Gourmand

I repeat the 29th floor boss battle.

We could fight here originally. Now that our fighting strength has increased due to Rutina having joined, there’s no anxiety in regards to the battle.

We’re able to hunt safely.

At this rate, we can afford to go to higher floors.

As for the boss battle, Miria has petrified the boss and one of the accompanying monsters. As for the third one, it’s a contest of whether I kill it first or Miria petrifies it first. Doesn’t that indicate our progress?

I decide not to cast Abnormal Status Resistance Down on the last one.

I’m certain Miria would end up hogging all three of them if I did cast.

The first monster, that I cast Abnormal Status Resistance Down on, gets petrified unusually quick.

Does the first petrification tend to be smooth?

They often get paralyzed even if they don’t get petrified. Because we could swing the swords around without minding the attacks from the monsters if they were paralyzed, the petrification would only be a matter of time.

I, too, can paralyze them with my Thunder magic.

“The battles become easy thanks to Miria. I wonder if you can move a little earlier.”

Sherry is the one that receives the most benefit out of petrifaction.

Since I remove Durandal in favor of Gained Experience, only Sherry’s spear remains with Incantation Interruption skill.

In case a monster attempts to use the magic skill, Sherry must stop it.

She’d welcome if the monsters decreased from three to two right off the bat.

“Then, let’s go with that.”

We agree upon Sherry’s proposal and adjust our battle tactics a little.

In any case, it has no effect on the compet.i.tion between me and Miria in respect of the last one.

This time, I kill it with my spell.

Because I had Rutina’s support as she cast two spells.

“Did it, desu.”

In the next battle, Miria gets all three.

So, that would happen if I didn’t receive Rutina’s support, huh?

Alright.

Fine. You’re on.

Or I so thought, but Miria gets further ahead from then on.

I end up losing three times.

“The sun will be up soon.”

When I set up a game on my own, the time reaches the limit quickly.

Roxanne announces ‘time over’.

It’s my bad luck that it’s over.

I have no choice but hand you the win for the morning.

After leaving the labyrinth and having the breakfast, I head to the Merchant’s Guild.

At the guild, I just buy the Caterpillar Monster Card and return home immediately after.

Financially speaking, it’d be fine even if I placed order for one more.

Because the income from the labyrinth has increased, there won’t be any problem even if I buy equipment or monster cards straight away.

What worries me is the marked price collapse.

If I bid on every monster card being exhibited, it might happen at some point.

I’d incur the wrath as the source of chaos.

Although I employ the services a broker, I want to avoid potentially unwanted friction.

The speed we’re boosting our equipment at doesn’t match with the speed we’re growing at, but it cannot be helped.

This is a problem which cannot be solved in short term.

A normal party takes a long term view and gets stronger slowly.

Upon returning, I pa.s.s the Caterpillar Monster Card for Sherry to fuse.

Sherry casually creates a Sacrificial Misanga.

“Done.”

“Nice. It’s a success. Thank you.”

“So, the ‘will definitely succeed’ claim was actually true, huh……”

Rutina feels deeply impressed.

It’ll add to Sherry’s appeal.

Rutina would probably not look down on Sherry, though, even if I didn’t do anything in particular.

Putting the precious Sacrificial Misanga in my Item Box carefully, I head back to the labyrinth.

And resume my compet.i.tion with Miria.

I’ll get a little serious now.

When we enter the boss room, the smoke starts gathering at three spots.

At that instant, I call for [OverDrive].

When the smoke gathers and takes form, the figures of the monsters could be seen.

The Boss Taurus and two Moloch Tauruses.

I cast [Aqua Storm] and [Thunder Storm].

After a few moments, the magic invokes.

There was a fair interval between casting and invocation.

Although it’s called [OverDrive], it doesn’t seem to make the magic invoke faster.

Even though my movement gets faster, it seems to be different in case of invocation.

Since it allows to call for quickly, it’s somehow cast early.

For the movement gets quicker, it makes invocation seem rather dull.

Meanwhile, I cast Abnormal Status Resistance Down on the Moloch Taurus which Miria was slowly closing in on.

I try to cast another spell as a test, but I don’t seem to be able to invoke it.

While the effect of the spells I cast first was somewhat still there, the effect of [OverDrive] starts to wear off.

