Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Familiar Enemies in Fantasy
I came to Tokyo and became an adventurer in the Special District.
No, I had already become an adventurer long ago since I crushed the dungeon that appeared behind my house and my status was already displayed.
After finishing registration, I immediately dove into the dungeon.
I easily defeated slimes and wolves, and got magic stones.
Since my level is high, it seems all my abilities have increased.
My eyes got better, and my ears got better too.
The wolf I defeated on the 2nd floor was stolen by someone else, but well, it's fine.
The opponent looked like a child.
Actually, children are not supposed to be in dungeons――but there must be some unavoidable reason.
Once I get out, I'll try searching on my smartphone.
There should be some information shared somewhere.
After defeating the wolf, I also took down a large bat.
It seems bats have the advantage in the darkness, but I can see them too, so it's no problem.
For now, it seems I won't struggle with the enemies on the 2nd floor.
I went down to the 3rd floor as is.
There is fiber optic lighting here too, and right next to where I landed is the entrance to the 4th floor.
It is brighter than other bases, and the number of people camping and merchants here is the highest so far.
You can hunt on the 3rd floor, and you can also go down a bit to the 4th floor to hunt, so it feels like a major base.
I can see a merchant processing their catch over there.
Are they processing it here too?
Well, if I leave raw garbage here, it will be absorbed by the dungeon and disappear.
No disposal fees, no pollution――it's the best environment.
I can see children here too, but the surrounding adventurers don't seem to care.
They seem to be pretending not to see it after all.
There seem to be various problems, but those who are strict about such things disappeared after the day the world stopped……
If they also have to eat――then I can't say "don't do it."
There is nothing I can do about it.
I decided to take a break here.
There are many people at the campsite, so it's safe, but I don't want my Item Box to be seen.
I rest in the shadows a little away.
I take out potatoes and mayonnaise from storage.
I put all the potatoes harvested from my own field in there.
Even though they are preserved, if left alone, they will all sprout.
Potato sprouts are deadly poison.
The potatoes I took out were salt-boiled in a huge pot.
They are still hot and fluffy.
If I put them in the Item Box, time seems to stop or pass slowly.
I noticed this when I was at home.
I also took out hot water and made instant miso soup in a bowl.
If I buy food in the Special District, I'll get ripped off, but this saves money.
Well, actually, I've been eating potatoes every day, so I don't really want to eat them anymore.
――But luxury is the enemy.
"Be content until you win."
If you want vitamins while eating only potatoes, there are pine needles.
I bit into the long leaves I took out of the Item Box.
Vitamin A, C, K, magnesium, quercetin……etc., full of nutrition.
It's damn delicious though.
Eating a meal in a pitch-black, monochrome landscape, the taste isn't quite right.
I realize that vision is also part of deliciousness after all.
If I didn't have an Item Box, warm meals might be a bit difficult.
If fire and electricity are out, chemical reactions are the only option――ah, right.
There was something to warm bento boxes with lime and water.
I think there were shumai bento boxes sold at stations, and things to warm cup sake too.
It should have been in military MREs (Combat Rations) too.
Do they sell those kinds of things in the Special District?
It seems likely, but everyone might be eating cold rice to save money.
"Well then……"
Since I've eaten, I'll go next.
I wipe the dishes with kitchen paper and put them away.
If I leave the garbage in a corner over there, it will be absorbed by the dungeon, right?
I decided to proceed through the 3rd floor as is.
There are many people, and it's lively.
I feel like they are staring at me, but maybe it's because I'm diving into the dungeon in normal clothes that stands out.
It just looks like a beginner is doing something reckless.
I dropped a sword just now, but will armor drop too?
There are adventurers nearby, but if I walk a little away, it will be dark and they won't know.
It seems the railway runs to the next 4th floor too.
I wonder how many floors there are.
Adventurers are gathering at the base here too, but
It seems there are more people with heavy equipment.
"Staring……"
Ah, I feel like I'm being stared at here too.
Well, I'll just ignore it.
As I tried to move away from the adventurers, I was called out.
"Hey!"
I turned around, and a man wearing dark, modern armor was standing there.
Short hair, slightly well-built and tall――more like a special forces unit than a fantasy warrior.
"What is it?"
"Are you going ahead without any equipment?"
