《Can Even a Mob Highschooler Like Me be a Normie if I Become an Adventurer?》 CH 1 Chapter 1 Can Even a Mob Highschooler Like Me be a Normie if I Become an Adventurer? I think the guy who first came up with the idea of school caste was smart. The caste system, which represents social status, and the power relations within the class are surprisingly similar. Probably the first person to come up with this was a guy in the lower or upper middle class. A guy in that position can see well above and below. Most of the guys in the class probably thought they were in the middle group or a little lower, and that''s why the term school caste was so widely accepted. In reality, however, it is impossible to know where you are. Even if you think you are in the middle group, you may actually be looked down upon by everyone in your class. When you go to the bathroom for a minute, your friends who were just laughing with you may be talking bad about you, and on social networking sites, groups have been created without you... While fighting such fear, everyone desperately tried to maintain their own class caste. Or maybe, if you work hard and even get to the top, you won''t have to worry about such fears. I don''t really know, but the view from the bottom looked much more spacious and comfortable. But if you try to join the ranks of those above you and fail... it will be disastrous. The top of the class caste is pushing each other to the bottom of the class caste, and those in the bottom of the caste will never allow you to escape to the top of the caste. To begin with, there is a reason why the top caste is the top caste. Communication ability, appearance, athleticism or brainsthe wall of innate talent. We who don''t excel in any of these areas, are still stuck being mobs today as well. In class, we smile amiably at the not-so-funny jokes of our friends, mechanically send stickers on the classs line, and likes on Twitter. That''s how I thought I would spend my three years in high school. But what if a way to rise to the top opened up in front of me? Not appearance, not athleticism, not sense of humor, but a whole new way to rise to the top which I can work my way up with time. After much worry and agonizing, I made up my mind. It''s risky. It costs money. I may lose my precious youth. Even if I worked that hard, it might be in vain. Still, I... Morning. When I opened the door to the classroom, I felt gazes gather on me for a moment. But that was really only for a moment, and the gazes soon disappeared. "Good morning." There was no particular response to my greeting, and only two or three people who met my eyes raised their hands slightly. Such a usual scene was firmly burned into my eyes. This is who I am currently... Utamaro Kitagawa''s position in the class: Neither liked nor disliked... Almost makes no difference whether Im here or not. I quietly reconfirmed that and headed to my seat by the window. My friends Higashino and Nishida were already there, sitting across my seat and chatting. Higashino is short and thin, and Nishida has very normal features, except for his slightly overweight glasses. In other words, they are at the same level of appearance as I am. "Good morning." "Good morning." We exchanged greetings as I take my seat. Nishida immediately spoke up. "Hey Maro, listen to me." Maro is my nickname. Basically, we call each other by our last names, but I was given such a nickname because of my distinctive name Utamaro. "What is it?." Yesterday, Higashino lent me a monster movie. Its all about girl monsters, and its full of sexy scenes. I was already looking forward to it before I got home. When I got home, I immediately took off my pants and played it. "You want me to know about the pants-removing scene?I don''t want you to make me feel uncomfortable in the morning. I was imagining it a little. I frowned. "Sorry, sorry. They are all definitely girl monsters. There were plenty of sexy scenes. But..." At that point, Nishida sagged in disappointment. "They are all hags..." Ah "I see, that''s a shame..." "Don''t say bad things about them! They were not old ladies at all. They are all older sisters in their twenties!" Higashino said indignantly. "Is that so?" "Yeah. Even in the dense forest, it''s a popular work with 5 star reviews. I''ll lend it to Maro later. Because there are quite a lot of big breasts." "Seriously?! I''m counting on you." Friends are what you should have. As I was grinning, the resurrected Nishida interrupted me. "No, no, no, no, wait a minute. Twenty-somethings are old women, right? How many years have passed since their prime?" "It hasn''t passed at all. Rather, it''s the best time to be eaten. It''s my dream to lose my virginity to an older woman someday." "Impossible. After 12 years old, they are already old hags. If I''m going to lose my virginity to a hag, I might as well go for a witch." "Die, you lolicon." "What are you talking about? Im telling you, they are not little girls anymore." "You guys!" I hurriedly entered between the two. "Youre arguing about something stupid. Give me a break this morning." I sighed as I said that, and the two of them gave me blank eyes. "Maro is good, huh? Your strike zone is wide. If they have big breasts, you don''t care about age. You can go for Lolita or older sisters, can''t you?" " You have a fifth-grade sister back home, too. Ai is so cute. I can''t believe she''s Maro''s little sister. Do you take baths together or something?" "Higashino aside, Nishida! You, if you do something to my Ai, I''ll seriously kill you!" I threw serious murderous intent at the disgusting pig who was a potential sex offender. Inviting him to my house was the biggest mistake of my life when I didn''t know about his propensity. When I once went to a bookstore with this guy, he saw the lolicon comics on display and said, "Comic L* is the Bible." I will never forget that line. "Ah, I want a monster card~. Real women become old hag when they get old, but monsters don''t get old. Seriously, they''re eternal lolitas." Certainly, I also want an older sister monster who will pamper me no matter what. An older sister who treats me like a boy younger than her, whether I become an old man its the best. It''s lust all over the place, these guys. Yet, their words were also what men all over the country desired, except for their propensity. The dream of a girl monster of your own, that was the dream of every man in the world. "If that''s the case, why don''t you become an adventurer? Then you might get one someday, right?" " How far ahead are you talking? It costs more than a million dollars just to become an adventurer." Even if you become an adventurer, the price of girl monsters is extremely high compared to other monsters of the same rank~ "It will be a routine of failure." While talking nonsense, the topic shifts to adventurers and girl monsters, and at an appropriate point, they gave up. There was no deep meaning in the content of the conversation. It was just a lubricant to avoid not having a conversation in the small world of the classroom. And that''s when it happened. The door to the classroom was opened with a bang. "Good morning!" A confident and energetic greeting. Standing there was a boy of medium height and medium build with short, lightly coiffed hair. His face was more of a lower ...class. The scattered acne scars and upturned pig nose were pushing down his facial value by about ten points. At first glance, he looks like a mob character like us... but our classmates reacted differently. "Oh, good morning!" "Minamiyama-kun, you''re late today." Both boys and girls smiled towards him and greeted each other openly. Minamiyama responded with a smile, saying, "Haha! I just missed the train." Suddenly, our eyes met. "Good morning" "Oh" When I greeted him as a courtesy, he responded briefly and immediately averted his eyes. It was like he was not interested. Just like that, Minamiyama approached the group occupying the desks in the center of the class and sat down on a chair. "Hey!" "Oh, Minamiyama. You''re late." "Hey hey, how was yesterday''s MonColo? from Minamiyama-kun''s point of view?" The people who greet Minamiyama with a smile were the upper caste members of this class. The ace of our school''s baseball club, which was known for being a strong school, Takahashi. The chubby Ono who had the best sense of humor in the class. Shinomiya-san, the most beautiful girl in our grade who was a model student. And then... Shinomiya-san''s best friend, Ushikura-san, who had an attractive motherly chest. Minamiyama, who entered without hesitation into their somewhat sparkling and shining midst, began to talk somewhat boastfully. "Yesterday''s MonColo was between a Centaur and a Dullahan, wasnt it? Hmmm, to be honest, from my point of view, it wasn''t good enough. The one who won was the Dullahan, but I''m disappointed that it was a power push. I feel that the result would have been the same even if I had used it now. On the other hand, I was impressed that the centaur was doing well. The live commentary was praising the Dullahan, but that Ana wasn''t a former adventurer, so she doesn''t know much about it, and I guess you have to be in the know to understand that part of it. "Heh~~ So thats how it is. From my point of view, I just thought monsters were amazing." Shinomiya-san let out a voice of admiration at Minamiyama''s quick commentary. "I didn''t know anything about Dullahan, either." Minamiyama-kun, you really do sounds like an adventurer. "What do you really mean?" "Ahahaha" Higashino, who was watching their excitement, muttered, "Minamiyama... he has changed." "Ah, it seems like he have joined the ranks of the Normie group." The two of them seemed to have lost their excitement... I heard their suppressed voices and closed my eyes lightly. Nowadays, Minamiyama is a well-known top caste member, but until about half a year ago, he was a mob character who was mingling with us. When we entered high school, we started hanging out just because our seats were close to each other, and since there weren''t any club activities that we wanted to join, we spent our days wandering around casually. Reading through the comics brought by someone and getting excited about the story, going to the game center and holding a fighting game tournament, and holding a video viewing party of MonColo, ---- Monster Colosseum, that was posted on the Internet... It wasn''t anything to ignite youth, but it was fun days in its own way. What changed that was Minamiyama''s sudden revelation. [I''ve actually been an adventurer for a little while now----] That one sentence changed our relationship drastically. For students, titles carry considerable status. For example, ace of the club, captain, model model, child of a celebrity, student council president, first place on grade test....... Students are basically just a bunch of guys who have nothing. So, just by being one head above the rest, you get noticed. They get a second glance. If that happens, just by standing out a little bit, you will be at the top of the class caste. Minamiyama was one of those who stood out a little. The title he had prepared for himself was an active adventurer. In these days of the adventurer boom, it was easy to become an adventurer, depending on how much money you have. It was easy to become an adventurer with just the right amount of money, but that money was too high a hurdle for a normal student. The registration fee was 100,000 yen and a D-rank card. These were the two qualifications to become an adventurer. The price of a D-rank card ranged from one million to ten million yen. Even the cheapest card was too much for a student to afford. Everyone would like to become one ......but there was no money to take on the challenge. The most important thing to remember was that you can''t get a better deal than this. Therefore, being an active adventurer as a high school student was something that students longed for. Even if that was the result of having their parents pay for it, like Minamiyama did. Minamiyama, who came out as an adventurer, joined the Normie group in a blink of an eye. Now, he showed an attitude like he had never even hung out with us... It was not like we don''t think anything of it. In fact, when it was just us, we always talk about our dissatisfaction with Minamiyama. But that was all. We don''t have the guts to say it to his face. Because he is an adventurer. Because he is the higher class caste. Even if our friendship was tossed away like a can of juice, I would not be able to say anything about it. I can only tell ourselves that it can''t be helped, that and give up. But that''s only until today. I whispered in the classroom, which suddenly became hectic with the appearance of the homeroom teacher. I will become an adventurer today. 1999, the seventh month. While the world was buzzing with occultism such as Nostradamus'' great prophecies, it suddenly appeared. A group of labyrinths suddenly appeared all over the world. At seas, mountains, deserts, in the middle of roads, on the roofs of buildings, in ordinary people''s homes, in convenience store toilets... They appeared completely at random and had a size that was incomparable to what was predicted from the outsideit was something that could only be described as a different space. The countries of the world immediately dispatched their troops to their sudden appearance. It was discovered that the labyrinths were filled with monsters that looked like something out of a fairy tale or a game......, and that there were abundant resources, including various rare metals and other completely unknown metals, as well as magical items. ---The discovery of the mysterious tools, which could be called mythical items. The world rejoiced. The labyrinth was inhabited by a large number of creatures hostile to humans, but for some reason they never came out of the labyrinth, and most of them were powerless against modern weapons such as guns. The labyrinth was divided into different levels, and the deeper the level, the easier it was to find magical items and precious metals, so all countries searched the labyrinth. Among the items obtained from the labyrinth, there were many items of unknown use, such as cards with monsters drawn on them, but the usefulness of items whose uses were known was clear. A medicine that regenerates lost parts of the body and heals diseases that were said to be difficult to treat in medicine at the time. A crystal that can see the future with high possibility. An amulet that will protect you from all sorts of misfortunes once and for all. A makeup tool that allows you to become your ideal self. And, even food of perpetual youth and longevity. Magical tools that seem to only appear in fairy tales fascinate people. In particular, the ores called magic stones dropped by monsters are discovered through research to have countless uses, such as fuel and fertilizer. The economy was booming. Driven by the desires of the people, the army went deeper and deeper and as if paying the price, they suffered devastating damage. The army armed with modern weapons was annihilated by monsters which later named phantom-type monsters. The army was helpless against these monsters, which were unable to be hurt by physical attacks such as guns, and in the United States, it is said that as many as 10% of the entire army died. Japan was fortunate enough not to have reached the floor where the phantom-type monsters appeared as it was one step behind the other countries in its attack on the labyrinth due to demonstrations by civic groups opposed to the existence and activities of the Self-Defense Forces. --The U.S. immediately withdrew from the labyrinth after the damage and put the labyrinth exploration on hold. The developed countries followed suit, and the labyrinth fever seemed to have subsided for a while, but half a year after the labyrinth was sealed off, a tragedy occurred that would later be known as the First Angolmore. Monsters that were thought to never come out of the labyrinth overflowed from it and attacked the people. Fortunately, a simple military base had been set up around the labyrinth, so the damage was relatively minor, but the people were horrified by the monsters that escaped the military net and attacked the people. At this time as well, it was the so-called phantom monsters that caused the greatest damage, and the army had no choice but to allow the damage to spread as the undead monsters could not be dealt with. The one saving grace was that these undead monsters were vulnerable to the light of day. As the sun rose, the undead monsters spontaneously disappeared, and even those that had gone underground were completely extinguished by destroying the entire building. After the monsters had been wiped out, the countries immediately set out to investigate the cause. It soon became clear that this disaster only occurred in the advanced countries that had blocked the labyrinths, and that Angolmore did not occur in China, Russia, and other underdeveloped countries, which after the incident from the phantom monsters, still continued to hunt monsters in the labyrinth... As a result, a hypothesis was made. [If you don''t hunt monsters regularly, monsters will overflow from the labyrinth.] In addition, there was another important discovery from this First Angolmore. It was how to use the cards depicting monster that are dropped by monsters on extremely rare occasions. These cards, which would later be called [Monster Cards], had been enthusiastically studied at first, but because it was still unclear how to use them, some were released to the market as goods from the labyrinth. Some of those who purchased them accidentally discovered their use while being attacked by monsters. The method was to put a drop of your own blood on the card and then strongly wishing to use it. Then the monster on the card will actually appear and do whatever you ask it to do. The reason researchers did not realize that simple way was because the card could not be used outside the labyrinth except under special circumstances such as Angolmore. Research was conducted exclusively in a dedicated laboratory, not in the dangerous labyrinth. It was ironic that this led to the recognition of the existence of items that could only be used inside the labyrinth, and the research on these items advanced dramatically. The use of the cards discovered in this way led to breakthroughs, and the labyrinthine strategy was restarted. This was because the use of monsters, which could use some magic, created a countermeasure against the phantom monsters. Moreover, the cards had an unexpected byproduct. The cards provided a barrier to the master. The master would not take any damage while the monster was being played, and the monster would take care of all the damage. Thus, the existence of the barrier created by the cards made the labyrinth exploration safer. As a matter of fact, by this time, the exploration of the labyrinth by the military had already reached its limits. The deeper you went into the labyrinth, the more meaningless firearms became to the monsters. In the depths of the labyrinth, powerful enemies began to appear, including phantom spirit monsters that were ineffective against physical attack, too fast to be hit by bullets, and too sturdy to be killed by a day-long hail of bullets. The level-up system that exists as a matter of course in games. The lack of such a system was the reason for the deadlock in the labyrinth. However, this problem was solved by the use of cards. It was true that humans do not level up. However, monsters do level up. This created a cycle of training monsters, defeating strong monsters, acquiring cards, train them, and defeating more monsters. That meant one conclusion. That is, it doesn''t have to be the army who explored the labyrinth. The first country to start was the United States, the land of freedom. A labyrinth exploration using cards by civilians. Because of Angolmore, it is absolutely necessary to defeat monsters in the labyrinth. However, it would be problematic if the military alone was to continue to attack all of the countless labyrinths in the country. At that time, there were voices in the United States that after the First Angolmore, ordinary people should be able to defend themselves in Angolmore with monster cards. Originally, when there was a school shooting, people even said, "If only teachers had guns, such a tragedy would not have happened. It was only natural that people would say that if they had had a card, they would have been able to save their lives. For this reason, the United States opened some labyrinths to the general public. In addition, they created the Adventurers Guild of USA, an organization to supervise and assist civilians in exploring the labyrinth. Whether it was a success or a failure can be seen from the fact that the adventurer system was being implemented all over the world today. It had been about 20 years since the first labyrinth appeared. Adventurer was now a dream job for many people. [Tips] Labyrinth The labyrinth is a strange space that suddenly appeared at a certain point in time. Inside the labyrinths are dangerous monsters, magical tools, unknown metals, and many other reward items. The scale of each labyrinth varies, but the deeper you go, the more powerful monsters appear. At the deepest level, there is a being called the Lord, and if you defeat it, you will receive a reward commensurate with the degree of difficulty. The number of labyrinths is increasing year by year, and no method has been found to eliminate them. There is a doomsday theory that the labyrinths will eventually cover the entire world. *** Translaor(s) note: We are still a bit busy, but we are already working on the next chapter. We want to be able to update more stably too~ CH 2 Episode 2 Betting Life on a One Million Yen Gacha After school. I declined an invitation from my friends to hang out and went to the Adventurer''s Guild at Hachioji Station. Basically, labyrinths appear randomly without warning, but statistics showed that labyrinths were more likely to appear in areas with higher populations. In order to cope with that, the adventurer''s guilds were generally set up inside station buildings. Especially in the metropolis of Tokyo, almost every reasonably large station had an adventurer''s guild. The reason why I went all the way to Hachioji instead of the Tachikawa Adventurer''s Guild, which was the nearest station to my school, was because the Tachikawa Guild was Minamiyama''s home guild. Furthermore, this one was also closer to my home, so it was easier to visit on holidays. As I exited the ticket gate, I began to see people in uniforms and civilian clothes, mixed in with those wearing tactical vests and military rucksacks, all dressed in somewhat stuffy outfits. It was not some university survival game club. Adventurers made this station their home. The eyes of people who see others as adventurers can be roughly divided into three at a glance: indifference, envy, and admiration. Ten years have passed since [Second Angolmore]... The damage caused by the disaster, which was supposed to never happen again, still remains as a big scar in people''s hearts. Among the people who suffered damage from monsters, there were even some who avoided the benefits of labyrinths such as potions and magic tools. And the most prominent which seemed to be a nuisance to them was the presence of adventurers who used card monsters to earn a lot of money and gaining attention. ...That said, in general, adventurers are still a coveted profession in the eyes of the public. In fact, even now, a handsome Johnny''s-type adventurer was surrounded by several high school girls and tried to talk to him. At first glance, he looked troubled, but it was obvious from the outside that he was not unhappy about the situation. I watched him with envy for a while as he disappeared into the coffee shop opposite the ticket gate as if he was being dragged along by the high school girls, but then I regained my composure and started walking. A minute or so after exiting the ticket gate, I saw a large building attached to the station - commonly known as the Guild Building. This building, which was built several years ago, had a grocery store in the basement, a restaurant on the first floor, adventurer goods on the 23rd floor, an adventurer''s guild on the 4th floor, a card shop on the 5th floor, and a city hall on the 6th floor. Adventurers were able to do all their errands in one place. It seemed that there were complaints from the labyrinth hatersthe ones who hated labyrinths, especially those who were particularly vocalabout the fact that the adventurer''s guild and the city hall were in the same building, but the city continued to wave them away. One of the reasons for the city''s insistence was that Hachioji Station was designated as an evacuation center in the event of an emergency. Even if there were some complaints, it cannot be replaced by safety in an emergency... "Welcome to the Tokyo Adventurer''s Association. How may I help you today?" When I went up to the 4th floor, a male employee who was standing idle near the door spoke to me with a smile. "Um, to register as an adventurer..." "Yes. Please take a numbered ticket from window number 4 over there." "Ah, yes." After a few minutes of waiting in the chair and checking the necessary documents and cash, my number was called. "Hello, how can I help you today?" "Hello, um, I''d like to register as an adventurer." "It''s an adventurer registration. For registration, you need a registration fee of 100,000 yen, a card of rank D or higher, an ID card that can confirm your current address, and if you are a minor, you need documents such as a consent form from your guardian. Do you have them with you today?" "I have everything except the card." "In that case, you will have to purchase the card on the upper floor. If you are not an adventurer, you will need a staff member to accompany you to purchase the card. Is that okay with you?" It''s the same flow as I had researched on the internet beforehand. I gave a small nod. "Then, I''ll call the person in charge, so please wait a moment." "I understand." After I nodded, the female employee began to make a phone call in a familiar manner. Then, less than ten seconds after she put down the phone, a middle-aged man appeared from the back desk with a smile. Nice to meet you, my name is Shigeno. "Ah, yes. Thank you very much." "Then let me show you to the fifth floor." I followed Shigeno-san up the stairs in the back of the guild. There was no elevator or escalator on the 5th floor of this building, so you can only go up the stairs inside the Adventurer''s Guild to get there. There were guards wearing bulletproof vests standing in front of the stairs, and no ordinary person was allowed to enter. Unlike the quiet and calm atmosphere of the 4th floor, the 5th floor was bustling with many adventurers. The atmosphere was similar to that of a trading card store. Inside the store, there were many boards with copies of cards on them, and the adventurers were staring at them intently. Shigeno-san was moving swiftly as if he was weaving his way through the gap between these adventurers. While I was intrigued by the spectacle, I used the space Shigeno-san had made for me so that I wouldn''t get lost and followed him. "Excuse me, I''d like to rent a booth to guide this person who wish to register." When Shigeno-san reached the counter and said that to a staff, we were guided to a space blocked by thin walls and ornamental plants. "Please have a seat." "Oh, yes" "May I ask your name first?" "My name is Utamaro Kitagawa." "So its Kitagawa-san. Again, my name is Shigeno. Since this is Kitagawa-sans first time purchasing a card, I will give you a brief explanation." "Please take care of me." Yes. Well, first of all, as you may know, monster cards are cards that contain the monsters that exist in the labyrinth. Adventurers will fight the monsters in the labyrinth by materializing these cards. The cards can only be used in the labyrinth, in spaces where special magic tools are used, and in emergency situations such as Angolmor. Are we clear so far?" "Yes" When I nodded, Mr. Shigeno gave a small smile, then he straightened his face. "From here on, it will be a little more important. First of all, the monsters summoned from the card by the user... from now on, lets call it the Master, the monster cannot harm their Master. Don''t worry, this includes actions such as playing around and ignoring that the Master is harmed. In the first place, the Master can channel the damage from himself into the card. So, as long as the card is there, the Master''s safety is guaranteed. ....But that doesn''t mean that the card is absolutely obedient to the Master." "Eh, is that so?" I asked back, surprised at the unexpected new information. All the cards I saw on TV were obedient to their Master, so I subconsciously believed that the cards were exactly like that. "Yes. Cards are just as varied as human beings, from the quiet to the rebellious. Some become more and more obedient as they are used, while others stop listening to commands. Worst of all, some have even been found to renounce all combat except for self-defense. Cards have ownership rights, and by relinquishing these rights, the card''s level of strength and memory can be reset so that anyone can use it, but even after resetting, the card''s personality is inherited. Some used cards that have been used by incompatible owners have become irrepressibly rebellious, and there have been many problems for masters who have grabbed such cards." "I see" I crossed my arms and groaned at Shigeno-san''s explanation. I''ve heard that cards had different personalities. This was because there were many threads on the internet saying things like "My tsundere vampire-chan is so cute that I am anemic every day" and "My nekomata-chan is too capricious and harsh". However, it seems that the card''s personality is actually more important than I thought. "I have one question, but what do you do with those very rebellious cards? Even if people buy it, they can''t use it, right?" "Since we can''t help it, we are selling them at a somewhat reduced price. I will explain it later, but please understand that there are plenty of uses for such cards." "I understand." "Then I will explain the various functions of the card next." Several tens of minutes later. This is the end of the explanation. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask at any time. "Thank you very much." I bowed to Shigeno-san after listening to various explanations about the card''s detailed functions along with adventurer''s duties and rights. It was a much more in-depth lecture than a class at school, but strangely enough, it got into my head without a hitch. Perhaps because it was something that interested me, or perhaps it was because I felt a comfortable heat in my head. Well, thank you for waiting. Now, let''s move on to the purchase of cards. "Ah!!" Shigeno-san''s words brought me back to my senses. I can feel my heart beating faster and faster. Swallowing my saliva, I nodded. "Yes. Yes, please take care of me." "You don''t have to be so nervous. This is a list of D-rank cards. The minimum price is from 1 million yen, but is your budget okay?" "Yes, it is okay" With a trembling voice, I took out a million yen in an envelope from my bag. It was the crystallization of my sweat and tears, which I had earned from my part-time job and from the annual gift I had saved up since I was a kid. Shigeno-san glanced at it and took out the binder without even confirming the amount. "You can pay the bill later. Please take your time and choose the card you want." After saying that, Shigeno-san began to wait quietly. I started looking through the binder list with a sideways glance, but... (As expected, all the popular cards are expensive... especially the monster girl cards are over 5 million yen... What I can buy with 1 million yen... is only unpopular cards like orcs and ghouls.) I closed my eyes for a moment and made up my mind. In the next few minutes, the efforts of the past few months may be in vain. But even so, I decided to go for it. "Excuse me." "Yes? Have you decided?" "No, it''s not a card, but I heard there''s a million yen card pack." Shigeno-san clearly frowned at my words. Certainly, we sell card packs containing ten cards, but... "I''m thinking of buying them." "Uh" Shigeno-san stammered for a few seconds, as if wondering what to say. "Kitagawa-san, regarding the card packs, I think you''ve probably misunderstood." A misunderstanding?" "Yes, I think you''re probably talking about it after seeing a post on the Internet that rare cards appeared when you bought card packs." "Yes." "It is true that some packs contain cards of the highest B-rank, but they have a very low probability of being included, just like the first prize in a lottery ticket. The probability of finding a C-rank card in a pack is less than 1%, and the probability of finding a D-rank card in a pack is about 30%. It''s not a sure-fire way to get your money''s worth. "1% or less..." "Yes. Kitagawa-san, this is your first time registering, right? Your budget is probably just one pack. If you don''t get a D-rank card, you won''t be able to register. It''s assumed that adventurers will buy the pack. Because of that, the ratio is not assuming that a new person like Kitagawa-san will buy it. "...It''s okay. I accept everything." When I quietly said that, Shigeno-san lowered his eyes as if he was really troubled. "...Kitagawa-san, did you save this money by working yourself?" I answered with a little puzzledness at the sudden change in topic. "Ah, yes. That is right." Shigeno-san nodded deeply at my words. It must have been really hard for a student to earn this much money. I used to work part-time when I was in high school, so I understand. ......I''d like you to keep this between us." "Yes" All the cards we sell are purchased from adventurers. Cards with easy-to-use personalities and easy-to-use skills will be priced appropriately and displayed in the stores. While cards that don''t seem to get many buyers even if they''re displayed in the stores... ......We put them in packs to use as fishing bait. The price of a C-rank card ranges from 10 million to 100 million yen, and a B-rank card can fetch up to almost 10 billion yen. For the average person or novice adventurer, this is an unimaginable world. If people can get it for 1 million yen, it would be enough as a bait for... fishing. The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you have a good understanding of what you''re getting into." I bowed deeply to Shigeno-san and said, Thank you very much. But I''ve made up my mind. "......Yes, sir. Then I will bring the packs. Mr. Shigeno stared at me for about a minute, but before long he let out a small sigh and left his seat. "...fuuuuu" I leaned back against the backrest and stared at the ceiling. There is no turning back now. But even if I become an adventurer, it will be useless with a D-rank card, which was the lowest rank. A C or D-rank girl monster card was the minimum I''m looking for. That''s my minimum requirement. If I couldn''t get them, it''s all the same. "Thank you for waiting. This is the card packs." What Shigeno-san brought to me was a set of card packs that looked like something you would find in a convenience store. What made it different from trading cards was that there were no glittering illustrations at all, and the packs were completely painted black. They were packed tightly in a box measuring 50 centimeters square. These are the a-million-yen-a-pack card packs....... I gulped. "Please pick up any pack you like. It doesn''t matter how long you take." "Thank you." I lowered my head and stared at them. Of course I can''t see inside. Among them, 30% will be ranked D, and 1% will be ranked C. In other words, there is a 70% chance that my 1 million yen will become garbage. The days of my part-time job for the past few months were going through my mind. I worked at a supermarket on weekdays, and on weekends I worked without a break at a moving job. Since it was my first part-time job, I was constantly scolded every day on the first month. I was once caught with a sarcastic senior worker who taught me falsely, and the manager was extremely angry with me. At that time, I clenched my teeth so hard that my gums bled. I even went home and cried. I often had to carry heavy things, so every day after work, I would eat dinner, take a bath, and fall asleep like I fainted. It was hard to persuade my parents. Concern for my personal safety. Academic impact. The cost issue. I looked up all kinds of information on the Internet, showed it to my parents, promised to keep my grades up, earned the money myself, and finally got permission the other day. All that effort might go to the 70% of the total possibility. How long will it take me to save another million? This time, I have no New Year''s gift and no savings. I worked every day after school and earned a salary of about 100,000 yen. Simple calculation shows that it would take about 10 months. Due to shifts, I can''t enter every day, and I can''t continue mentally. It should be a year But if the next one doesn''t work out, will I try again for another year? Its impossible. High school life is only three years. Spending it all on part times, it will be putting the cart before the horse. ...then if this doesn''t work, I should just give up. No, that''s better. Bet everything on this one shot. If it doesn''t work out, I''ll spend the rest of my school life quietly without having any unreasonable wishes. But if a D-rank or higher card comes out... My chest hurts. My throat was so dry that I get a tingling sensation just by swallowing my saliva. My body was drenched in sweat and it was cold. My fingertips were trembling and it was hard to put any strength into it. The hustle and bustle outside the booth quickly faded away. I was scared. My body feels fluffy, as if I am in outer space. It''s the first time I''ve experienced this. The moment when all my extreme hard work is put to the test is this scary. I wonder if those in the athletic clubs or those who are at the top of their class feel this way during games and exams. Damn, I feel like I''m starting to have respect for the baseball club''s Takahashi. Take a deep breath. