A heavy atmosphere hung over us as we sat around the hot pot, continuing our discussion.
"Ideally, I’d like to reach the 50th floor during this run. It would make things a lot cleaner when we start the next exploration," I said.
"True. If we make it that far, we’ll know what the environment of the next floor range looks like. Having that information for the next trip would be a huge advantage. But..." Yuji trailed off.
"The real issue is time," Hiiragi-san added, her brow furrowed. "I’m sure we could reach the 50th floor if we just kept pushing, but if each floor takes an hour to clear, that’s eight hours just for the trip down. If we spend eight hours going in, it’ll take another four or five to get back. And that’s assuming the higher floors aren't crowded and everything goes smoothly."
Despite their apparent interest in my proposal, both Yuji and Hiiragi-san voiced reluctant opposition. Just as Hiiragi-san pointed out, logistics were our biggest hurdle.
"So, if we aim for the 50th, tomorrow’s exploration would take twelve or thirteen hours total," I summarized.
"Twelve or thirteen hours... If we set out at 7:00 AM, we wouldn't be back on the surface until 8:00 PM," Yuji calculated.
"And that’s the best-case scenario. Worst case, the date will have changed by the time we get home," Hiiragi-san warned.
"Getting home after midnight would be pretty bad..."
We hadn't warned our families that we might be that late. If we didn't show up, they might panic, worrying that the exploration had failed or that we were seriously injured. While we could contact them once we exited the dungeon, we usually finished our day explorations and returned home before 8:00 PM. Being unreachable until midnight would definitely be problematic.
"If we could at least let them know we'll be late, getting back late might be... acceptable?" I mused.
"I wouldn't go that far, but at least we’d save them the worry that we’ve been maimed," Hiiragi-san said.
"Yeah. But even then, we probably need to be out of the dungeon by 5:00 or 6:00 PM at the latest."
That meant the time we could spend exploring new floors tomorrow was capped at five or six hours. Anything more than that was simply impossible given our current situation. Yuji and Hiiragi-san seemed to reach the same conclusion, exchanging weary glances.
"...What if we set a five-hour limit? Or maybe six?" I suggested. "The goal is still the 50th floor, but we just see how far we can get in five hours."
"Five hours. Right. If we have five hours... can we make it?" Yuji asked.
"If we’re lucky, maybe. But realistically? We’ll probably only reach the 46th or 47th floor," Hiiragi-san estimated.
I had a feeling we’d end up falling just short of the milestone and be forced to turn back... but if that was the case, we’d just have to accept it. I let out a small sigh and made the call.
"Let's stick to that: we go as far as we can in five hours. Is that fair?"
"Yeah. That’s probably the best compromise we’ve got," Yuji agreed.
"I suppose so..." Hiiragi-san added.
Between reaching a new floor record and returning to the surface on time, this was our middle ground. Reaching the 50th floor during this trip might be difficult, but we’d only made it this far because the dungeon was unusually empty. There was no need to overdo it. It was a shame, but we had to be realistic.
If we wanted to reach the 50th floor with any degree of comfort, one night and two days wasn't enough. We’d need at least three days and two nights.
"Thanks for the meal," I said, setting down my bowl.
"Thanks for the meal," the other two echoed.
We cleaned up the remains of the hot pot and discussed the night watch. In reality, it was just a matter of deciding whether Yuji or I would take the second shift. Hiiragi-san had used a significant amount of mana to construct the barricade, so she was locked into the third shift to maximize her recovery time.
To settle it quickly, Yuji and I squared off for a game of rock-paper-scissors.
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
"Yes! My win!" I cheered.
"Ugh, I lost!"
I had won, which meant Yuji was stuck with the second watch. He looked a bit grumpy as he finished tidying up and promptly flopped onto his bed. After giving Hiiragi-san a quick nod as she prepared for sleep, I grabbed a chair and moved to a spot between the barricade and the base camp. If I sat too close to the stakes, they’d block my field of vision.
"Alright, let's get through these three hours..."
I pulled a new light novel volume I’d recently purchased out of my Spatial Storage and sat down, keeping my weapons within arm's reach. While maintaining a steady watch on our surroundings, I lowered my eyes to the pages in front of me.
My shift ended without any trouble. Fortunately, there were no monster attacks, and I managed to finish the book in peace. I tucked the novel back into my Spatial Storage, stood up, and walked over to the beds to wake Yuji.
"Yuji, time to swap."
"...Hm? Oh, shift change already?"
Yuji woke up instantly, sitting bolt upright. It was a testament to Genya-san’s training; we’d learned to maintain a state of "alert sleep," staying vigilant even while unconscious so we could snap into action the moment something felt off. I still questioned whether this was a skill high school students should really have, even if we were explorers.
"Yep. Let me know when you're ready to take over."
"Got it. Give me a second, I’ll be right there."
"Roger."
Once I was sure Yuji was fully awake, I returned to my post to cover the last few minutes of the transition. A clever enemy might see the handover as the perfect moment to strike. About three minutes later, a fully prepared Yuji joined me, and I prepared to turn in.
"I’m leaving the rest to you."
"Yeah, good work. Get some sleep."
"Thanks. Goodnight."
Leaving the perimeter in Yuji's hands, I lay down and closed my eyes. Time to get some rest.
I was sleeping soundly when Yuji’s voice suddenly boomed through the camp, jolting me awake.
"Wake up, you two! We've got a monster attack!"
"!"
Hiiragi-san and I both sprang from our beds. My head was a bit foggy for a second or two, but the adrenaline kicked in immediately. I grabbed my weapon and ran to Yuji’s side. He was already projecting a heavy intimidation toward the tree line.
