CH 224

After that, I spent every day on the second floor of the dungeon defeating zombies, giving Mud Toads to the children when they were on the first floor, and occasionally summoning Lizzy, and decided to move on to level up on the third floor when Shion received the Goddess’ Blessing for the fourth time. I heard that zombies appear on the third floor as well, so it wouldn’t be that different from before if I beat the skeletons and Shion beat the zombies.

The next day, we left our usual inn and headed for the dungeon.

Since Shion was able to produce holy water, I stopped buying holy water, so I went straight to the dungeon.

We entered the rift, passed through the first floor, passed through the second floor, and arrived at the third floor. The view was not much different from the first and second floors.

“So, let’s go!” (Rook)

“Kyu!” (Shion)

I searched for monsters using [Magi Location] in an area where there were few adventurers, and then, setting my sights on the first skeleton I spotted, I ran up to it at once and smashed its skull with my Mithril Alloy cudgel.

The skeleton crumbled to the ground, leaving a pile of white bones.

“As expected, I have no problems with the skeletons here.” (Rook)

I don’t think their strength is much different from the skeletons I fought in the dungeon in Elem. But the sword he is holding is a little different.

The sword body is the same, but the design of the sword hilt and the thickness and length of the sword is different. The same skeleton does not necessarily mean that the same equipment is used everywhere.

They must have different cultures and customs in each region.

“So, what should I do with the sword…” (Rook)

As was the case in the dungeon in Elem, the purchase price of swords dropped by skeletons is very low. They have no value as weapons, and as scrap iron, they are of poor quality and of low value. As an adventurer, I would be reluctant to take it back if there were no other items I could bring back, but I heard that most people basically throw it away.

I have a Magic Bag, so I can take it home even if I am overburdened, but I don’t want to take the risk of being suspected of having a Magic Bag with me. The selection of items in this area is quite important, and sometimes you have to leave even valuable items behind. That basically remains true even if you have a magic bag.

Thinking back, even games that were called “hardcore realistic RPGs” had a lot of items in their possession. It was normal to be able to carry two or three sets of weapons. I guess the situation of having to return to town because you can’t carry items is simply stressful for players. In reality, however, this is not the case. Armor is usually too much of an obstacle to carry more than one item, and even for me, armors don’t fit in my Magic Bag, so I can’t bring it back home. If I were to defeat a large monster or a monster with many drop items in this dungeon, I would probably give up on most of the items and just throw them away and go home.

I carelessly tossed the battered sword away, picked up the Magic Stone, and looked for the next one.

After walking through the forest for a while, I spotted a zombie and staggered up to it.

“Shion!” (Rook)

“Kyu!” (Shion)

A rainbow-colored ball of water appeared in front of Shion’s face and flew over and splashed on the zombie, killing it.

The zombie is no longer a threat as it moves very slowly.

I took the magic stone from the zombie and goes through the zombie’s pants pocket like a thief.

“Oh! Lucky!” (Rook)

This zombie was carrying a coin pouch-like cloth bag, and inside were two silver coins and five copper coins. A very rich zombie.

I was as happy as if I had won a blue coin in a raffle draw at a shopping street.

Some of the zombies are so poor that they don’t even have a single copper coin, so sometimes they are worth killing.

…makes me feel like a criminal who is mugging people. …Very, very bad.

But where does all this money come from? There aren’t many adventurers who would die on a zombie-infested floor, and it doesn’t seem like money is taken from adventurers. In other words, this is either money that the zombies had before they died, or it is something that the dungeon produces. If the latter, is all the money in this world generated by the dungeon?

“Ah!” (Rook)

I got this coin from the white place in the white place and used it in the Kingdom of Karim, and then I used the same coin when I came to the Republic of Canadaira.

“Could it be that the coins that come out of the dungeon are the same everywhere and that they have become a unified currency?” (Rook)

In this world, countries do not issue currency. Or maybe they do, but the unified currency seems too convenient to be used. If so, dungeons are where the money comes out. They are like a mint for the countries of this world and may be important for their national power.

A few days passed as I continued to hunt zombies and skeletons, thinking about this.

Shion received the Goddess’ Blessing for the fifth time—but I was still the same.

“What do you think I should do?” (Rook)

“I don’t know.” (Damod)

Damod-san just brushed off my worries as they spilled out over drinks at the Adventurers’ Guild bar.

Recently, when I return from the dungeon and find Damod-san and other adventurers I know in the Adventurers’ Guild, I try to actively communicate with them.

“No, I haven’t been getting the Goddess’ Blessing lately, and I’ve been feeling stuck. …I wonder if this is normal?” (Rook)

When I said this, a slightly drunk, Damod-san gulped down his ale and opened his mouth.

“You can make enough money to drink and chat like this every night. What’s so unsatisfying about this? We adventurers go into the dungeon for this one drink!” (Damod)

With that, I raised my mug and ordered another drink.

It’s the Edo local’s way of “I never have money left after the night”. I think that way of life is not so bad.

“I was wondering if I should take a little more risk and go to the fourth floor…” (Rook)

“How many times has the goddess blessed you on the third floor?” (Damod)

“Ah… I think it was about 16 times…” (Rook)

“The first thing you need to know is that you’re just starting out as a D-ranked adventurer, and C-rank is way too early for you to be in that place.” (Damod)

After saying that, Damudo-san thought for a while before continuing.

“You’ve been an adventurer for only a year or so, right? The Goddess’ Blessing is usually given a few times a year during people’s time at E-rank. After a few years of doing that, you finally become able to fight with one of the higher-ranked monsters. What is there to be so impatient about? You are still young.” (Damod)

When he said that to me, I thought, “Sure, that’s true.”

It’s true that it’s been a little over half a year since I first registered as an adventurer. That’s a novice adventurer in the middle of his career. For the average adventurer, I’m not at the stage where I should be aiming for C-rank.

Am I trying too hard to progress?

I have felt the need to get stronger since the Rankfurt Stampede, and I came to this dungeon to level up, but is it really necessary to take the risk of risking my life to force myself to level up?

It is said that C-rank monsters are much stronger, and wouldn’t it be enough to continue to level up safely over time just like other adventurers against the skeletons on the third floor?

At this point, there is no particular reason to hurry.

“In the first place. It’s not normal that you can solo a skeleton with that may Goddess’ Blessings. A D-ranked skeleton cannot be defeated by a D-ranked soloist. Normally.” (Damod)

Damod-san said and threw some meat into his mouth.

“But I’ve heard rumors that adventurers who really go above and beyond can beat the best… even if they don’t receive Goddess’ Blessings as often as they should. Well, I don’t know if that’s true.” (Damod)

…hmmm, adventurers who go up are strong even if they have less Goddess’ Blessing. Could this have something to do with the differences in race and abilities that I saw in the white place before?

There was a big difference in the parameter values by race, and if abilities really represent talents, it should also make a big difference. If there is a difference depending on race and abilities, then the conclusion should be that I have a certain amount of potential.

“Well, I’ve given you my advice. The rest is up to you.” (Damod)

With that, Damod-san downed the rest of his drink and disappeared from the bar.

As I saw him off, I thought about that white place.

The time in the South Village. About the members of the Wind Troupe who sent me off.

And how I was treated as an unknown adventurer in this town.

What kind of life do I want to lead from now on?

“… Alright!” (Rook)

I got up and headed out of the bar.

My mind was made up.