“It’s a sparkly magic stone. What was this again?”
Halfa tilted her head as she stared at the gold-glowing magic stone. It was a rare find, so it stood to reason she didn’t remember the specifics.
“We got something similar when we defeated that Golden Slime, didn’t we? I think it’s the same type of stone.”
“Oh! And we made a medicine with it, and Tort’s magic became super amazing, right?”
“That’s the one.”
Mentioning the Golden Slime seemed to jog her memory. Come to think of it, drinking the Status Enhancement Potion brewed from that Mutant Magic Stone had granted me the Creativity trait. I wondered if medicine made from this stone would offer some unique power as well.
“Yeah. It really was a Mutant Magic Stone.”
I checked it with my Appraisal Loupe. The item name popped up as Slot Mimic Magic Stone (Mutant). When I shared the news, Halfa beamed.
“That means Tort’s magic is going to get even stronger!”
I’d prefer it if his cooking got a power-up! Shiroru added via thought transmission.
“Knowing Tort-kun, it’ll probably be something related to golems,” Spira suggested.
“Or he might end up with a completely unknown power,” Lowell countered. “It is Tort, after all…”
Everyone was chatting excitedly about what I’d gain, as if it were a foregone conclusion that I’d be the one using it. I couldn't exactly recommend it to anyone else, though, given how unpredictable the effects could be.
“Let’s keep moving for now.”
We couldn't exactly stop to brew potions in the middle of a dungeon, so we pressed on. As we progressed, I took down every Slot Mimic we encountered. Every single one resulted in a Jackpot, showering us in heaps of gold and silver treasures. Unfortunately, the magic stones they dropped were ordinary. But then, on the third one, something changed.
“—What was that?! Everyone, stay alert!”
Lowell barked, his eyes scanning the corridor at the unfamiliar sound. Halfa and Spira flanked us, while Shiroru kept watch on our rear. Garna was the only one who stayed calm, seemingly understanding the situation.
I was startled as well, but I didn't feel any immediate threat. I knew that sound—it was the distinctive ding-dong-ding-dong chime of a shop’s PA system.
“Ahem. This is a business announcement. Tort-san, please stop defeating the Slot Mimics. I’m begging you. Of course, if you were to become my Apostle... wait, hey! Stop that! Fine! I get it! I get it, so—!”
After the signal, the voice that reached our ears belonged to the Luck God. Following the sounds of a scuffle, the voice cut out, and the broadcast ended with another ding-dong-ding-dong chime.
“Was that just now…”
“The Luck God, right?”
Halfa and Spira exchanged bewildered looks. Naturally, everyone’s eyes drifted toward Garna. The guide let out a huff of annoyance before nodding.
“Aye, that was Rulaina’s voice. Honestly, when did she find the time to rig this place with such a thing?”
Regardless of her methods, the Luck God’s message was clear: stop killing her monsters. But Slot Mimics were aggressive; not fighting them wasn't exactly an option.
“What did she mean by ‘don’t defeat them’?” I asked.
“Hmm? Oh, that? It’s a matter of Energy Balance,” Garna explained.
“Energy Balance?”
“Indeed.”
According to Garna, each floor of this dungeon was maintained by the power of the god who influenced it. This particular floor operated on the Luck God’s authority—specifically, her “luck” reserves.
“She uses that energy to generate the monsters and their drops,” Garna continued. Normally, a god’s power was vast enough that dungeon upkeep was a drop in the bucket. “But the consumption rate for a Jackpot far exceeds the energy production rate. With you hitting them back-to-back, she’s hemorrhaging luck. No wonder she’s panicking.”
I-I see. Every time I hit a Jackpot, the Luck God incurred a sudden expense. She had literally sent a broadcast to beg me to stop.
“But is that really okay?” I asked. “What if more adventurers show up?”
“She’ll be fine. Despite being the goddess of luck, she’s set the winning odds remarkably low. She’s far too stingy for her own good. No one but you could ever hope to hit the Jackpot with any consistency.”
Everyone nodded in somber agreement.
With nothing else of note on this floor, we picked up the pace. When we ran into mimics, someone other than me delivered the final blow. We took down about five, and true to Garna’s word, there were no Jackpots. The closest we got to a “win” was when the one Shiroru killed dropped a piece of meat on the bone. She was thrilled, but it really highlighted how cheap the drops usually were.
Eventually, we reached the stairs. I wondered if the next floor would be under Ren-kun’s influence.