I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 97

Episode 97 

“This magic stone is essentially an empty one. It has been used as fuel before. When placed in water, it absorbs mana like a sponge.” 

“….…I see. I had no idea.” 

“It’s rarely used, like for purifying towns contaminated by abnormal species. Ordinary people hardly ever get a chance to use it.” 

Mana produced by abnormal species can make some people sick. 

While monsters rarely emerge outside dungeons, when they do, it tends to happen in clusters…… 

Saotome-san dropped the empty magic stone into the container and waited for a while. After measuring the mana, she nodded in satisfaction. 

“Yep, it seems the mana is gone for now.” 

“…That’s good to hear.” 

“Ah, refreshing! Well, with this, water shouldn’t be a problem. As long as the mana is removed, the water inside the dungeon is cleaner than most tap water. This place seems fine, too.” 

“That’s a relief.” 

“Well, I wasn’t too worried about water with Kanzaki-san here. Still, it’s important to confirm these things in case of emergencies.” 

“True.” 

With Rin’s ice ability, water could be secured indefinitely. 

“Huh? Me?” 

“You just create ice and wait for it to melt, right?” 

“…Oh… oh, right.” 

Rin’s eyes widened as if realizing something for the first time. 

……………It seemed she hadn’t thought of using her ability that way, and she looked a bit embarrassed. 

Well, it’s understandable. Sometimes, you can’t see obvious solutions on your own. 

“Just put some ice in a flask and wait for it to melt. Or, use the lighter we brought to melt it in a pot.” 

“……..I see. That makes sense.” 

Rin’s ability is seriously convenient. 

Like Kiryu-san’s ability, special powers can be useful in non-combat situations, too. I can’t help but feel a bit envious. 

“Now that water is secured… let’s start the main investigation.” 

“Understood. What exactly should we do?” 

Saotome-san stood up. She was holding her tablet with an excited expression. Her eyes sparkled—she seemed genuinely thrilled by this situation. 

“First, I’ll map out the distribution of mana density in this area. Then I’ll sample the energy present in plants and water sources. While I’m conducting the research, could you two fend off any monsters?” 

“Sounds like a good opportunity to train Rin.” 

“…Y-yeah. I’ll do my best.” 

Saotome-san pulled out a small mana-measuring device and began walking. Her eyes were glued to the readings. 

“The mana levels are low here. Compared to normal dungeons, this place is definitely unusual.” 

“Are the readings different from other dungeons?” 

“Drastically.” 

In response to my question, Saotome-san tilted her head slightly. 

“But the reason for that difference is unclear. Normally, the stronger the mana in a dungeon, the stronger the monsters it produces. Yet here, the mana is thin… Hmm… So many unknowns! It’s exciting!” 

………..She’s clearly enjoying herself. 

We continued the investigation while moving through the dungeon. I handled most of the monsters we encountered, while Rin trained by facing them one-on-one. 

Rin was just able to manage victories in one-on-one battles when giving it her all. However, as she fought more, her physical strength visibly improved. It was just as Saotome-san had mentioned. In time, she’d likely be able to win effortlessly. 

“…Amakusa-kun, have you ever thought about the energy in dungeons?” 

Saotome-san’s quiet question had a serious tone. It was different from her usual lighthearted demeanor. 

“Energy…? You mean mana and such?” 

“Exactly. The mana produced by dungeons—what we researchers call *maso*—is undoubtedly their energy source. The maso here is slightly thin, though. Yet the monsters are becoming more ferocious… It’s a puzzling situation.”

(Note: It’s something like “magic essence”, but I’ll shorten it to “maso”. It’s from the Chinese reading “mǎ sù” → Japanese reading “ma so”)

“…………Is that really how it is?” 

“Pretty much. maso is quite a dangerous substance. For instance… did you know there have been repeated experiments involving animals ingesting maso?” 

“…That’s news to me.” 

“What do you think happened as a result?” 

From Saotome-san’s tone and expression, it was clear the outcome wasn’t good. 

“……………Did they turn into monsters or something?” 

“Exactly. Animals that absorbed excessive maso eventually underwent abnormal transformations and became monsters. How this relates to the emergence of dungeons is still unclear. But human mana—our power—closely resembles maso. If it goes unchecked, there’s a real possibility of meeting the same fate.” 

I held my breath. In other words, a superhuman’s power is just a thin line away from being the same as a monster’s. 

“Is that really true?” 

Rin hesitantly asked. And Saotome-san shrugged her shoulders. 

“It’s still an unresolved theory. That’s why investigating the secrets of dungeons is so critical.” 

To me, the thought was chilling. But Saotome-san’s eyes were calm, with a fiery determination burning beneath their surface.