“What do you want to be when you grow up, Lua-chan?”
“I want to be an Adventurer!”
“Eh, that’s dangerous. Dad said there are lots of people who 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, aiming to skip it across the surface, but I failed. Next to me, Kurinka-chan either noticed or didn’t notice my blunder, but she continued talking without a care. Her silky golden hair danced in the wind.
“Is that so? Then maybe I’ll follow you, Lua-chan.”
“But you just said it was dangerous!”
“If I’m with you, I think I’ll be fine!”
As the sunset reflected off the water’s surface, our calm conversation before dinner was a daily routine. After this, we would each head home to eat and sleep under warm blankets. That was how it was supposed to be.
The houses turned a deep red.
The wooden walls creaked and cracked as they crumbled.
Flames roared, threatening to scorch the sky.
We fought with hoes and sickles, but the villagers were mercilessly pierced.
Monsters I had never seen before.
I screamed and cried.
My father, my mother, Kurinka.
We were all just running in a panic.
A grotesque monster, towering even over the adults, blocked our path.
Just as the monster raised its arm to strike, it was severed and flew away.
“Run, quickly!”
A traveling swordsman who had been passing through the village came to our aid. He urged me to flee in a strong tone, repeatedly telling me not to worry.
“Don’t worry! I’ll save everyone!”
Looking back now, I think that was just a way to give me the resolve to escape. When I turned back for just a moment, I saw that scene.
The 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 was back in reality.
It seemed I had fallen asleep the moment I stepped outside the cave, exhausted.
Returning from the 100th Underground Floor was a breeze thanks to the items I had.
After defeating the King of Destruction, I found nothing remarkable in the treasure chest—just an ordinary Ribbon.
It made me chuckle 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 seemed to repel any visitors.
I found myself wondering how I, a mere child, had managed to reach such a place.
“First, let’s get out of here.”
After a light warm-up, I dashed through the trees.
I leaped over cliffs and ran without regard for 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 burst forth 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 need a weapon for this.
With my left hand, I formed a fist and struck the monstrous bear.
【Lua’s attack! Dealt 3022 damage to Hell Bear!】
【Hell Bear HP 0/1430】
The bear fell to the ground with a loud thud.
It really was a weak monster after all.
【Defeated Hell Bear!】
【Lua gained 2096 experience points!】
“Feeling good… maybe?”
I scratched my chin with my index finger.
Where should I go next? I should look for a place where people might live.
First, I needed to get over this mountain.
Along the way, a few monsters attacked, but I ignored them and ran away.
Some chased after me, but they couldn’t catch up to my speed.
“I wonder if I’ve gotten stronger or if the monsters around here are just weak.”
I kept running for two hours.
I crossed the mountain and emerged from the forest into a vast plain below a cliff, and there was a town.
The pleasant breeze that blew 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.
It was a scene I didn’t want to remember, but I wanted to make 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 far more developed than the village I had lived in.
A landlady balanced fruits on her head, while a man and woman walked by chatting happily.
There was an uncle carrying an incredibly heavy axe 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 didn’t know 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 lumber looked at me with a blank stare.
He didn’t answer and continued walking away, looking busy.
In fact, I felt like I was being stared at by those around me.
“Did I say something weird?”
The next person I asked simply said they didn’t know.
The one after that gave me the same answer.
“What should I do?”
As I felt hopeless, I overheard some words.
“For now, let’s head to the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“I wonder if there are any good quests. I’ve already cleared all the dungeons around here.”
Adventurer, dungeon.
I didn’t miss those intriguing words and decided to follow the two.