The Earth-san Has Leveled Up!

2-8. Checkered Doll

Meiko, concentrating her spirit, aims a Water Bullet at the Pestle Rabbit’s hand.

The Water Bullet hits the Pestle Rabbit’s hand, forcing it to drop the mallet.

At the same time, Meiko leaps out, strikes its head with a grimoire attack, and immediately Sasara and Lulu start beating it with mallet swords and wooden sticks.

This was a scene that had already played out many times since the girls had entered the fray.

Sasara and Lulu’s combat aptitude was surprisingly high.

At the very least, they were much stronger than the initial capabilities of a weak little loli.

From the strength of their sword swings to the speed of their steps, they were completely different from Meiko back then.

Of course, they still couldn’t match the current Meiko, who had leveled up and continued her training.

The absolute condition for the two to join the battle was to make the Pestle Rabbit drop its mallet.

No matter how many times they tried, the Pestle Rabbit would always prioritize retrieving the dropped mallet.

There was no reason not to exploit this major weakness.

Only at this moment could they deploy Sasara and Lulu without worrying about taking heavy damage.

With Sasara and Lulu joining the battle like this, Meiko’s mana consumption was greatly reduced.

For this reason, Meiko had to concentrate on casting magic to make the Pestle Rabbit drop its mallet, but since she was leaving the dirty work of direct attacks to the two, concentrating wasn’t that hard.

The key to this battle was the accuracy of Meiko’s magic.

Hitting the Pestle Rabbit itself was easy, but hitting its hand or mallet was quite difficult.

Thus, the success rate was about 70%.

If two shots didn’t make it drop the mallet, she had no choice but to fire a third shot and take down the Pestle Rabbit.

Unlike the G-rank dungeon Meiko had entered before, the enemies in this dungeon moved quite actively, so proper mana management was necessary.

After the battle, Meiko and the others adjusted their backpacks.

This was also necessary.

Since they didn’t have any infinite storage items yet, they had to carry backpacks.

To fight properly, the backpacks inevitably got in the way.

Now, they slung the straps over one shoulder so they could quickly drop them.

They repeated such battles for about an hour.

Sasara and Lulu’s levels had risen to 1 after their first battle and were now at 3.

Leveling up wasn’t instantaneous, so there weren’t many noticeable changes yet. Only their maximum mana had increased slightly.

Also, Lulu was instructed to use [Apprentice Ninja] after recovering. Since [Apprentice Ninja] also consumed mana, it should help increase her mana capacity.

Fighting like this, gaining small changes, and learning things like the backpack issue, Meiko and the others pressed on.

The mountain dungeon was a beautiful place.

The rows of red torii gates were fantastical, and the mountain itself was scenic.

The leaves of unnamed trees sparkled in the sunlight, and the dappled light created a play of light and shadow on the stone pavement.

Sometimes they passed by small streams, and such places created dazzling scenes of light.

Despite its beauty, there was also an indescribable terror.

Walking along the path of torii gates, listening to the sound of the wind rustling through the trees, they couldn’t help but be aware of the sunlight.

Like the stripes of a crosswalk, the more they walked, the more rapidly the light and shadow alternated. If branches extending above the torii gates cast shadows, their attention naturally went there.

“If I came here alone, I’d probably cry.”

“Me too. It’s a beautiful place, but it’s scary.”

Lulu, who had been moved upon entering the mountain, changed her opinion and said this.

The continuous play of light and shadow made Meiko feel as if something inside her was being forcibly opened.

Or perhaps, this sensation was a precursor to something like a trance.

“Enemy ahead.”

“Nyau!”

At Sasara’s words, Meiko and Lulu immediately dropped their backpacks and prepared for battle.

Meiko readied a Water Bullet in her grimoire, sharpened her aim, and fired.

The Water Bullet hit squarely, making the Pestle Rabbit drop its mallet as usual, and water splashed onto its face as it scrambled to retrieve it.

“Nin nin!”

By this time, Lulu had gotten better at using [Apprentice Ninja], momentarily freezing the Pestle Rabbit.

This brief moment was crucial, allowing Meiko to land a sure grimoire attack and start a combo.

After finishing the grimoire attack, Meiko stayed alert to her surroundings.

After an hour of exploration, their coordination had improved.

“Whoa, a rare drop!”

The Pestle Rabbit, disappearing in a flash of light, dropped something they hadn’t seen before.

Wow, this is amazing! Meiko picked up the drop.

“What is it?”

Lulu, who sometimes turned ‘na’ into ‘nya’, peeked at the item in Meiko’s hand.

“It’s rabbit ears!”

Yes, what Meiko and the others had obtained was a pair of rabbit ear bands.

And not some cheap party item. These were very well-made rabbit ears.

“These are for Lulu or Sasara!”

“They’d suit Meeko better!”

“That’s right!”

