The day after Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san’s first dungeon challenge, the five of us returned to the same local dungeon. Since back-to-back days would be too exhausting right after a debut, Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san were taking the day off.
Meanwhile, Mika and Saori-chan, who had mostly acted as observers yesterday, were bursting with energy, ready to take center stage today.
"Alright, first up is the entry procedure. Ugh, there are even more people than yesterday."
"Well, it is Sunday. I bet there are plenty of Sunday explorers out today."
"I've heard it's the easiest day for working adult parties to sync their schedules since they aren't pro explorers," Saori-chan added.
We all sighed, our faces clouding over as we looked at the crowd. There were easily 1.3 to 1.5 times as many people as yesterday. If the reception desk was this backed up, the interior of the dungeon was bound to be a nightmare.
To make matters worse, unlike yesterday, we planned to head deep into the dungeon and spend as much time as possible exploring. That meant we would be right in the thick of peak hours.
"The way in is bad enough, but I'm more worried about how hard it'll be to get out later," Mika said.
"True. Though things have improved quite a bit lately, so we probably won't be stuck waiting hours for the paperwork to clear."
"I hope you're right."
Imagining a sea of explorers all trying to leave at the same time, I figured we’d be lucky if we could get through it in under an hour. Waiting around after a session is a special kind of exhausting.
"Onii-chan, let's hurry up and get through the line!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."
"We're going as deep as we can today, so every second counts," Saori-chan insisted.
"That's fine, but don't get so carried away that we miss our window to head home."
Ignoring our concerns, Mika and Saori-chan practically pushed us toward the queue, their desire to start exploring evident. There was no sense in dragging our feet, so we joined the long line.
"Right. Let's get to it."
"Let's."
Led by the girls, we took our place at the very end of the massive line.
The entry procedure itself was relatively smooth, and we were quick with our gear changes and warm-ups. Without the inexperienced Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san, we moved with practiced efficiency.
Unfortunately, the smooth progress ended there.
"I expected it to be bad, but this is a total traffic jam."
"How many switchbacks are there?"
"The line looks even longer than usual today."
"Whoa, look at that crowd."
"It's not even a long weekend. Did something happen today?"
We stood there, mouths agape at the sight of the massive crowd waiting to enter. Why was it so packed?
"Is it going to take thirty minutes just to get through?"
"Probably. Maybe there's a surge of newcomers before winter vacation? And they're slowing everything down...?"
"Or maybe it's that 'end of the year' feeling? People wanting to get their last dive in before work wraps up?"
That made sense. For those about to be buried under holiday work, it was a "now or never" moment.
"Oh, that’s true. It's almost the end of the year. That might be it."
"Yeah. If you know you'll be too busy to come during New Year's, you'd want to squeeze in one last trip."
For students not prepping for exams, the end of the year was just a holiday. But for working adults, it was a frantic period. It was only natural they'd want to come while they still had time.
"Nothing for it. Let's line up."
"Haaah... all we've done today is stand in lines."
"Can't be helped with this many people. And you know it’ll be just as bad inside, right?"
"Ugh, don't remind me."
We grumbled and sighed as we shuffled along. If it was this bad outside, I dreaded to see the floor traveling queue inside. I could only hope most parties would peel off at the shallower floors.
"Finally, it's our turn."
"That felt... well, it wasn't fast. It definitely took thirty minutes."
"Looks like a lot of parties aren't used to the Entrance Gate yet. Even small delays per group add up when there's a crowd."
Despite our dissatisfaction with the pace, we cleared the gate with practiced ease.
"Alright, we're in. As you can see, there's another line ahead. It's enough to make you sick, but don't let your guard down."
Okay!
"Got it."
"Understood."
For the next while, we would simply be drifting with the current of the queue. I didn't expect many monster encounters in this throng, but I hoped we'd see at least one.
After about an hour and a half of shuffling through the dungeon in the floor traveling queue, we finally reached our first objective: the 15th floor. Before we tackled the main event, we planned to have a few warm-up fights here.
Of course, we were already way behind schedule.
"Phew, finally made it."
"That took forever."
"Yes. The queue sped up after the 10th floor, but it still took much longer than usual."
"Ugh! Why did it take so long just to reach this floor?! It usually only takes an hour!" Mika complained.
"It can't be helped, Mika-chan. There were just too many people."
Mika, a regular on this floor, was fuming at the delay. She had been so fired up to maximize her time, and now we were starting on the back foot. For mid-level explorers like them, a thirty-minute delay on a day exploration could mean a real loss in potential drop items—possibly missing out on a rare drop worth tens or hundreds of thousands of yen.
"Complaining won't get the time back. Let's take a quick break and then start the search."
