After I finished explaining the skinning knife to Mika and Saori-chan, we resumed our trek through the dungeon in search of more prey. While the spawn rate was better here than around the 5th floor, we still had to cover a lot of ground to rack up a decent kill count.
We aimed for the 11th floor, focusing our search on less crowded areas, which led to a fair number of encounters with orcs.
"That's our tenth piece of orc meat... what’s the current market rate again?"
"I haven’t traded any in lately," Yuji replied. "But even at a conservative estimate, I'd say it's well over ten thousand yen for the lot."
"You two, it's worth way more than that," Hiiragi-san interjected. "Meat on the supermarket shelves goes for nearly a thousand yen per hundred grams these days. Even at wholesale, a chunk this size would fetch three or four thousand yen easily."
That meant these ten pieces were worth somewhere between thirty and forty thousand yen. Clearing that much in about an hour was a solid haul. While it didn't compare to the massive payouts from skill scrolls or magic items, earning this much consistently would be enough to make a living as a professional explorer.
Indeed, hearing our conversation, Mika and Saori-chan’s eyes widened in surprise.
"I didn't realize orc meat traded for that much," Mika said. "I mean, the stuff in the stores is expensive, even if prices have dropped a bit lately."
"We got a decent price for boar meat, but orc meat is on a whole different level," Saori added. "If the payout is this good, using a skinning knife for steady drops really would be a game-changer. For an explorer who wants a stable income, an item that guarantees food drops would be a dream come true."
Normally, drop items appeared randomly, and you never knew if you'd get a "hit" or a "dud." In contrast, the skinning knife fixed the drop to a food item while ensuring you actually got something, which was a huge advantage. For explorers who wanted to earn consistently without taking too many risks, the inability to find high-value items like skill scrolls or magic items wasn't a significant drawback.
However, it was unrealistic to expect anyone strong enough to dive this deep to stop their progression just because they had a stable income—especially the younger generation.
"That's the thing," I said. "Do you think student explorers like us would really be satisfied with that? Most explorers feel this drive to go further, to see what's deeper in the dungeon. Especially those who've built up their strength early on."
"He's right," Yuji added. "The people looking for a steady, consistent paycheck are usually older or have families to support. Those folks tend to join dungeon-related companies as corporate explorers. They get lower pay, but the support system is solid."
Hiiragi-san nodded. "I've heard that most of the explorers accepting the corporate buyback offers for skinning knives are students. Independent explorers working as sole proprietors might sell a second one if they find it, but they’ll never part with their first. It’s their safety net—a way to guarantee a minimum income. It's only natural they'd cling to it."
To the younger generation, who had been granted the supernatural power of levels and skills, a safe, consistent, but ultimately repetitive exploration style seemed boring. Most preferred to seek out the unknown and the high-value treasures found in the depths, dreaming of reaching the very top of the industry. Consequently, a divide had formed: older explorers working for corporations provided the market with a stable supply of high-demand drop items, while student explorers and young independents focused on floor progression.
"I see... A stable income is definitely appealing, but I think I’d get tired of fighting the same monsters on the same floor forever," Mika admitted. "I want to see how far I can go, too."
"I feel the same," Saori agreed. "I might want stability eventually, but for now... I think I understand the drive to push forward."
Though they both looked a bit pensive, they seemed to accept the reality of the situation.
"Well, we’re coming up on the stairs to the 11th floor," I said. "Are you two ready to keep going? From here on, orcs usually appear in groups, so they'll be a bit harder to manage."
"I think we'll be okay," Mika said. "Four or five at once might be rough, but Saori-chan and I can handle two or three."
"I agree," Saori said. "I'm still getting used to their movements, so as long as we aren't completely surrounded, we should be fine."
"Alright. If the group is three or fewer, it's all yours. If there are more, we’ll step in. We have less than an hour left, so I want you to get as much experience as possible fighting groups."
They nodded, and five minutes later, we descended the stairs to the 11th floor.
We explored until the very last second, bagging another twenty pieces of orc meat. Having multiple targets certainly made gathering drops more efficient.
"Alright, that’s time. Exploration is over. Shall we head back?"
