Chapter 2, Dungeon Exploration, Starting From Level 1

Translator: Lizz

 

One part of the explorer’s exam required killing a single monster. In most cases, it was a rabbit‑type monster with virtually no attack power. Even a child could defeat it if they had a weapon. However, for Japanese people who weren’t accustomed to killing, the hurdle was high, and many dropped out.

 

When someone managed to overcome that hurdle and successfully killed a monster, its body, formed from magical power, turned into mist and disappeared, then was absorbed into the nearest living being, namely the human who killed it. This enhanced the body. Even killing just one monster caused a single line‑shaped mark to appear on the back of the hand, signifying Level 1.

 

You could tell the stage of enhancement by looking at the marks on the back of the hand. As magical power accumulated and trials were overcome, the number of lines increased to two, then three, and the degree of enhancement rose accordingly. This was known worldwide as ‘level’, and a single line was referred to as Level 1.

 

Of course, Masato, who had just gotten his license, was naturally Level 1.

 

“Alright, my first goal is to raise my level. Let’s do this.”

 

He muttered to pump himself up as he arrived at the entrance of the Tokyo Dungeon.

 

Two large knives were strapped to his waist. He wore a metal breastplate, gauntlets, and boots made from minerals mined in the dungeon. His backpack held bottled water and some snacks—he planned to explore for about half a day.

 

Showing his explorer’s license while staying alert to his surroundings, he passed through the entry gate and stepped inside.

 

He wasn’t nervous. He was just looking around to see if his idol, Miyazawa Ai, might be there. For a first‑time explorer, Masato still had enough mental space to think about women.

 

After passing through a narrow corridor and going farther in, the scenery changed all at once. A vast space opened up before him, a forest recreated with natural realism. The distant cries of beasts echoed, and a raw, green smell clung to his nose. It was so lifelike that it was hard to believe it was artificial.

 

The 1st floor of the Tokyo Dungeon was a nature field.

 

“First, let’s look for a horned rabbit or a goblin.”

 

He took the large knives from his waist and held one in each hand. The spiked knuckle guards gave an intimidating appearance.

 

He moved while suppressing his presence so monsters wouldn’t notice him, resembling a veteran hunter. The results of repeatedly training in forests across Japan were finally showing.

 

He examined scratches on the ground and trees for traces, but found nothing. Because many explorers passed through the entrance area, even the weak monsters that appeared on the 1st floor tended to avoid it.

 

Pushing aside branches, he headed deeper into the forest. Since electronic devices didn’t work inside dungeons, he checked his location using a paper map. Naturally, his pace was slow—walk a few minutes, stop, check the map, repeat.

 

“Gyagyagya!!!!!”

 

Suddenly, a monster’s scream echoed.

 

“That was a goblin. It sounded almost like a death cry. Did someone fight it and finish it off?”

 

His curiosity piqued, Masato changed direction toward the source of the sound.

 

Less than a minute of cautious walking brought him to the battlefield. He peeked from behind a tree.

 

There were child‑sized creatures with green skins and hooked noses. Wearing only waistcloth and holding thick clubs over a meter long, two goblins were being surrounded and beaten by four explorers.

 

The goblin that had screamed earlier had already been killed before Masato arrived, its body turning to mist and disappearing.

 

“Hey, hurry up and die already!”

 

“Drop a skill card!!”

 

A skill card was an item that monsters occasionally dropped when defeated. It was about the size of a playing card, with an illustration representing the skill—some kind of special ability. It was also possible to acquire a unique skill when the magic accumulated in one’s body transformed, but the probability of that was also low. Most explorers had no skills at all.

 

Goblins dropped the [Bravery] skill card. Using it slightly lowered one’s intelligence but erased fear and made the user more aggressive, so beginners often aimed for it. It wasn’t particularly useful, but even so, it was valuable enough to sell for several hundred thousand yen.

 

“So they’re all Level 1. Judging by their movements, total beginners.”

 

None of the four had any combat technique, and they weren’t wearing armor. They were just swinging their swords wildly with brute force. The marks on the backs of their hands, which Masato glimpsed, showed only a single line.

 

Masato concluded they were the ‘enjoyment type’—people exploring the 1st floor for stress relief or as a side gig. Not worth watching, and he lost interest.

 

“Still, what a terrible way to fight. If my master saw this, he’d flip.”

 

Masato’s master, who had drilled close‑combat techniques into him, was a former explorer and a Level 3. If Masato failed to move his body exactly as instructed, the training that followed was unforgettable, and extremely painful. He smiled wryly at the memory.

 

Thanks to his harsh training, his skill and nerves had been honed, and even though he entered the dungeon alone, he remained completely at ease.

 

“Oh, the goblins are wiped out.”

 

Soon another one fell, and the last one vanished after three swords pierced its head and stomach. That made a total wipeout. The four explorers cursed, “Useless even after dying.”

 

“The only drop is a magic stone. As expected.”

 

After watching the four leave, he stood up.

 

The goblins had better combat technique, but the difference in numbers let the humans win easily.

 

Masato simulated in his mind what would have happened if he had fought them himself.

 

“If that level of fighting can win, I should be able to manage.”

 

The conclusion was clear; it wasn’t overconfidence, just a simple fact.

 

Being able to observe a real battle on-site gave Masato even more confidence.

 

When he began walking cautiously again, he was lucky enough to find goblins within a few minutes. He immediately hid behind a tree to watch.

 

Of the two, one was digging at the roots of a tree, while the other scanned the surroundings on alert. Their only weapons were clubs, the standard equipment for goblins on the 1st floor.

 

Masato held the blade of the knife in his left hand and, with a motion he had repeated thousands of times, threw it.

 

*Shh*

 

The knife sliced through the air and sank straight into the throat of the goblin keeping guard as if being drawn in. At the same moment, Masato broke into a run. He didn’t make the foolish mistake of shouting; his movements were silent.

 

With a thud, the goblin collapsed. The one digging at the roots turned around.

 

Its eyes widened as it realized danger was upon it. But it was a step too late; Masato crept up from behind, clamped his left hand over its mouth, and with the knife in his right hand, slit its throat in a single horizontal stroke.

 

“—!!”

 

The pitiful goblin couldn’t even scream before it died and vanished.

 

He didn’t bask in the afterglow of battle. He focused all his senses to make sure no reinforcements were coming.

 

“…Whew, looks clear.”

 

Relaxing his guard, he picked up the lone magic stone left behind. It was about the size of a pebble, faintly tinged red. Like a gemstone, it was translucent, but not clear enough to see through.

 

“One thousand yen for one of these. Is that really worth risking your life…?”

 

That was the tax‑included price. As a part‑time job, the efficiency wasn’t bad, if you ignored the fact that you were gambling with your life to earn it. Keep fighting and you’d get injured, and if you got sick and couldn’t move, your income would vanish. Such was the hardship of being self‑employed.

 

Masato tossed the magic stone into his backpack, took a drink of water, and set off again to search for more monsters. After spending two hours defeating five goblins, he wrapped up early and exited the dungeon.