Chapter 30: Dungeon
[You have leveled up to level 12]
[level up achieved!
STR: 31 -> 34
Dex: 30 -> 35
Mag: 0]
[Choose an upgrade:
Air Compressor
Sleep Injection
Caffeine Injection]
Hiro finally found his next upgrade. It was finally here—the Air Compressor! Now, his hosts would be able to dive into lakes for a prolonged period of time, and they would be safe in case of poisonous gas too.
Hiro considered the other options. They were enticing, but he felt they weren't absolutely necessary. Sleep Injection and Caffeine Injection might be helpful for a good night's sleep or an energy boost, but none of his girls needed that at the moment. To be honest, He would love something for Rebecca, but no magic-boosting skill for his host appeared.
After he had chosen the air compressor skill, another blue box appeared. Hiro remembered that he had leveled up twice.
[Choose an upgrade:
Gas Analysis
Water Storage
Mana Manipulation (Disabled)]
He chose Gas Analysis. This would allow him to filter any gas and store different gases separately, just like Material Analysis did for solids. While he might not need it to absorb normal air and oxygen, it could be helpful in other situations. Hiro wondered whether he should get mana manipulation. The skill might be useless now; however, if he got mana sense and either fire or water magic skill later, he would be able to use magic.
Hiro sighed, realizing he might need at least three more levels to get the water-related upgrades he wanted. If the system behaved as he expected, he would need Water Storage, some kind of water propulsion, and Water Analysis for the skill to be applicable.
Meanwhile, Luna was still dozing on her bed even though the sun was already high in the sky.
Hiro nudged his consciousness and moved over to Cecile, who was now working to clear the dungeon and collect the weapons they had gathered. The first floor was almost cleared, and they were about to leave the dungeon.
The first floor was intended for beginner adventurers under level 20, while the second was for adventurers above level 20. Since Cecile's group was still at level 17, they were not allowed to proceed. However, King Angus approached Cecile's group and made them an offer.
"I think you're a bit too strong for beginner adventurers. Want to pick some tougher opponents?" Angus smirked.
"Eh, but Your Majesty, the rules say it's for adventurers level twenty and above..."
"You don't need to call me 'Your Majesty' here. It's too formal. Just call me Angus. I'm an adventurer now," the King said. He then looked at his secretary, who was giving him a menacing glare. "Well, the spirit of the rules is to ensure the survival of adventurers, which is why we made them. If you can prove you're stronger than the average level 20 adventurer, it should be fine. I'll call some Royal Knight trainees. Let's see if these new promising adventurers can beat them."
"Hah... here he goes again, bending the rules he made..." His secretary and personal bodyguard sighed.
"There is a reason why I want them to face tougher battles. But it's classified. You know that, right?"
"Wait. Are they..." His bodyguard and secretary suddenly eyed Cecile and her group, scrutinizing them from head to toe.
"I want to see how strong these 'wild and easily compatible' symbiotes really are."
"But you said they're a producer class—they shouldn't be that strong."
"Symbiotes are technically our soulmates. They live beside us, grow with us, learn with us. Nothing is absolute. They might be weaker than us combat symbiotes, but they still enhanced their host one way or another." Malus then emerged from King Angus's neck, eyeing the group.
"There's no need to try too hard. We already have a total battle freak among our ranks. But we need to know if you can survive on a battlefield. Many people want you for their own profit, after all. Some of them are even within our kingdom, so you can't be lax on that front. You need to develop some combat capabilities," Malus said, mimicking the King's face.
"Everyone! I've heard your complaints!" King Angus addressed the gathered adventurers. "I just want to remind you that those rules about restricting access to the upper floors were made in your best interest—for your safety. However, I also recognize that levels aren't everything. So, here's the plan! If you can defeat one of the mid-class adventurers, you will be allowed to proceed to the upper floors!"
"Really? Alright!" the adventurers cheered. Hiro cheered along with Cecile, excited at the prospect of exploring the unknown.
A sort of sports tournament was organized on the first floor. Those above level 20 stepped forward, offering themselves as training instructors. While levels weren't everything, they were the primary indicator of a person's strength, and this tournament reinforced that idea. Only people close to level 20—around 18 or 19—had a chance to actually pass.
Hiro wondered whether he should assist Nana and Cecile, but it turned out to be unnecessary. Cecile easily defeated her opponents. Since being with Hiro from level 5, her stats had grown significantly higher than most other warriors. Based purely on her stats, she could match someone around level 30, even without Hiro's enhancements.
Nana's agility was her strength, and she also passed with flying colors. Her arrows hit their targets one after another with her new bow. However, the older adventurers frowned at Cecile's team because of Rebecca. She was adequate as a mage, but her physical stats were lacking.
"Hmm. We'll let you pass, but for your safety, we'll assign one more adventurer to your team. You need more than one dedicated vanguard since your mage was so slow. I can see Nana is capable of being an all-rounder, but you still need a dedicated tank besides Cecile. Hey, Sven, Garland, I found your new team!"
"Alright," Rebecca nodded.
