22 - Power Leveling

Yesterday, I put in a lot of effort on the orc train and managed to reach level 8. My [Novice] job level has now maxed out at 10, and I've successfully obtained the |Skill Frame +3| skill.

Here are my current skill slots:

|Jester|

|Fist Break|

|None|

|None|

|None|

As the name implies, the |Skill Frame +3| skill expands your skill slots by three. In The Conquest, I often struggled with the limited number of skill slots, making it hard to choose which skills to keep. This skill is crucial for me.

While I'd like to change my job from |Novice| to a new one, doing so at the Adventurer's Guild would update my terminal information, revealing my current level to my classmates. I need to wait until I can visit Hag's shop on the 10th floor.

On a positive note, my physical conditioning is progressing well. Compared to when I first did the train at level 5, my running ability has significantly improved now that I'm at level 8. I can run comfortably even with my overweight, debuffed body. I wonder what my 100-meter dash time would be now. In the Magic Field, I might be fast enough to compete in the Olympics.

My improved running ability is partly due to my diet's rapid success. I've noticed that my body has an abnormally high basal metabolism and appetite, leading to a high calorie requirement. By controlling my diet and enduring hunger pains, I can lose fat quickly. My weight has increased because of overall muscle gain, but I plan to continue my diet at this pace.

While my physical and dietary improvements have enhanced my running ability, reflecting on attempting the Orc Train at level 1 reveals how disastrous it could have been. Initially, I entertained the idea of heading to the fifth floor to quickly level up using the train, but my previous physical condition wouldn't have allowed for proper movement. Moreover, the fear and uncertainty might have rendered my running ability insufficient. In hindsight, it was a wise decision not to attempt it back then.

The discussion about |Fist Break| will have to wait until I reach the 10th floor. I'm curious about its effects on HP and VIT, and what the "???" represents in terms of enhancements.

"I've got my water bottle, lunch box, pruning shears, and snacks... ready. Also, how's my outfit?"

"Well, it suits you. Let's go."

"That's such a nonchalant response!" My sister barks before following me. "So, how are we going to get there?"

My sister, dressed casually in a light brown anorak hoodie and denim shorts, twirls around. I think wearing a jersey would be fine for ease of movement, but I keep that thought to myself, knowing it might dampen her spirits.

To enter the dungeon, we must go through the school's gate room. The main gate is guarded by sentinels, but there are alternative routes. Departing from my usual school commute, I lead us along a narrow path that cuts through a small mountain.

Today, I plan to conduct a power leveling session for my sister. While it would have been more efficient to do this later, the urgency to gather event items and tackle specific monsters solo prompted me to power level the entire family and form a party. Depending on the main character's choices, we may soon face a challenging scenario, hence the decision to prepare now.

"Yeah... we're going from here~?"

"We'll be through in no time. Just be a little patient."

We traversed the mountain road behind the school, a rugged path known as... This area is state-owned land with no buildings in sight.

Originally, the dungeon entrance was at the base of this small mountain. The school was built by excavating a large portion of the mountain, leaving the back side as a sloping path to access the school. With spring in full bloom and grass covering the ground, walking was a bit challenging but manageable. After a few minutes, we finally reached the school grounds.

"I got attacked by a tiny bug! I should've brought bug spray for this!"

Ignoring my sister's squirms and complaints, I entered the school building. Despite her protests, I had surreptitiously opened the emergency door, leading us to an empty classroom in the basement.

"Wow, this really feels like an adventurer's school. The budget here is totally different from our middle school. And look at this trophy!"

"Hey, calm down. We need to hurry."

"Eek!"

Grabbing my sister by the scruff of her neck, I descended the stairs, ensuring the dimly lit gate room was empty before proceeding inside.

"Where are we? What's with this pattern?"

"We are going to channel out magic power into this pattern. Watch closely."

My younger sister widened her eyes in surprise as she gathered magical energy in her hand and slowly poured it into activate the gate.

"Come on, follow me."

"Can we move that quickly? Oh, wait."

