In an atmosphere that was hard to describe, we made our way toward the building housing the dungeon entrance. Along the way, we watched groups of newcomers—likely the summer break debut group—shouting with enthusiasm. Seeing them made me realize that even though we hadn’t even been explorers for a full year yet, we had become quite the veterans.
I wasn't old enough to be over the hill just yet, but the days since I had obtained my Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures had been a non-stop whirlwind.
"Everyone's so energetic," I noted.
"What’s with the sudden old-man talk, Daiki?" Yuji asked.
"No, it's just... seeing these newcomers so fresh-faced, full of dreams and hope. I know we've just gotten used to it, but we’re so businesslike about our dives now... And we haven't even finished our first year, you know?"
"When you put it that way... well, I guess you're right. After everything we've been through, it's probably impossible to feel the same mix of hope and anxiety we had when we first started."
Yuji was right. In the beginning, we really had approached the dungeon with that standard blend of expectation and unease. We were surprised and thrilled whenever we found a rare drop or received a good payout.
But now, those emotions had faded. Those once-exciting moments had become just another part of our daily routine.
"Why are you two acting so melancholy?" Hiiragi-san interjected, looking slightly exasperated. "How one explores a dungeon varies from person to person. It's only natural that your feelings change as you gain experience, even when facing the same events."
She directed her critique at Yuji and me as we radiated a suddenly gloomy aura.
"Well, sure, but seeing them just makes you think..."
"We still run into unexpected situations from time to time," she continued. "I don't think 'businesslike' is the right word for our days. Though, I do wish things had been a bit more peaceful..."
"True. We haven't lacked for those kinds of events this past year," I admitted.
"Really, though," she sighed.
Joining Hiiragi-san, the three of us let out a collective sigh as we looked back on our less-than-a-year as explorers. From minor nuisances to incidents where the authorities slapped us with official gag orders—why did so many troublesome things keep piling up?
"You guys are busy, jumping from high spirits to depression like that," Mika said, her expression a mix of exasperation and curiosity. "What kind of dives do you usually do, Onii-chan? Just listening to you talk is making me really interested..."
"Actually, I'm interested too," Saori-chan added.
They both insisted on knowing what our typical routine looked like. Our usual dives, huh... I guess I can tell them what’s safe to share.
"Let's see. Lately, we usually do a marathon down to around the 30th floor."
"Even taking the shortest route, traveling back and forth takes time once you reach the deep floors," Yuji explained.
"If you want to do a proper search in the deep floor zones, it's difficult unless you stay overnight in the dungeon," Hiiragi-san added.
For now, this much should be harmless. It was essentially admitting we were among the top tier of civilian explorers, but I couldn't talk about the things we were strictly forbidden from mentioning—like finding undiscovered dungeons or dropping a magic bag. I also couldn't bring up socially dangerous topics like finding an alchemy skill scroll, especially not in a place where who-knows-who might be listening.
"Are you guys going all the way to the 30th floor on day trips?" Mika asked.
"Does that mean you're defeating the ogre everyone talks about?" Saori-chan followed up.
Both of them bit onto the topic with surprise. Wait, had I not mentioned that? Maybe I just thought I had.
"Didn't I tell you we were going to the 30th floor?"
"I thought you might be," Mika said, looking at me with squinted eyes, "but I didn't think you were doing it as a day trip. You've been going on overnight dives lately, so I just assumed that's how you were reaching the 30th floor."
"I guess we never did specify how deep we go on the overnight trips," Yuji noted.
"We just said we were staying in the dungeon," Hiiragi-san added.
I scratched my head awkwardly under Mika’s judgmental gaze. It seemed I really had only intended to tell them.
"Right... well, anyway, the 30th floor is doable in a day. Though, if it's as crowded as it was during summer break, travel takes up all our time and we can't actually explore, which defeats the purpose."
"Does it take that long for even you guys to get to the 30th floor?" Mika asked.
"Depends on how crowded the upper floors are, but it's about two or three hours one way. Once you get down near the 20th floor, the crowds thin out and moving gets easier. But since we usually dive on weekends, it's almost always packed. And keep in mind, that's just travel time, excluding combat."
"Three hours..." Saori-chan winced. "Six hours round trip just for travel? That's basically a whole day's work right there."
They both grimaced at the thought. And that was just the movement time without accounting for fighting monsters. In reality, when we headed for the 30th floor, we either insta-killed or avoided any monsters we encountered, so it didn't actually take as much time as they were imagining.
"Well, we still fight a fair amount of monsters on the way down, so we get a decent amount of drop items. In terms of income, the unit price for drops from the 30th floor and below is higher. If it's going to be a full day of work anyway, it's more profitable to spend as much time as possible on the 30th floor."
"Only top-tier teams can bring back drops from the 30th floor," Mika noted. "It makes sense they'd be worth more than stuff from the floors where everyone hangs out."
"Yeah. Plus, there's a limit to how much you can carry. It's always better to get drops that are small but have a high unit price."
