Chapter 32

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After our first dungeon exploration, we repeated the pattern of learning martial arts from Mr. Shizakura after school and visiting the dungeon on weekends. Thanks to our level-ups, both Shuji and I, who no longer had any physical limitations, were honing our skills in swordsmanship and spear techniques under Mr. Shizakura's guidance. Through this process, we fully realized that the difference in levels was a minor matter.

"Hey, what's wrong with you, Kukuri? Your movements are fast, but they're not right. You fell for such an obvious opening..."

Thanks to Mr. Shizakura's hand.

What, this old man? He's ridiculously strong...

I was on the dojo floor, holding my stomach and crouching, looking up at Mr. Shizakura with one eye.

"An opening is not something you find, but something you create. Think of any opening you find as a trap set by your opponent."

"No... Old man, isn't that impossible?"

Yuzi threw a question at Mr. Shizakura's statement.

I also nodded in agreement with Yuzi. I did indeed knock Mr. Shizakura's bamboo sword out of his hand and left him weaponless. So why am I on the floor?

"You fools, that's why you fall behind! When you knock the bamboo sword out of someone's hand, you should expect them to take advantage of the opening!"

"But, normally, wouldn't you think it's an opening when the bamboo sword is knocked out?"

"You're not in a kendo match, you know? Who said the weapon has to be a bamboo sword? In real combat, everything that can be used is a weapon. Besides, relying on one weapon creates an opening. As it turned out, Kukuri thought my weapon was only the bamboo sword, which is why he ended up like this."

Yuzi and Mr. Shizakura's conversation made it clear that I was thrown and my sternum was stomped on when I tried to slash Mr. Shizakura's torso horizontally after knocking his bamboo sword out of his hand.

That's why my stomach hurts.

"Kukuri, can you talk now? When you knocked my bamboo sword out of my hand, did you think of attacking me with anything other than the bamboo sword?"

"...I never even considered it."

Mr. Shizakura spoke to me as I was getting up, rubbing my stomach.

When I knocked his bamboo sword out of his hand, I only thought about striking his torso with my bamboo sword before he could do anything.

"Right. Then, did you consider the possibility that I might drop my bamboo sword?"

"Drop it? ...No way!"

"Seems you just realized. I led you to knock it out intentionally. Didn't you feel the bamboo sword was unusually light when you knocked it out? I released the force in my hand at the moment it was knocked out to avoid the shock."

Mr. Shizakura's cheerful revelation of his scheme made me feel dejected.

In the end, I was just dancing to his tune.

If the premise was that my bamboo sword would be knocked out, then the follow-up action would be quick. The moment I knocked Mr. Shizakura's bamboo sword out, I thought it was my chance and struck from the position where I had knocked it out without thinking, aiming for his open torso.

But that was the opening Mr. Shizakura created. If he knew what I would do next, it would be easy for him to counterattack. Indeed, I was thrown when I tried to strike back.

"Well, your movements have improved a lot, so it's just a matter of gaining more experience."

Mr. Shizakura's attitude, which seemed to suggest a barely passing grade, left me feeling somewhat speechless. After all, in terms of basic physical abilities, I should be able to overpower Mr. Shizakura...

Through recent training with Mr. Shizakura, I have come to realize the power of martial arts. Just having superior physical abilities is not enough; in front of a true martial artist, you can be easily toyed with. The difference between knowing and not knowing a martial art that has been refined over years is evident even in how one moves.

I returned to my starting position, bowed to Mr. Shizakura, and got up. Phew, I'm tired...

"By the way, how's the dungeon going? You've been exploring it for quite some time, haven't you?"

After finishing the training, we were drinking tea and resting in the dojo as the sunset streamed in, when Mr. Shizakura asked us this. We exchanged glances and answered his question.

"Well, we're still just observing. It would be dangerous to dive too deep at this stage, so we've only gone as far as the third floor."

"What, just that much?"

