Defense specialization and eight layers five.
Several days passed. As Iz had predicted, the parts for Sally had been gathered, and she could now operate without restriction even at a deeper level. Following the plan, Sally reinforced her diving suit and immediately set out toward a corner of the guild home.
"I'll take a look. It's still within the Town, so monsters shouldn't appear, I think."
Still, given the unusual specifications, it was better to remain cautious.
Sally took a single deep breath and descended the stairs leading underwater. The room resembled the one she had explored during her part-collection, with multiple chambers connected to it.
Holding a dagger in one hand and moving forward while checking safety, she entered one of the chambers. There stood a stone shelf, lined with flat slabs arranged neatly upon it.
"Books… can't be kept underwater, so this must be stone tablets."
Some tablets were ancient, others newer, inscribed with details of the rising water level and the source of the geyser, recording the layer’s formation.
“This geyser might have become a dungeon. This one… symbols?”
Several tablets bore only sequences of symbols. Sally could not discern their purpose. Yet, as she examined the room, she began to identify certain locations where fragments of past information suggested hidden significance.
“For now, this seems plausible. Deeper… perhaps not possible yet.”
She halted again after descending a few steps, blocked by a restriction. Sally turned back. The guild’s lower levels seemed designed to reveal clues in stages. The eighth layer, unlike previous ones, could not be explored blindly. Clues had been provided for that reason.
The Town had no monsters within, so Sally returned safely to the surface without incident.
“How was it, Sally?”
“A stone tablet, instead of a book. Some hints about dungeon locations. Symbols were arranged, but unreadable in places. Perhaps it was a map, or something similar.”
“I see. So we’re to use these clues to dive straight into specific spots.”
“Dungeons deep within won’t be reached by going straight, that’s for certain.”
“Then I’ll share this with Maple and the others.”
Sally sent the photos she had taken to the seven. She relayed her plan moving forward.
“If my guess is correct, a dungeon or a rare item event will be found at the next deeper level. I’ll gather parts while keeping an eye on things.”
“Got it! Be careful, Sally.”
Yes, I’ll retreat immediately if it seems dangerous. Water combat is difficult.
After a short wait, I’ll be able to explore with the guild members. If it seems risky, eight of us together will be best. That way, even a moderate boss will be unable to act.
I’ll expect the number of parts collected to increase.
If that happens, the next upgrade will be Iz. That’ll be faster in the end.
Sally can serve as guard. Second place is acceptable. The main exploration will come after the diving suit is fully upgraded. It will still take time to reach the surface again.
I’ll gather parts, but I’ll also take a look around the Town. It’s easy to focus only on the water. If I find anything, I’ll call everyone. I’m not confident fighting alone.
Is that so? With a magic tome, you can manage fairly well...
“Fufu, I’d rather save that for later. Well, nothing might turn up, so just wait without expectation.”
Kanade says this, yet there is something more than mere wandering in her intent. It is unlikely that thoughtful Kanade would undertake an action she expects to be pointless.
Thus, from here, each proceeds to gather basic components while simultaneously beginning to explore deeper regions, in search of rare items and rare skills.