“This is the [Flame Heat Katana – Type 3], the latest model of Magic Enchanted Armament. It’s still a prototype, but the fire magic conduction efficiency has been greatly improved.”
Rui received the Flame Heat Katana from Yoshioka and carefully examined the honed blade.
The blade was about 70 centimeters long, resembling a Japanese sword without a tsuba. The blade was red, and a beautiful wave pattern could be seen.
“The Monsters that appear in the Green Dungeon are all “insect-type” Monsters. They are weak against “fire.” This sword can inflict fatal damage.”
“But my fire Magical Power is only 50. Can I handle it?”
When Rui asked anxiously, Yoshioka said, “Don’t worry!” and took out a black case from his pocket.
Opening the lid, there was a red Magic Gem inside.
“This is a 0.7-carat Red Spinel. Eating it will raise your fire Magical Power by 70. Combined with your original 50 Magical Power, that’s a total of 120. That’s enough Magical Power to use this [Flame Heat Katana].”
Rui received the case and picked up the Red Spinel, the Magic Gem.
Yoshioka handed him a plastic bottle, so he nodded and put the Magic Gem in his mouth, washing it down with the water from the bottle.
“How is it? Are you okay?”
Yoshioka peered into his face, and Rui replied, “I’m fine. My stomach feels hot, so it seems I’ve absorbed it.”
“Alright! Let’s measure your Mana Index with the measuring device before entering the Dungeon.”
“Yes.”
“Under instructions from above, we will fully support you to raise your Mana Index to 700 or more within three months. It will be a pretty tough schedule, but are you prepared?”
Rui, when asked, made his eyes shine and raised the corner of his mouth.
“Of course, I am!”
◇◇◇
Tokyo, Musashino City.
Yuma and Tanaka were on the twelfth floor of the Blue Dungeon.
“I’m getting tired. Coming down to the twelfth floor…”
Yuma grumbled, exhausted.
“Well, yeah. Going down isn’t a straight path, so depending on the location, you have to move from one end of the floor to the other to go down.”
Tanaka still smiled cheerfully. Yuma was a little surprised that Tanaka didn’t look tired even after walking so much.
–As expected, professional Seekers are different.
“With a D-Minor company license, you can go down to the twentieth floor, but for now, let’s aim for the fourteenth floor.”
“Is there something there?”
“There’s a Monster that’s just right for efficiently raising Mana. Well, look forward to it. Fufufufu.”
Confused by Tanaka’s fearless smile, Yuma went down into the Dungeon.
On the way, they encountered a reptile-like Monster, but they managed to escape with all their might. There don’t seem to be any strong Monsters around here yet.
“Isn’t there any kind of vehicle to go down?”
“Well, the footing is bad, and there are narrow passages, so cars are out of the question. Even if you ride a motorcycle, Monsters suddenly jump out, so it’s dangerous. Walking is the safest way.”
“I see…”
Yuma sighed and hurried on. After walking for about forty minutes, they arrived at their destination floor.
“Is this it?”
“That’s right, this is it.”
Looking around, he could see jagged rocks and large puddles here and there.
Around them, creatures were hopping around.
“Could it be… that?”
What Yuma saw was a giant frog with a completely blue body. It had a plump body and was croaking. It was probably over fifty centimeters long.
Even Yuma, who didn’t dislike frogs, was taken aback.
“This is a Monster called a Blue Frog. Well, it may look like that, but it’s not dangerous, and you can get a decent amount of Mana, so it’s a good Monster for beginners to defeat.”
“A good Monster…”
Yuma grimaced at the Monster approaching while croaking.
As he was bewildered by the giant frog he was seeing for the first time, Tanaka shouted, “Now! Swing down the Pickel!!”
Yuma steeled himself. He raised the Pickel he was holding and swung it down at the frog with all his might.
–Mekya!
The moment there was a nasty sound and a response, the frog spewed a large amount of liquid from its mouth and body.
“Uwaaaaaaa! W-What is this!? Some dirty stuff on my clothes and pants!!”
It wasn’t ordinary moisture. It was the frog’s sticky bodily fluid.
“Ah, Blue Frogs scatter bodily fluids all over their bodies when they sense danger. It’s to escape in the gap when the enemy is intimidated.”
As Tanaka said, the frog was indeed hopping away.
“Yuma-kun, you have to press the switch to make the electricity flow.”
“Ah! That’s right. I completely forgot.”
Yuma chased after the escaping frog and slammed the Pickel down, but the frog nimbly jumped around and jumped into a large puddle.
“Ah, damn it!”
“Hmm, it got away. Well, it can’t be helped since it’s the first time.”
Tanaka, gently encouraging him, said, “I’ll try it, so watch,” took out a dagger from his pocket, and approached the Blue Frog on the edge of the puddle.
He jumped at once, stabbed the dagger into its back, and pushed it in while putting his weight on it.
The frog screamed, “Geeeeee!” and scattered a large amount of bodily fluids. Tanaka pressed the switch on the dagger without flinching and sent an electric current through it.
While letting out a death cry, the frog turned into fine sand and disappeared.
“Hmph, something like that.”
Tanaka, who stood up, was covered in frog fluids and was slimy all over.
Yuma was speechless when he saw Tanaka with a gentle smile, wondering if he had to do this too.