"That much... Old man. We're still not used to fighting monsters, so we can't go too deep."

Yuzi's answer made Mr. Shizakura snort in dissatisfaction.

No, it's not just unsatisfactory, you... Every time we fight monsters, there's a lot of blood splattering. How can you expect us to do continuous battles before we get used to the blood? Our minds can't take it!

"Probably, you're still scared of the blood. Yes, getting too used to bloodshed is a problem, but you can't keep being scared forever. Well, it's better than getting drunk on it."

"...We are gradually getting used to it. We plan to go a bit deeper next month. But..."

After the third floor... Instead of single monsters, multiple monsters start appearing at once. The main battles become group fights, not one-on-one but many-on-many. We have gained some confidence in fighting single enemies, but there is still some uncertainty about teamwork, and we can't bring ourselves to go deeper than the third floor. If we fight poorly, there's a risk of friendly fire.

As we thought about the group battles and showed worried expressions, Mr. Shizakura smiled slyly.

"Hmm, I see. Then, from now on, we'll focus on teamwork."

Gah. Is he trying to make things worse!?

Mr. Shizakura's smile, which seemed to suggest he had found a toy worth playing with, made us change our expressions. Recently, Mr. Shizakura's training has been completely without restraint or holding back. Thanks to our high-level IPS, we are tougher than normal people and can withstand Mr. Shizakura's full-force attacks without serious injury. Taking advantage of this, Mr. Shizakura has been using techniques that could be fatal to normal people on us.

For Mr. Shizakura, we must be sturdy, fast, and worth hitting, having mastered the techniques he has trained us in.

Phew...

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On the way home, I recalled what Mr. Shizakura said at the end of the training.

"Kukuri and Hime, I'm sorry, but there will be no training during the New Year. There are various events during the New Year, and I'll be quite busy, so I won't have time to train you. Oh, and do some solo practice, like swinging the bamboo sword."

Well, looking at Yuzi's house, I can guess the situation. There are probably endless year-end parties, New Year's parties, and New Year's greetings. There might even be martial arts exchanges with other schools.

Well, all I can say is, "Thank you for your hard work."

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"Still, tomorrow is the end of the second semester... A lot has happened this year."

Reflecting on the year, I sighed, recalling the events of the year.

When high school life began, the dungeon appeared after about two weeks, changing the world. At first, I thought it was a grand April Fool's joke and checked the calendar date, which now seems nostalgic.

Since then, the world has changed dramatically. The biggest change, socially, is probably the practical application of Core Crystal power generation? It seems that the goal of not just moving away from nuclear power but also from fossil fuels is within reach. According to the news, multiple 10 million kilowatt-class Core Crystal power plants are scheduled to be built across Japan next year. The reasons given are the ease of construction conditions, such as land acquisition, and full government support. There are also talks of a significant reduction in electricity prices following the completion of large-scale Core Crystal power plants, and Japanese companies are eager to revive their production capabilities, which they had suppressed for energy efficiency. As a result, the economy is improving, and deflation is no longer a distant dream.

On the other hand, oil-producing countries are in a difficult situation. The news suggests that with the spread of Core Crystal power generation, the value of oil is expected to plummet, and there is a big debate about whether to change industries. Japan has also announced support for the oil chemical fiber industry and other sectors in oil-producing countries, but it will take some time for the situation to calm down. Some oil-producing countries have reportedly started to raise oil prices.

However, these are still relatively minor changes. The worst changes are the increase in conflicts and crimes. In regions where tensions were already simmering, people who gained power from the dungeon have started anti-government movements and intensified terrorist activities. The drop items obtained from the dungeon are being sold on the black market, providing ample funds and strengthening the organizations. The enhanced combat capabilities of each fighter have extended the time it takes to suppress them, leading to increased physical damage and civilian casualties. In other countries, the number of criminals misusing the power gained from the dungeon has increased, causing the police to struggle to cope.

