Chapter 67
We've descended to the 19th floor.
"Chii chii chii!"
"Hm? Are you trying to tell me to use this 'EXP Lighter'? Heh heh heh, how naive, Shimaenaga-san. You've lost your cool, blinded by the promise of experience."
"Chi, chii?"
"Now's not the time to use the EXP Lighter. Can't you even tell that much? There's a far more efficient moment coming—I can see it."
"Chi, chii?! (Translation: Chi's IQ shoots up instantly when it comes to EXP!)"
We're not using the EXP Lighter yet.
I'll use Labyrinth Conqueror to acquire the 3D map of the 19th floor and check for hunting grounds.
Alright then, let's kick off a cheerful dungeon hunting routine.
So, let's try out this so-called capture attack.
Yes, capture attack.
You might've forgotten, but I, Akagi Hideo, can use a skill called 'Super Catcher Lv3' to perform capture attacks. I was just trying to figure out how to trap the metal monsters in the EXP factory when it hit me. Or rather—I remembered.
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'Super Catcher Lv3'
Mastered the stirrings of another dimension
When all things are known, fear vanishes
Spend 1 MP to launch a capture attack
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This is it.
"Woof woof!"
Oh. There's a 19th floor Dungeon Dachshund already here.
Let's do a demonstration.
I'll use Super Catcher Lv3 to launch a capture attack.
There it is. A white effect appeared on my hand.
Now I just snap my fingers like this.
And then, the dachshund exploded—and at the same time, countless white hand-like things emerged from the distortion of space, grabbed the dachshund tightly, and dragged it into the distortion.
"Kyain?!"
That's terrifying.
Visually, it's nothing but pure horror.
This is a capture attack.
By the way, it seems it doesn't work on stronger monsters. I couldn't capture the metal monster earlier with this. Too bad.
By the way, where do the monsters go?
I tried it on the metal monster earlier, but since the capture failed, I've no idea where it went.
I doubt it got dragged into some time-space distortion and turned into mush or anything. I mean, it's a capture attack.
"Gii."
"Hm?"
Gii-san's tentacles grant me a revelation.
A window I didn't recognize popped up at the edge of my vision.
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'Super Catcher Lv3'
Box 1/100
- Dungeon Dachshund (19th floor) ×1
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I see.
So when it says "capture," I thought I'd need a physical container or something, but the skill Super Catcher Lv3 itself has space to store up to 100. And it's a pocket dimension.
Alright, alright. That means the initial plan (which Calamity-san and the others laughed at) is finally kicking into gear.
My main weapon—the Finger Snap Enhancement Plan.
Well, it's not just my main weapon—it's my only weapon.
But when I calm down, there's a problem.
What exactly do I do after capturing 100 of them?
The unlock condition to go from Finger Snap Lv4 to Finger Snap Lv5 was 'achieve 1 million kills with One Snap One Kill (or 25,000 kills under the same conditions in a short period).'
Even with skill nutrients, if I stubbornly grind over a million kills' worth of EXP, it'll probably take more than a few months.
The max level is said to be Lv10, so I definitely want to reach that.
That's why I've got to go for the condition with parentheses.
—That was the plan I devised for the Finger Snap Enhancement Plan.
The policy is simple: capture them all, then take them out in one go.
Every single monster gets captured.
The EXP factory also has the EXP Amplification Magic Circle, so there's synergy there, too.
Ohoho, the EXP's about to ramp up! (Note: EXP does not actually ramp up)
And then I'll stockpile skill nutrients and chug them all at once.
That way I should be able to reach Finger Snap Lv6 under the shortest condition, believe it!
"Okaaay, let's keep sealing them away~"
——Snap
"Woof woof?!"
"Mmm~ Any little one who tries to flee with such terrified eyes will get sealed away~"
"Kyain?!"
——Snap
Sealing them away~ Sealing them away~.
All the bad monsters get sealed away~.
——Snap
Once I've got 100 packed into the box, I'll transfer them to the Metal Trap Room Lv2.
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'Metal Trap Room Lv2'
Box 2,438/10,000
- Dungeon Dachshund (1st floor) ×69
- Dungeon Dachshund (2nd floor) ×93
- Dungeon Dachshund (3rd floor) ×90
- Dungeon Dachshund (4th floor) ×40
- Dungeon Dachshund (5th floor) ×74
- Dungeon Dachshund (6th floor) ×108
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-
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- Dungeon Dachshund (19th floor) ×100
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-
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And now, I've got space to store another 100 in Super Catcher Lv3 again.
"Gii."
"Ah, Gii-san's doing it on his own again."
Once again, the brains of Team Finger Man take the initiative and guide me.
"Hm? You can sync them?"
"Gii."
While I had the Super Catcher Lv3 box window open, I also opened the storage window of the Metal Trap Room Lv2, and apparently, you can connect the two. Mister Black Tentacle did the settings with a quick flick. I have no idea how. I guess this is what it feels like when a parent has their kid set up their smartphone. Tech-savvy kids are a blessing.
"Good boy, Gii-san."
"Gii♪"
Now that they're synced, any monster I catch with a capture attack can go straight to the EXP factory.