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6... exhale, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9... inhale. Okay, let''s pull. My fingertips naturally extended toward the right corner of the box. The third row from the right end, the second pack from the back, my hand reaches out as if it was attracted. There was no thinking, and it felt a little better to just be straight. "I will pick this" "Are you sure?" "Yes." When I nodded, Shigeno-san nudged me with his hand. "Then please open the package." With a snap, I tore off the edge of the pack. The first one, goblin, F rank. The second one, Kobold, E rank. The third oneCoosie,D rank! Joy and disappointment struck my heart at the same time. At least I broke the 30% barrier and now I can register as an adventurer. But this is meaningless. This is not it... Moreover, the fact that a D-rank card appeared at this stage greatly reduced the probability that the remaining cards contained rare cards. In other words, I lost half the bet. I bit my lip and turn over the rest of the cards. Fourth, skeleton, F rank. Fifth, another goblin. Sixth, zombie, E rank. Seventh, Roper, F rank. Eighth. "Ah!" Ghoul... D rank card. Also, the illustration drawn was that of a woman. A ghoul with long blond hair and a buxom body of about twenty years old. Just by hearing that, she seemed like an attractive woman, but her skin had turned blackish purple, her eyes were so bloodshot that you can''t even see the whites of her eyes, and the drool that dripped from her wide-open mouth showed no sign of intelligence. She doesn''t give off the slightest bit of cuteness, though it was not that bad. "Haha" A self-mocking smile leaked out. The most important thing to remember was that I can''t get a better deal than this choice. This was the best way to get the most out of my money and to make sure that my money was well-spent. Maybe it''s a bit much to ask for a card of a pretty monster girl, or at least a 10 million C rank card at the lowest price. Come to think of it, I got two D-rank cards in one pack. I guess I''m lucky enough. Then, I guess this is good enough for me. Thinking like that, I randomly flipped through the remaining two cards-- Ah, eh? I couldn''t believe my eyes. One was an ordinary Goblin card. But the other one... What was drawn there was, unmistakably, the figure of a girl in a kimono. Her black hair, which should have been neatly trimmed, was jumping up in a punkish manner, and she put one foot on a ball (probably a temari *t/n: beautiful little thread ball), raised her middle finger, and stared at me. For some reason, it was strangely bad, but... there was no doubt about it. Zashiki-warashi. It was a C rank monster girl card. [Tips] Monster Cards Mysterious cards that rarely dropped by monsters in the labyrinth. The cards have illustrations of monsters on them, and by registering as a master, you can call monsters from the cards at will. The cards are indispensable in the labyrinth because they take all damage to the master while the monsters are being summoned. Monsters will basically listen to the master''s commands, but if they disliked it, they will stop listening to the master''s commands since they have feelings. Weaker cards have higher drop rates and are cheaper, while stronger cards have lower drop rates and are more expensive. And monster girl cards are basically all traded at high prices due to demand. *** Translator(s) note: For the time being, we will update every Saturday. Happy reading~ CH 3 Episode 3 I Feel Like the Train Door Closed in Front of Me "Funfu~, fufufun~?" The next day, I was on my way to school humming a tune. In the inner pocket of my uniform, I had hidden my adventurer''s license and several monster cards. One of them was, of course, the Zashikiwarashi-chan I just got yesterday. "fufu" I couldn''t help but let out a small laugh. I wonder how everyone would react if they saw this. A C-rank card. Furthermore, it''s also a monster girl card that costs several times the market price. It''s definitely a rare card that most students don''t have." When I imagined everyone''s faces when I showed it off... I couldn''t help but smile. "Oooh. Maro, you''re early today." When I turned around because of the tap on my shoulder from behind, there I saw familiar face of my friend. "Oh, Higashino! Good morning!" "Hey, you''ve been in high spirits since this morning. What happened?" "Really? I think it''s the same as usual." I denied it, but the smile on my face wouldn''t cease. "Hey, The most important thing to remember is that you should never be afraid to ask for help from your friends and family. Your grin is even more disgusting than usual." "Shut up." I lightly hit him on the shoulder with a punch. What do you mean more than usual? Dont you just imply that I am always disgusting? "What''s wrong? Tell me, we are friends, aren''t we?" "Eh" I hesitated for a moment as to whether or not I should tell Higashino what happened yesterday. If I reveal that I am an adventurer with a rare card, the way I will be treated in class will naturally change. Or rather, since I had worked so hard to get to the top of the class caste, it was natural that Ill be treated differently. The question is what will happen to my existing friendships then. Minamiyama cut us off as soon as he rose to the top of the school caste. It can''t be helped since he''s a genuine piece of shit, but if possible, I wanted to join the ranks of the normie group and maintain a friendly relationship with Higashino and Nishida. After all, friends are not something that should be easily cut off, and above all, I get along well with Higashino and Nishida. The ideal situation would be to be respected by everyone at school, while still hanging out with Higashino and Nishida after school and on weekends. In that case, it might be better for Higashino and Nishida to know that I am an adventurer in advance. Okay then. "Actually----" "Hey! Good morning" "Oh! Nishida. It''s rare for the three of us to get together on the way to school." "We are bound by the thread of fate, I''m sure." "My destined partner isn''t you guys, but a wonderful older sister I haven''t seen yet." "Heh (sneers). Oops, good morning too, Maro." "Oh, oh... good morning." "Hmm? Oh yeah, were you just about to say something?" "No, no, its nothing..." "Really?" I was caught off guard by Nishida''s appearance, and unintentionally made a fool of myself. Uh, it''s kind of hard to say when things like this happen. I was waiting for the timing to say it, but we arrived at the classroom while Nishida talked about the gyaru game he played yesterday, and in the end I couldn''t say to them that I had become an adventurer. Hmmm, is it possible to talk to the two of them by the end of the day? If at worst I can''t do it, I can postpone it until tomorrow, right?" "Oh?" As I was thinking about that, Higashino suddenly stopped. "What''s the matter? Hurry up and get inside." Nishida, who bumped into Higashino because of the sudden stop, urged him to enter the classroom. It''s kind of noisy inside. Hm? Did something happen? Looking over Higashino''s shoulder, I saw a single male student surrounded by more than half of the class. He is Ono, who is a little short, has a chubby body shape that is not off-putting, and has black natural curly hair on top of his head, ......a top caste group member. Surrounded by everyone, Ono looked more excited than usual without a care in the world. I wondered if he was making jokes that only his own circle could understand. I don''t like his comedy because he makes fun of people like us. "What, Ono?" "Is he doing a skit that only they can get again?" "That guy''s comedy is awful. Looking down on us." Higashino and Nishida were looking at Ono and whispering to each other. I was a little relieved that they were saying exactly what I was thinking. Let''s go inside for now. Oh." I nudged them into the classroom. Our classmates didn''t even notice that we had come in and seemed to be engrossed in Ono''s story. And that was when I heard something I couldn''t believe. I heard unbelievable words that jumped into my ears. Is Ono also an adventurer? what? I suddenly stopped and stared at Ono. "Well, even if I say Im an adventurer, I am still a one-star adventurer. My card is also crappy." "No, no, just being an adventurer is amazing. Besides, you saved money by doing a part-time job yourself, right? "Have you been to a labyrinth yet?" "Not yet. I''m planning to go with Minamiyama-kun today. Well, it''s reassuring to know someone I know is a senior." "I''m really excited to have a friend in the same industry!" I couldn''t help but stare at them in a daze. .........................................Oh, this---! He beat me to it! What do I do? Do I jump in there and tell them I''m an adventurer too? No, no. That place has already been completely transformed into a showcase for Ono. If I jump in there, I won''t be able to join the normie group. In fact, I''d probably just be labeled as someone who can''t read the atmosphere. So, should I wait for a bit and come out too? ...... No, that won''t have much of an impact anymore. The good spot is only up to the second. The third, fourth, and next ones are just following in the footsteps of the one in front. As a matter of fact, even being the second was not that great, but that will be different if you have a weapon that the first does not. That''s why I insisted on a C-rank card or a monster girl card. Just being an adventurer was not something to be proud of anymore. Only the first, the pioneer, was allowed of that. In Ono''s case, it was significant that he was originally in the normie group. Of course, the Zashiki-warashi card will still have enough impact. Being a C-rank card and a monster girl card is worth it. However, it is difficult to turn that into a positive impression....... Ono wouldn''t find it amusing for me to suddenly cut in, and Minamiyama would probably side with Ono. ---Hee, Kitagawa-kun has become an adventurer too. And you have a rare card, that''s amazing. So, dont you see that I am talking now? It will probably go like that. And there''s no doubt that the other classmates will thoroughly beat me down for trying to steal the limelight from others. Kitagawa-kun forcibly walked in and showed off his high-value card when Ono-kun who worked hard to become an adventurer as a part-timer was talking, If this were the case, it would be a bad idea to announce it at this time no matter what the circumstances. However, showing off a license and the rare card at a later date would not have much impact anymore, and would not help me to get into the upper echelon of the class caste. So what should I do? Weapons. I need more weapons. Not just an adventurer''s license and rare cards, but more....... ......But what? How do I differentiate myself from them and make myself unique? "So, that Ono has become an adventurer too?" "I didnt expect an adventure boom at our school. We don''t have that kind of money." "Even if he said that he is an adventurer, he is just starting out anyway, isnt he? A less than 3-star adventurer who can''t even make it to the MonColo... right?" "True. Its very much like he only got that one star because of money." Zapp! ! ! At that moment, an electric current ran down my spine. That''s it! That''s the only way! When I heard Higashino and Nishida whispering in the corner of the classroom, talking about Ono, I had a flash of inspiration. Both Minamiyama and Ono were still amateurs, not even three stars. Adventurers were classified into six levels according to the number of stars on their licenses, and those with four stars were considered professionals. Those with one or two stars were deemed as complete amateurs, but those with three stars were considered semi-professionals and can compete in MonColo, the Monster Colosseum. Being able to participate in the Monster Colosseum means being able to appear on TV. When it comes to being talented enough to appear on TV, it can be said that the person is already an existence that was different from other students. That social value would be comparable to that of a celebrity on campus. This is it. Even though being a student, having a rare card worth tens of millions of yen and is talented enough to appear on TV. I have no choice but to take this route. In fact, after becoming an adventurer, I was just looking for a good part-time job where I could dive into the labyrinths at random. To me, becoming an adventurer was the most important part of the process, and once I was an adventurer, I didn''t really care. But now that it had come to this, I had no choice. I will become a three-star adventurer no matter what it took. Preferably before next year''s class change. I made up my mind to do so as I watched Ono and the others ......, or rather, as I watched her smiling beside them. [Tips] Adventurer One of the newly created professions with the advent of the labyrinth. While the initial investment costs money and lives will be at risk, the income is high. The recent boom in adventurers has led to an increasing number of young people becoming adventurers without understanding the dangers involved. There are six ranks of adventurers, from one to six stars, with those with up to three stars being considered amateurs and those with four stars and above being considered professionals. In addition to their income from labyrinthine exploration, professional adventurers have various sources of income, including TV appearances as celebrities, advertising income from video postings, and appearance fees and prize money at the Monster Colosseum. CH 4 Episode 4 Excuse me, this Zashiki-warashi is a delinquent! After school. After getting ready at home, I immediately went to the labyrinth around Hachioji Station. The labyrinth, which was about a ten-minute walk from Hachioji Station, used to be an ordinary house, but now it had been transformed into a convenience store called Dungeon Mart. Most of the labyrinths were now in the form of convenience stores like this. Most of the buildings that existed when the labyrinth first appeared have collapsed under the influence of Angolmore. Many of the buildings that were left have become uninhabitable because their owners wished to relinquish them. It was a good thing that the government bought up all the ruins in one lump sum to support the victims, but the problem was what to do with the land. "Wouldn''t it just be a waste of tax money to use it as an entrance to the labyrinth?" Such voices came from the opposition parties. The criticism was almost accusatory, but one company was the first to raise its hand in response. This was Dungeon Mart, which rapidly increased its market share by locating convenience stores in the vicinity of the labyrinth during the labyrinth bubble. The famous founder of Dungeon Mart suggested that they use their convenience store as an entrance and exit. The Dungeon Mart''s main selling point was its unmanned sales system. At the time, major convenience stores were pulling out of the labyrinth because they could not attract enough workers to operate around the labyrinth, but Dungeon Mart was one of the first to introduce an unmanned vending system and begin doing business with the Self-Defense Forces for the labyrinth. One of the concerns with unmanned vending systems was the risk of shoplifting, but Dungeon Mart solved this problem by focusing on military personnel, who were highly disciplined. By having a Self-Defense Forces member in the store at all hours of the day, even shoplifting by ordinary customers became almost zero. As a result, the Dungeon Mart grew rapidly, but it was quickly driven into a corner by the damage caused by Angolmore. A normal company would have withdrawn from business around the labyrinth and re-started as a normal convenience store. However, the president of Dungeon Mart was different. He went a step further and aimed to further monopolize the market share by integrating the labyrinth and the convenience store into one. After some twists and turns, Dungeon Mart''s offer was accepted, but this strategy initially created a difficult situation for Dungeon Mart. After all, the only customers were the Self-Defense Forces personnel who were stationed in the area. Immediately after Angolmore, the area around the labyrinth became a ghost town. Convenience stores could not prosper in such a situation, and even Dungeon Marts in ordinary areas were forced to withdraw one after another due to harmful rumors. The stock price also continued to decline, and at one point the company was forced into a very difficult situation. It was a few years ago that a ray of sunlight shone through the dark clouds of Dungeon Mart. It was after the adventurer system was introduced in Japan. With the adventurer boom, Dungeon Mart''s business performance rebounded rapidly. Its stock price also soared. When Dungeon Mart was listed, a businessman who had purchased only a hundred shares at the offering price was featured many times on TV as having amassed several hundred million yen in assets before he knew it, thanks to his persistence in holding on to his shares through the difficult time Dungeon Mart was going through. At this point, other major convenience stores also tried to launch the labyrinth business, but it was too late. Even on the brink of bankruptcy, the foundation of Dungeon Mart, which did not relinquish its labyrinth concession, was solid and unshakable. Thus, Dungeon Mart became the dominant player in the Japanese convenience store industry. it''s always darkest before the dawn. "Welcome. If you are an adventurer, please put your adventurer license on the panel. When I opened the automatic door, I heard such a voice from the side. Rumor has it that the entrance door to the labyrinth in the back will be automatically locked if any customers do not show their license here. The inside of the store had more food than a normal convenience store while there were few daily necessities, and there were many items that an adventurer would need such as bandages and disinfectant. However, there are no full-fledged adventurer goods, and it can be seen that the purpose was only to replenish small items and food items that you forgot to buy. I picked up a few water plastic bottles, onigiri (rice balls), and pastries, put them in a plastic bag hanging on the shelf, and went to the back of the store. I did not pay the bill. I don''t know the details of the system, but it seemed that an artificial intelligence embedded in the weight scale on the shelf and the surveillance camera calculates the price of the items and deducts the amount from the electronic money charged in advance on my license automatically. After going down the stairs leading down, there was a heavy steel door. When I touched my license there, too, it opened with a bash-whack sound. The authentication here was different from the one at the entrance. This one determines whether my rank was enough to dive into this labyrinth. Well, since this is an F-rank labyrinth, any adventurer can enter it. Basically, one-star adventurers can enter up to F-rank labyrinths, two-star adventurers can enter up to E-rank labyrinths, and three-star adventurers can enter up to D-rank labyrinths. For four-star adventurers who were treated as professionals, there were no rank restrictions on labyrinths, and even A-rank labyrinths can be entered and exited freely. Of course, no one can guarantee your safety at that time. After you become a professional, you are responsible for your own safety. Beyond the door was a small space about two tatami mats in size, in which a black swirling sphere was floating. This is the entrance to the labyrinth... I saw it for the first time. What the hell is this sphere made of? At first glance, it looks like smoke... I fearfully inserted my finger into the sphere and found that my finger was completely obscured. The tip of my finger was faintly warm. It''s like the inside of a living creature''s mouth... I gulped down my saliva and went inside. It''s okay, I''ve never heard of anyone dying through this. For a moment, I felt as if I had stepped off a staircase, and before I knew it, I was standing in the middle of a deep forest. The scent of grass and trees wafted through the air. My surroundings were bright. It should have been evening when I entered the labyrinth, but the sun was clearly rising in the sky here. It was true that inside the labyrinth is a small another world....... If the information I had researched beforehand was correct, this sun should have continued to rise without moving. In other words, this world would continue to be daytime forever. Likewise, the evening labyrinth is forever evening, and the night labyrinth is forever night. A rainy labyrinth is rainy forever. I came to this labyrinth because I had read that beginner should avoid the poor visibility labyrinths like night labyrinths and go to the day labyrinths, so I did some research beforehand and came to this labyrinth, but....... Its hot The temperature was probably close to 30 degrees Celsius. It''s autumn and it''s getting chilly, so I''ve been wearing heavy clothes, but...... I''ve made a mistake. I didn''t realize that even the season was different in each labyrinth. I don''t have time for this. I had to summon the monsters as soon as possible. The guild members said there were no monsters around the entrance, but this is a labyrinth ...... and you never know what might happen. Its best to be careful. I took out three cards and carefully looked at them. [Race] Zashiki-warashi [Combat Power] 250 [Inborn Skill] ?Good fortune is like a rope that ends in misfortune: Good luck to misfortune, misfortune to good luck. Can bestow luck and misfortune on the target. The output increases or decreases depending on how well the monster likes the master. ?Hide-and-seek: Can hide one''s appearance and presence. Invisibility and blocking of presence are included. ? Elementary recovery magic: Can use simple recovery magic. [Acquired skills] ?Zero existence: The existence has been reduced from its original state. The combat power is always minus 100, and skills miss or downgraded. Closed mind: Has a rebellious heart against the master. Negative response for commanded actions, positive response for free actions. ?Elementary attack magic: Can use simple offensive magic. Zashiki-warashi. A kind of fortune god. There was a legend that good luck will come to the house with a zashiki-warashi, and bad luck will come if they leave the house. Let me briefly explain each item. The race is literally the race of the card. Combat power is the current card''s combat power. Innate skills are skills that everyone in that race possesses. Acquired skills represent skills that the card personally possesses. In the case of zashiki-warashis, they are racially endowed with the ability to hide themselves, the ability to give good luck and misfortune to enemies and allies, and healing magic. And this card itself has three unique abilities: zero existence, closed mind, and elementary attack magic. However, as can be seen, some acquired skills have disadvantages. Zero Existence is a skill possessed by cards that are significantly weakened from their original state. According to the monster encyclopedia app distributed by the guild, this zashiki-warashi''s combat power is nearly 100 lower than other zashiki-warashis. It seems that the inborn recovery magic is originally moderate recovery magic. Probably, one or two acquired skills are also missing. This alone lowered this Zashiki-warashi''s rating to the lowest level among C-rank cards, but on top of that, she also possessed the Closed Mind skill. This is a skill acquired by a card after being used by an incompatible master, and indicates that the card with this skill is extremely uncooperative with the master. Even if they were forced to do what they were told, their ability would be severely reduced due to the negative response. Once a card acquires such a demerit skill, it will no longer be used in the ?normal way?...... Like this, there were some skills that have disadvantages, and this zashiki-warashi was a dropout. The price of the card was also very low. Shigeno-san estimated that the price would be less than half that of a normal Zashiki-warashi. Well, it wouldn''t have been included in the pack otherwise, so it is kind of a complicated situation for me... Now, Lets look at the Ghoul. [Race] Ghoul [Combat Power] 100 [Inborn Skill] ?Living corpse: Existence closest to death and furthest from death. It doesn''t disappear unless the head is destroyed. Including abnormal status resistance and intellectual decline. ?Firefield''s fool power: Able to wield power beyond the limits of the body. Recoil while in use. ? Corpse Eater: Eats flesh and blood for food. Self-healing by predation. [Acquired skills] ? Absolute obedience: A pledge and curse of the soul. Will execute any command. Extremely strong positive response for orders. ?Sexual skill: Possesses a certain level of knowledge and skill in sexual techniques. Positive response for specific actions. Pheromones: Able to recognize pheromone substances and manipulate them at will. Ghouls are flesh-eating monsters of Arabian origin. Originally, ghouls were similar to lewd demons such as succubus, but in the labyrinth, they appear as flesh-eating, necrophagous demons. Among them, female ghouls are called ghoulers. Although the combat power of the Ghouler I got is the lowest level among D-rank cards, she is blessed with synergistic innate skills of living corpse, firefield''s fool power, and corpse-eater. Her acquired skills are full of romance: absolute obedience, sexual skill, and pheromones. No, really, it is a skill set that makes me want to question why does she have to be a ghouler. If she isn''t an undead, she will be perfect! ......Cough, let''s get back on track and move on. The next one, is the Coosie. [Race] Coosie [Combat Power] 150 [Inborn Skill] ?Fairy Watchdog: Guardian of fairies. Status increases when there are fairies in the party. Status decreases when attacking fairies. Has a presence blocker. ? Group activities: The habit of living in a group. Positive response for group activities. [Acquired skills] ? Obedience: basically does not disobey the orders of the master. A weak positive response to the commanded action. ? Cowardice: Extremely averse to combat. Halves stat during battle. Coosie is a Scottish dog fairy and protector of fairies. Legend has it that they can move without making any noise. The skills ate also derived from that anecdote, and include the skill of blocking presence and improved status when protecting fairies. They have an aptitude for group activities and are obedient to their master. Originally, it was supposed to be a good card due to its high initial combat power, but the cowardice skill was a drawback that blew away all those advantages. I can''t judge anything until I actually use it, but it might be better to use Coosie as a support rather than in combat. Now that I have finished explaining the three cards, the question is which of these cards to use. In the F-rank labyrinth where I am now, only two cards can be summoned at the same time. The summoning limit increases by two cards for each rank of the labyrinth. For now, I''m going to settle on the Zashiki-warashi and ...... the other one will be Ghouler-chan who has absolute obedience. It was written on the internet that the undead are not suitable for beginners because they are hard to use unless you give them instructions from 1 to 10 or spend a lot of time training them, but well, there is also the Zashiki-warashi, so it should be fine. I held up the Zashiki-warashi card and declared, "Come out! Zashiki-warashi!" The card glowed brightly, and before I knew it, a little girl appeared in front of me. The scent of flowers wafted in the air. She was about the same age as my sister (fifth grade). The girl was as beautiful as a three-dimensional version of the girl in the illustration on the card. At least her face is really pretty, just like a doll''s. The problem is her eyes. And her attitude. The way she sat on her haunches with her eyebrows furrowed and stared at me, she was completely like a yankee from the countryside. "...What are you looking at, huh!? Want me to kill you?!" "Ki-... Eh!?" I was not a fan of that. I was not sure what to do. I flinched at the sudden declaration of murder. Even though she may look cute like a doll at first glance, her power is incomparable to that of a human being. When I was scared to death inside, the child sneered at me with a smirk. "Heh, you little louse. You, are you a new Master?" The Zashiki-warashi stood up and looked up at me. When you look at her like this, shes really small... Her attitude is many times greater than her height, though. "Ah, yes..." "I''m sorry to hear that. You''re not lucky. I can''t believe you got a defective card like mine for your first card." The Zashiki-warashi said this while grinning, and I suddenly felt a sense of competitiveness welling up inside me. I had a feeling that I should give back at least one word to this little girl who had been suppressing me since a little while ago. "No, not really." "Aaah?" You certainly seem difficult to use, but if it weren''t for that, a newbie like me wouldn''t have been able to get a rare card like yours. The actuality is that you can find a lot of people who are not able to get the same kind of a good deal. The Zashiki-warashi seemed to be shaken for a moment by my half-serious words. However, she immediately gave a nasty smile. "Ha. Let''s see how long you can keep up that bravado." After saying so, she disappeared. ......Whew. The most important thing to remember is that you can''t just take a chance on a new person.I knew it, even if she is a monster, she is also a little girl. It''s better to be a little manly. Now on to Ghouler. "Come on out, Ghouler!" At the same time as I said that, Ghouler appeared. She is a young woman around 20 years old. Her face itself was pretty, and she had a nice, well-proportioned body. She was wearing sensual clothes such as low-rise leather pants and breastplates, which were very revealing. It made one wonder what sort of profession she was doing before becoming a ghouler. She''s a 100% beautiful woman if only her features are raised. But she was helplessly a corpse. Her hair was shaggy and damaged. Her skin was completely stained black and purple, with corpse spots here and there. Her eyes were so red and bloodshot that the whites of her eyes were nonexistent. And since her original irises were red, the eyes looked like they were completely red. Luckily, there was no smell at all. The odor was said to be the biggest drawback of undead-type monsters, so it was really fortunate. The conclusion: If only she is not a ghoul... If only she is not a ghoul---!! ...But there is hope. Monsters have a rank-up system. It was a system that allows you to take over the characteristics and memories of a lower card by synthesizing a lower card with a higher card of the same sex and lineage. Depending on luck and how well the card was used, if it goes well, it may be possible to transfer skills to a higher-level card if it works. Ghouler''s higher card was vampire. In other words, if by some miracle I can get a female vampire card, then the strongest monster girl card that inherits Ghouler-chan''s appearance and her charm skills may be born. Someday, someday, I''ll let you rank up! I made up my mind as I looked at Ghouler who was staring into space while drooling. Anyway, the preparations are OK. From now on, my full-fledged activities as an adventurer will begin. "Alright! Then, let''s go!" Saying that, I started walking in high spirits, but when I was about ten meters down the road, I heard a child''s laughter. Zashiki-warashi. "Kyahahaha! Hey, is it okay? You are leaving her there." When I turned around at the voice from the void, I saw Ghouler still standing in her initial position. "... Ghouler, follow me!" After giving that order, Ghouler finally started walking. Hey, are you serious? If I don''t even order it, she won''t move? The labyrinth was filled with the laughter of a child who was truly amused by the situation, while I was depressed. [Tips] Dungeon Mart The Dungeon Mart is a leading convenience store that has quickly increased its market share along with the introduction of the labyrinth. Now, if you look at the Dungeon Mart, you can tell at a glance that there is a labyrinth there. The founder, President Kanou, has made many TV appearances and is famous as a celebrity president. He has become a semi-talent man, so much so that it is said that he is probably busier working on TV than as president. His extreme comments often cause flames on Twitter. The first flame was when it was revealed that he has a very beautiful French wife and a mixed-race daughter. CH 5 Episode 5 Khuhuhu, I guess the best way to attract Loli''s attention is with sweets! I walk through the forest cautiously. The path was about two meters wide, with ankle-deep weeds and a wall of trees that seemed impenetrable to humans. In reality, it would be possible to rush into these trees if you force yourself, but the results of experiments by the Self-Defense Forces have proven that there is nothing to be gained by forcing yourself through the walls of the labyrinth. Worst of all, adventurers were strictly forbidden to enter such a forest-type field because of the possibility of getting lost. For a while, I had Ghuouler leading the way through this labyrinth, but I gradually became uneasy and asked the unseen Zashiki-wrashi, "Hey, Zashiki-warashi. Do you know how close the enemy is?Do you think it''s safe? "Aah? Why do I have to answer such a question? What came back from the void was such a tasteless reply. Why? You''re one of us, aren''t you? One of you? The child appeared in front of me with a laugh. I''ll tell you something first. I hate humans. Just looking at them makes me want to vomit. As well as the slaves who do as they are told. Her eyes were filled with a resentment that she could not hide. Give up on seeing me as a fighting force. I don''t even have the slightest bit of motivation to do something for you. Didn''t I tell you that its unfortunate of you to have to grab such a defective product?" After saying that, Zashiki-warashi disappears again. I scratched my head. ......Wow, what a mess. What the hell did the previous owner do? When a card changes masters, it is initialized and its memory is erased. However, the feelings that are stuck in the card are not erased. The look in the Zashiki-warashi''s eyes was one of hatred toward human beings. In that case, should I put her card down and let Coosie out? Such a thought crossed my mind. No, but the minimum defense is according to the rank of the card. It will be safer with the C-rank Zashiki-warashi. Besides, if I put her card down here, I feel like I''ve lost... "By the way... it''s so hot." I whispered while wiping the sweat off my forehead. It''s only been a few minutes since I entered, but I''m dripping with sweat. Unable to resist, I took out a sports drink from my bag and gulped it down. The faint sweetness and the sensation of moistening the throat were irresistible. I also took out a chocolate bar and bite into it. The sweetness soaked into my body, which had not eaten anything since lunch. The sugar content was pleasant to my brain because I also had been using my head. "...Oh, hey." As I was enjoying my late 3 o''clock snack like that, the Zashiki-warashi, who should have disappeared before I knew it, was looking up at me beside me. Hmm? "T-that... what is it?" "What...? It''s a chocolate bar." "Ah, is it sweet...?" "Eh, well, its chocolate." Hmm~nI, see. Could it be... "Do you want some?" "!!" The Zashiki-warashi jumped up and down like a frightened kitten. Her round eyes looked a little bit cute. "Ha, haa!? No way! I''m not a kid!" No, you''re a kid. You are a zashiki-warashi after all. Feeling a little amused by this girl who was too easy to understand, I took out a new chocolate bar and handed it to her. "Would you like to eat?" "Huh!?" Zashiki-warashi stared at the offered chocolate bar. She bit her lower lip. D, do you think Ill be lured by something like that?Too bad, it wont work. "No, I didn''t mean it like that, but ...... you''re right, they say that if you don''t work, you don''t deserve to eat. I shrugged and tucked the chocolate bar into my pocket. What are you going to do now? "Oh, uh, ......." The Zashiki-warashi stared with sad eyes, but eventually, she gritted her teeth in frustration and said "Baka!", then disappeared. Hm, did I fail? I thought it would be like, "Then I''ll work just once, so give me some chocolate." Perhaps the reason why I couldn''t break through the Zashiki-warashi''s stubbornness was that she didnt know how delicious the chocolate really was. But the failure just now is plain painful. I feel like I''ve become even more distant from the Zashiki-warashi. No, is it the other way around? Whatever the form, it was great that we were able to squabble. We were able to communicate. And I got to know what she likes. Perhaps it was because I was thinking about that. I didn''t notice the shadow that jumped out from my blind spot. "Huh? Ghouler!" The identity of the assailant was a gray wolf. It was probably the size of a large Tosa dog, and it was powerful enough to be described as a ferocious beast. The sight of this large, ferocious wolf snarling and biting Ghouler terrified me more than I had imagined. I felt a chill run down my spine. The wolf was pushing her down and biting her on the neck, and she was not even able to put up a good fight. No, no. She is completely unresisting. Why isn''t she fighting back?! Just when I was confused by the sudden attacker and Ghouler''s unresisting behavior, a bullet of light flew out of nowhere and pierced the wolf. The wolf screamed and rolled several meters on the ground. A moment later, its right hind leg, which had been ripped to shreds, slumped to the ground with a thud. What, what is it?Wh, what is going on? The answer to that question was close at hand. Don''t just stand there. Move that little wooden doll, quick!" The girl who had been standing by my side for some time before I know it said to me in a bored tone. Then I finally understood. It was the Zashiki-warashi who had just attacked the wolf, and the reason Ghouler did not resist was that I hadn''t given her any orders! Ghouler!If you can get up, fight back against the wolf right now!Use all your available skills!" I immediately give the order. Ghouler''s eyes widened as if a switch had been flipped. As if her previous movements had been a lie, she got up and attacked the wolf with agility. She held the wolf, which was unable to move quickly due to the loss of its hind legs, down to the ground and bit down on it, opening her mouth so wide that it looked as if it would split open. While the wolf''s pitiful screams echoed around, Ghouler devoured the wolf with a single-minded determination. I was standing there, stunned by the horror movie-like scene, when I noticed the Zashiki-warashi standing beside me with a grim look on his face. Ah....., you helped me out earlier, thanks." I thanked her in a slurred voice, but she didn''t reply in particular. She was doing her job at least. Just did the bare minimum of her duty?No, she wanted to say something. I wonder what it is... Oh, maybe Oh, yeah, right. I have to repay the hard workers, right? Here, I''ll give you this." Following a sudden flash of inspiration, I offered the chocolate bar, and the Zashiki-warashis face brightened and she snatched the chocolate bar away from me. "Heh, it''s not like I really wanted this. I just unintentionally put my hand in it because it smelled so bad! Don''t get me wrong!" "Oh, yeah. I understand. I understand properly." Did you really want sweets that badly? Youre like an easy-to-understand tsundere character already, arent you? But, well, it''s much better than being hard to understand. I''ll have to prepare some snacks next time. But more importantly, is Ghouler okay? Worried about her, I turned my gaze towards her, and there was no longer any wolf, only Ghouler with a red mouth. "...Yeah, it looks like you are safe." When I approached her to check her condition, there were no more scars on the nape of her neck where the wolf had bitten her. It was probably thanks to Ghouler''s skill, regenerating by eating corpses. Whatever the case, I''m glad shes okay. Ghouler, next time you are attacked by an enemy, fight back immediately. You can use whatever skills you can use. Nod your head if you understand. Ghouler nodded her head and I lightly patted her on the shoulder, saying, "I''m counting on you. Now for the loot. It is said that when you win a battle with a monster, they may drop an item or card on rare occasions...... Oh! A card!" I picked up a card with an illustration of a wolf on it that had fallen to the ground. It''s an F-rank [Wild Wolf] card. The combat power is ...... only 15. If I''m not mistaken, the purchase price up to D-rank should have been about 10% of the list price. The list price of the F-rank monster card is about 10,000 to 100,000 yen. The Wild Wolf is a small fry among small fries, so it''s about 1,000 yen. If you think of it as a thousand yen for a few minutes in the labyrinth, it seems like a tasty hourly wage, but it''s not like they drop cards every time. I have heard that the drop rate of F-rank cards is only one in ten. Considering that there is a risk of death, it is not very fruitful at low ranks. ...... I heard that if you get a C or above, you can earn a lot of money. It''s always hard at the start...... I almost let out a sigh for a moment, but I managed to endure it. Now that I think about it, getting a card in my first battle was rather lucky. Even more so if I think about the possibility of losing Ghouler if not for the Zashiki-warashi. As expected of a Zashiki-warashi, a C-rank card. Thinking that, I looked at her. She looked depressed as she stared at the empty bag of chocolate bars. "Was it delicious?" She really is just a kid, isn''t she? I asked her, and she looked at me as if she had come to her senses. "...Uh, ah? It''s not so bad for something that humans eat." "If you help me again, I''ll give you other sweets." "Oh, are you serious!? Ah, no... ugh, once in a while, when I''m in the mood for some snacks, Ill think about it." "Well, then... look forward to it." I couldn''t help but smile when I saw how much more obedient she was compared to the first time. I''m not sure what to expect, but I''m sure we''ll be able to get along better than I thought. Well, should that be enough for today? I had actually come here today intending to fight at least ten times to get a feel for battle, and if all went well, to clear the first floor. I was naive. The pressure of moving and fighting in the labyrinth was much greater than I had expected, and it was mentally draining. Even though I had only been in the labyrinth for a few minutes, I was mentally exhausted. I needed to think about the orders I would give to Ghouler, and I also needed to buy sweets for the kid. I headed home, ruminating about today''s events in my head. [Tips] Inside the Labyrinth The labyrinth is a different space, and there are various types such as forest type, mountain road type, seaside type, tunnel type, maze type, and graveyard type. In addition, it has been found that the season, weather, and time of day do not change, and the food brought in does not spoil. Experienced adventurers are younger than their actual age, so it is widely believed that the flow of time has stopped inside the labyrinth. However, if time actually stopped, it would be impossible to move, so there are many mysteries. Many adventurers take advantage of this characteristic to enjoy skiing, surfing, and other seasonal sports in the labyrinth all year round, whether it is summer or winter. And sometimes they let their guard down and die. CH 6 Episode 6 - Isn''t there at least one that''s easy to use? *----pin pon pan pon.