Well, I am considerably older than him……but well, this place is about strength, so it doesn't matter.
"Yes, well――I know this is at your own risk, so no need to worry."
"Having a novice like you who knows no common sense is a nuisance to us!"
"Ah, well, I'll go in a different direction from you then."
"That's not what I mean!"
"I think it's a statement from kindness, but I don't need it. If it gets dangerous, I'll judge and retreat myself."
Ignoring the man, I enter the darkness.
They won't be able to follow without light.
"Hey! Wait!"
I hear shouting voices, but there is no sign of them coming over.
I decided to leave the base as is.
I want to think he said it out of kindness.
He actually came into the dungeon in his usual clothes.
Or, would he not have been bothered if he had gathered appropriate equipment first?
"Hmm~"
For now, I have no money……
Also, maybe because of the high level, I seem able to fight enough.
After walking for a while, something was writhing in the darkness.
It seems humanoid――but not human.
When I approached, the true identity was revealed――a goblin.
A small monster called a "little demon," with blue or green skin, walking on two legs like humans.
Since it appears on the 3rd floor, it must be stronger than wolves.
Also, being humanoid, they are equipped with weapons and armor.
If I defeat them, can I pick up the equipment as is?
If so, it might be delicious.
I decided to try a certain method to defeat the monster.
"Sandbag Summon!"
Sandbags stored in the Item Box came down from the air with a thud-thud sound.
"Gyah!? Gi!?"
Something suddenly fell from above, and the enemy seemed confused.
I thought if it hit directly――but since I can't aim it, it's hard to hit.
Still, some enemies were hit on the head.
If the enemy is in disarray, it's a chance to charge.
I swung the iron-reinforced bat and jumped into the enemy.
The bat hit the monster's head from the side with a dull sound.
The blown-away goblin rolled around.
Next, I picked up the sandbags below and threw them.
Normally, it would be impossible to swing and throw something so heavy.
The bag filled with sand flew and hit the goblins directly, rolling two of them together.
I went to the fallen monsters and struck them from above with the bat.
"Gue!? Go?!"
Making strange noises, the goblins rolled their eyes and began to convulse their limbs.
It sounds like snoring too.
It seems the iron-reinforced bat works well against humanoids.
They probably suffer concussions like humans.
I realized this weapon has sufficient effect to stop the enemy's movement.
"Kyaa!"
A little demon attacked from behind, but the enemy's blade tip looks like a white line.
If I dodge this, the attack won't hit.
Speaking of which, I think I read somewhere about an old master who could see gun bullets flying as white lines.
I dodged the goblin's blade tip and swiped its head, which was large compared to its body, to the side.
The enemy that took the hit flipped over and flew sideways.
One left――I threw the picked-up sandbag at the little demon.
This time it hit the head, and the enemy flipped over.
This must be a lot of damage.
Does this count as defeating them all?
They might still be breathing, so I'll check the surroundings for remaining enemies before finishing them off.
"Oh, speaking of which――I did that without thinking even though the opponent was humanoid."
I was surprised myself.
I thought there would be more hesitation――but since it's this kind of enclosed space, and I came with the resolve to do it from the start, maybe that feeling is thin.
Also, facing the brown bear beforehand was probably a big factor.
Or――is there something in this dungeon that encourages non-daily actions?
Well, if you do this kind of slaughter every day and kill living things, you could develop mental abnormalities.
I stored all the goblin corpses in the Item Box for now.
I learned that if you leisurely dismember them, you get robbed by crows.
When I go to a place where no one is, I take them out of the Item Box one by one and take out the magic stones.
"Ugh……"
I defeated them in a rush, but I still have resistance to cutting open a humanoid's belly……
I need to get used to this too.
I got armor and swords too, and some were wearing iron helmets.
That's fine, but――it stinks!
It's like a smell of shit and urine from the whole body……it stings the eyes.
This is impossible without rubber gloves.
I absolutely don't want to touch it.
It's probably correct to put them in the Item Box and dismember them one by one.
It makes my nose wrinkle.
If my level is high and my eyes and ears are better, my nose must be better too.
I am extremely sensitive to smells.
"Gug……"
I made up my mind, put the knife into the little demon's belly, and took out the magic stone.
Disgusting! The magic stone is big and good, but will they buy something this smelly?
