The Earth-san Has Leveled Up!

2-13. The Cat Spirit’s General Store

The enemies are troublesome, but there’s no turning back now.

It’s past noon, and there are less than five hours until nightfall.

Not only is the world ignorant of the dungeon, but so are Meiko and her companions.

They have no idea whether five hours is too much or too little time to find a safe zone.

The enemies that appear are still the usual: the Pestle Rabbit (Pestle Rabbits) and the Checkered Dolls.

Sometimes they come alone, other times in pairs.

Moreover, just when you think it’s a single enemy, another one might sneak up from behind.

That said, dealing with enemies from behind is actually easier.

Since this isn’t a turn-based game, they can rush one enemy, take it down with the three of them, and then handle the other one.

However, encountering multiple enemies at once is a real pain.

Especially the Checkered Doll duo—they’re the worst.

Right now, that same duo is approaching again.

Meiko quickly prepares a water bullet, and the moment Lulu distracts them with her water art, she fires.

The water bullet hits, knocking back the Checkered Doll, and Meiko follows up with a grimoire attack and her pestle sword.

The Checkered Dolls stagger back if you land a hit on them.

Having noticed this weakness, Meiko keeps up a relentless barrage of attacks.

Meanwhile, Lulu uses her water art to startle the second Checkered Doll, leaving it to Sasara while she goes to assist Meiko.

With Lulu joining the fray, Meiko quickly switches roles.

She prepares another water bullet and fires it just as the combo knocking back the Checkered Doll is about to end.

Both enemies vanish into light almost simultaneously.

The three of them let out a sigh of relief.

Meiko dispels the water bullet she had prepared.

Doing this saves her from expending any magical energy.

“Having a blade really is scary, huh?”

“I’m desperately trying not to let them get close.”

It’s not that they can’t handle it, but the pressure is intense.

Even though the Checkered Dolls have short arms and weapons, they charge in like suicide bombers, making it feel like they’re the ones cornering you.

This time, what dropped were an obi and katana fragments.

They use the katana fragments to enhance Sasara’s saber.

Since magical energy consumption is high, they’ve been reducing the number of enhancements since entering the third layer.

That said, enhancing Sasara’s saber is essential, so they prioritize it whenever they have the chance.

And so, Meiko and her companions continue their descent.

The descent is just as maliciously designed as the rest of the dungeon, with routes that force them to climb before descending, even though the goal is to go down. Their fatigue keeps piling up.

They continue exploring for about three more hours after leaving the summit.

They find no treasure chests, and no rare drops either.

They have a rough idea of where they’re headed.

If they keep descending, they should reach a wooden bridge with vermilion railings.

It’s a bridge leading to the next mountain, and they could see it from the descent path.

They defeat enemies and fill in the map as they go.

The side of the mountain they’re on has shorter daylight hours, and by this time, it’s starting to get dim, embodying the saying, “The sun sets early in the mountains.”

Finally, they reach the bridge.

It’s a large bridge, about 100 meters long, spanning a sea of clouds between the mountains.

Meiko and her companions have climbed to the summit of the first mountain and are now descending the other side.

At both ends of the bridge stand particularly large vermilion torii gates, with a magnificent cherry tree beside each.

A small stream flows by the bridge, its waters disappearing into the sea of clouds.

They’re curious about what lies beneath the clouds, but that’s something best left to someone else. Poking a bush might bring out a snake, but poking the clouds might bring out a dragon, and that’s the last thing they need.

Beside the bridge, there’s a path that winds around the mountain, so they decide to check that out first.

Beyond a small bridge over the stream lies the long-awaited safe zone.

However, it’s completely different from the previous safe zone.

First, its appearance is rather gaudy.

There are banners reading, Weapons and Armor Available, Spirit Inn, and Famous Cherry Blossom Dumplings.

The three of them enter, feeling a bit excited.

“Welcome-nya~!”

They had expected it to be shop-like, but they weren’t prepared for the presence of an intelligent being.

It was a talking cat.

The cat was about a meter tall, dressed in a kimono reminiscent of an old tea master.

This cat was seated behind a counter just inside the entrance.

Having just finished slaughtering a bunch of Pestle Rabbit, Meiko tenses up, thinking, “Is this a new type of enemy?!”

Meanwhile, the pure-hearted Lulu and Sasara are delighted by the cat’s welcoming words. If Meiko hadn’t been leading, they might have charged right in.

Seeing their innocence, Meiko forces a clumsy smile, as if to say, “I’m not tense or anything.”

“Welcome-nya~! You’re the first guests in this dungeon-nya~! Nya nya nya~!”

Hearing the word ‘first’, Meiko feels a surge of joy.

Being first is a good thing. Having never achieved first place in anything sports-related, Meiko has always admired the idea.

“Um, is this a safe zone?”

“This is a general store-nya~. You can stay here if you pay-nya~.”

“Um, money? Will regular surface money work?”

“Surface money won’t work here-nya~. You need this-nya~.”

The cat shows them the mysterious coins they had found in a treasure chest earlier.

“This is the currency used in the dungeon-nya~. One of these is worth 500 Guineas-nya~.”