* ...... Hah..." I involuntarily sighed at the sound of the chime signaling the end of class. In the end, the time has come....... It was not that I don''t like break time. I don''t think there was a single student who does. What I don''t like was the next class. After I made sure the girls were out of the classroom, I started to change into my gym clothes with a depressed look on my face. I don''t know when I started hating gym class. Let me tell you, I''m not bad at sports. I''m also not good at it though. What I dislike was the "Okay, form pairs," words that was highly prevalent in gym class. ...... Maro, you know, right?" No hard feelings, okay?" After I finished getting dressed, the East-West1 duo came to me. Both of them had a stiff expression. Yeah, I know." All of us held out our fists, and said at the same time, "First is rock, rock-paper-scissors! I went with rock, while Higashino and Nishida were paper. "FAAAACK!" I howled. "Heh heh, I guess Maro is alone this time. Sorry about that. Good luck finding a partner. I looked at the East-West duo, who were smiling with relief, with a resentful look in my eyes. This was the reason why I hated gym class. The structure of forming pairs meant that we who always hung out in three had to leave one of us out. The one who was left out had to wander around the class looking for a partner, and I can''t tell you how discouraging and miserable I felt at those times...... On top of that, as someone who doesn''t have many friends, I cant help but felt a negative aura in the class. Damn, it''s all Minamiyama''s fault that this happened. When he was with us, we had a group of four so it was easy to split the group 2-2, but because he suddenly left, we ended up with a group of three. Even though we started hanging out with a group of four to avoid this kind of thing. In school life, the number of four is convenient for various events. Pairings for classes, group assignments for school trips and field trips, mahjong, millionaire''s games, etc........ But it all came crashing down because of his betrayal. Curse you, Minamiyama....... And it was even more annoying that he''s teaming up with Ono. I started to look for a partner, but I couldn''t find one. I had to find one person who was still alone at this time, but the people in the field already had someone beside them. Before I knew it, I found myself standing alone. I looked around with a sense of dread. What''s going on? There should be an even number of boys in my class. How could there be an excess? Could it be that one of them is absent today? I felt like the guys in my class were looking at me like I''m an idiot: He has no one to team up with?Maybe he doesn''t have any friends?It''s so lame to be the only one left. I hear such auditory hallucinations....... No, that''s not true. I do have friends. I just happened to lose at rock-paper-scissors-paper this time...... As I was making excuses in my mind like that, I saw a shadow running into the field. That was close~, that was close~," he said. I was going to the restroom and thought I was going to be late. Hey, is there anyone left?Lets partner up. It was my classmate Kannari who spoke in such a big attitude as soon as he arrived. His appearance could be summed up in one word: frivolous. He had long blonde hair, which was stiffly styled with hair styling products, and two or three piercings in his right ear. His facial features were normal, with an oblong face and cruel eyes like a snake. I frowned when I saw his face. Wow, the worst...... Narikin! Narikin always actively tried to get involved with the normie group during class and after school, but he was not considered as one of them by the normie group... he was one of the so-called half-half2. He cared about fashion and trends, but he was neither good looking nor talented. He was one of those guys who was somewhat disliked by everyone because of his habit of looking down on classmates other than the normie group. Kannari was the leader of the half-half group and and was called Narikin, which was a play on his name. When Narikin noticed that it was me who was left, he looked blatantly disappointed. What, it''s you? So unlucky," he said. Well, I guess it can''t be helped since I''m late, huh." I felt that I was the one who was unlucky, and my face cramped up. Seeing me like this, most of the class, including the East-West duo, looked at me sympathetically, but some still looked at me condescendingly with a smirk on their faces. It was Narikin and his group and ...... Minamiyama. He seemed to take pleasure in seeing his former friends feeling miserable after he left. ......Dang it, who do you think you are to make me feel like this! As I clenched my fists behind my back, "All right, everyone''s finished pairing up right!Today we''re going to play doubles tennis. It''s going to be an elimination match, so come over here and draw the lots." Don''t pull my leg." Narikin, who had heard the gym teacher''s instructions, muttered a few words and gave me a hard poke on the shoulder. You son of a b*tch. You''re not that athletic either!And you''re not very nice either! A number of abusive words floated through my head, but....... "What?" ....... Nothing?" In the end, I couldn''t say a single word back. I was most annoyed with myself for being like that....... After school that day. I was invited to karaoke by the East-West duo for a change of pace, but I declined and came to the labyrinth. I had had the worst time in gym class with Narikin, but that was no reason to take a break from exploring the labyrinth. Rather, it motivated me that the only way to change this shitty situation was to succeed as an adventurer. The only reason Narikin thought that it was okay for him to behave like that was because he thought the other person was below him in caste. He was the typical type of guy who was strong at the bottom, but can''t defy the top. In fact, Narikin and the others flatter Ono, who does not look like a strong fighter, and even Minamiyama, who rose to the top of the caste. That was to say, the same thing will happen when I enter the top of the caste. Thinking of this, I felt a surge of motivation. I stepped into the labyrinth and immediately took out my cards. Today''s members were Ghouler and Coosie whom I had not called yesterday. Come out, Coosie! When I called out, a dog the size of a cow appeared. It was a mysterious looking dog with beautiful emerald green fur and a big swirling tail. In size, it was more like a prehistoric wolf than a dog, but its charming face was closer to the image of a dog than a wolf. Nice to meet you, Master." Coosie greeted me with her ears down. She gives the impression that she was somewhat unreliable as she was nervous, but she gave a better impression than the other cards for greeting me. Yeah, nice to meet you, Coosie. I moved my arm and called Ghouler. Ghouler appeared, staring blankly into the air. While looking at her like that, I took out a note from my pocket. Ghouler, do you remember the order I gave you yesterday? She nodded. I then also nodded my head. But just to be sure, I checked, Then, tell me the contents of the order. "I''m going to follow the ...... master. If I can get up, I''ll get up. Counterattack the enemy. Use all available skills. "Oh, good, good. You remembered. Then we''ll reset all those commands. Nod your head if you understand. After confirming that Ghouler nodded, I began to read the contents of the memo. "Then I''m going to give you new orders. Nod each time you understand. Order number one, basically follow me in the labyrinth. Order number two: always use your pheromone skill to mask your scent in the labyrinth. Order number three: In the labyrinth, you must always search for any signs of the enemy. Order number four: ......." The note I''m looking at was a list of orders for Ghouler that I came up with during class. The most important thing to keep in mind was that she need to have a good understanding of what she was doing and how to do it. Even if we are attacked by an enemy, if she doesn''t even fight back, our life will be in danger. It''s not always possible for me to respond appropriately to unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, I thought that if I set up a pattern of behavior in advance, she would be able to respond to a certain pattern. Fortunately, ghouls are not intelligent, but they do seem to have a certain amount of memory, so if I could prepare instructions in advance on how to respond to all possible patterns, she should theoretically be able to move independently like other monsters. For example, by incorporating multiple commands such as, "Always keep looking for signs of the enemy," "When there is only one enemy, attack by surprise," and "When attacking by surprise, use your skill pheromone to mask your presence," she should be able to attack by surprise when it finds an enemy without me saying anything.... I hoped. What I feared was that there might be a contradiction between the orders, and this memo was to make sure that I did not forget the orders myself and to constantly check for any contradictions. I finished giving the orders for the time being, and after having Ghouler recite them back to me, I put the note away. "Okay, then, let''s get on with the exploration. I''d like to ask...... Coosie to do some spotting for me. Can you do that?" She has got a good nose for it after all. "Yes," said Coosie, although with a slight lack of confidence. ......Are you sure? "I''m counting on you......." I started walking down the road, feeling a little uneasy. When I followed Coosie who was whining, Ghouler silently followed me. Yeah, it seems the order to follow me is okay. I ticked the number one order on my memo. We walked through the labyrinth in silence for a while. The sun''s rays slowly burnt my skin. A gentle breeze blew from time to time. The rustle of trees. The chirping of birds. The peaceful atmosphere almost made me forget that we were in a dangerous labyrinth. M, Master, I, I can smell the enemy. Th, they are heading this way. Coosie said, her voice trembling. Uh-huh, okay. Let''s fight them. Ghouler had just learned new commands, and Coosie''s cowardice skill halved her combat power, so there were some concerns, but even halved, Coosie still had an overwhelming difference in combat power. The initial combat power of F-rank monsters was less than 50. In this first floor, it would be 10 to 20. In contrast, Coosie''s initial strength was 150, which was more than enough even if the number is halved. To begin with, it was said that the monsters in the labyrinth were weaker than cards of the same rank. If they were of a higher rank, they would have been able to win without a doubt. That was why the possession of a D-rank card was an absolute requirement to register as an adventurer. They are coming! The first thing I noticed was the smell of rotten eggs in the air. I sniffed, and then the owner of the smell emerged from the bushes. There were two green goblins riding wolves. They had dark green skin, a wrinkled face, a scrawny body, and a flabby abdomen. The face somewhat looked like a hungry demon from hell to me. Seeing the face of the enemies bearing their teeth and threatening us, Ghouler swiftly attacked. But as she was about to land a blow, she stopped moving for some reason. Huh? Why did she stop? Ghouler froze in front of the enemies, and so they attacked mercilessly. The wolves bite her leg and a goblin strikes her with a club. Another one joined in, and Ghouler soon became a punching bag. Only after reaching that point did Ghouler fought back. She hit the wolves that bit her, chews off their flesh, and then hits back the goblin that hits her with his stick. She took turns counterattacking the monsters that attacked her. Seeing that inefficiency, I finally realized. Ghouler counterattacks those who attack her mechanically. When she tried to attack for the first time, the movement stopped because the enemies were doubled and she didn''t know which one to attack....... Tsk!There really is a problem with my orders. I clicked my tongue a little and immediately sent an order, Coosie!What are you doing?Help Ghouler! "Uh, ah... I, I, I..." However, when Coosie saw Ghouler being attacked, she only shrunk back and did not move at all. What is she doing? I cannot help but yell, Coosie! Eek...... Im sorry, Im sorry, Im sorry!" At my angry voice, Coosie crouched down with her head and tail tucked in. ......Wow, is this for real? The cowardice skill is this bad? I thought she could still fight while her combat power cut in half...... I shook my head. No choice. I will give up on Coosie for now. Coosie, go back!Come out, Zashiki-awarashi!" An?Huh, my turn?" I changed Coosie to Zashiki-warashi, and she looked at me with a sour expression. Zashiki-warashi, help Ghouler! I don''t want to." Huh ......?'' I looked at Zashiki-warashi, aghast. Seeing me like that, she smirked and laughed happily. Why should I listen to your orders? I told you, give up on seeing me as a fighting force. "I''m not going to give up on you. Oh, yeah. I''ve got some new snacks.You want it? I showed her the snacks I had bought on the way from the bag. It is a limited time pound cake from the convenience store up the street. The Zashiki-warashi looked at it and was troubled for a moment, but then said, "No, I dont. I''m not in the mood. She turned away with a pout. D*mn!" The rebelliousness of Zashiki-warashi had taken a turn for the worse. I guess fishing with sweets was rather counterproductive in such an impasse situation. ......No way around it. When this happens, I have no choice but to make up my mind. I took out a baton from my bag. I had prepared this just in case, but I didn''t expect to have to use it right away---! "Oh, hey.....?" Ooooh! No way, are you serious?!" With the bewildered voice of Zashiki-warashi at my back, I charged into the goblin group. The goblins, perhaps not expecting me to charge in, widened their eyes and stiffened slightly. I took that opportunity to hit a goblin in the head with my baton. Kuh......! It''s so hard!It felt as if I had hit him with a rubber tire. My hands felt numb. Ghouler! Take out the wolves one by one first! "Yes, Master." I faced the goblins as Ghouler took a bite out of the wolf that was biting her. The green goblins, who had completely turned me into an enemy when I smashed one of their heads, bared their yellowed teeth and snarled at me. I was terrified by their genuine killing intent. My legs involuntarily dropped lower and I felt my blood rapidly cooling. Calm down, it''s okay. There is no way that I, a high school student, can lose to such them who are as small as an elementary school student. I have longer reach, too. And I have the card barrier. Calm down, me. The goblins were hitting me at the same time. I manage to duck to one of the goblins swing, but not the other. I caught it with my baton. But that was a mistake. Along with the impact, my hand goes numb and I dropped the baton. What stupid strength! Even though they were small, they were still monsters. They had tremendous physical strength. The card''s barrier function prevented any injury, but the impact definitely numbed my hand. It clearly evoked the image of death in my mind. Hii!" I dodged the blow from a club by rolling. It swished just above my head. My courage shrank. In an instant, my hardened resolve was shattered. It''s no use, let''s run. This is not something I should be fighting against! Just when I was thinking that, I saw Ghouler''s figure. She had finally killed and ate the first wolf, but there was still one more wolf left. If I pulled out at this point, she would become a punching bag again. I bit my lip and jumped for the baton I had dropped. Ten seconds. I''ll buy you ten seconds......! As I held up the baton, half crying, the goblins pounced on me like wild monkeys. "Gggggh! Gah! A bullet of light flew out of nowhere and pierced the goblins in the head. Huh? I was confused when seeing the goblins brain fluid splattering and them dying, but I soon realized what had happened. This, the Zashiki-warashi made a move? Ghouler is ...... completely restraining the wolf and devouring it. She''ll be able to take that one down right away. "Hah~~~~~" I sighed loudly and slumped down. Tired....... I was really scared. This is the labyrinth, this is how monsters are. "Honestly, I was taking it lightly." I thought it would be a dream job where I could make money by conquering labyrinths as fast as I could like in RPGs, making more and more money, and being popular with girls. ......There is no such a job, though...... "Heh, heh, heh......." Its actually a fight to the death even against a small fry card that everyone knows, in the first level of the F-rank labyrinth. Unintentionally, a laugh of self-mockery spilled out. I can''t help but laugh at myself. Can I be an adventurer if I''m like this? Oi! When I looked up, there was Zahiki-warashi, sitting on the floor. For some reason, she had a very grim look on her face. Um, what? I can''t think straight. ......Oh, yeah, a thanks for the help. Oh, thank you for the help. Sweets, wait a minute. I''ll put it out now--" No, that ain''t it!" A sharp voice pierced my eardrums as I was rummaging through my bag. Startled, my eyes widened. What the? Why is she so pissed off? Rather, it''s me who wants to get mad because you didn''t help until the very last minute! When I was thinking that it was unreasonable of her, Zashiki-warashi asked me, Why did you fight?" "Why because ...... you didn''t fight." Not that! Uh, even if you say not that....... I''m just saying, why did you put yourself in danger for the Ghoulers sake? Cards are expendable items. Why risk your life for something like that?" This kid ...... I have no idea what she''s trying to say. However, Zashiki-warashis expression was serious. I had no choice but to answer her seriously. I''m not sure what you''re getting at. Even a ghoul is an important asset to me. I can''t afford to lose her this early in the game. Secondly, my life wasnt actually in danger. I had the barrier of the card. All I wanted to do was buy time for Ghouler to recover........" After hearing my explanation, Zashiki-warashi seemed to be deep in thought as she was still. Is that enough?Then its time to go home. I''m already tired today. I just had one fight today, and it was over. What a slow pace. But I can''t conquer the labyrinth if I don''t adjust Ghouler''s orders and think about how to use Coosie. I stood up with my heavy body. "Wait a minute." What......, you are still here?" When I turned around in distaste, Zashiki-warashi was grinning at me. "I haven''t received any sweets as a reward." Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa......!" I let out the biggest sigh of the day. [Tips] Status. The card lists the monster''s status, but the details of that status are not known. The prevailing view is that combat power is divided into more detailed abilities such as strength, speed, dexterity, magic, and sturdiness. Likewise, only the names of the skills are known, and we can only consider the effects of the skills by actually using them. The guild collects such data from all adventurers and transmits the information through a dedicated application. The main character also checks the skills of the cards through such apps. Therefore, there is a great possibility that skills that are considered to be lost may have powers that have yet to be seen. *** Notes: 1 Higashi= east (for Higashino); nishi= west (for Nishida)? 2 We failed to find the exact wording for the translation Its һ܊ ? CH 7 Episode 7 Is there really a beautiful, erotic-looking infirmary teacher? "Fuu, haah--!" Lunch break, in the classroom. I was fighting sleepiness as I ate lunch with the usual members. "What''s up, Maro? You look so sleepy. Higashino, who saw my big yawn, said so. "You always look sleepy these days. Are you that busy with your part-time job? Aa......." At Nishida''s slightly worried words, I hesitated a bit about how to respond. I quit my part-time job at the supermarket shortly before I became an adventurer. The reason was that there was nothing attractive about that supermarket other than the fact that I could work many shifts there. But if I told the truth, they would ask then why are you sleepy? question. "I''ve recently been assigned to supervise three new employees, all at once. So I''m probably feeling a little more tired than usual. I see. That sounds like a lot of work. I don''t think I can do it. Higashino frowned. Then Nishida said with a nasty smile on his face, "But there might be a cute girl, right? Oh, hmmm Certainly, the three newcomers are cute girls. However, one is a sassy loli, one is a corpse beauty, and the last one didn''t even have a human form...... "They are girls, indeed." Oh?! And what about the face?What about the face? Cute? Pretty? Higashino, who was looking for a girlfriend, leaned forward. "Eh...... well, on the outside. One of them is the beautiful type and the other two are the cute type. Im not lying. "What is that, it''s the best!" "Teaching a cute junior part-time job, is it an eroge1?" "Don''t connect anything to eroge or galge2, Nishida-kun." It''s not that good, seriously. It''s a job.A. Job. I complained to the two of them that: One of them was a jerk and wouldn''t listen to me, the other remembered what I said but had no ability to think for herself, and the last one was serious and honest but weak under pressure and lacked the spirit of challenge...... My two friends looked a little sympathetic at my explanation. Seems like they are quite the handful. I sometimes think about taking a part-time job because there are a lot of things I want, but when I hear Maro''s story, it sounds like a lot of work, so Im thinking twice. I decided to follow up with Nishida, who was worried while folding his arms, Well, my workplace is actually harder than most places. so I''m not sure if it could be a good basis.We''re in most of the week, and thats why we usually don''t have enough people. If you can get one thats in two or three days a week, I think you''ll be totally fine." "Wow, that''s a lot. No wonder you don''t hang out with us these days. "Do you want to earn that much? A motorcycle or something?" "Ehm......." Higashino''s casual question left me at a loss for words. I certainly want a motorcycle license along with a nice motorcycle. If I had a motorcycle, I could expand my range of activities as an adventurer. I see. I want a motorcycle, too. Our high school allows us to ride bikes to school. "The high school is lax around here. It''s probably because it''s a little far from the station. I think I''ll try a short-term part-time job for Comiket." As I was inwardly relieved that I had successfully crossed the subject, a sudden dizziness hit me. Ugh, I''m so sleepy I''m dizzy. I''m going to sleep in the infirmary for a while. I''m sorry, but please tell the teacher." "Are you okay? Be careful. I waved them off and headed for the nurse''s office. The school nurse at our school is a sexy older sister....... is naturally nonsense. She is an old woman who might have been beautiful about thirty years ago. I wonder if a beautiful and erotic infirmary teacher like the ones in light novels or galge really exists. If so, please let me know. Excuse me, I''m feeling a little dizzy, can I borrow a bed?" I said that first when I entered the infirmary, but there was no response. I looked around the room and found no one there. What should I do? Can I just sleep? I wondered. Sensei, shes not here right now. Suddenly, the curtains of the bed in the back were opened and a female students face popped out. "Shi, Shinomiya-san!" The girl there was Kaede Shinomiya, a member of the normie group at the top caste and was said to be the most beautiful girl in her grade. Rumor has it that she is an amateur model3, She''s a total girl with her makeup done up every day and her hair dyed ash gold. Her hairstyle changes depending on her mood, but I think she often done her hair that reaches down to her back in a stylish way with a scrunchie. Many of her friends are also very sophisticated and flamboyant girls, and she is also the top gyaru4-type girl in our class. Although Takahashi and the others were usually referred to as the "normie group," but many of them have other groups of friends and were at the top of those groups. For example, Takahashi had a group of baseball players, and Ushikura-san has her own group of mature girls in the brass band club. Shinomiya-san and Ushikura-san are best friends and seem to have known each other since childhood, but their groups as girls are completely separate. Shinomiya-san was the leader of the gyaru faction, and a shady mob like me felt a little weak for her. There were many reasons for this, but if I had to sum it up, it would be because [I am a cherry boy]. As I stiffened like a frog staring at a snake, Shinomiya-san smiled and pointed to the bed next to hers. Her smile was more innocent than I had expected, and I was taken aback by it for a moment. You''re not feeling well, you should take a rest," she said. Ah, yes. Thank you. I went to the bed next to hers timidly and laid my body down. Then, there was a long period of silence. I couldn''t fall asleep with my natural enemy, a gyaru, next to me. On the other hand, she didn''t say anything, so I spent my time in agony. .................." Only the ticking of the clock echoed strangely in the room. It''s kind of ...... pathetic, isn''t it? Even though I wanted to become an adventurer so that I could talk to a cute girl like Shinomiya-san without getting scared, I still feel like I''m not good at it. I wonder if its because in the end, I''m a mob at heart... Even if I get the title of an adventurer, it''s impossible to become a normie-- "...Hey." "Hi!?" Shinomiya-san, who was supposed to be silently fumbling with her smartphone, suddenly spoke to me while I was lost in thought, so I unintentionally let out a strange voice. She burst out laughing. What''s that? Thats funny. Um, if its not wrong, your name is Maro5, right? That''s an unusual name, isn''t it? Ah, no, that''s just a nickname. My real name is Utamaro Kitagawa6. I managed to answer with a fluster. Oh, I see. But its changed from your real name. I think I''ve heard of Utamaro Kitagawa somewhere. Well, I''m sure you''ve heard my name at least once, since we are classmates. But I think you are referring to Utamaro Kitagawa7, a painter from the Edo period." "Ah, that''s it! Is that perhaps the origin of your name? People often thought so, but no. My mother''s name is Aika and my father''s name is Shoma, so they took one character from each of their name and then named me Utamaro8. Only after they submitted my name to the authorities did they realize that it is exactly like the name of an Edo-era painter. "Hahahaha, that''s funny! As we continued our conversation, I gradually felt my shoulders relax. I was able to talk to Shinomiya-san the different creature feeling that I usually get in class. She was easy to talk to. "But it''s nice, and it''s easier to say Maro. Can I call you Maro too?" "Eh, uh, yeah." Thanks. So, do you have a part-time job, Maro? "What?" I was momentarily stunned by the unexpected question. "Ah--, --un," I said. I knew it.I''ve seen you at the supermarket we often go to. I thought you looked familiar. "Oh, I didn''t know that. Seriously, I had no idea. I was so busy working that I didn''t pay any attention to my surroundings. You were working so hard that it was hard for me to talk to you. Looking so sweaty, I always thought you looked like you were having a hard time. How long do you work there a week?I see you all the time when I go there. "Oh, I work five days a week at the supermarket. On weekends, I work other part-time jobs. "Crazy!That''s every day! That makes me dizzy already. What do you want with all that work? That''s ....... At first, I thought of answering the same way to Higashino and Nishida, but... I''ve got a goal. I want to invest in that. "A.... goal?" "Yeah." I turned over and stared blankly at the ceiling. ...In my entire life, I''ve never stood in the center of the class. In both elementary and junior high school, I lived on the edge of the classroom watching the popular people in the class making a fuss. Actually, I have never felt dissatisfied with that. This is because I have realized since childhood that we are all born with a certain nature and that I am not a person who stands at the center of the crowd. So when I saw Minamiyama joining the normie group, I was really shocked. He was definitely a mob character. His face was not good, his studies were not good, he was not athletic, his stories were not that interesting, and he had a bad personality. But as soon as he became an adventurer, he became a member of the normie group. Frankly, I thought it was amazing. Seeing this, Higashino and Nishida seemed to feel disgust and anger toward Minamiyama, but I, on the contrary, felt respect. I felt anger, of course, but on the other hand, I also felt respect for that guy who had broken through his natural tendency to be a mob character. Then I realized something. I am not dissatisfied with being a mob character. However, I had a longing to be a normie. So I decided to give it a try. For the first time in my life, I decided to try my limits and see if I could change. The attempt is still in progress. As I thought about this, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier. I tried to hold on, but I couldn''t seem to stand it. My consciousness has been flickering since a while ago. Shinomiya-san said something, but I fell into a deep sleep without being able to respond. ----It''s kind of cool to say something like that. I felt like Shonimiya-san said that in my dream. [Tips] Beautiful infirmary teacher. She does not exist. Even though there is an old lady infirmary teacher who was probably beautiful in the past, for some reason, students who encountered her in her younger days do not exist. They appear quite frequently in anime, manga, and movies, so some foreigners think that there are beautiful infirmary teachers in Japan, but they don''t actually exist. Even in this world where fantasy creatures have come to exist, beautiful infirmary teachers continue to maintain their fantasy nature. Precisely, that is how school nurses are. *** Notes: 1 The safesearch prevented us to find out the translation www? 2 computer game for men featuring beautiful women characters ? 3 I think the last time we mentioned her as a model student, but the correct translation is reader model or amateur model. Sorry for the miss ? 4 (young) woman adhering to a fashion trend usually marked by brown or blond-dyed hair, gaudy clothes and accessories. ? 5 Written asޥ ? 6 Kitagawa Utamaro written as O ? 7 Kitagawa Utamaro written as ϲനO. The given name is exactly the same as our MC. ? 8 Aika (۸) and Shoma (ĥ) --> Utamaro (O) ? CH 8 Episode 8 If I were to use an analogy, it would be like a helpful character who joins for a bit at the beginning of an RPG. It had been a week since I became an adventurer. As a result of my daily dives into the dungeon, I am slowly beginning to understand how to use the cards ......, or rather, how to interact with them. First, let''s talk about Zashiki-warashi. The way to control her was basically automatic. In other words, I let her run wild and only give her rewards such as sweets when she helps me in battle. In a sense, the feeling was similar to that of a helpful NPC in an RPG. The character who temporarily joins at a low level and is the strongest in terms of strength, but does not accept any commands. That''s it. I''ve given up trying to control her, but I''m getting the feel to let her be helpful. As a result of this week''s feeding, the probability of Zashiki-warashi''s participation in battle is gradually increasing. The point is that she is like a child. Children in the rebellious stage will not listen to what you say if you just give out orders. That''s why they should be lured with toys and sweets at first. Then praise them when they do it right. In this way, little by little, children will be taught the joy of helping and the sense of accomplishment. I think that because her previous master didn''t understand this and tried to make her do what he wanted, she closed her mind to him. I gradually began to think that way. Next was Ghouler. This one was the complete opposite of Zashiki-warashi, a card that was completely manually operated. At any rate, she would not move unless I gave her an order. Even if attacked by an enemy, she would not even fight back. Therefore, when fighting, I have to give an order immediately or plant an order in advance like, "If you are attacked by the enemy, you must counterattack. At first, I thought this was too much trouble, but now I began to think that it was actually interesting in its own way. Ghouler will not move without an order, but if I give her an order, she will definitely obey it. For example, by incorporating multiple commands, such as, " Always look for the enemy''s signs," "When there is only one enemy, attack by surprise," and "When attacking by surprise, use your pheromone skill to mask your presence," then she will attack by surprise when she finds an enemy without me having to say anything. The scary part was when there is a contradiction between the orders. To avoid this, I kept a memo of all the orders and kept checking for any contradictions. Now, even during school classes, I am constantly thinking of battle situations and preparing the orders I will give to Ghouler in advance. I would think of as many orders as I could before entering the dungeon, and then identify and correct any problems during the actual battle. I was becoming addicted to training Ghouler like playing a training game. Finally, about Coosie....... "Master!I found a group of enemies!" A dog as big as an ox ran up to me. The dog, which had beautiful emerald green fur and a big, swirling tail, stood up as soon as it reached me. Standing on two legs like this, its body was somewhere between that of a dog and a human. Its body, which can act both on four legs and two legs, may be closer to that of an ape. Incidentally, this one was also a female, although that info was not important. There are three of them. Two unarmed goblins and one battle wolf!They haven''t noticed us yet. "I see, well done, Coosie." When I patted her on the head, Coosie wagged her tail in delight. She is so cute....... At home, my family has a dog named Maru, but it seems to think that I''m lower in the hierarchy than itself these days as it blatantly disrespects me. Even though it flattered my sister with all its might. On the other hand, Coosie here knows exactly who she should respect. A dog should be like this. Because she has a good nose, she can tell me about monsters from afar, and she''s very good as a scout because she can mask her presence. But, she has one big drawback. What do you say, Coosie? You want to fight this time?" When I suggested this with a cough, Coosie shuddered and curled her tail. I''m not ready to fight... yet," she said. I see......." This was Coosies only fatal flaw. Her timid nature made her incapable of fighting. In a way, it was a bigger disqualifying point as a card than the Zashiki-warashi that does not listen to orders. Actually, she should be corrected even if she has to be whipped a little, but...... I understand. Then you can take us to the enemy and then I will switch your place with Ghouler." ...... Im sorry, Master." I pat Coosie''s head as she lowered her tail in dejection. The fluffy fur that seemed to bury my hand was very pleasant to the touch. "Don''t worry about it, let''s do what we can. Okay?" "Yes!" I was being a bit naive myself. However, Coosie was also very useful as a scout. The fact that she is timid makes her quicker to notice the presence of the enemy. When I think about it, I wonder if I don''t have to correct it right now. And when I yelled at her before, she was so frightened that she couldn''t communicate well with even me for a while afterward. Now that Ghouler is sufficient for fighting, I don''t want to force Coosie to fight and make her unusable even as a scout. I also had such a calculating thought in my mind. "You''re so kind." I heard a sneer from behind me. You think you''re a kind master by taking care of the cards?You''re wasting your time and effort. Youll switch to a stronger and easier-to-use card when you get one anyway, aren''t you?" No, it''s not a waste of time and effort. It''s still very useful. If you are talking about scouting, you are lying. Even a lower rank can do that well. It is rather easy to use low-rank cards because it doesn''t hurt even if they die, right? She had a point. In fact, it was easier to use a low-ranking one for a scouting role that had a high risk of being lost. This was because even if they die, the economic damage will be small. Even the death itself can be an alert of the presence of powerful enemies from a distance. One of the tactics used by professionals was to release dozens of F-rank cards into the dungeon one after another, disposing of them and using them to search for enemies. .......But, That''s assuming Im going to use them up and throw them away, right?Between training them and using them up, my choice is the best." ......Lets keep quiet about the sad fact that even F-rank cards are not so disposable