I like it, I like it.
I love this kind of high-tech service.
Ahh, I'm so excited, ehehe, I'm gonna catch a whole bunch, ahaha... Just wait, I'll lock you all up real soon... okay...?
——Several dozen hours later
Hehehehehe, it's a capture festival!
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'Metal Trap Room Lv2'
Box 10,000/10,000
- Dungeon Dachshund (1st floor) ×536
- Dungeon Dachshund (2nd floor) ×451
- Dungeon Dachshund (3rd floor) ×581
- Dungeon Dachshund (4th floor) ×426
- Dungeon Dachshund (5th floor) ×294
- Dungeon Dachshund (6th floor) ×412
- Dungeon Dachshund (7th floor) ×523
- Dungeon Dachshund (8th floor) ×785
- Dungeon Dachshund (9th floor) ×629
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-
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- Dungeon Dachshund (19th floor) ×300
- Dungeon Dachshund (20th floor) ×252
- Dungeon Dachshund (21st floor) ×35
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Capturing is so fun.
Since what I want is kill count, it's better to defeat weak monsters anyway.
So, using the "door" warp in the EXP factory, I descended again from the 1st floor and captured like crazy until the hunting grounds vanished, and before I knew it, the box was full.
By the way, I also descended further, and now I'm on the 21st floor.
I've turned a few monsters into charred remains, but there's nothing that poses a challenge.
Oh, and by the way, 'Super Catcher Lv3' evolved, and now it's 'Super Catcher Lv4'.
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'Super Catcher Lv4'
Mastered the pulse of another dimension
When all things are known, fear vanishes
Launch a capture attack
Unlock condition: Capture over 4,000 dungeon monsters.
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MP consumption is now gone.
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'Super Catcher Lv4'
Box 8/200
- Dungeon Dachshund (21st floor) ×8
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The storage box got a little bigger too.
Normally, this box would be empty. Right now, it's just slightly filled since the EXP factory's storage capacity was exceeded, so I couldn't transfer them over.
"Well then, shall we begin our time as the Angel of Slaughter?"
"Chii chii chii!"
"Gii"
I set up the "door" and entered the EXP factory.
I configured the respawn point under the magic circle, and rolled up my sleeves.
Innocent dachshunds come out, knowing nothing.
"Woof!"
"Ehehehe, I'm sorry. Earlier, I said I'd just lock you away... right?"
"Woof?"
"But now, I really want to turn you into charred remains... (Nichaaa)"
"Woof?!"
"Let's keep turning them all into charred remains, okay?"
——Snap
The charred remains party was a roaring success.
——Several hours later
The charred remains work is finally complete.
(Skill level has increased)
Huh, could it be? Did it finally happen?
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'Finger Snap Lv6'
Snap your fingers to erase enemies.
Divert life energy to attack.
Conversion rate ATK 5,000: HP 1
Unlock condition: Achieve 5 million kills with One Snap One Kill (or 50,000 kills in a short period under same condition) (or 10,000 kills in a very short period under same condition)
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Foooooooooooooooo!! (ecstatic shout)
Truly, thank you very much.
Thank you, yes, thank you.
Everyone, thank you for everything up to today.
I, Akagi Hideo, am the champion.
From now on, shouldn't it be an automatic win as soon as I make contact?
There's no need to even fight monsters anymore, yeah.
"No way, 5,000? I can get ATK 5,000 for just 1 HP? Whoa, this is insane. Chunchy strong."
I stared at the skill window and grinned, smirked, grinned creepily, and drooled with laughter for ten minutes——finally, I started to calm down.
"No, but seriously, ATK 5,000 is crazy. Maybe I'm actually kinda strong?"
Actually, I wasn't all that calm yet. Sorry for lying.
"Chii chii chii"
"Gii"
"Ah, sorry, I was literally just grinning for the past ten minutes."
I finally returned to reality.
Umm, okay, shall we check the EXP?
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'EXP Lighter'
This is the era of storing EXP
75,299,954,741/999,999,999,999
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75 billion. Things are getting pretty crazy now.
Feels like I gained about 25 billion or so?
Well, if you defeat 10,000 of them on top of the 'EXP Amplification Magic Circle', I guess it makes sense.
But even seeing this number, I still can't help but think—I really wish I'd defeated that metal monster inside the magic circle. I mean, even when I killed it outside, it gave me 50 billion, right? That thing was a ridiculous bonus monster... huh, weird. I should be happy I got all this EXP, but now I feel kinda sad...
Alright, let's just forget about the metal monster already.
I've defeated so many monsters that now there's a mountain of crystals piled up in the center of the EXP factory.
Hmm, I don't really know, but I think it's worth about 30 million yen?
"Oh? With this much, I can probably go wild using 'Mugen High-Load ver5.0', right?"
Could it be that after the charred remains party, it's time for the Evolved party?
Old Man Shimacchao → Charred Remains Old Man → Evolved Old Man, maybe?
"Since it's a rare chance, maybe I'll show the Evolved party to Dr."
So, I think I'll invite some friends over to the EXP factory to show off a bit, too.