Chapter Fifty-Six: Imperfections and Self-Protection

After returning to the apartment, Zhao Tianhe first took care of the ingredients Kaski had bought, then, sipping Pixie, practiced his sixth sense while waiting for Jerose to come back.

"You're back," Zhao Tianhe said, watching Jerose and the blonde human woman at his side. He brushed sand from his clothes and greeted them with a smile. "There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

"You should wash up first," Jerose advised, smiling wryly at Zhao Tianhe's appearance.

"Alright, just a moment." Zhao Tianhe nodded and went inside for a shower.

When he walked into the living room, Jerose was at the bar mixing drinks for the blonde beauty. Jerose had installed this bar out of his own pocket, and it now proved quite useful.

Seeing the situation, Zhao Tianhe knew it wasn't the right time for a conversation and returned to the beach to continue his training.

That evening, after cooking dinner and swimming with Elay, strolling among the little stalls, Zhao Tianhe yawned and went to his room intending to sleep. But Jerose came looking for him.

"Huh? I never see you around at night," Zhao Tianhe teased with a smile. "What, did things not go your way tonight?"

"Don't joke about things that couldn't possibly happen," Jerose replied confidently, shaking his head. "I only postponed my plans because you said you had something to discuss."

"Yes, I do, and it's not something I can easily say in front of ordinary people," Zhao Tianhe nodded. "I want to advance to Class B. With Artoria and Elay, especially now that Artoria's summoning duration has been extended, the Archer King and Elay together can ensure simultaneous appearance in aquatic environments..."

"I understand. You want to find a Class B dungeon with water and all undead and ghosts, right?" Jerose interrupted him, resolutely. "No."

"Why? Class B dungeons require a team, and besides, I..." Zhao Tianhe frowned.

"I've told you this before, and today's experience only proves me right," Jerose said, his expression serious. "Your survival ability is too weak! Did you see the mutation in today's dungeon? Abnormalities are even more frequent in Class B dungeons. With your current strength, you might not survive."

"Improving myself... I want to, but..." Zhao Tianhe sighed, frustrated. "You know, equipment is hard for me, and I've been learning and training magic as much as possible, but I can't even cast a second-level spell yet, not even enhanced perception. I can't grasp the timing."

Zhao Tianhe's method of sensing and releasing elemental spells had reached some limit. Elemental sensing was a perception attribute beyond the sixth sense, and Earth's inhabitants simply couldn't overcome their inherent deficiency in this area.

"If spells aren't working, then you'll have to take another path—like your perception," Jerose said. "Your perception is exceptional, stronger than some second-tier specialists! Your performance today with Miss Artoria proved that. I think, as long as you can maintain that level at all times, you could apply to enter a Class B dungeon."

It was obvious Jerose was referring to how Zhao Tianhe had helped Artoria avoid the ghost captain's gunfire earlier that day.

"Well..." Zhao Tianhe said, grimacing. "Actually, I can enter that state whenever I need to, but... not exactly whenever I need to..."

So Zhao Tianhe explained: he could only push his sixth sense to the limit when Artoria or Elay were in extreme danger.

"You value others more than yourself... What nonsense! You summoned heroes..." Jerose, hearing this, covered his face in agitation, taking several deep breaths to calm himself.

Zhao Tianhe was puzzled, wanting to offer comfort but unsure what to say. He didn't understand why Jerose reacted this way.

"Forget it. I get it. For equipment, I'll help you grind some, but for skills, you'll have to rely on yourself. What you need isn't the ability to protect others, but the ability to protect yourself! Once you fix this flaw, you'll meet the minimum standard for entering a Class B dungeon," Jerose said firmly. "Until you master the necessary skills, I absolutely, absolutely will not agree to let you enter a Class B dungeon!"

"Alright, I understand," Zhao Tianhe replied, discouraged, and returned to his own room.

Jerose watched Zhao Tianhe's back, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and murmured, "I won't make that mistake again..."

The next two days went on as usual, grinding through dungeons and hunting monsters. Notably, a certain elite monster had the decency to drop a silver piece for the gun rank, allowing Elay's skill in crafting gun chambers to advance by one level.

It bears mentioning that Elay was an honest and thrifty girl. Except during sleep and battle, whenever her mana was full, she'd instinctively channel it into her gun chambers. A mere ten chambers were far from enough.

"By the way, Artoria's working today, right? That swimsuit exhibition..." Elay strolled up to the second floor, absentmindedly fiddling with her skirt.

"Yes. Do you want to go have a look? It's true, shopping every day gets dull, and I'm busy cooking and clearing dungeons, so I never know where the excitement is. Today, let's go to the swimsuit launch," Zhao Tianhe said with a smile. "If you find a swimsuit you like, you can buy it!"

"Really?! Wait, you haven't finished paying off that installment, have you?" Elay seemed to have heard from Artoria about Zhao Tianhe's financial difficulties. Indeed, Artoria's royal appetite was expensive.

"No worries. Last time the boss dropped three gold coins as a subsidy, so you don't need to worry about money," Zhao Tianhe reassured her. "We just need to keep fighting monsters, growing stronger, and reaching the standard for Class B dungeons. Honestly, it's mostly my fault..."

"Don't worry, I'll persuade that knight with the bottomless stomach to eat less!" Elay nodded and started pulling monsters.

Since Artoria was spending all her Archer King summoning time at the swimsuit launch today, their tactics would revert to the usual.

The past two days had been easier; with the Archer King, Artoria could clear the second floor in fifteen minutes simply by shooting wildly alongside Elay's attacks.

After clearing the dungeon, Zhao Tianhe, with Jerose's help, flew straight to the swimsuit launch venue.

"Enjoy yourself. Too bad I have a date tonight, or I might try my luck with those eager models," Jerose said, nodding at several models gazing at him hopefully, then flew off.

Whether or not one possessed the Hero System, the status and power of a Grand Mage in this society made Jerose the most eligible bachelor in every woman's eyes. And after he revealed his identity as a summoner, few women could resist such allure.