While keeping an eye on the Treant Yuji had snapped in half with his kick, I remained on high alert for any signs of approaching reinforcements. After a short period of tension, the Treant began to dissolve into particles without any further interference.
I’d always had this image of plant-type monsters as having such incredible vitality and regenerative powers that they’d launch one final "parting gift" just when you thought you’d won. To my surprise, it went down quite easily.
"Phew. Looks like that’s the end of it," Hiiragi-san said.
"Yeah, that was a pain. I definitely need magic or something with a longer reach for those big guys. This thing..." Yuji stared at the kodachi in his hands and let out a heavy, resigned sigh. "It’s great for tight spaces, but the blade’s just too short when you’re up against something that huge."
"Well, kodachi were originally designed for portability and ease of use in close-quarters or anti-personnel combat. You can’t really help the lack of reach," Hiiragi-san replied.
"I know, but still..."
Judging by his expression, Yuji was reaching a point of enlightenment. He’d managed well enough so far with the weapons Juzo-san had given him, but as we pushed further, he’d need to find something better suited for the enemies we were encountering. I’d have to talk it over with them once we got back.
A new weapon... The thought was strangely exciting.
"Hm? Hey, Yuji. Looks like it dropped something."
"Really? What is it?"
A leather shoulder bag was lying in the spot where the Treant’s stump had been. I walked over and picked it up; it wasn’t very heavy. It looked like it could hold maybe two monthly manga magazines stacked together.
"It looks like a leather bag. I can’t tell what kind of hide it is just by feeling it, though."
"Since it appeared as a drop item, does that mean it's a magic item? Kokonoe-kun, does it have any special effects?"
"Give me a second. Yuji, let me see that bag."
"Yeah, here."
"Thanks. Now then... Appraisal Analysis." My eyes widened, and a groan that was almost a scream escaped my throat. "Wait, what?!"
Crap, something huge just dropped...
Yuji and Hiiragi-san looked at me with suspicious, worried expressions.
"What is it, Daiki? You look like you just realized you messed up big time."
"Exactly. Does it have some kind of dangerous curse?"
"..."
I stared at their worried faces in silence for a moment, taking a few deep breaths to steady myself. When I finally spoke, my voice was a bit high-pitched.
"This thing... it has the 'Spatial Expansion' special effect."
"Wait, what?!" they both shouted in unison.
"It’s a storage-type item. A magic bag, apparently."
"..."
Stunned, they both stared intently at the bag in my hand. I’d figured we might find one eventually, but I never expected it to happen right here. What are we supposed to do with this?
As Yuji and Hiiragi-san remained frozen in shock, I began to agonize over how we were going to handle this thing.
Once the initial shock of finding a magic bag had subsided, we decided to put the problem of what to do with it on the back burner and resumed our search for the stairs to the 50th floor. The battle with the Treant had taken longer than expected, leaving us with less than ten minutes before our scheduled return time. Since we’d already agreed to head back without question once the time was up, we had to hurry while maintaining our safety.
However, as soon as we resumed our search, I realized my concerns were unnecessary.
"Found it."
"There it is."
"We found it."
The stairs leading down were located exactly where the reinforcements had been waiting during our fight with the Treant. When we went to check if any stragglers were still lying in ambush, we found the stairs right in the middle of a wide, open plaza.
This meant that if we’d tried to take the stairs directly, we would have had to fight through the entire coordinated monster squad—and without the Treant’s death to demoralize them, their command structure would have remained intact until the very end. From our perspective, fighting the high-durability Treant might have actually been the easier path.
"Well... I guess we should head down, then?"
I was a bit bewildered by how easily we’d found it after all that rushing. I pointed toward the stairs and prompted the other two.
"Yeah. Let’s do it."
"Right. Let’s go down."
With a lingering sense of anticlimax, we descended toward the 50th floor. It felt a bit hollow, but this officially meant we’d achieved our final goal for this expedition.
Honestly, I never truly thought we’d make it all the way to floor 50.
"Whoa... So this is what it’s like."
"Is this really still the dungeon?"
"I've seen places like this on TV..."
We stepped out into the staircase plaza of the 50th floor and stood there, dazed by the sight before us. Ahead lay a desolate wasteland of rocks and boulders of every size. The ground was reddish soil dotted with occasional moss-like plants—a cold, lonely, and rugged landscape.
"A rocky zone, huh? The footing is even worse than the 40th floor range. Between the height differences and the boulders, there are plenty of places for things to hide."
"Yeah. And if one of those giant rocks came tumbling down, we’d be in trouble. The terrain itself is a hazard. Fighting monsters here is going to be a nightmare."
"If we focus too much on the enemies, we might get caught in an environmental accident," Hiiragi-san added.
Getting hit by a rock weighing several tons would cause a serious injury even for us. Given the uneven terrain, rockfalls were likely. But if we focused too much on dodging rocks during a fight, it would create an opening for the enemy. We’d have to stay more aware of our surroundings than ever before.
As I was observing the landscape and thinking about our future battles, my alarm suddenly blared.
"Ah, time’s up."
"Well, it was a toss-up whether we’d reach it at all. If anything, it’s a miracle we made it this far."