since I dont have any spare money in my wallet. That''s sweet." You like it sweet, don''t you?I''m the only master who gives sweets to cards that don''t listen to me. "Heh, dont try that shit on me. Leaving those words behind, the Zashiki-warashi disappeared. I won this time, too. She would sometimes make a sarcastic remark like that, but I kept on fighting it off. Lately, I''ve even enjoyed these little wars of words. It seemed that Zashiki-warashi was no different, and the number of times she talked to me gradually increased. It made me smile a little, as if she was a naughty little kid who really wanted us to be friends but was too shy, so she played tricks on me. Master, the enemy group is close. Please switch me." I''m on it. Coosie, come back. Come out, Ghouler!" At Coosie''s words, I returned her and called Ghouler. Ghouler appeared, quickly assumed her boxing form, and checked her surroundings with her eyes gleaming, "No enemy in sight, not in combat," she said, then she released her stance. I told Ghouler to get ready for battle as soon as she appeared and to be sure to check her surroundings. I had also ordered Ghouler to decide on what to do after preparing several options in advance. Just as artificial intelligence has come to surpass humans in chess and shogi1, this was one of many experiments to see if Ghouler''s intelligence could be nurtured by gradually accumulating data little by little in this way. Let me explain the situation. Currently, we are approaching the group of enemies that Coosie found. There are three of them. Two goblins and one battle wolf. The enemy probably hasn''t noticed us yet. The distance is just outside the battle wolfs sense of smell. You can use whatever tools you have. Now then, what should you do?" Ghouler began to answer my question in an emotionless voice, Yes, Master. I will answer. This situation can be applied to Situation No 27. Therefore, I will sneak in at the slingshot range and snipe the battle wolf first. Next, I will load the slingshot and attack the enemy group. After that, regardless of the outcome, move on to the destruction of the enemy group with the stun rod. The slingshot and stun rod Ghouler refers to were pieces of equipment for monsters purchased at an adventurer''s specialty store. The slingshot was a custom-made device made of ten strands of hard rubber that a human could never pull off, and it was something that only a monster like her could ever handle. The stun rod was also made to a level of power output that was illegal to use against humans and had to be reported to city hall before they could be possessed. I took the slingshot and stun rod out of my bag and gave them to her. "All right!Go ahead, do it. Make sure to properly record the battle with your camera. I have Ghouler wearing a helmet with a wearable camera. All the combat was recorded, and my recent routine had been to play back the video and correct my orders. Yes, Master." As I watched Ghouler leave with a salute, the Zashiki-warashi suddenly appeared. ......That wooden doll looks so different. It''s hard to believe it''s a ghoul. The usually sarcastic Zashiki-warashi groaned and praised. Feeling good about it, I replied, Well, it was a lot of work. The most time-consuming part of the week was the training of Ghouler. It feels like she''s finally starting to sprout. Is there really no ego in her?" Yeah. She can''t do anything except for what I told her to do. Its like she is thinking of her own answers right now, but that is just a compound of past commands I gave her. Ghouler is getting a little bit better at combining options, but she can''t create her own options. I am constantly ordering her to think, to come up with her own ideas, but on the contrary, if I don''t do that, Ghouler won''t think of anything. Therefore, I make all kinds of situations and keep inputting them into Ghouler. For example, if a normal person is hungry, they will try to eat. They make choices based on their mood and physical condition at the moment. However, Ghouler will not eat even if she is hungry unless she is ordered to eat. She will eat only when I tell her to eat. Even then, there was no question about preference. She just mechanically tried to eat whatever food was available. So I give her a variety of choices, such as curry, beef bowl, omelette rice, etc., and order her to choose the most appropriate one for the situation. After that, she will finally be able to choose and eat food normally. Through the accumulation and more accumulation of these experiences, Ghouler had been able to move so far on her own. Even human beings cannot cope well with unknown situations. The fact that she was able to manage such a situation in such a haphazard way was largely due to her previous experience. I want to give Ghouler this collection of answers in the name of experience. My efforts were beginning to bear fruit, albeit slowly. I took out Ghouler''s card and showed it to Zashiki-warashi. [Race] Ghoul [Combat Power] 110 (10UP!) [Inborn Skill] ?Living corpse ?Firefield''s fool power ?Corpse Eater [Acquired skills] ?Absolute obedience ?Sexual skill ?Pheromones ?Ambush (NEW!) ?Hollow heart (NEW!) What the hell?Two new skills! Zashiki-warashi was astonished when she saw the card. It was no wonder, because it was so difficult for a card to acquire new skills. Basically, it was said that it takes several months to learn a skill or to get rid of a demerit skill. I''m told that they can also gain or lose skills in a short period of time by encountering extremely critical situations or by dramatic changes in their mentality, but that is rare. Despite this, Ghouler gained two skills in just one week. And this was despite the fact that she is an undead, which was said to be difficult to train. It was not that Ghouler is special or that I am a genius. It was the result of a good combination of undead characteristics and the skill of absolute obedience. In a sense, the undead are pristine beings. The fact that they do not think for themselves means that there is an infinite blank space. Even if the master''s commands are temporarily drawn in, they are quickly bleached out. But what if there is a pen called absolute obedience that can permanently draw things there? The skills she gained were also skills that were easy for ghouls to gain: [Ambush] and [Hollow heart]. [Ambush] is a skill that allows the monster to attack without being noticed by the opponent. I guess she got this skill because I kept having Ghouler use pheromones to mask her presence and attack stealthily first. And [Hollow heart]. I was feeling the greatest sense of accomplishment, or rather, the most rewarding sense of accomplishment, in this skill. This is what the skill description says: A heart with an infinitely thin ego. Resistance to mental abnormalities, negative response for free actions. In other words, she has a little bit of ego. It is said that the lower-ranked undead has no ego. But now that she has acquired [Hollow heart], an ego is sprouting within her. "..................muuuu." Zashiki-warashi stared at Ghouler''s card with her eyebrows furrowed on her cute face. I grinned at her. "How''s that, Im not that bad of a newbie, am I?" "Ha...... you''re going to have to break through at least one dungeon before you can say something so cheeky, Fledgling-chan." Ugh. I couldnt help but get choked up by Zashiki-warashi''s words. Ive yet to conquer this dungeon. I''ve been continuing to challenge this dungeon for a while now and finally made it to the fifth floor. The only one left was the lowest floor where the boss resides, and today''s objective is to find that staircase. Depending on the conditions at the time, I intend to challenge the boss of the dungeon by the end of the day. It had already been a week since I first came here. Normally, an F-rank dungeon such as this one can be conquered in about three days, depending on the depth of the dungeon. If you have a C-rank card like I do, you can do it in one day. The reason it took me this long was partly because I spent a lot of time training Ghouler, but also because I had come this far just by groping my way through the maze. In fact, the guild sells maps of dungeons that have already been conquered and information on the boss'' strategy, but I didn''t buy any of that information. At best, I just looked up the time zone and depths of the dungeons that were open to the public for free. This was partly because I had run out of money after buying adventurer''s supplies, but also because I thought I would never grow if I had to conquer an F-rank dungeon by relying too much on available information. Therefore, my dungeon attack was a careful and deliberate one. Even though it was the first dungeon, I was aware that I was taking too much time. Therefore, if possible, I would like to complete the dungeon today. The dungeon exploration up to this point had given me enough sense of control. I was confident that the current Ghouler would be able to defeat the boss by herself. In the first place, the reason you need at least a D-rank card to become an adventurer is because you can push your way through an F-rank dungeon by the difference in rank. It was said that the dungeon''s boss is basically a monster one rank higher than the other monsters that appear in that dungeon. In the case of this dungeon, it would be Kobold or Hellhound. In addition, the bosses are backed up by the dungeon, and it is said that their life force is strengthened several times over the normal level, and they can summon an inexhaustible number of lower-ranked races. But even so, one D-rank card was all that was needed to clear the dungeon. That was the difference in rank. In fact, Ghouler had so far been able to fight through multiple opponents almost single-handedly. The destructive power that can defeat an enemy with one or two blows along with the corpse-eating ability that combined attack and regeneration were the reasons for her victory. Even if the boss is the type with several times the life force, with the corpse-eater skill, she will be able to fight an endurance battle, and even if the boss is the type that summons a lower race, her destructive power can decide a quick battle. If there is a problem, it is when the boss has some kind of special skill, but there is basically a law that the higher the rank of the skill, the less effective it will be. In other words, the boss of an F-rank dungeon does not have many great skills. What should I do? Should I try today? Worst-case scenario, there will still be Zashiki-warashi, and we would not lose. Just when my thoughts were starting to lean toward the challenge, Ghouler came back from the battle. Master. The battle has ended. Please check the spoils. "Oh, well done. Did anything go wrong? I asked as I received two black pebbles - magic stones- from Ghouler. The guild will buy any small magic stone, no matter how small, in grams. For two magic stones of this size, the guild will pay 500 yen in total. "Yes, Master. I tried to snipe the battle wolf, but the goblin happened to be in the line of fire, and I couldn''t damage the battle wolf. I moved on to the second phase, loading the shot, but the battle wolf approached too quickly, so I stopped the previous maneuvers and went into close combat according to Situation Number 4. After that, I utilized the stun rod and my skills to annihilate the enemies, then returned. "I see ...... You did a good job. You may return. "Yes, sir." I put the saluting Ghouler back on the card and massage the spot between my eyes. Hmm, it''s not going to go as planned. Well, even so, she was able to defeat the enemy, so it''s fine, but that''s only because the opponent was a lower rank, and if it was an opponent of the same rank, it wouldn''t be possible. As expected, I should not challenge the Boss today. Should I just find the stairs? I called Coosie out and had her resume searching for the enemy and the stairs. What, are you going home with your tail between your legs without challenging the Boss today?Will you ever be able to conquer the dungeon like this? Shut up." I just shrugged off the grinning Zashiki-warashi, who was trying to stir things up. "Well, if you''re going to fight at the front, then it will be fine to challenge the Boss right away. Will you?" "That''s impossible. I''m busy reading this." The thing that Zashiki-warashi held up to me was a comic book about a national game. Of course, I brought it from home. We had an unspoken agreement that she would fight only when we are in a pinch and I will give her sweets as a reward. But when Ghouler was able to fight to a certain extent, the Zashiki-warashi had very little to do. Then, not only did she have free time, but also couldn''t even get any sweets, she began to play tricks on me with her ability to manipulate luck and misfortune. For example, she tried to make me fall on the street, make me drop my wallet, and even almost stop my heart when she unexpectedly ran into me with a stray monster. Where was all that talk about the card not being able to harm the master?Or was it that this was not considered harmful? Anyway, I can''t stand about her not participating in battle and also pulling my leg. But if I get angry......, I wouldve lost. I took the pranks as a test as a master of its own. It is sometimes heard that adopted children who are taken in by foster parents play pranks or commit crimes to test their foster parents in the beginning. Therefore, I decided to attract her interest with something more interesting than a prank. This strategy was a great success. The little ruffian was now completely hooked on Japanese manga. But you know, the townspeople in this are really disgusting. They even throw stones at the main character, who takes on a horde of 100,000 monsters alone to save the city. Suddenly, Zashiki-warashi started talking about the manga. I joined in, Hmm. But in the end, they stood up for the protagonist. They even lent him their magic power that allowed him to use his special move. "That''s the most disgusting thing. After all, they came out after the enemy''s army was wiped out by Master''s self-destruct magic! Most of them never came out, even. They only lent their power at the end and played the ally. It''s that kind of thing that makes me the angriest." Well, you have a point. But it''s not realistic to expect everyone in the town to stand up for the protagonist from the beginning, because the protagonist hasn''t done anything yet. From the perspective of the townspeople, it looks like he only invited misfortune. Besides, some people worked to help the protagonist from the beginning, right? Like getting the protagonist''s friends out of jail. The protagonist did it because they had some sort of relationship before the attack, and if it weren''t for that, I don''t think the protagonist would have done anything either." ...... Well, I see what you mean. I can see why the protagonist would risk his life to protect the residents of the city. But do they need to throw stones at him? The author wanted to depict the beauty and ugliness of human beings.Some people hit harder than necessary to cover up their own sense of guilt. And while for most people, their own self is the most important thing, some people can lay down their lives for others. The protagonist''s suicide bombing taught the townspeople that. That''s the beautiful flow of the story that led to the awakening of fellow wise kings and the final development. And by the way, this is the flow that leads up to the last boss fight, right?Here is the message that this manga wants to convey throughout-- But that''s glorifying human beings too much, isn''t it? The essence of life exists in both humans and monsters, and the three small-fry monsters taught me that. "But that--" That part was great. It was a great scene! As far as I''m concerned..." After that, we had a very heated discussion. [Tips] The depth of the dungeon The deeper the dungeon, the more powerful the enemies are. A-rank dungeon: Estimated depth of 101 floors or more. ; summoning limit of 12 cards. B-Rank dungeon: 51 floors to 100 floors in depth. ; summoning limit of 10 cards. C-Rank dungeon: 31 floors to 50 floors in depth. ; summoning limit of 8 cards. D-Rank dungeon: 21 floors to 30 floors in depth. ; summoning limit of 6 cards. E-rank dungeon: 11 floors to 20 floors in depth. ; summoning limit of 4 cards. F-rank dungeon: 10 floors or less in depth. ; summoning limit of 2 cards. If it is a C-rank dungeon, it is not the case that C-rank monsters will appear on all floors and only F-rank monsters will appear if the depth is less than 10 floors. The reason why the A-rank dungeon is only estimated is because mankind has not yet reached the deepest floor of the A-rank dungeon. On the deepest floor, monsters one rank higher than the dungeon''s rank awaits, and they are called "dungeon bosses" for convenience. Not only is the boss of the dungeon higher in rank, but they are backed up by the dungeon and given the power to enhance their abilities and summon their subordinates. Translator(s) note: If you notice, we used both ''labyrinth'' and ''dungeon'' before, but to make it easier, we decided to just go with ''dungeon''. Hope you enjoy the translation~ *** Notes: 1 Japanese chess? CH 9 Episode 9 Because I have a zashiki-warashi. That day, I prepared more carefully than usual for the dungeon exploration. We had a charged stun rod, a slingshot for monsters, a tear spray, and goggle masks that covered the mouth. The tear spray was a powerful bear repellent, and the goggles were in case the wind blows the chemicals back. I also pack other items that might be useful. Today was the day I planned to finish my first dungeon exploration. Luckily, today was also a school vacation. There was plenty of time for trial and error while getting adequate rest. I have already spent more than a week on the F-rank dungeon. I had no intention of spending any more time on this dungeon. Once I clear this dungeon, I also intend to lift the restriction of challenging the dungeon without buying any information about it. I have already gained enough experience in tackling unknown dungeons. I plan to get to know various types of enemies and dungeons by going through more and more dungeons. As I was getting fired up, I saw a shadow coming down from the second floor. It was my sister, Ai. She was probably still sleepy, but the way her fluffy chestnut hair swayed was so cute. She had a face like a child actress, and because of her small stature, she was adored like an idol by the neighbors. My popularity in the neighborhood was not good though. What is it that they say, "Even though your sister is so cute...... But don''t worry!A mans face is not everything!Become rich! Then you''ll be irresistible! Then Utamaro-kun will be popular too!" Are you trying to say that I''m not popular if I don''t become rich?! You idiot! Even if you don''t tell me... I know... "Fwaaa, good morning......." Good morning." While I was wiping away the liquid that surfaced on the corners of my eyes for some reason, Ai greeted me with a mix of yawns. Ai sat on the sofa as if she was slumping over, staring at my luggage with a vacant expression, but then she suddenly ran up to me with her eyes shining brightly. "Ah! By any chance, Onii-chan, are you going to the dungeon!?" "Yeah, I''m going to the dungeon! Today''s the day I''m going to finish exploring this one dungeon. I want to go, too!Take me with you, okay? Ai was begging adorably, but what she was saying was not funny. No, no, no, no, no!Of course I can''t! "Eh, why, why?I want to go there at least once. No one other than adventurers should enter the dungeon. If I bring in civilians, they will confiscate my card. It was easy to become an adventurer as long as you have money, but once you became one, the rules were sometimes more strict than you might think. For example, if you brought a non-adventurer into the dungeon or attacked another adventurer, your license would be confiscated and you would never receive it again. Therefore, no matter how much my sweet little sister asked me, I could not fulfill her request. "Ah, I want to become an adventurer soon. Then I can brag to everyone in my class." This thought process ...... she is completely my sister. The only difference was that Ai was already at the top of her class caste because of her looks and personality. Brother and sister, how did we become so different....... If I could have a conversation with genes, I would have questioned them for an hour. "Well, it''s okay. Right now, Onii-chan is the only one who is an adventurer. To be honest, I really love Onii-chan because you''re kind?, I thought you were a little dull. But Onii-chan is cool these days and I''m very satisfied!!" "Well, thank? you." I chuckled wryly at my younger sister''s transparent evaluation. Since I used to play with her instead of our parents, who were busy with work, Ai and I were closer than siblings in most families. However, as Ai grew older and became interested in clothes and accessories, my sister, whose fashion sense surpassed my own at elementary school, gradually began to give her brother subtle glances. I was taking it easy on her, thinking, "Maybe it''s time for Ai to grow apart from her older brother," but it seems that she was simply disappointed by my dullness. A woman is a woman, even if she is small. But now that I have become an adventurer, she said herself, "My brother is amazing after all! My initial goal of rising in my class caste did not go as planned, but at least I seemed to have improved a little in my family caste. "Oops, is it that late already? I''d better get going." Good luck! My sister saw me off and I hurried out of the house. After a week of continuous visits to the dungeon, the dungeon stroll to the lowest floor went extremely smoothly. The adventurer''s app on my phone contained a map of the places we had explored so far, as well as various other information. By taking the shortest route while avoiding enemies as much as possible, we were able to reach the stairs leading to the lowest floor with almost no wear and tear. ......Roughly five hours, I guess. I muttered to myself as I looked at my watch in front of the stairs leading to the lowest floor. Even though it was a road that I''d trekked many times, there was something about it that makes me think that a road that took a week to be trekked can be completed in a few hours. Three days at the most, or one day if everything goes smoothly. That was how long it takes to conquer the F-rank dungeon. I didn''t understand it when I was just groping my way through the dungeon, but I see that knowing the map and the enemies makes it so much easier to attack the dungeon. After all, was it a strange commitment to conquer the dungeon only by my own power for the first time? If I had bought information from the guild from the beginning,...... wasn''t I just wasting my time? ......No, that''s not true. Because I have come this far with my own strength, there should be something called experience that will live on in the future. I told myself that, then I put down my bag and turned back to Coosie and Zashiki-warashi. Okay, let''s take a short break before entering the bottom floor. Yes! Ah, I''m tired. Hurry up and give me sweets. Sweets--- You''re not working hard, are you?" While saying that, I handed sweets to Zashiki-warashi. Well, just once, just this once. And its not like she doesnt do anything at all along the way...... Today''s sweets were the limited-time strawberry mousse from the convenience store above. It was a bit of a luxury item, costing 500 yen each even though it was a size that could be eaten in two bites. Hmm, the harmony of sourness and sweetness. It melts on the tongue. ......What a delicious taste!Call the chef! Seeing her spouting stupid things, I thought she was influenced by the gourmet manga I lent her the other day, or maybe she was just a little kid. Leaving the silly kid alone, I also took a bite of the mousse in my mouth. Mmm, this is definitely delicious. It''s a level that can''t be thought of as a convenience store item. ...Once you get used to it, being an adventurer isn''t so bad. Well, it''s exhausting both physically and mentally to carry heavy luggage and move around the dungeon where monsters roam for hours The three cards I rely on are all difficult to deal with: doesn''t listen, inflexible, and cowardly. For all the talk on TV about high income and high earnings, the income I have earned so far had been about 10,000 yen at most, and I didn''t think it was worth all the hard work. I didn''t make it to the top of my class caste, which was important, and to be honest, I''m not happy about it. I was not able to make it to the top of my class caste, which is the most important thing, and to be honest, I''m full of dissatisfaction. But at the same time, it was also true that I felt a sense of fulfillment that I had never experienced before in my life. It isn''t as life-threatening as I had initially assumed. Ghouler is gradually becoming more capable of fighting, Coosie is cute as a pet, and the way the impertinent Zashiki-warashi is obsessed with sweets like this is quite charming--- Hey, Blockhead. I''m finished eating this one, give me another. --- No, I don''t think she''s charming after all. I''m just being cheeky. I instantly came to my senses and stood up with a sigh. Theres no more. Come on, break''s over. Let''s go. What the hell, you''re so cold. That''s what poor people do. I''m going to beat you up. As we were exchanging such casual remarks, Coosie said to me timidly, "Um, I''m... that" Ah, yeah. I know, I know. I''ll switch you here with Ghouler. Good job. Oh, yes. Thank you. I patted Coosies head, who thanked me with a relieved expression, and then switched her with Ghouler. Ghouler, are you ready? Yes, Master. Good. Finally, the bottom floor. An adventurer who has not conquered a single dungeon is not an adventurer. I would finally take my first step as an adventurer. I stepped into the lowest level with great enthusiasm. ......! At that moment, the air suddenly changed, sending shivers down my spine. The surroundings, which until then had the atmosphere of a summer forest, suddenly changed into something dark and cold. It was not that the weather inside the dungeon had changed. It was simply that the trees in the forest had become thicker and denser, blocking out the sun''s rays. Because of that, it got darker than before, and the temperature dropped. While I was thinking like this ......, I felt an indescribable sense of incongruity. The darkening can be explained. But what is this chill that clings to me?Why has the vegetation, which had remained unchanged, change now?And what is this sewer-like stench that I can faintly smell since a few minutes ago ......? Is ...... this really an extension of the dungeon we were in earlier? Maybe we should retreat for once. Thinking about it instinctively rather than logically, I turned around and my eyes widened. "A, the stairs...!" The stairs we had just descended from. The staircase, it was completely gone....... What does this mean?Could it be because this is the lowest floor?Is it that once you enter the lowest floor, you can''t return home without defeating the Boss?No, I have never heard of such a thing. On the contrary, I have heard many times of people withdrawing from the dungeon because they did not think they could beat the Boss. If that is the case, this is not a specification of the dungeon as a whole. It''s a phenomenon unique to this dungeon. Oh, shit. I knew I should have checked this out beforehand!If I had known that it was impossible to retreat, I would have never come to this dungeon! As I was regretting this, I felt a firm grip on my shoulder. A small hand. It''s Zashiki-warashi. "Hey, get a hold of yourself! You''ve noticed, haven''t you? This place isn''t normal." "Oh, yeah." I nodded curtly, thinking ...... how this kid would say something like that to make me feel better. ...... Shit, I didn''t expect the stairs to disappear. If I had known, I never would have picked this place in the first place." Zashiki-warashi frowned suspiciously at my words. Ah?What are you talking about? There''s no way you''ll be able to detect a boss who can isolate a floor from the beginning. Seriously, get a grip, or youll die. ......?What the hell?What the hell is this kid talking about? Oh man, are you still confused?I can tell youre not thinking straight. Calm down and think carefully. First of all, what did Zashiki-warashi say?Unn, she said something about the boss, not the dungeon, right?This means that this is a phenomenon caused by the boss, not by the dungeon itself. But the master of the dungeon basically doesn''t change. Some types of dungeons randomly change each time the boss gets defeated, but that is a characteristic of the dungeon rather than a characteristic of the boss. And this is not such a special type of dungeon. Zashiki-warashi said, "There''s no way you''ll be able to detect a boss who can isolate a floor from the beginning, In other words, this is not a normal dungeon boss As soon as I thought of this, I felt the hairs on my body stand on end. This, this is the [Walking-alone Reaper (irregular encounter)]......! An irregular encounter. It was an accident of sorts that shone as the number one cause of death for adventurers. In the dungeon, there were unique monsters that roam throughout all the dungeons. They have the habit of feeding on the original dungeon boss, taking over the said dungeon, and waiting patiently for their prey to arrive. It was said that it was impossible to be noticed from outside, and it was only when you step into the lowest floor of the dungeon like this that you will find out. It could come to you at any time, a completely unexpected misfortune ....... Hence, accidents. Irregular encounters were not invincible monsters. Their fighting power was suppressed to be appropriate for the dungeon in which they appear, and they had been defeated many times in the past. Bounties were also placed on them, and once they appear, they will remain there until they were defeated, so there were even bounty hunters who seek out irregular encounters. For adventurers who encounter them unexpectedly, however, irregular encounters truly mean the grim reaper. Because even though their combat power was suppressed, their skills were not restricted in any way. ---All of the irregular encounters have A-rank class skills. In the past, during the time of Angolmore, irregular encounters also made their appearance. They can only be described as hell...... The [Little Match Girl], who appeared in France, drove a whole city to death in a hallucination. In India, [Urashima Taro1] transformed thousands of innocent boys and girls into old people, and all the adults died of old age. In Japan, [Frog Prince] appeared, and those who saw it had iron bands burst from inside their chests, dying a cruel death like a dissected frog. Tragedy was always a part of Angolmore, but the terror and tragedy brought about by irregular encounters were different in quantity and quality. And. I am now. I am in a cage set up by such a monster. ---! I almost fell unconscious before I came back to myself. Oh...... that was close. I almost fainted just now. But if I faint here, it will be the end. ......!That''s right! I hurriedly took out my adventurer''s license. The card was not just an ID card. It was a kind of magical equipment, and in case of emergency, the license allows you to send a rescue request to the guild. Of course, it costs a certain amount of money, but now was not the time to spare it. I tried to send a distress signal... "Damn it!It''s not working!It wont reach!" I slammed the license to the ground. Damn it!Not only are the stairs gone, but the whole space is isolated---! Oh, shit, what should I do? I scratched my head. If push came to shove, I could ask the guild for help...... even though I had dived into the dungeon with that in mind......! I felt like my only lifeline had been removed The Zashiki-warashi quietly admonished me, who was cornered, Hey, for the time being, call Coosie instead of Ghouler. It''s more reassuring to have a spotter now. Oh, yeah, right. With a trembling hand, I took out Coosie''s card and called her out, changing place with Ghouler. Coosie appeared, looking around with a dazed look on her face, Ma, Master. Wha, what is this? "It''s an ...... irregular encounter. Use your nose to find the enemy right away. Yes, Sir! Coosie started sniffing at my slack-jawed words, then her eyes widened in shock. Th- over there! There''s a scent other than us!" What?! Zashiki-warashi immediately shot a light bullet in that direction. "...... A rat?" There was a rat. The size was quite large. About as big as a prairie dog. However, its face was that of a hideous rat, without a shred of cuteness. "...... This isn''t the irregular encounter, is it?" "Damn right, its not. It should be a vassal. This is bad, this kind of monster will spring up inexhaustibly. No matter how many times you defeat it, it won''t end." Zashiki-warashi pointed at the rat. It was struck by a light bullet and became a corpse. The stench was so unbearable that I wondered if its entrails had rotted away. Could this be the source of the smell in the forest?If so, how many of them are there...... all over the forest? Ugh, then, then we should move forward for now, right? After all, if we don''t defeat them, we can''t go home....... Zashiki-warashi did not make any comment on my trembling words. For a while, we proceeded through the dungeon under the guidance of Coosie. The rats that occasionally appeared were killed by Zashiki-warashi. She was cooperating with us now without any reward. I was relieved from the bottom of my heart. "Master, Master..... I can smell blood What? *Thump* My heart jumped. Where did it come from? Uh, over there. Coosie pointed to the trees in the forest that formed the walls of the dungeon. As we approached fearfully, I saw ....... ...... Ugh!" I put my hand over my mouth and groaned. What was there was the corpse of a child who had been dismembered. A blonde-haired Caucasian boy of about ten years old. His young, freckled face was contorted with fear and pain. The iron smell of blood and the indescribable odor of internal organs filled my nose. First of all, it was an object of poor taste, though probably not a real one. I sighed deeply at the depressing sight. ......This is a real corpse," Zashiki-warashi frowned and said. "...... What?" There is no doubt about it. I know. And ...... what the hell, this kid ...... still has his soul trapped in here. "........................... I slowly processed her words. No, no, that''s funny. Uh, no, that''s not funny. Even if a child was to wander into the dungeon, they''d be immediately recognized and it would be all over the news. Besides, this is Japan. This kid is a foreigner, isn''t he? This is an imitation from the dungeon. It''s a stunt to scare off adventurers. I was so convinced. Zashiki-warashi looked down at me with a gloomy expression. ...... Angolmore." Huh? It''s Angolmore. That''s what you call it, isn''t it? This must be the catch of that time. They take it home and use it as a trophy. "Angolmore you say? Do you know how long it''s been since the last one......?" After I said that, Zashiki-warashi pointed at the sun. The sun is still rising. Time does not pass in the dungeon. She said so briefly. "Uh......." Oh, my God, my eyes are ....... The world is spinning around. I don''t understand anything. Where am I now?In the forest?Why am I in the forest? Oh, I see, I''m an adventurer now. Well, what''s this? That''s right. It''s a corpse. A real person from some other country. Our eyes met. The boy is talking to me. I dont want to die---- "...... Uh, ugh, hoekkk!" I vomited. Twice, three times. I vomited everything out as if my stomach was turned upside down. The strange smell of the vomit and the dead body mingled together, and it brought more nausea. I kept vomiting over and over again, with tears streaming down my face, until my internal organs began to peristalsis and I felt as if my stomach itself was about to be expelled from my body. Worried, Coosie kept rubbing my back. When the nausea subsided after a while ......, Zashiki-warashi offered me a plastic bottle of water. "Have a drink. My treat. ............Im the one who bought it, though?" Zashiki-warashi laughed fearlessly when I received the plastic bottle while muttering so in a hoarse voice. "Oh, you are feeling better now? That''s why youre my master." You impertinent brat. ....... Nn? What did she say about me just now? "Now then, what are you going to do? If you want, I can go beat him by myself this time. Wha, whats with you today? How should I put it I was confused by the unexpected words and the cooperative appearance of Zashiki-warashi, who was completely different from usual. The child laughed pleasantly, not seeming to mind. Unlike her usual nasty smile, it was a refreshing smile appropriate for her age. "In place of the shaky Master, I''ll face a strong enemy by myself! There''s no way I won''t get a reward with this!" And so, I was made aware of the inevitable. This kid ...... Oh, that''s what shes been on about. Oh, my God! You''re trying to cheer me up?! You little shitbag?!You''re trying to ...... for me?! My heart grew hot, and my vision became cloudy, so I hurriedly looked down. I can''t let her see my crying face. ...... I pretended to rub my eyes to wipe away the tears, then I stood up with trembling legs. "... If you do that, I have to buy an unthinkable amount of sweets. There aren''t that many sweets in this town." "Well, then what are you going to do?" I''ll come with you, and we''ll go on as usual. "That''s a pity. It was the perfect opportunity to bankrupt the master I hate." You can''t bankrupt me. "What?" She was waiting for my next words with amusement, and I proudly puffed out my chest. "Because I have a zashiki-warashi." [Tips] Irregular Encounters A special monster that is always only one in the entire dungeons. They have the habit of eating the original dungeon boss and hunting adventurers who come to the dungeon without knowing it. They are feared by adventurers because while their fighting strength is commensurate with the dungeon, their skills are not weakened. They appear completely at random regardless of the dungeon''s rank, and once you set foot on the deepest floor, you must defeat the irregular encounters to return alive. Irregular encounters tend to appear mainly in low-rank dungeons, as the number of dungeons decreases with higher the rank, just like cards. As a result, many rookies are the victims of irregular encounters, so they are also known as rookie killers. It should be noted that there are no reported cases of irregular encounters being successfully made into cards. *** Translator(s) note: We might continue to change the schedule to Monday since we are still unable to get it back on Saturday... Notes: 1 The protagonist of a Japanese fairy tale (otogi banashi), who in a typical modern version is a fisherman rewarded for rescuing a turtle, and carried on its back to the Dragon Palace (Ryg-j) beneath the sea. There he is entertained by the princess Otohime as a reward. He spends what he believes to be several days with the princess, but when he returns to his home village, he discovers he has been gone for at least 100 years. When he opens the forbidden jewelled box (tamatebako), given to him by Otohime on his departure, he turns into an old man.? CH 10 Episode 10 Please don''t come out of the picture book Speaking of which, is there a girl you like? "What is it, suddenly?" "Just tell me. Don''t tell me you like men more? As we made our way through the forest, we started chatting with each other without either of us knowing where we were going. However, it doesnt mean we were letting our guard down. Coosie was always on the lookout for enemies with her nose, and