Meiko and her companions have a total of 25 coins.

That’s 12,500 Guineas.

“I see. So the unit is Guineas? How much for one night?”

“Not one night, but one session-nya~. You can stay for 12 hours-nya~. A party room costs 500 Guineas per person, so 1,500 Guineas for three-nya~. A shared room costs 600 Guineas for three-nya~. If you don’t have the money, you’ll have to camp outside-nya~!”

After asking for details, it seems the safe zone’s rules are the same as before—just with the added requirement of payment.

The 12-hour countdown only decreases while you’re inside the premises.

In theory, you could stay for just one hour a day if you wanted. That’s why it’s not called one night but one session.

Also, no matter how much you pay, you can’t stay longer than 12 hours.

Even if you camp outside, since it’s still within the safe zone, the time limit will still decrease.

Of course, not staying isn’t an option.

Meiko and her companions set down their backpacks, take out their wallets, and pay one coin each.

The party room and the shared room seem quite different, so they decide to splurge on the better room.

“Thank you-nya~! Your room is the Katsuo Bushi Room on the second floor-nya~. It’s one of our best rooms-nya~!”

Meiko thinks the room name sounds a bit fishy.

Lulu leans over the counter, resting her chin on it, and smiles at the cat. Behind her, Sasara fidgets, clearly wanting to touch the cat.

Seeing them like this, Meiko decides to chat a bit more.

“By the way, Cat-san, what’s ahead of us?”

“That’s classified information-nya~.”

“I see. Then, who are you, Cat-san?”

“I’m a shop spirit-nya~. We spirits run shops in various dungeons-nya~.”

It seems this cat refers to itself as “Nya~.”

Meiko hasn’t heard about such beings from the professor.

This means they either haven’t been discovered in other dungeons yet, or the professor is keeping it a secret.

In fact, based on what Meiko knows about dungeons, the need for an inn seems unnecessary.

As far as she knows, the Self-Defense Forces have cleared up to the 8th layer of the Loli Labyrinth, and each layer has a return gate. Moreover, once you’ve visited a layer, you can warp there directly from then on.

With such a system, there’s little need to stay overnight. You can map the layer, return, and pass the information to another team, allowing for 24/7 exploration.

“Have spirit shops not been found in other dungeons yet?”

“Nya nya~. It seems the dungeon near this one started getting busy yesterday-nya~. The shopkeeper there was lamenting how customers just buy things without staying-nya~. The other dungeons haven’t been discovered yet-nya~.”

It seems the Self-Defense Forces discovered the spirit shop in the neighboring dungeon just yesterday. A close call.

Meiko feels a sense of pride, thinking of the tough guys who doted on her.

Not staying overnight is likely due to the lack of necessity, as Meiko had guessed.

“So, is there a return gate here?”

“No-nya~. This is a special dungeon, so you need to go all the way to the end-nya~.”

“Seriously… Then, is there a boss at the end?”

“That’s classified information-nya~.”

“Ugh… Can I at least return?”

“You’re cutting it close-nya~. Nya~n… If you prepare your equipment and make the right choices, you can return-nya~.”

“What do you mean by ‘right choices’?”

“If I’ve been this cryptic so far, I’m not going to tell you now-nya~!”

Meiko nods, thinking, “Fair enough.”

“Sorry. Thanks for the info.”

Having been scolded a bit, Meiko decides to end her questions for now.

She thinks she’ll come back in a few hours to ask more.

“So, about the general store… Can we buy things here too?”

The banner outside said Weapons and Armor Available, and based on the earlier conversation, it seems shopping is possible. However, since there’s no sign of any merchandise, she decides to ask.

“Of course-nya~! This is a general store that offers both lodging and shopping-nya~!”

“What kind of things do you sell?”

“Nya~, for humans… here you go-nya~!”

The cat spirit hands them a booklet. Since it’s labeled “for humans,” there might be one for animals too.

The cover features a scene of infinite torii gates standing amidst falling cherry blossoms. The title reads, “Infinite Torii Dungeon: Spring Catalog.”

It seems this dungeon is called the “Infinite Torii Dungeon.”

There are plenty of booklets, and each of them gets one.

However, they can’t take them outside.

The three of them flip through the pages.

“Oh, how lovely.”

Looking over Sasara’s shoulder, Meiko sees a mannequin wearing hakama attire in the center of the page.

“Meow meow, ninja desu!”

Lulu says something similar, showing Meiko her booklet.

It features a mannequin dressed as a kunoichi, though not exactly stealthy.

Meiko continues flipping through her booklet.

It seems this dungeon’s theme is primarily Japanese-style clothing.

Given the “Spring” in the title, the designs are spring-like.

“All these outfits look pretty strong. Are dungeons always like this?”

“Each dungeon offers different merchandise-nya~.”

“By the way, are the weapons and armor here strong?”

“They’re all beginner-level-nya~. They’re the same rank as your grimoire and sword-nya~. You say they look strong, but there’s no point in making them look weak-nya~.”

“Well, I guess that’s true.”

Even cloth clothing can look elegant with high-quality dyeing techniques.

