Live Dungeon!

As the heir of the noble house overseeing Dungeon City, Smith had spent his life watching Explorers broadcast on the Monitors. At first, he had thought of them as little more than providers of a steady supply of Magic Stones — miners, practically.

However, once major Clans had emerged, and the Security Team had grown strong enough to take full responsibility for maintaining order in Dungeon City, the Explorers’ influence had become impossible to ignore — especially after the most recent Stampede.

The Stampede’s unprecedented scale and the strange circumstances surrounding it had led to the collapse of House Kantjelucia, and by royal decree, nobles from the Royal Capital had been dispatched to Dungeon City. House Babenberg was no exception. As a result, Smith and Biancaea had been ordered by Master Babenberg to become Explorers as well.

Smith had no objections to becoming an Explorer. The memory of his Shield magic shattering, of himself pathetically fainting and failing to protect the people, was burned into his mind. He had lost their trust, had been harshly condemned, and had been driven to the brink of despair — to the point where he had thought death in the line of duty might have been preferable.

Compared to that, becoming an Explorer, while unpleasant, was nothing.

But then he discovered that his always trusted magic did not work as intended inside God’s Dungeon. He had no choice but to rely on Explorer skills — a degraded form of True Magic. Worse, the Job he received was the Swordfighter, which, while one of the more straightforward Attacker roles, forced him to relearn his swordplay.

The inability to use Shield magic was a heavy blow, but both Smith and Biancaea had prior experience fighting monsters during past Stampedes. Thanks to high-quality equipment and detailed information, progressing through the Dungeon had not been excessively difficult. They did not drag down the Explorers they had hired, and, in an exceptionally short period, they had reached the fifty-eighth layer.

As a result, despite his short tenure as an Explorer, Smith had gained a fair amount of confidence. He was undoubtedly a cut above other newcomers, and lately, he no longer felt like the other Explorers were looking down on him.

However, Tsutomu — who had been clearing God’s Dungeon at an even greater pace and was currently fighting on the frontlines — had been constantly giving him advice on his positioning.

”…And that’s why you should be using skills more liberally. You could observe Sova as a point of reference, at the very least, seeing that he has the same Job as you…”

”……”

”Oh, are you too exhausted to respond? Should I cast [ one more time?”

”No, I don’t need it!”

Unlike when he was in the fifty-eighth layer, Smith had enough breathing room here to yell back, which only made him more frustrated.

[It’s infuriating how today’s exploration has been. Damn it…]

Smith’s irritation only grew when he realized just how effective Tsutomu’s support and healing were. The high-level Healers he usually worked with were not bad, but the difference was undeniable. He could see the proof in Biancaea, currently Tanking, as well as in Sova, an Attacker from a Major Clan.

Even against groups of Verdant Wolves, or against Red Grizzlies and Spear Deer — monsters that usually requires some effort for high-level Explorers — Tsutomu’s party had no trouble at all. Their Party, consisting of two from Absolute Helix, two from House Babenberg, and one from Ealdred Crow, should have struggled with coordination, as they had never fought together before.

”Daryl, we can cover for Biancaea over here… Though it looks like she’s handling things just fine. I’ll leave the decision to you, all right?”

”Yes, sir!”

But with the expert Healer Tsutomu and the large-yet-cute, baby-faced Cynokin, Daryl, adjusting to the other three, the Party functioned shockingly well. Under Tsutomu’s support and healing, Biancaea fought with greater ease than usual, and Sova, as an Attacker, could fight at full strength thanks to Daryl’s effective aggro control.

[How is it possible to fight with this much ease against this many monsters?]

When Tsutomu had launched a massive blast of light into the air to draw in hordes of monsters, Smith had thought it was reckless. But the Party had handled the battle effortlessly, wiping out the entire swarm with composure. It was not a battle — it was a hunt. By the time he realized it, uncountable Magic Stones lay scattered across the ground. Biancaea, her face glowing with exhilaration, turned to Tsutomu.

”That was incredible! I never knew there was this much of a difference between beginner and professional Explorers! Truly — I’ve never experienced anything like this before!”

”Thank you. You’re an excellent Tank, Biancaea. Your movements show a strong resolve to protect your party, which is very reassuring from a Healer’s perspective.”

”With healing this effective, there’s nothing to fear! I’ll protect everyone with everything I have! And especially you, Tsutomu!”

”That’s very reassuring. I’ll be counting on you.”

