Dungeon Refrigerator 94

Test

An Understanding Of Differences

On this day, two beautiful college girls, Machi and Ruu, went shopping together after finishing their university classes. Ruka, who had been asked out on a date by Ezuki, wanted Machi to help her choose the clothes she would wear for the date. By the way, Shizue had left separately, saying, "I'm going out with a boy for a bit.".

"Hmm, which one should I choose..."

In front of a multitude of clothes hanging on the shop's hangers, Ruu contemplated, her fingers on her chin. Machi watched her in a somewhat melancholic manner.

Machi and Ruu met in college. Machi, who had transferred to a university in Tokyo and had no acquaintances, happened to start a conversation with Ruu, who was sitting nearby, which became the starting point of their friendship.

Ruu's first impression was that of a plain and quiet girl. She looked so young that Machi thought she might be in middle school, and she was short. Moreover, she always seemed to be cowering, as if she were scared of something. Machi, seeing her like that, thought that with her fine skin and beautiful face, she should dress more stylishly.

Machi was outgoing and sociable, excelling at jumping into conversations with others. That was the complete opposite of Ruu, who had an introverted and shy personality, which sometimes frustrated Machi.

However, Machi loved to talk in general. And since she didn't have any acquaintances around, she continued to catch Ruu and talk with her about her favorite things one-sidedly. For Machi, who didn't have any friends nearby, it was just the right stress relief.

But as they continued talking, Ruu, who tended to look down, gradually started lifting her head, giving responses with a nod or a surprised expression, and occasionally showing a smile. Machi found it somewhat amusing, so she started paying more attention to Ruu's expressions and would bring up topics that seemed to pique her interest. As a result, Ruka began to show a more emotionally rich side of herself.

So, when Machi asked her again, "Why do you always keep your head down like that?". Ruu replied with a few words, "I don't know how to interact with people...".

It turns out that Ruu had been frail since childhood and could hardly attend elementary school. As a result, she had never really had any friends until now.

"Hey, Machi-chan, what should I do?" 

Ruu asked, turning to Machi with a troubled expression.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'll look for clothes that suit Ruka too. Why don't you ask the store clerk for some recommendations?"

"Okay! I'll do that. Thanks, Machi-chan!"

Ruu then went to find a store clerk, still dressed modestly. 

But it's not entirely Ruu's fault. Her mother, who worried about her frail health, continued to take care of her, and even now, she seemed to choose Ruu's clothes. Ruu had received plenty of love from her kind mother, and she hadn't noticed the plain and unfashionable choices her mother made.

(Mmm... I used to think Ruu should dress more stylishly, but now that Ruu seems interested in fashion, it's not as interesting...)

Machi's feelings were complicated. Her initial impression of Ezuki was, "Oh, this person seems strong!" She had considered trying to get his help in exploring dungeons, but she had never seen him as a romantic interest. However, things had changed, and Ruu had started dating Ezuki. Machi had intended to support Ruu, but as she became closer to Ezuki and received various forms of help from him, she found herself feeling unable to wholeheartedly support them.

"Machi-chan, which one is better, the one the store clerk picked or these two I picked up?"

Ruu returned with different clothes in her hands and sought Machi's opinion. Her face revealed a mix of embarrassment and the expectation of receiving compliments from her beloved.

"Oh, I see. Then take the one I picked and try it on."

"Okay! Just wait a bit, Machi-chan!"

Ruu eagerly headed to the fitting room, and as Machi watched her go, her heart ached. 

That was because the clothes Machi had handed to Ruu on impulse were a tight-fitting knit dress that accentuated her figure. "If it were my date, I'd wear something like this to captivate him.", Machi thought as she selected the clothes, almost absentmindedly. And now, she had handed it to Ruu.

Thinking about Ruu, who disappeared into the fitting room, Machi let out another heavy sigh.

.....

Inventive Ideas. I'll make better progress by trying out various things.

With this in mind, I challenged a new endeavor. 

After completing intensive training with my Level 4 skill, [Slime], in the dungeon's prep room, I contemplate on how to quickly recover from muscle fatigue.

"Although I'm getting enough sleep and protein, there might be another way to enhance my physical performance..."

Exercise, nutrition, rest – the fundamentals were in place. But if I aimed for more, shouldn't I consider using health-related products?

Alright, this is the time for some online research.

"...Hmm, Germanium or a magnetic necklace? How effective are these things, anyway?"

Most of the time, such products come with the disclaimer that their effectiveness varies from person to person. I have the financial means to try them out, but I still don't want to waste money.

Moreover, there are products in the health industry that can be not just dubious but actually harmful to your body. In fact, there have been cases where radium water with terrifying levels of radioactivity was sold as an energy drink overseas. Drinking radioactive substances – how bad for your body can that be?

That's a true story. However, in the early 20th century, before the invention of atomic bombs, people had a very rudimentary understanding of radiation – mainly that it had some strong energy. They had a "Strong energy must be good for health." mentality, which led to the commercialization of products like powders, cleansing milk, soap, foundation, and even sunscreen cream, all containing radioactive materials.

Yes, if you used such products without knowing, no number of lives would be enough. And there are still many unknown aspects of the dungeon. I must be cautious as well.

"Alright, I'll consider magnets. At least they're readily available. That basically means magnets."

However, the scientific proof of how beneficial magnets are to the human body remains inconclusive. Performing experiments like "Plants won't wither with the power of magnets!" seems simple, so why hasn't anyone done it? Well, maybe the results didn't show a significant difference, so there was no need to announce it.

Anyway, it's a fact that a weak electric current flows through the human body. If electricity flows, it's reasonable to assume that magnets might also have some kind of influence.

"Anyway, let's give it a try. (Rustling sounds) Oh... there it is. This one... Powerful Neodymium Magnet."

As someone who now has a body about 20 times stronger than an ordinary person in the dungeon, I doubt a regular magnet would have any effect. So, I decided to try a powerful neodymium magnet. However, these magnets are coated with plating, and direct contact with the skin can irritate due to sweat.

So, I wrapped it in a thin tape, coated it, and then stuck it onto the positions of my body's acupressure points using more tape.

"Hmm, will this help relax my stiffness? How does it feel? Okay, let's try focusing a bit... [Meditation]!"

Since this is an experiment, I quickly entered a meditative state using [Meditation] and tried circulating energy within my body. I noticed that in the areas with the powerful neodymium magnets, the flow of energy seemed to accelerate.

"Phew... I see. I could call this a kind of 'magnetic coating,' in a way. I feel like the response in my moving parts has improved, if only slightly..."

I stood up and threw punches with both fists, and it felt quite good. For an ordinary person, this might be at the level of a placebo effect, mere imagination, or self-suggestion. 

However, with my ability to sense energy to the point where I can see auras, I can perceive those subtle differences. In other words, I'm someone who can discern these distinctions.

Hehehe... I may have taken another step closer to becoming something exceptional.