Since this isn’t a medieval European-style fantasy world, beginner-level equipment in Earth’s dungeons naturally looks strong.

“I can’t tell you the exact strength-nya~. You’ll have to test it yourself-nya~.”

“Can’t you give us a relative comparison?”

“Fine, I’ll tell you-nya~. It’s obvious anyway-nya~.”

According to the cat:

Surface-Made Equipment <<<< Spirit Shop Equipment < Equipment Made By Skilled Craftsmen.

There’s an overwhelming difference between surface-made and spirit shop equipment, even at the beginner level.

Meiko thinks the cat is surprisingly forthcoming.

“By the way, can we sell things here too?”

It’s not a question you’d usually ask at a regular shop on the surface, but this is a dungeon. Maybe they buy items like in an RPG.

Plus, their backpacks are bursting with drops.

“You can-nya~. What do you want to sell-nya~?”

Hearing this, Meiko sighs in relief and starts pulling things out of her backpack.

“Magic stones… these are 20 Guineas each, and these are 30 Guineas-nya~.”

Pestle Rabbit magic stones are worth 20 Guineas, and Checkered Doll stones are worth 30 Guineas.

Meiko and her companions sell all of them.

They have 154 Pestle Rabbit stones, totaling 3,080 Guineas.

They have 55 Checkered Doll stones, totaling 1,650 Guineas.

That’s 4,730 Guineas in total.

Pestle Rabbit pelts and doll obis and kimonos seem to be worth the same or more, but they decide to keep those.

Since they’re staying the night, they’ll have a synthesis session later.

“Would you like to make a spirit card-nya~? It costs 50 Guineas, but since you’re first-time customers, I’ll do it for free-nya~.”

“A spirit card?”

“Yes-nya~. It’s a card you can store dungeon currency in-nya~. You also earn points when you shop-nya~. It’s not very useful for humans who use item storage, but it doesn’t hurt to have-nya~.”

Dungeon currency, Guineas, comes in coin form.

Right now, it’s not a big deal, but they might end up with a lot of it later, and it could get cumbersome. Especially for animals, as the cat spirit mentioned.

“Then we’ll make one. Can we make two?”

“Of course-nya~.”

“Nya~u!”

And so, they have spirit cards made.

Meiko hesitates when told to drink a mysterious liquid to create the card, but seeing the pure-hearted duo gulp it down, she follows suit. It tastes like bonito broth.

“Now, chant ‘Spirit card, appear-nya~!’ and it will come out of your palm-nya~!”

“Spirit card, appear-nya~!”

“Nya~ is unnecessary-nya~.”

What a trap.

But the card does appear in their palms. Their bodies have been modified by the cat spirit.

It seems you can deposit money by placing it on the card.

Meiko and her companions divide the coins equally and deposit them into their spirit cards.

They had 12,500 Guineas from the treasure chest.

They earned 4,730 Guineas from selling magic stones.

After deducting 1,500 Guineas for the room, they have 15,730 Guineas left. Divided equally, that’s 5,240 Guineas each, with Meiko taking the remainder.

“Can we take the catalog to our room?”

“Of course-nya~. That’s what it’s for-nya~.”

It seems they can choose what they want in their room and then come back to buy it.

Meiko notices the prices of armor in the catalog that Lulu and Sasara are looking at. They’re surprisingly high.

Oh no, they didn’t have the luxury to afford a good room.

Swallowing her pride, Meiko asks the cat spirit.

“Um, excuse me, but can we switch to the shared room?”

“No-nya~. I want to brag to that guy that I put you in the best room-nya~. His shop only has shared rooms-nya~. It’s hilarious-nya~!”

“Wha—? For that reason?! Please, Cat-san, this is a matter of life and death!”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine-nya~! You can handle it-nya~. Besides, the good room comes with meals and a hot spring-nya~. The shared room doesn’t even have futons-nya~. See? No need to think twice-nya~?”

“Ugh…!”

The hot spring and futons are indeed tempting.

For Meiko, the food is just a bonus.

Pushing further might sour the mood, so Meiko gives in.

She resets her feelings of failure and shifts her focus to enjoying the room.

“Shall we head to our room then?”

At Meiko’s words, Lulu and Sasara look at her as if to ask, “Are you done talking?”

The two of them, who hadn’t interrupted, had been waiting for this moment.

“Hey, Cat-san. Can I pet you?”

Meiko thinks, “Oh no.”

This is the proper reaction for girls, she supposes. In contrast, she had only thought, “A talking cat? How fantasy-like.”

“We don’t offer that kind of service here-nya~.”

But the cat spirit coldly rejects Lulu.

Lulu looks dejected.

The cat spirit places its paw on Lulu’s hand, which is resting on the edge of the counter.

This is classic tsundere behavior.

“Um, me too…”

Sasara sits next to Lulu and rests her hand on the edge of the counter.

The cat places its paw on hers.

The two of them exchange glances and smile.

“Um, me too, please!”

The cat places its paw on Meiko’s hand.

It’s a firm yet soft, enchanting sensation.

Meiko can’t help but smile.