kscans

Chapter 12 - If You See a Boss Monster

GIGIIGI!

I punched clean through the torso of the Lesser Treant that had lost its right arm.

As it collapsed in a shower of wood splinters, I watched the last of them turn to salt and felt a strange sensation.

"Hm...?"

"What's up, Kyou-chan? You hurt?"

"No, it's not that... It's just, did my power just go up? I think...?"

It was a terribly vague feeling, but it seemed like my physical abilities and my mana had increased.

That said, it wasn't as if I had complete mastery over my own body. It was such a subtle change that if someone told me it was just my imagination, I'd have a hard time immediately denying it.

As I was pondering this, a voice came from my earring.

'I just used Appraisal on you, Kyou-chan-kun. You're at LV: 2 now. Congratulations.'

"Woohoo! Congrats!"

"Ah, thank you."

I felt a little embarrassed as Aira-san clapped and Erina-san threw her arms up in celebration. I looked at my palm, checking my mana.

...She was right. The flow and volume of my mana had definitely increased. Yet, it felt calm, not forced. It was as if this was its natural state.

I see. So this is leveling up. I'd heard about it, but experiencing it myself was a rather profound feeling.

An idea struck me. I formed my left hand into the shape of a pistol and aimed my fingertip at a wall five meters away.

"I'm going to try something."

'Oh? What's that?'

"The power of my wind... or maybe an application of it?"

As I spoke, I compressed the wind at the tip of my index finger and immediately released it.

With a sharp snap, the surface of a root protruding from the wall burst open.

It was shallow, and the sound was faint. It didn't seem to have as much power as I'd thought. It might work on a Matango, but it wouldn't be effective against the monsters here.

"Whoa! Ninja art! Kyou-chan, you can use ninja arts?! What kind of shinobi are you? Kouga?! Iga?!"

"It's not a ninja art, and I'm not a ninja..."

"...A rogue ninja!?"

"Why...?"

Her completely baffling question left me bewildered.

Please don't tell me she's going to start calling all magic and related skills 'ninjutsu'...

'Hmm. This is excellent. The stat increase from leveling up is high. As I thought, you really are an SSR.'

"You're still using that term...? And besides, it wasn't all that powerful."

'It's never a bad thing to have more cards in your hand. More importantly, that was a blade of wind born from the increased mana output of your level-up, right? That means as your level rises further, so will the number of things you can do.'

"That's true."

Right now, it only had the power of a light knife swing, but if I kept this up, it might eventually have the same force as a proper slash.

If that happened, it would be a significant boost to my combat strength. Dungeon diving would get a lot easier.

"Hmph. You and senpai are getting pretty friendly, aren't you, Kyou-chan?"

"Hey, I'd rather not be seen as friendly with her."

'And why is that, Kyou-chan-kun? You're already on my friends list, you know?'

"Ugh, I don't like the sound of that..."

'Heh heh heh. Don't say things like that. You'll make me cry.'

"My apologies."

It was a slip of the tongue. I regretted it.

'I know! To deepen our bond, let's have a game night tonight!'

"I'm in! My controller is about to spit fire!"

"Doesn't that mean it's broken...? And do I even own a console for online multiplayer..."

Lately, I'd only been playing mobile app games; I hadn't bought anything like that. I wonder if the one I had ages ago still works...?

As I searched my memory, a gentle voice came from the earring.

'I see... You don't have many friends either. No, you were a loner, weren't you? Even more so than me.'

"I'm going to knock you flat, you jerk."

'Too bad! I'm not a jerk, I'm a lady!'

Soooo annoying.

It's not like I didn't have friends. I had two all the way through middle school, so I had to be better off than her.

Though... I haven't heard from them much lately. I'm probably just a friend from the past to them now.

'There, there. In that case, I'll send you a game console.'

"Uh, no, you don't have to go that far."

'Nonsense, don't worry about it. I have one I was saving for when I eventually made a new friend. Think of it as proselytizing. Please, accept it.'

"...Aira-san, you really don't have many friends, do you?"

'Alright, I've decided. I'm sending the console cash on delivery, and after that, I'm going to call and email you nonstop until you agree to play. Prepare yourself.'

"Your retaliation is so petty... Besides, I'm serious, it's fine. Game consoles are expensive."

"You two, that's enough. I hear something."

At Erina-san's words, I shut my mouth and re-gripped my sword.

We cautiously advanced in the direction she indicated, where we found two Lesser Treants. They seemed to have noticed us as well, letting out a sound like scraping branches as they charged.

