Dungeon Game Chapter 14

-14- Ice Break I 4

A large portable heat source for the type of cooking that doesn’t use water. I break the seal, which looks nothing more than that of a hand warmer, wrap the food enclosed in a vacuum pack and warm it up.

It’s normal for both me and Hiiragi-san to have one serving each, but Sagara is warming up two portions for himself. Well, since there are no written names on the cardboard boxes which were piled up into a mountain, we won’t know how much someone ate. But weren’t you on a diet?

「Fufufu. Mukou-s.h.i.+, it’s not good if you don’t eat meals while you can. If you think about appetizing food all the time, it will be too delicious the next time you eat and you’ll throw up.」

「Although that’s also true. Aren’t you on a diet, Sagarkun?」

「Indeed. That’s why I exercise and eat. Because I need to take in necessary nutrients for burning fats that remain in my muscles.」

「It sounds good to move my share to my room later.」

「I agree. Can I leave my share too?」

「Of course it’s fine.」

「Mukou-s.h.i.+, can I leave my share to you?」

「Hah? Why do you have to put your share in my room, Sagarkun? In the first place, the room will be locked so you can’t take it out when I’m not here.」

「Ahー, pardon me.」

Heating up the ration was completed in about ten minutes. Since there are no plates, should I eat directly from the pack with my mouth? There is nothing but spork included in the pack so take it out and eat.

Personalities become apparent in times like this, Hiiragi-san is using the tableware while Sagara is eating by squeezing it directly in his mouth.

「It’s more delicious than I thought. I didn’t expect it since it was this sort of packaged food.」

「You haven’t tasted a military ration, Fus.h.i.+mi-s.h.i.+? There is plenty of history about it too and is still being improved by different countries.

「Certainly, it can just be eaten right after heating it up, isn’t it? There are a lot of variations too. It completely surprised me that there’s white rice and rice mixed with various ingredients as well. But the priority is the calorie with an overall greasy finish, right?」

「Rations are made like that. If nutrition and energy aren’t replenished with a minimal portion and short amount of time, it will be impossible to survive in the battlefield. 」

「Is that so?」

I didn’t speak my inner thoughts of how Sagarkun is in a situation where he can’t challenge that battlefield, the dungeon. However, it’s really delicious.

Not just j.a.panese, Western and Chinese, there were unusual Middle East and South American meals, a variety of cuisines from various countries like Russia were also prepared. The contents of the cardboard boxes seem to be random and many of them had its lids opened.

I was at loss as to which to choose and eat. Well, I’ve never eaten ration even back in the original world, so I made it my homeland’s cooking as a safe choice for my first time. It’s kind of popular, the number has decreased at an excellent rate. It seems the last person will get the remaining bad ones.

Therefore, I once again concluded that we should carry my and Hiiragi-san’s shares in the private room after the meal.

「Although we are still eating, shall we start the exchange of information?」

「Sure. Who will speak first?」

「Let’s start with me. Because you will confirm the information about the dungeon once you enter, I don’t have something of important value.」

Sagara raises his gla.s.ses while showing a greasy smile. The way he licks the food remaining around his mouth suited him very much somehow.

As he says, there’s not much value in the information about the dungeon. CP has not increased so n.o.body seems to have died. So in conclusion, it’s impossible to have a difficulty level which can cause instant death at the first stage of the dungeon. So if I listen to his story, just a bit of useless things can be left out.

Still, Sagara wanted to exchange information and I accepted, so both of us are thinking that we’re hiding valuable information.

Will it depend on the information we have and bargaining skills to reveal that?

「The dungeon is the same cave type as the tutorial. There are gentle slopes and a lot of junctions, dead ends are common too. Unless you have some kind of light source, it will be dark and you will not advance, you will also get lost if you don’t do mapping. The monsters that appear is a type of beast that resembles a mammal. Since it’s still not far from the entrance, even though monsters that come out are small and can be knocked down, PP doesn’t even reach 10 points. The size of the ceiling and path gradually becomes wider as you go further. I’m told that the only way to return from the dungeon for now is walking back to the entrance. The things I know about the dungeon are only this much.」

If light is necessary, I should get a flashlight with point exchange. Maybe a pen and notebook as well. I should take into account that the return trip will be longer because of the effect of slope and acc.u.mulation of fatigue. Still, if I don’t dive towards the depths, won’t I waste the PP?