The movement of both the monsters and party members gets faster.

Is it impossible to invoke two spells with one [OverDrive]? (TN: He cast two spells earlier after activating OverDrive, so this line may seem confusing. However, those were simultaneous spells. In respect of time/duration/delay/cooldown, they are essentially counted as one)

The effect of [OverDrive] wears off; the lightning settles quickly; the mist clears up.

The moment it wears off, I call for [OverDrive] again.

And cast the next spells.

I cannot help it if I’m the only one who can push out and move in the middle of the battle. I wait motionlessly till the spells invoke.

I wait till [OverDrive] wears off again, till I can cast spells again, till I call for [OverDrive] again, till I cast spells again.

“Did it, desu.”

The boss easily gets petrified before I could call for [OverDrive] again.

The petrified Moloch Taurus turns into smoke.

Concurrently, the not-petrified monster collapses.

My first win.

[OverDrive] is as useful as I expected.

I had felt the attack power increasing under [OverDrive]. However, It seems to apply to the magic, too.

It increases the magic power just as well.

Consequently, the duration of battles has shortened.

It’s half compared to before.

In other words, the power doubles under [OverDrive].

“……The duration of battles seems to be considerably shorter all of a sudden.”

“Because Rutina has gotten more accustomed. Let’s carry on in the same manner.”

While firing an [Aqua Ball] on the boss, I reply to Sherry’s interjection.

If I can afford to continuously cast spells, I can afford maintain the state of [OverDrive], too.

Since I can cast two spells in the duration of one [OverDrive]; also, since the power doubles, I can save MP equivalent to two spells with one [OverDrive].

The MP consumption of one [OverDrive] has to be less than the MP consumption of two spells, no? For argument’s sake, even if it’s more, the sensation doesn’t differ much.

At the very least, it’s not as much as in case of [Gamma Ray Burst] or [Meteor Crash].

The MP consumption of [OverDrive] will most likely not become an issue.

As for the problem… lifespan?

Does [OverDrive] reduces lifespan? Why do I feel there’s such a side effect?

Even if we a.s.sumed there’s no such side effect, since my body would live longer, my objective life would be shorter.

My cells would age; also, it is said that there’s a limit on the number of times a heart can pulse during the lifetime.

I don’t think my heartbeat slows down under [OverDrive].

Resultantly, wouldn’t my lifespan shorten?

a.s.suming [OverDrive] is used for half of the duration of a battle, the ratio of the time spent on battles to the time spent in the labyrinth is 25%, the time spent in the labyrinth a day is 8 hours, which is 1/3, the total percentage of time spent under [OverDrive] is no more than 5%. (TN: To be exact, 4.167%)

Let’s say, if I continued to enter the labyrinth for 60 years from now, I would be under [OverDrive] for 3 years.

a.s.suming it decreased my lifespan by the same number, wouldn’t it be 3 years shorter?

Oh well. If it’s only this much, there’s no reason not to use it, is there?

Besides, it’s not confirmed that [OverDrive] shortens the lifespan.

Maybe it doesn’t shorten?

If I could live up to 77, I don’t think it would be much different from living up to 74 instead of 77.

I hope I wouldn’t regret it when I reached 73.

I’ll think about it when that time comes.

“How stronger can you get? You seem to still be hiding something.”

“For now, not much.”

I answer Sherry’s question.

If I attached Hero and Wizard jobs, I could probably shorten the duration of battles even more.

Because [OverDrive] would double the magic power of Wizard, It might make quite a difference.

“As expected of Master. At this rate, we are likely to move higher soon.”

“Higher floor? No, I should be able to keep up. More than that, you seem to be taking it easy because of me. I’m really sorry.”

Rutina apologizes.

“Ah, no. We’re not doing anything of the sort. Don’t worry about it.”

I’ve been using this method ever since Rutina got accustomed. Until she did, I didn’t try this method.

She may have misunderstood it.

We leave the boss room and repeat the battle.

Since I have now concluded that [OverDrive] is usable, I use it likewise against the monsters encountered en route to the boss room.

The duration of battles has shortened. It feels quite good.

Let alone exposing my life to danger, it has reduced the chance of receiving attacks. I can now walk in the labyrinth as if on a picnic.