Zashiki-warashi was also killing every rat she finds. I was also well-equipped and had a tear spray in my hand. The reason I was talking uselessly like this was to keep my mind from being overwhelmed by the tension. No way. Well, I do have a crush. But it''s an unrequited love. "Whoa! What kind of girl is she? Is she cute? Hmm, she''s pretty cute even in the whole grade. Even at the national level, she has a beautiful face. She has a quiet personality and smiles quietly in the group. I''ve never once seen her bad-mouthing anyone or saying anything bad about anyone. And most of all, ......." Again, ....... I gritted my teeth as I spotted a dead child out of the corner of my eye. A young blonde girl, probably not even in elementary school yet, was dead, slit from the throat down to the navel. Her insides had been cleaned out and she was staked to the surrounding trees. The mixed smell of blood and feces was terrible....... I subconsciously imagined myself as the one in that scene and hurriedly looked away. Don''t worry, me. I won''t be like that. I''ve got a zashiki-warashi with me. "Most of all?" She''s petite and slender, but she''s got huge breasts. Probably the biggest in all grades." "...... That''s what it comes down to, huh? Pervert. Any chance with her?" Zashiki-warashi, with a disgusted look on her face, kicked the rat that had been creeping up to my feet at random to death. A stench like boiled ditch water dispersed into the surroundings. There''s no such thing. To be honest, I''ve only talked to her a few times. "Yeah?And yet you like her?You only love her tits, don''t you ......? Oh, no....... I''m not sure if I love her. It''s a little bit different from that. It might be closer to admiration. But, I just thought that it would be great if I could go out with such a girl. "Oh, I see. I see. So that''s what it''s. A boy who has been stripped of all his skin. A girl with her head stuffed into her stomach. A skinny boy who died with his arms clamped around himself. A girl whose arms and legs have been stretched to nearly three times their original length. An exposition of crazy corpses. "Kyaha ha ya ha ya ha ya ha ya ha yaa haa yaa haa yaa haa yaa haa yaa haa yaa haa ha!" Shut up!Who the hell is laughing?! "Um, Master ......?" Coosie''s confused voice brought me back to myself. Zashiki-warashi was staring at me with quiet eyes. No one was laughing. But I can hear them. The laughter of countless children....... Is it an auditory hallucination?...... No, I''m still normal. Then this is the gimmick of this dungeon. If the others can''t hear it, then it''s a trap that only works on the master. Perhaps they are using the souls of the children who seem to be trapped. ...... Okay, I''m calm. I''m still able to think. Oh, where was I? ...... Oh yeah, it''s not like I haven''t done anything, you know?I have become an adventurer, and that''s part of it. Ah, just between us, I''d like to give it a shot at Christmas. "Oh, so you''re going to put yourself in danger and make yourself a better man, huh? Well, if you die before Christmas, I dont care. That''s not funny under this circumstance.Seriously. I''m just kidding. How can you die when I''m with you? In this space where I felt like I was going crazy, the casual exchange with Zashiki-warashi kept my mind at peace. By averting my eyes away from the corpses and talking foolishly, I could feel as if I was in a classroom talking with a friend. I knew it was a kind of escape from reality. In movies and cartoons, characters joked around with each other in times of crisis. I had wondered if I could actually say such a witty thing in such a situation.I just wondered. I thought it was too unrealistic, even if it was for dramatic effect. But now I understand. Because I would go crazy if I didn''t make even one joke. Even directors and scriptwriters are not fools. They must have at least interviewed soldiers and battlefield journalists when they were in danger of death. They must have studied the psychological fluctuations of people at that time to make their movies. ...... Oh, my thoughts are drifting off in a strange direction again. Is my escapism from reality getting stronger?Is this some kind of strange, calm analysis of the situation?What do you call this kind of thing?I saw it in some movies. Ah, I remember now. Normalcy bias1. Yeah, that''s right. "M, Ma- Master!" Coosie''s crying voice brought me back to myself. What''s wrong? The, the dungeon boss is close. We will meet in a few minutes. Really ......." I could feel my stomach grow heavy. My shivering legs lost even more strength. The ground, which should have been hard, felt soft. I''m sorry, Master!" Suddenly, Coosie slammed her own head into the ground. She kneeled on the ground and begged for mercy. "Plea, please bring me back. I can''t be a fighting force!" "Uh, I can''t move my legs any further! I know I have to fight---! But, even though I think so, if I face the enemy, I won''t be able to fight...! I know it myself!" The fur all over her body stood on end, her tail curled up and she let out a sob... I gently stroked Coosie''s back. It smells like the sun. It was a comforting smell. "Master ......?" I felt like I could really understand how she feels now. The actual fact was, I was thinking how useless she was when I saw her not being able to fight. I had told Zashiki-warashi that I would raise her as a scout, but secretly I thought that I would replace her when I got the money. But now that my life is on the line, I finally understood how she felt. Dying is scary. It''s the same for humans and monsters. I had continued to let them fight without understanding such a natural thing. "You''ve endured your fears and guided us well until now. You can go back." "Ahh! At my words, Coosie scratched her chest and slammed her head against the ground. From the bottom of her belly, she howled, "I-I... I''m so pathetic!! I want courage...!" In her lamentation, I saw another version of myself. The reason I had been able to dismiss Coosie as a coward was that I had let the strong cards fight for me, protected by a safe barrier. Through a TV screen, I would sneer at a frightened character being attacked by a monster. While I myself was safe, I had been mocking those who were facing their fears with only their bodies to protect them. But when I was confronted with the fear of death for the first time in this way, my skin was peeled off. And there I was, not a new adventurer, but just a kid who was so scared that he puked himself to death. I want courage. The courage to face threats with a strong will. ---That''s why, Coosie Let''s be brave together, little by little. I told her inwardly and put her back in the card. "You''re so sweet." I hear the laughter of Zashiki-warashi behind me. "Are you trying to be a kind Master who cares about your cards? Isn''t it a waste of time and effort just to switch to cards that are stronger and easier to use later anyway?" Contrary to the content, her voice was terribly kind. I turned around and said, No. I''m going to keep using her. I''m going to keep her, enhancing her, upgrading her, for a long, long time. I didn''t say, "And you, too," of course. I didn''t have to. As we got closer to the enemy, I could hear the sound of a joyful flute. I already have a guess as to the boss'' true identity. A crazy amount of rats, dead bodies of little boys and girls, and the sound of a flute ...... Without a doubt, the identity of the enemy is the [Pied Piper of Hamelin]. It is not the most famous of the irregular encounters. Probably because it did not cause that much damage in Angolmore. However, this does not mean that it is a small fry. Rather, we should be wary of the lack of information because of its minor status. Even so, if the enemy is the [Pied Piper of Hamelin,] I have a vague idea of its skills. It was better than nothing. I was at least a bit prepared. Take a deep breath. Perhaps the fear has been shaken out of me, but my thoughts were getting clearer and clearer. Let''s go. I told the others shortly and rushed toward the source of the melody. Zashiki-warashi had already gone out of sight. After much discussion, it was decided that she would be free to move as usual, and I would concentrate on Ghouler''s orders. We got closer and closer. The place was by a forest. At the edge of a fast-flowing river, a man wearing a striped suit of richly-colored clothing was playing his flute with single-minded devotion. Countless lumps of meat were lying around, and rats were devouring them. I held my breath for a moment at such a picture of hell, but I quickly regained my composure and gave instructions to Ghouler. Go, Ghouler! Yes, Master." Ghouler drew her slingshot and fired it at the flute blower. I couldn''t see the bullet as it was fired at high speed, but I knew it was blocked by something before hitting the target. Failure. But I did see something. I see something like a barrier made up of countless musical notes appear in front of the monster for a brief moment. We need to remove that thing first. Is it a barrier against physical attacks?Or a nullification of damage below a certain level?Even those notes aren''t just a design. Sound ...... the flute? Oh my, oh my, this is a quick-tempered customer!But payment must be given after the performance is over! ?! I was prepared to be surprised, but to be honest, I was taken aback. It was not because the enemy started talking. If it was about that, my card monsters talk too. It is normal for monsters to talk. It is no different for the enemies. What surprised me was simply the appearance of the enemy. I didn''t notice it when he was blowing his flute with his eyes closed, but now his face was so hideous that it could only be described as a monster. His eyes were arranged vertically, not horizontally, and there were more than a dozen small eyeballs crammed into them. His mouth looked normal at first glance, but when opened, it revealed double lips and teeth. The smell is terrible, too. In the beginning, I thought it was the smell of the corpses -in fact, the scattered organs smelled of feces, urine, and blood- but this odor, which seemed to condense the stench of the sewers dozens of times, seemed to be wafting from his body itself. I was wearing goggles along with a mask. If I took them off, I might not even be able to think normally. Pied Piper spread his arms in a grand gesture. He''s going to do something! Thinking like this, I instructed Ghouler to keep firing the slingshots, but they were blocked by the wall of notes that appeared in front of the Pied Paper yet again. So it''s not a barrier that only appears while he is blowing his flute? The Pied Piper began to speak loudly, "From now on, I would like to tell you about a tragedy that befell a certain town! ---There was once a very hungry man. This hunger cannot be satisfied by just working normally. Thinking that, the man came up with a little trick. It was to have tamed rats attack the city and then pretended to drive them away in order to get a reward. As soon as he finished talking, the Pied Piper gracefully put his mouth on the flute. Then, all the rats in the surrounding area bared their fangs at once. At the same time, the cries of the rats can be heard throughout the forest. It was an extremely unpleasant polyphonic performance. The rats were approaching like a little tsunami, and Ghouler lifted me up on her shoulders to evacuate me. From my perch, I sprayed the surrounding area with the tear spray that I was holding in my hand. The rats, exposed to the tear spray, let out deafening screams and thrashed about. Good, it''s working! But rats kept coming out of the forest, one after another, inexhaustible. I kept spraying frantically. The rats that appeared devoured all the food in town and spread disease. The townspeople set various traps and chased the rats with weapons, but the number of rats never decreased. When the people were at a loss, a man suddenly appeared and said, "I know how to get rid of these rats. If you give me the reward I deserve, I will kill every last one of these rats. When the mayor heard about the reward, he was very worried, but he decided to hire the man. He said, "All right, go ahead and do it. But if there is even one rat left, I won''t reward you. Then please listen: [March of the Lemmings]" With that song, the rats'' reinforcements came to a sudden halt. And that''s not all. Even the rats that had not been sprayed were returning to the forest as if drained. What?Why is he withdrawing his army?Is it possible that ...... he can only attack according to the story? "When the man blew his flute, the rats in the town came to him. When the man went straight to the river that flows outside the town, the rats jumped into the river themselves and died. When the people of the city saw this, they cheered. When he returned to the city, he said to the mayor: I have fulfilled my promise, now it''s your turn." The mayor, however, was reluctant to give him his reward. The rats were gone, and he was too relieved to hand over the reward. I won''t give my daughters. The man was furious at the broken promise and blew his flute so loudly that it echoed throughout the city. Children from all over the city, lured by the joyful sound, came out of their houses. Please listen. [Invitation to the Circus]" I stiffened when I heard that. It''s coming, it''s coming! The most famous scene in The Pied Piper of Hamelin! The Pied Piper blew his flute in high spirits. The tune was so joyful that it was hard to believe that we were in the middle of a battle. Nothing in particular ...happened to us when we heard it. It was here that The Pied Piper looked doubtful for the first time. Seeing this, I grinned. It seems ...... that the countermeasure worked. When I suspected that the enemy might be the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the first thing I was wary of was a sound attack. The Pied Piper of Hamelin had been taking away children of the city who did not reward him with the sound of his flute. If so, I expected that he might have a means of attacking or causing abnormalities with his flute. As a countermeasure, I had the monster cards put on intercoms in advance. The sound insulation was so strong that it completely blocked out any outside sound, while still allowing my microphone to clearly transmit instructions. It would have been bad if it could give an effect whether it was to be heard or not, but it seemed to be fine as long as it didn''t reach their ears. By the way, as long as a monster card is on the field, the master will not be affected by the enemy''s attacks, so there''s no problem for me. The Pied Piper became enraged when he noticed the intercom stuck in our ears. He bared his grimy teeth and bellowed. You guys!What''s with the earplugs?! Is that the way people listen to music?!" I don''t give a shit!" I retorted, throwing a tear spray canister at him in return for a twist. It was blocked by a barrier, of course, but it rolled right by him, just as I wanted it to. Now. Ghouler!Snipe the spray! "Yes, Master." Ghouler heard my command through the microphone and shot the spray with a slingshot. At that moment, the gas inside exploded, scattering the agent into the surrounding area. At the center of it was The Pied Piper. The contents of the spray seemed to be not considered an attack as the barrier did not block it. How is it?...... Ugh, damn!It doesn''t seem to have worked. Apparently, it seemed that the guy had a strong resistance to abnormal status. You dare!I will not tolerate this!I myself will cut off your head!" Furious, the Pied Piper turned the flute around once, and the flute instantly transformed into a scythe reminiscent of a grim reaper. He is switching to melee combat? With a wicked smile on his face, the Pied Piper, no, the Grim Reaper stepped forward, and just then, out of nowhere, a light bullet struck the Reaper. Muh! "!!!!" The Reaper, who quickly turned himself around and evaded the bullet, was indeed a master of his own. But I didn''t miss that action. He ducked!He ducked!In other words, that barrier only appears when he has the flute! He must have realized his mistake, for he frowned. "You, an ambush is smart!" Hes coming!Ghouler, phase 3!Attack!" Ghouler, having received the order, approached the Reaper. The Reaper took up the scythe, ready to fight, but then the Zashiki-warashi''s light bullets struck one after another. Th-this ku, if only my power isn''t limited!" The light bullets were fired from all directions, as if Zashiki-warashi was attacking from different locations. The Reaper was on the defensive against the invisible sniper. Then, Ghouler struck him with a stun rod with one hand. The Reaper ducked, turning his upper body away from the sniper. A light bullet pierced his right leg, which cause him to fall to his knees. At that moment, Ghouler''s stun rod swung down. The Reaper tilted his head to avoid a direct hit to the head, but the stun rod strikes him in the shoulder. With a *bang!*, came a discharge of electricity. The Reaper stiffened for a moment, just for a moment. He immediately swung his scythe, which was resistant to electric shocks---but that instant was enough for the Zashiki-warashi. ...... Idiot." A light bullet pierced the Reaper''s chest. The Reaper''s eyes widen in disbelief. He leaned back, and then disappeared. Silence. Only the sound of my heartbeat was echoing loudly. After watching the situation for a while and confirming that nothing happened, I finally understood. "Did we beat him ......?" It was almost a soliloquy, but a reply came quickly. Yeah, we won." I looked at Zashiki-warashi, who had been by my side for some time. Ghouler, too, was walking slowly toward me. The rats that had been slithering around had disappeared. I realized belatedly that underlings had also lost their lives due to the disappearance of the boss. Then it finally dawned on me. We won. We had survived. I survived. With a thud, I sat down on the ground without any strength. The first thing that welled up in my chest was not joy but relief. I was relieved that I had not died. I was relieved that I had not lost my cards. Before long, a sense of accomplishment came over me. It was a sense of accomplishment many times greater than when I studied hard and got a hundred points on a test. It also gave me confidence. I had defeated an irregular encounter in my first major fight. And without any prior information at that. I felt like praising myself, thinking that I might be pretty talented. I wanted to brag to someone about how great my cards were. Finally, a feeling of gratitude blew it all away. If it wasn''t for these guys, I would have died for sure. Especially Zashiki-warashi. She really helped me along the way and during the battle. If this little girl hadn''t cheered me up, my heart would have been crushed before fighting the boss. Even during the battle, she struck a light bullet at a critical moment and solved the mystery of the barrier. She even made the final blow. Who would think that she is a bad card after seeing that fight?Less than half the market price?Don''t be ridiculous, everyone would want her even at ten or even a hundred times more than the market price. Really, thank you. That''s all I can say. With that thought in mind, I looked at ZashikiwarashiDDDDI froze. The Reaper was behind her, raising his scythe. He laughed savagely with his mouth torn all the way to his ears. ----Surppr~ize. Entertainment should be unexpected!" Stop--- Before those words could be uttered, the scythe was swung down. [Tips] Impression Nutrients directly related to the author''s motivation. It is said that humans can survive without food just by eating impression. The author is a weak creature who cannot survive without impression. We are looking forward to your impression. *** Notes: 1 A cognitive bias which leads people to disbelieve or minimize threat warnings. Consequently, individuals underestimate the likelihood of a disaster, when it might affect them, and its potential adverse effects.? CH 11 Episode 11 - There''s a value that money can''t buy At that moment, everything became slow. A scythe swung down. Zashiki-warashi, noticing the enemy behind her, twisted her body and tried to duck, but it was too late. No matter how she tried, the scythe would tear the girl''s slender body apart. Rear-guard type monster cards like Zashiki-warashi''s generally have low vitality and defense. Even though there was a difference in rank, heavy damage was certain. What special effects does that scythe have? If its bad, I may lose her in one hit. Lost - at the thought of losing Zashiki-warashi, I felt goosebumps all over my body. Wait, please wait, anything but that. Our eyes meet. Zashiki-warashi had a frustrated, yet tearful look on her face. What is that? That kind of face ....... That was where the world that slowed down ended. What happened from there was really an instant, and I didn''t know what happened at first. Huh?!" Something pushed Zashiki-warashi. Being slashed from the shoulder and fell down in half. What?What happened? I asked myself, and then immediately answered myself. Fool, of course there is only one who can do that. Ghouler. She acted and protected Zashiki-warashi. When we realized what that meant, Zashiki-warashi both roared at the same time, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" The sensation of invisible lines connecting. Zashiki-warashi''s anger flowed into me and my anger flowed into her. Zashiki-warashi, carrying the rage of two people, unleashed a barrage of rage. The Reaper suddenly disappears, and the barrage cuts through the air. Teleportation. With this hidden skill, he made it look like he was dead. I should have noticed it with the drop items that didn''t appear when the rats disappeared in the time gap after the Reaper disappeared.......! At the same time, I understand the chain of events that kept him alive. Even now, he has a huge hole in his chest. Normally, it should be a fatal wound. Despite this, he was moving as if nothing had happened. It was for a very simple reason. He would not die unless his head was crushed. That is the characteristic of the undead type. I should have known by this bizarre stench. All because of my inexperience. But that doesn''t matter now. Ghouler! I picked up Ghouler, whose body had been reduced to two, and I could just hold her upper half. She looked up at me with empty eyes. They looked blank. But in reality, feelings reside there. That certainly that been seen now. --Because I had not ordered her to protect her comrades. She protected Zashiki-warashi of her own volition. I absolutely had to save her. Don''t worry, she is an undead. She won''t die unless her head is crushed. And she can regenerate by eating corpses. I looked around and saw several dead rats lying around. Ok, that''s good. Apparently, he can only pull back the living rats. I carried a corpse over, aligned Ghoulers wound so that her upper part and lower part were connected, and gave her the rat. Ghouler ate it without me having to say anything. As expected, she can think for herself. When I gave her all the rats that were lying around, it seemed that the core of her body somehow connected. As soon as Ghouler tried to get up, I held her back. "Wait, your body isn''t ready to move yet!" Hearing my command, Ghouler stopped moving. Then she looked up at me with eyes that seemed to be pleading....... Ghouler ... ....But I can''t let her fight now. In the meantime, the Reaper took further action. "The man gathered the children from all over the city and took them away to the forest. The adults tried to take the children back, but the rats that appeared out of nowhere stopped them. They finally learn who has orchestrated the whole thing. The man, now in possession of his favorite children, decides to have a blast. Tonight is a feast! The forest echoes with the screams of the children as they play. Please listen to the music. [Lambs'' Dinner Party]" With that pronouncement, countless musical notes burst forth from the large hole in the Reaper''s chest. The notes wandered aimlessly in the air, but when one of them flew toward the Zashiki-warashi, it bared its teeth. Nah!" Zashiki-warashi jumped back and struck down the note that had attacked her. Then the musical notes were ...... the children''s souls that looked like musical notes screamed with anguished expressions on their faces. "Good music is sound that is alive. How about my melody? It''s so lively, isn''t it?" Fuck you, you lowlife!" The Zashiki-warashi, in a rage, fired a flurry of light bullets, all of which were blocked by the notes-looking souls. On the contrary, the musical notes turned into a barrage and attack, resulting in a one-sided defensive battle. Ghouler saw this and tried to move her body with a bit of stagger. Ghouler! Master, your order. !" This was the first time Ghouler asked for an order. No doubt, her ego is ...... growing rapidly here. It gave me joy, and hesitation. She is trying to save her comrade of her own volition. That makes me happy. But that''s why I hesitated. I shouldn''t lose her here. What should I do ......? As I looked down, I noticed a faint glow on my chest. This is ....... Coosie''s card flashed faintly like a firefly and seemed to be calling out to me. Coosie I see....... Ghouler, come back. You did a good job. Leave the rest to me and the others. "Master." I stroked Ghouler''s head, who looked up at me vaguely, and put her back in the card. Here we go. COOSIE!" She appeared with a roar that seemed to lift the spirit. Guooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! The roar shook the air. The ferocious, teeth-baring, and snarling figure was no longer the timid puppy. As if to prove it, the card''s skills had also changed. [Race] Coosie [Combat Power] 150 [Inborn Skill] ?Fairy Watchdog ?Group activities [Acquired skills] ?Obedience Loyalty (CHANGE!) ?Cowardice Little hero (CHANGE!) ?Awakening of instinct (NEW!) The wimpy puppy lit up her courage for the first time when the herd was in danger and here she is, a brave hero. A very small hero. But that very figure was exactly my hope. Coosie caught sight of the enemy and ran like a bullet toward the Reaper. "Hihi ......" When the Reaper noticed Coosie coming towards him, he set up his scythe and attacked. In response, Coosie bent down to the ground and then leaped. The color of the Reaper''s face changed. The Reaper twisted his body to avoid it, but he was too late. Coosie''s sharp claws gouged the flesh of his upper arm. When Coosie landed on the ground and was about to make more attacks, a soul in the form of a musical note struck her. Coosie tried to shake it off, but her claw went right through the note and the note clung to her arm. Damn, those notes ...... aren''t just a trick, they''re treated as phantom-type monsters! When more notes rushed in to attack Coosie, Don''t get carried away!" Zashiki-warashi''s light bullet obliterated the notes. She also lightly swept Coosie''s arm, and the notes that clung to her disappeared. Leave the notes to me. It''s a little annoying, but I''ll leave the punching of that bastard to you." Grrrrrrr ......." Coosie nodded her head and jumped at the Reaper. The Reaper was ready, but Coosie''s physical abilities were completely superior to his. The difference in status due to the original difference in rank came into play here. The silver whirlwind chipped away at the enemy''s body, bit by bit, little by little. The flying notes were knocked down by Zashiki-warashi, and the scales of victory were now completely tilted in our favor. Just as I pictured victory in my mind, the Reaper spoke again, The anger of the adults who had lost their children was turned to the mayor, who had not paid the man. If only you had paid him properly!" This flow is ...... dangerous! Stop that guy!" My shout made their offense even more intense, but the Reaper''s mouth doesn''t stop. The mayor says: You saw how he manipulated those rats, it was a setup from the beginning! But the people no longer stop at his words. Alas, the mayor was dismembered by the townsfolk. They left behind the mayor''s two children, one blind and the other crippled. Now please listen. [The Pied Piper of Hamelin]." Along with the declaration, the notes let out a terrifying scream. The volume was so loud that even I, protected by the card barrier, had to cover my ears and crouch down. The first to be affected by this was Coosie, who was not wearing an intercom. Her ears were bleeding and her body tilted to the side. Even the Zashiki-warashi, who should have been wearing an intercom, collapsed to the ground. Why? My question was quickly answered. A black haze clung to the legs and eyes of the fallen Zashiki-warashi. The eyes and feet ...... in the fairy tale, only blind children and crippled children were left behind in the city. Is this a status ailment imitating that anecdote!? In an instant, the situation was reversed. The Grim Reaper looked at me with a big smile on his face. As I involuntarily backed away, he disappeared. Where the hell is he?! The answer came from right behind me. The concert is now over. I hope you enjoyed it.I''ll take your life for the payment." I turned around and saw the figure of the Grim Reaper with his scythe raised in the air. My thoughts rapidly accelerated. Attacks on the master are taken over by cards. That means that if he lands an attack on me, he can damage all the cards efficiently, and I myself am just a fragile human being with no defense after that. If it''s just one blow, the cards might be able to withstand it somehow. But if I am attacked continuously, the result is obvious. What awaits us is ....... I tried to turn and duck, but my movements were too slow compared to my accelerated senses. Only the Reaper moved normally in the slowed world. Ugh, I wont make it in time... At that moment, I felt as if I had stepped off something, and my movement suddenly accelerated. It turned out that I had slipped on a rat''s bodily fluids. It was the result of my good fortune from Zashiki-warashi''s skill, [Misfortune and fortune are like a rope1]. The scythe passed right by my head. Dark green bullets flew over my head as I clumsily landed on my buttocks. The Reapers arms fly through the air together with the scythe, and Coosie landed lightly on the ground. (Coosie!I''m saved!But how could you move?) My thoughts crossed incoherently. The answer was answered by the Reaper. "[Hero] skills, huh!" The reaper who said this seemed genuinely surprised. [Little hero], did that skill resist the status ailment? Or perhaps Zashiki-warashi''s granting good luck also helped. Anyway, at the last minute, it seemed certain that the goddess of fortune had smiled at me. The god of death laughed. Kihihihi, it can''t be helped. No need to pay this time. I''ll take it next time we meet. "... No matter how many times we meet, I''ll step on you." What a customer!" That was the last line of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. His head, which had been showing a deliberate surprise, blew off by itself, and a beat later, his body came crashing down on top of mine. Rotting blood sprayed onto my face. ...... Fuck your parting gift. As I desperately endured nausea, his body and blood slowly faded away. All that was left was a blood-red pebble and a long vertical flute. That gave me the feeling that this time the battle was over. Ah ...... anyway "I-I''m so tired~" I lay sprawled out on the ground with the loot in my arms. "Master! Are you okay?" Coosie immediately rushed over to me. I could recognize her timid face even if she was a dog. It''s the same old Coosie I know and love. It seems that her cool mode is over. She had blood on her ears, but she doesn''t seem to be deaf, perhaps having been healed by Zashiki-warashi. "You''re slacking. You probably didn''t fight. Rather, you should be thanking me for all my hard work. Zashiki-warashi immediately flashed her sarcasm in a lighthearted manner. It seemed that the gentle mode was over for her too. I was relieved when I confirmed that there was nothing wrong with her eyes and legs. I picked myself up and said, "I know, I know. I''ve thought of a proper reward. Oh?What is it? Maybe it''s a candy house or something? "Zashikiwarashi-san, how can a card ask the master for a reward?" Coosie reprimanded her, but her swaying tail couldn''t hide her expectations. Well, I''ll do that kind of physical reward after I redeem the items. Right now, it''s just the ones I can give you right away. Something you can give here?Seems kind of shabby. Well, yeah. It''s just a name, after all. I said that with a wry smile, but the reaction of the monster cards was dramatic. Coosie''s tail stuck up, and Zashiki-warashi asked me with a serious look on her face, "What do you mean by ? You... do you know what that means?" Of course I do. Name the card. It is a kind of contract between the adventurer and the card. Once a card is named, it can no longer be initialized - that is, it can never be sold again. Basically, adventurers raise cards, earn money, sell the cards they have been using, and use their savings to buy higher-ranked cards...... it is a cycle. Cards of adventurers who have been active in MonColo can be auctioned off for more than double the market price. For adventurers, cards are a kind of asset management, like stocks. Therefore, in a sense, naming a card is an act that disqualifies one from being an adventurer. When I first bought the cards, I was warned by Shigeno-san not to name them without thinking. However, naming has its advantages. It means that the card can be revived. Even if a monster dies, the card''s information remains in the form of a soul card, and by consuming unused cards of the same gender and race, it is possible to revive it with its personality and appearance intact. ...... Originally, Zashiki-warashi and Coosie would have been these resurrection cards. The cards needed for resurrection don''t matter what skills they have as long as they match their gender and race. Therefore, there is a certain demand even for cards that cannot be used normally. I guess that was what Shigeno-san was saying that day. Perhaps Shigeno-san thought I would sell off the Zashiki-warashi as it was and use the money to buy a more manageable card. That was why he told me the purchase price of the Zashiki-warashi. But I continued to use these cards. I wonder what would have happened if I had sold them and switched to easier-to-handle cards. Probably, I would not have faced the cards head-on. I would have seen them as convenient tools because they were easy to use. Then I would have encountered the irregular encounter and died. I''m glad my first cards are these guys. I really think so. That''s why I decided ...... to never let them go. First of all, Zashiki-warashi, your name is Renge. "Renge......" At first glance, this kid has black hair and black eyes, but if you look closely, you can see a hint of vermillion in her hair. For some reason, this reminded me of a lotus flower, so I named her Renge2. I changed the way I read it because it''s a little cuter that way. Next is Coosie, and you are Yuki3. In katakana. Yuki......! The reason why I chose Yuki (in katakana) as Coosie''s name is because I wanted it to have various meanings. This time, she had the courage to become my hope. It could also be Yuki4, which combines courage and hope, or Yuuki5, which means kindness. I named her Yuki with various meanings. It''s a little cheesy, but I think it''s better to be straightforward with this girl. "Although she''s not here, I''ve also thought of Ghouler''s name." Eliza. I hesitated a lot for her name. At first, I was thinking of naming her Gura6 because it''s related to vampires. However, I changed my mind after seeing her action of protecting Zashiki-warashi, no, Renge....... That time, the anecdote about Pygmalion, a doll that turned into a human, came up into my head. In Greek mythology, a man falls in love with a doll that he made himself, and when the man''s love is so great that it almost weakens him, a goddess named Aphrodite takes pity on him and turns the doll into a human being. Since the doll''s name is not mentioned in the original story, I decided to take the name of the heroine of the movie "My Fair Lady," which was based on the myth. I will give her the name properly later. Thank you, Master!Thank you very much, I will do my best from now on! Yuki''s eyes were moist as she thanked me. Her tail wagging like it was about to break into a thousand pieces. Aa--h, poor me. Now I have to take care of this incompetent master even if I die from this. Anyone who can''t translate Renge''s words properly should probably start over from the beginner''s level of the tsundere test. Look, even Yuki guessed it and smiled. When Yuki and I exchanged glances, Renge noticed this and raised her eyes. "You guys! What''s so funny, ah?!" "Hey, please stop it! Oh my god! Hey, what are you doing?!" Renge jumped onto Yuki''s back and started plucking her fur. Smiling wryly at those two, I turned my eyes to the back. There, floating in the air, was an ornately decorated treasure chest and a gate for returning. It was the reward for breaking through the dungeon, commonly known as the disappointment box7. The two were still joking around with each other, but they walked to the disappointment box from behind me. The corpse of the dead children had somehow disappeared, replaced by small piles of dirt. The atmosphere of the forest seemed to be gradually matching that of the upper floors. The reward for my first dungeon expedition made my heart beat undeniably fast. As I slowly reached for the box Ah!What are you trying to open on your own! Renge jumped on my back. The unexpectedly soft sensation, the hot body temperature, and the pleasant scent of flowers made my heart jump. Hey, dont dodge! Oh, oh, I''m sorry." "It''s okay if you understand. Look, I''ll bless you. Good things will come out then, right?" *Pop* My body was wrapped in a faint light for a moment. It seemed that she used her skill. This kid ...... has become really cooperative. I opened the box while feeling the gap between when we first met. There was---- "......What''s this?" Magic stones and...... potions, it seems? There were white pebbles and test-tube-sized bottles. The pebbles must be the conquest reward. Compared to normal magic stones, white magic stones contain more energy, and the guild buys them according to the depth of the dungeon. It is around 60,000 yen for this place. As for the bottles, I don''t know exactly what kind they are without an appraisal, but it''s probably the most popular reward... potions. If you sprinkle it on the affected area, it heals the wound in an instant, if you drink it, it regulates the stomach and internal organs, if you put a bottle in the bath, it makes your skin shiny, and if you put it in your mouth, it even cures tooth decay. Potions that were hailed as such dream medicines are steadily dropping in market price as the supply increases. This item is not very useful for our party since theres already someone with recovery magic. I should sell it,...... or no, it might be more pleasing to give it to my mom or sister than to sell it. The rewards were so lousy for such a life-threatening task that I somehow understood why this was called a disappointing box. Don''t put such shoddy things in such a luxurious box!Stuff it with gold and silver treasures!" While laughing wryly at Renge who kicked the box with disappointment, I was strangely convinced. Well, it''s like this, isn''t it? An F-rank dungeon reward. This really meager reward, on the contrary, gave me a sense of security. Come to think of it, I had been so lucky up to this point. Winning these guys for only one million yen is, in all likelihood, using up all the luck in my life. Maybe the fact that I ran into such an irregularly strong opponent as the Pied Piper of Hamelin this time was a reversal of that luck? Thinking about it, these rewards are not so bad. Yeah, pebbles and potions that could be found anywhere suit me just fine. But I can only think so because...... I looked back at the two who were still clamoring. Maybe it''s because I got something that money can''t buy anymore. [TipsNaming a card Cards can be given unique names. Since named cards cannot be initialized, they cannot be sold. On the other hand, even if the monster lost their lives, a soul card that contains the card''s soul will be left behind and can be revived by spending unused cards of the same race and gender. This is a relief for masters who have thought of their cards as more than cards. Among adventurers, there is a tendency to label masters who name cards as embarrassing one. *** Notes: 1 Changed it from the previous skill name translation (Good fortune is like a rope that ends in misfortune)? 