Monster meat is sold in the Special District, so does this mean their meat is sold too?
I can't believe it……
There is definitely armor and weapons, but I don't want to wear such smelly equipment.
I got the magic stone――it's indeed a bit bigger than the 2nd floor wolf.
According to the monster manual, the price is roughly around 20,000 yen.
Um, there are 5 of them, so that's 100,000 yen just from this.
Weapons and armor are dropping too, so it might make a bit more money.
It seems like it might finally become a business from the 3rd floor or so――.
Do people without an Item Box carry this smelly stuff up?
Or are goblins objects to be ignored?
I don't understand well, so for now, I'll put them in the Item Box.
I'll check after going back up, and if it doesn't make money, I'll throw them away when I return to the dungeon.
Taking things out of the Item Box to ambush is not quite working either.
Even if I put big things in, I don't feel the weight, so maybe bigger things would be better.
Ah, right――speaking of which, a light truck is in there……
No, if I drop it and my beloved car breaks, it would be troublesome.
Nowadays, cars are expensive even second-hand due to inflation.
I have to use it carefully……
If there is a huge rock or something falling in the dungeon, I'll put it in the Item Box.
If it's a rock, I won't regret it even if it breaks or I throw it away.
I finished off the goblins and proceeded through the dungeon.
This time, three skeletons, monsters made only of bones, appeared.
They just came rattling, so I threw sandbags and defeated them.
If they had intelligence, they could dodge, but it seems these guys have no brains.
They just approach and swing swords.
Their movements are simple, but it might be dangerous if many appear.
Not having intelligence means they don't know fear.
I defeated the bones and got the magic stones, but do bones have any use?
Bone powder?
This one also had a sword and shield, so that might be worth money.
I proceeded through the pitch-black dungeon as is.
I was hungry, so I took out bread from the Item Box and ate it.
Maybe because of the high level, I'm not tired, but I'm extremely hungry.
I'll have to earn some food expenses if I consume this much calories.
If I'm consuming this much calories, wouldn't it be fine to eat ice cream and chocolate non-stop?
I defeated many monsters, but ordinary people would have to carry these.
Bicycles and rickshaws seem possible, but moving between floors is on a slope, so that seems difficult.
Will they use the elevator after all?
If I can carry a lot of prey, I can make money, so maybe paying for the elevator fee will pay off.
It's a trade-off between labor and expenses there.
My Item Box is just too cheat-like.
――Since the 3rd floor was a breeze, I returned to the entrance to the 4th floor.
I went down the slope as is.
The dungeon has a high ceiling, but by the time I got here, there are very few people.
The number of lights gradually decreases, and it feels insecure――probably, the lighting assistance ends here.
Probably, this area is the most cost-effective for mining.
Below this, only high-level adventurers can go, and it should be hard to defeat monsters.
If utilizing it as a resource, a large amount of cheap items――this is indispensable.
I don't want to get into trouble again, so I try to avoid meeting people by passing through dark places as much as possible.
I hurriedly arrived at the 4th floor.
Since I didn't meet monsters on the passage going down so far, it must be a safe zone.
So if people are gathering around the entrance and exit――.
There are only a few people at the 4th floor entrance camp.
According to the monster manual, this floor seems dangerous unless you are around level 24.
Level 24 is considered a very high level, so it's understandable that there are few people.
I'll try fighting here for a bit and then retreat.
For now, I realized I can easily fight up to the 3rd floor.
The enemies seem to be strengthened quite a bit, so I'll study with the manual just in case.
"Um, do orcs and hobgoblins spawn here?"
When I say orc, I mean the orc from the female knight saying "Grr! Kill!"
This is not a joke; female adventurers seem to be attacked by humanoid monsters.
It's dangerous after all.
Orc class magic stones seem to be around 20,000 yen each, but is it worth risking your life to fight them?
According to the manual, they are excellent for eating too, so it seems you can't make money unless you carry them out.
Hmm, I think a black pig was around 350,000 yen.
Orcs should be bigger than black pigs, so I think they will fetch a good price.
That's if you can carry them out, but if they are that big, it might pay off even using the railway.
Then there are harpies and such.
Harpies are flying monsters, right?
Since the ceiling is high, do monsters like that live here?
