Nifonium dungeon, basement level.
　I hunted skeletons without a care in the world.

　I hunted all the skeletons in here, where all the A-ranked people had decided that there was nothing to be found.
　Every time I defeated one, something like a seed would appear, and when I picked it up, it would melt like a snowflake falling into my palm and I'd hear, "Maximum HP up 1.

　I intuitively realized that it was a monster-drop "status-boosting" item and hunted all over the skeleton.
　That was the 100th one - when the maximum HP was increased by 100, I had a good chance to kill it, and I wanted to know if its status had really increased, and how much it had increased.

　I think about how to try it.
　I went around the first basement floor, but they decided that this was a bad dungeon, so I didn't see a single Now Board.
　Well, I'll just go back to Ciclo - or maybe tellurian and use the free Now Board.

　With that in mind, I tried to get out.
　Just as I started to walk out, a person appeared from the corner.

　It was my roommate, Emily, a small girl carrying a big hammer.

'Good, you're still here, Yoda,'
What are you doing here, Emily?
Mr. Yoda didn't come back at night, so I came to check on him.
Night?
Yes, it's night.

　Emily nodded.
　'I didn't realize it was already nighttime, I didn't notice that at all.

'My internal clock is supposed to tell me when it's the last train. ......
Shuden?
Yeah, I'm talking to you.

'Is Yoda still here?　If you're here, I'll be leaving.
You wanna get out of here?　Why?
I'm going to pack a lunch and bring it to you.
I don't mind my lunch, but that's it for today. I'll come home with you.
Yes, sir!

　When I asked her to come home with me, Emily looked extremely happy and gave me a big smile.

　　　　　☆

　Emily and I headed for the dungeon exit.
　We were in the basement level of Nifonium, much deeper, and it took us a while to get back.

　On the way, we encountered a skeleton.
　It appeared from the ground as if it was crawling out of a tomb.

''Wow, so this is the monster in this dungeon.
'Yes, ......, wouldn't that be a good match for Emily?'
Oh, you may be right.

　Emily nods, motivation in her eyes.
　The skeleton moves slower than the slime.
　It sluggishly approaches, crunching its bones.

　Basically, it's as slow as your grandma's walk, but it can't be careless because it'll jump at you with a sudden acceleration when you're one step away.
　Still, he's usually slow.

　He's even slower than the slow, power-type Emily, and Emily has power.
　Even Skeletons would be able to attack first and crush her.

''Let's try it.''
I'll do it.

　Emily readied her hammer.
　Only the slime opponent that bounced around would get one shot and slam the hammer into the air in the nick of time, but that wasn't necessary for the skeleton opponent.

　Taking the initiative, she swung the hammer down from directly above and slammed it down first.

　Dogon!

　The sound of bones shattering hidden behind the sound of the hammer and the ground colliding.
　When I lifted the hammer, the skeleton was shattered.

'Yay, sir.'
I knew it was going to be a good match.
'Yes!　But I'm sorry, I've heard that nothing drops here: ......

　Emily was soaring with an easy win due to the chemistry, but the disappointment seemed to be greater because of it.
　If this is a proper drop, he thought he could make money here.

'I knew it wouldn't come out with Emily.
'What?　Everyone says they won't answer, right?

　Emily cocks her head and wonders.
　Rather than explain, another skeleton appeared at a good time, so I jumped at it with my bamboo yari ready.

　I've killed a hundred of them, and I've learned most of this guy's behavioral patterns.
　I efficiently blew its head off and then crushed it into pieces, making it drop seeds.

'It comes out like this when I take it down.
Yeah, yeah.
Yes, Emily, take a look at this.
'Yes, sir-- Huh?　I can't get it off.

　Emily grabbed the air as she tried to pick up the seeds on the ground several times.
　She looked at me with a troubled look on her face, I picked it up instead - I could pick it up normally.

'Can you pick them up normally if you're Yoda?
Yeah. How does that happen?
'None. Anybody can pick up a dropped item because it's just a thing. Otherwise, it can't be sold.
That too.
Oh, he's gone.

　--Max HP raised by 1.

Is there an item that gives you an ability?
What do you mean?
When I pick this up, I hear a voice telling me that my maximum HP is up one.
I've never heard of such a thing.
Don't you?
'Yes, sir. Because if there was such a thing, it would be very expensive - and rich people and princes would be the most powerful in the world.