"Greetings, I am Sven, and this is Garland," said a buff warrior clad in full plate armor, carrying a tower shield while his companion held a greatsword. Hiro took a closer look at the two warriors and tilted his head.
"Are you with the Royal Knights?" Nana asked what was in Hiro's mind, scrutinizing Garland and Sven as they sat in a corner while the tournament continued. In the end, only 15 people passed out of over a hundred beginners.
"Huh? What gives that away?" Sven asked as the new group ventured deeper into the dungeon. The beginner team wasn't sent home; they still had the duty of guarding the perimeter of the stairs leading to the deeper floors. Monsters would still occasionally spawn on the first floor, so they had their work cut out for them. Even a level 15 monster could prove fatal if it blocked a retreating group from the second floor, making this job important.
"These armors look like the ones they give to their trainees," Nana answered.
"Really? But the sword and uniform don't look like the Royal Knights'. The colors are different," Cecile said.
"Hahaha... we aren't really in the royal army," Sven explained. "We're lowly squires—or junior knights, if that's easier to understand—serving Duke Servile. When we heard a dungeon had spawned near the capital, we thought it was our chance to level up, so we brought our best armor and weapons. This shield is a graduation gift from my father."
"This greatsword is my great-grandfather's keepsake. The cutting edge is made of orichalcum! This sword is my best one," Garland said proudly, brandishing his weapon.
"I saw your sword glowing blue. Is it a magical sword?" Sven asked Cecile. "You guys have such nice weapons, especially you, Nana. I recognize that bow from somewhere in Daneswald territory. Some famous craftsman lives there, right?"
"Yeah, I bought it there," Nana replied.
"I see. My sister, who's a town guard, also has one," Sven added.
"Town guard?" Rebecca tilted her head.
"Well, I am blessed with wealthy and doting parents! Hahaha," Sven laughed. "No need to worry. We might not be good enough to be Royal Knights, but we've certainly earned our place as knights serving our lord."
"I'm gonna bust some giant orc heads with this! Just you see, cutie," Garland said, winking at Cecile.
Soon enough, a staircase came into view. Hiro noticed that some of King Angus's guards seemed friendly with the adventurers. He thought about it for a while and wondered if these Royal Knights had some history with adventurers. And he was right.
Many knights came from adventurers since they were the ones who could quickly gain levels by frequently fighting monsters. Soldiers and knights fought monsters, too, but monsters' attacks on towns and villages were rare and deadly, with no chance of retreat. When monsters did attack in a stampede, soldiers often didn't survive.
To bolster their forces, kingdoms began scouting top adventurers for their skills.
King Angus had his sword at his waist and wore an expensive-looking set of armor. However, he hadn't fought yet, letting his knights take the lead. Hiro was curious about his powers, but it seemed King Angus wasn't interested in small enemies.
"Come on, let's do our job!" Sven said as he raised his tower shield. The enemy was a humongous centipede as big as a truck. Hiro winced as Sven was pushed back when he defended against its ramming attack. Garland swiftly moved beside him, and with a swing of his greatsword, he lopped off one of the centipede's legs before retreating behind Sven's shield.
Cecile, who wasn't used to working alongside Sven, did something similar. However, after cutting off another leg, she ran in a different direction while blocking one of the centipede's leg attacks with her buckler. She staggered as the force knocked her back.
Nana fired her arrows at the centipede. Even when the centipede had such thin limbs, she managed to score several hits on them. Hiro watched the battle unfold, holding off on giving his usual amphetamine and adrenaline boost until it was requested. He didn't want his girls to stand out too much. His boosts could double Cecile and Nana's stats, making them conspicuous.
The girls didn't ask Hiro for the boost. Hiro's heart skipped a beat when the centipede was about to land a blow on Cecile, but she pulled through. Unlike Sven, Cecile also had high dexterity. While she wasn't as fast as Nana, she could still dodge effectively.
Rebecca stayed further behind, appearing somewhat clueless. Hiro wondered why she did that but later realized that the monster was too fast and too close to the vanguards for her spells to be effective.
The battle progressed smoothly. As more legs were severed, the centipede moved slower and slower. Rebecca then prepared her spell.
"Rebecca!" Cecile called out.
"On it! Evacuate!" Rebecca released a fireball aimed at the centipede's mouth, and it exploded.
"Hurray!" Cecile cheered.
They continued their exploration along a path decided for them. Unlike the first floor, this floor seemed to be themed around enormous insects—they encountered a praying mantis, giant worms, and more. By pure luck, Cecile's group eventually found another set of stairs.
"Wow. Three floors. That's rare for new dungeons," Sven muttered.
"Should we go in?" Cecile asked, but Rebecca and Garland shook their heads.
"No. We're too low-level for that. We should be at least level 40 to tackle the third floor. Let's meet up with the King's group or rendezvous near the stairs to the first floor," Garland said, and Rebecca nodded.
"Yeah, let's do that."
Fortunately, the group was level-headed. It might seem boring, but Hiro agreed with them. Lives were precious. Even in his previous life, on safe Earth, Hiro was still stabbed and killed inside his own house. Nobody knows what will happen next, so safety always comes first.