High School Hack and Slash Chapter 100 Part 1
Cavalry Beasts
The aftermath of the school festival has faded and the academy has also switched back to its daily-life mode.
Although the weather has cooled down considerably, the lingering summer heat is still intense these days.
I guess we have to be careful of health deterioration due to the change in temperature.
The major academy events are over, so I guess we can expect a peaceful academy life.
In a little while, we will have the mid-term exams for the second semester, and one month after that, the interclub tournament will be waiting for us at the beginning of November.
In other words, now is the perfect opportunity for us to hone our power and improve our battle prowess through a series of actual combats.
Yes, seeking for power that allows you to smash through trials and tribulations and to overthrow all the unreasonableness in this world is the long-cherished desire of existence known as boys.
Now, let’s head to the dungeon!
「Huh? Today’s a day off, duh.」
Mai, who is licking soft-serve ice cream for dessert after lunch, utters such a lackadaisical line.
The student cafeteria after school, after the morning classes are over, is packed again today.
Our club members, though not all of them, have also gathered at the tables that have been becoming our usual place.
「Well, when we rest, we rest properly, and when we work hard, we work hard to the best of our ability. I think it’s important to keep a good balance between the two.」
「The conquest of the 19th stratum is also going well, after all.」
The Senpais of the Craftsman class, who have a disposition to end up melting when it is hot, have also regained their vitality.
The field of the 19th stratum of the dungeon, 『Mount Purgatory』, has an environment like that of a mountain range where large mountains are standing in a row.
The realm gate point is at the top of the mountain.
The ground surface, where the rocks are laid bare, resembles a sword mountain with countless huge thorny rocks growing on it.
I wonder if there being many flying monsters is the characteristic of the stratum.
For us, the club party of the Adept Orders, it can be said to be an easy stratum to conquer.
If we pull down the flying monsters with the spider web shooting organs installed on our Senpais’『Armed Golem』, they will end up turning into small fry.
It’s a hunting ground with such a compatibility that even the Senpais alone could seem to win the battle.
Starting a research using the flight organ drop parts, it looks like they are enjoying it very much.
As for the research materials… It seems we have enough.
I look around at the members of the first-year group who are at the same table.
Speaking of members who would want to go to the dungeon as much as I do.
「I’ve got an application for a duel, so I’m going to go cut them down at once!」
「We’re going.」
「To monitor Saki-chan.」
Since the school festival, Saki has received endless offers of headhunting from major clubs.
Saki had immediately turned them down, but due to how persistent the solicitations were, she made a muscle-head declaration of『If you beat me, I will listen to what you have to say』.
For scheduling and conditions adjustment with the duel committee, who act as intermediary, Shizuka plays the role of her manager, so I’m not worried about it.
The duel committee members are the guardians of fair and impartial order, and even if she loses, the contract is that『You will get the right to have a transfer negotiation between club presidents』.
Sometimes I almost forget about it, but the club president is me.
I have yet to be called up even once, so she’s having a complete victory over all battles.
Seiichi is… refusing to make eye contact with me.
Talk about perceptive guy.
Mirin and the others still have some uncertainty with their prowess.
「Don’t you need to rest moderately as well, Touma-san?」
「No, but…」
「For today, let’s just shut ourselves in the room and relax.」
Shizuka-san, smiling sweetly, is tempting me to corrupt my karma.
「I thought that lately, you seem to be getting stuck in a rut and are therefore indifferent, or something. That’s why, a lot of things….」
「Otoha-senpai. You appear to be sighing, is something the matter?」
As far as I’m concerned, I’m not so sure about relying on tools.
Leaving aside the accessories that add color and a little spice, I feel doubtful about the full-fledged SM room that has appeared in the basement of Asagi-sou before I know it.
Well, I’ll use it, though.
「Haa… Yes, a bit. A concern, or rather….」
Otoha-senpai, having an after-meal coffee, is despondent.
As the club president, I ought to lend a hand to the club members who are in trouble.
「Yes. Even if we proceed smoothly as we are, I think I alone won’t be able to pass through the『New World (Genesis World)』, you see.」
Hardcore dungeon conquest.
For those who are known as the『dungeon group』 among the students, the turning point is whether they are able to break through the『New World (Genesis World)』 or not.
No matter how high-leveled they become, no matter how high the rank of the club they belong to, those who cannot advance beyond that point are treated as half a man.
The reason for this is that the trial of subjugating the realm gate guardian and breaking through the realm gate will be a solo trial.
Such is the explanation from Otoha-senpai, which is also news for us.
「Hey, isn’t that too much of an impossible game?」
I can relate to the words of Mai, who this time is starting to eat anmitsu (Kanten jelly topped with fruits, dango, azuki bean paste (an), ice cream, and dark brown coloured syrup (Mitsu)).
『Class』 comes with various types, and for instance, both the Senpais’ Craftsman and NEET class fall under the non-combat category.
「About that, well, the boss that appears there seems to be special in and of itself, I suppose. It’s said that a boss monster called『Mirror Image Devil (Doppelganger)』 – which copies your class, level, and even skills – appears there, you see.」
「By any chance, even our equipment and magic items, too?」
As Seiichi leans forward with his elbows on the table, Rinko-senpai, munching on a rice-flour dango, nods to him.
「The boss room itself is the realm gate and doubly serves as the guardian, so is how the speculation goes, I suppose. There is also a theory where perhaps you are taken into a kind of spiritual world, as even if you actually lose during the boss battle, it seems that you will be thrown out of the room without even a single injury.」
「That would be a relief….
「However, you see, the caveat is that you don’t forget if you get your limbs blown off or die a splattering death in the boss fight. Kinda like a raid area, I suppose.」
Yeah, I guess there are bound to be those who have their minds broken.
It’s impossible to suppress an opponent that’s of the same rank as you without taking any damage.
Leaving aside the hardcore bunch who have overcome hair-breadth battles in the dungeon, the pain tolerance of ordinary students is no different from that of ordinary people.
After all, Rashomon’s undead system ends up rendering fatal damage, along with the recollection of it, as if it never happens.
So if they receive a serious injury in the dungeon, ending up choosing『return from death』 in order to escape the pain seems to be trait of ordinary students.
In order to reach the other side of such pain, a firm will is necessary.
Even if you can raise your level through power leveling or nurturing, you won’t be able to temper your mental toughness that way.
「Before talking about such mental stuff, there is something I am lacking, or rather….」
「I have too many ideas in mind that I have no idea what it is, but just what in the world is it?」
Everyone, not just Shizuka, is tilting their heads at the fidgety Otoha-senpai.
Isn’t everyone a little rude, I wonder?
Though, I also have too many ideas in mind that I have no idea what it is.
「Err, you see… I don’t have a『Cavalry Beast (Patriot)』, so I think I want one, or something.」
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High School Hack and Slash
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