CH 81

Chapter 81.

Tenji's eyes caught the 21st-level boss, Kuja Bear, roaming about 500 meters away.

Of all the monsters Tenji had fought so far, the strongest ones were up to third grade-monsters. This is also because Chigo had made some adjustments to the levels in the battle so far.

[I wonder how far I can go by myself? Well, I'll try to do as much as I can]

Tenji regains his spirit and firmly grips the Red Demon's Dagger.

Kuja Bear is a half-second-grade boss monster.

One of its eyes is green, and the other is yellow. It's a half-second grade, which means it's a monster that lives between third grade and above and below the second grade.

Its body is more than four meters long and more than a meter wide, which is generally not an average size for a boss monster. It was a massive size for Tenji to fight.

The bristly fur that covers its entire body is covered in a protective color to blend in with the desert, and the tips of its limbs are hardened like rocks. The tips of its fingers are equipped with viciously sharp claws that could shred a human to pieces with a single blow, and even Tenji would be mortally wounded if he were to get struck even once.

[I am sure that President Limey's strategy map says that the boss is good at long-range attacks using breath and has a skill that can lead the opponent's gaze like a shield. Despite being a half second-grade, it also says that his skin is tough]

Tenji recalled the notes about the 21st-level boss that he had researched beforehand.

[But, the main attack is still close combat using those heavy limbs... Well, in most cases, its status composition would probably be similar to that of a close combat monster.]

The strategy map created by president Limey also had this statement on it.

---They are a very high-ranked monster among the half-two grades.

The words simply meant that explorers below the third-grade explorers should not fight.

On the 21st level, there are also fourth-grade boss monsters roaming around, meaning there's no need to go out of your way to fight the Kuja Bear, a higher-rank monster.

However, the strategy map does not have such a detailed explanation written on it.

That might also be because it is a map created by President Limey as a hobby. Still, there's also likely no need to write it specifically for students with higher grades who don't even need to enroll in the school."

If you're good enough to get enrolled here, you should at least understand that much by yourself.

"Isn't Kuja Bear kind of cute?"

While Tenji was seriously analyzing how to fight, Chigo, sitting next to him drinking her favorite milk in her spare time, asked him.

But from no angle, ...... Kuja Bear was pretty.

Feeling unsure how to respond, Tenji sought to change the topic by saying, "Can I have a drink too?" and requesting Chigo's milk.

[TLC:]

"Okay, but just a little bit of... okay?"

"Yeah, I understand. It's a supply before the battle. Hey, I think my attack power can hold its own against Kuja Bear, but no matter how hard I try, I don't think I can beat it in speed, right? Kuja Bear is fast despite its huge body, isn't it?"

Tenji swallows the milk he receives from Chigo, just enough to moisten his mouth, and returns it immediately.

Hearing his worried words, Chigo groaned.

"Oh! Then I'll lend you this!"

Chigo, who seemed to have come up with a solution, took off the gold-pink ring on the pinky finger of her left hand and handed it to Tenji with a cute smile.

Tenji, who had always mistaken that ring for just a fashionable thing, couldn't help but shout, "Whattt"?

"Oh, did you think I was being fashionable? Well, I'm wearing this ring here because it's fashionable, but it is an item, okay?"

"How does it work?"

"See? Leon gave it to me last year! It's like, it has an effect that makes your feet feel like a spring. Don't you think you can analyze it more specifically, Tenji-Kun?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm gonna borrow this."

"Yeah, don't break it, okay? Give it back after the fight with Kuja Bear."

"I understand. I wouldn't dare break something of Chigo-chan's."

Tenji quickly moves the ring he received closer and puts it on the pinky finger of his left hand.

Almost all of the accessory items you can get in the dungeon have an effect called auto-adjustment.

It doesn't happen that someone can't wear it because of a slight difference in size.

Knowing this, Tenji didn't hesitate to put the ring on his pinky finger. Then he immediately checks the status column in 'Book of Enma.'

[Name] Tenji Amagi

[Age] 16

[Level] 1/100

[Experience] 3706/5000

[H P] 1028 (1012+16)

[M P] 1016 (1000+16)

[Attack Power] 2049 (1155+16) (x1.75)

[Defensive Strength] 1043 (1027+16)

[Speed] 1792（1008+16）（×1.75)

[Intelligence] 1043 (1027+16)

[Luck] 1045 (1029+16)

[Fixed Small Object Levitation] (Lv.7/10)

[Experience] 33/90

[Calling] Hell Beast Summoning (Lv.1/100)

[Skill] 'Book of Enma'

[Experience] 3706/5000

[Wow... this is like the speed version of the Red Demon Bangles. An item that increases speed by 1.75 times... I wonder how much it costs. I didn't know that Lion-san could present an item of this caliber]

Tenji's original speed was 1024.

That changes to 1792 with one ring, just 1.75 times.

Tenji guessed that if the status was in the late 1000s or close to 2000, it was synonymous with acquiring the physical ability equivalent to a second-grade explorer.

That had been proven by Tenji's maximum attack power.

Tenji barely won against Chigo, a second-grade explorer, in an arm-wrestling match, even with strategic moves.

However, in other items, such as defense, speed, and Intelligence, he was less than half of Chigo's results.

From the results, he realized that with a status value of nearly 2000, he could be equal to a second-grade explorer.

In short, Tenji's speed right now was comparable to a second-grade explorer.

"How'd it go?"

"This is great. The speed status value has increased by 1.75 times. If I were to put this up for auction, it would probably be worth a few hundred million to a few billion yen... Leon-san is a good tribute payer."

"I didn't know they were that great. Leon has so many accessories like this. He doesn't care if he loses at least one of them."

"Hahahahaha, as expected from a novice explorer like me. It's a completely different scale. You can't measure it with my sense of scale."

Tenji apologizes in his mind to Leon, who is not here.

He was someone who usually only had four choices: relaxing and sleeping on the couch, playing games with Chigo-chan, going to a slightly naughty shop, or eating a meal, but once again, Tenji understood that he was an anomaly in the dungeon. 

Tenji had visited the [Busy Man] guild not a few times before coming to Mallorca, so he understood Leon's ecology, though only a little.

"Well, Zero-grade explorers are perfect explorers, but as human beings, they're the missing piece."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Ah, you shouldn't ask? Your dream will be destroyed. Instead, please defeat the Kuja Bear. If you don't beat it quickly, you won't be able to reach the 24th level today, will you?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Clearly, Chigo intentionally tried to hide the meaning of 'the missing piece.'

Even though he was aware of this, Tenji realized that it was an area he shouldn't go into, so he kept his mouth shut.

[Okay, let's defeat ...... Kuja Bear!]

Feeling Chigo's "hurry up and fight it" stare on him, Tenji ran off to the Kuja Bear, who was wandering lazily about a kilometer away.

"Oh... great. Is this the world these second-grade explorers, see?"

The effect of the ring borrowed from Chigo has increased Tenji's running speed by nearly double.

Tenji grimaced and lifted the corner of his mouth as he watched the world go by faster than usual.