2 Renge ( : Renka) , means lotus flower ? 3 楦 ? 4 ϣ (= brave, courageous; ϣ= hope)? 5 ϣ ? 6 `` ? 7 Yes, youre not reading it wrongly ? CH 12 Episode 12 Who is Kitajima? I was waiting for the moment, spinning my pen continuously. Spinning, spinning, spinning. I had already done all I could do. After reviewing my sheet many times, I spent the remaining few minutes quietly. Only a handful of people were still struggling until the last moment. They were running their pens as if they were chewing on their desks. I don''t remember... having to write that much. We should have studied in the same classroom, but I couldn''t help but wonder. Then the chime rang. The teacher in charge raised her voice. Ok, that''s enough. Put your pen on the desk. Immediately, sighs escaped from the classroom. I stood up too. Today was the last day of the mid-term exam. We were freed from the hell of testing. Ah, it''s over! "Seriously, it''s all over. I didn''t even understand half of it. As soon as the teacher disappeared from the classroom, the East-West duo called out to me, "How did you do this time, Maro? I did the same as usual, maybe a 60 or 70 points? Nishida frowned at my answer. So the average score this time is about that. The red mark is minus 20 points from the average, right?I might be in trouble in math. "Can you stop using other people''s scores as an indicator?It might be above average. ......Well, it''s probably the average score. I don''t know why I''ve been getting average scores on tests since middle school. This high school also has a normal deviation score. I''m not so sure if I''m resentful of my mediocrity or not. "Anyway, let''s go somewhere and have fun. "Maro, you don''t have a part-time job during the test period, do you?" "Oh, today, of course not." "Yosh! Lets go somewhere!Where do you want to go?Let''s go to karaoke for the first time in a while~" As we were leaving the classroom while talking about such things, "Oh....." Ah! I almost bumped into someone who was just about to enter the classroom. His hands are wet, he must have gone to the restroom. Minamiyama noticed our presence and raised his eyebrows. Higashino and Nishida also lost their smiles. An awkward atmosphere flowed. If this had been another classmate, we probably would have given way immediately. Or maybe the other party would have given way. There is no other intention there. But when we realized that it was Minamiyama, we somehow felt reluctant to give way. On the other hand, we somehow understood that Minamiyama also did not want to give way to us. He is now in the top group of the class caste. Normally, we should be the ones to give way. However, in our minds, there was no recognition that this guy was better than us. There may have been something like stubbornness that easily destroyed the friendship. ---- You know what? Don''t feel free to talk to me. Me and you guys, you know what I mean? The words he said when we invited him to play the same way as before came back to my mind. The East-West duo must have been remembering that time as well, as their faces were grim. Seeing us like that, Minamiyama snorted, Youre in the way. ......! When Nishida was about to say something to him, "Minamiyama-kun? What''s wrong?" The voice of Ono came from behind me, and when I turned around, I saw Takahashi1 and his group along with a few classmates there. Naturally, Shinomiya-san and ...... Ushikura-san2 were also there. What''s the matter?Something wrong?" Takahashi asked with a refreshing smile. "Ah, could it be that you invited Minamiyama to play? Ah, sorry! We invited him first. This is first come first served, right?" "Ah, no..." We were discouraged by Takahashi raising his hand and apologizing. The actual aura of a real top member of the class, which was different from Minamiyama''s, was completely overpowering. "Its nothing like that. Sorry, sorry, I''m going to get my things." Minamiyama said so while laughing and forcibly pushed us out of the way. Higashino bit his lip. This was the current power relationship in our class. Just as we were about to see off the normie group, Shinomiya-san suddenly said as if she had just remembered, Oh, that''s right. If its okay, will Marocchi3 come too? It''s karaoke. ?! What? I could feel the shock running through the air. Everyone rolled their eyes and looked at me. I should not be an esper...... But now, I certainly heard the voices in everyone''s mind: Why is Shinomiya-san inviting this mob?! Ah, no, ......." I can''t get my head around things on the spur of the moment. Then Ono intervened between us. Oh, no, Hi, Kita...... um, Kitajima-kun? It looks like he''s going out with the usual members, Higashida-kun and Nishino-kun, so I wonder if we''ll cause trouble if we ask him out?" Oh?Then why don''t all three of you come?I''m sure we could all go together if we rented two rooms. Or we could change it to bowling. At Takahashi''s suggestion, Minamiyamas and Onos faces changed color. The other members of the group also scrunched up their faces. Our classmates knew of the delicate relationship between us and Minamiyama. It was a proposal that no one was pleased with. Does Takahashi not know about our relationship?Could be. Takahashi is a baseball fool by his own admission. He has the image that he is not familiar with the delicate relationships within the class. He probably only became aware of Minamiyama''s existence after he came out as an adventurer. Until then, Minamiyama was just classmate A, and he probably had no idea of Minamiyamas friendships. However, judging from this reaction, Ono seemed to have known about it. This guy is pretty much friends with the whole class. Anyway, there was no way he would nod to this proposal. The group would be split into two rooms, and it would definitely be less exciting. I felt the stares of the other members of the group telling me to absolutely refuse. Higashino hurriedly said, Uh, no, no, we''re good, yes. You guys go ahead and have fun. Really?That''s too bad. ......" Ono quickly jumped on the bandwagon with Takahashi, who simply backed down. He said, "Well, Kitajima-kun said so. Its a bit disappointing, but well Uh-huh, yeah. The classmates nodded in haste at Ono''s sign. You know, Ono..." What is it? Ono, who had been called by name, answered with some agitation. "I''ve been thinking about it for a while now, but it''s Kitagawa, not Kitajima. Kitagawa Utamaro, the same name as an Edo-period painter. Do you even remember the names of your classmates?" "Eh... Oh, yeah. I''m sorry, Kita... kawa-kun." "Ah, ah... whatever." "Yeah.... then let''s go." With those words, Takahashi and the others leave the classroom. Only the three of us were left behind. " Oi oi oi oi!What does that mean, Maro! "When did you become friends with Shinomiya-san?!" Higashino and Nishida crowded in at once. They grabbed me by my collar. They had a devilish expression on their face. I feel more hostility, or even murderous intent, that they had toward Minamiyama...... No, I don''t know, I don''t know, I don''t know! Huh?! What do you mean! Even though I tried to explain myself in a flustered manner, the two didn''t even trust me. "It''s not like you don''t know! Then why is Shinomiya-san inviting you to karaoke? Aah?!" "For some reason only your name was corrected! Ours were also mistaken!" "No, that''s ......, ah, could it be that?" The two piranhas were agile enough to catch on to my small slip of the tongue. I knew there was something!Speak up!You traitor! Traitor Ah, well when I went to the infirmary the other day, Shinomiya-san was also taking a break and I just introduced myself. Didn''t you remember that? "...... That''s it?" That''s it." With those words, the two of them finally let go of my collar. "Hm`m, does that mean she simply remembered Maro''s name but not ours?" Was it just a whim that she invited you to karaoke, or did she just want to tease you?That''s possible. "... you guys, didn''t you like older sisters and loli?" As I complained while rubbing my neck, they both spoke in unison, Well--! I dont think one can go out with a loli if you think about it with common sense. The realistic target for a relationship would be someone of the same age group. "There are so many cute girls in this class. When I first saw Shinomiya-san, I was really scared. Huh, is this an idol class?, like that." "Even Maro, who is a boob alien, will go out with a beautiful girl who has small breasts if she asks you out, wouldn''t you?" "...... Surely!" How persuasive. Likes are likes, and ideals are ideals. If there''s a beautiful woman within reach, it''s normal to fall in love with her. "I want a girlfriend~" Higashino suddenly said. Nishida nodded strongly. I thought that if I became a high school student, I would naturally get a girlfriend but I dont see any signs of that at all. "Ah, I thought so too. Or rather, I thought that if I grew up, I would be able to get married and have children normally, but if things go on like this I''m not sure..." Oi, stop it." As I listened to their conversation, I suddenly thought: Girlfriend. I certainly want one. I mean, that''s half the reason I want to be a normie. I had a fleeting hope that if I became an adventurer, I might be able to get a cute girlfriend with big breasts. Even now, after I felt the danger of death close at hand during my fight with the Pied Piper of Hamelin, that feeling still hasn''t faded. In fact, on the contrary, the more I almost died, the stronger my desire to elevate my status at any cost. The sad part is that I don''t think I''ll be able to get a girlfriend without risking my life. "Christmas, I wonder if I can make it in time." I muttered quietly. Time flies so fast. The months go by quickly, and it''s already been a month since I became an adventurer. During this time, I continued to challenge dungeons almost every day and conquered a total of ten dungeons. It was hard to believe that I spent a week on the first dungeon, but there are of course some reasons for this kind of progress. First of all, on days when school was in session, I targeted low-level dungeons that could be conquered in a few hours. Second, I studied the maps and monster tendencies in the dungeons in advance. Lastly, and most importantly, the fierce battle with the Pied Piper of Hamelin deepened our bond and helped us grow. This is their current status: [Race] Zashiki-warashi (Renge) [Combat Power] 305 (55 UP!) [Inborn skills] ?Misfortune and luck are like a rope ?Hide-and-seek ?Elementary recovery magic [Acquired skills] ?Zero existence ?Closed mind Free-spiritedness (CHANGE!): A heart that is not bound by anything. Positive response for free movement, resistance to mental abnormality, disablement of some restraint skills. ?Elementary attack magic [Race] Ghoul (Eliza) [Combat Power] 140 (30 UP!) [Inborn skills] ?Living corpse ?Firefield''s fool power ?Corpse Eater [Acquired skills] ?Absolute obedience ?Sexual skill ?Pheromones ?Ambush ?Hollow heart Quiet mind (CHANGE!): A mind that suppresses emotions and does not lose composure. Strong resistance to mental abnormality, improvement of thinking ability. ?Protect (NEW!): Able to instantly rush to a friend''s side and take their place. While using it, defense and vitality are greatly improved. ?Precision movement (NEW!): Allows for more precise movements. [Race] Coosie (Yuki) [Combat Power] 175 (25 UP!) [Inborn skills] ?Fairy Watchdog ?Group activities [Acquired skills] ?Loyalty (CHANGE!) : Proof that you have found a master to serve. Status improves according to loyalty. ?Little hero: Details unknown. ?Awakening of instinct (NEW!) : release wild instincts. It improves physical ability in exchange for reason, and at the same time lowers resistance to mental abnormality. ?Presence detection (NEW!): Enhances the five senses, making stealth skills easier to detect. All three cards greatly improved their combat power and their skills. Renge had transformed the negative skill [Closed mind] that she had due to her distrust of the Master into [Free-spiritedness]. She no longer holds a grudge against her master. She began to actively participate in battles, and her supportive qualities, from assisting in battles to improving the drop rate of loot, were blossoming rapidly. In particular, she more than tripled the drop rate of loot than normal. With such a difference in drop rates, it should be no surprise that a zashiki-warashi becomes a professionals necessity, but it was strange that it wasn''t actually the case. Well, perhaps there are simply many other skills that increase drop rates. Next, let''s talk about Eliza. She has finally established her ego by transforming her [Hollow heart] into [Quiet mind]. Although her thinking is a little sluggish, she is now able to think and act on her own initiative. However, her heart is still developing, and although she may have her own temperament, she doesn''t talk much and doesn''t change her expression. Still, in her own quiet way, she certainly cares about her companions. And along with her skill change to [Quiet mind], she acquired a support skill to protect. This is a skill that allows her to rush at high speed to take the place of her friends as long as she can see them. It seems that her experience in the battle against the Pied Piper of Hamelin has had a great influence on her. After learning of this skill, Renge and Yuki began to aim to improve their cooperation so that they would not be simply protected by Eliza, creating a good synergy effect. And, probably due to the effect of the skill, her eyes were less bloodshot, which is a pleasant change for me. Finally, about Yuki. It would be necessary to explain her along with her skill changes in the match against the Pied Piper of Hamelin. First, she changed her [Obedience] skill to [Loyalty] skill, her [Cowardice] to [Little hero], and she gained the skills of [Awakening of instinct] and [Presence detection]. I was able to easily find out about the three skills (Loyalty, Awakening of instinct, and Presence detection) at the guild, but I was not quite sure about the [Little hero] which seemed to have played a major role in that battle. Apparently, it seems to have the effect of nullifying some special skills and increasing the effect of the skills of yourself and your allies, but it is unstable that the effect may or may not be activated, so to be honest, it is not clear. There are even reports of ...... it suddenly disappearing one day. And it seems to be a well-known skill in the field, full of mystery and rumor. On the other hand, I was able to learn a lot about the other three. [Loyalty] is the ability to increase a card''s status according to the loyalty the monster directs to its master. The maximum percentage is about 20%. It is said that if the master is constantly acting in a way that damages the monsters loyalty, they may lose this skill. This is something to watch out for. [Awakening of instinct] is a skill that animal-type monsters often acquire, and it has the simple effect of improving physical abilities in exchange for reason. Then again, it seems to be a very risky skill, as the more one loses reason, the lower ones resistance to psychotic attacks. Even so, if you choose a dungeon that doesn''t give mental attacks, you can use it with almost no disadvantages, and it seems that it is covered in the application of [Little hero], as Yuki did not lose her reason even after being strengthened to the maximum. By the way, the difference between improved status and improved physical ability is that improved status increases a wide range of abilities, such as magic attack power and resistance to abnormal conditions, while improved physical ability is limited to athletic abilities such as muscle strength and reaction speed. Lastly, I would like to talk about the effect of [Presence detection] ....... I experimented with Renges [Hide-and-Seek] to see how perceptive it was, and it settled with a vague feeling that Yuki could somehow find her whereabouts. It seems that if she takes her time, she can track by smell etc., but of course, it is impossible to spot Renge when she is on the move. Even so, it is worth it for me to continue to raise her as the enemies search agent, as she is able to detect enemies who did not have any stealth skills even from a considerable distance away. Well, thats all for the cards growth. Next, let me explain the results of this January. In this January, I have broken through 10 dungeons, including the battle against the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The reward for breaking through an F-rank dungeon is calculated as the number of floors multiplied by 10,000 yen, so I earned 500,000 yen in rewards from the number of magic stones alone. From this, even after deducting the 90,000 yen for information on the dungeon that was purchased from the guild, there was still an income of 410,000 yen. Furthermore, the loot obtained from the battles along the way amounted to about 60,000 yen in magic stones and 64 cards; since I had no intention of using the F-rank cards, I sold them all for about 70,000 yen. Let''s not forget the magical items that come out of the disappointed boxes. The magic items that come out of the F-rank dungeon are not much, but I couldnt make fun of them. The following is the breakdown: Middle potion x 1 100,000 yen Low potion x 3 30,000 yen Flintstone x 4 20,000 yen Smelly bag x 2 2,000 yen Note that the purchase price of magic items ranked from F to D is 10% of the market price. Naturally, I decided not to sell it and use it myself. The middle potion, which heals minor fractures and cuts in the blink of an eye, is for emergencies. I decided to use the smelly bag and the flint stone that, when thrown, would give me the power of a single primary attack magic, and I decided to give the low potion to my sister and mother as presents. Even though the potion is of the lowest rank, and useless for healing injuries, it has the effect of beautifying the skin if dripped in the bath, instantly healing rough hands if sprinkled on the hands, and instantly restoring physical condition when drunk. It''s just too expensive for everyday use, but it''s a convenient item to have. However, even these loots were overshadowed by the rewards we gained from the Pied Piper of Hamelin. In that battle, we obtained two rewards: a red magic stone and a flute. The red magic stone seemed to be a special item dropped only by irregular encounters, and sold for a million yen including the prize money. Even so, it was the lowest price for an irregular encounter magic stone, and the purchase amount jumped tenfold with each rank increase, so I felt as if my sense of money was going crazy. And the other one is a flute. The guild had this one appraised, and it turned out to be a magic item called [Hamelins Flute]. The effect is spatial transfer. It was limited to the dungeon, but it enabled you to transfer to the floor you once visited. It was a rare item among rare items. Most spatial transfer items are disposable and can only be used once, and since they are only dropped in dungeons deep floors, they are sold at extremely high prices by professional adventurers. Magic items that allow unlimited use of space transfer, only a few examples have been found in Japan. It was a commodity that could have been taken by anyone, even if they had to kill to get it. However, this is only if it is not a drop from an irregular encounter. Drops from irregular encounters can only be used by those who have defeated them. This fact held me by the scruff of the neck. If this had been an item that anyone could use, I would have given it up immediately. I have only conquered F-rank dungeons so far, so I don''t really feel it now, but if I continue to be an adventurer, I am sure I will come to realize this items benefits. Because high-rank dungeons are built with dozens of floors. In addition, I didn''t want to cause unnecessary resentment by spreading the word about the existence of the Hamelin Flute, so I decided to have it made into a card. The guild offers a service called carding, in which, for a fee, a large number of goods that cannot be carried by an individual can be stored on a single card. Once carded, the items can be put in and taken out as many times as necessary, and cannot be taken out by anyone other than the owner. In addition to being used to transport expedition supplies for the dungeon, it is also used to store valuable items. I decided to use this carding system to hide the conspicuous Hamelin Flute. What I miscalculated was that it cost me exactly one million yen. The Pied Piper of Hamelin''s magic stone sold for 1 million yen, and the card made from the flute also need 1 million yen. Is it just my imagination that I felt someones scheme? Rare item Hamelin''s flute, 540,000 yen4 in cash and other consumable items. This is the result of this past month. Oh, and one more thing. With these achievements, I am now eligible to take the exam for promotion to a 2-star adventurer. The content of the exam is a solo completion of an E-rank dungeon designated by the guild. And we were already more than halfway through there. [Tips] Carding The Adventurers'' Guild provides a service that uses special magic item to convert items into cards. Whether it is a small ring or a house, they will card anything for a million yen at a time. Like monster cards, carded objects cannot be summoned except by their owners, so they are also used to protect property. Ordinary adventurers, like the protagonist, who do not have magic items for transfer, use this service to convert large quantities of goods into cards and stay overnight to dive into deeper floors. In addition, there is a law that if you find such a card, you must report it to the guild and sell it. If it is discovered that you are hiding something, you will be arrested immediately and will be subjected to a severe interrogation by the Public Security Bureau. *** Notes: 1 From the baseball club, if you forgot? 2 Shinomiyas best friend ? 3 A cutesy nickname, Maro+chi ? 4 Roughly 4000usd ? CH 13 Episode 13 Using the flute used by the strange old man is...... kinda impossible. Adventurers up to three stars are generally considered to be in the amateur class. Legally, an adventurer is an adventurer whether he or she is a one-star or a four-star, but the reason why the public''s view of adventurers changes after four stars is because it is said that it is relatively easy to be promoted up to three stars. One can become a one-star adventurer simply by accumulating gold. You can get 2 stars by clearing F-rank dungeons ten times and clearing an E-rank dungeon designated by the guild. The same goes for three stars. They normally go through dungeons that match their rank and then take the promotion exam. That''s it. Anyhow, all of them dictate that you have to Possess a monster card of D-rank or higher, but since you are required to purchase one when you become an adventurer, this is not really a condition. This is probably just a requirement to weed out those who are foolish enough to lose their cards in low-rank dungeons. However, this is not to say that most adventurers will be able to smoothly progress to the three-star level. It is said that nearly half of all registered adventurers stumble at least once at the E rank. Another half of them give up on reaching the two-star level. They become enjoyers who enjoy exploring dungeons only on their days off. The main reason for this is the length of the dungeon, which is more than a dozen floors, and the many traps along the way that cannot be broken in a single day. Even in the F-rank dungeon, where there are no obstacles other than monsters, it takes one to two hours per floor, even with a map. If you have to proceed through the dungeon while being on the lookout for traps, your progress will be slowed down even further. The traps are rearranged at regular intervals, so it is impossible to buy information from the guild. This continues for more than a dozen floors. It will inevitably be an overnight stay strategy. At this point, working people along with middle and high school students drop out. Unless they take the day off from work or school, they will never be able to conquer even an E-rank dungeon. However, college students, part-timers, and freelancers can still make time for the dungeon. Even so, a dungeon exploration that took up days is completely different from the dungeon exploration in the F-rank dungeon. It is like the difference between a picnic and a full-scale camping trip. The maximum you can advance for walking all day is from five to ten floors. The adventurers must be on the lookout for monsters that suddenly appear, search for traps, and carry water and food on their backs. It is not a task that those who become adventurers for light reasons would be able to continue. Even the Self-Defense Forces had many retirees when the dungeon first appeared. Well, the biggest factor was that the effects of the cards were not known at the time. As a result, those university students seem divided into two groups based on their choices: either they join a full-fledged adventurer''s club, aiming to become professionals and working hard on expeditions with their friends, or they gather together as enjoyers and form a circle that resembles a social gathering. Don''t make fun of the F-rank dungeons. Just as I was able to earn 500,000 yen in one month, not even mentioning 100,000, earning 200,000 is easy. To be honest, there was even a view that going through F-rank dungeons daily would be more profitable than challenging E-rank dungeons half-heartedly. The reason is that the dungeon rewards are the most delicious. In the E-rank dungeon, it was not unusual to lose a D-rank card due to a combo of damage caused by traps and monster attacks. That alone will result in a loss of close to one million to ten million at the most. I cant even imagine how it will be if I lost a D-rank card one day. Take the risk and enjoy an E-rank dungeon in a day trip. I often see such headlines in magazines in convenience stores. At first, I was also planning to go with the enjoyable route. Since I thought the E-rank dungeons were too hard for a student. But not anymore. I have a rare item, the Flute of Hamelin, which is coveted by adventurers. With this, there was no need for me to stay overnight to conquer the dungeon. Time, the biggest wall in the amateur class, does not exist for me. Therefore, I was even able to progress through the E-rank dungeon while studying for the test. If it were not for this, I probably would have given up on becoming a 3-star adventurer at some point. As for strength, I had one C-rank and two D-rank cards, which were excessively sufficient for the E-rank dungeon. The only remaining obstacle was now the traps. It was a holiday after the test. I had come to the E-rank dungeon that I was in the middle of clearing. This dungeon, designated by the guild, was a standard dungeon with candle flames illuminating the stone passageways. I had no prior information about this dungeon. This is because adaptability to the unknown is also a part of the test. When I took the test, I was required to sign a contract not to leak any information about this dungeon to outside parties. The passage seems narrow, and there are frequent forks to confuse us. Thanks to the mapping app on my phone, we never got lost, but the further we went, the more I realized that my internal sense of direction was getting out of whack. At the end of the corridor, there are small rooms that look like smaller school classrooms, and monsters only appear in these rooms. It was nice not to have to be on the lookout for unexpected encounters, but on the other hand, it also meant that we were forced to fight more than a certain number of times per floor, which was a bothersome system for those of us who have a style of searching for enemies and avoiding battles. Although the existence of these small rooms is not all bad...... Eliza, play the flute. After entering the dungeon, I summoned the usual three cards - now that it is an E-rank dungeon and the summoning limit is four cards, it is finally possible to summon everyone at the same time --- and immediately gave instructions to Eliza. In the F-rank dungeon, I occasionally encountered other adventurers, but since this dungeon was not open to the public, it was reserved for me during the test. Therefore, I could use Hamelin''s flute with peace of mind. "?~??~" Eliza plays the tunes, albeit poorly. ...... This flute-blowing role, no one told her, but she was naturally in charge of it. The flute left behind by that eerie piper......, everyone somehow disliked using it, and so, the role went to Eliza, the only one who didn''t seem to have any such feelings. I was feeling kind of guilty about it, but she seemed to like it so much that she even started practicing tunes on it during breaks. Now, even though it''s clumsy, she''s been able to perform a song for our transfer. After the performance ended, a black, swirling sphere appeared in front of us. It was exactly the same one that existed at the entrance to the dungeon. By passing through this distortion of space, we could instantly transfer to the safe zone of the floor we had already reached before. However, the information of the dungeon accumulated in the flute disappears from it once you have conquered the dungeon. In other words, it is not possible to move to the lowest floor of a dungeon that you have conquered once and continue to receive rewards for clearing it easily. Too bad. Passing through the gate, we were transferred to the safe zone of the 12th floor, the front line. Transfer-type magic items, not limited to Hamelin''s flute, can basically only transport from safe zone to safe zone. If it was possible to transfer anywhere on the floor, it would be convenient for both searching and escaping from enemies, but that was indeed a luxury. All right, let''s go. With Eliza leading the way, Yuki, me, and Renge advanced in a formation a little further away. The reason why Eliza is leading and a little further away at the front is because she is our party''s trap disarmer. For those of us whose knowledge of traps relies on the instructional books available at the guild, disarming traps is a matter of learning by actually eating them. By process of elimination, the role had ended on Eliza, an undead with no sense of pain. She protects her allies in battle, acts as the unpleasant-flute player, and even disarms dangerous traps. I was filled with apologetic feelings for her, but she was a brave and studious girl who was gradually adapting to the traps of this dungeon. Then, Eliza stopped dead in her tracks. She said, "...... Master, the floor in front is a different color. It''s probably a pitfall trap." She reported back to me, speaking more fluently than before her ego had awakened. I look closely from behind her, but to be honest, I can''t tell the difference at all from here. To begin with, the passage itself is dimly lit, and I rely on the candles placed along the walls at regular intervals, so visibility is very poor. As a mere human, there was no way I could tell the difference. But it seemed that Yuki and Renge were the same way, as they were tilting their heads. So what should we do, Eliza? The right end of the corridor is colored the same as usual, so the pit seems to be from the left end to the center. I will go through the right end and check it first. Okay, okay." When I nodded, Eliza proceeded without hesitation. "---I have confirmed that it is safe. Please pass." Oh, oh. As I was nervously avoiding the pitfalls, Renge spoke to me from behind, "Suddenly you''ve changed from giving orders to being given orders. If things go on like this, won''t Eliza become the command tower someday? Oh, do we really need you?" I snorted at Renge, who had a grinning smile on her face. Idiot.... Since when did you think you needed me? What, you dare say....... No, I''m not sure I expected that response. Come to think of it, you''re right...... After her eyes widened in surprise, Renge nodded repeatedly as if strangely convinced. No, if you are really convinced by that...... I feel a little sad, even though I had waved the joke myself. Actually, as the enemy got stronger, I had fewer and fewer chances to get involved in combat....... There is a limit to how much I can issue orders during battle, and defense tools will eventually become ineffective. It is said that high-ranked monsters move faster than human''s dynamic vision. It is impossible to give precise instructions on such a battlefield. I wonder how high-ranking adventurers do it?Do they just stand there?Come to think of it, adventurers in MonColo manipulate cards like their own hands and feet. ...... Is there some kind of trick?Is it simply good preparation? As I was pondering over a random question, Yuki followed me up, probably because she thought I was depressed, "Renge-san, we are what we are because of our master. It was the Master who brought Eliza-san up to that level, wasn''t it? Oh, as expected of a dog, dont miss the chance to appeal your loyalty. "Being a dog is fine. Bark bark." "Give me your hand, doggy. Or, is sitting and begging better? "A good dog doesn''t wag their tail to anyone other than their master." At first glance, it seems like an unfriendly exchange, but the atmosphere between the two is soft. Before I knew it, the three had had a relationship of three sisters: the eldest, who was a little mean but actually kind, the second sister, who was serious and caring, and the third sister who was quiet and studious. The interesting thing to note is that the apparent ages of the eldest, second, and third sister are reversed. Master, we are at a crossroads. Oh, let''s see, according to the app, the last time we went to the right, it is a dead-end. The straight road is 70% mapped out, but the left is untouched. ......Hmmm, okay, let''s go left. Roger that." With the phone in hand, we go left at the fork in the road, then go right at the next T-junction. As I filled in the map in this way little by little, Yuki said, That thing you have, Master, is really convenient, isnt it? With this, we''ll never get lost. Well, basically. But some of the traps in dungeons can destroy electrical appliances, and some can absorb all light. If we rely on this too much, we will be in for a rude slap. Eh? Will it be okay? "Well, the guild has warned me about that, so I should know in advance, so it''s probably fine. There''s usually a pattern in this dungeon to get people to ...... feel that kind of pain early, though." If I were the guild, I will be sure to do that. Lets hope that the guild is not as crooked as Renge. Then I guess we''ll be all right, Master. "Oi." While we were talking about that, a door came into view in front of us. At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary wooden door. But we had learned from our previous mission that we couldn''t be too careful even with a door like this. I asked, "How is it......? Do you think there''s a trap?" Eliza was looking at the door from various angles for a while, and then she turned around and said, "There is no trace on this side. Then there doesn''t seem to be a trap....... but this is the dungeon. Up until now, there have been three patterns: a trap where the door explodes the moment it is opened, a trap where bows and arrows fly at you, and a trap placed at the end of the door. Forgive me, I can''t discern them right now." "Okay...... Sorry, can you do the usual for me?" "Yes, Master." The usual. In other words, it was to physically release the trap. Eliza nodded to my request without hesitation. After confirming that we had taken some distance, she opened the door with a mighty bang. I heard the sound of something operating. Something was released from the darkness at the back of the room. It slipped past Elizas side--- ...... Ah!" I let out a hoarse cry and looked down at my chest in dismay. --- There was an arrow embedded deep inside. Episode 13 (2) I plopped down on the ground with a thud. "Ah...... ah......." I reach for the arrow with my trembling hands, but I can''t pull it out because I don''t have the strength. But finally, I managed to pull the arrow out. "That was close~! I let out a deep sigh of relief. The tactical vest made from new materials found in the dungeon had successfully protected me from the crossbow arrow. The barrier function of the card provides complete protection for the master''s body, but it does not extend to the clothes he or she wears. Therefore, it is possible for an arrow to get stuck in the clothing and surprise the master. Incidentally, some female adventurers have been known to be stripped completely naked after being attacked with acid. While I was thinking about this, Renge and the others rushed into the room and started fighting. Even when they saw me being hit by an arrow, they only glanced sideways at me. It''s not that they are cold....... The fact is that the girls, who can shoulder the damage, realized earlier than I did that I was unscathed. Rather, they should be praised for being able to move quickly. Even though I really wanted them to be a little bit worried about me....... I shook my head to drown out such naivety and followed the girls into the room. Normally, it would be safer for the master to wait outside the room, where no enemies would appear. However, when I was waiting for the battle to end outside before, monsters kept appearing with no end, no matter how many they killed. In addition, there were no drops. Perhaps the dungeon judges the end of the battle based on whether the master is in the room or not. I don''t know what the mechanism is, or what the intention is, but... Since then, I''ve always made sure to go inside the room. There were four monsters in the room. A big humanoid made of stone, a black dog that leaked fire from its mouth, an old man with a big bag, and a black haze....... I recognized the big humanoid and the black dog immediately because we had fought them before. A stone golem and a hellhound. However, the old man and the black haze were new to me. After reaching the tenth floor, when E-rank monsters appeared, the strength and diversity of the enemies increased dramatically. The simple combat power is one thing, but their skills are also troublesome. Both the stone golem and the hellhound have high combat power, but they are not the type to use strange tricks. Then, in a situation like this--- "Get rid of that old man first!" "OK! Though, even if we don''t bother to kill him, he''ll probably die sooner or later!" Yuki jumped on the old man, and Renge shot light bullets from behind. Then, the stone golem interrupted. Its stone body blocked Yuki''s claws and the light bullets. Although the golem was sold for its toughness, it still couldn''t withstand repeated attacks from higher-ranked attacks and so it disintegrated into countless stone rubble. A momentary shadow was created in exchange for the golems life. The hellhound emerged from there and leaped at the small zashiki-warashi. Renge noticed this, but she could not move. No, she doesnt move. A golden shadow cuts in between the hellhound and Renge. She moves