“No, I think Sasara or Lulu should have them! Let’s rock-paper-scissors for it.”

“No way. Meiko should wear them.”

“That’s right! No need for rock-paper-scissors!”

Unexpected betrayal!

And so, without further ado, the rabbit ears were placed on Lulu’s head.

The ears matched Lulu, who was wearing overalls, like some kind of joke.

“This is amazing! It’s like something out of a fairy tale!”

“Muah! Pyon!”

Puffing out her cheeks, Lulu seemed to think getting angry was pointless and hopped instead.

“Waaah, so freaking cute!”

“Y-yes, she is quite cute.”

Meiko’s excitement skyrocketed, and even Sasara, who had no complaints about how cute Lulu looked with the ears, couldn’t help but agree.

Then, Lulu tilted her head.

She hopped again, moving sideways as she landed.

Meiko tilted her head at Lulu’s mysterious movements but quickly realized.

“Do you feel like you can move faster?”

“Nyau! My body feels lighter.”

“Hmm, maybe it has a special effect. Then it’s perfect for Lulu and Sasara, who are close-range fighters. Oh, how’s your maximum mana?”

“Huh? Hmm… it decreased by 1.”

Meiko already knew that gaining passive skills could decrease maximum mana.

This seemed to apply to equipment with effects like [Agility Up] as well.

Mana was crucial for dungeon exploration, Meiko thought once again.

“Thank you, Meeko.”

“Don’t mention it. We’re comrades, after all.”

“Comrades… hehe!”

Lulu smiled happily at being called a comrade.

Her eyes, which changed expressions rapidly, grew larger with joyful laughter and narrowed with happy smiles.

Now, Lulu’s head was equipped with the ultimate weapon: rabbit ears.

The overwhelming cuteness of it all filled Meiko and Sasara with an indescribable emotion.

The mountain dungeon, true to its labyrinthine nature, had branching paths.

It wasn’t as maze-like as the loli labyrinth, but instead had long, winding paths.

At the end of these long paths, they sometimes connected back to paths they had already taken, or led to dead ends. The mountain’s twisted paths made navigation quite troublesome.

About two hours into their exploration, they found a treasure chest.

Yay! Meiko dashed toward the treasure chest.

A very dangerous move.

“It’s a treasure chest!”

As if introducing a proud friend, Meiko showed the chest to the other two, even gesturing toward it with her hand.

“Wow! It’s like a game!”

Lulu waved her hand up and down excitedly.

Meanwhile, Sasara tilted her head slightly.

“Shouldn’t we report this to the police or something?”

Amazingly, there was someone here who thought like Meiko.

A treasure chest found through a screen and one found in reality were, after all, a bit different.

“Sasara! Treasure chests found in dungeons are ours!”

Meiko made a grand announcement, to which Sasara responded with a nonchalant “Is that so?”

Huh, not as excited as I thought, Meiko felt a bit down. But seeing the treasure chest, she quickly smiled.

Hitsujiya Meiko, 15 years old.

Somehow, she had come to love treasure chests.

Without further ado, Meiko opened the chest.

As a dungeon veteran, she should have warned about the possibility of traps, but this loli was a terrible senior.

There were no traps, and the lid opened with a click.

Inside was a small cloth bag.

Could it be a magic pouch!? Meiko picked it up, but it seemed not.

The bag contained 15 unfamiliar coins.

“Money, maybe?”

Since the number was divisible, they split the coins into three groups of five and stored them in their backpacks.

They didn’t know the value of the coins, but this way, if anyone had to leave, they wouldn’t lose everything.

Meiko thought this was a neat solution, but Sasara and Lulu inwardly thought Meiko was quite meticulous.

With that, their exploration continued.

By this time, they had gotten used to dealing with the Pestle Rabbit.

Especially Meiko’s Water Bullet accuracy had improved.

Moreover, the mallet swords dropped by the Pestle Rabbit had been distributed to everyone, significantly boosting their overall attack power.

They had enough mana to resume [Synthesis Enhancement] and began gradually strengthening everyone’s equipment. Prioritizing Sasara and Lulu’s defense, followed by the mallet swords.

They also took photos of the beautiful scenery with their smartphones.

They didn’t neglect scouting, but without such pleasures, the tension in the dungeon would have been unbearable. A quote from dungeon pro, Meiko.

About four hours into their exploration, they encountered a new type of monster.

This time, the enemy was a 50-centimeter-tall Checkered Doll.

The fact that such a thing was standing in the wild was already terrifying, but the weapon it held made it even scarier.

It was wielding a katana with a blade about 30 centimeters long. The blade was thin, suited for a doll.

“””Eek!”””

Dolls + weapons are universally scary, as the three let out frightened voices in unison.

The three had the urge to hug each other, but the monster was right in front of them.

They had to fight.

