Chapter 1: Transference and Becoming an Adventurer – 06
Adventurer Level: 2
Weapon Proficiencies:
– Mace: Level 4
– Dagger: Level 2
Armor Proficiencies:
– Buckler: Level 3
Physical Abilities:
– Stamina: Level 3
– Strength: Level 4
– Speed: Level 3
– Agility: Level 4
– Reflexes: Level 3
Sensory Abilities:
– Vision: Level 3
– Hearing: Level 2
– Smell: Level 2
– Touch: Level 2
– Dynamic Vision: Level 3
– Presence Detection: Level 3
Mental Abilities:
– Composure: Level 2
The next day, I headed to the Great Rock Dungeon right from the morning.
After a brief wait following the entry of the leading party, I made my way inside.
I progressed to the first fork and decided to take the left route, which ended in a dead end.
The goblin spawn rate was comparable to when I first entered yesterday. It seemed that after a certain amount of time, the spawn rate would reset.
After defeating six goblins, I returned to the fork and decided to try the right path this time.
I thought the spawn rate would be lower since the leading party had already gone in, but by the time I reached the slope leading to the second underground floor, about twenty goblins had appeared. Of course, the distance to that point was more than double that of the left route’s dead end.
However, to be honest, goblins were no longer a challenge for me. Even if three appeared at once, I could easily overpower them. In fact, I could take down three with a single swing at this point.
By the way, after defeating over fifty goblins in total, I finally reached Adventurer Level 3. As a result, goblins were becoming increasingly unsatisfying to fight.
…Wait, was I really this combative of a person?
Regardless, driven by curiosity, I decided to descend to the second underground floor. I had heard from that young man in the cafeteria that they primarily fought on the lowest level, the fifth underground floor. Other parties were also earning their keep on the fourth and fifth floors.
The atmosphere of the second underground floor was similar to the first. I navigated through the dungeon while checking my position on the map.
After encountering a few more goblins, I finally came across a new monster.
It was a small lizard, about the size of a crocodile, with skin resembling rock—a Rock Lizard.
Its attack methods included biting and tail strikes.
The Rock Lizard scuttled toward me with a rustling sound. It opened its mouth wide in front of me, preparing to bite—
Crack!
I countered by smashing my mace into its side. My skills in Reflexes and Dynamic Vision enabled such advanced attacks.
The Rock Lizard was sent flying sideways, landing on its back and writhing in agony. The fact that it could withstand that blow suggested its defense was higher than that of a goblin.
I approached and swung my mace down onto its white belly. With a final, desperate cry, the Rock Lizard breathed its last.
All that remained were a magic stone and its hide. The magic stone was valuable, but the hide was cumbersome. Still, I decided to take it for now.
Feeling confident, I pressed on. Although there were instances of two Rock Lizards appearing simultaneously, they weren’t fast enough to pose any real threat, and I dispatched them without issue.
After defeating about twenty goblins and twenty Rock Lizards, I arrived at the slope leading to the third underground floor. I decided to call it a day here; it would be unwise to get carried away.
As I turned to leave, I sensed a presence approaching from deeper within the slope.
“Hey, isn’t that you, old man? You shouldn’t go down to the third floor alone. It’s too dangerous.”
It was the young man’s party that had come up.
“Ah, of course, I had no intention of going down. I’m already at my limit here.”
“That’s good to hear. Still, coming this far alone seems pretty reckless.”
“Maybe so. By the way, did you make it to the fifth floor today?”
Upon hearing this, the young man shook his head.
“No, there were too many Boar Wolves, so we decided to call it a day. Without someone with an Item Box, we couldn’t carry all the materials. But we made enough for three days, so it’s not a problem.”
“I see… By the way, is the Item Box a skill?”
“You don’t know? It’s a skill that allows you to carry a large amount of items. It’s kind of like magic. Apparently, every party ranked C or higher has at least one member with it. Once you reach that rank, you start encountering massive materials.”
“Wow… that sounds overwhelming.”
“Yeah. Honestly, living off small earnings at a low rank isn’t too bad. They say that high-class dungeons can be deadly, and even here, if you let your guard down, you could end up in the afterlife. Just be careful.”