That’s only for the dungeon, that means there are also other things he did not talk about. Keeping silent, the next one is my turn.

「I have a guess about the weapons of those who cleared the tutorial though.」

「Hmm, please do tell.」

「There were two doors during the tutorial. There are monsters that use magic after the first door and a fight with enemy who borrowed the appearance of someone you know after the second.」

「Tsuzuki-s.h.i.+ mentioned that.」

「There is a possibility that the weapon owned by the second enemies can be acquired in here by exchanging PP. In this case, metal bat for the people who chose metal bat, naginata in my case, and a tantou for Maizuru-san. I wonder if maybe the opponents appeared and have weapons with high killing strength to fight those with low points.」

「I see. Since I also heard that Maizuru-s.h.i.+ carried a tantou while Mukou has naginata, it felt out of place. But I didn’t have any actual experience. Uh huh, that’s how it is.」

This information might be worthy. It’s because of a certain deduction that I’m taking into consideration. It’s possible that the enemy’s strength changes to match ours. Does it not seem to suggest the possibility that there’s a bonus-like item that can be acquired by clearing the game at low level and satisfying special conditions?

Sagara likely noticed it. No, it doesn’t look like he does. While considering that possibility from the start, is there such a point in reinforcing my opinion?

If I step aside and look at it calmly, I can’t be careless if he’s deceiving me for his own benefit. He’s one person I should be cautious of.

「PP acquired by defeating monsters will be evenly distributed to the party members. I think if a smaller number of people defeat the small monsters near the entrance, they will get more points. Anyway, this is what I heard from someone, but the points that can be obtained when a monster is defeated are different among the groups.」

「Heh, if that’s the case, can’t you monopolize the points If you leave the party when a monster is defeated?」

「That exploit doesn’t seem to work in such situation. Approval of the members is needed to leave from the party in the dungeon. Surprisingly, the device is excellent and it’s not possible to leave, that’s what Nagaoks.h.i.+ said.」

「Indeed, If it’s Nagaoksan, she will try to do it with or without permission. Then, do you know that status information can be disclosed among party members?」

「It’s my first time hearing it.」

I told the confirmed conditions and information about disclosing status to Sagara. I didn’t demonstrate because I don’t intend to show my status to him.

I was told that there are four parties formed right now.

Maizuru with her circle of friends, Funai and Kizugawa, also Miyazu and the errand boy Minami form a delinquent group. More than half of them have weapon, their characters are typical of someone I don’t want to be involved with too much.

a.s.sistant teacher Kazue-chan, cla.s.s vice president Uji, baseball club members f.u.kuchiyama and Kameoka, frivolous and flashy Ukyou and the quiet Ine, these six are in a group. Considering their physical abilities, splitting into vanguard and rear guard seems to be a good balance.

Tsuzuki leads the remaining people in a group. Ide who likes Tzuzuki, the couple Kuse and k.u.miyama, small height, b.r.e.a.s.t.s and skills Otokuni, good for nothing Ooyamazaki, plump Tanba, and serious but gloomy Yawata. Dekoko is in this group as well. Tsuzuki seemed to have invited Sagara and Higas.h.i.+yama. Hiiragi-san said she was also invited, did she intended to compensate the low overall quality with quant.i.ty. Will that choice lead to a good or bad luck?

And the last, those whose whereabouts weren’t known, Wazauka, Oyabe sisters and Heidi, were seen moving together. He kept silent about the reason he didn’t tell the rest about that. I made him tell me more about it, but his mouth tends to get stiff when it’s something that has to do with Wazuka.

