Chapter 165

Let’s be an Adventurer! ~Defeating Dungeons with a Skill Board~ 165

Let’s Report That Our Armor Is Broken!

[Flying] Reporting on encounters with Mr. Masked Man – 1 [And Vanishing]

158　Name: Anonymous on the lookout for Mr. Masked Man

I have new information on Mr. Masked Man, but I’m not sure what to do

159　Name: Anonymous on the lookout for Mr. Masked Man

Tell us!!

160　Name: Anonymous on the lookout for Mr. Masked Man

Mr. Masked Man’s legs look like they’re made of stone

161　Name: Anonymous on the lookout for Mr. Masked Man

・His mask floats in midair

・Feathers sprout from his neck

・He carries a wriggling plant with him

・His body is covered with scales

・He has a white face on his back

・He has tentacles coming out of his waist

・A centipede parasitizes his abdomen

・He can split his body in two

・His mask shines

・He can fly through the air

・His legs are made of stone ← NEW

162　Name: Anonymous on the lookout for Mr. Masked Man

…I expected no less from Mr. Masked Man

Not content with the boundaries of the human body…

He has transformed into a new life form… How incredible…

163　Name: Anonymous on the lookout for Mr. Masked Man

Blessed be our dear Mr. Masked Man…

＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊

In the end, it turned out that the golem had been the boss of the 19th floor.

A staircase had appeared in the back part of the cave where Haruki had first come in contact with the golem.

After following those stairs, Haruki and the others found themselves on the 20th floor.

That had also officially promoted them to advanced adventurers.

However, neither Haruki nor Karen felt they had the power of an advanced adventurer yet.

“We’re not there yet…”

“Yeah. We’ve gotta keep at it!”

“Right!”

They felt they couldn’t call themselves advanced adventurers until they had the strength to defeat a golem with ease.

Haruki and Karen were the ones to receive both of the items dropped by the golem.

Even though Van was an adventurer with much more experience than Haruki and the others, he was unable to equip the lower body armor that Haruki could equip effortlessly, and Karen had been the only one of them able to pick up the jewel-like item.

“In return, you should keep that battleax, Van.”

“Ah… But…”

“No buts. You risked life and limb to protect us, so please keep it.”

Van had given his all to protect Karen.

His efforts wouldn’t go unrewarded.

Van accepted his offer in place of the golem’s dropped items, neither of which he could use either way.

After leaving the dungeon and entering Akane’s shop, Akane, who had been melting in the sweltering heat, quickly got up, letting out a scream.

“AAAAHHHHH!!”

“…How noisy.”

“B-But look at yourself!! Your armor is a wreck!!”

The pale Akane darted towards Haruki.

–She’s fast!?

Haruki had fought against the golem and both his skill and physical levels had increased considerably, and still he was unable to read Akane’s movements at all.

(Just how strong is this woman, really?)

Haruki felt the urge to take a look at Akane’s skills using his Skill Board, but he couldn’t do that at the moment.

She brought her face close to Haruki’s chest, and almost as if the devil himself had gotten sunstroke, tears started welling up in her eyes.

For some reason, both Rhea and Karen reacted adversely to her approach.

Rhea slapped the back of Haruki’s head, while Karen, who was standing next to him, puffed up her cheeks.

Haruki’s spine gradually began to freeze in response to their frightening reactions.

(I-I didn’t do anything!)

He felt that he had to apologize for some reason, but wasn’t sure why.

Was it because Akane had run over to him?

She looked like a young maiden in love who was grieving over a farewell.

But he couldn’t take this woman’s face seriously.

Haruki knew that best from experience.

“Y-You’ve made a complete wreck of your Ichibishi Series armor! What kind of rash fighting do you think you’re doing!?”

“…”

See?

When Haruki shrugged, the hair-raising aura emitted by both Rhea and Karen finally subsided.

“Too bad the armor was broken. But we’ve come across a very powerful enemy.”

“Hmph. So you’re going to tell me that’s why your armor is all messed up huh? Nonsense!”

“Well, if the armor is this broken, then it’s not as strong as we thought, right?”

“Grr…”

Haruki’s words caused Akane’s face to have cramps all over.

What an insensitive man, who can’t understand the meaning behind words…

Akane bit through the words she wanted to say but couldn’t.

Normally, no adventurer would fight until their armor is destroyed, other than fighting a monster that specialized in destroying armor.

That’s because monsters that could destroy an adventurer’s armor would tend to be far superior to them, and fighting such monsters could be life-threatening.

Armor made of dungeon material reflects the level of the wearer.

So if their armor is destroyed, it means that there’s no chance of winning in that area, since monsters there far exceed that of their armor.

In fact, there would be a chance of the adventurer’s own body breaking way before their armor does.

Why does this fool doesn’t realize that?

It wasn’t that Akane was only concerned about Haruki’s armorl…

(What am I going to do if you go and get yourself killed for being so reckless…?)

But neither was she pure of heart nor honest enough to care about Haruki’s life.

You have to keep yourself alive for a long time, so you can keep supporting my shop for a long time!

Calming down to her usual reasoning, Akane tried to ease her confused emotions.

“…Uhuhuh, so you say! Then, I’ll prepare armor for you that will never break!!”

“Ooh? Don’t be making promises you won’t be able to keep!”

“Aaah! Keep throwing those cheeky remarks, and I’ll smash that mask of yours to bits!!”

Haruki’s mask was an important item that enhanced his presence.

He couldn’t have it getting destroyed by a furious Akane.

Haruki shrugged, saying, “I’m looking forward to it.”

“What are you going to do from now on, Van?”

After leaving Akane’s shop, Haruki called out to Van’s as he was about to return home.

Van lightly looked up at the sky.

“…Right. I’ll keep training thoroughly.”

“And once you’ve become strong enough?”

“…Dunno. But… Guess I’ll be here for a while.”

“I see.”

“If you need anything, you can count on me. I’ll… count on you too.”

“Yeah!”

When Van told Haruki that he would count on him, something warm filled his chest.

Back when Van came to K-Town, he was desperate about not having the power to do things on his own.

Haruki had never imagined that Van would tell him that he’d be counting on him.

That’s why his chest got filled with a warm feeling.

“…I wonder if it’s because I’ve finally become an advanced adventurer?”

Maybe.

Or maybe not.

Anyway, for the time being, he could only hold Van’s words in his chest…

Haruki exhaled a hot breath while looking at the fallow countryside dyed in madder red.

Haruki then turned to Karen.

There was something he absolutely had to confirm with her.

“Hey, Karen. Did my presence increase? Did it increase!?”

“U-Umm…”

She was mumbling, and her eyes were darting left and right.

He could see it in her behavior, but tried his best to deny it.

There’s no way it didn’t…

Didn’t the golem say it? To show the power of my presence!?

Haruki had defeated the golem.

He had overcome the challenge!

(That’s why I got this armor, which is going to increase my presence, right!?)

(My presence should have grown stronger, right!?)

“…It’s very difficult for me to say this, but–”

Haruki listened to Karen’s words while looking up at the darkening sky.

Karen wondered if he would cry himself to sleep that night.

Haruki earnestly hoped for the day when all and every kind of sadness will disappear from his life.