“Thanks, I’ll be cautious.”
“Alright, see you later.”
With that, the young man and his party departed. After talking to him a few times, I realized he was quite talkative and a bit meddlesome.
But the Item Box, huh? Essentially, it’s a skill that allows you to carry an impossible amount of items, just like in a game. I already knew how to acquire such skills…
By defeating the dungeon boss. It seems that defeating a boss grants you a random special skill. If luck is on your side… that’s how it works.
That aside, from our earlier conversation, I gained a bit of insight into why they were in this low-ranked dungeon. “Living off small earnings at a low rank.” So, it seems that such a laid-back lifestyle is permissible for adventurers.
Then, what about me? It seemed I would be pondering that question while delving deeper into the dungeon.
“Wait, Okuno-san, you’ve already made it to the second underground floor? And with so many Rock Lizards?”
As I placed the materials on the counter at the guild, the usual receptionist’s eyes widened in surprise. Her name was Kisara, as I learned. She was a cute girl with pink hair styled in twin tails.
“Is it really that surprising?”
“If you’re someone who has just reached E-Rank, it’s quite rare for someone who became an adventurer just five days ago to gather this much. Are you sure you’re not overdoing it?”
“Hmm, I don’t think I’m pushing myself that hard.”
“Are you perhaps getting used to fighting? You might really become a strong adventurer.”
“Haha, I hope so. But there’s still a long way to go.”
“That’s true. It seems becoming D-Rank is quite challenging. For you, forming a party would be the first step.”
“I probably need to get a bit stronger first. It seems rare for someone my age to awaken, so it might be hard to find people willing to team up.”
“That’s a bit strange, isn’t it? My father was relieved that he no longer had the potential to awaken.”
“I’m surprised to hear that.”
Comparing myself to Kisara’s father made me acutely aware of my own unusual situation.
It seemed forming a party would be difficult. Young people typically team up with others their age. Even in a workplace, younger employees don’t usually invite veterans out for meals.
Well, being alone is more comfortable, I thought to myself as I received nearly 50,000 Rom for my materials and left the guild.
I bought three meat skewers from a street vendor and pondered while eating.
Diving two floors into an F-Class dungeon earned me 50,000 Rom in a day.
In terms of Japan, that’s like earning 50,000 yen a day. By normal standards, that’s not bad. In fact, it’s quite a lucrative income.
However, food prices in this world are about two to three times higher than in Japan, so I wouldn’t say I have that much leeway.
Accommodation costs are also ongoing. My current inn charges 6,000 Rom per night, but honestly, I’d prefer not to stay there indefinitely. By the way, there’s another inn in town (for D-Rank adventurers) that charges 20,000 Rom per night.
Another issue is that adventurers’ equipment and tools are extremely expensive.
Weapons and armor wear out with heavy use, and maintenance is always necessary. Even the clothes I wear wear out quickly.
Potions, even the lowest grade, cost 15,000 Rom. As Kisara mentioned earlier, if I were to sustain a serious injury, it could cost 450,000 Rom. While they might be super effective compared to medicines from my previous world, they’re still quite pricey…
In any case, considering all this, earning 50,000 Rom a day is a pretty tight margin, even when factoring in the life-threatening battles.
According to Kisara, the buyback price for magic stones skyrockets as the monster rank increases.
In other words, if I want to live well as an adventurer, I’ll inevitably have to aim for a higher adventurer rank and fight stronger monsters.
Ultimately, it seems to come down to where I draw the line between risk and reward. It’s not much different from my previous world.
By the time I reached the inn, I had finished all three meat skewers. I had felt it yesterday as well, but there was a strange sensation that the nutrients from the meat spread throughout my body almost instantly.
Could this be a side effect of the Awakening? I wondered if it would enhance my workout if I trained afterward. Perhaps I should try it for a while.
That night, I attempted bodyweight training in my inn room, but I quickly realized that it didn’t hold much significance for my current physique. I’d have to ask the blacksmith to make me some dumbbells later.