Chapter 2: As a New Adventurer – 04
Adventurer Level: 5
Weapon Skills
– Mace: Level 6
– Dagger: Level 4
– Unarmed Combat: Level 2 (new)
Armor Skills
– Buckler: Level 6
Physical Abilities
– Stamina: Level 7
– Strength: Level 8
– Speed: Level 7
– Explosive Power: Level 8
– Reflexes: Level 6
Sensory Skills
– Enhanced Vision: Level 5
– Hearing: Level 4
– Smell: Level 3
– Touch: Level 3
– Dynamic Vision: Level 6
– Presence Detection: Level 6
Mental Skills
– Composure: Level 4
– Thought Acceleration: Level 3
The next morning, I conducted my early training and headed towards the Great Rock Dungeon.
Despite having gone on a subjugation mission for one night, my body felt in perfect condition. I couldn’t help but think how much I would have wanted a body like this in my previous life in Japan.
With my level having increased, I could now navigate the third floor of the dungeon without taking any damage. Wanting to get accustomed to unarmed combat, I took down a Goblin using my bare hands (or rather, my gauntlets).
It seemed that the fourth floor was where the Boar Wolves would appear. Judging that I could handle it now, I descended to the fourth floor.
The fourth floor also had a dungeon structure that felt like it was carved from the same rock. Here, the Goblins would no longer be present. As I crushed Rock Lizards while advancing, I detected a significant presence with my Presence Detection skill.
It was a Boar Wolf. Upon locking eyes with me, it charged at me fiercely. It seemed that the only way to deal with its charge was to face it head-on. I gripped my mace with both hands and swung it down towards the Boar Wolf’s head as it charged.
With a perfect counter, the mace embedded itself into the creature’s skull, slamming its jaw into the ground.
Although I couldn’t completely suppress its momentum and ended up taking the brunt of its body, I managed to take it down without any damage.
The loot consisted of a magic stone and a chunk of meat. This was apparently the same meat I often ate in skewered form. I collected both and continued onward.
“Hey? Are you really down here all by yourself?”
I encountered a party I had yet to meet. It consisted of three teenagers, appearing to be in their late teens. The one who spoke was a lean boy, likely the leader.
“Yeah, I can manage on my own.”
“No way, there’s no way you can handle a Boar Wolf alone.”
“Not necessarily. If I can take the initiative, I can manage.”
Perhaps my words sounded confident, as the boy shrugged and said, “You’re crazy.”
“Whatever, it doesn’t concern us. See you.”
With that, they moved deeper into the dungeon.
Hmm, I don’t think it’s that crazy. With my skills and levels raised, and having gained sufficient experience, I should be able to handle it alone. Kisara, the receptionist, also mentioned, “If you’re E-Rank…”
…Does that mean I already possess the strength of an E-Rank adventurer?
No, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. After all, I’m not doing anything particularly special. It’s unlikely that I would become stronger than others just like that.
After wandering around the fourth floor, I found that the Boar Wolf only appeared twice in total. It seemed that their spawn rate wasn’t that high after all.
I considered heading down to the fifth floor, but if I did, I wanted to fight the boss right away. Perhaps I should wrap things up for today and use the remaining time for training.
“Huh? You want to fight the boss alone? Are you out of your mind?”
That night, when I tried to ask Kaim for information about the boss, he was clearly taken aback.
“Why the rush? You’re an old man; you should take your time. At least form a party first.”
“Yeah, I think Souji-san is strong, but taking on a boss alone is a bit much.”
Labelt also looked worried. Meribe and Ranan, the two women, nodded in agreement with his words.
“Of course, I’m doing it because I think I can. I want to acquire a special skill too.”
“I get that, but…”
“Are you aiming to be the strongest in the world or something?”
Kaim looked at me as if I were a painful sight. Being treated like that by youngsters was indeed tough.
“That’s not it. But it wouldn’t hurt to get stronger, right?”
“Well, that’s true. This town is laid-back, but in bigger towns, low-ranked adventurers get looked down upon.”
Ah, so that kind of thing happens too. Then I definitely need to raise my rank.
“Well, if you buy me a drink, I might share some information with you. Seriously, you’re a troublesome old man.”
“I’m always in your debt. I appreciate it.”
I thanked him and ordered a drink from the innkeeper.
The next day, I spent a hefty sum to buy higher-grade potions and had the weapon shop owner check the condition of my mace before heading back to the Great Rock Dungeon.
By the way, when I mentioned wanting to buy some Dark Metal rods at the weapon shop, the owner said they didn’t stock them. When I asked him to order two, he gave me a strange look.
The Goblins, Rock Lizards, and Boar Wolves were no longer a challenge. I smashed them down in one hit and progressed all the way to the fifth floor.
Arriving at the fifth floor, my backpack stuffed full, I noticed the walls had changed from brown to a grayish hue, giving off a distinctly lower-level atmosphere.
The weak monsters that appeared were almost the same as those on the fourth floor, and since I was the first to enter the dungeon today, there were no other parties ahead of me.
After following the map for a while, I spotted a stone door. It was about three meters wide and tall, resembling a larger version of a house’s front door.
