without the scroll."
"The snake skins sold for a lot more than I expected," Yuji said. "But I guess as a material for high-performance armor, being that thin, light, and elastic makes it incredibly versatile."
"Even just using it as a lining for existing gear would boost defense significantly," Hiiragi-san added. "It’s high-quality enough that I’m sure it has plenty of civilian applications too. It's not surprising it’s expensive."
The snake skins had been appraised at 150,000 yen each. They were a pain to fight, but they were certainly lucrative. We’d decided to push ahead as far as possible during the rest of summer break, but maybe once school started, we could spend some time just farming these.
After chatting and venting our frustrations for a while, the bus pulled into the loop.
"So, do you guys want to grab food or something before heading home?"
"...Honestly, I'm so beat I think I just want to call it a day," Yuji said.
"Agreed," Hiiragi-san said. "Let's just go straight home."
"Yeah, I'm for that too."
And so, we skipped the usual family restaurant debrief and headed for the train.
Man, what a tiring trip. First thing I’m doing when I get home is taking a long bath and going straight to bed.