Episode 83: The Summer Festival Approaches
“God of the Private Dungeon, please accept this offering.”
Clink, clink, clink…
–Private Dungeon, 2nd Floor, Shrine Area Before the Summer Festival.
I placed the metal lizard scales and other metallic drop items I’d recently acquired into the offering box.
Numerous small orbs of light floated up from the offering box and flew down the shrine’s stone steps.
The lights were absorbed into the paper lanterns lining the path to the shrine.
“Alright…”
One by one, the lanterns lit up, and conversely, the sky darkened.
I could even see the first star.
Judging by the time within the dungeon, it must be around 5 PM.
“…Yeah, it’s getting closer to the festival.”
If I make a few more offerings, this dungeon might fully regain its true form.
Though, I’ll have to dive into public dungeons again to get more metallic items.
“Well, I guess that’s enough for today. Now then…”
I’ll explore the 2nd floor while catching bugs.
I summoned the Monster Capture Net and, to start, caught a dragonfly that was nearby.
Poof!
Encyclopedia No. 7/251
Name: Damselfly
Rarity: 0
Capture Skill: Speed +1 (First-Time Bonus)
Capture Experience: 3
Drop Item: Magic Stone (Tiny), Appraisal Glasses
“Yeah, nice.”
The glasses didn’t drop, so I just picked up the small magic stone.
It seems the 2nd floor of the Private Dungeon has different insects than the 1st floor.
Going around behind the shrine, I immediately found a butterfly I hadn’t caught before.
I quietly approached and swung the bug-catching net.
Poof!
Encyclopedia No. 87/251
Name: Dungeon Spotted Butterfly
Rarity: 0
Capture Skill: Intelligence +1 (First-Time Bonus)
Capture Experience: 8
Drop Item: Magic Stone (Tiny)
“Alright.”
It’s going smoothly.
Seriously, even after catching this many, there are still so many empty spaces in the encyclopedia.
There are 251 pages in total, but I’ve only caught about 60 types so far.
I still have a long way to go.
“Maybe there are some bugs I can only catch by going to other dungeons…”
For example, I’ve never seen the spiders that were in the Ota Dungeon and Shinjuku Dungeon in my Private Dungeon.
Also, the season in this dungeon is always summer.
It might not cover spring or autumn insects.
“Collecting them all will be tough… In some cases, I might have to go to other dungeons or even foreign countries.”
Even as I said that, a smile couldn’t help but leak out.
A long way to go–to put it another way, it means I still have room to grow.
Even with the skills I’ve gained so far, Shi-chan says I have world-class support abilities.
If I continue to grow, the path to becoming a top Explorer isn’t just a dream.
“…Haha.”
I thought as I walked down the shrine’s stone steps.
The dream I cried and gave up on in middle school is now visible beyond my efforts.
Nothing could make me happier.
And so, I moved to the area below the stone steps–where the stalls lined the path to the shrine.
“Oh…!”
When I came before, the stalls were just frameworks, but now some of them had curtains hanging.
Candy apples, baby castella, ball scooping…
The products weren’t out, and there were no staff, but preparations were steadily progressing.
The anticipation before a festival is exciting.
I hope it starts without any problems.
Considering the Dungeon Hote incident, I hope the shops can operate normally.
And then.
“I’d like to hang out with everyone from the Secret Base…”
Imagining everyone in yukatas, my heart fluttered a little.
Manamin would probably draw a lottery ticket without knowing if there was a winning one and waste a considerable amount of money.
A small candy apple would probably suit Shi-chan.
Otama-chan would probably wet her sleeves while trying to catch goldfish, as expected.
–Nonexistent memories.
A past I might have obtained if I had courage or talent.
That’s why I think.
“–I have to act so I don’t have any regrets.”
I left the path to the shrine and walked towards the forest.
Gradually, the light from the paper lanterns faded, and it became dim.
And then.
“Ah…!!”
I found a large beetle I had never seen before.
The black, shiny horn had an arrowhead shape at the tip, like a spear with a blade on the end.
“That’s so cool…!”
Like the Longinus Beetle I caught before, it gave the same impression as foreign beetles like the Hercules or Caucasus.
Memories of admiring them in picture books when I was a child came back to me.
No matter how old I get, my feelings for beetles never change.
“Alright, let’s catch it. I’m counting on you again…”
I slowly reached out, grabbed its back, and applied force.
Then.
Poof!
Encyclopedia No. 48/251
Name: Gungnir Beetle
Rarity: ★★★★
Capture Skill: Bug Sumo (Grants the beetle Gungnir, the Sure-Hit Divine Spear), Attack +10 (First-Time Bonus)
Capture Experience: 2000
Drop Item: Magic Stone (Large)
Explanation: A beetle named after the Divine Spear. It is said to have the power to pierce anything it aims at. Can only be captured by those with skills related to 【Childlike Heart】 and 【God】. *After Gungnir, the Sure-Hit Divine Spear is activated, the beetle becomes invincible until it attacks the target and returns to the user.
“Yes!”
Regarding the 【God】-related skill in the explanation, 【Godspeed】 is one, and 《Butterfly of Resurrection》 must be another.
Depending on the case, the Beetle’s Holy Spear Flash (Longinus) might also be one.
In any case, I easily cleared the requirements.
“…I’ve gotten stronger again.”
Holy Spear Flash (Longinus) had the highest attack power among my skills.
Gungnir, the Sure-Hit Divine Spear, seems to have the same or better performance.
“I want to go to a public dungeon with everyone in the party. I want to try it out right away…!”
I think I’ve become reasonably strong, but I don’t have the confidence to dive into a dungeon alone.
Like the Otama-chan Lost Incident, you never know what might happen in a dungeon.
“Let’s go to the dungeon with everyone. And I have to get drop items that can be used as offerings.”
I was filled with anticipation for my own growth and the approaching summer festival.