"Oh, I get that," Mika agreed, nodding repeatedly along with Saori-chan. "We’ve had to cut our dives short plenty of times because our drops were getting too bulky."
It was a classic explorer problem. Even Saori-chan was nodding in fervent agreement.
Mika and her friend were still mostly exploring the shallow floors, so they had it easy. Once you try to operate in the deep floors near the 30th, your required supplies skyrocket, making the transport issue even more severe. Even staying for just one night requires a massive amount of gear, which eats into the space you have for bringing back drops. That's why explorers crave small, high-value drop items—like skill scrolls, for example.
"Explorers get a boost to their physical strength from leveling up, so we can carry heavy loads easily, but there's still a limit to the volume. Especially if you consider fighting monsters, it's impossible to carry an excessively large pack. It’s a problem you can solve if you have a dedicated transport team like the big corporate explorer teams do, but a small party like ours can't mimic that."
"I've seen them sometimes while we're diving," Saori-chan said. "Those people with massive packs being moved along with guards? They were carrying bags bigger than themselves and all had the same company logo."
"That’s probably them. They carry supplies to their teammates who have set up a base camp on the 30th floor, then they collect the drop items their teammates gathered and bring them back. That way, they can stay active on the deep floors continuously."
"Continuously? You mean they stay inside the dungeon the whole time?"
Mika and Saori-chan both looked disgusted at the thought. I suppose the idea of sleeping for days in a place where monsters could attack at any moment sounded like a nightmare to them.
Of course, corporate explorer teams account for that and rotate their guards, so the chance of being blindsided while asleep is slim. Still, being confined in a closed space for a long time definitely wears on the mind. Though, once you pass the 30th floor, the scenery and environment change, which might provide a bit of a mental refresh even during a long stay.
"I don't know exactly what their rotation is like, but I don't think it's for that long. It’s mentally taxing, so it’s probably a week or two at most."
"Even that sounds rough," Mika said.
"Well, unless you join a corporation, you probably won't be doing long-term dives like that. Or rather, you won't be able to."
"What if a few small groups teamed up...?" Mika suggested.
I shook my head slightly. "I wouldn't recommend grouping up unless it's with someone you trust implicitly or someone whose background is guaranteed. I've seen a few teams staying overnight, and because of the stress of the dive, they were radiating a very hostile atmosphere. Even a minor mistake in a dungeon can turn into a crisis, which brings out problems that usually stay hidden. If you're grouped with someone you don't trust in that situation, you’ll probably end up regretting it."
"...So if we're going to stay overnight, we have to think about all of that too."
"It's not like staying in a hotel or a safe campsite," I warned. "You never know when a monster will attack, you can't just escape to safety immediately, and you can't just go get more supplies if you run out. If you're going to sleep there, you have to consider every possibility and prepare accordingly."
Mika and Saori-chan looked down, deep in thought. Hopefully, this would stop them from lightheartedly suggesting an overnight trip just because we were doing it. While we followed the same safety protocols as other parties, we had the cheat of Spatial Storage, which made the supply side of things significantly easier for us.
"Maybe a small team shouldn't try long-term overnight dives," Mika murmured.
"Short trips of two or three days are fine, but I wouldn't recommend jumping straight into a dungeon stay," I advised. "First, you should do a practice run by going on a regular camping trip with the members who would be staying in the dungeon. You need to understand how the others think and move; otherwise, it’ll just lead to confusion and infighting once you're inside. It’s better to squash those problems beforehand."
"True... It sounds like it's worth doing a practice run instead of trying to wing it."
"Setting up tents, preparing meals, the watch rotation, responding to attacks... there are plenty of things you should verify in advance."
Asking them to handle all of that on the fly during the main event would be too much. Mika and Saori-chan looked at each other, letting out small sighs accompanied by wry smiles.
"You're right, Onii-chan. We shouldn't rush into an overnight dive. It sounds like we aren't prepared for any of the things we should be doing yet. I guess it's still too early for us."
"I agree with Mika-chan. If we push ourselves too hard, we might end up failing miserably," Saori-chan added.
"I see. Well, if you two ever decide you want to try an overnight dive, just come talk to me. I can give you plenty of advice. Heck, we could even go together."
"Yeah, just let us know whenever," Yuji agreed.
"I'll make sure to clear my schedule too," Hiiragi-san added.
The two of them promised their support to the girls as well. Unless it was a long break like summer vacation, we couldn't afford to spend two or three days on a dive anyway, so we could certainly find time to accompany Mika and her friend on their first overnight stay.
"I'll count on you then. It’s definitely better to learn from experienced people like you guys," Mika said.
"Please, I'd appreciate it too," Saori-chan added. "I honestly have no idea how to handle things like keeping watch while we sleep."
"Got it. Just say the word when the time comes."
"Okay!"
"Yes!"
With that settled, we arrived at the building housing the dungeon entrance. As usual, a long line stretched toward the gate. It looked like it would take a bit of time, but the line was moving smoothly. At this rate, we’d be through in less than twenty minutes.
Now then, it was time for our first five-person dungeon dive in a while.