abcnovels
Chapter 17: First Friend
Chapter 17: First Friend
"Alright, let's figure out how I can be effective on the lower floors!"
"...That's not something we can figure out at school, right?"
"Y-You think so?"
"Well, there are bigger issues to address first."
Whether or not Asakawa-san can handle the lower floors ultimately depends on her ability to fight. It would be faster if we could watch her fight monsters in the dungeon, but having a theoretical discussion about it in a classroom isn't going to be very helpful.
To be honest, before we even discuss whether she can handle the lower floors, I think she lacks sufficient knowledge about them.
The dungeon up to the middle floors is, frankly, like a paradise. Once you defeat the monsters, environmental factors pose almost no threat, and the monsters themselves are usually easy to kill with repeated attacks. But the lower floors are a completely different story.
"I'm sure you've experienced this, but from the 41st floor onward, it's like a dimly lit maze of caves."
"Tsukasa-kun, you don't have to be so formal, you know?"
"...That translucent skeleton knight you nearly died to is a highly troublesome monster that avoids all attacks except for specific ones."
Asakawa-san said something, but I ignored her entirely.
When Raiju first went to help her, she was about to be killed by a translucent skeleton knight, the Skeleton Lord, a monster that nullifies all but certain attacks.
"That initial surprise-killer skeleton's astral body requires a strong magical attack to be properly hit. Basically, this initial surprise-killer skeleton just uses magic to thin and extend its body, so you just need to grasp it correctly."
"...I don't get it."
"With your magical sense, I think you'll be able to grasp it easily."
Frankly, when it comes to sensing magic, Asakawa-san is far superior to me. I don't have any way of perceiving magic like she does.
"So there are lots of those down there?"
"That initial surprise-killer skeleton is the strongest monster around the 41st floor, so you'll be fine."
"Are you sure about that?"
"It's not a problem."
There are also frogs that keep regenerating unless you destroy their heads, but that's something you'll have to learn through experience.
"Anyway, the key to survival in the lower floors is information."
"But since no one's really streaming dungeon exploration, there's not much information available, right?"
"...That's true."
Maybe that's why exploration beyond the lower floors hasn't progressed much. The Shibuya Dungeon is relatively well-explored, with progress up to the 74th floor, but in places like the Nagoya Dungeon, with its unique environment, exploration has barely reached the 40th floor.
I don't necessarily want the dungeons to become more crowded, but if it would reduce casualties, it's worth considering. Maybe I should talk to the guild leader about it.
"I really think you should start streaming your lower-floor explorations, Tsukasa-kun. That might give others the motivation to push forward too."
"...Well, that's true."
"In that case, I'll teach you everything about streaming. You can learn a lot while being my assistant... Is that okay?"
Two birds with one stone, I guess.
I can learn about streaming from Asakawa-san while giving her advice on the lower floors. That way, we both get closer to our goals.
"Alright. But... I can't do it tomorrow."
"Why not?"
"Well, EX-rank has its responsibilities."
Oh, right. I have plans to visit the association with Grandma tomorrow.
"Okay, so tomorrow's a free day then."
"Yes. I'll still be at school, though."
"That's good. I'm glad you've been able to come to school recently."
"...Yeah, I guess."
Honestly, I don't have many fond memories of school. Lately, Kurihara-kun has been giving me a hard time, and ever since I started hanging out with Asakawa-san, the stares from my classmates have been hard to ignore. Those who watch dungeon streams are beginning to realize that I'm the mysterious "Kisaragi-kun" who saved Asakawa-san.
Even so, for Asakawa-san, school is probably a place she cherishes above all else.
"Still... we're graduating in half a year."
"That's thinking ahead."
"Time flies by, you know? I wish I had met you sooner, Tsukasa-kun."
"...I'm happy to hear that."
From her perspective, I'm probably just a useful ally for dungeon streaming. But maybe she also feels like she could have made more progress if we had met earlier.
"You're really interesting as both an explorer and a friend, so I wish we could have become friends sooner."
"...Wait, we're friends!?"
"Weren't we!?"
I'm more surprised than you are! I mean, I've never really had any friends, even before high school, and becoming an explorer only made it harder. I was convinced I'd live my life alone, so suddenly having a female friend is shocking. Do friends just form naturally like this...?
"Friends... friends..."
"Is it that strange?"
"This is my first... friend."
"Really!?"
Well, someone like Asakawa-san, who's liked by everyone, probably has lots of friends, but I never thought I'd have any friends, let alone a pretty and cute one. Life really is full of surprises.
"I see... Your first friend. In that case, we should do more friend-like things together."
"But I'm someone who only has dungeons and work as friends."
"Sounds like you already have friends."
"They're not people."
Talking with Asakawa-san doesn't tire me out. I'm clearly talking more than usual, but I don't feel exhausted when I'm with her. Maybe it's because she's a friend. The other EX-rank explorers aren't really friends, so maybe that's why it feels different.
"Hehe, then let's hang out somewhere other than the dungeon next time."
"I'll do my best."
"You don't have to try so hard. We're friends, right?"
She laughed at me again, but it wasn't in a mean way... It was more of a warm, genuine laugh. Even though I've never had a friend before, I can tell she's enjoying our time together. It's strange, but I feel a little happy too.
"Hehe."
"Oh, Tsukasa-kun, you smiled too."
Asakawa-san's smile as she said that is something I probably won't forget for a while.