「Isn’t it inefficient to explore the dungeon with a few people within the early floors?」

「Maybe you’re right. However, Mukou-s.h.i.+ might not understand, but that’s impossible.」

「I don’t understand?」

「Yes, because Mukou-s.h.i.+ cleared the tutorial. However, majority of our cla.s.smates died including me. Being attacked by a monster, experiencing pain, bleeding, and dying while feeling the sense of losing their own own life. It’s painful and scary, my and everyone’s spirit was broken like that. That’s not the case for Higas.h.i.+yams.h.i.+, though.」

Sagara told it jokingly, but his tone is weak and held a great amount of fear.

Until I talked to Sagara, I might have thought it’s tempting to surrender in the tutorial. Because I knew in my head that it isn’t a real death, I took the consequence of death lightly.

Sagara and also Hirragi-san had not shown a a frightened appearance until he mentioned that. I remembered that Higas.h.i.+yama was already broken after she was defeated by Maizuru. Therefore, I lacked such an aspect.

「There’s supposed to be strength in numbers. Even if one or two people can’t do it, something can be done if ma.s.s psychology works. So encouraging everyone and grouping them together, and challenging the dungeon once again, I thought Tsuzuki is quite good.」

He seems to have high evaluation of Tsuzuki.

I didn’t quite follow what he’s implying with what he said. Although you will die sooner or later if you don’t challenge the dungeon, why are you afraid of it? I strangely wondered. After I thought about it, I noticed that there’s something that slipped out of place.

I realized immediately that the cause is meeting that monster, Albacent, by chance.

Didn’t I think that Streiya, who I am supposed to be afraid of, isn’t scary anymore? I am numb with feeling of death. Something is broken in me.

I recognize my abnormality, it’s the first time I noticed something strange happen for the first time. Hiiragi-san is an odd one.

Coming into my room, forming a party with me, and speaking sharp words, all of it is strange.

If she’s just scared of death like Sagara, forming a party with just the two of us is unreasonable based on the aspect of safety. If she wants to distance herself from Nagaoka, it might be safer to join f.u.kuchiyama’s group than pairing with me.

Being killed by an enemy with her best friend’s appearance in the tutorial. It’s suspicious and unimaginable if that’s the only reason.

I should thank Sagara. He made me realize that I should talk more seriously with her.

So I thought that it doesn’t matter if I tell him at least some information I did not intend to earlier.

「Sagarkun.」

「What’s the matter, Mukou-s.h.i.+?」

「I want to express my deepest thanks. Thank you. So I’ll tell you something. MS can be acquired with your own strength if some conditions are met. I learned MS without using any points. Possibly, E and MA can also be learned.」

Sagara is making a surprised face. That is expected. If you are on my situation, you won’t tell such information that is linked to a cheat, hide it and try to maintain your own advantage.

If it was not because of Hiiragi-san’s matter, I would also certainly do what you would supposed to do.

He looks at my face and glanced at Hiiragi-san when he realized it.

「I wonder if you are a fool, Mukou-s.h.i.+.」

「Maybe.」

「Haaー, then I’m also a fool. There is a hidden room where the entrance randomly changes. It seems Natsume-kun discovered it somehow. I haven’t understood it, but he got items he had not owned before he left.」

He, who called me a fool, was also a fool.

Receiving Sagara’s words, I sharpened my sixth sense. I won’t be aware of the existence of mana If only I had no detection. The magic skill detection changed and its range became wider, it reached to a point where I can perceive the difference in mana quality.

In one of the walls full of uniform mana, there was a spot where there is obviously a different one compared to the others. Its size is approximately that of a door and there was nothing different in its appearance with the other walls.

I already finished eating a meal. I stand up and make an eye signal to Hiiragi-san. When I tried to see what Sagara will do, he just shook his head and excused himself.

Carrying our weapons just to be sure, we walk towards the wall. I touched the white wall that is not any different from the others.

It disappeared quietly and pitch black s.p.a.ce appeared before us. There is a door inside. I stepped into the dark room accompanied by Hiiragi-san.