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Chapter 331

Chapter 331: Apparently, dungeons can have only up to 100 floors, so there is no chance to make a pose for 101st one.

Day 79 – Daytime, Dungeon Entrance

And so I step into the dungeon. It’s been a while, I guess?

「Alright, from now on, an real combat is going to happen for real, with an unwavering resolve to go for ten consecutive rounds of irresistibly plump peachy roundness, mochi-like smooth skin, wonderfully soft and springy, like something straight out of a utopian paradise, blooming in peachy-pink hues of… huh, it’s already over? Well, good job~」

In other words, no one was listening to me, well, nothing new. However, a grand welcoming party of 『Ghoul Lv 1』was decimated with a single swing of Dancing Girl’s chains. Even though she is also level one, the difference is colossal. The difference is so great that I’m getting worried about monsters starting an uproar about discrimination, but with one party being partially decomposed ghouls and the other one a cute girl… Yeah, let’s discriminate all over the place! The likes of ghouls are quattuordecillion years too early to complain about this sexiness, or rather they should first evolve into sexy monstergirl girls before they even dare to complain. What about Ghoul Girls though? They’d probably be rotten!

And at 2F I finally remembered. 『Spike Rabbits Lv 2』that are jumping everywhere are very cute! Well, they all got devoured though? Yeah, Slime-san is leaped all over the place now instead, did it eat 『Leaping』or something? But I’m pretty sure Slime-san already had it?

「Well, in any case, leveling up Dancing Girl-san comes first, okay? So don’t just eat everyone and leave some for her? And I also wouldn’t mind getting some action?」

(Jiggle-Jiggle) (Nod-Nod) (Nodding)

The usual replies, which means, they are definitely not going to listen! Well, Armored Pres-san seems to be having fun too, so it’s fine, I guess?

They are leaving some monsters for Dancing Girl-san, so they seem to be cooperative? And yet, when I’m trying to enter combat with a cool pose, all of the monsters get instantly obliterated, leaving me standing in a stylish stance with a stick in my hands, and thus, we reach 27F. Yeah, I didn’t get to beat even a single monster yet, or rather, I went through 26 stances without getting to hit a monster even once?

But this floor will be different, a four-way fork finally appeared, which means, monsters from one of the corridors are mine for sure! No, wait, Slime-san, don’t split, okay? If you do that, all of the Frontier’s monsters will get annihilated before I get a chance to reach any, leaving me as just a pitiful highschool boy who likes striking cool poses? Please spare me that!

I tried begging.

27F means that the enemies will be level 27. Might be just perfect for the test?

I’m quietly changing clothes in the corner, but there is no demand for highschool boy’s changing scene. Besides, while I like undressing others, I’m not that hyped about undressing myself, you know? Yup, let’s shut tight the door to the fetishes of that sort.

Light armor from leather, leather gloves and boots, and wooden pole with metal head, no special effects attached at all.

This is the common equipment that one would be able to equip around level 20. There isn’t much difference appearance-wise, but it’s a tremendous grade-down in terms of performance.

Enveloping myself in 『Magic Wrap』, I waltz into a pack of 『Claw Apes Lv 27』right away. 『Wisdom』’s slow motion activated, and the air around me transforms into a viscous fluid as the time slows down. Cleaving two enemies in one slash, I turn around while advancing forward and cut down three more, instantly killing them, then moving nimbly and placing myself in between the remaining two I slash the one on the left, then, following the momentum, turn around and bisect the right one. Yeah, I can do this.

『Claw Apes Lv 27』look like gorillas with claws, no tails spotted, so calling them apes doesn’t seem to be a mistake. I’m sure they are more intelligent than our Idiots though. I mean, even if they had tails and were monkeys, they still surely would’ve been smarter, because even a fish with a tail (fin) is still smarter than those idiots! Yup, looks like their stupidity has been proven by a perfect syllogism based on deductive reasoning.

However, since they are fighting with claws, despite being apes, hence capable of using tools, they probably aren’t all smart. If they just cut their nails will they be able to handle weapons? Is this perhaps a chance to sell some nail clippers? Yeah, sounds like secretly a big hit merchandise.

A group of three showed up next. Can I pull this off?

I take a step forward.

Using good old 『Kyojitsu』I slash through three enemies in a straight line.

There is a bit of self-inflicted damage, but it’s on the level that can be immediately healed with regeneration. Unless I try to use it in quick succession I definitely can do it. Being unable to use it repeatedly definitely can be called an issue, but I more or less can use it.

So is it because of the excessive power of my equipment after all? But I won’t be able to handle anything over level 50 like this.

「Hmmm, without my items it’s unexpectedly alright? But… I’m considerably weaker? My movements are slow, the senses are dull, and body is heavy, huh, no, it’s not like I’ve gotten fat or anything. Even without ONE MORE SET, I’ve burned all the possible fat I could’ve had during the ball the other day! Rather, despite being a tired high school boy in need of calories, every single night, I burn through not only calories but also the highschool boy cosmic, leading the daily life of out of fuel low energy days and dazzling nights, constantly taking on mysterious, almost divine provocations that test your spirit. And being a hardworking highschool boy who challenges himself every night, that side of things is totally fine. Yeah, I’m being completely squeezed dry, down to the very last drop of my soul, keeping me as light as possible.」

There is no one to reply to me since I’m alone, so it’s a bit lonely, but if I wasn’t alone, all of the monsters would be getting annihilated before I reach them, so I’d end up all by myself anyway. A loner paradox of being all alone regardless of being or not being alone, a logical contradiction if you will. What even is the point of that 『Taming』if none of the tamed is willing to obey their master?