Since we knew the enemy was there beforehand, I was able to calmly throw my knife. The small knife and a rod shuriken struck one of the Lesser Treants.

It flinched slightly but barely slowed down. Still, driving in a wedge like that makes them easier to break when I hit them. Just like before, I moved to the front lines with Byakuren.

GIGI!

As the Lesser Treant closed in, my sword, with its superior reach and speed, would strike first... or so I thought.

"Ah."

I just plain missed.

I'd been practicing on my own, but I was still just an amateur. Thanks to my 'Eye,' my aim—or what you might call my intuitive sense for hitting things—was getting better, but it had its limits.

By the time I frantically pulled back my sword from its wild swing, my opponent was already winding up its right arm.

Don't panic. There's an overwhelming 'performance gap' between a Lesser Treant and me. I told myself that, even as a cold sweat trickled down my back. I couldn't let it bother me now.

It was in moments like this that I was truly grateful for my unique skill boosting my thought process.

As it thrust forward, my future sight activated. I swung my sword down into the path of the direct hit.

My blade slammed down from above, shattering the Lesser Treant's right arm. The monster, apparently feeling no pain, immediately thrust with its other arm, forcing me to take a single step back.

The sharp tip of its arm stopped just short of my breastplate. My retreat had made its reach just a little too short.

As the Lesser Treant pulled its arm back for another attack, I leaped into its guard and slammed my fist into it. The added weight of the armor made my left gauntlet feel like a blunt weapon.

I felt like the power of my punch had increased, too. It was just a feeling, though.

My gaze shifted from the blasted-away Lesser Treant to the one next to it. Byakuren was fighting the remaining one, and a quick slash from the side secured an easy victory.

Despite my mistake, the flow of the battles hadn't changed since the beginning. It was becoming almost mechanical, like 'work'.

And I was glad. I wasn't looking for a thrilling, blood-pumping fight. I wanted to keep racking up these quiet, methodical wins.

But I couldn't let my guard down. As I collected the coins from the monsters that had turned to salt, I took a shallow breath.

These were F-Rank opponents, considered small fry in the world of adventurers. But I, too, was small fry—a 'rookie adventurer'.

In terms of rank, we were equals. If I got careless and let them surround me, the result would be disastrous.

Even as I steeled my resolve, our earlier conversation brought to mind a game I used to play.

Right after leaving the first town, I'd thought, 'Goblins and slimes are weak,' and charged in, only to get my whole party wiped out on one of the earliest stages. It was the result of forgetting that everyone starts out weak.

In a game, it's a funny story to laugh off. But this is reality. There are no saves or loads.

"Erina-san, here."

"Got it. Leave it to me!"

I handed the coins to Erina-san and kept watch on our surroundings while she put them in her Item Box.

Don't be overconfident, but don't be careless.

Easy to say, harder to do. But I'll learn to do it, even if it's slowly.

After all, I plan on making a living in these dungeons for a long time to come.

＊　　　　　＊　　　　　＊

About an hour had passed since we started exploring the dungeon.

We'd reached the exit within about fifteen minutes of entering, and I'd already marked it. Having a secured escape route was, as expected, a great relief.

Following Aira-san's navigation, we had been proceeding deeper when—

"Hold on. I hear a weird sound."

I stopped at Erina-san's words and readied my sword.

"Weird sound?"

"I don't know... It's similar to a Lesser Treant, but it sounds heavier. It's coming from the room up ahead."

There should be a slightly larger chamber just ahead on this path.

The possibility of other adventurers... unlikely. If it were just a heavy sound, maybe, but a sound similar to a Lesser Treant probably wasn't human.

Which meant the most likely possibility was...

"A boss monster?"

"Maybe?"

Erina-san and I both tilted our heads.

'Boss Monster'.

Simply put, it's a name for an individual monster that's stronger than the others found in that dungeon.

It wasn't as if defeating one would make the dungeon disappear, and apparently, multiple boss monsters had even been discovered at the same time.

This was all just knowledge from the lecture and the internet, so I couldn't say for sure what it was really like, but I'd heard they were ridiculously strong.

On top of that, they supposedly acted like pack leaders, commanding other monsters from the same dungeon as underlings.

During the lecture, they'd drilled it into our heads: 'If you encounter one, retreat without hesitation. Report it to the Dungeon Store staff immediately.'

"Hmm, but I'm not sure... I'll go check it out!"