"Yes!" they chorused.
They weren't just being polite; they both looked genuinely satisfied. With the orc meat and other drops, today's haul would easily exceed one hundred thousand yen. While it wasn't a jackpot like finding a rare magic item, it was still a major success. For a newcomer explorer, breaking the hundred-thousand-yen-per-run barrier without relying on rare drops was a significant milestone. It was essentially the mark of graduating from rookie status. Given how crowded the dungeons were and the current state of the economy, reaching that figure required a legitimate level of skill.
"We'll take the shortest route back via the traveling queue," I said. "Do you think we should stop for a break along the way?"
"Even on the fast track, it's a two or three-hour walk," Yuji noted. "Stopping at the 4th or 5th floor might be a good idea."
"We're not in a rush," Hiiragi-san added. "One short break won't hurt."
"I’d appreciate a break if we can," Mika said. "You can't really move at your own pace in the traveling queue, so walking in it for hours is kind of a drag."
"I'm not great with the queues either," Saori admitted. "If we have the time, I'd love a chance to rest."
Safety in the traveling queue came at the cost of stress, especially when you were already tired from the day's work and unable to set your own pace.
"Okay, we'll check the crowds at the staircase plazas and take a breather on the 4th or 5th floor. Everyone good with that?"
"Agreed!" they all replied.
We set off for the 11th-floor plaza. As we walked, I kept an eye on our surroundings while striking up some conversation.
"So, how did today feel for you two?"
"In terms of combat, it felt like business as usual," Mika said. "Having you guys there as backup made me feel more relaxed, though I promise I wasn't slacking off!"
"I feel the same," Saori added.
"That's good. It means you were able to fight at your full potential."
Their performance had been rock solid. Aside from the orcs, which they were still learning to handle, they were meticulous—gathering data, analyzing patterns, and executing counters. They didn't take unnecessary risks, preferring a steady, grounded approach. Even a veteran would have been hard-pressed to believe they'd been explorers for less than half a year.
"Your performance was excellent," Yuji praised. "Excluding the orc encounters, of course."
"I agree," Hiiragi-san said with a satisfied smile. "You two clearly worked very hard over summer vacation."
"The orc thing is just a lack of experience," Yuji continued. "You'll solve that with time."
"Exactly. Even when that group of four jumped you at the end, your coordination only slipped slightly. You have the skills; you just need to get used to fighting large humanoids."
Mika looked happy but then turned a bit pensive. "Thank you. On that note... we were thinking we’d like to have a skinning knife of our own. Is there any way to get one besides finding it as a drop? It sounds like the companies are buying them all up, so I'm worried we'll never find one for sale."
"That's a tough one," Yuji admitted. "In the current market, the Association likely prefers funneling those knives to the corporate faction to ensure the public gets a steady supply of dungeon meat. Without a connection, it's unlikely they'd even put you in touch with a seller."
"I figured..." Mika sighed.
"Give it time," Hiiragi-san said. "Once the corporate demand is satisfied, they'll start hitting the open market."
"Even if you try to farm one yourself," I pointed out, "by the time you've spent enough time in the dungeon to get a skinning knife drop, you'll probably be strong enough to find items with much higher value. Unless you have a specific goal, you don't need to force it."
"He's right," Hiiragi-san said. "We didn't get ours until we'd been diving for months and killed thousands of monsters. With your growth rate, you'll be making plenty of money even without one."
"I'm with them," I added. "And don't forget—food items are bulky and heavy. You have to worry about preservation. If you're going to carry meat, you need cooler boxes, ice, or batteries for refrigeration. That adds a lot of weight and takes up space in your pack. It changes how you move and how you fight. It's a lot of hassle."
Mika and Saori-chan’s expressions shifted as they considered the logistics. The dream of easy money was tempered by the reality of lugging heavy coolers through a monster-infested labyrinth.
In the end, they decided they would just continue as they were and simply keep one if they happened to find it. It could serve as a safety net or a way to secure food during long expeditions, which was the most practical choice.
There are some things that aren't there when you need them, but show up right when you stop caring, aren't there?