Chapter 65: Hachioji’s Last Stand

"…Looks like we're getting close to the 60th floor."

"…Yeah."

"…There's really nothing here, huh?"

"Knew it."

: Hmm.

: Not the best dungeon for a stream, huh?

: Seriously, this dungeon is so boring.

: No wonder it's not popular.

Both the viewers, Asakawa, and I are getting pretty tired of this dungeon. It was her curiosity that got us here in the first place, but we've made it close to the 60th floor with no problems. This dungeon is as barren as they say—few monsters, boring scenery, and little excitement. Even the viewer count is lower than usual. Yeah, maybe streaming in the Hachioji Dungeon wasn't the best idea.

"I was hoping for something more exciting, like a dragon... or some huge monster."

"If you want that, you'll need to dive into the deeper levels."

"I don't have the rank to go that deep!"

"…Have you even applied?"

"Not yet."

: Sigh... of course.

: She's stalling.

: Submitting those rank-up forms is such a pain.

: I get her point, though.

Sheesh. Exploration ranks don't increase unless you submit the paperwork to the Association. It's not automatic. Asakawa is stuck at C-rank because she hasn't bothered to submit anything. For explorers, ranks don't just go up without effort, unless you're someone like me who was bumped straight to EX. But for Asakawa, going from C to B requires submitting forms to document her achievements.

"But doing paperwork is such a hassle… and then if I rank up to B, they'll start sending me requests, right?"

"That's why many explorers stay at C-rank."

Like I said before, the Association buys magic stones cheaply and then only starts offering paying requests to explorers once they reach B-rank. As a result, a lot of explorers avoid the hassle of ranking up. They don't want the pressure or the calls for dangerous deeper-level exploration. If the government doesn't do something about this issue, it's not going to change anytime soon.

"If there were more perks or something, it might be worth it."

"There aren't any. And they won't lower your rank if you turn down government requests."

A lot of explorers turn down the requests. But even if you repeatedly say no, the Association won't lower your rank. They can't afford to lose explorers when the numbers are already tight.

Explorers think: "We're risking our lives, pay us more."

The government thinks: "We need more people, we'll pay you, just help."

Looking at the current state of things, it's easy to tell who's winning this argument.

: How does the U.S. handle things?

: I've heard Australia has more strict regulations.

: Isn't there international collaboration on this?

: Seems like a mess between the government and explorers.

: Being an explorer sounds tough.

"The U.S.? It depends on the state. Australia, though, pays more for magic stones and has better benefits for explorers. So there's not as much discontent over there."

Australia is trying to keep its newfound status as a world power thanks to dungeons, so they're handling things well. Since the appearance of dungeons, their economy has boomed, and their population has skyrocketed. Meanwhile, China struggled early on when their explorers weren't strong enough. They pushed too hard, leading to many deaths and mass emigration.

They've stabilized now, though, and are focusing on their economy outside of dungeons.

"Oh, there's the stairs. What do you think, Kisaragi? Should we head down to the 60th floor?"

"…Honestly, I doubt there's anything down there."

"Yeah."

: That quick answer tho.

: Knew it. Find adventures at m v lem|p-yr

: We could end the stream here, honestly.

: Or have Asagao fight some deep-level monsters.

: Isn't she C-rank? She's not supposed to go that deep, right? Sёarch* The novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

: Technically, she's allowed. They just can't guarantee her survival.

"Let's head back!"

Knew it.

: Knew it.

: Called it.

: No results, lol.

: Well, it was an experience.

: Looks like we won't be seeing the Hachioji Dungeon again in a stream.

: This stream probably made it even less popular.

There's no fixing a boring dungeon. If it's dull, it's dull. Even if we made it to the deepest levels, all we'd get is more pointless wandering and uninteresting chit-chat. At this point, I'd rather just end the stream and do a regular Q&A back on the surface.

"Alright, we'll ride the kirin back!"

"…Yeah, fine."

: Thanks for the stream!

: Good job today!

: Stream's over, huh?

: Can we have a Q&A session before it ends?

: Question time, please!

: Thanks for the stream~

Q&A session? In the Hachioji Dungeon? Is there even anything worth asking about?

"You can ask anything… but any inappropriate questions and you're getting blocked."

Why is Asakawa answering like she's the channel host? Whatever, I guess.

: How did Asagao do on her school tests?

: Did you really make it to the 34th floor of the Nagoya Dungeon?

: Do you watch anime, Asagao?

: What's your favorite game, Asagao?

: Kisaragi, do you like baseball?

: What do you think of Kamishiro?

"My test scores?"

"She ranked first in the whole grade for the end-of-term exams before summer."

"How do you even know that?!"

"You were talking about it loudly in class."

: First in her grade? Wow.

: Turns out she's the smart kind of popular.

: Popular kids are usually good at everything, huh?

: I can relate.

: I think we've debunked the idea that quiet kids are smarter, lol.

: Lol.

: Did you score 500?

"489."

: Excuse me?

: What's your brain made of?

: I'm officially jealous.

I feel that. I barely cracked the top 100 in my grade… Asagao's not just smart, she's top-tier smart.

"Next question!"

": Did you really get to the 34th floor of the Nagoya Dungeon?"

"Yeah, that's true."

That dungeon is such a pain. I bailed at 34.

: Wait, for real?

: But the floors are flooded?!

: Lol.

: The mystery of the highest Nagoya Dungeon floor is solved.

"How? I just used my shikigami to handle it, you know?"

"Okay, next question."

Uh, sure. I guess my handling of that dungeon isn't exactly normal, so I'll keep quiet.

": Do you watch anime? What's your favorite game?"

"I don't watch much anime… but I like action games."

"Huh."

She plays games? I always thought she'd be one of those high school girls who just hangs out on social media. Guess I'm out of touch with what teens are into these days. Me? I just dive into dungeons and play games. Don't count me as one of the younger generation, please.

"Next question."

": Kisaragi, do you like baseball?"

"I do. Personally, I root for the team based in Kanagawa."

: Ah, that team.

: Didn't expect that.

: I thought you were just into dungeons and games.

: Isn't that enough? Lol.

: Do you talk baseball with Kamishiro?

"Yeah, we talk about it. She's pretty into it too."

"Alright, last one."

": What do you think of Kamishiro?"

"This one's for me?"

Why ask me? I've already said enough about her on stream.

"I'd say… she's my rival? I definitely don't want to lose to her."

"Oh? Because you're close in age?"

"Yeah. And we seem to like similar things."

Do they, though? Kamishiro and Asagao seem like total opposites to me.

: Uh-oh.

: Territorial showdown incoming.

: Careful, Kisaragi. Don't get involved.

: Let them handle it. You're not known for your tact, lol.

: The anti-threads are going to blow up after this.

Wait, what?