"Okay."
"Understood."
"Now, is there any space left...?"
Looking around the staircase plaza on the 15th floor, I saw it was quite crowded, though there were still a few open spots. The areas near the stairs were already occupied by parties who had arrived before us, so the only open spaces were near the passages leading further into the dungeon.
"Yeah, figures."
"Naturally. Everyone wants to rest in the safest spot possible."
"True. Let's just sit over there where it's open."
I pointed to a spot slightly away from the passage.
"Looks fine."
"I'm okay with it. If we're that far from the passage, we can react even if enemies show up while we're resting."
"We're leaving soon anyway, so it's fine."
"I agree."
With everyone's consent, we sat down. We hadn't really exerted ourselves just walking in the queue, but the break was more about shifting our mindset and preparing for combat.
"Phew. Good work, everyone. We're late, but we made it."
I pulled thin, folding cushion sheets from my pack and laid them out. They didn't provide much padding, but they were better than sitting directly on the cold, hard floor. If you let the quality of your rest slip, your performance follows.
"So, are we technically on track?" I asked.
"We're behind, but I guess everything is going according to the modified plan?" Saori-chan mused.
"It's not 'on track'! Every minute we're over is a minute less of exploration time," Mika pouted.
"At this rate, the trip back will be just as crowded too," Saori-chan added.
We sipped barley tea from plastic bottles, discussing how to proceed. Since the travel time had eaten into our schedule, we needed to decide if we should adjust our plans.
"What do you think? Should we trim the warm-up and head to the lower floors early?"
"Hmm. I'd love to, but a half-hearted warm-up is dangerous," Mika said.
"I agree. It's a shame to lose time, but we shouldn't cut the warm-up. If we face a strong enemy before we're in the right headspace, one of us could get hurt. Since Onii-san is with us today, I know nothing truly terrible will happen, but we can't rely on him forever. We need to be able to do this on our own. So, I think we should warm up properly, just like always."
Both Mika and Saori-chan were reluctant to lose time, but they refused to compromise on safety. A newcomer might have rushed in and gotten injured, but they chose the steady, conservative path. It was the result of all the failure stories we'd drilled into them. It wasn't the most "heroic" style for student explorers, but it was far better than getting a life-altering injury.
"I see. Then we'll just have to shorten our stay on the 20th floor."
"Seems so. Let's just pray for a high encounter rate during the warm-up and the main dive."
"True. There are fewer people down here, so the encounter rate should be better than on the upper floors."
If we found monsters quickly, we could finish the warm-up faster. If we didn't? Well, we'd just have to hunt harder.
"Actually... usually the rate is okay, but..." Mika started.
"There are more people than usual today..." Saori-chan finished, looking around the plaza with a troubled expression. Even this deep, there were a significant number of parties. The more people there were, the lower the encounter rate became.
"Well... we'll make it work. We'll search the areas where other explorers aren't."
"That sounds best. Maybe if we go deeper into the floor?"
"In that case, let's head toward the down stairs instead of staying near the up stairs. That way, we can head to the next floor as soon as we're ready."
Hearing our logic, Mika and Saori-chan shared their local knowledge with slightly hesitant looks.
"Actually, the area near the down stairs... it's usually picked clean. Everyone thinks the same way—they want to fight near the stairs so it's easy to move on or go back."
"Yeah, if anything, the monsters are usually left in the middle of the floor," Saori-chan added.
It made sense. Under these conditions, everyone’s thought process was identical.
"I see. That makes sense. So we're more likely to find monsters if we aim for the center and then push through to the other side?"
"Exactly. Though with this many people, it might only be a tiny difference."
"If that tiny difference gets us a fight, it's worth it."
"...Yeah, you're right!" Mika cheered up.
"Let's do it!" Saori-chan added.
Their motivation was back. It was time for the final check.
"Alright, final confirmation. You two will handle the monsters on this floor to get your bearings. Jumping straight into the deep end without checking your condition is a recipe for disaster. The monsters here are orcs, appearing in groups of five to nine. You've both fought them before, right?"
"No problem! We've been to this floor plenty of times. We have more than enough experience with orcs."
"Even if we hit a maximum-size group, we can take them down without a scratch."
"I see... You two really have improved."
The fact that they could confidently handle a group of orcs without getting hurt was a testament to their growth.
"Then it's settled. We're strictly porters today. We won't step in unless it's an absolute emergency. The route, the enemy search, and the combat strategy are all up to you. Just do your usual thing."
"Got it!"
"We won't let you down!"
"Good. Let's not waste any more time. Move out."
With the plan solidified, we stood up. The real dungeon exploration was finally beginning.