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"Once the end-of-term ceremony is over tomorrow, it will be winter break... There will be no training with Mr. Shizakura, and Hime said she will be busy helping at home during the New Year..."

With my schedule suddenly free, I wondered how to spend the winter break. I thought about going to the dungeon alone, but reconsidered, thinking it was too early for various reasons. I don't have the confidence to remain calm and vigilant after killing humanoid monsters like goblins. Until I can do that, solo exploration is still a high hurdle. In fact, the leading cause of injuries in the dungeon is becoming distracted and losing focus after defeating a monster.

"...I'll just spend the New Year at home. There's nothing special I need to do anyway."

I decided to forget about dungeon-related matters for a while and spend a quiet New Year with my family. Since Mika has a high school entrance exam coming up, we have no plans for a family trip. Last year, I had a high school entrance exam, so we didn't go on a family trip. This time, I could help Mika with her studies, acting as a sort of tutor.

As I thought about this, I realized I had arrived home.

"I'm home."

"...Welcome back!"

Opening the front door, I heard Mika's voice from the living room.

Stepping into the living room, I saw that everyone was already there. It seems I was the last to arrive.

"I'm home. Is dinner ready?"

"Welcome back. I'll start preparing it now. Daisuke, go take a shower first. You're a bit sweaty, you know?"

"...? Okay, I'll go take a shower."

Am I sweaty? I sniffed my collar, but I couldn't tell.

But if Mom says so, I must be. I had just been training with Mr. Shizakura, so it's possible. I told everyone and went to my room to get my clothes, then headed to the bathroom.

After a quick shower, I changed into my pajamas and returned to the living room, where dinner was already on the table.

"Let's eat."

We started dinner while watching TV. Since it was close to the end of the year, all the channels were running special programs.

"By the way, Daisuke, you've been going to the dungeon, right? How's it going?"

"Hmm? It's going well so far."

While quietly eating dinner, my father asked about my recent activities.

"Is that so? I've heard there are quite a few injuries, so I'm worried about you."

"Thanks for worrying. I'm not pushing myself, so don't worry."

"But, be careful, Daisuke. I don't want to hear that you've been seriously injured."

"Sure, I'll be careful."

It seems I've been causing my parents a lot of worry. I'll have to be extra careful not to get injured. Fortunately, Yuzi and Hime are not the type to recklessly explore the dungeon, so we're unlikely to face a situation where we get seriously injured.

"By the way, big brother, did you finish the appraisal of the drop items you mentioned the other day?"

"? Oh, that... "

"I'm quite curious, how did it go?"

The appraisal Mika mentioned is about the skill scroll we left with the Dungeon Association for appraisal. A few days ago, I received an appraisal notice from the Dungeon Association. The notice included the name and effect of the skill scroll and the appraisal price.

Incidentally, the skill scroll we sold was a Hardening skill, which slightly increases defense. We sold it because we needed to take hits to increase proficiency. In a game, it might be different, but in real life, taking hits from enemies is a high-risk move. It could almost be called a "death skill."

However, since skill scrolls were in short supply, the appraisal price was slightly higher than the market price, and we sold it for about 450,000 yen.

"It got a pretty good price."

"Really!? Then, take me somewhere nice! It's almost winter break, so it's perfect, right!?"

"No, Mika. You have an exam this year, so you need to study properly."

"Eh?"

Mika, who had planned to splurge with my money, collapsed at my mother's comment.

Well, last year at this time, I was cramming and studying every day. My condolences.

...But, well.

"Once your exam is over, I'll take you somewhere. So, work hard."

"Really!? Big brother, it's a promise!"

"Sure, sure."

Well, giving only the whip of studying is not effective. You also need to provide a reward. Since neither my mother nor my father objected to my proposal, it should be fine.

Phew, I need to earn some money for the trip.

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Chapter 3 begins.

I made a mistake in the posting order.

"Morning Dungeon" is now on sale. If you see it in a bookstore, please pick it up.

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