“W-Water Bullet ready! You two, stay back and don’t let your guard down!”

“Me-meow!”

“Y-yes!”

Lulu and Sasara readied their mallet swords and crouched.

Since the [First-Floor Solo Clearer] bonus was still active, Meiko took the front line against this new enemy.

They had discussed beforehand and decided on this formation if they encountered a new enemy. Sasara and Lulu had hesitated, but this was the most logical arrangement.

The Checkered Doll floated gently.

So it’s that type, Meiko thought.

Like the Pestle Rabbit, the Checkered Doll flew at the speed of a brisk walk.

It couldn’t fly very high, staying around Meiko’s eye level.

First, fire a Water Bullet!

Meiko focused and shot a Water Bullet from her grimoire.

However, the Checkered Doll dodged it.

It rolled like a barrel to evade the Water Bullet and closed in.

“Wha—!? Ah, ah—!?”

Meiko had considered the possibility of the Water Bullet being dodged, but when her strongest attack was avoided, she panicked.

Flustered, she readied her mallet sword and prepared for close combat.

As soon as the doll entered the grimoire’s range, she swiftly struck with a high-speed grimoire attack.

The grimoire attack was much slower than the Water Bullet.

However, the Checkered Doll couldn’t react to the attack from directly above, and the strike landed.

With that hit, the doll dropped from Meiko’s eye level to around her waist, and Meiko immediately struck it with her mallet sword.

Meiko felt as if she had hit a stone, and cracks spread across the doll’s face. The terror doubled, but there was no time to dwell on it.

Meiko swung her mallet sword again, but the doll dodged.

At that moment, she struck again with the grimoire attack, slamming the doll onto the stone pavement.

Actually, Meiko had practiced this attack method at home.

A fusion of grimoire and swordsmanship.

It was something anyone could think of, but only those with a grimoire could actually do it.

Ahead of the world, she had begun training in this romantic new martial art, and Meiko had worked very hard.

Even after being slammed onto the stone pavement, the Checkered Doll didn’t drop its small katana.

Even a seemingly weak blade was a tremendous pressure for 15-year-old girls.

Too scared to get close, Meiko continued to strike with the grimoire attack.

After the second and third hits, the fourth one was dodged as the doll spun its body.

It then flew low, crawling toward Meiko’s feet.

The grimoire attack’s range was only two meters. Thinking she could finish it off with the grimoire attack, Meiko let her guard down and couldn’t react in time.

Half of its face, one leg, and one arm were already gone, and it was in tatters.

But as if determined to land one strike, it swung its katana horizontally with its remaining, oddly moving arm.

To Meiko, the doll’s face, with its neck twisted unnaturally, seemed to be smiling.

At that moment, water spurted from beneath the doll’s body.

Suddenly drenched, the doll froze momentarily.

But Meiko couldn’t take advantage of the opening.

Instead, Sasara reacted.

Sasara pushed Meiko back and stepped between her and the doll, striking the doll’s body with her mallet sword.

At the same time, the reactivated doll’s katana struck Sasara’s ankle.

“Sasara!”

“Shara!”

“Hyah!? T-this thing!”

Though her foot was slightly pushed back by the slash, Sasara frantically struck the doll with her mallet sword.

The doll soon disappeared in a flash of light, and Sasara dropped her sword, turning to Meiko.

“M-Meiko! A-are you okay!?”

“I’m fine! S-Sasara, are you okay!?”

Tearfully, Meiko crouched down to check Sasara’s foot.

Even as she was pushed back, Meiko had seen the doll swing its sword.

But Sasara’s foot was still intact.

Instead, her white jogging pants and the sock hidden beneath were torn as if by a saw, and there was a bleeding scratch on her ankle.

Given that her foot could have been severed, tears streamed from Meiko’s eyes.

“Thank goodness! Sasara, Sasaraaaa!”

“P-please don’t cry. I’m fine!”

Sasara flustered at Meiko, who was crying hard out of concern for her.

Looking to Lulu for help, Lulu also flailed her hands awkwardly.

“Idiot! I told you I can take one attack without taking damage, so I’m fine, waaah!”

Sasara made a face as if to say, “Oh, right.”

“I’m sorry. I forgot.”

“Sniff… but Sasara, thank you for protecting me.”

“W-we’re comrades, so it’s only natural!”

Sasara, who had been gently comforting Meiko, smiled shyly.

“Lulu, I’m sorry I couldn’t take advantage of the chance you gave me.”

“No, that’s just how it goes sometimes!”

In that moment, Meiko had been too flustered to do anything.

She had even thought about using [First-Floor Solo Clearer] and other unnecessary things.

Because of that, Sasara’s foot almost got severed.

Meiko deeply reflected on this.

Even with power, if she didn’t develop quick reflexes and judgment, things like this would happen.

Another challenge had arisen within Meiko.