I explored for another two hours and defeated 42 more goblins.
Thanks to the GobGobSlaSla Club, I'm happy that I can level up with amazing efficiency at quintuple experience, but I've finally hit the level 20 wall.
Morning session ends here.
"Status."
Status
Name: Sakura Kikyo
Class: Monster Tamer
Lv: 19 (Up 2)
HP: 51 (Up 5)
MP: 86 (Up 8)
SP: 9
Skills
Monster Taming 4, Monster Recovery 7
Tamed Monsters
Goblin Lv19, Slime Lv19, Goblin Lv19, Slime Lv19
Experience to Next Level: 1068
Since my experience gain efficiency is quintuple, if I can keep exploring the second floor at this pace, I can raise two levels per day even after level 20.
Even though it's called the level 20 wall, I can safely level up on the second floor as I am now, so there's no need to rush.
I could just keep fighting mindlessly without thinking, but...
"Let's try a little more ingenuity."
---
I sat down on the stairs between the first and second floors and started eating a rice ball I'd bought at the convenience store.
Monsters don't cross the stairs, nor do they approach them. The dungeon stairs are essentially a safe zone.
"Tuna is the best rice ball filling."
"Gyach."
"Gyagya."
The goblins reached out their hands toward me as if asking for a rice ball.
But of course, I'm not going to give them one.
"I'm not giving you any."
I'm not deliberately harassing them by eating in front of my tamed monsters.
Monsters are powered by the dungeon's magic energy, so they don't need to eat anything. I just didn't expect the goblins to show signs of wanting a rice ball.
Well, even if I had known they'd want one, I probably wouldn't have bought extra anyway.
I'm barely earning enough to feed myself. There's no reason to buy food for them.
Wanting my food when they don't even need it? What greedy creatures.
"You want some?"
"Gyach."
"Gyagya."
I have no idea what they're saying.
"I'm not giving it to you."
I held the rice ball out in front of the goblins, then pulled it back the moment they reached for it.
The goblins stomped their feet in frustration and shouted, reaching out their hands as if begging for the rice ball.
"Gyagyagya!!"
For some reason, one of the goblins went down to the second floor.
"What was that about?"
Well, his level is high too, so he probably won't get caught off guard by an enemy goblin.
Leaving him alone for a while should be fine.
I started eating my second rice ball slowly, making sure the remaining goblins could see me. Then the goblin who had gone to the second floor on his own came back.
He was holding a magic stone and held it out to me. He must have defeated a monster on his own and brought back the stone.
"You want to trade?"
"Gyach."
That's probably it.
Since when does a lowly creature have the concept of primitive economic activity?
No, I've never heard of goblins having that much intelligence. It's not that he originally had the concept of economic activity. He must have come up with it on the spot.
"Is it because I was tormenting them?"
Creatures evolve to adapt when placed under stress.
By tormenting them and applying stress, they might have adapted by using their brains and taking action.
Tamed goblins can't disobey their Monster Tamer. So instead of taking the rice ball from me, they probably thought of trading magic stones as a condition for me giving them rice.
Oh, come to think of it, they've seen me picking up magic stones. I can't say it's impossible they arrived at that idea.
Checking my status, I didn't gain any experience, so it seems tamed monsters can't earn experience when their master isn't nearby.
However, even if they can't earn experience, it seems I can use them to collect items.
When exploring higher floors, it might not be a bad idea to send groups of goblins to explore on their own.
"Fine. In recognition of your effort, I'll trade with you."
But I'm not giving away a whole rice ball.
"Here."
"Gyach!?"
I took a single grain of rice from the rice ball and traded it for the magic stone in the goblin's hand. The goblin who brought the magic stone ate the grain and started hopping around.
Is he happy?
"The exchange rate is one grain of rice for one magic stone. Remember it."
"Gyach."
"Gyagya."
When I said that, the goblins started running up to the second floor one after another. Rather than understanding my words, they probably figured it out from watching the whole sequence.
If my goblins bring me lots of magic stones during breaks, I can earn money without effort.
The automatic money collection system is complete.
---
From now on, I'll think of ways to harass them to train their intelligence. If they start thinking and acting on their own, I might gain some insights too.
I'm so efficient and high-minded, using even my lunch break productively.
That aside, first thing in the afternoon, I'll catch five more goblins.
The strategy I came up with relies heavily on the levels of the newly caught goblins, so I spent about two hours leveling them up normally with the GobGobSlaSla Club.
Even though my level has increased, I still can't run the whole time. Because I take short breaks here and there, my goblin kill count was 43.
Even if I could level up while running continuously, considering my own concentration wouldn't last, my efficiency per hour probably won't increase much more with my current method. So now, I'm going to implement a strategy to improve efficiency.
There is apparently a method where you let your tamed monsters explore the dungeon while you stay put, but that method isn't effective unless the Monster Tamer is within sight. Rejected.
"Hey, goblins. Two of you each, carry my legs."
"Gyagya." x4
The newly caught goblins clung to my legs, two on each side, and lifted me up.
They don't look like they're struggling, so running like this probably isn't a problem. I thought it was a stupid plan, but it's surprisingly stable.
The goblins carrying me like a portable shrine will serve as my legs.
"The rest of you, follow behind and pick up magic stones. You're the stone collectors."
"Gyach."
"You four carrying me, run in the same direction and explore the dungeon. Don't stop even if there's an enemy."
"Gyagya." x4
Oh? Ohhh!
They're running at about the same speed as when I run on my own. Could it be that these lowly creatures have more stamina than me?
How insolent. I'll make them run until their stamina gives out. When they get tired, I'll use Monster Recovery on them.
If I'm restoring stamina instead of HP, it won't consume much MP anyway. The right move is to use it aggressively.
"Good, good... Enemy!!"
"Gyach... Gyaaa!?"
A foolish enemy goblin appeared before us.
The enemy goblin screamed at the sight of us and panicked pathetically.
Well, seeing me with goblins sprouting from my legs, holding a GobGobSlaSla Club and charging at high speed, he probably thinks I'm some new type of monster.
Come to think of it, anyone would be scared.