Biancaea beamed like a flower in full bloom, while Tsutomu gave a few polite nods like a salaryman. Watching them, Daryl looked somewhat crestfallen, which prompted Sova — who had been gathering Magic Stones — to speak up. 𝔯𝙖ɴỔBÊṤ

”Sorry to make you adjust to us. That really helped.”

”Oh, no, it’s fine…”

”…Are you interested in Miss Biancaea, by any chance? She’s breathtaking, isn’t she?”

”Y-yes. She’s so beautiful that I feel bad even talking to her…”

The two, sharing similar sentiments about Biancaea, chatted about her briefly before reviewing their combat movements to synchronize better. But since Sova was used to forming Parties with unfamiliar members, he had already adjusted to Daryl’s style based on their last fight.

”There aren’t any more monsters in this area,” Tsutomu said. ”Let’s move on and find another hunting ground.”

Once they had finished gathering Magic Stones and storing them in their Magic Bags, the group immediately set off in search of new prey. As they moved, Biancaea drew closer to Smith’s side.

”You know, Brother,” she began, ”That guy is… remarkably perceptive. It feels as if he can see straight into my heart, which is a little unsettling… What about you?”

”…Today’s progression has certainly been easier than usual. And that’s what makes it so infuriating.”

”Haven’t you always said he was capable, though? And you’re the one who picked a fight with him just now, so getting angry about it is unfair.”

”Shut up. His competence is one thing; his personality is another.”

Smith had already recognized Tsutomu’s talent back when he received post-Stampede reports from his subordinates. The man had managed to unite the unruly Explorers and defeat the Devourer Dragon, and had even donated the reward money to compensate for the destroyed homes. Smith had highly regarded those achievements.

That was why, when he happened to witness Tsutomu signing up for the party matchmaking service, he decided to join in and receive guidance as an Explorer. It irked him to have to humble himself and learn from someone below his station, but he knew it was the right choice.

In reality, his sister, Biancaea, had quickly taken a liking to Tsutomu’s healing, and even Smith himself found nothing to complain about. Particularly, the frequent casting of [ alleviated his exhaustion to a surprising degree, leaving his body feeling far less strained than usual.

However, his mind had no such luxury.

”Anti-monster swordplay isn’t something you can master overnight, and honestly, I can’t teach it to you myself,” Tsutomu explained as they were on the move. ”Just keep using your Skills as much as possible. You’re lucky enough to have someone here who’s practically a living textbook for Swordfighter Skills, so start by imitating him.”

After moving to a new hunting ground, Tsutomu immediately fired a blast of [ into the air to lure monsters in and began providing support and healing. All the while, he kept a relentless stream of instructions regarding skill usage.

As Smith continued using Swordfighter Skills, his mental energy gradually drained. Eventually, he turned toward Tsutomu, who was holding onto their supplies.

”Give me a Blue Potion already.”

”Not yet. The real challenge starts when your mental energy drops below half. Being able to fight properly while feeling nauseous is what separates the strong from the weak. You can still use Skills, so keep at it. You can drink the Blue Potion after that.”

”Ghh…!”

Normally, as soon as one started feeling even the slightest discomfort, they would adjust their fighting style to minimize Skill usage. However, Tsutomu, who could read people’s mental energy as if it were his own, did not allow it. He also refused to let Smith drink the Blue Potion as freely as he was used to.

As the battle dragged on, Smith’s face grew paler. In the end, he was forced to rest his weight against his sword like a staff and sank down to a crouch. With the aggro drawn by Daryl and Biancaea, he was not in any immediate danger from the monsters.

Tsutomu, levitating with [, approached him.

”If you’re stopping here, you’ll never make it further down. At the very least, this should be easier than sharing your senses through Shield Magic, shouldn’t it?”

”This and that… are completely different…!”

Sure, sharing senses with his Shield Magic had been grueling, but this was an entirely different kind of suffering. His mind was clouded, his stomach churned with nausea, and Smith had no experience dealing with this kind of fatigue. In the past, he would simply drink a Blue Potion as soon as he started feeling ill. He had never even thought about conserving his mental energy through natural recovery. Yet, Tsutomu’s layer-clearing notes had clearly stated that managing mental energy efficiently was essential.

”Suffering is suffering, no matter what form it takes. I don’t know much about Shield Magic, but sharing senses like that doesn’t sound remotely sane. If you could endure something like that, surely you can handle this.”

”Shut… up! Who said… I was giving up!?”

”That’s the spirit. Now, get back into position. If you hesitate too long, Sova will wipe them all out before you get any of the action.”

Forcing himself to stand, Smith wobbled slightly but still raised his sword. He took a deep breath to steady himself.

