Chapter 77 - Remaining 6 days and The Scary-looking Guy once again

The next day I dove alone, we met in the morning, and we are going to be exploring the dungeon again.

“Rifreya, what do you think about the 4th Floor? Do you think we could manage?” (Hikaru)

I try asking on the way.

I somehow managed when it was in the vicinity of the 4th Floor’s entrance.

We have been able to hunt in the 3rd Floor with almost no problems.

“Eh, the 4th Floor? It is not like we can’t, but…is there that much of a need to hurry? You did say you had your circumstances, and it is true that your Spirit Abilities are strong, but getting too ahead of yourselves in the dungeon can cost you your life, you know?” (Rifreya)

“I haven’t gone to the 4th Floor either, so I wouldn’t be of much use-nyan.” (Grapefull)

The 2 were apprehensive about the idea of going to the 4th Floor, but that can’t be helped.

Me wanting to go to even lower floors is because of my own circumstances.

Thinking that the viewers wouldn’t want to see the same hunting the whole time, I wanted to bring them fresh content…

Of course, I understand that this is dangerous.

But at this rate, there’s no way I can become 1st place in the Total Ranking.

I also have to put in the work in order to make up for the late start in the first half.

6 days remaining. More than half is gone.

I am currently in 4th place.

Thinking about the fact that I was originally distancing myself from my viewers, you could say I am putting up a good fight here, but it would be better for me to think that I need something more powerful in order to take 1st place which is my objective.

If I am too optimistic and it ends up as ‘too bad, you got 2nd place’ there would be no point. I want some wiggle room by reaching 1st place in 3 days.

“Well, if you want to go to the 4th Floor, I will tag along though.” (Rifreya)

“Me too. If you are going to bring me to the 4th Floor, I would welcome it greatly-nya… I don’t think I will be able to help out much, but if I get a feel of the terrain, I will be able to act as a scout there-nya.” (Grapefull)

So the two went for the conservative okay. But it is true that going down to the 4th Floor is dangerous.

We won’t be hit by Slimes with my Dark Sense, but there’s no doubt Crabs and Lizardmen are powerful foes. If we go deeper, we would need to fight even more dangerous foes.

If only we had one more strong warrior like Rifreya with us, we would be able to fight with a pretty safe margin, but it really would be reckless to do so with this group, huh.

The battle power will be higher than me going down alone, but in terms of risks, there’s different dangers.

And the dangers are not only on the level of ‘I got wounded’. There’s the chance we have to pay with losing them for eternity.

It would be one thing if I were to take the risk by myself, but there’s no way I can push these members along my ride.

“…No, you are right. Let’s leave the 4th Floor for some other time. It is not like we have finished exploring the 3rd Floor after all.” (Hikaru)

We haven’t met the Garden Panther either.

I want 1st place, but I can’t go betting the lives of these two, too.

…No, we are already putting our lives on the line in the 3rd Floor.

It is simply that the exploration is going well, so that feeling isn’t that pronounced. One mistake can still wipe us out.

The reality is that I should get better at fighting too. Even if training doesn’t increase viewers much.

“Then, we will be going to the 3rd Floor today too. You will be training your Spirit Ability while at it.” (Hikaru)

“Eh?!” (Rifreya)

“Hm? What’s the matter? I said just now that we wouldn’t be going to the 4th Floor though?” (Hikaru)

Was she not listening?

“Aah, no, uhm…I was just thinking about not training my Spirit Abilities for a while~…” (Rifreya)

Rifreya says while scratching her cheek.

It has only been a few days since she started training.

“…Is there a reason why?” (Hikaru)

“It is not like that. That’s, uhm…right! I am simply tired! Using abilities over and over is taxing! That’s why I am fine with not training, so let’s concentrate on exploring! Okay?!” (Rifreya)

Saying this, Rifreya pulls my arm persistently.

What a bad lie.

The day before, she said that she would be going to the Great Spirit in order to check if she had new abilities. She said she would be checking if her Tier had increased too.

In that case, it probably didn’t work at all.

Even so, she must have thought I would be hurt if she were to tell it straight to me…that’s probably what’s happening here.

However, it has only been a few days. The effects should be showing up from here on…is what I think, but the person herself is going as far as lying in order to stop it, so there’s no need to force her to.

It is not like I don’t feel as if my proposal was a pain for her, but it can’t be helped.

“Then, no Spirit Ability training. I would like to fight a Garden Panther at least once already. It would be nice if Shadow Bind works on it.” (Hikaru)

“It is not a monster with that much physical strength, so I think it would work. It can even immobilize a Troll after all.” (Rifreya)

“Is that so?” (Hikaru)

While we were having that talk, we arrived at the Straying Big Mist Garden.

This floor has a fountain with drinkable water, and there are explorers who rest there. It is a floor that has a more relaxed atmosphere than the 2nd Floor.

This place is rough for beginners, but it is true that this is quite a lot easier than the 4th Floor.

This difference in difficulties must be what sets it apart from a game.

The 1st Floor has mostly Skeletons walking separately so it is easy, but the 2nd and 3rd Floor are plain hard.

And then the 4th Floor suddenly comes for your throat. That’s the kind of balancing there is here.

The 2nd Floor is especially dark, so it isn’t suitable for exploration, so it ends up with the mid experienced explorers aiming for the 3rd Floor.

With things like that…things like this can happen.

“Ooh, isn’t that Rifreya-chan?! I heard your party disbanded recently, but you were diving into the dungeon, huh!”

“Yeah, I have obtained a new party member after all.” (Rifreya)

The one who came to talk to us all familiarly was the scary-looking explorer that spoke to us at the guild before. Looks like they are exploring the 3rd Floor with a party of 6.

I don’t know what their rank is, but they have proper gear, and it is a party that gives me the impression of being a cautious party. The scary-looking man wields a battle axe, and looks like a lumberjack that would welcome a fight with a Treant.

I honestly thought this was troublesome, but even if I were to use Darkness Fog to hide here, it would just stand out.

“Wait, oi! Isn’t that your little brother there?! Bringing him to the 3rd Floor is reckless! Are you using him as a porter?!”

So I really did get dragged into it too.

But this is an opportunity. The viewers have stopped increasing, so troubles like this are welcomed seasoning. It doesn’t really threaten my life, so I wouldn’t mind getting hit once or something…

I was computing that, but Rifreya did something unexpected.

With lightning speed, she took out her greatsword, and placed it right on the throat of the scary-looking explorer.

“Uo! Oi, Rifreya-chan, what joke is this?”

“I will not forgive any further insults. I warned you before, right?” (Rifreya)

“Insults, you say? He is your little brother, right? Also, he is still only bronze rank. The 3rd Floor is still too soon for him. Is there anything wrong with what I said?”

“He is not my little brother. Also, we have defeated all monsters in the 3rd Floor aside from the Garden Panther.” (Rifreya)

“That’s thanks to your strength, Rifreya-chan.”

“No, that was mostly him—” (Rifreya)

“Wait, stop stop. Rifreya, lower your weapon.” (Hikaru)

Rifreya was objecting to the scary-looking explorer with a blank expression, but no matter how you look at it, she isn’t calm here.

Maybe she is an unexpectedly short-tempered person?

She didn’t look like that type in the time I was hanging out with her though.