Chapter 8: The Trials of Niiyama Masaru

“Oh, a monster I’ve never seen before.”

In the Garden of the Gods, seventh layer.

For the first time, I encountered a type of monster I’d never laid eyes on before.

Standing in my path were five monsters resembling grim reapers, each brandishing massive scythes.

“Hmm… So, there are monsters other than angels here.”

As I mused aloud, the monsters seemed to melt away into the mist, vanishing from sight. Ah, I see now—mist form, huh?

This ability could prove troublesome.

Once they disappear, it’s difficult to locate them again.

However, there’s a way to counter mist form.

I closed my eyes.

One second. Two seconds.

As darkness enveloped my vision, time seemed to stretch.

“—There!”

My body sensed a faint disturbance in the air.

I thrust my fist sharply toward it.

“GUGYAAAAHH!!”

The monster reappeared, writhing in agony.

Then, it disintegrated into particles of light and faded away.

“Phew… That’s one down.”

The method to counter mist form is simple.

The ability isn’t all-powerful, nor does it render them invincible. The key lies in their attack. When they strike, they always reveal themselves.

That opening, which lasts roughly 0.1 seconds, is the window to strike back.

Once you know the trick, it’s straightforward.

Sensing their presence takes a bit of practice, but with experience, you can adapt. These days, I can pinpoint the timing almost instinctively, without much focus.

“Although, dealing with them barehanded is a bit of a hassle.”

I don’t have a knife on me, but skipping out on exploration isn’t an option either. Looks like I’ll have to stick to using my fists for a while. Leaving the dungeon unattended for too long would be too dangerous, so it can’t be helped.

“Well, I’ll manage somehow.”

Picking up the mana crystal the monster dropped, I resumed my exploration.

Come to think of it, I’ve been accumulating quite a few mana crystals lately. Maybe I should process them tomorrow.

◇

“Hey, Shigeru, what’s on the agenda today?”

In a small office room.

The rising S-Rank explorer, Niiyama Masaru, lounged deeply in a plush sofa as he spoke.

Surrounding him were members of 【Everlight】, his clan. None of them took a seat; they stood silently, listening to Masaru’s words.

The one he addressed, Shigeru, was a veteran member of 【Everlight】.

Thanks to his competence, he had been unofficially relegated to the role of Masaru’s manager—a position that had earned him little more than sleepless nights and dark circles under his eyes. Shigeru, visibly weary, hesitantly opened his mouth to reply.

“Well, uh… today we’re continuing the exploration of 【Phantom Tower】.”

“Ugh… that place again…”

Masaru didn’t bother hiding his irritation, letting out a deep sigh. 【Phantom Tower】 was an S-ranked dungeon they had been tackling for several months.

However, their progress had stalled for nearly a month now due to the Vision Lich, an exceptionally difficult foe on the seventh floor.

Adding to his sour mood, Masaru had been repeatedly ignored by Kanade from the 【Luna Stars】, despite the messages he sent seeking her advice.

Knowing there was no reasoning with Masaru when he was in a mood like this, the members of 【Everlight】stayed silent, merely observing the situation. Shigeru, too, chose not to press the issue and quietly awaited further orders.

“Today’s the day I’ll definitely take it down. Don’t drag me down, got it?”

“Y-yes!”

Once equals during the clan’s early days, their roles had shifted over time, with Masaru now dominating as the unquestioned leader. 【Everlight】 had essentially become his one-man team.

At the 【Phantom Tower】.

Awaiting them on the seventh floor was the same challenge as always: the Vision Lich.

This foe possessed the mist form ability, a trait allowing it to vanish into the darkness at will, making it an exceptionally challenging adversary. No one had yet discovered a viable strategy to counter it.

“RAAAAAGHH!”

“M-Masaru-san! Charging in alone like that is—!”

Fueled by frustration, Masaru charged forward recklessly. His impromptu move caught his team off guard, leaving them scrambling to adapt.

《Go, Masaru!》

《This enemy’s way too strong!》

《Let’s take it down today!》

The live comments accompanying the battle buzzed with excitement. But the reckless charge ended predictably—Masaru was sent flying by the Vision Lich’s massive scythe.

“Damn it…!”

“Masaru-san, are you okay?!”

“Of course, I’m fine! Shigeru, back me up!”

“Y-yes!”

Quickly recovering, Masaru’s team regrouped and surrounded the Vision Lich.

“RAAAHH!”

After hours of grueling combat, they finally succeeded in defeating the Vision Lich.

The mystery behind its mist form ability remained unsolved, but a lucky strike from Shigeru managed to land the finishing blow.

However, the battle took a heavy toll on the team, prompting them to abandon further exploration for the day.

“At least we managed to take it down,” Masaru said. “Its mist form ability probably relies on wearing us down over time. Waiting for the opponent to exhaust its mana before landing a decisive blow—that seems to be the way to handle it.”

《Well done, Masaru!》

《You’re so cool! I’m falling for you all over again!》

《The teamwork was flawless!》

《Maybe the 【Garden of the Gods】 isn’t such a big deal after all?》

《Yeah, 【Phantom Tower】 seems way harder!》

“This strategy is something only we could pull off,” Masaru declared to the audience. “Don’t try to copy us—it’s far too dangerous for the average explorer.”

《We understand!》

《Not like we could copy you anyway, LOL.》

《That’s Masaru for you—doing the impossible!》

The chat exploded with praise. Donations and gifts poured in as the stream came to a triumphant close.

Feeling relieved at the progress they had finally made, Masaru pulled out his phone, a smug smile on his face as he tapped the screen.

Masaru @ S-Rank Explorer

“By the way, I’ve got a dinner coming up with some TV producers and fellow explorers. How about it? I think it’s important for us to network as representatives of Japan’s explorers.”

“Another message from Masaru?”

“Yeah… He says it’s important for Japan’s top explorers to connect.”

“Ugh… He’s so transparent. Why not just block him already? If he complains, I’ll set him straight for you.”

“You’re right. I’ll block him.”

“That’s the best move. Anyway, check this out. It’s the knife that guy left behind.”

“Oh, there’s an engraving… It says, uh… ‘Hooin’?”

“Yeah. I looked it up and found a place called the 【Hooin Workshop】. Hey, how about we visit it tomorrow?”

“Is that okay? Won’t it seem kind of stalkerish?”

“What are you talking about? We’re just returning the knife—it’s totally fine.”

“…You sure?”

“Absolutely!”