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High School Hack and Slash Chapter 10 Part 1

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Pasifista

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 … Ah

「Now then, I believe you are all respectively challenging the dungeon, but—」

I can take the lesson of general subjects quite normally, but even now I still have this sense of detachment from reality during the lesson of special subjects.

Even when I open the textbook for the special subject, I feel as if I’m looking at a strategy guide book for an RPG game.

This notion is especially intense for the subject our homeroom teacher Midori-sensei is in charge of, Introduction to Labyrinths.

The content is more like a comprehensive study of dungeon conquest.

In the first lecture, we were given an explanation of the facilities related to the dungeon.

The linchpin of it all is as expected 『Rashōmon』, located underneath the academy.

On Weekdays from Monday to Saturday, the opening of the gate is at noon, while the closing of the gate is at five o’clock in the afternoon.

The timing for entering the dungeon is up to our own discretion, but we will be compelled to return at the closing of the gate time.

As the most crowded moment is during this closing of the gates time, it seems to be common for upperclassmen to avoid it through the use of items that allow them to escape the dungeon at will.

The item, the 『Return Orb』, seems to be sold in the purchasing department, but it is said to be limited to only one person, is expensive at 100,000 sen apiece, does not last long, and can only be used on the same day.

Given such a pricing, it can be said to be an item designed for advanced students.

When you return alive from the dungeon, there’s a need for you to bring the monster crystals, which are the source of income for students, to the purchasing department.

The mechanism is for you to get your sen cards charged in the cashier-like machine at the checkout counter, but as expected it’s also crowded.

There’s 『freshness』 to the crystal, as it’s said that they begin to deteriorate the moment they leave the dungeon.

The act of earning crystals to be converted into a local currency called sen seems to give off feeling closer to that of doing a part-time job.

If you were to compare dungeon diving to a normal school, it would probably be an athletic club activity.

If you think about it that way, you’d find that there’s not much difference between life at a normal school and life at this academy.

You’d feel some differences, especially in terms of public morals, though.

「You will be able to raise the special abilities known as 『SKILL』, which is an essential factor in conquering the dungeon. That is—」

Rather than SKILL or MAGIC, I personally think that calling it psychic ability will be more apt.

There was this preface stating that it could only be used inside the dungeon, but I have a feeling that item box can be used even in the outside world.

Rather, I’ve been using it all the time given how convenient it is.

It’s so like a dead space shrouded in dangerous smell, but it’s just right to serve as a trash bin.

Like the tissues that I blow my nose with, tissues that I clean my pee pee with, and tissues that I wipe my butt with…. are as expected all flushed down the toilet, though.

Come to think of it, I wonder how much storage space it has.

I have a feeling that I can fit three boys in there with ease.

It may be a good idea to try and see how many goblins I can fit in there.

We’re planning to attack the dungeon again after school today, but I think I should check the other skill: Interface, too.

In fact, I’m using it even at the moment, but I think it’s the so-called passive skill.

Speaking of what it does, it turns my field of vision into an FPS (First Person Shooting game) screen.

In the upper right corner of my field of vision, there is a bar graph that displays my SP, and in the upper left corner, there is a line of party members list as well as their SP display.

My status display is shown in the lower left corner.

The way the interface display automatically moves to a position where it doesn’t interfere with my field of vision when I move my eyes is, quite nauseating.

Also, not only is there a ▼ mark above the heads of classmates in my field of vision, their full names are also displayed.

I thought it would be useful as it enabled me to know the names of people I didn’t know, but for some reason the person I called out by their full names got so scared to the point of getting teary, so it turned into a dead function.

Incidentally, my displayed level is 29, while Seiichi and the others have equally risen to level 14.

I extend my finger to the display frame in my field of vision and adjust the position a little.

It has a convenient design of being operable through touch-and-drag in a virtual window-like manner.

The person seated next to me has a frightened look in their eyes, but from the side, it must have been quite dubious of an action.

Then I suddenly come to notice that the word 『Class』 has been picked up into my status display.

The one currently displayed is 『None』.

When I try giving it a touch, I find myself a list box with an endless line of words that I guess is my class options, but there are a bit too many of them that it’s giving me trouble on how to deal with it.

Let’s consult Seiichi about it later.

◇ ◇ ◇

「By that, do you mean class change?」

Seiichi, who is comparing long items in the purchasing department, turns toward me.

During our previous dungeon dive, we’d proved the usefulness of a weapon that could secure us a good maai.

Being able to attack from a range beyond the opponent’s reach is as expected powerful.

At the moment, we are in the middle of browsing through the purchasing department in order to equip each of us with a long weapon.

「Yup.」

To being with, I’m still in 『None』 state, so rather than changing, I think it’s more of getting one.

「True enough, it may be a good idea to start thinking about it now, but it’s still a long way off, you know?」

「Here, here. I want to be a magic swordsman or something cool like that.」

「There’s none. Such class.」

Mai, with a spear that’s similar to the one included in the freshmen recommended equipment set D in hands, butts in.

This is the cheapest one among the spears sold in the purchasing department.

It may be cheap, but it is still pretty well made, and as it is recommended, it is orthodox and easy to use with no perks.

There are also a variety of Japanese style naginata and Western style pole weapons such as Glaive and Halberd, but there seems to be a need for some appropriate training to be able to use them.

Ease of use is important.

「… Yeah. Like that kusarigama (chained sickle) in your hands, it does seem crazy easy to use, doesn’t it?」

「It certainly suits you, Touma-kun… it’s just, it suits you so much that it’s somewhat scary.」

「Rather, where did you even get that from? It’s too much of a minor weapon, isn’t it?」

Even though Kusarigama arts is one of the eighteen classic martial arts, geez, Seiichi’s joke is overflowing with wit today, too.

For some reason, it is on a bargain sale, so I buy it right away.

Honestly speaking, I would have preferred a kusari-fundo (chained weight), but they don’t seem to have it.

As I have no choice, I try buying up the kusarigama.

「Whoa, I don’t quite get it, but that’s extraordinarily scary.」

Perhaps it’s low in stock, but all I get is three of them.

I’d like Shizuka to have one too, but it feels like she’s going to get herself tied by the chain, or get her fingers cut by the sickle, so I decide to pass on it.

In the end, we buy spears for Seiichi and Mai, and stab-resistant gloves for all of us.

For someone who’s not used to handling edged tools, there’s a high risk of cutting your own hands, so it’s recommended to wear such gloves.

Also, they are also handy for punching.

Shizuka is performing some sort of shadow boxing, but so timidly and cute.

Perhaps having some sort of flash of inspiration, Seiichi gets himself some brass knuckles.

The sharp, spiky end-of-the-century flavor is a very chuuni taste.

Not to mention, Seiichi has made a name for his considerably bad boyish looks.

If he were to walk down the corridor shrouded in dangerous air, with a spear leaning on his shoulder and fist guards adorning his hands, people would surely avert their gazes and open a path for him.

「Just so you know, I’m not like that, alright?」

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