”[!”

”[!”

His head spun, and his body felt like it was both sleep-deprived and drunk, yet he imitated Sova’s skill. Relying on instinct rather than thought, he cut down the Verdant Wolves.

Watching Smith push himself beyond his limits, Sova hesitated, unsure whether he should say something.

”…Are you sure you should be treating him like this?”

”He’ll be fine. He came all the way to the matchmaking just to have me teach him something, so he wouldn’t give up that easily. He’s got his pride to uphold, and his ability is more than decent.”

”That’s not what I meant…”

Sova wanted to ask if Tsutomu wasn’t afraid of the consequences of treating House Babenberg’s heir this way, but the way Tsutomu spoke — as if he were just coaching another rookie Explorer — left him at a loss for words.

”[!”

With a final slash, Smith’s sword cut through the last of the Verdant Wolves. His body had already been beyond its limits, and the moment the fight was over, he collapsed to the ground. Normally, he would never allow himself to lie down in the dirt, but right now, he could not care less.

”Well done. Here you go.”

Tsutomu casually handed him a Blue Potion.

”…!”

Smith snatched it up with the desperation of a man stranded in the desert finding water. Lying on the ground, he gulped it down and let out a relieved breath, as if he had just been released from hell.

Then, as he noticed Tsutomu offering him a hand, his expression darkened.

”You lasted all the way until your mental energy hit rock bottom. Normally, you’d have been so nauseous you’d vomit, but you endured. Well done.”

”……”

For a moment, Smith simply stared at the outstretched hand.

Ordinary people would never offer a hand to a noble. Even though he no longer had such authority, in the past, this kind of behavior would have been considered disrespectful –an act of impudence that could be met with punishment.

Smith could only scoff at Tsutomu’s sheer lack of concern. He might now be nothing more than an Explorer, but most people would still show some deference. Either they would tread carefully, or they would mock him from the shadows for falling so low.

However, the way Tsutomu looked at him was hardly different from how he looked at Sova. The same was true for his younger sister, Biancaea. For better or worse, Tsutomu treated them without regard for their status as nobility.

”Of course I can handle this much…”

On one hand, it was irritating that Tsutomu did not see him as a noble, but on the other, at least he did not treat him with disdain either. Rising to his feet with Tsutomu’s help, Smith gave a scoffing laugh as if he had been perfectly fine. Seeing this, Tsutomu nodded in satisfaction.

”All right… then let’s try pushing your mental energy a little further next time.”

”……”

Hearing that declaration, Smith immediately regretted his bravado, though he somehow managed to keep it from showing on his face.

▽▽

”Ughhh…”

Several hours later, after an intensive training session under Tsutomu’s constant supervision, Smith collapsed onto the ground and lay motionless. He was not dead, of course — just overwhelmed by a fatigue so crushing that he almost wished he were. He did not even have the strength to drink a Blue Potion himself, so he would not be moving for a while.

”Honestly, Brother…”

”All right, let’s take a break,” Tsutomu said. ”Sorry, but could you help him drink a Blue Potion? If I go near him, he might just try to grab his sword.”

”Of course. Here, Brother. Pull yourself together.”

”I… am the rightful heir… to House Babenberg… You think you can get away with this…?”

Unable to endure the near-total depletion of his mental energy, Smith slurred his words incoherently. As Biancaea began tending to her brother, the sight was so unexpectedly fitting that Tsutomu found himself watching, almost entranced — until he sensed a gaze on his back. Thinking it might be Daryl, he turned around, ready to apologize, only to find Sova staring at him with a blank expression.

”Whoa, you scared me.”

”I have something to ask you.”

Caught off guard by the sudden inquiry, Tsutomu blinked in surprise but then remembered that he also had something he wanted to ask Sova.

”Oh, I actually wanted to ask you something too. Is your question going to take long?”

”…Yeah. You go first, then.”

”I heard you’re Stephanie’s childhood friend, so I wanted to get your take on her current situation…”

Lowering his voice to a whisper, Tsutomu cast his God Eye away toward Smith to ensure his conversation with Sova wouldn’t be projected on the Monitor. Sova, however, looked puzzled.

”…I don’t know much about Stephanie’s current state myself. But you’re the one who changed her, so shouldn’t you have some idea?”

”That’s the thing — I don’t. It’s not like I was ever harsh enough to twist her that much. I just gave her normal guidance. Besides, my training sessions were public on the Pedestals, so if I’d done anything strange, someone would’ve noticed.”

