“What do you want to be when you grow up, Lua-chan?”
“I want to be an Adventurer!”
“Eh, that’s dangerous. Dad said many people have been killed by monsters.”
“But staying in the village forever is boring!”
I stood up and threw a stone that had fallen at my feet into the river. I intended to skip it across the water, but I failed.
However, Kurinka-chan, who was next to me, either noticed or didn’t care, and continued to speak. Her silky blonde hair danced in the wind.
“Is that so? Then maybe I’ll follow you, Lua-chan.”
“But you just said it was dangerous!”
“I think I’ll be fine if I’m with you.”
As the sunset cast a warm glow on the water’s surface, our calm conversation before dinner was a daily routine.
After this, we would each return home, eat dinner, and sleep in our warm beds.
That was the plan.
The houses turned a deep red.
The wooden walls creaked and crumbled.
Flames surged, threatening to scorch the sky.
The villagers fought with hoes and sickles, but they were mercilessly pierced by the monsters.
Creatures I had never seen before.
I screamed.
My father, my mother, Kurinka.
We all fled in terror.
A monstrous being, hideous and gigantic, blocked our path.
Just as the monster raised its arm to strike, it was severed and flew away.
“Run away, quickly!”
A traveling swordsman who had been passing through the village came to our aid.
He urged me to escape with a strong voice, repeatedly telling me to run.
“Don’t worry! I’ll save everyone!”
Looking back now, I think that was just a way to give me the resolve to flee.
When I turned back for just a moment as I ran, I saw that scene.
A One-Winged Demon attacking the swordsman…
////
When I woke up, I could hear the gentle sound of a stream.
Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I finally realized I had returned to reality.
It seemed I had fallen asleep the moment I stepped outside the cave, exhausted.
Thanks to the items I had, returning from the 100th Underground Floor was a breeze, so it wasn’t that fatigue.
After defeating the King of Destruction, I found a plain Ribbon in the treasure chest hidden deep within.
It was amusing to think that such a terrifying creature was guarding something so trivial.
It might have some effect, but for now, I had no idea what it could be.
“Today, I’m finally setting off from here.”
This dungeon, stretching down to the 100th Underground Floor, was surrounded by towering mountains, creating a mystical atmosphere that felt like no one would dare approach.
How a child like me managed to arrive in such a place was becoming increasingly unclear.
“First, let’s get out of here. That’s the plan.”
After a light warm-up, I dashed through the trees.
I leaped over cliffs and ran without caring about the slopes.
Compared to the path to the 100th Floor, this was so easy; I was taken aback by how simple the outside world seemed.
At that moment, something black leaped out from the bushes.
【Hell Bear appeared!】
So there were monsters in the outside world too.
But I wasn’t scared at all; this was probably a level I had already fought at the 10th Floor.
【Hell Bear raised its massive arm!】
I stopped it with one hand. I didn’t even need a weapon for this.
With my left hand, I formed a fist and struck the monstrous bear.
【Lua’s attack! 3022 damage dealt to Hell Bear!】
【Hell Bear HP 0/1430】
The bear fell to the ground with a loud thud.
It really was a weak monster, wasn’t it?
【Hell Bear defeated!】
【Lua gained 2096 experience points!】
“Feeling good… maybe?”
I scratched my chin with my index finger, pondering.
Where should I go next? I should look for a place where people might live.
First, I needed to cross this mountain.
Along the way, a few monsters attacked, but I ignored them and ran away.
Some chased after me, but they couldn’t keep up with my speed.
“Am I getting stronger, or are the monsters around here just weak?”
I kept running for two hours.
After crossing the mountain and passing through the forest, I reached a vast plain at the foot of a cliff, and then a town.
The pleasant breeze blowing felt like a blessing upon me.
I dashed down the cliff, heading straight for the town I had spotted.
What should I do first when I get there?
I should return to my village.
Though I didn’t want to remember it, I wanted to build a grave for my father and mother.
And hopefully, I could find some clue about that One-Winged Demon.
The town was filled with brick houses, looking much more developed than the village I had lived in.
A landlady balancing fruits on her head, a man and a woman chatting happily as they walked.
An uncle carrying a heavy axe on his back and an old man with a cane.
People, people, people everywhere.
I hadn’t seen such a scene in a long time.
When it came down to it, I felt lost and unsure of what to do.
I had never talked to anyone before, so I didn’t know how to approach them.
As I fumbled around, someone bumped into me from behind.
“Standing there is in the way. Move to the side.”
“Uh, s-sorry!”
My first conversation in a while felt so pathetic.
But I couldn’t just stand still forever.
I took a deep breath and decided to ask a passerby for directions to my village.
“Um, could you tell me which way Ikana Village is?”
“Huh?”
The man carrying wood looked at me with a blank expression.
He didn’t answer and continued walking, looking busy.
In fact, I felt like I was being stared at by those around me.
“Did I say something strange?”
The next person I asked simply said they didn’t know.
The one after that gave the same response.
“What should I do?”
Just as I was at a loss, I overheard a conversation.
“For now, let’s go to the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“I wonder if there are any good quests. I’ve already cleared the dungeons around here.”
Adventurer, dungeon.
I didn’t miss those intriguing words and followed the two of them.