This was the first artificial structure I had seen in the dungeon, and creating such a stone door would require a significant cost. It seemed to be one of the dungeon’s mysterious gimmicks.
“Alright, potions ready, armor secured, mace in good condition. Let’s do this.”
I confirmed aloud and pushed the stone door open.
Inside was a square stone room. It was more like a storage room than a regular room, with a floor area about the size of a basketball court.
As the door closed behind me, a black mist appeared from the other side of the room, and from within that mist, a monster emerged.
Just as the guide had mentioned and as Kaim had told me, it was a larger version of a Boar Wolf. Apparently, it was called a “Bear Wolf.”
“Don’t be scared; it looks bigger than it actually is,” I had been warned, but it did indeed look larger. The muscles around its forelegs were abnormally developed.
Moreover, it had not only fangs but also massive horns on its head… Huh? Horns?
I hadn’t heard anything about the boss having horns. After all, its name includes “Bear”…
“Please tell me this isn’t some special boss. I can’t handle a higher-tier boss…”
If it has horns, Kaim would surely have pointed that out first. Since he didn’t mention it, it might be best to consider this one a special boss.
Even if this turned out to be normal, it would just be a funny story later.
I shifted my mindset. As long as the base of the opponent was a Boar Wolf, my fundamental strategy wouldn’t change.
In any case, if I took that horned charge head-on, it would be the end for me. I could barely withstand a regular Boar Wolf’s charge, but the boss wolf in front of me clearly weighed over 200 kilograms. The weight difference was threefold.
Thud!
The boss wolf snorted and began its charge. It lowered its head, likely intending to thrust with its horns.
Just before the impact, I jumped sideways.
Of course, if I had just jumped normally, it would have easily reacted.
However, thanks to my heightened physical abilities from the Awakening and the power of my Explosive Power and Strength skills, I could leap about five meters in an instant.
The boss wolf, having lost sight of me, stumbled and came to a sudden stop, turning to search for me.
I waited for that opening. Closing the distance, I swung my mace at the boss wolf as it turned.
My target was… its legs.
I lowered my body and, while charging in, swung my mace horizontally.
Boom!
With a crushing blow, I shattered its left foreleg, causing the boss wolf to let out a pained howl. Yet, true to its nature as a boss, it didn’t stop there. Before it could lose its balance, it kicked off the ground with its hind legs and charged at me.
Taking advantage of my moment of vulnerability right after my attack, I was hit by that tackle. Fortunately, my armor absorbed the impact, but I was violently thrown back and slammed into the ground.
For a moment, my breath caught in my throat. But my mind remained calm, warning me to regain my stance.
I sprang up, and the boss wolf, now on three legs, charged at me with relentless determination.
I gripped my mace with both hands again and swung it down towards the boss wolf’s forehead as it closed in.
With all my might, I delivered a devastating blow that shattered the boss wolf’s skull. A tremendous feedback reverberated through my hands.
Yet, the boss wolf continued to thrash about. It swung its head wildly, trying to impale me with its horns.
It seemed I had no choice but to engage in a brawl, standing my ground.
Just then, I felt an unusual surge of energy coursing through my body. My vision turned red, and my consciousness focused solely on attacking.
“Fall… you bastard!”
I found myself shouting instinctively. I swung my mace down repeatedly.
The boss wolf’s horns dented my armor and slashed at my arms and legs.
My mace struck the side of the boss wolf again and again, smashing its infuriating horns.
Thud… Roar…!
How long had we been battling? With a final, agonizing scream, the boss wolf’s body collapsed heavily onto the ground.
After a moment, its corpse was absorbed into the dungeon floor, leaving behind a magic stone the size of a baseball and a magnificent horn.
“Haah… phew, I did it… right?”
My mind began to cool down. How strange; I had been so composed, yet I felt like my memory had faded at some point.
No, I faintly remembered. I had been attacking in a frenzy. It seemed I had gotten so excited that I lost myself. But I also felt a surge of power. Could this be a skill too?
“Ouch, I need to use a potion…”
My body ached from the impact, but it seemed my bones were fine. However, I had cuts all over my body, likely from the horns.
As I prepared to use a potion to heal, I suddenly felt a lightness in my body. It was a sensation I had never experienced before.
“Ah, so this is what Kaim was talking about.”
It seemed this was the sensation of acquiring a special skill. Now, what kind of skill would I gain? This excitement felt like a lottery.
After a while of stillness, knowledge of the skill began to flow gently into my mind.
“Regeneration… a skill that speeds up healing from wounds?”
Glancing at my arm, I noticed the wound was healing, just like when I used a potion. The speed was certainly slower than using a potion, but it was still extraordinary.
“Oh, it’s all healed. This is quite a good skill.”
It took about five minutes, but all the cuts on my arms and legs had vanished. I felt like I had seen characters with such abilities in manga, but I never expected to become one myself.
In any case, a skill that enhances survivability is extremely important. It seems there are no bad draws when it comes to special skills; I feel like I hit the jackpot with this one.
I collected the magic stone and the two horns and left the dungeon.
Of course, just because I had defeated the boss didn’t mean I would skip my usual training. It’s during the good times that the tough tasks become more manageable.