”Rook said the same. And right after you trained her, she was improving in a good way. She used to just hide behind me all the time, but back then, she started voicing her own opinions. But over the next few months… she started changing. Even her room… uh, no, never mind.”

”What’s that about ‘her room’?”

When Tsutomu pressed, Sova averted his gaze uncomfortably.

”It’s better if you don’t ask.”

”I already had her almost biting off their own fingers in front of me while screaming my name. I don’t think there’s anything left to be scared of.”

”…Fair point.” Recalling that scene, Sova touched his chin, seemingly convinced. ”Even so, I won’t go into detail. I don’t want to say anything that might turn people against her.”

”Are you afraid of Stephanie?”

”That’s not it… There’s no denying she’s unhinged right now. And if I’m being honest, you probably don’t want anything to do with her anymore either. But even so, I can tell she still looks up to you. So… just let some things slide. Please.”

As Sova bowed his head, Tsutomu stroked his staff, looking unsure.

”To be honest, I’m too busy with Dungeon exploration to deal with her right now. That said… I do think I should sit down and talk with her at some point. No promises, though.”

”That’s more than enough.”

”I see. Well, that’s that. Now, what did you want to talk about?”

When Tsutomu turned the conversation back to Sova’s question, Sova met his gaze with a serious expression.

”Stephanie was something I wanted to talk about too, but… Well, this is about me. I haven’t been in top form lately. I want to hear your honest opinion — just based on today’s exploration. Do you think I have what it takes to return to Team 1?”

”…Why would I help my competitor? You do remember that Ealdred Crow and my Clan are currently racing for first place, right?”

”Please.”

”……”

As Sova bowed his head even deeper, Tsutomu frowned. Seeing that Sova was not going to lift his head until he got an answer, Tsutomu clicked his tongue and begrudgingly waved his staff.

”The way you casually shifted the God Eye toward us just now is seriously irritating. You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

”…That wasn’t me, actually.”

Sova answered with a puzzled look, prompting Tsutomu to glance around suspiciously.

”…Hey, Daryl. It was you, wasn’t it?”

”A-ah, I’m sorry. I just thought, if you were going to give advice anyway, it’d be better to have it shown on the Pedestals…”

”And you were at least a little biased in his favor, weren’t you?”

”…I’m sorry.”

As Daryl shrank under his gaze, Tsutomu unleashed a barrage of [ wisps on him before letting out a long sigh. He had noticed that the two had grown a little closer over the past few hours, but he had not expected Daryl to actively take Sova’s side. Now that the conversation was being broadcast on the Pedestal, refusing to answer would likely leave a bad impression on the audience. In other words, he had no choice but to respond.

However, that was also a convenient excuse. Even if the God Eye had not drawn near, Tsutomu would not have been able to outright dismiss Sova, who had bowed his head so honestly.

”Your movements today — you’re incorporating techniques from other Explorers, aren’t you? From those in Ealdred Crow to people from other Clans.”

”…Yeah.”

”You’re dexterous enough to make it work, Sova. But right now, you’re only adopting the superficial aspects of those techniques. Back when you were imitating Weiss’s movements, you were far stronger.”

According to what Pollux had told him, Sova had originally become an Explorer out of admiration for Weiss. He had studied Weiss’s fighting style, incorporated it into his own, and ultimately rose to become Ealdred Crow’s ace Attacker as a multi-weapon user.

”What do you think Weiss’s greatest strength is?”

”…If I had to pick just one, it would be his unique skill. But that’s not all. First of all, he can wield multiple weapons with complete freedom, and–”

”I’ll stop you there before you go on too long. But yes, his unique skill. You’ve done a good job imitating Weiss’s movements. But you don’t have his unique skill. Now, do you see the issue? …To me, it looks like you’re just turning a blind eye to it. Deep down, you already know the real reason for your slump, don’t you?”

”……”

”Imitating Weiss’s movements isn’t a bad thing in itself. But no matter how much you match his gear or replicate his techniques, you can’t copy his unique skill. You have the ability to adapt the techniques you’ve learned to suit yourself. And yet, you’re not doing that. I don’t know why. That’s something you’ll have to figure out on your own.”

With that, Tsutomu left Sova to his thoughts and walked over to Smith, who had recovered some of his mental energy, placing another Blue Potion beside him.

”I-I’m not thanking you. After all, you’re the one who–”

”Then give it back.”

”…I appreciate it.”

Smith immediately reversed course and muttered his gratitude before guzzling the Blue Potion. Sova, watching from the side, cast a glance at that scene before turning his eyes back to the sword in his hand.