After helping Elmore create it, Tesshin decided that he, too, wanted a shadow puppet.

I'll have to hunt for dark cats in the 30th level of the Suigetsu dungeon. Then I'll have to hunt for dark cats in the 30th level of the Water Moon dungeon.

　I thought about going with Tesshin's team, but since this search is for private purposes, I decide to go alone. Reviewing the demons to be encountered by the 30th layer, and researching the objective, the dark cat.

　While I was in the reference room reading material on Dark Cat, a classmate from my days at the Academy of Magic came in. He is an adventurer named Kensuke Shimizu, an attack magic user who graduated from the Academy with top grades and went to Tokyo.

You must be Tesshin Ono. It's been a long time.

　Tesshin looked at Shimizu's face and his face clouded over. He was not a good guy.

"Shimizu, didn't you go to Tokyo?"

I came back for a reason. I came back with a purpose. Ono is still lingering in the Suigetsu dungeon, isn't he? I heard a new advanced dungeon has opened.

In the future, I plan to work in the Narukami Dungeon."

'Hmmm, you're class D. I hope you didn't stay class E.'

　Tesshin feels tangled up with a jerk and lets out a sigh.

I'm a D level. When I accumulate enough achievements, I'm going to take the exam for promotion to C level. Shimizu got to C level, didn't he? Are you going to dive the Narukami dungeon?"

　Shimizu shakes his head.

No, I'm going to the thirty-second level of the Water Moon dungeon. We're hunting iron golems."

　Hearing this, Tesshin was convinced. He had come to collect golem cores. It was probably due to the paper Alisa had presented.

Where does Ono hunt?"

Thirty years old. Darkcat hunting."

Oh, so it's about Shadow Puppets. Then why don't we go together? It would be safer that way."

No, I'm better off alone.

Don't say that. I'm new to the Suigetsu dungeon. Think of it as helping an old friend and go along with me."

Then will you follow my instructions?"

　Shimizu looks miffed at being told that. He does not want to follow the instructions.

It would be strange for a C-level adventurer to follow a D-level adventurer. We have no choice but to find another guide.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

　Hiring a guide is meaningless if he doesn't follow instructions, Tesshin thought, but he didn't care about Shimizu. He checked out the dark cat and left the reference room.

　The next day, Tesshin headed alone to the Suigetsu dungeon. He changed at the dungeon house and went outside to find Shimizu about to enter the dungeon.

Have you decided to come along?"

Unfortunately, no. Our departures just happened to coincide."

　For some reason, it was Taichi who was with Shimizu.

Taichi, why are you with Shimizu?"

I'm not sure why you're asking, but I'm here to introduce you to the Adventurers' Guild."

　It seems that the Adventurers' Guild introduced Taichi, who had planned to go there for some business on the 30th floor, to Shimizu.

At thirty layers, could it be a dark cat?"

Yes, I did. When I saw Alisa and her shadow puppets, I knew I wanted one too."

And Taichi, too?"

　Tesshin tells him that she is the same way.

Then come with me."

Shimizu said he would not follow the guide's instructions."

　Taichi looks at Shimizu.

　Shimizu looked at him as if he didn't care, and said to Taichi what he had said to Tesshin. Taichi frowned when he heard this, but he broke it off.

I don't care. If you don't follow our instructions and something happens to you, you are on your own. I'm a guide, not an escort. Let's go together, Tesshin-san.

　Shimizu glared at TAICHI when he heard this, but TAICHI looked unconcerned. Seeing this, Tesshin decided to go with Shimizu and the others.

Don't you people have any respect for Class C?"

　Shimizu complains. Tesshin replies on his behalf.

If you want my respect, show me what you can do in a real fight."

　A disgruntled-looking Shimizu enters the dungeon. Tesshin and Taichi also entered. Taichi guided them along the shortest route to the lower level. Orcs and lizardmen encountered along the way were defeated by Tesshin and Taichi using life magic.

Why is Tesshin using life magic?"

　Shimizu asked curiously.

I only studied it because I thought the magic of life was worth learning."

　Taichi and Tesshin are defeating demons using only "Push" and "Cone Arrow". This was to reduce the consumption of magic power, but Shimizu saw this and thought that life magic was quick to activate, but not very powerful.

　They spent the night in the middle boss room on the ninth layer that day, and the second day went smoothly and they arrived at the desert area on the thirteenth layer. Upon seeing the desert, Tesshin checked in with them.

"How do you cross this desert?"

I'll use a 'float box'. I use a 'float box.

A "float box"?　What's that?"

　Shimizu seems to know very little about life magic. When Taichi and the others defeated Armor Boa with "High Blade," he was surprised to learn that such powerful magic exists.

　Taichi activates the "Float Box" and a box-shaped D-particle float box appears floating in the air, and Shimizu looks at it with anxious eyes. It flies with Shimizu on board and passes through the thirteenth layer.

　Crossing the 14-layer lake by a boat owned by Shimizu, we arrived at the 18-layer canyon area.

"The road here gets mouserats, so we're supposed to fly to the bottom of the cliff, but we can 'fly', right?"

　Seeing that Shimizu had defeated Cyclops with "Sword Force," which can be learned at magic level 13, Tesshin thought that he would have learned "Fly," which can be learned at magic level 12, and confirmed it.

It's only natural. But why be afraid of a little mouse? Just go down the cliff-side path without hesitation."

I won't stop you if you've mastered 'fly,' but I'll leave it to you."

"Well, I'm not going to be pushed down by a bunch of mice."

　Tesshin and Taichi jumped into the air using their "wings". The remaining Shimizu began to descend a slope that looked like it was built by carving out a cliff, but he was surprised to see a musa-rat suddenly jump out of a hole in the cliff and try to strike him.

　Musa-rat itself is not a strong demon. They can be easily killed with Shimizu's "shotgun. However, if you cannot react to a mouse jumping out of a hole, you will be in big trouble.

　Tesshin and his team were on the D-particle wing, watching Shimizu's actions. Just as they were relieved to avoid a musa-rat that jumped out of a hole, another musa-rat jumped out and pushed Shimizu off a cliff.

Wow!"

　Shimizu shouted and activated "Fly" when he was almost on the ground. Taichi, who was watching him, turned his attention to Tesshin.

You are an interesting person, Mr. Shimizu. Have you always been like this?"

　Taichi thought he resembled a person in the comedy business who would do things even after being warned to 'stop, stop.

'I used to be cool, but I guess I've turned into an interesting adventurer while living in Tokyo.'

　Tesshin thought that Shimizu may have returned to his hometown because he felt limited by his life as an adventurer in Tokyo. Perhaps it was too soon for Shimizu to become a C-level adventurer.