After meeting up with the previous team, we immediately began the handover process. The procedure followed a set format, but critical information was occasionally buried in the details, so I couldn't afford to lose focus. Soga-san and Hirai, the leader of the outgoing team, were exchanging information with slight furrows in their brows, both wearing grim expressions.
Sure enough, there was vital news this time around.
"I see. Even if it's only a slight increase, the fact that monsters are attacking the base camp more frequently is something we need to keep an eye on... I take it that's another side effect of the Obon holidays?"
"Yeah. One of the corporate parties that had set up a base camp on this floor recently moved their hunting grounds down a level, which caused the attack rate here to rise slightly. On top of that, because of the Obon break, the student parties have temporarily pulled out—likely headed back to their hometowns. As a result, the total number of explorers on this floor has dropped, and the monster culling hasn't been able to keep up."
"Which means the floor is currently at its maximum monster capacity... That would certainly explain the higher attack rate."
From the perspective of hitting our collection quota, a higher encounter rate was helpful, but more frequent attacks on the base camp were a different story. It meant more time spent on high alert. In other words, we wouldn't be able to rest properly, and our mental fatigue would continue to build. Thanks to the effects of leveling up, explorers far surpassed ordinary people physically, but our mental state wasn't much different from anyone else’s. If the periods of high tension dragged on too long, spirits would flag, and people might become mentally unstable.
I had no desire to work in an environment where a colleague might suddenly start screaming and swinging their weapon around...
"Yeah. Plus, with fewer explorers staying here, you'll be in trouble if you don't secure more personnel than usual to handle the attacks. Normally, you'd get help from other teams or parties stationed nearby, but since the number of parties has dropped, manpower is scarce."
"True enough... I'll keep that in mind. Sigh, looks like I'll have to adjust the rotation this time."
Soga-san scratched his head at Hirai-san's advice, looking troubled. We usually worked on a three-shift rotation—Deployment, Standby, and Rest—but since we needed to allocate more people to base camp defense, he had to modify it.
Given our limited numbers, it would likely become a cycle of Deployment, Standby, Semi-standby, and Rest. Our sleep would be cut short, but I suppose that was better than letting an attack succeed and ending up with injuries.
"Well, that’s the state of things lately. We're heading out in two hours once we finish our break, so good luck."
"Yeah, we'll do our best."
Hirai-san gave a wry smile and placed a hand on Soga-san's shoulder to encourage him. Soga-san let out a small sigh and gave a short reply, his expression already weary.
Soga-san, we’re about to start the actual exploration, so you won't last if you're already like that. I understand how you feel, though... Sigh, maybe I should have found an excuse to visit my family for Obon after all.
Two hours later, once the handover was complete as scheduled, Hirai-san's team set off for the surface, hauling the drop items they had earned. The outgoing members left with smiles of relief, clearly glad to be going home, so Soga-san called out a final warning: "Hirai, it’s not over until you're out of the dungeon! You'll run into more monsters than usual right now, so stay sharp until the very end!" Hirai-san gave a casual "Yeah" in response, but he also looked a bit sheepish, seemingly realizing they had let their guard down in their excitement.
With the previous team gone, our work officially began.
"All right, now that they’re gone, let's get started. Also, based on the report from the handover, I'm sorry, but I'm going to change the rotation slightly."
"You mean increasing the number of people on standby at the base camp to prepare for monster attacks, right?"
"Exactly. In the original rotation, four people would rest at a time, but half of them will now be on semi-standby as backup in case of an attack. If an attack occurs while you're on semi-standby, move to support the standby group immediately."
"Well, it can't be helped... Understood."
Everyone seemed reluctant, but they understood the situation. They accepted the change without a word of complaint, though more than a few sighs were heard. It directly concerned our safety, so there was no point in arguing.
With that, we began our shift.
"Then, as planned, Team 1, head out for exploration! Team 2, stay on alert standby at the base camp! Team 3, enter rest after deciding the semi-standby order!"
"Understood!"
We sprang into action at Soga-san's command. Tamori and I were in Team 1, so our first rotation was exploration. After checking our equipment and baggage to ensure there were no issues, we set off along with Kagawa and Funabashi. I was the leader of Team 1.
Now then, let's work hard to meet the quota. And maybe pick up some extra cash along the way...
Five minutes after starting our patrol, we spotted monsters right away. Two minotaurs.
"Wait, they're here already?"
"Just like the report said, the encounter rate is up because of the lack of people," Tamori noted.
"Indeed... Here they come!"
"Tamori and I will take point. Kagawa, Funabashi, provide cover and watch our backs."
"Understood!"
The minotaurs had noticed us as well, as both charged forward with guttural groans. To intercept them, Tamori and I split to the left and right sides of the passage so as not to get in each other's way. Kagawa backed me up, while Funabashi supported Tamori.
A few seconds later, we engaged the minotaurs, which had split apart to follow our movements.
"First strike... Hah!"
"Bumo!"
I swung my billhook at the minotaur's flank, carving a reasonably deep wound. Letting out a groan of pain, the beast clutched its side and halted its charge.
