Ossan Saikyō Chapter 1 Part 05
The next morning, after receiving my armor and equipping it, I headed to the Great Rock Dungeon a bit later than usual.
There was no one at the dungeon entrance. The earlier groups must have already gone inside.
From what I had observed of adventurer movements, it seemed there were four parties currently exploring this dungeon.
I don’t know if that’s many or few, but it’s probably best to avoid getting involved with them to prevent trouble.
I took a deep breath at the entrance, then stepped inside the humongous rock.
◇◆◇
Inside the dungeon, it was faintly illuminated, and also perhaps thanks to my increased【Vision】skill, I had no trouble seeing.
The passage was about three meters wide and tall. The walls were rough like a cave, but the ground was flat, clearly much easier to walk on than a normal cave.
It somehow felt like an artificially constructed attraction, but that seems to be part of the mystery of dungeons.
As I descended the gentle slope, I reached a fork in the path. This was apparently where the real dungeon began.
I took out the map given to me at the guild and checked it. The right path was the main route leading to the second underground floor, while the left path eventually ended in a dead end.
Without hesitation, I took the left path. What I needed right now wasn’t to go deeper, but to fight monsters in a situation where no one else was around.
I moved forward slowly, using【Presence Detection】. Perhaps thanks to the【Composure】skill, my mind was extremely steady.
A mace in my right hand, a buckler in my left, I really was like a game’s player character.
Suddenly, something caught in my【Presence Detection】. Something was coming from ahead, just beyond a corner.
About the size of a child, a bipedal monster.
Gya?
As it emerged from around the corner, it hesitated for a moment upon seeing my face.
Gyagya!
But the next instant, it raised something like a wooden stick and charged at me.
Green skin, grotesque face, it must be the lowest-tier F-rank monster mentioned in the guide, a “Goblin”.
The goblin swung its wooden stick down. Before it could gain full momentum, I deflected it with my buckler.
I slammed my mace sideways into its wide-open torso. The goblin’s body bent into a “く”-shape and was blown away.
I moved to finish it… but it was already dead.
Its body melted away before my eyes and was absorbed into the dungeon floor, leaving behind only the wooden stick and a glossy marble-sized stone.
“Whew… weaker than I expected. I guess this is what the lowest tier is like.”
The Boar Wolf I fought yesterday was apparently upper-tier within F-rank, so even within the same rank, there seems to be a considerable gap. Though my own level might also have increased.
I picked up the wooden stick and the stone and put them into my backpack.
The wooden stick seemed good for nothing but firewood, but the stone, called a “Mana Stone”, could be sold for money. In fact, adventurers basically make their living by collecting and selling these “Mana Stones”.
After checking my equipment, I started moving again toward the dead end.
◇◆◇
After that, I encountered goblins three more times before reaching the dead end.
Thanks to Awakening, I quickly got used to combat, and by the last one, I was able to defeat it before it could even swing its weapon.
After that, I returned to the first fork and went to the dead end again.
Perhaps the encounter rate drops in areas you’ve already passed through, because I only ran into one goblin that time. Unlike in games, it seems difficult to grind levels by staying in one place.
Realizing that, I was surprised at how numb my senses had become. What I was doing was life-and-death combat, yet I no longer felt anything even when crushing a goblin’s skull.
Is that also because of the【Composure】skill? If so, being an adventurer might be a dangerous profession that could erode one’s humanity. I need to keep that in mind at all times.
With that thought, I headed back toward the fork again. On the way,【Presence Detection】reacted; Goblins, but… there were three of them.
Gieee!
Three goblins charged at me side by side, filling the width of the corridor. There was no escape. Then I’d just have to go forward.
I ran toward them as well. Just before contact, I jumped forward with momentum.
I kicked the middle goblin as I leaped over it. Landing, I finished off the one I had knocked down.
The other two goblins stumbled as they turned around. I was already dashing toward them. I smashed one sideways with my mace; that made two.
But in that opening, the third goblin brought its stick down. I managed to block it with my buckler, but I still took a hit on my shoulder.
In return, I brought my mace down onto its head. That made three.
“Whew… somehow managed that.”
I had considered the possibility of multiple enemies, but actually fighting them was still different. Even so, I think I moved pretty well… though they were only lowest-tier monsters.
I picked up the wooden sticks and magic stones and started walking back toward the fork.
◇◆◇
That day, I wandered around the first floor of the Great Rock Dungeon all morning, but only goblins appeared; there was nothing else of note.
Real combat has its benefits, but maybe because the enemies were weak, I didn’t feel like my level or skills had improved at all.
So in the afternoon, I trained at my usual training spot (temp.) and raised a few skills.
I also left the dungeon early to avoid running into other parties.
While I’m still weak, I want to avoid contact with other parties inside the dungeon. It might sound harsh, but they’re far stronger than goblins.
◇◆◇
“Goblin magic stones are 800 Rom each. You have 26 in total, so let’s see…”
“That’s 20,800 Rom.”
“Huh? Oh… that’s right. Mr. Okuno, you’re quick with calculations.”
“Yes, I was a merchant, after all.”
As I said that to the surprised receptionist, I looked around the guild lobby. It was still before sunset, so only one party had returned.
Apparently, one of their members was seriously injured, so they came back early. A blood-covered young man had been carried into the guild’s medical room.
I wonder if he’ll be okay.
“Is that person going to be alright?”
“Hm? Oh, probably. Injuries like that can be healed with a second-grade potion. Though it costs 450,000 Rom. Since you were a merchant, Mr. Okuno, you probably understand, but it’s best to save money.”
The receptionist said it casually. I see, things like that are a daily occurrence here.
“I see. That's certainly true. By the way, what do people usually do with goblin wooden sticks?”
“If you give them to an inn, they’ll probably use them as firewood. You might even get a free meal out of it.”
“Got it. Thank you as always.”
“Not at all, you’re welcome.”
I don’t know what the general level of education is like in this world, but this receptionist seems quite competent. Compared to the blunt shopkeepers, it stands out even more.
After receiving my money, I left the guild and headed to the inn.
Incidentally, all currency in this world is in coins. But it’s not like gold or silver coins. It seems the monetary system of this country is more advanced than the medieval-style fantasy worlds I had imagined.
Before reaching the inn, I tried buying something like meat skewers from a street stall. The inn’s meals are fairly good, but they seem a bit lacking in protein.
Building a body requires animal protein… or maybe not, but considering how much I’ve been exercising these past few days, it’s probably better to eat what I can.
I paid 1,500 Rom for two skewers and took a bite on the spot. The seasoning was just salt and a pepper-like spice. The meat had a stronger odor than the pork I’m used to in Japan, but it wasn’t bad.
My jaw, teeth, and even my stomach had become far tougher than before, so even somewhat tough meat was no problem. Yeah, I should actively incorporate protein into my diet from now on.
In this world, the knowledge I gained in modern Japan might give me a bit of an advantage.
With that hopeful thought in mind, I headed back to the inn.
——————
E/N:
Meat nanodesu!
Stay tuned!
——————
——————————
Check out my other translations -
——————————
Comments
Live long and prosper. 🖖