　That's right.
　It's something I thought about when I used to play the game, and it's something I've actually done.

　I always thought that if there was an item to increase status, the richest person would be the strongest.
　And I actually put that into one character and played with it, making the weaker characters stronger.

　I always thought it was some kind of balance breaker thing that would break the balance of the world if it actually existed.
　And Emily clearly said it didn't.
　If it actually existed, it would be traded for a lot of money, those who use it would use it, and those who don't use it would make money and become a longing item with a shot at turning it around.

　It's something that shouldn't exist, there's no doubt about it.

　But it did, and now it's in my hands.
　I'm the only one who can drop it, and I'm the only one who can take it. ......

Let's go to ...... and see if the status actually goes up.
'Then go out front, there's only one place to check at the entrance of the cave.
Do we have one?
'I think that's what the people doing the research used to do. I think it will probably go away in time.
I see.

　I nodded and left the dungeon with Emily.
　We walked out easily without running into any skeletons on the way.

　It was nighttime outside, just as Emily had said it would be.
　I approached the now board set up in an inconspicuous spot near the dungeon's entrance and put my hand on it.

---1/2---
Level: 1/1
HP C
MP F
Power F
Strength F
Intelligence F
Spirit F
Speed F
Dexterous F
Luck F
--------- ...

'Yeah!　My level is still the same, but my HP is up.
Did it work?
Is this a result of that thing you just did?
Yeah, that's what happens when you take out 101 of them.
'It's amazing, I've never heard of anyone getting stronger without leveling up.

　Emily bounced her little body and looked at me with sparkling eyes.

　　　　　☆

　The next morning I woke up first thing in the morning.
　Emily had picked me up yesterday and I was able to get home at a normal time and go to bed at a normal time, so I woke up feeling pretty refreshed.

　And it's partly because of this room.
　When I rented this room, it had a musty smell and a draughty wind blowing through it. At that time, we chose this place just to be able to live in it.
　There was also the problem of budget.

　Now the house is warm, bright, and nice.
　A nice house that not only takes away your fatigue completely, but also fills your heart with happiness the moment you wake up.

　Suddenly I saw a little bird by the window.
　It was perched on the window frame looking at me.
　It's as if it wants to come inside.

　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that even the birds are attracted to Emily's house .......

"Good morning, Yoda. Here's your breakfast.
Thank you. Oh, an omelet.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir.

　The omelet I had made was fluffy on the outside and melty on the inside.
　As soon as I chewed it, the rich taste of the egg spread in my mouth, piling happiness on top of happiness.

'Feast, it was delicious!
Will Yoda be diving in Nifongnium again today?
Yeah, I'm gonna do that.

　If I can raise my ability, I'll go under until I can't raise it anymore.
　And then there's the floor below, once I've got my HP up, I'd like to go downstairs and see if I can't raise a different ability.

　So I'm going to stay in Nihonium today, and probably for a while to come.

　And just when I thought that much, I noticed Emily's worried look.

'What's wrong, you look like that?'
Um, please don't be too hard on yourself.
Rash?
Yoda, you are reckless. When I rented this room, ...... I looked so tired at the time.

　Yeah, that happened.
　Well, I'm used to that kind of thing, so it's a big deal.

I'm not going to run away from the dungeon, so if possible I'll come back at night. I'd be more than happy to do that too: ......
'What?　What did you say last?
'Nah, it's nothing. Anyway, I don't want you to take it too hard.
No? ......

　-- leaving work on time, you don't know enough about the working world.

　I just remembered something I didn't want to remember.
　A time I'd rather not remember.
　I shook my head and tried to forget it.

"Yoda?
All right, I'll be back before nightfall.
Oh ...... yes!
I'm out.
Have a good day!

　Emily saw me off and I left the house.
　I made up my mind to go home early today.

　　　　　Stars.

　I said I'd be home early, but I didn't say I wouldn't be reckless.

　I hid in the basement floor of Nifonium and hunted the skeletons at a terrific pace.
　I said I'd be back before nightfall, so I decided to go for it before nightfall.

　I blinked away the skeleton at the head of the encounter.
　Picking up seeds and running around the dungeon.
　And then blink and kill it at the encounter head - and then blink and kill it.

　The skeletons' movements and the points where they appeared gradually came into view, which made me more efficient again.

　Then, by the end of the day, I was able to raise the maximum value of my HP from C to S.
　When I arrived at the end of the day, Emily greeted me with a very happy smile.