Madness of the Blue Blood Labyrinth - Chapter 20

Rize, unexpectedly flush with cash, decided to treat me to a meal. We ended up at a 24-hour steakhouse.

Nothing beats a pound of steak after a dungeon run. It reminds me of reading old fantasy light novels, where adventurers would savor a drink after completing a quest.

And now, here I am, experiencing that same satisfaction as those characters.

Though I can’t actually drink alcohol—just one sip would be a disaster.

—

“Calories, calories… I need to stock up before the next attack,” Rize muttered.

“Must be rough having a skill with such weird drawbacks,” I replied.

“Even an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet would be canceled out in one swing. For me, *Womb Proclamation* is just as wonderful a skill as *Purge*.”

—

The sauce splattered on her favorite knee-length hoodie sizzled for a moment before vanishing without a trace.

Apparently, her *Purge* skill, like *Astral Form*, also works on clothing.

—

“It’s wild how it doesn’t just keep your clothes clean—it even prevents garlic breath after you eat.”

“I told you, right? Every time it shows up at an auction, it causes a bidding war. It’s consistently ranked in the top three most popular skills among female Seekers.”

—

I can see why.

This skill turns the concept of “fashion requires sacrifice” completely on its head.

—

As we finished eating, Rize suddenly asked, “By the way, Tsukihiko, do you have any plans for the near future?”

—

“I plan to finish my reports on *Introduction to Social Welfare* and *Food Hygiene* by tomorrow,” I answered.

“I wasn’t asking about your course credits.”

—

Course credits are important, though. I do intend to graduate, after all.

Dropping out and failing to balance life as a Seeker and a student would make me the laughingstock of everyone I know.

By the way, what does *ajarakamokuren* even mean? It sounds ridiculous, so I assume it’s an insult, but with my phone still broken, I can’t look it up.

—

“I’ve been thinking about moving my hunting grounds to the 20th-floor range. The earnings are on a whole different scale.”

—

Huh. In the Kofu Dungeon, even the floors in the teens can net you around 80,000 yen in a day if you put in the effort.

—

“Got your eye on some fancy bag or something?”

“I could buy a bag with today’s earnings. I’m after a skill.”

—

Physical attack immunity, impurity immunity, situational but versatile detection abilities, and high-powered, wide-range attack skills that can’t be spammed.

She’s already got an impressive lineup of rare and powerful abilities. What else could she possibly want?

—

“I want a skill that stops aging.”

“Ah, I see… That kind of skill usually starts at a billion yen, right?”

“Exactly. If it means staying young forever, that’s a bargain.”

—

Ah, women. Truly a mysterious species.

For the record, my *Twin Blood* skill keeps my physical and mental fortitude at their peak. It also locks my body’s age in its prime.

In other words, I’m ageless. That kind of effect sometimes comes as a side benefit to certain enhancement skills.

“But I can’t handle it alone,” Rize admitted. “The 20th-floor bosses are a hassle, and I’d need to stay overnight in the dungeon.”

The 20th-floor range of the Kofu Dungeon typically requires multi-day operations. Camping solo in a creature-filled dungeon is extremely risky.

“So, if you’re okay with it, how about the two of us tackle it together when you’re free?”