(3rd person PoV)
"Blanc, you may've thought of it already, but before we start recording anything, I want you to add a procedure section in the notes. That will help us remember things about these experiments better" Henryk pointed out.
"I will, noble father" Blanc said.
(Line Break)
(AN: For your knowledge, the experiments are recorded on separate sheets. That is why you will see names being mentioned in full at least one time in any experiment they pop in)
Skills' experiments:
Experiment#6:
This experiment was conducted to find how wide and high [Claim] can reach.
Procedure:
Ouros Williams would attempt to stretch the limits of his skill to the edges of the seventh floor.
Results:
Ouros was able to cover every corner of the floor with his skill, but he was tired afterwards.
Conclusion:
Hidden gains are the knowledge that the skill did not have a uniform shape and that monsters could not spawn inside an area affected by the skill. The claimed area could take any shape.
There was a stamina toll for the skill. It was proportionate with the size of a claimed area.
Experiment#7:
This experiment was conducted to know what shapes the areas affected by [Claim] could be manipulated to take.
Procedure:
Ouros Williams would attempt to shape the area affected by [Claim] even after it was set to a shape.
Results:
Ouros could manipulate the shape however he wishes to.
After a number of times the area's shape was changed, Ouros was gasping for breath.
Conclusion:
A more complex shape and a continuous usage of the skill is possible but at the cost of excessive fatigue.
Experiment#8:
This experiment was conducted to observe how many areas could be affected at once.
Procedure:
Ouros Williams would attempt to claim the areas individually, one by one.
Results:
Ouros's limit is currently observed to be 5 areas.
After attempting to claim a 6th area, Ouros lost all energy and collapsed to the ground.
Conclusion:
The 6th area seems to be a barrier of sorts. It costs more energy to form it. Further experiments will be conducted at a later date, seeing as the results are satisfactory for now.
It was also found that the number of claimed areas increases the stamina toll.
Experiment#9:
This experiment was conducted to observe if areas affected by [Claim] could be nested inside each other to form a safe area.
Procedure:
Ouros Williams would attempt to create a circle, then cover it with a bigger, hollowed circle. The hollowed circle would be as thin as possible.
The inner area is meant to prevent monsters from spawning while the outer area is meant to prevent monsters that entered it from leaving. This effectively makes the inner area a safe area.
Results:
The creation of the safe area was a success.
Conclusion:
The outer circle acted as a barrier to prevent monsters from entering the inner circle.
A bonus was that monsters that touched the outer circle were stuck in it. They could never leave it in either direction.
Experiment#10:
This experiment was conducted after Henryk Williams suggested throwing projectiles at the barrier of the safe area.
Procedure:
Ouros Williams would attempt to prevent the projectiles Henryk throws at the barrier from passing through.
Results:
The projectiles passed through the barrier. There was no way to prevent them from entering using only the barrier. Even the dead bodies of monsters passed through.
Conclusion:
A barrier against projectiles was an impossibility with only [Claim]. Another skill is needed to compensate for this lacking side of the skill.
Experiment#11:
This experiment was conducted to observe if there was a way to form the physical barrier using monster corpses.
Procedure:
Ouros Williams would attempt to reshape the outer circle around the corpses of many types of monsters. Noland Williams would then attempt to pierce through with an arrow.
Results:
Results varied.
The stronger the monster when they were alive, the better the corpse acts as a physical barrier.
Hard armored were found to be the best for floors down to floor 12, the party did not proceed to lower floors during the experiment.
It should be noted that the corpses were going to fall down after being shot through.
Conclusion:
A possible threat is any passing poison moth, which could spray poison on the individuals inside the safe area as its poison is a form of projectile.
Experiment#12:
This experiment was conducted to observe how exactly the dungeon reacts to the effects of [Claim]. The previous results of experiments from number six and upwards are recorded here as well.
Procedure:
Ouros Williams will put an area under the effect of his skill, [Claim], and leave it like that for as long as possible.
Results:
The dungeon's reaction started mild.
It's only reaction at the start was spawning a few more monsters than usual.
After what was observed to be 15 minutes, the dungeon started spawning more monsters than before.
After another 15 observed minutes, the spawning rates of monsters soared higher. The party had to retreat into the safe area to avoid any unnecessary fighting.
After an observed hour has passed, the dungeon started spawning monsters with abandon. There was no stop to them.
After an observed 3 hours, the dungeon entered a cooldown state. It resumed spawning monsters with abandon after only 15 observed minutes. This time, it continued spawning monsters for another 3 observed hours.
