Chapter 1: Transference, and Becoming an Adventurer – 05
The next morning, after receiving and equipping my armor, I set off towards the Great Rock Dungeon, albeit a bit later than usual.
By the time I reached the entrance of the dungeon, there were no signs of life. It seemed that all the earlier parties had already entered.
From my observations of the adventurers, it appeared that there were four parties delving into the Great Rock Dungeon. I wasn’t sure if that was a lot or a little, but to avoid any trouble, it would be best to keep my distance.
Taking a deep breath at the entrance, I stepped into the dungeon.
Inside, the atmosphere was faintly illuminated, and thanks to my enhanced Vision skill, I had no trouble seeing.
The passageway was about three meters wide. The walls were rugged like a cave, but the ground was flat, making it much easier to walk compared to a typical cave.
It felt almost like a constructed amusement attraction, which was part of the dungeon’s mysterious charm.
As I descended a gentle slope, I arrived at a fork in the path. This seemed to be where the real dungeon began.
I pulled out the map given to me at the guild to check my route. The right path led to the main route down to the second underground level, while the left would eventually lead to a dead end.
Without hesitation, I chose the left path. What I needed right now was not to progress to the second level but to fight monsters in a situation where no one else was around.
Moving slowly while using my Presence Detection skill, I felt remarkably calm, likely thanks to my Composure skill.
In my right hand, I held a mace, and in my left, a buckler. I truly felt like a player character from a game.
Suddenly, my Presence Detection picked up something. From the shadow around the corner ahead, a creature was approaching.
It was about the size of a child, a bipedal monster.
“Gya?”
As it emerged from the corner, it hesitated for a brief moment upon seeing my face.
“Gya gya!”
But in the next instant, it raised a wooden stick and charged at me.
With green skin and an ugly face, it was undoubtedly a Goblin, the lowest-level monster listed in the guide.
The Goblin swung its wooden stick down at me. I deflected it with my buckler before it could gain momentum.
I then delivered a horizontal strike with my mace to its exposed torso. The Goblin bent over and was sent flying.
I intended to finish it off, but it was already lifeless.
Before my eyes, its body began to dissolve and was absorbed into the dungeon floor, leaving behind its wooden stick and a shiny marble-sized magic stone.
“Phew… surprisingly weak. Is this what the lowest level looks like?”
The Boar Wolf I fought yesterday was apparently an upper-tier F-Rank monster, so there seemed to be quite a difference even within the same rank. Of course, my own level might have increased as well.
I picked up the wooden stick and the magic stone, placing them into my backpack.
The wooden stick would only serve as firewood, but the stone was a “magic stone,” which could be sold for money. In fact, it seemed that collecting and selling these magic stones was the primary way for adventurers to earn a living.
I checked my equipment and began to move towards the dead end once more.
After that, I encountered three more Goblins before reaching the dead end.
Thanks to my Awakening, I quickly became accustomed to combat, and by the time I faced the last one, I was able to defeat it before it could swing its weapon.
Afterward, I returned to the first fork and decided to explore the dead end again.
It seemed that the encounter rate with monsters decreased in areas I had already traversed, as I only encountered one Goblin on my way to the dead end this time. Unlike in games, it appeared that grinding in the same location to level up was more challenging here.
As I reflected on this, I was surprised to realize how numb my senses had become. Despite the fact that I was engaging in life-or-death battles, I had already lost any emotional response to crushing a Goblin’s skull.
Could this be due to my Composure skill? If so, being an adventurer might be a dangerous profession that could lead one to lose their humanity. I would need to keep that in mind at all times.
With that thought etched in my mind, I returned to the fork. Along the way, I detected a presence again. It was a Goblin… but there were three of them.
“Gieee!”
The three Goblins charged at me, filling the passageway. There was no escape. I had no choice but to advance.
I sprinted towards the Goblins. Just before we clashed, I leaped into the air, gaining momentum.
I kicked the middle Goblin as I soared over it. Upon landing, I delivered the finishing blow to the fallen creature.
The other two Goblins stumbled back and turned to face me. I was already dashing towards them. I swung my mace and sent one flying, taking down the second.
However, in that moment, the third Goblin swung its wooden stick down at me. I managed to block it with my buckler, but I still took a hit on my shoulder.
In retaliation, I brought my mace crashing down on its head. That made three down.
“Phew… I managed to get through that.”
While I had considered the possibility of facing multiple opponents, the reality of combat was different. Despite that, I felt I had performed well… but after all, they were just the lowest-level monsters.
I picked up the wooden stick and the magic stones, then began walking back towards the fork.
That day, I spent the entire morning wandering the first floor of the Great Rock Dungeon, but all I encountered were Goblins, with nothing else of interest to see.
While real combat offered significant gains, perhaps due to the weakness of my opponents, I felt like my levels and skills weren’t increasing at all.
So in the afternoon, I decided to train at my usual training ground (temporary) to raise a few skills.
I wrapped up my dungeon exploration early to avoid running into other parties.
As long as I was weak, I wanted to avoid contact with other parties in the dungeon. It might sound harsh, but they were far stronger than any Goblin.
“The magic stones from the Goblins are 800 Rom each. You have a total of 26, so that would be…”
“20,800 Rom, right?”
“Huh? Ah… yes, that’s correct. Okuno-san, you’re quick with calculations.”
“Well, I used to be a merchant.”
As I spoke to the surprised receptionist, I glanced around the Adventurers’ Guild lobby. Since it was still early in the evening, only one party had returned. They seemed to have come back because one of their members was gravely injured. A bloodied young man was being carried to the guild’s infirmary; I hoped he would be alright.
“Is that guy going to be okay?”
“Yes? Oh, he should be fine with a second-tier potion. It will cost about 450,000 Rom, though. Since you were a merchant, I think you’ll be fine, but it’s best to save up some money.”
The receptionist said this matter-of-factly. I see, so injuries like that are a common occurrence.
“That makes sense. I’ll do that. By the way, how does one usually dispose of a Goblin’s wooden stick?”
“If you give it to the innkeeper, they might use it as firewood. You might even get a free meal out of it.”
“I understand. Thank you as always.”
“No, thank you.”
I wasn’t sure how educated the general populace was in this world, but this receptionist seemed to be quite knowledgeable. Compared to the often brusque shopkeepers, she stood out even more.
After receiving my payment, I left the guild and headed towards the inn.
By the way, all currency in this world is in coins. However, it doesn’t seem to be in the form of gold or silver coins. It appears that the currency system in this country is more advanced than what I would expect from a medieval fantasy setting.
Before reaching the inn, I decided to buy something resembling meat skewers from a street vendor. While the meals at the inn were decent, I felt I was lacking in protein.
Animal protein is essential for building the body… or so I’ve heard, but considering my activity level over the past few days, it seemed wise to eat whatever I could.
I spent 1,500 Rom to receive two meat skewers and took a bite right there. The seasoning was just salt and some pepper-like spice. The meat had a stronger odor compared to the pork I was used to back in Japan, but it wasn’t bad.
My jaw, teeth, and even my stomach had become much sturdier than before, so I could eat even somewhat tough meat without any issues. Yes, I should actively incorporate more protein into my diet from now on.
In this world, the knowledge I gained in modern Japan might give me a slight advantage. With that hopeful thought in mind, I turned my feet back towards the inn.