Seeker 80

Test

Chapter 80. Leveling Up

The days of leveling up to reach the level 25 cap began.

At first, I expected it to take about a month, but after checking the experience table, I found that I could reach my goal in less than three weeks.

However, this was the first time for me to continue leveling up for such a long time.

If we counted from before we entered the 8th floor, we would have spent almost an entire month in the main search for the 8th floor.

After a long period of leveling up, we began to see elements we hadn't seen before.

To be more specific, there is the problem of wear and tear on the armor's Durability Value.

The wear and tear on the Durability Value of armor varies depending on the item and the way it's used in battle.

If it wears out quickly, the Durability Value tends to decrease in less than a month.

In the case of our party, it's the weapons that wear out the fastest.

In particular, my spear and Kazane-san's dagger are losing their durability value fast.

That means we'll have to replace our weapons in less than a month.

This puts a lot of pressure on the dungeon budget.

Still, Kazane-san's Kris is an inexpensive weapon for her current income, so it's not a big problem.

But my Corseque will cost 350,000 yen, which is a fair price.

If I have to replace it before a month has passed (about 22 days of actual work based on the assumption that I spend5 days a week exploring dungeons), that would mean that I am spending nearly 20,000 yen per day exploring dungeons.

Considering that it's not only weapons I use, the total cost of armor is about 50,000 yen per day.

Incidentally, in a dungeon search mainly on the 8th floor, a day's party income is about 300,000-400,000 yen at face value after about 8 hours of actual work.

Therefore, if it costs only about 50,000 yen, that it's within the range that I can use as a reasonable expense against income.

However, if I use more expensive armor, I'll use higher armor expenses.

O have to evaluate that using a lot of armor that cost more than 1,000,000 yen is a bit tough to continue sustainable dungeon exploration with the current amount of income.

Therefore, even if we bought Kazane-san a Rune Kris (1,300,000 yen), we treated it as if we were putting it in the [Item Box] for a while and let her use the Kris to fight the small fry.

If we could fight the opponent with cheap armor, it's better to use cheap armor.

Cut costs! Cut costs!

I now understand a little how corporate bigwigs feel.

In this environment, my [Item Repair] was a god skill.

Of course, the priority was to repair the black armor, but if I had enough energy, I could also restore the Durability Value of other expensive items.

For example, if I recover one point of durability value for a 350,000 yen Corseque, I can save 3,500 yen worth of expenses.

I'm sorry for thinking that I spent 10 points of MP and could recover only 1 point.

You were indeed a god skill, [Item Repair].

By the way, it seems the skill isn't on the list of skills that Kazane-san and Yuzuki can acquire.

I feel like I've been given a good skill.

Although it's not so obvious because it is behind the scenes.

Now, enough digression. Let's get down to business.

We spent about 3 weeks trying to raise our level, and all of us reached level 25.

Three weeks is one word to describe it, but it was a long time.

It was a long time.

I think it gets boring to keep doing the same thing day in and day out.

If it had been a year instead of a month, I would have lost my patience and gone to the boss somewhere along the line.

Anyway, here are the statuses of the 3 people who completed the project after all that hard work.

Musou Daichi

Level: 25 (+4)

Experience:67445/67445

HP: 162/162 (+42)

MP: 144/144 (+18)

Strength: 24（+3)

Endurance: 27（+3)

Agility: 20（+2)

Magic: 24（+3)

-Skill-

[Earth Heal]

[Mapping]

[HP up (Endurance x 6)] (Rank up!)

[MP Up (Magic x 6)] 

[Spear Attack Power Up (+20) (Rank up!)

[Rock Bullet]

[Protection]

[Gaia Heal]

[Treasure Chest Drop x2]

[Three Strikes] 

[Item Repair]

[Accuracy Enhanchement] (new!)

[Ground Heal] (new!)

Remaining skill points: 0

Kodachi Kazane

Level: 25 (+4)

Experience: 67445/67445

HP: 120／120（+30)

MP: 105/105 (+15)

Strength: 20（+2)

Endurance: 20（+2)

Agility: 34（+4)

Magic: 21（+3)

-Skill-

[Dagger Attack Power Up (+16)] (Rank up! x2)

[Mapping]

[Dual Wield]

[Presence Detection]

[Trap Detection]

[Trap Release] 

[Wind Slash]

[Item Box]

[HP Up (Endurance x 6)] (Rank up!)

[Treasure Chest Drop x2]

[Quickness]

[Windstorm]

[MP Up (Magic x 5)] 

[Dual Wield Enhanchement]

[Evasion Enhanchement] (new!)

Remaining skill points: 0

Yuzuki Hotaru

Level: 25 (+4)

Experience: 67445/67445

HP: 120／120（+30)

MP: 270/270（+75)

Strength: 17（+2)

Endurance: 20（+2)

Agility: 24（+3)

Magic: 45（+6)

-Skills-

[Fire Bolt]

[MP Up (Magic x 6)] (Rank up!)

[HP Up (Endurance x 6)] (Rank up!)

[Magic Up (+10) (Rank up! x 2)

[Burn Blaze]

[Monster Appraisal]

[Fire Weapon]

[Treasure Chest Drop x2]

[Item Box]

[Flame Lance]

[Item Appraisal]

[Explosion]

Remaining skill points: 0

There are many things like skill selection, but it would take too long to explain every one of them, so I'll spare you the details.

I feel that Yuzuki and I were able to fit in relatively well, but Kazane-san was the one who was in the most agony when it came to skill selection.

She has too many skills to take and not enough skill points.

Even I, of course, have skills I wanted to take if I could but couldn't, like the advanced magic [Rock Bazooka] of [Rock Bullet].

As for equipment, other than purchasing one Rune Kris for Kazane-san, I just bought the same things as before as needed.

Because of the dungeon budget and Durability Value management, we could go bankrupt if we upgraded our equipment further.

The world is a harsh place, but we have no choice.

We had to make do with what we had.

And so, preparations for the decisive battle were complete.

We stood again in front of the gate where the boss awaited, in the deepest part of the eighth layer.

A majestic gate so large that we could look up at it, and a tightly closed large door behind it.

We had considered the option of not challenging the boss many times, but each time we concluded that it was not an option.

The past three weeks have been nothing more than further preparations for an opponent who could probably win.

We have not worked this hard to be chickens.

"Okay, here we go."

"Yeah. I'm going to win for sure."

"It's time for the decisive battle!"

I slowly hold my hand over the orb on the pedestal. 

With the sound of rubbing stones, the large door opened.