"Isn't that dangerous? It'd be better to send Byakuren in and have Aira-san check."

"It's fine. The sound is pretty loud. I doubt it can even fit down this hallway."

Saying that, Erina-san clasped her hands together.

"Ninja art! Technique of Concealment!!"

Your voice is so loud.

As she shouted, her body began to turn invisible... or was it?

To my eyes, she just looked slightly translucent; I could still see her perfectly. The only change I could really comment on was the mana circulating over the surface of her body.

But apparently, to normal eyes, she was now invisible.

'Yep, I can't see a thing. The only slight concern is that I lose telepathic contact in this state.'

'Invisibility'.

Another skill name that was just as straightforward as 'Boss Monster'. This was Erina-san's 'third' skill.

While using it, she couldn't use magic tools or other skills. Still, 'being unseen' was a considerable advantage.

...Well, it was ineffective against those with skills like magic eyes, though.

"Alright, I'm heading out!!"

"Ah, yes. Be careful."

She gave a salute and ran off without a sound. Watching her go, I couldn't help but think, 'Isn't the technique to erase your footsteps more like a superpower than the skill itself?'

After all, that was pure technique, not a skill. Maybe she really was a ninja.

I waited in a spot where I could still see her, and after about twenty seconds, Erina-san returned, just as silently as she had left.

"Yeah, it looks like a boss monster. It was in the big room up ahead."

"The boss monster here would be a mature Treant, right?"

"Yup. Just like in the pictures."

'Treant'.

An animated tree, a staple of fantasy games. Its appearance was quite different from a Lesser Treant, said to resemble a giant made of wood.

Furthermore, the indentation that looked like a face was now a grotesque hollow, and it could even use magic.

This was not an opponent we should be fighting right now. We'll follow protocol and return.

"We're heading back. Is that alright, Aira-san?"

'Of course. As I said before you went in, your safety is the top priority.'

"Understood. Erina-san, if you would."

"Okay-dokie."

Erina-san waved her hand, and a silver ring materialized in the air. This portal, about a meter and a half in diameter, was the teleportation gate she created.

After a final check of our surroundings, I grabbed Byakuren's head and dispelled the golem body. Taking Erina-san's hand, I stepped through the ring.

...It's an odd time to be thinking about this, but holding hands with a girl is nerve-wracking.

I couldn't feel a thing through my gauntlets, yet my heart was pounding.

In an instant, we were back at the dungeon entrance. We went straight to the police box and explained the situation to the Self-Defense Force officer inside.

Following their instructions, we returned to the store and reported the Treant's presence to the SDF member at the gate.

After he made a phone call, the soldier questioned us for a few minutes and then urged us to head home for the day. They would handle the rest.

By the time I finished changing in the locker room, a police officer was standing in front of the gate room.

When I asked, I was told that entry for the general public was prohibited until the safety of the dungeon could be confirmed.

What part of any dungeon is 'safe'...? I thought to myself, but obediently complied. Our exploration for the day was over.

"I'm sorry, Aira-san. We couldn't get any data today..."

'Don't worry about it. It's not something you need to apologize for. This was just a matter of luck.'

Her lighthearted, cheerful reply was a relief.

'Your payment will be the same as usual. I'll have it deposited into the designated account.'

"Thank you very much."

At the buyback counter, we each received 2,100 yen. It was a high wage for an hour's work, but cheap for having risked our lives, even hypothetically.

I'd heard the subjugation rewards increase dramatically at E-Rank, but even so, it was like comparing the moon to a turtle next to Aira-san's compensation.

All hail our sponsor.

'Oh, and there were two things I wanted to mention.'

"Yes?"

"What's up, senpai?"

As we left the buyback counter, Aira-san spoke, a hint of laughter in her voice.

'You two referred to the Treant as the 'mature' form of a Lesser Treant, but that might be incorrect.'

"...? They're a different species?"

'I can't say for sure. But monsters are different from ordinary living creatures.'

"Huh."

Well, that much is obvious.

'First off, monsters have no reproductive organs.'

"What, really?"

'Yes. This is from a study published by a government team, but even Orcs and Goblins, who are often depicted as embodiments of lust in manga, were found to have no reproductive organs. They had openings for excretion, but that's it.'

That was completely unexpected. In that case, how do monsters multiply...?

"So monsters are propagated by the dungeon...?"

There's a theory that they're recycled from the salt, but could that really be true?

But they are increasing... not just 'maintaining a certain number'.