I quickly backstepped to create distance and signaled Kagawa to strike.
"Kagawa!"
"Understood! Fireball!"
"Bumoooooo!"
The moment I moved back, Kagawa fired his attack magic without a second's delay. The spell hit the minotaur directly in the face, and it shrieked, clutching its scorched head with both hands in agony.
Judging that no counterattack was coming, I seized the opening and closed the distance at full speed, thrusting my billhook deep into the minotaur's defenseless chest.
"Hah!"
"Bumo!?"
The blade pierced the heart exactly as intended, and the creature fell without further resistance. It collapsed on its back, blood gushing from the wound. It was likely dead before it hit the floor.
I maintained my zanshin for over ten seconds, staying alert for any final struggle. Once the minotaur began its particleization, I finally exhaled and let the tension drain away.
"Phew..."
"We took it down safely," Kagawa said.
"Yeah. More importantly, let's go support Tamori and the others."
"Right. Oh, wait."
Having finished our own opponent, we turned to help, only to see that Tamori and Funabashi had already finished off their minotaur.
It seemed they had handled things just as smoothly.
"Good work. Looks like you guys made it through without a scratch too."
"Yeah, something like this is no problem. Though, we can't afford to be careless."
"True enough. If you underestimate your opponent, you'll end up in a world of hurt."
We exchanged light banter with smiles, letting out sighs of relief once we confirmed everyone was safe. This was still the very beginning of the shift; it would be a long road ahead if we struggled or got injured while holding the numerical advantage.
After a short wait, the minotaurs' particleization finished, leaving behind two drop items.
"What did we get?"
"Uh, two Core Crystals."
"...A total dud this time, huh?" Tamori muttered.
"Core Crystals... Yeah, definitely a dud."
The first spoils for Team 1 were disappointing. In the past, Core Crystals could be sold for a decent price, but now they were worth little more than pocket change. Word was that because specialized teams from public institutions like the Self-Defense Forces and the police collected the Core Crystals needed for Core Crystal power generation, there was no longer a need to buy them at high prices from civilians. It made sense; if the government had its own units to collect them, they wouldn't pay a premium to private explorers.
After collecting the crystals and doing a quick maintenance check on our gear, we resumed our exploration. Still, encountering monsters so quickly suggested we wouldn't have to spend much time searching for them this time.
I stared at the stairs leading to the upper floor near our base camp, feeling a sense of deep reflection as I chatted with Tamori. It was now the sixth day since we had started our dungeon run. The Obon holiday period was over, and I could feel that people were gradually returning to the dungeon. One new corporate explorer party had already started setting up a base camp on this floor. Though they hadn't established a permanent camp, I had also spotted a few parties of what looked like university students. Honestly, I was relieved. Having more groups around meant more people to share the burden of defending the area. Now we might actually get some real rest.
By the way, we were scheduled to head back to the surface tomorrow once our replacements arrived.
"Once tomorrow is over, we'll finally be able to see the sun again."
"Haha, you're right. But man, I'm absolutely exhausted this time..."
"Yeah. Who would've thought we'd run into so many monsters just because the floor was quiet... The encounter rate was insane."
"True. But thanks to that, we hit our collection quota by day four, and we could focus on earning some performance bonuses after that."
"That's the only saving grace of this trip..."
Because of the sheer volume of monsters, we had secured numerous rare drops, so I was expecting a nice bonus. I was—but honestly, I would've preferred a quieter week.
"I really wish the attacks on the base camp hadn't been so relentless, though."
"I didn't expect them to hit us every two hours like clockwork..."
"I guess that's the price of not having enough people to keep the population down."
Tamori and I let out heavy sighs, recalling the events of the past six days. During this run, we had dealt with the bizarre situation of monsters attacking our base camp roughly every two hours. Because of that, even during our rest rotations, the semi-standby group had been forced to deploy constantly. Even when we were supposed to be sleeping, we could never truly relax.
Let's see, roughly every two hours... that meant we'd repelled over fifty attacks on the base camp.
"We gathered a third of our quota just from defending the camp... I suppose it's a mixed blessing, but it was still a pain."
"Haha, it was basically aggressive door-to-door sales."
"Sales... Those were some remarkably pushy salesmen."
For a moment, the image of humanoid monsters in suits charging in with business cards flickered through my mind. Yeah... I'm definitely tired.
I shook my head to clear the nonsense and was about to continue the conversation when I felt a presence coming from the stairs.
"Hm? Someone's coming down."
"Another corporate party? Or maybe one of those student parties coming back?"
"Maybe... but it doesn't feel like a large group."
Judging by the footsteps, there were at most five people. That was a remarkably small party for this depth. Were they a scouting team sent ahead to check the floor?
Tamori and I watched the stairs with a mix of curiosity and wariness.
"Phew, finally reached the 26th floor."
"It's so much faster when it's not crowded."
"We've cut our travel time by nearly half."
Kids? And there are only three of them... Wait, what is this?
At the sight of the Trio of High Schoolers emerging from the stairs, Tamori and I both felt our thoughts grind to a halt.
Three high schoolers had come down the stairs... Just who were they?