Chapter 49

After defeating the boss, all they obtained was a large, tattered spear and five small spears.

The large spear could not be picked up by either Seiki or Kuren, even though it was tattered, it still seemed to be a weapon.

He shoved it into his magic bag.

Next were the smaller spears.

Each one was about 20 centimeters long, the size of a shuriken.

Seiki hesitantly picked one up, but he was not rejected by the small spear.

"Did this boss do embroidery too?"

"No way."

They had gone through so much trouble to defeat it.

He wanted to think it was a rare item.

Seiki took it and examined it.

Sure enough, it looked like a miniature spear no matter how he looked at it.

The tip was sharp and seemed to pierce with the slightest touch.

The pommel part had a hole in the center, like a straw.

"Really, what is this...?"

"Can I see it too?"

Seiki handed one over,

"Kyaa!"

Kuren dropped the mini spear.

He had seen this scene before.

"Can't you hold it?"

"Yes."

"Hmm."

So... Seiki put his hand to his chin.

There were two possibilities.

The mini spear was either a dagger or a throwing weapon.

The size of the mini spear made it unlikely to be a dagger.

Seiki couldn't imagine using it to attack a monster.

So it was probably a throwing weapon.

The straw-like design might be to draw out the blood of the target.

It seemed to have a high killing power.

"Can I use this?"

"Of course."

"(shake shake)"

Behind him, Rara was shaking her leaves, looking eager, but he ignored her.

Was he planning to use this as a weapon?

It would pierce through and come out before it was even thrown.

"(squish squish)"

Huh? As a memento of conquering the upper layers?

If that's the case, then it's fine.

Seiki handed one to Rara.

After confirming the items, Seiki and Kuren headed for the stairs to the middle layer—the 10th floor.

When they descended the stairs, they found a vast grassland stretching as far as the eye could see.

The sky was blue, with clouds floating here and there.

In the distance, trees were sparsely scattered.

They were quite large.

So large that they distorted the sense of distance.

"Wow..."

"Wow..."

Seiki and Kuren exhaled in unison as they stepped onto the 10th floor.

"Amazing."

"Amazing indeed."

There was some information about the middle layer in the WIKI, though it was limited.

Both Seiki and Kuren knew that the interior of the middle layer would change significantly.

But the reality of the dungeon far exceeded Seiki's imagination.

"The sky really does spread out inside the dungeon."

Seiki had imagined it to be a ceiling painting.

He thought it would be a detailed painting of the sky on the ceiling.

But the sky looked real from any angle.

Even Seiki, who had worked at a printing company, couldn't tell the difference between the sky in the dungeon and the sky on the surface.

The 10th floor was a single floor.

The grassland stretched as far as the eye could see, but the dungeon walls were visible at the horizon.

It felt like an enclosed garden or a paradise.

(How does it connect to the lower layers from here?)

Was there a staircase somewhere on the dungeon walls?

Or was the staircase hidden somewhere in the grassland?

Seiki put his hand to his chin and thought.

But no answer came to mind.

The WIKI didn't have the answer either.

After all, this was the first place humans had ever visited.

There is a significant gap in combat power between beginner and intermediate adventurers.

It is said that something changes when you enter the middle layer.

That "something" might be an increase in skills—like an awakening?

Seiki had a hunch about that.

So, he needed to confirm.

Seiki suppressed his excitement and took out his skill board.

Seiki Aoki (27) Gender: Male

Skill Points: 3 → 5

Evaluation: Concealed Swordsman

Blessing: Cloth User <????> NEW

- Vitality

Stamina 3

Natural Recovery 2

- Strength

Strength 3

- Agility

Burst 3

Dexterity 3

- Technique

Weapon Proficiency

One-handed Sword 3

Throwing 2

Light Armor 3

Kicking 1

Stealth 2

Imitation 2

- Intuition

Detection 2

- Special

Accelerated Growth MAX

Tame 1

Blessing: 1 NEW

"Blessing, finally!"

Seiki's whole body was electrified.

The same special skill as the admired Masatsugu!

To think he could get it!

Seiki calmed himself down and opened the description of the blessing.

Blessing: 1 (Can receive blessings from all gods) MAX 3

Seiki exhaled a heated breath in his chest.

Blessings from gods... That's a big claim.

However, the effect might not be as significant as the description suggests.

"Can receive blessings from all gods"

The type and degree of the blessing are not specified.

It could be as effective as a "Sugawara no Michizane amulet" for students.

Maybe it's best not to get too excited?

This was the only change on the skill board so far.

The gap between beginner and intermediate adventurers might be due to the presence or absence of a blessing.

It might be best not to underestimate the effect of the blessing...

The description didn't clarify what kind of ability the skill would enhance. Therefore, Seiki lacked the courage to allocate points to the blessing.

