Solo Dungeon Streamer-I Am Overpowered

Chapter 92: A Joyful Excursion

"Alright, next is a basic question… Could you tell us your magic power value, Kisaragi-san?"

"...What?"

"Wait, do you not know your own magic power value?"

What's a magic power value again?

: Lol, his face is genuinely confused.

: Explorers don't really measure their magic power value.

: Yeah, I've never seen explorers actually use magic power values.

: Isn't it only used when you qualify to become an explorer?

: You probably only use it that one time in your life.

: Regular people ask about it like it's their height, but explorers don't know their magic power values.

: Don't explorers have health check-ups or something?

: They do, but magic power isn't measured during them.

: What's the point of having that value, anyway…?

Crap. I seriously don't know. I vaguely remember hearing something about it during some kind of school test… or maybe I didn't? I'm not sure. I feel like I've heard people talk about measuring it back in the academy, but I've never really thought it was important enough to remember. Maybe it was just something mentioned in passing during the qualification process.

"The magic power value is a number that indicates how much latent magic energy is present in your body. You need at least 20 to qualify as an explorer."

"Oh… Sorry, I honestly have no idea what my value is. And I think there's probably no point in explorers knowing their magic power value after becoming one."

"Why's that?"

"Well, for one thing, I'm not even sure how it's measured. But more importantly, for someone like me who's already a trained explorer, I can freely control the magic energy in my body. So, measuring how much is latent or dormant doesn't really mean anything. It's like asking how much water you have in a bottle when you can refill it as much as you need."

: That's it.

: Seriously?

: So Kisaragi could make his magic power value 0 or 100 if he wanted?

: What's the point of even having that value then…?

: Makes no sense, lol.

: Why bother creating a value that's useless?

This seems like one of those things that show the gap between the explorers who are out in the field and the people who work in the Association office, managing things from behind a desk. For us, manipulating our magic power is second nature; it's a skill we practice and refine over time. It's not something static like height or weight.

So, naturally, the magic power value we might have had measured once in the academy is irrelevant in real life. I doubt any professional explorer even knows their magic power value, and even if they did, it wouldn't matter. Magic fluctuates, after all. It's not something that stays constant.

"You might need at least 20 to qualify as an explorer, but honestly, I think if you train properly, anyone can reach 30 or more. To be frank, it's a pretty useless metric once you're actively using magic."

"I see… Maybe I should try a bit harder then."

"Of course, if you have a high magic power value, that does mean you have talent, and it could give you an edge early on. But after a certain point, it's just not a useful indicator anymore."

: So if I was disqualified for low magic power, do I still have a chance?

: You could make up for it with effort, but if you can only make it to the upper layers, what's the point?

: It's all about talent in the end.

: Just curse your lack of talent.

: You might be able to become an explorer, at least.

The more I think about it, the less sense it makes. Why does the system even exist? If they could measure it more accurately, maybe it would serve a purpose. But as it is now, it's more of a formality—something to check off on your way to becoming an explorer. I can't remember a single time when knowing someone's magic power value actually mattered in the field.

Once you're in the dungeon, your survival doesn't depend on how much magic you have; it's about how well you can use what you have.

"Okay, next question… How did you learn Shikigami magic? I've never seen anyone else use it. Is it just that no one streams it?"

"Hmm? I've never seen anyone else use Shikigami magic either, to be honest. Probably because it's not very practical. It's a bit of a niche magic, I suppose."

: What…?

: Don't say that yourself.

: But you use it so effectively!

: Not practical (but not weak either).

"You see, Shikigami magic requires a lot of preparation. You have to create the Shikigami in advance, and that process is pretty time-consuming. Also, Shikigami aren't inherently that powerful. You have to pour a lot of magic into them, but even then, their output is limited."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, when I create a Shikigami, I pour a ton of magic into it, but when I summon it, I'm lucky if it outputs even a tenth of that power. It might be cost-effective in terms of summoning magic, but it's a long process. It takes patience and careful planning, which isn't always ideal in high-pressure situations."