"True. Our original goal was just to reach the 40th floor. This is more like a massive bonus."
"Haha, you’re right. Then, as promised, let’s head for the surface."
With the deadline reached, we did a quick, basic check of our gear and began preparing to withdraw. Normally, I would have liked to rest for a bit or maybe perform a scouting flight, but a deal was a deal. If we started making excuses now, we’d just end up procrastinating our departure.
Besides, if we were going to rest, I didn't want to do it somewhere prone to rockfalls and unknown monsters. I’d much rather take a break on a floor where we had at least some grasp of the environment and the threats.
"Alright, ready. Let's go."
"Right."
"Yes."
And so, after staying for only a few minutes, we left the 50th floor and began our long trek back to the surface.
One hour after starting our return, we reached the 42nd floor where we’d set up base camp the previous day. By moving at a fast pace along the shortest route and ignoring any monsters that didn't directly block our path, we made excellent time. Having a pre-scouted route really makes a difference.
We settled down in the staircase plaza of the 42nd floor and started getting ready for a proper rest.
"Daiki, could you take out the wood we stored before we left? I want to set it up as a barricade while we rest."
"Got it. Though... man, the trees have already grown back."
"I figured the trees would regenerate eventually since the grass on the 30th floor does, but this is faster than I expected," Hiiragi-san remarked.
As I pulled the timber from my Spatial Storage, I blinked in surprise. The trees we’d cut down yesterday to build our barricade had already regrown to their full size. I’d expected them to return eventually, but to be back to normal in just half a day...
With a regeneration rate like that, clearing land to build a permanent defensive outpost was out of the question.
"If they grow this fast, it’d be great if we could find a use for them."
"Like fuel or paper?"
"Exactly. Right now, all we’re using them for is temporary walls."
"Even so, this floor is so deep that the logistical costs of hauling heavy wood out would be a nightmare. I doubt it’d ever be commercially viable," Yuji pointed out.
He had a point. Even if we hired high-level explorers to haul it, the transportation costs would dwarf the value of the wood. You’d have to make something incredibly expensive to turn a profit. Maybe some high-end furniture brand could make it work with enough marketing? Regardless, it was a resource that would remain useless until the average explorer rank improved.
"Alright, barricades are up. Shall we take a break?"
"Yeah, let’s."
"Sounds good."
I took out chairs, a table, a tea set, and some snacks from my Spatial Storage. We’d been moving non-stop since we made our push for the 50th floor, so this was our first real chance to relax. I boiled some water in the electric kettle, and we each picked out a stick of instant drink mix. I went with cocoa; after everything we'd just been through, I was craving something sweet.
While we sipped our hot drinks, we finally sat down to discuss the elephant in the room.
"So, what are we doing with this? Are we actually going to cash it in?"
"No, that seems like a bad move right now, doesn't it?"
"I agree. Something like this is almost certainly kept under strict government control. Beyond its practical use, its value as a research specimen is astronomical," Hiiragi-san said.
The item in question sat on the table between us: the magic bag dropped by the Treant. It was a textbook "trouble magnet." Whether we kept it for ourselves or tried to sell it, the risks were enormous.
We all sighed, staring at it.
"Daiki, how much can this thing actually hold? Since it’s a storage item, it’s not just what we see on the outside, right?"
"Right. The opening stays the same size, but the internal volume is about ten times the external appearance. It’s roughly eighty liters—about the size of a large hiking pack."
"Eighty liters in something that small..." Yuji rubbed the bridge of his nose. To the naked eye, it was just a shoulder bag. Being able to fit an entire mountaineering pack’s worth of gear inside was basically a scam.
"Hey, Kokonoe-kun? Is the only effect expanding the space? You know how in fantasy novels they sometimes have weight reduction so the bag stays light, or time stasis so food doesn't spoil?"
"Hmm, it doesn’t look like it has anything like that. It just has 'Spatial Expansion.' Maybe if a magic bag drops from a much deeper floor, it’ll have those kinds of extra perks."
"So this is likely a low-rank version of a magic bag?"
"Most likely."
It was a magic bag in its simplest form. Higher ranks probably offered more volume and extra features. After all, recovery potions came in beginner, intermediate, and advanced grades.
Though, at the moment, the fact that it was a magic bag at all was the problem.
"The real issue is how we handle it from here."
"For now, we have to keep it hidden in your Spatial Storage, Daiki. The average civilian explorer hasn't even reached the 30th floor yet. Handing over a magic item that only drops near the 50th floor would be a disaster."
"I agree. I haven't heard a single rumor about magic bags being sold at auction or anyone actually owning one. If the Self-Defense Forces have found any, the government is definitely keeping it a secret. If we try to cash this in, it’ll be a massive scandal. We’re already on the Association's radar; if we do this, we’ll become high-priority targets for the state too."
So, the conclusion was settled: we’d hide it away in my Spatial Storage. It was the only logical choice. Until other high-level explorers started reaching the 40th floor range, bringing this out would just be asking for trouble.
Sigh. We finally reached the 50th floor, but all we got for it was another pile of secrets.