'The possibility is high. To support that hypothesis, monsters that have overflowed from dungeons show no signs of reproduction. Furthermore, no eggs or infants have ever been discovered inside a dungeon. Therefore, we still don't even know if monsters are creatures that grow at all.'

"Overflowed monsters don't reproduce?"

'Correct. Japan seems small, but it's quite vast. There have been cases where monsters have unknowingly spilled out from dungeons that formed in unmanaged forests or mountains... but they never stray a certain distance from the dungeon. And observation has shown no signs of mating behavior.'

...This is probably a serious topic, but hearing words like 'reproductive organs' and 'mating' from a beautiful woman's mouth is making my heart race a little.

'New individuals emerge from the dungeon, and monsters that had established territory near the gate move as if pushed out. But surprisingly, no territorial disputes have ever been witnessed. They simply move away from the gate, as if following some unspoken rule.'

"...That's, uh, a really strange ecology."

'Isn't it? That's what makes it so fascinating!!'

Her voice is so loud.

Since it's an earring, the sound is right next to my ear. I wish she'd be more mindful of her volume.

"Is it something like... the depths of the dungeon are filled with rock salt? And they use that to multiply little by little?"

'That's also unknown. After all, many areas are blocked off by cave-ins.'

"Huh."

Come to think of it, I saw on the news that there was an investigation to find the 'outside' or the 'depths' of dungeons, but I never heard a follow-up. A place like a mine shaft should have an outside, but I guess it's still a mystery.

Well, I'll have to leave those complicated matters to the experts. An ordinary citizen like me can only listen to what the scholars say and go, 'Huh, interesting.'

Still seemingly excited, Aira-san's voice turned sharp.

'Now, about the second thing.'

"Oh, right."

I wonder what else there could be.

Not being entirely devoid of curiosity, I listened for the voice from the earring.

'Since our exploration ended earlier than planned... let's all three of us hang out and have some fun!!'

"YEAAAHHHH! I've been waiting for this!"

"Eh..."

I could feel my own mouth twisting into a frown.

Honestly, it sounded like a pain. If I could go home early, I'd rather play mobile games or watch the anime I've recorded.

'Hey, hey, what's with that unenthusiastic voice? You get to hang out with a beauty and a cute girl, you know? You should be overjoyed!'

"That's right, Kyou-chan!! Get ready!!"

"Ah, right. I understand..."

The pressure is insane.

A socially awkward person like me doing things with the opposite sex is subtly agonizing.

If it's for 'work' or 'as part of a class,' it's fine. There's an external factor, a common goal, and you just do what needs to be done.

But 'hanging out,' 'having fun,' 'chatting'... that kind of free-form interaction is what I struggle with.

Especially Erina-san. Aira-san is basically 'just a voice,' so I don't have to worry about her as much... but dealing with someone I see face-to-face like this is just... not relaxing.

'Alright. I'll pay. Let's go buy a game console right now!!'

"You got it! Hey old man, give me your best gear!!"

"No, really, I'm good. And Erina-san, we're still in the store. Please don't try to charge the reception desk. What you're looking for isn't here...!"

'Heh heh heh. Then let's do this. I'll lend you one of the consoles I own. That should be fine, right?'

"Uh, well, if it's just borrowing..."

Wait a second. If I borrow it, won't I have to play games with her anyway? Out of a sense of obligation?

But it was too late. Both Erina-san and Aira-san were already completely hyped.

'Alright, it's decided! I actually sent a console to your house yesterday. It should be there by the time you get home!'

"What is with your pointless proactiveness? And how do you know my address?"

'Your parents told me. I got their contact information so I could let them know immediately if anything happened during a dungeon exploration.'

"Don't use that for personal reasons."

'Aww, what's the big deal? We're friends, aren't we?'

"I don't think we're friends..."

'Then what are we?'

"Don't tell me it's just a physical relationship?! Kyou-chan, is that the kind of depraved connection you're after?!"

"No, it's more like a boss-and-subordinate kind of relationship."

'How cold! You'll make a delicate flower like me cry!?'

"Business-like, huh. In other words, a ninja. So you are one of the Kouga after all!!!"

"Wait, you were from Iga...?"

"Nope. What are you talking about, Kyou-chan?"

'Did you hit your head, Kyou-chan-kun? Come on, you can tell your big sister all about it. I'll listen while I have a drink.'

"You...!"

After that, they continued to pester me on the bus and train ride home, and I was forced to join them for online games when I got back.

...The annoying part was that, against my will, I actually had fun.