Chapter 16
For the next three days, we kept returning to the sixth floor.
Every morning, we ate at the Silver Wheat Inn before heading to the Adventurers' Guild.
We accepted a request we could complete on the sixth floor, then headed straight to the Western Dungeon.
We fought until evening, then brought the materials we'd collected back to the guild.
After returning to the inn, we washed up with hot water, ate, and went to sleep.
That became our daily routine.
◇
Day One.
We took a request to defeat two Armored Apes.
【Defeat Two Armored Apes】
【Target: Belgrant Western Dungeon, Sixth Floor】
【Reward: 80,000 Jenny】
We passed through the first five floors without stopping much.
We defeated a few monsters along the way, but nothing posed a major problem.
We hadn't been on the sixth floor long when an Armored Ape appeared.
"Rooaaar!"
The massive creature charged toward us.
Yesterday, when we'd fought one for the first time, we'd been cautious, watching its movements as we fought.
But things were different now.
I dodged to the side as its fist came crashing down.
I closed in.
"Hah!"
I slashed its leg.
"Roar!"
As it lost its balance, I struck again.
Before the Armored Ape could swing its arms, I circled behind it and drove my sword into its neck.
The massive creature fell.
【You acquired 400P】
"...You're fast."
Felicia's voice came from behind me.
"It looked slower than yesterday."
"The Armored Ape?"
"Yes."
"Is that even possible?"
"I think I'm the one who's gotten faster."
I collected its magic stone and some hide that looked usable, then continued deeper into the dungeon.
The next Armored Ape to appear charged at Felicia.
"Magic Bullet!"
Her spell hit it in the chest.
It still didn't stop.
Felicia moved to the side.
She dodged its fist and put some distance between them.
"Magic Bullet!"
Her second shot.
This time, it hit the monster in the face.
The Armored Ape raised its arms as if enraged.
Felicia immediately backed away.
"It was easier to dodge than yesterday!"
She moved more freely now.
But the Armored Ape still hadn't gone down.
"Magic Bullet!"
Her third shot hit it in the shoulder.
I came in from the side and slashed its leg.
Then I drove my sword into its neck.
【You acquired 400P】
Felicia looked at the fallen Armored Ape.
"My body moves so much better, though."
"What about your Magic Bullets?"
"I don't think they're any different from yesterday."
She looked at her hands.
"Even if my body gets stronger through the shared stats, it seems my magic doesn't get stronger automatically."
"It seems that way."
We kept fighting on the sixth floor after that.
By evening, we'd completed the request and returned to the guild with our magic stones and materials.
The request reward that day was 80,000 Jenny.
The materials sold for 300,000 Jenny.
"That's 380,000 Jenny in total."
We received the money from the receptionist.
We split it between us, leaving us with 190,000 Jenny each.
"190,000 in one day..."
"You can make good money on the sixth floor."
"Though I can see why it's dangerous, too."
"Yes."
【P Acquired Today: 1,180P】
【Total P Acquired: 7,520P】
【Your points: 1,510P】
◇
That night.
In my room at the Silver Wheat Inn, I opened Membership.
【Base Abilities】
【Strength: 836】
【Endurance: 828】
【Agility: 881】
【Magic: 18】
They'd gone up a little since yesterday.
It was probably from fighting all day.
I decided to put the P I'd earned toward enhancements that same day.
I enhanced Strength, Endurance, and Agility five times each.
【You purchased Strength Enhancement (Medium) 5 times】
【Strength: 836 → 986】
【You purchased Endurance Enhancement (Medium) 5 times】
【Endurance: 828 → 978】
【You purchased Agility Enhancement (Medium) 5 times】
【Agility: 881 → 1,031】
【You used 1,500P】
【Your points: 10P】
More messages appeared.
【Since your last purchase, you have reached 1,000 or more in a base ability】
【High-Ability Tier Enhancement will apply to Agility starting with your next purchase】
【Agility Enhancement (Medium): 200P】
"The cost went up again."
When I passed 500, it had gone up to 100P.
Now it was 200P.
I closed the display.
The next morning, when I went down to the dining hall, Felicia raised an eyebrow as soon as she saw me.
"You used more P again, didn't you?"
"Can you tell?"
"Your body feels different from yesterday."
"I used 1,500P."
"1,500..."
"I hardly have any left."
"You really don't save any, do you?"
"I can earn more today."
Felicia laughed in exasperation.
◇
Day Two.
By the time we reached the sixth floor, my body had grown even more accustomed to it than yesterday.
Two Armored Apes appeared at once.
"There are two!"
"I'll take the one on the left."
"Okay!"
The first one swung its fist down.
I dodged.
I drove my sword into its belly.
An arm came flying at me from the side.
I slipped beneath it.
One more strike.
【You acquired 400P】
I immediately turned around.
The other one was chasing Felicia.
"Magic Bullet!"
Felicia fired Magic Bullets as she moved.
She dodged its fist and backed away a little.
Then she fired again.
"Magic Bullet!"
She had more room to maneuver than yesterday.
"Felicia-san!"
"Yes!"
I ran.
The Armored Ape turned toward me.
I slipped past its descending arm and struck its belly.