With a swooshing sound, the scenery instantly shifted to the fifth floor gate room. Shortly after, my sister emerged from the gate behind me.

"Are we inside the dungeon now? Are we already on the fifth floor?"

"Yes, we are. There might be monsters from here on, so stay close behind me."

"Okay."

A goblin soldier appeared on the path, and I swiftly dealt with it, cleaving it in half. It's an efficient way to handle them.

"That's a bit brutal. You should be more considerate around a lady!"

"You idiot. When you decided to do dungeon dive, you have to get used to this sort of thing."

After dispatching three more enemies, we reached the bridge drop point. My sister, who had been silent for a while, began inspecting the walls and rolling the magic stones between her fingers, clearly fascinated by the dungeon's unusual atmosphere.

"I'll lure several monsters up here. When I signal, I want you to cut these two wires and drop the bridge."

"That's why I brought pruning shears. But I wonder if they can cut through that thick wire."

Come to think of it, this wire is quite sturdy. I'm starting to doubt if even a third grader who isn't at level 1 could cut it.

"Shall we test cutting another bridge to see if it's possible?"

"Yes."

About 30 meters down the road from our current position, there's another bridge where we can test it. The path isn't completely smooth, with large bumps and rocks in places. It seemed to take my sister quite some effort to navigate down. If I hadn't strengthened my body, I might have struggled just like her.

"Ok, cut it here"

"Huh! Eh! It was good!"

After struggling for about five seconds with the pruning shears, I managed to cut through the first wire. At this rate, there's no way we can cut both in time. I'll have to let her use the machete like I did. But I'm not sure if she can handle a machete...

"Jump-slash! Oh, I did it. That's one of Daiki's special moves now."

"It's more like a hatchet. I'll give it a try."

"Hey! Pay attention!"

For safety reasons, I cut the first wire myself, and then it's my sister's turn to cut the second one. Using the pruning shears required quite a bit of strength. Perhaps a machete would make it easier.

The area around the bridge seems safe from monsters, unless they're drawn in from elsewhere. I instructed my sister to stay hidden there and wait. My only concern is that she might wander off. I'll keep reminding her not to do that.

"Okay, I'm off. I'll lure a bunch of orcs, so don't get scared, okay?"

"I'm fine. You just need to cut the string there, right?"

"I'll be back in a few minutes. Stay put."

"Okay. Be careful."

I hurried towards the Orc Lord's chamber, clearing the path of monsters and checking for traps as I went. About 100 meters from my destination, I spotted an Orc Soldier wandering around.

'That's odd...'

The only Orc Soldiers on this floor are those summoned by the Orc Lord. They don't appear spontaneously, which means someone made the Orc Lord summon them.

'Hmm? Simeone is fighting? No... Wait a goddamn second! Someone's in trouble!'

A female adventurer crouched against a niche in the wall, hiding from a wandering Orc Soldier. She's holding her breath and staying perfectly still. It looks like her arm is injured.

The Orc Soldier blocked my view when I tried to call out to her, so I decided to take it down first. Sneaking around to its blind spot, I moved swiftly but quietly, closing the distance.

Just five steps away, the orc finally heard my approach and turned around in panic, but it was too late. With a swift thrust, my sword pierced its unprotected throat, and the orc fell silently to the ground. The weight of the sword felt heavy in my hand.

"Are you okay?"

"Ugh... There's an orc I've never seen before... And my friends are still inside..."

He remained crouched, cradling her injured arm, only looking up briefly as she spoke. A closer look revealed swelling and bruising... It might be a fracture, but thankfully, it didn't seem life-threatening.

And by "inside," he probably means the Orc Lord's room. The Adventurer's Guild should have warned us about this. Why did they provoke the Orc Lord? Well, it's too late to question that now.

"I'll go check on them. Can you make it to a safe spot on your own?"

"...Oh... I'm sorry. I'm fine. Please, please take care of my friends."

He pleaded with me, his voice trembling with fear. I didn't know if there was any chance her friends were still alive, but I had to hurry.