CHAPTER 360

Formation Screen

Well, since Masaru is here and there are some minor adjustments to make, I figure now’s a good time to jot down a bit about our equipment and formation.

Egetsu Nakihito

Level: 18

Position: Frontline • All-Rounder • Leader

Equipment: Armored Beetle King Suit (Beetle King Suit + Giant Red Scorpion Reinforced Armor)

Weapon: Fire Wand (equipped to Beetle King Suit)

Other items generated as needed

Serai Machi

Level: 23

Position: Second • Self-Proclaimed Attacker (Actually a Tank)

Equipment: Fly Queen Suit

Weapon: Ultra Giant Pork Bone Hammer ×2

Nina Shizue

Level: 22

Position: Third • All-Rounder • Sub-Leader

Equipment: Red Scorpion Suit

Weapon: Hyper Excalibur

Masaru

Level: Unknown

Position: Rearguard • Attacker

Equipment: Rock Salt Belly Wrap Shield

Weapon: None

…Hmm, well, that’s the gist of it.

A formation of three humans + one beast. Naturally, the one leading the front is me, since I’m the most experienced in dungeons.

Masaru’s at the back not because I trust his wild instincts or anything, but simply because if he walks ahead, I can’t see past him, and he bounces around annoyingly. Plus, his thick tail forces us to keep some distance even when he’s behind us. Well, given that he’s been living wild in monster-infested mountains for a while, I figure he’ll be fine holding the rear.

All-Rounder as a position means someone who can handle both frontline and rearguard as the situation demands.

Obviously, that includes me, since I’ve been solo-diving dungeons. Unsurprisingly, Nina-san and I share the most similar combat mindset, and since I’ve been training her, our fighting styles are nearly identical.

Though, her tendency to wait and counterattack is very much her own flavor.

Either way, if I ever get too tied up fighting enemies at the front, Nina-san can step back, assess the situation, and give precise orders—which is a huge relief. This happened a lot during the second wave, too. So, I’d prefer her to stay a step back, keeping a calm eye on the overall flow.

As for Serai-san… well, uh, it’s like this.

Her condition—or rather, her emotions—are way too unstable. She thinks she’s an attacker, but she’ll whiff at the worst possible moments, so you gotta watch out. It’s safer to just think of her as a tank who draws enemy attacks.

That’s the gist of our formation. Next up, equipment.

My armor, as you’d expect, is the legendary, trusty, and romance-filled Beetle King Suit. A full-body exoskeleton that covers me from head to toe like an insect, ensuring safety and security.

figcaptionattachment__caption""Plus, thanks to its lubricating mucus layer, it fits snugly like a second skin. The flexibility is insane—it hardly feels like I’m wearing armor at all.

This time, though, I’ve added reinforced armor made from a giant red scorpion, which makes movement slightly stiffer. But that’s only noticeable during stretches or warm-ups. In combat, it’s barely an issue.

The reinforced armor is mainly attached to the chest, forearms, shins, and head.

The chest piece looks like something a football player would wear, but with a star-shaped protrusion at the center.

The top points of the star cover the neck and mouth modestly, while the side points jut out sharply over the shoulders, forming a V-shape that extends down the back. The lower points follow the ribs in a streamlined curve, designed not to interfere with the Fire Wand holstered between my legs.

The forearm and shin guards are bulky and sturdy—so much so that they could function as shields on their own.

As for the headpiece, I added that myself.

Yeah. While adjusting the Beetle King Suit’s cut for transformation, I modified the mask’s deployment mechanism, which ended up removing the built-in digital camera. So, I made a new crown-like headpiece that matches the reinforced armor, complete with a camera.

It slots right over the suit’s head, and since I designed it to look like a crown, it’s got this flashy red-and-gold "premium gear" aesthetic…

…Yeah, pulling off ninja moves in this getup? Not happening.