Since I prepare the Shikigami while I'm above ground and then summon them in the dungeon, it feels cost-effective in terms of conserving magic during an expedition. But it's undeniably a hassle. You need a clear mental image of the Shikigami before you can even summon it. If your image isn't precise enough, the summoning could fail altogether.

: I see.

: Didn't they say using Shikigami magic requires natural talent?

: Yeah, I think they said you need to be born with a gift for it.

: Sounds tough.

: There's no easy way to win in a dungeon, huh?

: Kisaragi is working hard, too.

: Of course he is.

"And as for how I learned Shikigami magic… I don't know if I should be saying this, but I learned it from an ancient secret text passed down in Kaede Jinguji's family."

"...Wait, are you even allowed to read that?"

"I don't know. But one day, Kaede handed it to me and said, 'You can learn to use this.' The cover said 'Secret Text,' so I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a one-person-only kind of magic."

: What the heck?

: Lol, that's hilarious.

: What's going on with Jinguji…?

: Isn't that a little too careless?

: One-person-only (lol).

: I'm pretty sure that's the kind of book you're not supposed to share with others.

: This would throw off the power balance.

: Make copies and distribute them nationwide.

: Let me read it too.

I have no idea either. To this day, I'm not sure if it was really okay for me to read that book. I've never asked about it because, honestly, I'm a little afraid of the answer. But my grandma once told me that she couldn't use Shikigami magic, and neither could her children or grandchildren, so maybe that's why Kaede decided to pass it on to me.

Still, my grandma's idea of "not enough magic power" could apply to someone who's still a mid-layer explorer. So, I'm not sure how seriously to take her words.

"So yeah, I got stronger through some unique methods. But if anyone's thinking of becoming a dungeon explorer now, I'd recommend you follow Aizawa's example and take a steady, disciplined approach to getting stronger. Definitely don't try to do it the way Kamishiro does."

: Lol, good advice.

: Yeah, if more people like Kamishiro showed up, the dungeons would collapse.

: If more people like Kamishiro Rion showed up, I think the Explorer Association would fall apart before the dungeons.

: Isn't it crazy that someone as chaotic as Kamishiro is an EX explorer?

: Maybe being chaotic is what makes them EX-level?

: So true, lol.

Continue your journey on m|v-l'e -NovelBin.net

: They're EX because they're that insane.

"Hearing your stories, Kisaragi-san, makes me want to be an explorer, but it also sounds kind of scary…"

"You only live once, so I think you should go for it. If you stay in the upper layers, the monsters aren't that strong, so you probably won't die. Plus, the upper layers are usually small, and there are lots of people around, so if anything goes wrong, someone will help you."

Well, there are some upper-layer dungeons that are insane from the very first floor, but at least there's none of that in Japan, so you should be fine here. In fact, most upper-layer dungeons in Japan are so well-explored and mapped that they're considered relatively safe.

"The most important thing for dungeon exploration isn't strength but knowledge. As long as you study up on dungeons like Sasami Torimomo-san does, I think you'll be fine reaching the upper layers. Knowing what you're up against is half the battle."

That being said, I can't guarantee anything beyond the middle layers. Once you get past the upper layers, it's like stepping into a completely different world. The difference between the upper and middle layers is like night and day, so it's not a place for the unprepared. But if you're just looking to explore the upper layers and make some money, it can be a good side gig.

At the very least, it's a safer bet than most of the scams out there.

"By the way, even if it's just a side gig, if you make over 300,000 yen from dungeon exploration in a year, you'll get a tax deduction on your overall income. So if you're going to do it, try to make at least 300,000 yen."

"Money is important, after all!"

: Just make sure to file your taxes.

: Is it worth going through the hassle of filing taxes just for the deduction?

: The deduction is pretty significant, so if you can, make sure to earn 300,000 yen in a year from dungeon exploration.

: I think you can manage it if you dive into the upper layers around 50 times a year.

: Can you, though?

: No way.

: Yeah, you probably can.