Then I circled around behind it.
"Roar?!"
I swung my sword at its neck.
【You acquired 400P】
"You already defeated the other one?"
"Yes."
"Isn't that too fast?"
"I think so, too."
On the sixth floor, facing one Armored Ape at a time no longer felt very frightening.
We kept fighting until evening that day, too.
The request reward and the money from selling our materials came to 410,000 Jenny.
That was 205,000 Jenny each.
【P Acquired Today: 1,230P】
【Total P Acquired: 8,750P】
【Your points: 1,240P】
We returned to the inn.
After washing up with hot water and eating, I opened Membership.
【Base Abilities】
【Strength: 987】
【Endurance: 979】
【Agility: 1,033】
【Magic: 18】
My base abilities had gone up a little again today.
First, I enhanced Strength once.
【Strength Enhancement (Medium): 100P】
【Strength: 987 → 1,017】
Next, Endurance.
【Endurance Enhancement (Medium): 100P】
【Endurance: 979 → 1,009】
The display changed.
【High-Ability Tier Enhancement will apply to Strength starting with your next purchase】
【High-Ability Tier Enhancement will apply to Endurance starting with your next purchase】
【Strength Enhancement (Medium): 200P】
【Endurance Enhancement (Medium): 200P】
I had 1,040P left.
I enhanced Agility five times.
【You purchased Agility Enhancement (Medium) 5 times】
【Agility: 1,033 → 1,183】
【You used 1,000P】
【Your points: 40P】
Now all three of my base abilities were over 1,000.
◇
Day Three.
Before we headed to the sixth floor, Felicia was checking her abilities.
【Name: Felicia Roth】
【Strength: 11 + 101】
【Endurance: 13 + 100】
【Agility: 17 + 118】
【Magic: 33 + 1】
"My own stats have gone up a little, too."
"We've been fighting every day."
"But the shared stats are so high that my own numbers seem tiny."
"Even eleven or seventeen is higher than before."
"That's true, but..."
Felicia closed the display.
"I feel like I'll be fine on the sixth floor today."
"Don't push yourself too hard."
"Is that really something you should be saying, Allen-san?"
"I'm not pushing myself."
"That's what the person who stopped a Blood Boar's charge with his bare hands says."
I had no answer to that.
◇
The sixth floor.
An Armored Ape brought its fist down toward me.
Slow.
I dodged with a single step to the side.
I drove my sword into its belly.
The Armored Ape turned around.
Before it could attack, I circled to the other side.
"Roar?!"
Its leg.
Its neck.
It fell on the third strike.
【You acquired 400P】
A little ways away, Felicia was fighting another one.
"Magic Bullet!"
She dodged its fist.
Then fired.
The Armored Ape swung its arm.
Felicia backed away with ease.
"Magic Bullet!"
Another shot.
As far as her movements were concerned, she was clearly more comfortable than yesterday.
I watched without stepping in to help.
Felicia fired a fifth shot.
"Magic Bullet!"
The Armored Ape was still coming toward her.
Felicia dodged that attack, too.
"Allen-san!"
"Yes!"
"I still can't defeat it!"
"I'll help!"
I charged in.
My first strike hit its leg.
My second hit its neck.
【You acquired 400P】
When the fight was over, Felicia let out a small breath.
"My body feels fine now."
"Even on the sixth floor?"
"Yes. I can see the attacks, and I have room to dodge them."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"But my Magic Bullets can't keep up at all."
Felicia raised her index finger.
"Their power is the same as before. My firing speed and accuracy haven't changed, either."
"So the shared stats don't affect those things."
"Just having a stronger body isn't enough."
"You can practice from here on."
"Yes. I want to shoot faster and more accurately."
Felicia smiled.
"It's frustrating when you're the only one getting stronger, Allen-san."
"Are we competing?"
"I don't think I can win, though."
We kept fighting on the sixth floor well into the afternoon that day.
The sixth floor looked completely different to me from how it had three days ago.
◇
We returned to the guild in the evening.
Today's request was to deliver the magic stones we'd collected on the sixth floor.
The receptionist checked the count.
"All right. You have the required number. The request is complete."
The reward was 100,000 Jenny.
The materials we'd collected sold for 340,000 Jenny.
That came to 440,000 Jenny in total.
That meant 220,000 Jenny each.
"We've made quite a bit of money over these three days."
Felicia checked the money she'd received.
On the first day, we'd earned 380,000 Jenny.
On the second, 410,000.
Today, 440,000.
That made 1,230,000 Jenny between the two of us.
"That's over a million."
"In just three days..."
Felicia smiled a little.
"Back when we started, even 10,000 Jenny seemed like a lot of money."
"It still is a lot."
"That's true, but..."
Just then, a display appeared in my field of vision.
【Request completion confirmed】
【You acquired 100P】
【P Acquired Today: 1,250P】
【Total P Acquired: 10,000P】
【Your points: 1,290P】
"Ten thousand..."
Another message appeared.
【You have met the requirements for a Membership Rank increase】
【Your Membership Rank will increase】
【Silver → Gold】
"...Huh?"
【Total P Acquired: 10,000P】