Dungeon Gacha Life Chapter 21

 Chapter 21: The First Step To Beyond Human

The day after I finally sorted out the skill list that had grown bloated with Skill Integration.

As always, I stepped out from the teleportation circle on Floor 16 of Hachioji Dungeon.

A moment's focus was enough to reveal the distribution of every monster on this floor, as clear as if I could hold it in my hand.

Master of Scouting Lv3, which had Detection Lv10 folded into it, had already proven that its detection range hadn't shrunk at all, even though the Skill's own Level had dropped.

On top of that, I could now sense the positions of other Explorers, actual people, which I'd never been able to pick up before.

Proof, I supposed, that Master of Scouting really was a step up.

"So what happens if I level this thing up from here?"

The words slipped out before I meant to say them, and Lapis, beside me, picked up on it.

She's technically my partner, so I share the details of my Skills with her too.

"The detection range didn't change at all?"

"Yeah. If anything, now I can pick up on people the same way."

"My reason for existing just took another hit!?"

Lapis cried out, thunderstruck.

Come to think of it, you'd been keeping watch this whole time too, hadn't you, so no other Explorer would catch sight of me fighting.

"...It's fine. Even if you're useless, you're still my precious partner."

"Saying that with a smile does not make me feel any better!?"

Even I could tell that line was a stretch as I said it. Couldn't help it, though.

Well, it's not like Lapis's value as a partner being questionable is anything new.

"You just said questionable!!"

A third thunderstruck moment. She was on a pretty good pace today.

Maybe something good would happen too.

I double-checked that there was no one nearby and got my head back in the game.

Today I had two goals.

The first was a test run of my Skills.

Such as getting a feel for the integrated Skills, like Master of Scouting.

There aren't any traps in the Upper Levels, so that particular test would have to wait for another time.

But Physical Master Lv5, which governs physical ability, and the newly acquired Intuition Lv3 — those I wanted to check out sooner rather than later.

The various resistance-type Skills could wait for another time.

Around here, I barely took any damage to begin with, so it'd be hard to actually feel the effect anyway.

"I've still got to scout ahead to Floor 20, too. Let's get through this quick."

Right, that was the other goal.

Scouting the shortest route to the boss on Floor 20, so I wouldn't burn through resources when it actually counted.

Honestly, if you asked whether I actually needed to do this, I'd have nothing to say. Still, keeping up appearances mattered.

Better to copy whatever the other Explorers were doing.

An alibi's worth having, even if you never need it.

"Somehow I get the feeling Ryouka-san sees right through that, though."

I silently agreed with Lapis's mutter.

That's part of Shimotsuki-san's charm too, I think.

* * *

In the dark behind my closed eyes, a spearhead flashed up in my mind.

I dodged it by a hair's breadth as it drove toward my throat.

The pressure of the air and the whistle of its passing arrived a beat late.

By the time I felt it, the next presence was already closing in.

An axe this time, maybe. A Goblin Warrior's swings were heavy and slow.

I turned side-on to dodge it as it came down from above, then swept my sword through in a horizontal cut.

A solid impact ran up through my hand.

In the same instant, I was already leaping backward.

Another spear had probably been an inch from my face, and I dodged it on nothing but instinct.

There was no fear in shutting off my own sight.

All that was there was absolute trust in my own senses.

"Conclusion: Intuition is insane."

"That was amazing, Touya-san! You looked just like some master swordsman out of a period drama!?"

I'd just finished a fight with my eyes shut, all to test out Intuition, and the sheer effectiveness of it left me shaken.

The location: Floor 17.

My opponents were a mixed unit of axe-wielding Goblin Warriors and Kobold Lancers.

I'd fought them plenty of times before, so I figured they'd make a good test.

"It's honestly a little scary, having a sense like this. Why can I tell where the attacks are coming from with my eyes closed?"

"Well, if you just chalk it up to the Skill, I guess that's all there is to it..."

Lapis answered the words that had slipped out of me.

There wasn't much conviction in her voice. She probably wasn't sure what to make of it herself.

"Well, if we start down that road, we'll end up asking what the rules inside a Dungeon even are in the first place."

Dungeons had appeared out of nowhere twenty years ago.

The full truth of them was still wrapped in mystery.

Why had they suddenly shown up all over the world?

Why did they come with a system that worked just like a game?

By what logic did a person's Level rise, and how did they end up able to use Skills?

Not one of these questions had a solid answer yet.

Except...

"It's convenient, so who cares."

That was really all there was to it.

"That's way too blunt!?"

The Gacha fairy over there looked thunderstruck.

You're a pretty mysterious existence yourself, you know?

* * *

After that, just as planned, I made my way down the shortest path through Floors 18 and 19.

Every now and then a monster planted itself right in my path, but I was taking them down without a scratch, not even using an Active Skill.

I'd never really felt uneasy about fighting before, but the combination of Physical Master Lv5, Intuition Lv3, and Swordsmanship Lv10 gave me a level of stability I'd never had until now.

Combined with stats that blew way past what this area called for, I could clear it without even really trying.

The mental toll of fighting had dropped, which suited me just fine.

Might as well take it easy whenever I could.

With the path this safe, the two of us naturally ended up talking more than usual.

"You know, I really think what you're missing, Touya-san, is a finishing move. Couldn't you at least shout 'Slash!' like the other Explorers do?"

The topic at hand was shouting out Active Skill names.

"Denied. Those guys are in a party, so shouting it out doubles as telling your teammates what Skill you're using. The ones who shout it out solo are... doing it for the mood?"

You did see it every once in a while.

Why shout it at all when just willing it is enough to activate a Skill?

"Mood matters a lot, though! Even in Puicure, they shout their finishing move to pull off a comeback whenever things look grim!"

Lapis brought up her favorite anime as an example.

She watched it pretty much every day, so by now I knew way more about it than I ever meant to.

"Isn't that just for dramatic effect?"

"That's got no dreams or hope in it at all!?"

Lapis was still reeling from an extra-large shock. I brushed her off anyway and kept walking at an even pace.

Clearing out the monster packs we ran into along the way had become nothing more than routine work by now.

Eventually, deeper in Floor 19, we found the stairs leading down.

Go down these stairs, and Floor 20 was waiting: the entrance to the boss room.

"So this is it. ...Want to take a peek inside?"

Lapis asked, eyeing the way down, but I shook my head.

"No, this is far enough for today. I've already gotten what I came for — confirming the shortest route and test-running my Skills."

If I went down there now and accidentally one-shot the boss, that would be a disaster.

For today, all I needed was to complete the alibi: "scouted the shortest route to the boss thoroughly, then pulled back once to prepare for the next attempt."

"Alright, let's head back. Sounds like there are Explorers waiting their turn down those stairs, and I don't want the hassle if one of them tries to get involved."

Being able to check what's waiting near the stairs ahead of time, Master of Scouting is really a lifesaver.

"You don't really see many unpleasant people even in the lobby, you know?"

"I don't mean they're bad people or anything. It's the ones who mean well, come up to chat, and want to make small talk that are a pain."

"Come on, a little small talk never hurt anyone~"

"Too much trouble. Come on, let's go."

I hurried Lapis along as she lingered reluctantly, and turned back toward the teleportation magic circle on Floor 16.