“Yoink!”

A corridor connecting the upper halls.

I unleashed 【Danrem’s Thread】 at the monsters wandering there.

Missed a few… Three wolves!

“Flash!”

I approached the remaining three and blinded them with magic. Then, I let Akame and the others take care of them.

Akame and Shirojita can already handle things on their own, but Mitsume still needs some support, like being restrained with 【Ankle Bracelet】.

That said, it’s been over ten days since we started fighting in the dungeon, and Mitsume has grown considerably stronger compared to when we started.

Perhaps breaking the “core” inside dungeon monsters is what contributes to their growth. I’m not sure how others handle their summoned beasts, but since “Submersible Serpent” doesn’t have a physical form, this method seems to be working well.

I’ve shared this information with Seriana and her group, but it doesn’t seem like they plan to pass it on to others for now. Maybe our Akame group will end up being the strongest “Submersible Serpents”…

“Hehehe…”

That’s a nice thought.

While the share of sacred coins from what the snakes defeat doesn’t come to me, I can earn that amount elsewhere, so it’s not a big deal.

I confirmed no one was watching and activated 【Hideout】, stepping inside for a break. The real task starts here today.

◇

Today, I’m exploring solo.

For the past few days, Alec has been conducting explorations in the shallows with selected adventurers and the second squad members.

This area of the shallows is handled by their group, that area by another group, and the knights handle yet another. It’s settling into a system like that.

This organized hunting under the same conditions allows us to gather information on the dungeon and monsters. It seems like a necessary task.

There are occasional complaints about this, but the shallows are vast. Even with designated hunting grounds, there’s still room for other adventurers to hunt.

It’s a solid arrangement.

Zighart and his group are gathering information on the boss-like monsters.

Although we kept the dungeon’s emergence a secret, information has been flowing in from neighboring territories. Copies of old reports preserved by the lords and adventurer guilds were sent along as well.

I didn’t have to deliver the information myself using 【Floating Orb】, yet it arrived remarkably quickly. Perhaps these reports have been secretly passed down through generations, ready to be shared upon request.

And they make sure to demand proper compensation…

The territories requesting information include our neighbor, Zelkis, and Leiselk. It seems they’re also being thanked properly. While a collapsing dungeon is troublesome, they certainly intend to recover their invested efforts.

The information received resembles ancient documents rather than reports.

I got a look at them but couldn’t make sense of the strange letters and incomprehensible passages. While it piqued my curiosity, I left the investigation to the experts.

I’ll wait for a summarized version to review later.

“Whew…”

After showering and stepping out of the bath, I headed to the kitchen to grab a drink and a light meal from the fridge.

These were items I had the mansion’s chef prepare, though I doubt he ever imagined they’d be consumed inside a dungeon.

I brought them to the living room, sat on the sofa, and turned on the monitor.

It functioned even in the dungeon, providing a clear view of the corridor.

It had been about 20 minutes since I cleared the corridor and entered 【Hideout】, but no monsters had respawned yet.

“Hmm… respawn times take longer than expected…”

Muttering that, I recorded the details of the earlier battle in my notes.

I listed the types and numbers of defeated monsters and the kinds of relics dropped, based on what I could remember.

This type of data is often collected by adventurers in the shallows, serving as a resource for statistics. While it’s of limited significance, precise timings for monster respawns are surprisingly valuable.

Even selected adventurers gather this kind of information, but their findings often only serve as references.

In the shallows, weaker monsters allow for a degree of leniency, but things change in the upper layers.

Imprecise information could lead to negligence. If that’s the case, it’s better to provide no data at all than to risk spreading misinformation.

That’s where I come in.

With the ability to wipe out monsters in the hall and corridors and safely observe from a secure spot, I was the ideal candidate. The request was made jointly by Leisel, August, and the branch manager.

Not as the second squad’s vice-captain, but as adventurer Sera herself, making a rare appearance.

“No respawn yet…”

Suppressing a yawn, I murmured in boredom.

When I glanced at the timer, only about 30 minutes had passed.

I knew this would be tedious, but it’s dull work…

This observation needs to be repeated several times in the same spot, killing everything and waiting for respawns each time. The halls have been cleared thrice already, confirming consistent timings. Now I’m focusing on the corridors, which seem to have longer respawn intervals… just watching the monitor endlessly.

It’s not like I can read a book in the meantime either.

“Ah, respawned.”

As I stifled another yawn, the long-awaited respawn occurred.

It’s always fascinating to watch them appear from nowhere, no matter how many times I see it.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sera ・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】・【Floating Orb】【Shadow Blade】【Scarlet Bee’s Sting】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Snake’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】・56 cards

Seriana ・【Area Identification】・【】・28 cards

Elena ・【】・【Green Fang】・1 card

Alec ・【Power Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・2 cards