Steel-colored, with a dull silver luster tinged with red, the craftsmanship was also impressive.
“This is light armor. Are you interested in trying it on? It offers defense while remaining lightweight, so it won’t affect an explorer’s agility.”
The Clerk recommended their product with a beaming smile.
More importantly, although Hill said it was expensive, her gaze was still deeply drawn to the equipment.
Anyone could see she wanted it.
Eh?
Should one say Hill has good taste, or is this just her gamer intuition…?
“Can I touch it?”
“It’s fine. This item isn’t that fragile.”
With the Clerk’s permission, Siloque tried knocking on it—the sound was pleasing.
As expected of my little sister.
She casually picks out quality goods.
This light armor is decent early-game equipment, granting +10 agility. Among the beginner equipment you can buy in this commercial district, it’s one of the better choices.
The rest of the good gear requires hunting for materials, finding a craftsman, or opening treasure chests in the Dungeon.
If I’m not mistaken, the in-game price should be 30,000R, still affordable.
“How much?”
“After discount, 100,000.”
“How much?”
“100,000R, sir. Will you pay in cash or scan?”
Why are you selling beginner gear at such a high price?
“Why is it so expensive?”
“Please look here—the seam at the collar. That’s the maker’s signature. It’s a collector’s edition, so it’s pricier.”
What the heck.
A tax on gullibility, at first glance.
“I buy armor for defense and safety, not for collecting.”
“Even so… there’s nothing I can do. If you buy it now, we can give you a coupon for a discount next time.”
I’m definitely not coming back next time.
Siloque was at a loss for words at the Clerk’s explanation.
Another subtle addition after the game became reality.
“Brother, it’s fine if I don’t get this set. Let’s look at another store.”
With that, Hill returned the light armor.
Seeing the situation, the Clerk hurried to highlight its benefits—good ventilation, low maintenance cost, high collectible value, and so on.
“Hehehe…”
“Brother, why are you laughing?”
Compared to when I was a rookie, this is a pretty expensive price!
But now, to me, it’s nothing (barely).
Even though I should be saving up for skills, buying the best armor to protect my family is worth the expense!
Most importantly, it’s a great chance to show off as an older brother in front of my sister!
“I’ll buy this armor. Hill, go try it on.”
“Ehhhhh?? Brother, are you sure? This armor is worth three months of Dad’s salary!”
“When I first entered the Dungeon, didn’t you also lend me three weapons, Hill? It’s no big deal.”
Those three weapons were re-polished and placed in the Warehouse by Siloque as keepsakes.
Hill lowered her eyes.
“This is different… Buying a game you like and sharing it with others is a different feeling from receiving a game as a gift…”
Fine, Siloque didn’t understand.
Either way, both are freebies. What’s the real difference?
If a cute girl gives me something, I’ll accept it with open arms.
At this moment, while Hill was still hesitant, the Clerk was already at the register, printing the invoice…
So quick.
“It’s fine.”
“B-but…”
“Hill, don’t misunderstand.”
Siloque imitated Beiren’s tone.
“This is my investment in you. When you become strong enough to stand on your own, I’ll collect interest.”
“Haah…”
Hill sighed.
“Understood. If you’re so insistent, I’ll gratefully accept it, Brother! I’ll treasure it and use it to protect you. Thank you, Brother!”
She hugged the light armor she received, a sunflower-like smile blooming on her face.
Such a disarming smile—worth more than anything to Siloque.
Even if it’s a gullibility tax, once I sell the amethyst next month, this amount is nothing.
They bought some more items.
In addition to common supplies like Antidote and Recovery Potion, they also purchased monster-attracting items such as Silver Skullcap and N11 Rage Water.
Even a mosquito’s leg is still meat—Siloque figured it wouldn’t hurt to test whether wiping out a horde of low-level monsters could budge the stuck experience bar.
***
“Brother, this path isn’t like what I learned at the Institution. Why aren’t we there yet?”
“I told you we’d take the mountain trail, didn’t I?”
“No, Brother, you never said that.”
The two of them walked along a mountain path in the First Floor B Zone.
LV13 Siloque, with LV5 Hill, began his first sibling Dungeon exploration.
Hill wore knee guards and a tight-fitting chest plate, with armor covering only the elbows, wrists, waist, and other vital areas—a setup meant to protect essential spots.
Her feet were clad in sturdy Mountain Boots with strong grip.
On her wrist, she wore a Storage Bracelet with a 10-cubic-meter capacity.
It didn’t have as many functions as a Ring Chart, but its price still made Siloque wince.
The Combat Suit under Hill’s armor was a durable style.
Spending money on girls’ gear felt way more costly than spending on himself.
Siloque wore a dark brown coat over black pants and a shirt.
Because they chose to avoid the usual explorer routes, taking a detour meant it took more time.
Teleporting with the Ring Chart was nice, but some areas couldn’t use that function even if registered.
Since it was Hill’s first time, letting her familiarize herself with the path seemed best.
Watching his sister follow behind, Siloque appeared calm, but he was scanning the area with caution.
This was different from Cass or Bried. His sister Hill was a pure beginner and a rookie.
His own high level was reassuring, and except for instant-kill traps, nothing on the First Floor could threaten him.
But for Hill, danger lurked everywhere.
He was the only one who could protect her.
Along the way, Siloque shared plenty of Dungeon secrets with Hill, combining Bried’s knowledge and his own field experience.
“Waaah… As expected of you, Brother. You know so much. Even if you’re bad at games, your Dungeon trivia is top-notch.”
“Are you praising or insulting me?”
From Hill’s sparkling expression, it was probably respect. Probably.
“It’s just…there’s so much, I can’t remember it all at once.”
“It’s fine. Real combat will train your body and soul. Just remember with your body—that’s how I did it.”
“Ohh, Brother sounds like a real master. Please keep talking. I’ll take this as new game strategy info.”
Hill pulled out a notebook to jot things down.
He could have just sent her a digital file, but decided against it.
Hill was a newbie among newbies, so unless it was urgent, he’d let her learn and remember at her own pace.
***
“Waaaah! What is that—!! It’s so gross! Brother!”
Encountering a monster for the first time in real combat, LV5 Hill felt genuine discomfort.
She’d just vowed to protect her brother, but now she was frozen at the sight of her first monster.
There were plenty of more disgusting monsters in games, and she’d seen them during simulation training at the Institution.
However…
The stench, the tremor as the monster moved, the sounds it made—all this sensory data flooded her brain, creating a sense of pressure no simulation could match.
In a wide grassland area in the First Floor B Zone.
The creature that appeared from the grass was a plant-type monster, common in games Hill played.
To describe it in one phrase—”a walking flower.”
Its dark purple stem was as thick as a human arm, with multiple roots branching in a circle at the base, rolling to move.
At the top, a huge white flower resembling a sunflower bloomed, with a blood-red mouth full of teeth at its center—possibly poisonous.
Two thick vines extended near the middle of the stem, likely used for attacking like arms.
The Man-Eating Flower grinned nastily, swinging its arms—or perhaps tentacles—as it charged at Hill.
“Hang in there, Hill! This one is actually weak. Remember what I said: its weakness is the orange-yellow area beneath the flower. If you attack that, it’s easy to…”
“H-Hill understands, but… but—”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she couldn’t help crying.