It says if you catch them, they are traded at a high price.
"Heh~"
Catch means catch alive?
What are they used for? Pets?
Monsters as pets――they are certainly rare creatures, no doubt.
There are many passages with high ceilings, but some are low.
Won't flying monsters appear in those places?
There must be some kind of habitat range after all.
As I started walking thinking about harpies, footsteps echoed.
A giant body holding a large iron rod appeared from the darkness.
"Bumooh!"
"Big! It's an orc!"
What appeared before my eyes was indeed an orc, but it was bigger than my imagination.
Muscles bulging, a big belly――height over 2m, weight probably not less than 200kg?
Still, it is smaller than the brown bear I faced in my hometown.
It's just one, and I won't fight head-on foolishly.
I took some distance and took out a catapult from the Item Box.
A large rock about 10cm is already loaded.
"Bumo! Bumo!"
The enemy is swinging a big iron rod wildly, but if I'm far away, it's not scary.
I checked the surroundings just in case and started spinning the catapult.
I practiced throwing stones a few times, but this is the first time using it in a dark dungeon.
I'm a bit anxious, but I noticed it's different from a bright place.
I can roughly see where it will fly.
The enemy's attacks also looked like white lines, but maybe my own attacks are visible to some extent too.
Is it like a game's aim assist?
With this, I probably won't miss by a large margin.
The body is a big target, but if I hurt the internal organs, it seems the commercial value might drop.
――In that case, the legs.
I aimed for the legs and released the catapult string.
"Pigyi!"
With a high-pitched cry, the orc's knee part blew off, and its large body collapsed.
I took out the Rebar Mace from the Item Box, dashed to the fallen enemy, and swung the weapon down towards the head.
"Oraa!"
"Gippyi!"
The orc's head was crushed like a pomegranate.
Since it's a big monster, is the head hard like steel and has high defense?
――I thought so, but it seems it wasn't the case.
Even a giant monster seems to die instantly if its head is crushed.
After convulsing repeatedly, it stopped moving.
Wearing rubber gloves, I took out the magic stone from the chest area――it's quite big.
It feels a size smaller than a baseball.
"Store――"
The pig-like giant was sucked into the Item Box.
If it goes into the Item Box, it must be dead.
Well, how much will it be worth?
I'm a bit excited, but is this excitement only for the beginning of the plan?
I feel like it will become a mechanical repetition of work soon.
Adventurers hunting slimes endlessly on the upper floors are exactly like that, aren't they?
Repeating the same thing is quite tough after all.
If the numbers gradually increase like leveling in a game, there might be some fun, but it's impossible in this dungeon.
Setting aside the feelings――I thought earlier too, isn't 20,000 yen for an orc magic stone cheap for such life-risking combat?
The orc's giant body seems to fetch a good price, but without an Item Box, carrying it to the exit is difficult.
It feels like it's not worth the effort……
As for the government, they probably want a large amount of cheap magic stones rather than magic stones from rare, difficult enemies that are hard to defeat――that seems to be their policy.
Well, if big magic stones could be obtained easily, that would be better, of course.
An iron rod dropped by the orc is lying on the ground.
It's quite bulky and heavy.
It seems to weigh about 20kg, but I could lift it with one hand.
How much have I powered up?
I swung it around――it's easy.
Should I make this my main weapon instead of the Rebar Mace I made?
It seems to have quite a bit of power too.
"Oh?"
There is a glass bottle nearby with something inside.
Without eyes that can see in the dark, wouldn't I miss things like this?
This might be a potion too, so I stored it in the Item Box.
Higher grade ones will be more expensive, and I need to stock up just in case.
"Well――since I realized the 4th floor is a breeze, I'll go back once……"
The monsters listed in the manual end at the 4th floor.
After that, I'll have to collect information on the net or something.
There are many message boards dedicated to this, so I'll use them.
I also have to find a place to stay and sleep.
As I was about to turn back, a piercing cry flew into my ears.
"Kyaa! Kyaa!"
It seems to be coming from above, so I looked that way――something with large wings was flying.
Since it's in a dungeon, it can't be a bird.
The proof is that there are no beaks, and I can see a human face.
Her hair looks long, so is it a woman's face?
It seems her chest is exposed too.
Ah, so that's the harpy.