as fast as using an instantaneous movement. It is Eliza. Receiving the Hellhound''s fangs with her protector-wearing left hand, she slammed the biting, flame-spitting black dog to the ground and pressed her stun rod against it. Kwang! The hellhound, which even showed a determination not to let go even if it dies, was however forced to open its jaws by the force of the electric current. Then, Eliza bit it. That was the moment when predator and prey switched places. In the end, the old man who was supposed to be the first to be killed and the black haze remained on the spot. It was only a few seconds, just a few seconds, but it was enough for the old man to set himself up. The old man throws the large bag on his back in the room. The contents of the bag were sand....... Should I close my eyes? I was taken aback for a moment, wondering what that was all about, but soon, I became tense. Stupid, it''s not possible to be just that. The stone golem and the hellhound risked their lives to earn the time, there is something else. But contrary to my thoughts, nothing seemed to have happened to my cards. Yuki''s claws cut through the old man, and light bullets punched through the black haze. With that, the battle was over. ......What was this sand after all?" Renge answered my mutterings, Hmm, it''s probably sleeping powder. The moment it was sprinkled, I felt a little sleepy. I resisted with plenty of time to spare, though. I see Sleeping sand...... was dangerous. Sleep is a dangerous status ailment that isn''t funny in combat. Luckily, all of my cards are resistant to status ailments, so we managed somehow, but if they couldn''t resist it, it''s possible that we would have been wiped out. So, this guy is ......." Oh, it''s a nightmare! I picked up the card dropped by the black haze and grunted. Nightmare...... A monster that is said to control nightmares. Don''t say it''s just a nightmare. In dreams, it has the power to easily kill monsters of one rank or higher. On the other hand, in the real world, it is nearly powerless....... Sandman and Nightmare combo... Didn''t it suddenly increase in difficulty after reaching E-rank?" The stone golem is the guard, the hellhound is the attacker, the sandman is the support, and the nightmare is in charge of instant kill for the sleeping opponents...... If you are just pushing a single D-rank card in a situation like that, it''s usually a lost cause. Wont one be annihilated if they did it poorly? With this arrangement, if you leave the room immediately, you won''t die, but... it''s impossible for you to return to the surface on your own. In that case, there is no choice but to pay the guild a shitload of money to send in a rescue team. Naturally, you are responsible for the cost, which is only about a million yen for an F-rank dungeon, but for an E-rank dungeon, the cost is close to 10 million yen. Every year, there are a certain number of people who have to take on huge debts. This was the biggest bottleneck when I tried to convince my parents. Now then, lets go have some fun time. I turned my attention to the treasure chest that had appeared in the center of the room before I knew it. This, is the biggest advantage of this type of dungeon. While you are forced to fight in a small room, a disappointing box will appear on rare occasions. In terms of probability, it''s about 5%... The contents of the box are naturally more meager than the rewards from completing an F-rank dungeon. Most of them are consumable goods worth about 1,000 yen, and potions and the like are among the lucky hits. In addition, there was a high probability of traps being set in the disappointing boxes. If the contents of the box are not only poor, but also contained traps, it was usually recommended to skip it. The reason why we continue to challenge the disappointing boxes, however, is because they contain a jackpot, albeit rarely. The name of that jackpot is skill orb. It is a dreamlike magic item that allows cards to learn skills just by using it. It is an item that cannot be taken out of the dungeon, and its contents are not known until it is used, so it may not necessarily be a skill with merit, but since we got a skill orb by chance when we first started exploring, I''ve been obsessed with the charm of the disappointing boxes. Incidentally, the skill orb we got was a technical skill -the color of the skill orb indicates the general tendency of the skill- so I decided to give it to Eliza after wondering who to give it to. Due to the nature of the ghoul race, Eliza''s movements are inevitably lackluster. Or should I say rough rather than slow? Since technical skill is a skill that compensates for such things, I decided to give it to her in hope that it could improve her movement even a little. This turned out to be a great decision. The name of the skill she got is [Precision movement]. It is a skill that improves the precision of her movements, and it was the perfect skill for her. First of all, her movements during battles became smoother, and she was able to activate skills such as [Protect] more quickly. She seems to be able to move her fingers the way she wants, which had been frustrating her while practicing her flute performance. It continues to improve even now. The best thing of all is that she is now able to disarm traps. Until now, she was too clumsy, and was able to disarm traps that could only be disarmed by setting it off with her immortal body. Of course, the success rate is still low. However, if she continues to gain experience, the day will come when she will awaken the skill to disarm traps. I was sure of that. "All right, then, Eliza, open the lid. Yes, Master." Eliza takes on the disappointing box while we watch from a distance, just in case. After a few minutes of struggling with the keyhole, with a click, the lid slowly opens. Eliza turns around. I''m sorry," she says. I failed. An arrow was pierced deep into her chest. Eliza! We rushed to Eliza. The day when she learns the disarming skill is still far away. [Tips] Magic Items Many magic items appear in the dungeon. Potions that can heal wounds and illnesses are the best examples, and there are other dream-like items, such as wands that allow you to use magic, holy swords, magic swords, flying carpets, and bread baskets that produce infinite bread. However, some of them have been confirmed to be magic items that bring misfortune, such as the Monkey''s Paw. Basically, the higher the rank of the dungeon, the better magical items will appear, but there are also cases where extremely rare magic items appear even in low-ranked dungeons. On the other hand, there was a case where an adult toy appeared in a high-rank dungeon as a reward. CH 14 Episode 14 Cheeky little devil The next day, our dungeon exploration had come to a complete deadlock. "Hmmm, that''s strange. Why aren''t there any stairs?" I muttered, scratching the back of my head. Even if I look at the app''s map, the map is completely filled. Due to the system where you enter the dead-end yourself, the possibility of a dead end due to mistake is not zero. However, I was confident that there were no input errors or mistake because I typed into the app after seeing the wall properly. There are two other possibilities. Either there is a secret path, or there are multiple corridors. If it was the former, it would have been fine to carefully go around this floor again, but if it was the latter, it would have been the worst. Multiple corridors refers to a structure in which the floor branches off to multiple routes in the middle of the floor. It is as if a single dungeon contains multiple dungeons, and in that case the capture time increases dramatically. I''ve also heard that in high-ranked dungeons, there are gimmicks such as the route to the boss wont open unless the monsters at the innermost end of all the corridors are defeated. This is said to be the main reason for the slow progress of the high-ranked dungeons. However, this dungeon is only E-rank. Multiple corridors in such a dungeon?It doesn''t sound right to me. On the other hand, I also think that since this is a guild''s test, it wouldn''t be strange if it included various cases... In fact, the monsters that appear in this dungeon are very wide-ranging. From 1st floor to the 10th floor, F-rank monsters appeared, but the monsters were as diverse as the compilation of the F-rank dungeons we had traversed so far. If that''s the case, wouldn''t it be possible that there are a few traps and gimmicks in place? Am I thinking too much? No, but it makes sense if you consider that all information about this dungeon is blocked in order to let us gain such experience. Even if you keep thinking, it can''t be helped. For now, let''s just go around this floor one more time and check every nook and cranny. If it doesn''t work, try again upstairs. Apart from that, even if you fail this time, you can try again and again, right? Mmm, ha......, that''s right." The deadline for this test is set at one month, but the number of times you can try is not set in particular. ......Its certainly as Renge says. Lets try with the feeling of trial and error. At times like this, I was grateful for Renge''s personality that would pull me forward with a jerk. We returned to the entrance of this floor and we started to make another round of the floor around the right side. The monsters in the rooms we had cleared once had already reappeared, so we had to start from scratch, but we decided to fight them, seeing it more as an opportunity to gain experience. And when we opened the door to the sixth room. Hm?Oh, oh, oh, oh! My eyes widened at the sight of one of the monsters in the room. There were three monsters in the room. Two of them were the now-familiar hellhounds. The other one, however, was a small girl about 10 centimeters in height. Her small body, brown skin, and bat-like wings ...... made it clear that she is an imp! I couldn''t contain my excitement at the first E-ranked girl monster I''d encountered since becoming an adventurer. Woah!!Go!Defeat it!Get that imp at any cost!" Renge said to me in amazement, What are you so excited about?We''ve encountered imps before, haven''t we? They drop cards, didnt they?" You idiot, they are men! A girl is a completely different story!" "......Well, I''ll take it down. But dont expect too much. With a sigh, Renge fired a bullet. That was the signal for the start of the battle. First, the two hellhounds are to be cleaned up. They had fought them many times before. Yuki and Eliza beat down the black dogs with swift movements and chewed off their necks. The imp was casting magic while flying around the room in all directions, but they were blocked by Renge''s magic, and the imp was forced to flee to the middle of the room. The troublesome thing about this little devil is its evasive ability, and its small size makes it difficult to hit it. When we first met an imp, we had a hard time defeating it. Now its just a little thing that I know how to deal with. I put on my mask, evacuated the others behind me, and sprayed it with tear spray. The imp fell to the ground like an insect exposed to the insecticide. Its pretty face was streaked with tears and snot, and it was writhing around. Then, Yuki''s paw swung down mercilessly, and it simply disappeared. Yuki, who had raised her paw, said, "Ah, Master! An imp card has appeared!" What?!Seriously, that''s great! I ran over and picked up the imp''s card. Inside the card was a silver-haired girl with a cheeky smile on her face. Is her outward age about the same as Renge''s? She is a beautiful loli girl who would make Nishida cry in envy. Uoooh, seriously, a girl monster card can fall! "Of course, all cards are like that." Renge said with cold eyes. I explained to her, suppressing my tension a little, "No, its just, I thought that since we didn''t encounter too many girl monsters and a very small number are on the market, they must have been produced somewhere. "Of course thats impossible. So, are you going to use it? It''s an E-rank, though." "Hmm, lets see In response to Renge''s question, I put my hand on my chin and thought about it. Sell it or use it? Selling isn''t so bad. The purchase price of an E-rank card is 10,000 to 100,000 yen. Since this imp is a girl monster card, Ill get at least 50,000 or 60,000 yen. But that is only if I sell it to the guild. In the case of girl monster cards, there was a way to sell them directly to adventurers, not to guilds. The guild does not prohibit the exchange of cards between individuals. It''s just that they don''t do anything about the problems that might arise from that. In fact, I hear that individual trading has a very high incidence of trouble. However, I feel that it is not difficult to avoid trouble if the seller is in control of the transaction. If the payment is made in cash only. If the transaction is face-to-face, there is little chance of developing into trouble. After all, there is no fraud or deception on the part of the seller, which is the biggest cause of trouble. Let''s look at the card again. [Race] Imp [Combat value65 [Inborn Skills] ?Devil fairy ?Elementary wizard apprentice [Acquired Skills] ?Little devil''s heart ?A single-minded heart I looked up the skills on the application and found the following: [Devil fairy]: A demon fairy. Not a fairy-turned-demon, but a fairy-like existence within the race of demons. Positive for magic. [Elementary wizard apprentice]: Can use some elementary offensive, restorative, auxiliary, and status ailment magic. [Little devil''s heart]: A devilish personality. Ignores commands on a whim. Positive response for free action. [A single-minded heart]: Has a single-mindedness towards the person it loves. Strong positive response for behavior toward love interest. ...... This is not bad skills, is it? It is low in combat power, but that should be a charm for those who want this kind of card. I have a slightly negative impression of it ignoring orders due to whims from [Little devil''s heart], but the [A single-minded heart] compensates for that. You need to make the imp fall in love with you, but many guys say that''s where they burn. If that happens, its personality from [Little devil''s heart] should become irresistible. If sold well, it will likely sell at a price equal to or higher than the market price. At least 400,000 yen is solid ....... Combined with what I''ve made in the last month, I can pull another card pack...... The devil''s temptation crosses my mind. My intense experience of success made me captivated by the gacha. On the other hand, I also wanted to use this card myself. It was not because of its skill, but because it was the first monster girl card that I got myself. I want to use it myself... However, it is only an E-rank......, which is much lower than the average combat power of our party No, its still attractive since it can use all kinds of magic, and above all, there is one spare summoning slot. But what if when I use it... it just becomes rowdy? Is it better to just sell it? The two thoughts conflicted in my head. I agonized and agonized and agonized and decided. For now, I''ll try using it." I chose to put it on hold. I can always sell it if I don''t give it a name. In that case, I thought it wouldn''t be too late even after using it for a while. "Wow, then it''s a new companion! I''m looking forward to it." "Since its our junior, lets be stern and make sure we don''t get looked down on. .................." Looking at Yuki who was innocently happy, Renge with a daring smile, and Eliza who was expressionless but somewhat cheerful, I thought to myself, Eh is this card can no longer be sold carelessly? Well, let''s just call it out. Okay. Imp, come on out!" The card glows, and with a pop, a small figure appeared. "Ta-da-da-da-da! Imp-chan here!Above!" The little girl, the size of the palm of my hand, appeared cheerfully. She looked around and stopped to look at me, then began to stare at me from the bottom to the top. "Ummm" What?" "60... No, I guess 70 points including the bonus!" Huh?" What?A score?Don''t tell me it''s for my face or something? That score is no different than what Ive been getting by human standards, too! "Is that considered good or bad?" "It''s not a failing grade, there''s room for improvement. Take your pick." The Imp smiles, showing slightly pointed canine teeth. It was a cute, hateful, and devilish smile. She asked, So? Hm? Im~ telling~ you~ What about me?How am I?Pass, fail?On point, miss?" The Imp asked this with a quick approach to me. I looked at this doll-like little devil. Hmmm ....... Her skin is a healthy brown and her hair is shiny silver. Her hair is a side-length bob that falls forward, fashionable like a magazine model. Her eyes are blue like sapphires. Her eyes are blue like sapphires and a little cat-like. She wears only a thin camisole-like one-piece dress that reveals her long, slender legs. In conclusion, I would give her a hundred points for appearance alone. Personally, though, I prefer women with bigger chests. So... 90--- no, I''d say 80 points." "Eh?Why did you lower the score by ten points?" The Imp pouted in displeasure. Yknow, future potential." The Imp widened her eyes a little at my answer, which was an act of revenge for her earlier comment. "Good! I like that answer! Ill give you 5 more points." She said with a big smile on her face. Finally, she showed an innocent expression of her age. It seems ...... that I managed to get back at her least a little bit. Thanks a lot." "So you guys are my friends?" The imp turned around to face the others. "...My name is Eliza." "I''m Yuki. Nice to meet you." First Eliza, then Yuki came forward to greet her. Finally, Renge confidently introduced herself, And I am Renge. Don''t drag our feet, newcomer. "Hmmm......... everyone has a name..." The Imp muttered and turned to me. "Hey, what''s my name? I want the cutest one!" "Huh!?" For some reason, the first to react to that was Renge. "It''s impudent for a newcomer to have a name! Say it after you''ve been more active!" Huh?What is that? What does that have to do with you? "Haah?I''m your senior! So?You''ve been annoying since a while ago. What the hell, you! Renge reached out her hand to the Imp, but it was easily evaded. Yuki stepped up, "Okay, calm down, both of you." "Aaah?Whose side are you on? "Both sides. Aren''t we comrades?" "Comrades?No, I don''t approve of her. She has no respect for her seniors! Renge pointed at the Imp and yelled. She... is surprisingly noisy about hierarchical relationships. Well, that''s the way it is with delinquents, isn''t it? While I myself disobey my parents and teachers, the hierarchical relationship between seniors and juniors is absolute, it seems....... Whatever, I don''t need your approval. The Imp, on the other hand, didn''t seem like the type to care about that. She played with her hair with disinterest, looking very much like a modern gal. Seeing that, Renge glared at me with her face bright red. You know what I''m talking about, don''t you? If you give her a name so easily, I wont accept it! I know, I know. When I quieted down Renge by saying so, the Imp complained to me this time, "Eh?Why?Give me a name too~ Isn''t it cruel to exclude me from the group? I guess if you stand on this side, you can''t stand on that side. Well, this time I''m on Renges side. It''s still not good to give her a name. Give me at least some time to come up with a name. In the meantime, Imp, please do something that everyone will recognize. In fact, there was a certain amount of drama before I named them. "Hmmm......... Well, that''s okay. Come up with a good one... better than that one over there." After saying that, Imp lightly jumped onto Yuki''s shoulder. It seems that ...... she recognized Yuki as her protector. Speaking of which, Yuki is a friend of the fairies. To the fairy watchdog coosie, the Imp may have looked like an object to be protected as well. Renge seemed unamused that her sister had been taken away from her. The eyes of the two meet. "... Tch." Their tongue-clicking was really in sync with each other. [Tips] Card Prices The higher the card''s rank, the lower the drop rate, and the fewer people who can obtain it, the higher the market price. Cards below D-rank cards are too many, so the purchase price is low, at a constant 10% of the market price, but starting from C-rank cards, the purchase price of the guild shoots up. For this reason, many D-rank cards are sold to other adventurers instead of to the guild, but this has caused many troubles. The guild is tacitly accepting of such private transactions, but on the other hand, does not intervene in any troubles. In addition, cards purchased from the guild can be claimed as an expense on the year-end tax return, but cards purchased from other adventurers cannot be claimed as an expense. The same goes for magic tools. #A-rank, Market price: Not available for purchase by the general public. Purchase price at guilds: None. Direct negotiation with the government. Drop rate: Unknown #B-rank, Market price: 100 million to 10 billion yen. Purchase price at guild: Auction style. Drop rate 0.05% #C-rank, Market price: 10 -100 million yen. Purchase price at guild: 50-80% of list price. Drop rate 0.1% #D-rank, Market price: 1-10 million yen. Purchase price at the guild: 100,000-1,000,000 yen. Drop rate: 1% #E-rank, Market price: 100,000-1,000,000 yen. Purchase price at the guild: 10,000-100,000 yen. Drop rate: 5% #F-rank, Market price: 10,000-100,000 yen Purchase price at guild: 1,000-10,000 yen. Drop rate 10% CH 15 Episode 15 Renge-san is really strict with her juniors (1) Surprisingly. The exploration after that went better than expected. At first, I was worried that there would be a lack of cooperation due to the discord between the two, but when it came down to it, the two of them were perfect for each other. The Imp''s combat power was the weakest in the party. Her role was inevitably to provide support. However, all of her magic are subtle: A blade of magic that slices, a magic that restores a little strength, a barrier jacket that softens the enemy''s attack for a single shot, and a magic that makes the enemy''s feet slippery. She can only use these four. None of them are great magic. The blade of magic is currently only as powerful as a cut made by a human with a knife. Although this may sound quite strong, monsters are much tougher than humans. Moreover, due to the nature of magic, it can be defended with both physical and magical defenses. In other words, tough enemies such as golems resisted with their toughness, and magic-based enemies such as wraiths resisted with their magic power. At this point, I gave up using Imp as an attacker. Well, she is still quite useful. She can''t heal wounds or remove status ailments, but recovering physical strength is a modestly helpful effect. Rather than for combat, it is very helpful for me who still has to move around the dungeon. Naturally, Renge can use this magic as well, but since her magic power is used in so many different ways for both attack and recovery, I have no choice but to conserve it until now. The imp just being a reinforcement is already being helpful. As for the barrier jacket, it''s frankly crap. Its only effective for one shot and has the same level of protection as a thick layer of clothing. The only advantage is that the magic power consumption is minimal. In this case, it is likely best to use it immediately at the beginning of a battle. The last, the slippery magic ......, is also not very effective. When I tried it on myself, the soles of my feet became slippery and I felt as if I was standing on ice. However, if you hold on firmly, you won''t fall, and the effect will only last for a few seconds. It is a very subtle status ailment magic that has little effect on a four-legged opponent like Yuki, and it is also meaningless against opponents who are floating in the air like Renge. --However, this slip magic was the last gear which I need for this party. Basically, the greater the effect that a status ailment has on the opponent, the higher the chance that it will be resisted. Conversely, the weaker the magic, the more likely it will pass. If you add the luck manipulation skill of a zashiki-warashi to the mix, it''s almost certain that status ailments of the same rank will pass. In other words, the slip magic will always be transformed into magic that knocks the opponent down. So far, Renge''s skill to manipulate luck has been useful mainly outside of battle. This is because the skill of [Misfortune and fortune are like a rope] is not so much an ability that can affect the life or death of the opponent. At best, it is just a matter of luck, such as being lucky enough to avoid the opponent''s attack, or having successfully landed an attack by chance. But now that a member who can use status ailment has joined the team, the true value of the skill has become apparent. The chance of status ailment is increased based on the luck of allies and the misfortune of enemies. Due to the status ailment, the balance of the game is greatly tilted in our favor here. That is the original role of zashiki-warashi. What Renge needed was a trigger to cause good luck and bad luck. It could be anything, for example, putting a banana on the floor or rolling an empty can. As long as there was a stage set to bring misfortune to the opponent, the rest would roll in our favor on its own, such as the enemy falling when they stepped on the banana peel, or, conversely, we managing to avoid the enemy''s attack by falling. Slip magic, which only makes it easier for the opponent to fall, would be transformed into the strongest trap by the ability of a zashiki-warashi. However............ what the parties concerned think of that is another story. .........................................." After the battle ended, an awkward silence reigned all the way to the next small room. The previous battle also ended in a flash thanks to the combo of Imp''s slip and Renge''s [Misfortune and fortune are like a rope]. This time, the enemy consisted of four enemies: a zombie, a high kobold, a sandman, and a nightmare. At first glance, the combination of the zombie''s durable guard, high kobold that can summon reinforcements, and the sandman-nightmare duo was an unpleasant one. We instantly decided to kill the sandman first to break up its duet with the nightmare and then kill the high kobold before it called for reinforcements, but as expected, the zombie stood in our way. It was just like a rehash of the last time, but things were also a little different. The zombie fell over due to the Imp''s slip magic. Yuki took the opportunity to eliminate the sandman, and Eliza belatedly slingshot the high kobold through the throat. After that, it was all decided. The battle was over in a matter of seconds, and we felt as if it had been a piece of cake. Yuki and I praised Renge and the Imp. But they were not happy at all. I guess they understood that their abilities were compatible with each other. But that, on the contrary, was not pleasant. Renge was able to show her true potential thanks to someone she didn''t like. The Imp was able to outperform her abilities thanks to someone she doesn''t like as well. It seemed that both sides were hurting each other''s pride. It''s not like they refuse to cooperate, but they don''t want to thank each other. I could see this kind of conflict between the two. As a result, they seemed to have reached a conclusion to ignore each other''s presence as much as possible, which created this delicate atmosphere. Haa~ I secretly let out a sigh. Ah, I wonder what can be done about this uncomfortable feeling. The easiest way is to put the Imp or Renge back to their card. However, it will greatly hurt the mood of the person who is returned. If I had really decided to sell the Imp, that would have been a good idea. But now that I knew how to use her skills, I had no intention of letting this card go. In that case, I would like to somehow bring the two of them together. Oi." As I was walking forward while thinking about that, I was suddenly called out by Renge. Huh? What''s the matter? I feel like having a snack. Give me something to eat. Oh, okay." Since Renge started to cooperate with us voluntarily, sweets are no longer a reward system, but a method to take out when she wants to eat them. Thanks to that, my bag was always stocked with sweets to some extent. Sweets?!Wow, I''ve never eaten sweets before! The Imps who was listening to our conversation had a twinkle in her eyes. Does she also like sweets? Unexpectedly, don''t you have common points with Renge? While thinking so, I started handing out pound cakes to everyone. Just in time for a break here. As I was about to give one to Imp, a hand reached out from beside me and snatched it away. Oops, this is too big for you. I''ll eat it for you instead. "Huh!?" Renge...... doing such a childish thing again...... No, shes a child. The Imp who had her sweets taken away from her naturally became furious. "Hey, that''s mine! Give it back!" "Ah, Im sorry, then I''ll give you a piece. Your body is small, so that''s enough, right?" "The size of my body is irrelevant, though!We can eat as much as we want, and we didn''t even have to eat anything!Just give it back, I was looking forward to it too!" Too bad!Only those who work can eat sweets. I worked too! "Ha, it''s thanks to my power, isn''t it? Otherwise, what good is your power? -----you! The Imp''s expression finally turned grim, and just as a full-fledged fight was about to begin, Yuki hurriedly intervened, Hey, hey, hey! That''s enough!That was Renge-san''s fault just now. Come on, give her back her snack. Right?Master. "Yeah. Renge, that kind of thing is not good. Look, if you don''t have enough, I''ll give you mine. "........................... Tch, it''s not like that. "Renge?" I couldn''t catch what she said, so I asked her back. But she just shook her head and handed me the pound cake of the Imp. Haa, nothing. I was just teasing. Here, I''ll give it back." "Hmm, oh, ....... Look, Imp, it''s back. But the teary-eyed Imp didn''t take it. I don''t want that ...... anymore! Ah, then how about this one? It''s chocolate. It''s bite-sized and easy to eat. When I said that and handed her a box full of small pieces of chocolate, the Imp hugged the case, which was as big as her own body. I winked at Yuki and decided to let her deal with Imp. "Imp-san, do you know how to open it? I''ll open it for you." "En." Taking advantage of the exchange between Yuki and Imp, I pulled Renge a little further away. "Hey, Renge... whats wrong?" . Renge quietly and awkwardly doesn''t answer. Looking at this, it seemed that she is aware that she said something bad. So, it would not be a good idea to get mad at her. I eased my voice as much as possible and softly admonished her, "To be honest, I don''t know much about monsters yet, but I don''t think it''s a good idea to talk about skills and fighting ability.You see, you may have some kind of complex that you cant control. When I said that, Renge scratched her head in frustration. I know, I know. It''s obvious that I had said too much. I''m just ...... that, you know what I mean? I know. I guessed. For the most part, it''s seems that the silence had become awkward and she was trying to communicate with her, even if it was a fight. She was like that with me in the beginning, too. It went well, so she did it again. But it worked with me because I was somewhat older. From the looks of it, Imp looks about the same age as Renge, both in appearance and mental age. Since its like that...... it would turn into a real fight. But well, it''s not like it will be a bad thing in the long run....... As long as we''re going to be partners from now on, it''s better to settle the conflicts as soon as possible. If they keep accumulating dissatisfaction poorly and then fight at the end, we''ll end up in a state of isolation. In that sense, it is not bad to have a relationship where they can express their feelings immediately. The only problem is that if during this test of mine, their relationship deteriorates to the point where we can''t work together....... I was wondering what should I tell them when Renge said, Oh, I understand without you having to tell me. You want me to do my job properly in battle, right?I know that much. Maybe that Imp do, too. "I-I see...then there''s nothing left for me to say. But you really understand, don''t you?" "Yeah. ......I''ll apologize when I get a chance. Good. Then Yuki came. "Master, its fine. Imp-san also said that she will fight properly in battle." As expected of Yuki. She understands my thoughts without me having to say a word. Thank you. Sorry, but please keep an eye on her for a while. Yes. The little girls turned their heads away from each other so as not to look at one another. I secretly let out a sigh at the disturbing atmosphere that had begun to drift into our party, which was previously known for its good atmosphere. Episode 15 Renge-san is really strict with his juniors. A few minutes later. We resumed our exploration. Along the way, Renge and Imp did not talk to each other more than before, and Imp talked only to Yuki, while Renge talk only to me. We eventually arrived at a small room and engaged in another battle, and both Imp and Renge did their jobs well. I was relieved to see that, but I still felt that the gap between the Imp and Renge was getting bigger. As we proceeded in such an unfriendly atmosphere, the Imp suddenly said, "......Hey?That wall over there looks a little funny, doesn''t it?" Huh?Really?" Yuki said and looked at the dead-end wall, but it looked like a normal wall to my eyes. .I can''t really put my finger on it, but it does feel a little different. Nn. I''m sorry Eliza, but would you mind checking it out? Yes, Master. Eliza started to inspect the wall in detail. But she can''t find anything. My apologies, nothing is found. "Is that so......." I was hoping it might be a secret path, but... Perhaps Imp was starting to not trust her own intuition, but she looked glum. There, Renge took a step forward. I see,...... shit, that''s how it is. Renge?" Well, just look." After saying that, Renge fired a barrage at the wall. What the hell are you doing...!? The next moment, our eyes widened. Blue liquid spewed out from the wall with countless wind holes. Is this wall a mimicry of a...... monster?! Renge spat out in frustration, We were fooled by the assumption that there would be no enemies in the corridors. But it stuck itself at the entrance of the room, mimicking the wall. Damn, we were completely deceived. Good job, Imp, Renge. Alright, let''s go!" Yeah! As soon as the wall-mimicking monster - probably Nurikabe - disappears, we rushed into the room. Waiting for us inside was just one little monster. It was a squirrel-like creature about the size of a small dog, with a red jewel on its forehead. I had never seen this monster before, but I knew what it was. It was a monster so well-known that it would be no exaggeration to say that every adventurer knew of it. Carbuncle!Uooooooh!Don''t let it get away!" The moment it saw us, it turned on its heel and tried to run away into the hallway at the back of the room, and I shouted in a panic. At about the same time, the Imp''s slip activated. The carbuncle let out a small shriek and turned over with a stutter, but Renge immediately stomped on it with her foot. She then attempted to release a light bullet--- "Renge!Wait!Stop!If possible, please let the Imp finish it off. "Aah?" M, me? I explained about carbuncles to the two who looked doubtful. Carbuncle is a rare monster that can be found extremely rarely in dungeons of E-rank or higher. It has almost no fighting ability and runs away as soon as it sees a human being. If you are a game enthusiast, this feature may have hit home, and as you may have guessed, defeating a carbuncle can significantly grow your combat power. However, only the card that put an end to the carbuncle gains experience, and other cards do not grow at all. Normally, it would be more efficient to have Renge, who has the highest growth limit, to finish it off, but ...... Renge, who received my gaze, gave a small chuckle. "...... Okay, I get it. Hey, you can finish the job." "Eh, but..." The Imp hesitated at the warmth of her supposedly unfriendly comrade. At that, Renge said while a little embarrassed, "... it''s your credit for finding this place, so this much reward... is fine." "okay." The imp also nodded shyly, then she attacked the carbuncle. Seeing that, Yuki and I patted our chests in relief. Really, the kids get into fights right away and make peace right away. Honestly, I''m a little envious. As I get older, I don''t get angry easily, and that makes reconciliation more difficult... I recall when I was a kid, I had a fight with a friend over a trivial matter and we made up right away the next day. That time, ...... yeah, I remember we exchanged trading cards that the guy wanted. Then I got the card I wanted, too, and....... we stopped seeing each other when we went to different junior high schools and now I can''t even remember his name. I don''t know why I suddenly felt lonely, even though I never remembered him before. ............" I shook my head and brought back my mind. When the carbuncle died, it left behind a magic stone and a large red gemstone. This gemstone is another reason why adventurers pursue carbuncles. The gem is called the carbuncle garnet, and is particularly popular among garnets as it brings good luck, and is traded at a very high price. Even a stone the size of a fingernail should fetch no less than two million yen. You can sell it, or you can give it to someone. With a grin on my face, I put the garnet away in a soft cloth bag. There was one more thing to look forward to. I looked toward the golden treasure chest. It''s a gold box of disappointment that appears only when a Carbuncle is defeated. The gold box is said to be many times more likely to produce a lucky hit than a normal disappointment box. However, as a matter of course, there are usually some disappointments. A disappointing box is a disappointing box even if it is gold. All right, Eliza, open it up. "Yes." Eliza, who had become much more adept at navigating her way around these floors, began to wrestle with the gold chest. Please, don''t be a failure this time~ As we were all praying while staring her way, Eliza looked back at us. Her face seemed to have a smile on it. It''s open. Ohh! Everyone rushed to the golden box. And when I lifted the lid of the box with a twinkle in my eyes, there was... "S-skill orb! We hit the jackpo--ot! Everyone cheered in unison. The color of the orb is ...... blue!It''s a magic skill. Skill orbs can be roughly identified by their color. Since it contains a magic skill, it will go to either Renge or Imp...... I glanced at the two. Honestly, I''d rather give it to Renge rather than to Imp. It''s because she has higher magical power and future potential. But it is hard to say in this subtle atmosphere. I''m not sure what to say, but I''m having a hard time with it. "......, what are you doing, why don''t you use it quickly?" Eh? The Imp said while looking away from the surprised Renge, her ears heartlessly red, "There''s no point in me using it... right?" I nodded at Renge who asked with her eyes if it was okay, and then she timidly reached out her hand to the orb. Thanks......." Renge murmured in a small voice, audible yet inaudible, and used the skill orb. The zashiki-warashi card glowed for a moment, telling me that she had acquired a new skill. Renge asked me with a twinkle in her eyes, "So, so? What kind of skill is it?" "Whoa...ah" I stiffened when I saw the skill that appeared on the card. "Hey... seriously? Something like this... "Eh? Is it that great of a skill, Master? Or is it a ...... shitty skill?" O, oi...... what the hell did I get? I replied with a cramped face to Renge, whose face suddenly turned anxious, "... It