Chapter 62: A Guide Through Hachioji Dungeon

"Yes."

: Good morning.

: "Yes?" That's not a proper greeting.

: At least greet us properly.

: Now he's even slacking on his greetings.

: You know, people say that if you can't even greet others... blah blah blah.

: What's this "blah blah blah" supposed to mean?

: Even the viewers are being lazy with their comments.

"Good morning."

: Well done.

: It's impressive that you can reflect on your behavior.

: Good job greeting us properly.

: The comment section sounds like a senior citizen's club, lol.

: Is Kisaragi-kun in elementary school?

: If I don't greet the old folks in my neighborhood, they nag at me nonstop.

: That just sounds like a grumpy old person, lol.

Why are the viewers so strict about greetings? Maybe they're trying to follow that whole "Always greet others politely" thing we learned in elementary school. If that's the case, sorry, but I used to rebel against my teachers, so I don't really get it. Thanks to all the time spent in dungeons, I haven't had much contact with teachers in a while anyway.

"As I announced, today's stream is... half-forced..."

"I'm collabing with him!"

: Asagao-chan, good morning.

: Wow, so energetic!

: The energy difference between Kisaragi-kun and Asagao-chan, though.

: Love this odd duo.

: Long time no see.

: So, no two-part stream today?

"Nope, no two-part stream today! I'm just crashing Kisaragi-kun's stream!"

"Why are you so hyped up? You're usually not this energetic."

"Uh, I'm supposed to be a high-energy streamer, right?"

Really?

You just look like someone who's always diving into dungeons and fighting monsters to me.

: Asagao-chan normally?

: She's always high-energy when fighting monsters.

: Yeah, she's definitely energetic.

: Wait... is Asagao-chan another EX-level fighter?

: A battle maniac, huh...

: I already knew that.

: Lol.

: I was only focused on Kisaragi-kun, but now I'm curious about Asagao-chan. Gonna subscribe to her channel.

"Oh, thanks for subscribing!"

"Today, we're heading to Hachioji Dungeon." seaʀᴄh thё NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"That's fast! No more intro? No greetings or anything?"

"Do we even do those on this channel?"

: Nope.

: I remember once, the stream just started deep in the dungeon without any intro, and then ended suddenly.

: He always starts so abruptly.

: I actually like how he jumps straight into the topic.

"See? That's how it is."

"So that's a 'style' now?"

Is having a streaming style really a thing?

Whatever... Today, I'm here at Hachioji Dungeon with Asakawa. Even though I usually avoid this place, this is my third time here in a short period—first because of the guild request, then the basic training stream with Aizawa-san, and now today. Even the receptionist at Hachioji Dungeon looked surprised to see me again.

"So, summer vacation is almost over, but are you all keeping up with your homework?"

: I'm not a student, actually.

: Busy with work!

: Ah, summer vacation... those were the days.

: Isn't this channel's demographic a bit older?

: Can't help it.

: Asagao-chan's channel has a lot more students watching, though.

: Nope, I haven't done my summer homework.

"Seems like your viewers are mostly working adults. Mine is more student-heavy... It's kind of refreshing to see the difference." Experience the best from m|v|l|e|mp|y|r

"I think it's not just students, but also a fair number of full-time explorers. That's my impression from reading the comments."

: Bingo.

: How do you even know that?

: Full-time explorer here, diving into the lower floors.

: C-rank explorer here.

: I've been exploring the middle floors.

: Kisaragi-kun's audience is mostly full-time or part-time explorers, huh?

I can't really keep up with the English comments since I can't read them, but they're here too, enjoying the stream in their own way. Even my highlight videos get a fair amount of English comments.

By the way, I have some officially approved clip channels. I don't really care if people make clips without permission, but having a few official ones makes things easier.

"So, today's goal is to reach the lower floors of Hachioji Dungeon! Kisaragi-kun told me the lower floors are just like the middle floors, with good visibility and not too dangerous, so it's a great place to explore!"

"Why did you make me come along again...?"

: You're her mentor, so step up.

: More like her chaperone, lol.

: Lol.

: People keep calling Kisaragi-kun Asagao-chan's "chaperone," but I've never seen him help her in a stream.

: Have you ever saved her during training in the lower floors?

"Nope."

I mean, I usually just take out any dangerous enemies before they even get close to her. Based on Asakawa's current skills, I only let monsters she can barely defeat or handle slip through. Sure, she might be on the edge of dying, but you don't get stronger unless you face tough challenges.

With that settled, Asakawa said she wanted to fully explore the dungeon, so instead of summoning Kirin to quickly take us to the lower floors, we're walking from the top, heading straight for the stairs. We're taking out monsters with magic as we go. Unlike during the basic training stream, there aren't that many monsters, so it really feels like the usual Hachioji Dungeon.

"Wow, there really aren't many monsters here. And the ground is totally flat."

: Is this Asagao-chan's first time in Hachioji Dungeon?

: The first time here really is surprising.

: It's super safe, honestly, with the flat terrain and low monster count.

: Agreed.

: I sometimes go to Hachioji Dungeon to challenge tougher monsters.

: It's safe because you can see everything around you.

The biggest advantage of Hachioji Dungeon, really. Because you can see so far ahead, it's a safe place to explore, and that lets you face enemies you'd normally avoid head-on. It's a great place to test your limits as an explorer. Of course, there's always the risk of death when fighting stronger enemies, so you still have to be cautious.

"Kisaragi-kun, you've only gone as far as the 45th floor in Hachioji Dungeon, right?"

"Yeah... pretty much."

"Why? You're such a deep-floor junkie."

Hey, what's with "deep-floor junkie"? You're making it sound like I'm obsessed with going to the deepest parts of dungeons and have no interest in anything else.

I only explore the deeper floors because I have the skill to do so... though, okay, I do like the deep floors.

: Kisaragi-kun is always diving into the deepest floors.

: Why didn't you go all the way to the bottom of Hachioji Dungeon?

: Was there something weird down there?

: Like monsters?

: Or maybe the terrain?

: If Kisaragi-kun can't handle a monster, we've got a big problem.

"The reason I didn't go deeper...? Honestly, I just got bored halfway."

: You're no better than Kamishiro Rion, lol.

: Lol.

: Seriously...?

: Do you realize you're on the same level as Kamishiro Rion now?

: Kindred spirits, apparently.

Ugh... I can't argue with that!