Earth Dungeon 53.2

Test

Chapter 53.2. New Goods

[It seems kinda good but for the next addition to the lineup. How about juice? 100% grape juice, perhaps? I love grapes, you see.]

The lovely Shizuku-san playfully pokes at the old man, who's savoring his drink. But grape juice is quite suspicious. Why grape juice? At the very least, it should have been something like grape seeds.

However, creating a vineyard and constructing a wine-making facility would be a hassle. We'll have a shortage of manpower, and specialized knowledge is needed, but we don't have that kind of talent. It's hard to imagine that there's someone in Tokyo with experience in making wine in this kind of world. I don't want to include "Wine-making experience preferred" in the recruitment criteria.

[Don't worry. It's juice, after all. I didn't ask you to make wine, did I?]

"Don't read my mind. Once we start making grapes, people will suggest making alcohol. Let's put aside the wine discussion and get a new skill for transporting ale. Using a special core."

A shining core is listed in the Equal Exchange Store. It's a Special Core. It's core from the Mothman Queen.

And so, I pressed the skill that had caught my attention.

-Limited 1: Grand Item Box: Special Core D1-

A skill that people can only obtain using a Special Core. The skill is an item box. Of course, there must be a catch. Shizuku-san doesn't say anything, but I have a bad feeling. Her mouth is grinning mischievously like a little devil's.

Dark black particles cover my body as I obtain the skill. Since there's no level notation in my status, it seems to be a fixed skill. Carrying items should become much easier.

"Now, let's give it a try."

I stand up, concentrate mana in my palm, and summon the item box.

[Item Box]

As it activates, a magic circle appears on the floor, and a slowly materializing box with a metallic luster appears. It's a 5-meter square box. It gradually emerges as if rising. It takes about five minutes.

"... I could make instant ramen in this."

[It seems you can't use common tricks for things like combat. And its hardness is about that of iron with a thickness of 5 centimeters. If you take items out and put them back in, the item box will automatically repair, but if the items inside break, they stay broken.]

"Hmm... and also, my mana's gone? 500 mana."

[The big Item Box consumes 500 mana to take things in and out. Also, time flows normally, and the box's temperature is the same as outside. You can put anything inside, but it opens easily. Even a child could do it. In that case, things will come out from the subspace. And using it consumes mana forcibly, causing the user to faint from the shock.]

What a trap... I can tell without asking. The excessive mana consumption, plus it can't hold much. No, this isn't an old man's joke.

"An Item Box... If it gets any bigger, it can't be called a box anymore, right? So this is the limit, I suppose? As the name implies?"

I sigh with a frustrated look. [Item Box]. It means a box to put things in. That's probably the largest size that can still be called a box. Anything larger would probably be called a container or warehouse. The name is true to its word.

It can even hold living creatures. But, once inside, they can easily come out. While it can fend off simple attacks, summoning it takes too long.

...It's full of issues. It's not usable in combat. I'd hesitate to use it in a dungeon too.

[This skill holder had allocated about 1000 points of mana to their stats. They were useful as pack mules. They always asked me to drop them off at the deepest part of the dungeon, but once I did it, they realized how harsh reality can be and cried for help. My right arm crushed those cheat fantasies.]

As Shizuku-san performs shadowboxing while shouting about gender equality punches, I sigh and use the last Rare D Core. Having no mana is fatal for a magician.

"It's clear that it's useful. There's no end if you keep aiming higher. So, I'll use the remaining Rare Cores for Stat Boost Potions, and allocate them to mana."

Amano Sakimori

Mana 500 -> 700

Strength 30

Strength 30

Dexterity 40

Magic 250

"Then, me too."

Amano Shizuku

Mana 200

Strength 150

Strength 150

Dexterity 300 -> 500

Magic 50

"This makes my total stat 1050... Is it necessary to obtain C-rank monsters, and rare ones at that?"

D-rank has a limit of 1200. Surprisingly, it's easy to get close to the cap. C-rank, C-rank... There aren't any around here. Maybe a dungeon near the Arakawa River.

Even so, I don't feel like I've become stronger. It's because I've only raised my mana.

[We're weak when you consider our overall stats. Or rather, you could say we're quirky. If an ordinary person were to fight us, they'd probably get killed by these green small fry monsters.]

Shizuku babbles about being taken down as a test pilot, saying something confusing, but she's right about us being quirky. With a combined total of 1050, an average of 200 each, there are plenty of enemies out there who surpass us.

"In an ordinary situation, maybe. But I have no intention of losing."

[New types have 9 attack attempts. So they won't lose. Is this the reason they fear us new types?]

Shizuku spins through the air, shouting something that seems happy, but I ignore her. Her usual condition has manifested.

We're a bit too confident in our abilities, but that's probably fine. Should I store the ale in the item box and transport a large amount tomorrow?

"Moisture can cause mold inside the Item Box, so it's a good idea to have some moisture absorbers ready."

"Reality is harsh, huh? It's just a regular box once it's stored in the space." 

Amano Sakimori got reminded of the harshness of reality.