If it was just a skill to become stronger, that would be fine.

But if it was a skill to enhance "disappearance," it could be dangerous.

Seiki's existence might disappear completely.

It would be better to allocate points after the skill's evaluation was more established.

Furthermore, this skill started at 1, unlike others that started at 0.

It appeared at 1.

Was it impossible to have a blessing of 0?

Or was 0 the state before it appeared?

In any case, it was a relief that he needed one less skill point to max it out.

"What's wrong?"

Kuren peeked at the skill board from the side.

"A new skill appeared after we entered the middle layer. It says I can receive blessings from gods."

"R-really? But... cloth?"

"..."

Yeah, that was bothering him too.

He was bothered, but he didn't want to touch it and lose.

"Is there a god of cloth?"

"..."

"Even if there is, it's pretty... obscure?"

"Don't say that. Don't point it out."

It made him sad.

Kuren's words brought him back to reality.

The heat quickly drained from his body.

"Seiki, what about me?"

"Um..."

He swiped to change the display.

Kuren Kurosaki (18) Gender: Female

Skill Points: 2 → 4

Evaluation: Spirit Hammerer

Blessing: Human User <?????> NEW

- Vitality

Stamina 1

Natural Recovery 1

- Strength

Strength 1

- Magic

Magic 3

Magic Aptitude 2

Magic Control 3

- Agility

Burst 0

Dexterity 1

- Technique

Weapon Proficiency

Blunt Weapon 1

Light Armor 1

- Intuition

Detection 1

- Special

Luck 1

Blessing 1 NEW

"Human User"

Someone close to humans, or a god of humans?

It was impossible to tell from this alone.

Would it change as the level increased?

...I hope so.

Seiki, who had received the blessing of cloth, wished earnestly.

"I still can't tell from this."

"Yes. Oh... never mind."

She quickly changed her words, but Seiki knew what Kuren was about to say.

"A better god than the god of cloth, right?"

I'm the god of cloth, damn it!

Damn.

Why did I get such a specific blessing?!

Seiki couldn't help but feel dejected.

"What about Rara?"

Shaking his head, Seiki swiped.

There it was—

Rara (1) Gender: Female

Skill Points: 4

Evaluation: Dual Leaf Striker

Blessing: Earth User <????> NEW

- Vitality

Stamina 0

Natural Recovery 0

- Strength

Strength 2

- Agility

Burst 1

Dexterity 2

- Technique

Weapon Proficiency

Throwing 3

- Intuition

Detection 0

- Special

Treasure Vault 2

Blessing 1 NEW

"Pretty lucky, huh?"

"Pretty lucky, indeed."

He was amazed.

To think even a monster could receive a blessing.

Was this because Rara was special?

Or did all monsters in the middle layer have blessings?

If it was the latter, that would be quite troublesome.

"But... earth."

Rara patted Seiki's shoulder.

Don't be so down, her words seemed to say.

Words from someone who had obtained "earth," from a high vantage point.

Ah.

The sun is so bright today...

Even though it's underground.

* * *

[The Path to Being Noticed]

"Finally reached the middle layer!"

Hi, this is Seiki (^o^)

Today, we finally broke through the 9th floor boss and entered the middle layer!

It felt both long and short...

Thinking about the journey so far, I'm filled with deep emotion. (>_<)

The middle layer is... amazing (^_^;)

As the WIKI mentioned, it felt like being on the surface, even inside the dungeon.

Where does this sky continue to?

Maybe it connects to other dungeons?

Even though I've become an intermediate adventurer, we've just entered the middle layer.

I need to get much stronger to reach the deepest levels! (>_<)

Today, I leveled up super hard!

With this, I might be one step closer to a future where I can be noticed. Maybe? Maybe?

The next day after posting the blog,

Seiki received a message.

"Whoa!?"

Seeing the message "You have a new message" on the blog management page, Seiki froze in a victory pose for a moment.

Could it be...

Did my presence suddenly become stronger after becoming an intermediate adventurer?

Is this because I received a blessing?

I don't understand the blessing of "Cloth User"!

"Whoa!!"

He took a deep breath.

What could the content be?

His heart pounded in his chest.

Seiki decided and opened the message.

The sender was Kagemitsu.

"Wha!?"

The unexpected name made Seiki let out a strange sound.

He had seen the sender's name before.

Kagemitsu was a top-ranked player who continuously updated the highest reached floor in "Chikaho" while Masatsugu was on an expedition.

In the adventurer community, he was as famous as bears, crabs, and Kagemitsu in Hokkaido.

Moreover, he stood out!

Completely the opposite of Seiki, he had a very strong presence.

It was a message from Kagemitsu.

(Did I do something wrong?)

Seiki's hands trembled, and sweat appeared.