The dungeon entered a second state of cooldown for another 45 observed minutes.
After a total observed time of 7 hours and 30 minutes, the dungeon started by spawning its first black monster, an infant dragon. The wave of endless monsters continued for an observed four hours and a half.
After a total of 12 observed hours, the dungeon was exhausted. There were no more monsters spawning on the entire floor.
After waiting for another observed hour, there were still no monsters.
Ouros reported feeling more exhausted as time went on, faster than before taking the magic stones.
Conclusion:
Fighting level one monsters in such high quantities requires the presence of at least 6-8 level two kobolds, if not more. That is the bare minimum safety requirement. Any lower than that and you are running the risk of the entire party perishing if things go out of control.
Healers or a larger-than-normal supply of potions are also recommended to accommodate for situations where one is injured.
Magic stones were confirmed to be temporary solutions. A long period of rest or an increase in endurance is required to maintain the skill for longer durations.
(Line Break)
Magic experiments:
Experiment#1:
This experiment was conducted during Experiment#12. It is meant to record the usage of [Mystical Feathers].
Procedure:
Ray would attempt to chant her magic and attack a monster by gliding towards it.
Results:
The immediate effect downed on Ray. Her mind reserves were almost half empty from only one use.
The monsters' limbs that were struck by the enchanted feathers had them pass right through.
The struck limbs stopped moving for good. Once all four limbs were disabled, monsters thrashed around helplessly.
If the heart or the magic stone were to be even slightly nicked, the monster dies and the magic stone shatters.
Conclusion:
A definite answer may not be present now, but the spell seems to be highly effective at killing monsters regardless of physical defenses.
As the test subjects were equivalent in strength to level 1 adventurers, it is assumed that stronger monsters might be able to resist dying immediately.
(Line Break)
"Are there any more experiments, big bro?" Welf was getting impatient at this point. Although he and Bell were given the leeway to fight monsters to raise their stats under supervision, it was too much to be in the dungeon for more than half a day.
"Well, I guess we were here for far too long, huh? Mont, can you escort Welf back home with his share? We will give him the remaining drop items after finishing our experimenting" Henryk said as he was dislodging his mace from a monster's skull.
"You.... will continue?" Mont was at a loss for words. He put up with it because it was important, but they ran this one long. It was high time they went back.
"I'm too invested to know more about this place and its reactions. And we're about to finish the ones that require being in the dungeon anyway. We will follow you shortly after" Henryk said.
"I want to have a look at the papers later, father" Mont requested from him. He hated not being in the know about things that could make the difference between life and death.
"That was the plan, Mont. Be wary of alleyways. Avoid them if you could, at all costs" Henryk walked away, accompanied by Ouros, Blanc and Noland.
Ray also followed. She was quietly observing, knowing more about her place of birth. It was a peculiarity to her, for someone to intentionally stimulate the dungeon directly.
Normally, people made either of two things to manipulate monsters' behaviors, not the dungeon's. Monster lures and repellants were known to the public, but there was no item to directly interfere with how the dungeon works. This was far beyond groundbreaking.
"*yawn* Sorry, Henryk. I cannot go on anymore. I am sleepy. I could not sleep well last night" Bell was already trying to rub the sleep away from his eyes.
"Take this sleepyhead with you then" Henryk handed a sleeping Fey to him. She ignored the place she was in and left any and all responsibility to her younger siblings.
Bell took Fey with him, something he soon comes to regret doing, dearly so.
"Should we do a few more things before calling it quits?" Henryk said as he looked at Blanc for answers.
"I would love nothing more, noble father" Blanc almost bowed his head before he remembered Henryk barring them from doing so, not even to him. He settled it by nodding his head slightly while a hand rested above his heart, a gesture Henryk accepted.
"What do you say, the three of you? Would you want to go for a last stretch?" Henryk took care to take the consent of the remaining party members.
"It is a responsibility I shoulder willingly, and I ought to see to it myself, father" Ouros stood his ground. He was going to see it through to the end so that he could be a better leader. He accepted this responsibility when he could have said no. He was determined to become better at it.
"I... want to continue, father" Noland said that in a slightly more confident tone.
'Just look at 'em go! He just got a bit more confidence there!' Henryk was secretly glad. Noland needed that confidence to accumulate to balance out his shyness one day.
"I will stay with you here. I naturally need to guard you as our only hope for now" Ray was going to end it there, but she decided to clarify something. "That is the excuse I am using to stay with you as you uncover truths about our birthplace"
'I will have a talk with her later in private' He thought before turning to the girls.