So since 『Magic Wrap』 ends up picking the skills from the equipment as well, the strain exceeds what I can withstand with my Stats, leading to self-inflicted damage. In other words, it can be managed if I remove my equipment. But as expected, I’m rather weak without the equipment, Weak enough that even fighting monsters of level 27 can no longer be called safe and certain. And I’ll be instantly dead if I take a hit without equipment.

Then, I hurriedly changed again. I tried saying stuff like『Just a little bit~』but no apes showed up after all. No, even if some did show up, I’d merely kill them? Even if it’s a female, I’m still killing them! I’m absolutely not touching that door (genre)!

And advancing while trying this and that, as expected, by the time I got to the end of the corridor, the three were long since waiting for me. Well, they probably instantly obliterated everything in their path.

Being done with the experiments I leave the rest to the trio as we continue descending deeper into the dungeon. A dungeon exploration consisting of nothing but walking. Well, nothing new?

The biggest reason has to be in『Staff of the World Tree』after all. Currently, it alone has『Mistletoe – Strengthen Canes and Staves, Magic Absorption, ？　？　？　』and『Entwined Tree’s Branch – The Seven-Branched Sword　？　？　？　……』on top of three staves『Elder Treant Cane – Magic Power 50% Up, Elemental Affinity Increase (Greater), Mana Control Increase』,『Dimensional Staff – Int 30% UP, Spatial-Dimensional Magic Enhance (EX)』,『Sacred Staff of Absolute Boundary – 50% UP ALL, Absolute Boundary, Seal, Sorcery Mastery, (EX), MP Increase (EX)』. And in addition『Dimension Blade – Cutting Power and Cutting Range can be changed with mana, Dimension Slash, Level 100 Required』, 『Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds (Sword of Kusanagi) – Divine Sword, Eradicates Evil, PoW SpE DeX LuK 30% Up ? ? ?』, the thing holds too many effects. It is because of those effects that things get dangerous, but it also buffs my InT and control, so not using it also creates difficulties in control.

And that is with 16 slots still empty. If I fill them all it’ll get really crazy. Yup, I’d probably disintegrate the second I use Magic Wrap.

Which means that instead of picking good gear with abundance of effects, it might be better to go with crappy gear like 『Tough Boots – ViT 10% UP』, that has only one effect. So I have no choice but to forcibly balance things by either raising only VIT and INT, or stacking gear that exclusively boosts control-related effects with minimal additional bonuses..

It’s a bit of a crazy balancing act like a tightrope walking between skyscrapers without safety, but waiting for an increase in stats from leveling up is pointless, since skills will definitely level up first, pushing me down an infinite spiral staircase of uncontrollable effects.『Like a rolling stone』sounds nice, but not so much when it’s just about tumbling down.

Right now, all I can do is stabilize my current abilities and keep up the pretense. There’s no way to gain any more power. In other words, I’ve hit my growth limit. In fact, I’ve long since hit the limit to begin with, but was able to cheat my way through the combination of items and skills, but that too has reached its limit. I also was somewhat able to cover up the problem due the vast MP pool provided by the enormous mana batteries, but the battle at Murimuri Castle exposed the limits of this. I start self destructing as soon as I run out of MP.

There is no hand I can play here! Well, I do have magic hands, but plays involving them happen at night, so for now I have no other choice but to steadily work at beating dungeons and wait a level up that would increase my stats, but that is way too slow.

『Taming』’s 『EXP Sharing』should have started working in reverse by now, giving me experience points from the tamed ones instead. Even so, my level has pretty much stopped growing. Going over level 30 doesn’t seem realistically possible, and even level 25 seems pretty difficult. I have to reach level 24 first, but even if I did level up, I don’t think it would make that much of a difference? I’m kind of at a loss~?

Changing gears, I try to participate in combat by supporting from the rear with magic attacks. Immobilizing monsters by catching them with『Holding』and then spamming Fire Bullets, while also providing utility magic support, I improvise on rear guard magician role.

Most likely, this is how 『Taming』was meant to be used. But Lv23’s magic attacks are easily resisted. I experiment on nullifying resistances and whatnot, but in the end, the effectiveness is clearly diminished, and at some point, it will become useless altogether. Close combat seems like the only viable option. The discrepancy between my stats and skills is far too large. So naturally, I’m self-destructing, since I’m forcibly trying to wrap them anyway. Back and forth, without a goal…『Going around in circles』, sounds like something that could belong in a cool song, but going through it in reality isn’t as fun.

Well, highschool boy’s highspeed back and forth movements forming a carnal spiral are being tempered every day, but the rest isn’t so much? Yup,『Sex King』reached level 3, while『Regeneration is level 8. I keep growing daily in that aspect?