Chapter 10

Returning to the ground and entering the reception building... it seemed to be a time when there were few people, and Kudo was looking idle at the counter.

"Kudo, I've come to sell magic stones."

First, I decided to have the magic stones that were definitely going to be sold appraised, putting the gloves aside for the moment.

"These magic stones... so you went to the 5th floor, huh? As always, you bring an unbelievable number of them."

While saying this, Kudo counted the magic stones and processed the payment.

"24 magic stones from the 5th floor, totaling 48,000 yen."

Then, Kudo took out eight bills from the register and handed them to me.

...So, over 60,000 yen today alone.

Assuming I can earn this amount every day... in about 16 days, I can fully recover the money I lost from my part-time job.

Of course, as I go to higher floors, the amount I can earn in a day will increase, so I'll probably break 1,000,000 yen much sooner.

I need to be careful, or my sense of money will go haywire in no time.

For a while, I should probably keep my luxury to the level of "loading up on toppings for a beef bowl" and be careful not to raise my standard of living too much.

...I never thought that I, who planned to splurge if I hit it big in forex, would become so cautious once I actually had the money.

As I was thinking this, Kudo asked me in a curious tone.

"However... you came to sell magic stones and then returned with this many in about an hour. Even if you factor in unlimited magic recovery, this number is strange. ...Did you find some efficient way to hunt monsters?"

"Well, I found an item called a dowsing wire. ...It disappeared after I used it a lot."

"Hmm."

I told him what happened in response to his question.

At first, it seemed like he just nodded in understanding, but after a few seconds, something clicked in his head, and he suddenly changed his expression and said:

"...The dowsing wire disappeared!? You... you..."

Kudo's mouth hung open, and he froze.

From his reaction, it seems that "Complete Floor Exploration" really has very strict acquisition conditions.

I didn't know this, but finding the dowsing wire and seriously hunting with it was the right choice.

...Oh, but that's not the main point.

"Also... I found another unusual drop. Do you know what effect this has?"

I took the knuckle gloves out of the shopping bag and asked Kudo.

When he took them, he suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, this is a dud. These gloves are completely useless..."

It seems Kudo laughed because the gloves were a terrible item.

...Well, that can happen.

Not everything from the dungeon is a winner.

Especially on the 5th floor, which is just the level for beginners to leave... a dud item is to be expected.

Since I did earn 60,000 yen, there's no need to be discouraged.

Thinking this, I was about to ask Kudo to dispose of the knuckle gloves.

But just as I was about to speak, Kudo suddenly became serious and, as if he had realized something terrifying, whispered in a trembling voice:

"No... that's not it. While this is generally a dud item... it's also an item that seems to be made for you."

"...Huh?"

I didn't understand.

So I asked Kudo to explain.

"...An item made for me?"

Kudo then explained about these knuckle gloves.

"These are called Gatling Knuckles. They allow you to fire magic at a rate of 2,400 rounds per minute, but they come with two major restrictions: 'You can only fire magic that consumes more than 1% of your total magic power' and 'Once you start firing, you can't stop for at least one second.'"

After a pause, Kudo continued.

"Since it consumes at least 40% of your magic power at once, these gloves are mocked as 'Mana Hog Gloves.' However, that's only a problem in general. When you use them..."

I could imagine the rest without needing an explanation.

In my case, using these would simply increase the firing speed of Mana Ball V3.

I could fire Mana Ball V3, fully loaded with maximum magic power, at ten times the usual speed without any particular cost.

This... makes the future even more exciting.