Damn it, I just wanted some rest!
"Yuji, where are they?"
"In the forest to the left. I think there are two of them."
"...Found them!"
I followed the direction Yuji was pointing and spotted small shadows in the trees. They were staring at us with clear hostility. Were those... squirrels?
"Hey, Yuji. Those are Squirrels?, right?"
"Yeah, looks like it. They showed up a bit ago, but they haven't done anything. They're just sitting there, watching us."
"...They aren't moving?" Hiiragi-san asked, arriving a moment after me.
"No. Since they appeared, they haven't made a single move to get closer," Yuji explained.
Monsters that reveal themselves but don't attack immediately... Did they specialize in ambushes and surprise attacks using their small size? Wait—!
"Ah!" we all cried out.
As we watched them warily, the Squirrel? suddenly spun around and vanished into the thicket with incredible speed. We were left staring at the empty branches, stunned by the unexpected retreat. They’d left without even a single exchange.
"They ran away... right?" I asked.
"Yeah, they definitely retreated... but depending on why they did it, that makes them way more dangerous," Yuji said grimly.
The reason they ran. It came down to one of two things.
"...Either they realized they couldn't win, or they're just waiting for a better opportunity," Hiiragi-san said.
"Exactly. If it's the former, it’s fine. But if it's the latter..."
If they were waiting for an opportunity, it meant they were hunting for a moment when we’d be vulnerable. From what we’d seen, they primarily moved through the trees. That meant an attack could come from above at any moment. Monsters that simply sat and waited for their prey to show a gap in their defenses were the worst kind of trouble.
Knowing an enemy was lurking in the woods, waiting for even a second of lapsed vigilance, was an immense mental burden.
"I really hope it’s the first reason," I muttered.
"I couldn't agree more," Yuji said.
"Sigh..."
We all let out a collective sigh. Honestly, it would have been better if they’d just attacked. At least then we wouldn't have to worry about what they were planning.
"...Yuji, the enemies are gone for now, so we’re going back to sleep."
"...Yeah, alright."
"...Right. I’ll try to rest too, though I don’t know if I can sleep with that on my mind," Hiiragi-san admitted.
We left the watch to Yuji and lay back down. But even with my eyes shut, sleep was nowhere to be found. I was too preoccupied with those Squirrel?.
Did they have the ability to gauge our strength? How persistent were they? When would they choose to strike? The questions bubbled up in my mind, one after another.
"...I can't sleep."
The complaint slipped out as I stared into the darkness. I knew I needed to rest to recover from the physical and mental strain, but my brain wouldn't turn off.
In the end, I stayed awake for a long while, agonizing over how to handle the Squirrel? until the shift change between Yuji and Hiiragi-san. Eventually, realizing that getting zero sleep would be disastrous, I forced myself to clear my head and finally managed to drift off.
Then...
"Wake up, Kokonoe-kun, Hirose-kun."
"...Hm?"
"It’s time to get up. Good morning, you two."
"M-Morning..."
We sat up at the sound of Hiiragi-san’s voice. My head felt sluggish—whether from the early hour or the mental exhaustion of the night, I couldn't say. It certainly wasn't the most refreshing wake-up call I’d ever had. Still, I supposed being able to sleep at all inside a dungeon was something to be grateful for.
"Sorry to ask as soon as you’re up, but Kokonoe-kun, could you take the food and utensils out of your Spatial Storage? I’ll get breakfast started while you two get ready."
"Oh, yeah. Sure."
I pulled out the supplies Hiiragi-san requested and then moved to get ready with Yuji. It was a quick process; we just washed our faces with the water Hiiragi-san had prepared, which took less than three minutes. Once the sleep was washed from our eyes, we thanked her for the help.
"Morning again, Hiiragi-san. Thanks for handling breakfast."
"Morning, Hiiragi-san."
"Good morning. I’ve just set out the bowls and boiled the water, really. It wasn't much work. Anyway, what do you two want?"
She held up the bag of cup noodles I’d taken out earlier. For a quick dungeon breakfast, they were the standard. Yuji and I rummaged through the bag; I went with Kitsune Udon, Yuji picked Miso Ramen, and Hiiragi-san chose Champon.
"Oh, the water's ready."
The pot on the portable stove had come to a boil, and we began prepping our respective noodles. While we waited for them to steep, I asked about the rest of the night watch.
"So, how was it after that? I didn't hear any more alarms."
"Nothing changed," Yuji said. "I was on high alert for those Squirrel? to come back, but I didn't see hide nor hair of them."
"It was the same for my shift," Hiiragi-san added. "I kept a close eye on the canopy, but as far as I could tell, they didn't return."
"I see..."
Were they trying to lure us deeper into the forest, or had they truly just fled? The truth was hidden in the shadows. Given that they hadn't even come back to scout, it seemed more likely they had actually retreated.
"So we won't know the truth until we actually move into the forest where they were," I concluded.
"I hate the idea of walking into a trap, but they’re acting differently than any monsters we’ve seen," Yuji noted. "It might be better to find out what we’re dealing with sooner rather than later, even if it's risky."
"I agree," Hiiragi-san said. "If we keep moving without knowing their nature, the mental strain is just going to keep building."
If we knew how they operated, we could decide whether we needed to maintain standard vigilance or if we had to keep our eyes glued to the ceiling. We’d know if we just needed to kill them before they could flee, or if we were facing a constant threat of ambush.
We got so caught up in the discussion that we completely lost track of time. By the time we realized, we were left having to choke down bowls of completely soggy noodles. We really should have set a timer.