[Support Request]

"I want to talk to you once in chat"

The message from Kagemitsu was just that.

It also included a URL and password for a chat room.

"What's a support request?"

Despite his dreams and aspirations, Seiki wasn't so delusional as to forget reality.

Just because he had entered the middle layer didn't mean he was the kind of talent to receive a support request from a top-ranked player.

Intermediate adventurers make up only 10% of all adventurers, but the total number of adventurers is in the hundreds of thousands.

The exact number is unknown, but in Sapporo alone, there would be about a hundred.

Moreover, more than half of the beginner adventurers are casual players.

They focus on securing food or earning money, not on clearing the dungeon.

Intermediate adventurers make up 10% of all adventurers, but if you limit it to those who aim to clear the dungeon, the ratio is much higher.

In other words, being an intermediate adventurer doesn't necessarily mean you're excellent.

(What's the reason for choosing me out of so many adventurers?)

Seiki scratched his head.

But no matter how much he scratched, he couldn't think of a reason.

He replied to the message and entered the chat room.

[Kagemitsu's Room *Locked]

System Message: Seiki has entered the room.

System Message: Kagemitsu has entered the room.

Seiki: Hello!

Kagemitsu: Hey, thanks for coming.

Seiki: No problem. What's going on?

Kagemitsu: Have you heard about the Monster Parade in the middle layer of Chikaho?

Seiki: No, I haven't!

Seiki: Which floor?

Kagemitsu: The 10th floor.

Kagemitsu: I want to invite you to the party to defeat it.

Seiki: Why me?

Kagemitsu: I heard you wiped out a Monster Parade.

Kagemitsu: Plus, you're an intermediate adventurer.

Seiki: I just became an intermediate adventurer.

Seiki: Wouldn't I be a liability?

Kagemitsu: We won't know until we try.

Kagemitsu: But if we don't, the monsters might increase and cause a stampede.

Seiki: I heard Monster Parades disappear over time.

Kagemitsu: They usually do.

Kagemitsu: But this time, it's probably special.

Kagemitsu: There was a rare species in the Monster Parade.

Seiki: So, if it causes a stampede?

Kagemitsu: It's possible.

Seiki grunted as he looked at the monitor.

Seiki: You explored up to the 24th floor, right?

Kagemitsu: Yeah.

Seiki: Then, shouldn't you be able to force your way through the 10th floor Monster Parade?

The reason Monster Parades are avoided is one.

Incompatibility.

In a Monster Parade, monsters keep coming one after another.

They push through the corpses and close the distance.

Popular weapons like greatswords and spears can't exert their maximum power when the distance is closed.

Similarly, popular weapons like bows run out of arrows before they can clear the Monster Parade.

No matter how many monsters an adventurer can defeat, the special situation of a Monster Parade makes it difficult to fight.

If the difference in strength between the adventurer and the monsters is 4 or 5 floors, it could be fatal like with Shikafu.

But if the adventurer is 10 floors stronger, they could force their way through, Seiki thought.

But,

Kagemitsu: I tried, but it didn't work.

Kagemitsu negated Seiki's imagination.

Seiki: Why not?

Kagemitsu: The rare species is troublesome.

Kagemitsu: It's a higher-level lizardman, an anthropoid.

Kagemitsu: A regular monster from the 30th floor.

Seiki: Wow...

Seiki groaned in front of the monitor as well.

Regular monsters are generally said to be as strong as the boss from five floors below.

A regular monster from the 10th floor would be as strong as the boss from the 5th floor.

If you can defeat the boss from the 5th floor, you can defeat a regular monster from the 10th floor.

A lizardman from the 30th floor would be equivalent to the boss from the 25th floor.

For Kagemitsu, who operates on the 24th floor, it would be a tough opponent.

Moreover, fighting a Monster Parade of 10th floor monsters would make a proper battle impossible.

Seiki: It seems even more unlikely that I can help.

Kagemitsu: No one is asking you to take on the rare species.

Kagemitsu: We want you to defeat the Monster Parade while we distract the rare species.

Is that possible?

Seiki thought for a moment.

Seiki had no experience fighting 10th floor monsters.

He calmly assessed his own abilities.

It might be a bit difficult.

He concluded and typed on the keyboard.

Seiki: I'm sorry, but I'm still not strong enough.

Kagemitsu: That's a shame.

Kagemitsu: Just participating in the operation would make you stand out a lot.

Instantly,

Seiki stood up from his chair and pressed the keys so hard they might break.

Seiki: I'll do it!

Seiki: Please let me join!!

And so, Seiki's participation in the Monster Parade extermination team on the 10th floor was decided easily.

With the presence of a strong presence right in front of him, Seiki eagerly accepted.

...He's so easy to manipulate.