The vanguards, who confront the monsters directly, aren’t as carefree, though.

Even though the battles have shortened, it doesn’t mean we don’t have any contact with the monsters. Still, it tends to get over without having to rush to the monsters.

It’s just the stress that’s piling up slowly.

Still, it’s better than plight.

There’s a problem, though. Hasn’t it become more difficult to petrify?

However, since the duration of battles has shortened, it cannot be helped.

With more than three monsters, there’s no chance for Miria to petrify all.

Earlier, I could bring Durandal out to recover my MP if all the monsters were petrified; however, I can’t now.

It’s not like the MP consumption of [OverDrive] is high, but it has become more difficult to recover MP.

Currently, I leave the petrified boss as is and finish it off using with Durandal, replenis.h.i.+ng MP for more rounds.

Because the boss most likely offers considerable experience points, it’s wasteful to draw Durandal every time. However, I’m more worried about the time when we won’t be able to partake in the boss battles as main like we’re presently doing.

Oh well. I’ll worry about it when that time comes.

If the boss battles wouldn’t be main, it meant that the battles would be intense and the duration of battles would be long.

The longer the duration of battles, the more the chance of petrifaction.

I could even use Abnormal Status Resistance Down in the normal battles. We could sometimes even petrify all of the monsters.

As for whether the compet.i.tion between Miria and I during the boss battles, that is whether I kill the third monster first or Miria petrifies it first, is over due to short duration of battles? Nope, it’s not.

Finally. It can finally be called a compet.i.tion.

Speaking of which, I wonder if [OverDrive] really has any effect on Abnormal Status Resistance Down.

As for Resistance Down, if it (OverDrive) doesn’t increase the strength of effect, it must increase the duration of effect.

Miria literally petrifies the monster, which Abnormal Status Resistance Down is first put on, in one or two swings.

The boss gets petrified quickly, too.

It’s impossible for the effect of Abnormal Status Resistance Down to not have increased.

The rate of paralysis from my Thunder magic has increased, too. There should be no doubt.

Actually, I don’t think it’s [OverDrive] that has increased the rate of paralysis from my Thunder magic.

Wouldn’t it be a luxury in addition to the increase in power?

Because I didn’t cast Abnormal Status Resistance Down on the third one, my compet.i.tion with Miria has tilted in favor of me.

This time, following the petrified Cyclops, the not-petrified Moloch Taurus falls to my Water magic.

It’s my win.

The Moloch Taurus turns into smoke and leave an item behind.

Ah

It’s chuck rib.

Although the Boss Taurus has yet to drop a chuck flap, I can already see the effect of selecting Cook.

It has been decided. Tonight’s dinner won’t be fish but yakiniku.

“If fighting here is this easy, then is it really necessary for us to observe the situation for today and tomorrow; two days, that is? I think it’s okay for us to move to a higher floor immediately. If you’re worried about me, there’s no need. I’ll show you I can fight.”

Rutina proposes.

Considering the situation, I certainly agree.

However, it’d be terrible to get carried away and advance recklessly.

If I consulted Roxanne, she would insist on moving up, too.

“Uun, what should we do?”

Putting the answer on hold, I finish the boss off with Durandal.

The boss collapses and turns into smoke.

The smoke dissipates, leaving meat behind.

Oh

It’s chuck flap.

First chuck rip followed by chuck flap.

I’ve been lucky in this boss battle.

“Master and us don’t have any problem in advancing to a higher floor.”

Before saying such things, Roxanne, would you please listen to me for a bit?

Oh well. More importantly, even such an amateur as me can eat such an exquisite thing as chuck flap.

“Ah, this one dropped a chuck flap.”

“Oh, amazing.”

I change the subject.

I could tell it was a chuck flap even without Appraisal since it didn’t stack with roast when I tried to put it inside my Item Box.

“Higher floor? In our current condition, we can afford to advance, indeed. Let’s fight on this floor for today and advance tomorrow.”

“Okay. That’s a good idea, too, I think. As expected of Master.”

“……He really is a gourmand.”

Mutters Rutina.

s.h.i.+t. Well, that’s quite so.

Just now, if I had agreed to advancing, would I have persevered till the chuck flap dropped? Nope.