"What about you, young ladies? Anyone wants to get home to rest?" He said.
"Nah! Resting's for the weak!" Olympia said, fully knowing that it will bite her later. If she got tired, she was weak. It was no shame of hers.
The other three girls expressed their desire to continue as well.
"Alright then, let's continue!" Henryk hid his thoughts behind a mask of enthusiasm.
(Line Break)
"And we're done! Now, we can return home and test the effect of magic stones on you tomorrow!" Henryk was getting excited by the prospect of uncovering the mechanics behind his skill.
'I need to consider familiarity with one's own strength. If they grow too fast, their combat proficiency would fall short because they might lose control over their power. It could also be because they will rely too much on excessive force to do things. I hope they don't' It was a trait that rubbed on him from the walking-spoiler, who was an RPG status maniac.
He invested a lot of time to drill the importance of being efficient in investing in the best methods to increase one's stats. With that came the side that fantasized about 'what if's. A 'what if' that throws you in a realistic situation had the two of them sit together and discuss the importance of actually training, not just power-levelling to increase the stats. That will cause nothing but harm in the long run.
They swiftly dealt with any monsters that showed up and returned to the church.
"Although I wanted to do the experiment now, it's getting late. We need to sleep" Henryk changed his mind after noticing how his eyes wanted to close themselves shut.
"Umm" Noland hummed with a nod in agreement.
"You can go to sleep while I finalize the experiment sheets with Blanc. Sweet dreams, Noland" Noland stood up, looked at Henryk as if hesitating to say something, opting to not say it then hugging him briefly and rushing inside to hide and sleep.
"Remind me, Blanc, how old are you?" Henryk said while reviewing the papers.
"Hmm?" Blanc was a bit hurt that Henryk does not remember, but he brushed it aside for now. "We are less than a month old, noble father"
"No, I meant mentally" Henryk said. With Henryk's words, Blanc reprimanded himself internally.
"Most of us are adults. Though, some have developed a child's mental state" Blanc said while thinking of Fey and Noland.
"Noland seems to have something in between. He looked like a child who tries new things, that feels awkward to him, after seeing others around him do them. That's something characteristic of a child" Blanc said.
"Noland did seem to feel a little awkward on many fronts" Henryk agreed.
"But that doesn't matter. Time will solve this one naturally. We should leave him grow out of it with age. Hopefully, his shy nature may also disappear gradually as he grows up mentally, that giant puppy" Henryk said.
"Not... a puppy..." Noland was barely poking his head from behind the door's frame. He immediately went back inside when their eyes met.
They entered to see Gladia standing guard as it was her shift. She grabbed Noland, who looked like he was searching for an escape. He was forced to accompany her on her guard duty in place of Mont, seeing as Mont was only now laying on his mattress.
Henryk paid no mind. They were brothers and sisters. He should leave them to each other's devices at times to leave them the room to get closer to each other.
Looking for Fey, Henryk found her unconsciously licking a very awake Bell. His face was covered to the brim with Fey's saliva.
'Cute' Henryk fawned over his daughter. He lifted Fey up, who remained sleeping, and laid down with her snuggled close to him under the blanket, in a position where she had room to breathe.
"Ray, what're you doing? Standing over there?" Henryk called out to Ray, who was standing a few steps away from the bed.
"I do not feel sleepy right now" Ray said, looking away.
"... So, that's the plan, huh? To get me used to it and then make me yearn and ask for it?" Henryk said.
"Yearn and ask for what?" Ray said. Henryk's words confused her a bit. She did not pick up on what he meant immediately.
'It's embarrassing to say it but fuck it. I'll say it' "You got me used to you sleeping in the same bed. Now, you come here. Your feathers make the bed feel warmer, I can't sleep well without them, even if it's only a few days since I experienced that luxury" He grabbed the edge of the blanket and made space for her to lay down.
Ray smiled softly at that and got tucked in.
'He has gotten good at holding back his blushing. But it seems like he was just suppressing it. His ears are red' Ray noted as moonlight shed into the room, illuminating it enough to see such things.
'I always hated drastic changes, including the sudden addition of a woman who I need to maintain a relationship with. I don't hate Ray herself, but the fact that her existence was sudden to me. Now, I feel like making her go away would be even more of a sudden thing. This's bad. I'm falling deeper into a rabbit's hole' He welcomed falling down this particular rabbit hole. He wanted a family, and Ray has become part of that.