said Elementary status ailment magic." "What?"x3 The surrounding froze. Everyone turned their gaze to the Imp for a moment and then immediately turned away. Renge looked up to the heavens. ...... Imp, I didn''t hate you in any way. Even if you go to a new place, do your best......." "Haaaaa!? Hey, don''t be kidding me!" The Imp instantly seethed at the seemingly roundabout notice of dismissal that Renge told her. Why that skill at this time?!How much do you hate me?! Its not like I know that this is going to happen!! "Return the skill orb now! Don''t take my job!" Don''t be absurd! I took out the cards of Imp and Renge while smiling wryly at the two who were quarreling. There, an exact same skill was newly inscribed. [Race] Zashiki-warashi (Renge) [Combat Power] 310 (5 UP!) [Inborn Skills] ?Misfortune and luck are like a rope ?Hide-and-seek ?Elementary recovery magic [Acquired skills] ?Zero existence ?Free-spiritedness ?Elementary attack magic ?Friendship linkage (NEW!): Can link skills with those who have friendships with each other. ?Elementary status ailment magic (NEW!) [Race] Imp [Combat Power] 130 (65 UP! MAX!) [Inborn Skills] ?Devil fairy ?Elementary wizard apprentice [Acquired Skills] ?Little devils heart. ?A single-minded heart. ?Friendship linkage (NEW!): Can link skills with those who have friendships with each other. Ahhh, I guess I can''t sell this card anymore. Name, I have to come up with a name. I put the cards away and intervened between the two. [Tips] Skill Orbs A special magic item called skill orbs appears from the treasure chest in the dungeon. Skill orbs can be given to cards to make them learn new skills easily. If a card has a different skill, it will be absorbed as experience and will increase the possibility of skill rank-up, so it will never be wasted. If you can sell it, it will be worth a lot of money, but you cannot sell it because it will disappear if you try to take it out of the dungeon. Also, its a gamble because it is not always possible to get only good skills. CH 16.1 Episode 16 It''s outrageous to sell that! (1) Shortly after that, we found the stairs to the final floor. The map app showed that it was not far from our starting point. While I was relieved that the staircase we had spent so much time looking for was closer than I had expected, I also reminded myself that without the Imp, we would still be wandering around the labyrinth. The first thing that hit my nose when I went downstairs was the smell of water. The scent of a stagnant river....... Its not another irregular encounter, is it?! When I looked behind me, the staircase still exists. The scenery itself has not changed from the previous stone corridors. Was my worry unfounded...? I patted my chest and went on, thinking that my fears were groundless. The path was an extremely gentle downhill, and water gradually reached the soles of my shoes, ankles, and calves. The water was getting deeper and deeper, and once it got past my knees, it became difficult to move. Yuki, unable to bear the sight, suggested, "Master, please ride on my back." Oh ...... but it will be trouble if we get into a fight. "It will be fine if you get off right away." I''ll take your word for it then. Saying so, I straddle Yuki''s back. I was a little scared because Yuki, whose physique is as big as a bull, was higher than I had expected. But as soon as the fluffy and soft tail wrapped around me like a seatbelt, my worries quickly disappeared. What a blissful feeling. Shall I explore while riding Yuki like this from now on? Once I dont have to struggle to move around, I had time to think about the dungeon boss here. First of all, regarding the type of enemy, it''s definitely an aquatic monster. The field is remade with the backup of the dungeon. If its the boss of an E-rank dungeon, the enemy will naturally be a D-rank monster. What aquatic monsters were in the D-ranks? When hearing the word aquatic, what immediately comes to mind are frogs, fish, and snakes. What frog and fish monsters were there.......? And, slime is also an aquatic type, isn''t it? That type can appear everywhere, though. Aquatic serpents like the mizuchi1 are also possible. Also, arent lizardmen amphibious? The water was getting deeper and deeper even as I''m listing potential enemies in my head. The water level had already reached around Eliza''s crotch. If we continue, we won''t be completely submerged, will we?If that happens, we''ll never make it through. As I was thinking this, Yuki, whose ears twitched, sharply warned, "Master, an enemy is closing in on us! !" At Yuki''s words, all the others simultaneously took up fighting positions. I also go down to the ground and free Yuki. It''s...... not good. It''s harder to move than expected. This means Yuki and Eliza can''t fight well, can they? We should consider withdrawing. Or rather, we should retreat already...... In the few seconds that I hesitated slightly like that, the enemy was already closing in on us. I see the enemy," Eliza''s voice said. I stared ahead at Eliza''s voice. I saw the shell of a turtle approaching us at a tremendous speed. ......The enemy is a turtle? The next moment, the shadow of the enemy jumped up from the surface of the water and attacked Eliza with great force! The enemy was about to push Eliza down with its own momentum, but the calm and collected ghouler quickly grabbed it with her arms and threw it against the wall with her strength. On the other hand, the enemy showed unexpected agility, spinning its body and landing on the wall with its feet. It then dived back into the water. As I watched the tortoise''s shell slithering away, I replayed the glimpse I had caught of the enemy in my mind. It was about the size of an adult male. Its skin was dark green, and its hands had sharp claws and webbed hands. Its head was covered with hair, but the top of its head had a ceramic-like texture that made it look bald at first glance. ...... No doubt. A Japanese would not misjudge this enemy. The enemy is a kappa. It''s a fairly strong monster, even among D-rank monsters. It is a good swimmer, powerful, has a hard defensive shell on its back, and is a skilled wrestler. Although it has the disadvantage of not being able to bear being on land for long periods of time, it is a monster that shows more power than its rank in such an aquatic field. That was the strength and weakness of environment-dependent types such as aquatic types. What to do. As long as the boss''s true identity is an aquatic type, this place is a good reason to pull back. This is not the only test site. If I wait a month, I will be introduced to the next dungeon. I could sell the jewelry we got this time and buy a D-rank aquatic monster, too. Just when my mind was leaning toward retreat, Renge said, "......Why are you just standing there?Let''s go after it quickly. Because right now, its probably weakened. What did you say?" Oi oi, have you forgotten already? What was the skill I acquired earlier? ! Whats the skill you just got?You don''t mean the ...... status ailment went through? Yeah, that''s why it ran away in a hurry. Don''t say it like its your own credit!Master, I helped too! Hey, hey. What kind of status ailment? The two grinned at my question. "Weakened"x2 "Wow, well done! Now let''s go after this guy!" I put Eliza back on the card and straddled Yuki''s back. In this water field, it is faster to return Eliza to the card first. Yuki moved quickly through this halfway shallow water by swimming and kicking the floor. It took about a minute. We found the kappa breathing heavily and leaning against the wall. Quickly, I called Eliza back. Weakness is a status ailment that rapidly depletes one''s strength. It is not deadly like poison, but during a battle that already drains a lot of physical strength, being further deprived of strength is as effective as poison. Especially in this case, the [Friendship linkage] had strengthened Renge''s [Elementary status ailment magic] with the help of the Imp''s [Devil fairy 2]. It must have been very painful. The kappa noticed us and attacked us from the water as before, but its movements were lackluster. Eliza firmly grabbed both of its arms and restrained it. The kappa tried to counter with a bite, but Yuki''s claws attacked it. The plate on the kappa''s head was not so fragile that it could be easily broken, but it was not enough to withstand a blow from a monster of the same rank. The kappa''s head was cracked open along with the plate on its head, and the kappa''s brain splattered fluid, then it disappeared. We did it!We won! The Imp shouted with joy. We won! With this, Im now a two-star adventurer! .....Huh? Wait, that''s weird I looked around. As if to confirm my prediction, the other three tightened their expression. Renge, catching my gaze, nodded her head. "The disappointing box doesn''t show up. Looks like we''re not done yet." "Huh? What?" I gave a simple explanation to the Imp, who seemed to have no idea what I was talking about. "It means that guy was not the boss, but an underling." But what kind of twist is this? Normally, the monsters that can be summoned as vassals are lower ranked. E-rank monsters should be the limit here. Why can it summon a fellow D-rank? I tried desperately to wrap my head around this question, but it seemed that the enemy was not giving us that kind of leeway. Master, enemy presence is approaching!Their number is ...... six! "Seriously! Damn it!" I gave a small nod and immediately gave out instructions, "Eliza and Yuki, please stop them in their tracks first. Renge and Imp will weaken them. Once all of them are covered, Imp will use slips on them, and Renge will join in with magic attacks. "Roger!x4 At the same time as they all replied, the sound of splashing water could be heard from the front. There they were, six kappas. ......Hey, ain''t this cheating enough? I had a feeling that a fierce battle was about to break out. *** Notes: 1 The Mizuchi is a type of Japanese dragon or legendary serpent-like creature, either found in an aquatic habitat or otherwise connected to water.? 2 It has a positive effect on magic skills ? CH 16.2 Episode 16 It''s outrageous to sell that! (2) I''m so tired!" After the 10th battle, the Imp shouted. It was also a representative of everyone''s heart. How long is this going to go on? Yuki replied to the words that Renge spat out with a rough breath, "Well, until we defeat the boss, right?" Yuki was also breathing heavily. Rather, it seemed that her stamina consumption was greater than that of Renge. I''m exhausted, too. My legs were also shaky. Fighting in a water area drained the physical strength of those who couldn''t fly like us. I said, "......Now, now. How many kappas have we seen now?" I asked Eliza, who was still breathing normally. Only at this time, I envy her, as she can recover by eating her enemies...... No, I''m not so envious after all. "Yes, Master. Forty-five." Really...... At Eliza''s answer, the imp let out a disgusted sigh. Uwhaa, it''s really endless. Hey, Master, let''s go home already. I only have a little bit of magic left." "What are you talking about? If we''ve come this far, we''re only one step away. Let''s do our best a little bit longer. But, at this rate, were going to lose from slowly being cut down, arent we? "No, the number of kappas is almost exhausted. The enemys leader should appear soon." I was so sure of what I had just said that. All of them, except Eliza, looked doubtful. How do you know that? Did you by any chance discover the identity of the boss?" "Yeah, the identity of the boss is, 9 out of 10, a water tiger1." Even I wasn''t just watching the cards struggle. Even while giving instructions, I continued to search for the true identity of the enemy. The water tiger is among the D-rank most powerful monsters which card trades for nearly 10 million yen even though it is not a girl monster. However, its combat power itself is only slightly higher than that of kappa and is considered to be in the upper middle of the D-ranks as a whole. The biggest reason that pushes the water tiger to be among the D-rank strongest monsters is the skill [Kappa''s big boss] that can summon up to 48 kappa monsters, which are of the same rank. Although the number is limited, it is a monster that can summon monsters of the same rank as itself. Its truly a cheat ability. That said, the original ability is indeed not as absurd as this. The kappas that are invoked are like illusions and usually disappear after about one battle. Their combat power is also lower than the normal kappa, and once the stock of 48 kappas is used up, they can no longer be used for the day. And perhaps the water tiger here had been enhanced by this dungeon in their ability to summon the kappas. That was the entangling seed that led to a series of D-ranked monsters springing up. Heh, thats what you mean. All we have to do is defeat a few more kappa and we can beat the son of a bitch. That''s very uplifting. Master is so knowledgeable...... so cool." Renge and Yuki smiled, and Imp gave me a look of respect. "Fufufu." I gently hid my smartphone while chuckling meaningfully. Sorry, I just looked it up on the app. Master, it seems that the boss has grown tired of the buzz and has decided to show up. Heh, and here I was thinking it was going to continue to send its pawns against us until the very end. Hearing me say that, Renge sneered, "That''s natural. If there are no more lackeys, it will have to fight by its lonesome self. A guy who uses such a cheap tactic would never have the guts to do that." I see. Did it hear our conversation? From the back of the passageway, the water tiger and kappas appeared with carnivore-like roars. While the kappas were built like adult men, the water tiger had a physique of over two meters and well-trained muscles like a bodybuilder. The moment they saw their enemy, Imp and Renge shouted at the same time, [Weakened!]x2 The magic of weakening, magnified and strengthened by the skill of [Friendship linkage], swept over the entire enemy. And then one more time in succession. This time against the water tiger alone. Okay, all of them are through!I gave that big fucker a particularly powerful one. Well done!" That said, we''re expending stamina as well. Maybe it will take a couple of minutes until we reach the same level of exhaustion? The enemy, too, seemed to have realized that the passage of time was to their disadvantage, so they geared up and came to attack at once. Two kappas were coming toward me, flanked by Eliza and Yuki, who stood from both sides to intercept any of them. A gaze from the underwater shot through me. ----Im their aim! Now Eliza was dealing with the water tiger and Yuki was dealing with kappa A, so they were unable to do any more. I wade through the water and retreated backward, but I was too slow compared to those who can swim freely in the water. I slipped a bit and my legs hurtle through the air. The fatigued legs can''t support my weight and I fall on my buttocks. It was a fatal gap. A kappa, accelerating as if exerting all its strength, rapidly close in on me and ---- halted. A beat later, a blue plume of blood began to drift through the water. Smirk. The fool was caught in the wire traps we had set up in advance. At that moment, Renge coordinated [Elementary status ailment magic] with Imp to strike. Paralysis magic. One by one, the kappas who were stiff and unable to move were dealt with. Now, two kappas remain. It wasn''t as if we were engaged in a continuous battle with 45 kappas. We had already established some degree of know-how in kappa extermination. The kappas were so confident in their maneuverability in this water field that when they attacked in groups, they would always aim for a direct attack on me. At first, I was a bit taken aback by this surprise attack, but when I knew they were coming, the kappas were more like summer insects that flew into the fire. Thanks to this, I had become good at pretending to retreat haphazardly. On the other hand, the enemy still had no information about us. It was worth it that we kept killing all the enemies that had come to attack us. Now, only the water tiger and the two kappas remain. Is Eliza struggling ......? Between her, who was a lower D-rank, and the water tiger, who was at the top of the D-rank and was mainly strengthened, the latter had an advantage. Still, her head was the only thing she was protecting as she struggled to bite on her foe. On the other hand, Yuki was successfully eliminating kappa A. As time passed, kappa A''s movements were becoming dull and duller, so it was cornered little by little. Then, the last kappa was eliminated with the support of Renges light bullets. Now all that''s left is the boss... But we were not in a hurry. Time is on our side. With Yuki''s help, the fight between Eliza and the water tiger settled into a stalemate. Then, Renge and Imp applied the paralysis status ailment magic. The Boss''s resistance to status ailment and the fact that paralysis is one of the heavier types of status ailment made it difficult for the magic to pass. But they did not rush, and continued to cast the magic spells, two times, three times, then, at the fourth time, finally, the paralysis magic passed. The water tiger''s body stiffened. And so, everyone beat him to a pulp. The battle was finally over. The water tiger disappeared like the ebbing tide. All that was left was the magic stone dropped by the water tiger and a disappointed box. "I, it''s over~" Everyone''s sighing voices overlapped. What the hell is this? I''m so tired! Is this an E- rank dungeon? Haah!? The difficulty is suddenly gone up too much! No wonder more than half of the newcomers stumble in the E-rank dungeon. The only thing I can say is that this dungeon is definitely one of the more difficult ones of the E-ranks. The average one-star adventurer with a single D-rank card as his or her force will definitely not be able to break through. If you make the mistake of pulling the wrong card, you could normally lose the card ...... or even lose your life. I''m not saying that the guild deliberately chose a dungeon with such a boss This type of standard labyrinth has no attributes, so the monsters that appear are completely random. The same is true for the boss. But then I get a water tiger, which is the strongest of the D-ranked monsters......Am I unlucky after all? And the water tiger didn''t drop any cards either! Well, the drop rate for D-rank cards is 1%, so it''s normal that they don''t drop. Still, when you go through all this trouble, it''s human nature to want something in return. Oh, that''s right, speaking of something in return....... I forgot. We have to open the disappointment box." When I got up and headed for the disappointing box, the others, who had been slumped over in various sloppy poses, gathered around. No matter how tired I am, at this moment I forget my fatigue. "All right, let''s open it. I said so and opened the box. There were no traps for the dungeon clearing box, so I was able to open it without any worries. What was inside were magic stones and...... test tubes filled with liquid. Oi, I''ve seen this pattern before....... After all this hard work, its potion agaaain? Moreover, it had a bluish-white luminescent color, which gave it a slightly uncomfortable tint to put in one''s mouth. I have a feeling that I might be exposed to radiation if I drank it. Maybe this is a big disappointment....... Just as I was feeling down inside, I noticed a figure staggering toward me, reaching for the bottle. "...... Renge? !" Renge came back to herself with a startled look on her face. "What''s wrong? You were acting a little strange." A, ah, ......not- nothing." Her eyes were glued to the potion as she said this. I looked at the other members of the group, but they didn''t seem to have any unusual behavior. I eyed Renge with a dubious look on my face. "Maybe, you know what this is?" When I inquired, Renge''s eyes swam unusually, and she answered in an unsure manner, It''s Amrita, I think." Amrita?!x3 Amrita was the name of an elixir of immortality that appeared in Indian mythology. Of course, unlike the amrita of the story, the amrita potion had no immortality effect, but it did have the efficacy of rejuvenation and the healing power to cure a person even from the verge of death. The healing power alone makes it the highest-quality potion, but it was the rejuvenating ability that made people go crazy. One year per bottle. That is the rejuvenation effect of amrita. It''s only one year, but it''s still one year. It is worth enough for those in power to pursue it. After all, if you drink a bottle a year, you can live forever. That is why amrita is traded at a ridiculous price. The guild also had a big sign that said they would buy it for 100 million yen a bottle. That was the purchase price. When it actually went to the market, how much it was traded for... I can''t even imagine. It doesn''t seem to be something you can simply get if you have the money, and a direct transaction would probably fetch a price several times that amount. ...... if the person in question has the power to make them pay properly, that is. However, I obtain that one hell of an extraordinary thing. No, I still don''t know if this is the real amrita yet, but if you look at it like this, doesn''t it have a mysterious hue? It''s as divine as if the planet Earth had been liquidized. What should I do? Should I sell it right away?If I do, I''ll be a millionaire in one fell swoop. The cards power will be able to be strengthened at once. Or should I keep it?I am on an adventure where I don''t know when I might die, so it''s perfectly acceptable to save it just in case. It would also be nice to have it as an amulet in case something happens to my family. No, but if they find out that I have amrita, there will be people who will try to steal it from me even if they have to kill me. ......Is it better to sell it after all...? As I was thinking about that, I noticed that Renge was staring at me. No, it was not me who she was looking at, but the amrita. This finally led to the question of why she was so fixated on the amrita, and how she could recognize this as amrita. Hey, Renge..., why did you think this is amrita? Huh? Uh, no, I don''t know why, but the moment I saw this, the word amrita sprang into my head. Hmmm ......" Is there a connection between Renge and, no, between zashiki-warashi and amrita?No, I have never heard of such a thing. The mystery might be solved if I let Renge drink amrita, but I don''t intend to throw away a hundred million dollars for that. But I am curious about it. Very curious. I''m going to keep this one after all. I don''t know if it''s really amrita, and even if it is, I''m a little scared of ...... suddenly having a hundred million dollars in my pocket. I can always sell it, so until then, I''ll keep it in a heavy-duty case. After making that decision, I left the dungeon. *** Notes: 1 Water tiger/Suitora: Japanese and Chinese legendary water monster. But its not literally a tiger that lives in water. In Japan, water tigers are monsters very similar to kappa, even a kind of kappa. And like kappa, they inhabit the waterfronts of rivers, lakes, seas, etc. It is bigger and more ferocious than the kappa. From the point of view of killing humans, the water tiger is more terrifying than the kappa. And it is said that its the leader of 48 kappas. ? CH 16.3 Episode 16 It''s outrageous to sell that! (3) Suddenly, I started using Twitter. Uh, actually I''ve been on Twitter for a long time. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be able to keep up with the conversation at school. I had two Twitter accounts, an official one for my classmates and a private one for my hobbies. It was just that I''d just started an account for being an adventurer. There was no particular reason. If I had to say it, I wanted to vent the frustration of not being able to show off my cards to my classmates. Thanks to the many bugs that were attracted by the mere mention of girl monster cards, the number of followers quickly exceeded 1,000 within two weeks of starting the account. From here, it''s a show of skill in how to surpass the 10,000 mark. So far, I''ve posted casual photos of the three girls on their adventures, reviews of the snacks that Renge ate, and videos of Eliza playing flute - not the Hamelin flute, of course. I make every effort to exclude information about fake cuteness, sexiness, and earnings. Because this would only attract strange clientele and more demands. The most popular activity was Renge''s review of the sweets, which was very honest. The gap in her character as a zashiki-warashi with a slight Yankee(delinquent) streak and her surprisingly sharp and accurate opinions seemed to be popular, especially among young women. On the other hand, the most popular with the male audience were the posts of Eliza''s performance, with many commenters praising me for putting so much effort into training a ghouler, who was considered to have no ego. Many of the comments seemed to come from people in the same industry as me, some of whom asked even asked me to sell my cards. Well, this disappeared when I disclosed that they have names. [This post is about our newest comrade, ...... an imp.] I include a brief personality profile as well as one of her smiling face. I also wrote about her fight with Renge over sweets and the episode of their subsequent reconciliation in a simplified form so as not to touch on the strategy information. I just posted it, but the response had been great. As I was killing time replying to comments, I realized that my name was called. I cleared the E-rank dungeon yesterday and had come to renew my license after school. The person with the number 67, Kitagawa-san, are you here? Ah, yes. I rushed to the reception desk. A female staff member saw my face and smiled at me. I am so sorry to keep you waiting. Congratulations, this is your two-star license. Thank you very much! I bowed my head and accepted the license. Unlike the one-star license, the plain white license had now been replaced with a bronze-colored one with a slightly more luxurious look. On the front, there were two large stars, my photo, name, address, and registered location. On the back, my achievements were listed, including the dungeons I had conquered and the successes in defeating the bounties together with the rank. In my case, it said "The Pied Piper of Hamelin (F)," meaning that I defeated the Pied Piper of Hamelin in an F-rank dungeon. The license can be used as an ID card, and you can even make a membership card for a video rental store. By registering a bankbook, the license card could also be used to transfer magic stones and prize money that I converted into cash, and I was able to do all my shopping at the guild with this card alone. I put the card in my breast pocket and left the place. ...Fufufu, am I a two-star adventurer now? One step closer to becoming a semi-professional adventurer! Then I''ll be able to boast about it to my classmates. No, I can boast enough at the two-star level, can''t I?I doubt there are many high school students with two stars. Even excluding the gems, I earned 350,000 yen this time, 300,000 from the rewards for clearing the dungeon and 50,000 from redeeming the magic stones. If I add the dozens of F-rank cards and also dozens of E-rank cards that I got along the way, as well as the magic items that came out of the disappointment boxes, the number goes up even more. This is the income after excluding Carbuncle, which was from a mere coincidence, and Amrita (provisional), which may or may not be the real thing. It is an income of more than a salaried worker''s monthly income in a single shot. Is there any other high school student who can earn such an amount in one shot?If I tell say this, everyone in my class will look at me with admiration ......Uh, no, that''s no good. Appealing to them in terms of income invites jealousy. There will be people who will try to harass me and pull my legs. To be respected by others, one must be chosen based on their ability and honor, not on their income. Making hundreds of millions of dollars through FX trading, which is gambling, and a gold medalist making hundreds of millions of dollars through commercials are completely different images. As expected, it is the three-star. I need the three-star status, not the income. Perhaps it was because I was thinking that way, but I couldn''t notice the person who came out of the elevator. "---Huh?......Could it be Kitaji-, no, no, Kitagawa-kun?" "!?" I looked in that direction, and there stood Ono1 with a soft smile on his face. Whoa, what a coincidence~ What are you doing here? This is the guild, city hall is on a different floor. Oh, ah....... Oh, no. I never thought I would meet Ono here. Why?Isn''t he always going with Minamiyama to the Tachikawa Guild? Could it be that Minamiyama is here too?Damn, I should have chosen somewhere farther away instead of Hachioji. Come to think of it, Tachikawa and Hachioji are too close. I should have chosen a place farther away from Hachioji until I could get a three-star status, instead of just saying that the nearest station is here. No, now is not the time to think about that. I have to answer Ono''s question. "Oh, did you come here to become an adventurer yourself?" Ono said with a laugh. But, his eyes were not laughing. Looking at my blatantly upset look, he sensed something. Can I follow up on this now?Like, "I was just wondering what it''s like to be an adventurer, so I thought I''d drop by." It''s...... no good, it''s too strained even as an excuse. Besides, how will it affect me when I come out later if it is misrepresented badly? Anyway, I''m not here to become an adventurer today. This is true. I shook my head and answered in a few words, No." "Ah, maybe you''re an adventurer too? He-h, since when!" I got exposed! Ono''s tone was definitive. It wasn''t even a tease. Based on his attitude, he''s convinced that I''m a real adventurer. I could no longer fool him. The smile on his face was so constricted that even I could tell. "A little while ago, I guess." What the, you should have just said so. Does anyone else know about this? Is he probing me?No. Is he worried about the possibility that he is the only one who doesn''t know about it?If the rest of the normie group knew, then Ono would be the only one being subjected to information manipulation. Perhaps, is Ono desperate to maintain his position in the normie group?Speaking of which, why did this guy suddenly become an adventurer?I had assumed that he was simply influenced by Minamiyama. No, I haven''t told anyone." "... He~h, then I''m the only one!" "!!!" A shiver ran up and down my spine. For a moment, really a moment, I thought Ono had a wicked smile on his face. "I see, I see. Kitajima-kun is also an adventurer. I''ll be looking forward to working with you." I asked Ono as he turned on his heel. "Why are you here today, Ono?" "Nn~?" I reflexively asked Ono, who said that and turned on his heels. Ono answered without turning around, You know, just for some reason or another. But I''m glad I came." I couldn''t help but feel a bad premonition as I saw Ono leaving. [Tips] Amrita. Some potions not only heal wounds and illnesses, but also bring rejuvenation and longevity. Amrita is one such potion. It has the power to heal even a brain-dead person to full health. It will work as long as the person is not dead. And it has the power of rejuvenation, although it only about one year. There are similar elixirs that heal all illnesses and lengthen life by ten years. Soma sake2, which is the most exquisite alcohol and will prevent aging for ten years if consumed, and Sendan, which gives you eternal longevity. When Sendan was once discovered and its effects were appraised, it was auctioned for 10 trillion yen. The successful bidder was an American millionaire, but he was assassinated on the same day and Sendan was stolen by someone. The adventurer who discovered the Sendan was not happy either. *** Notes: 1 The one who was said to have the best sense of humor in their class and became an adventurer after Minamiyama? 2 The Japanese rice wine ? CH 17 Episode 17 A Bad Hunch is Usually Right In the morning, when I opened the door to my classroom, I felt gazes that seemed to cling to me. I am usually not the center of attention, but almost all of my classmates are staring at me now. What is ......, what is going on? What''s more, it''s strange that almost everyone is here even though it''s still early in the morning. I felt a strong sense of discomfort, but I greeted them anyway. Good morning. "Yknow, Kitagawa......." It was the asshole Narikin who called my name without replying to my greeting. Narikin said to me with an unpleasant grin on his face, An adventurer, I hear you''re one~?" The gazes of my classmates suddenly became more intense. I could see that everyone had stopped their private conversations to stare at us. ......I guess its like that after all. That Ono told everyone about it. I secretly clicked my tongue when I saw Ono looking at me with amusement. Probably he''s the reason why most of my classmates are already here this early too. He probably posted on social media yesterday that they were going to see something interesting tomorrow morning. I can also see the East-West duo. They were looking at me with anxious faces. Hey, why didn''t you say so? Why did you become an adventurer?Oh, are you perhaps pretending to be like Minamiyama and Ono?" Narikin''s words, which clearly said to make fun of me, elicited "pfft" sounds, especially from his circle of friends. The other classmates were not looking too favorably either. ...... This is bad. I thought. But what''s wrong with me? Maybe I''m broken from my encounter with the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Even though the atmosphere was like this, like I was on the verge of being bullied, I wasn''t scared at all. I wasn''t afraid at all. I was under the pressure that would have made my heart palpitate and my legs tremble in the past, but instead, I felt a strong vitality inside me. Heyy, what kind of card do you have? Let me see a bit. Narikin, perhaps thinking I was intimidated since I was silent, reached out his hand to me and demanded. I avoided his hand, brought my face as close to his as I could, and glared at Narikin. Nalikin was startled by the aggression of someone he had thought was lower in rank than he was. "Oi, you think you and I friends?" "Eh, a?" "No, right? At least I don''t like you." "Uh" Narikin is a coward. I''m certain we both know we didn''t like each other, but he doesn''t have a strong enough core to immediately say anything back when someone tells him to his face that they don''t like him. At least, there is a little hesitation before he says something back. And that''s where I gave the next blow, So dont act like you''re so familiar with me." I gave him a hard shove on the shoulder, just like what he gave me in gym class the other day, and Narikin''s eyes began to glaze over. I was really taken aback that he could be so tough only with really weak guys. ......Well, it''s the same for everyone, isn''t it? Including me. ............" I quickly looked around at my classmates. Many of them were a little surprised by my counterattack. Among them, I spotted a less intense boy named Koga, whom I had talked to before, so I asked him, Koga. Who told you that I am an adventurer?" Of course, I know the answer. The purpose of this was to get my classmates to designate the culprit by name. "Oh, uh, Ono-kun, that..." Ono did?What did he say? "He said on Line yesterday that if I come early tomorrow morning, there will be something interesting." "Haa......." I let out a loud sigh. I show my dissatisfaction with my whole body. "Ono, what is this? Did I do something to you?" I made a puzzled face and asked Ono. I feigned confusion at the sudden malice. No, I''m sorry! I didn''t think it would turn out like this. Yesterday I found out that Kitagawa-kun is also an adventurer, and I was so happy that I spread the word. Ono''s response was quick. He began by apologizing. He then emphasized that his actions were not motivated by malicious intent. ......Clever. Ono, a member of the normie group, is apologizing. Even though I know that it is 100% not sincere, if I pursue the matter further from here, it means I am being the malicious one. That''s what the difference of the class caste is. Well, I''m sure you didn''t do it on purpose. But if somebody is hiding something, there must be a reason, right?If you reveal it to everyone, no one will think it''s amusing, you know Right?" I directed the question at everyone. Everyone has a secret or two. It would be a bummer to have them revealed to everyone just because you are in the normie group. The reactions of my classmates showed that they generally agreed with me. "No, I''m really sorry. I won''t do surprises like this in the future." Well, I guess I won the game here. I got an apology and a promise from Ono that he would not divulge anymore secrets. Now, if he does this to anyone in the future, anyone can bring up this promise. I could feel my classmates'' eyes saying, [Well done!] Ono, however, was not a pushover. Ono, who had his head down, looked at me with a smile on his face. By the way, Kitagawa-kun, why did you hide the fact that you are an adventurer?I don''t think it''s anything to hide. ........................" This bastard, he''s poking me. He knows very well that''s the point I don''t like to be prodded the most. In fact, I had no intention of hiding it at all, I just couldn''t tell anyone because Ono became an adventurer one step ahead of me. I hope he didn''t guess that and come to me like this. But what to do? I suppose I could just shrug it off and say I don''t want to tell him, but that would be a bit offensive. I mean, why is this guy so aggressive with me after all this time? I know that guy Narikin is trying to pull me down. I''m sure it''s just an eyesore for him to see me trying to get ahead in life. However, Ono is already a member of the normie group. He doesn''t need to kick other people down... No, now is not the time to think about that. I have to respond with something anyway, Because...... I''m still inexperienced and am embarrassed, I think. Ono didn''t overlook the coarseness of my words. Huh? What do you mean by that?Are you making fun of us for being inexperienced and embarrassing? !" Oh, shit. So that''s where you''re coming from. It sure sounds like I just made fun of Minamiyama and Ono, two members of the top caste group. Because of what happened earlier, Ono didn''t make a stern expression, but he started to give off a very tense air. There is no choice. I guess I''ll have to take that approach here. I said while making an embarrassed expression, Ah, no, that''s not what I meant. Sorry for the confusion. I''m aiming to be a professional, so thats what I mean by me still inexperienced and embarrassed right now. Professional?! For a moment, Ono looked genuinely surprised. My classmates also started to make noises. Of course, it''s a lie. You can make enough money from being a two stars adventurer, and there is no need to become a professional at all. In fact, it would only increase the risk of death. But in order to avoid contradicting my earlier statement that I was embarrassed because of my inexperience, I had to cover it up by saying that my goal was high. "Heh, I see, how amazing. But Kitagawa-kun, didn''t you start at the same time as I did?" "Well, it''s almost the same as Ono''s. I''ve been at it for about a month. It''s been about a month since I started. "Isn''t it a bit premature to be a professional? You haven''t even reached the two-star level yet, right? You''re just a fledgling adventurer, but you''ve got the crazy idea that you want to be a professional. Ono said with such a meaning in his words. As a result, my classmates'' gazes started to include the look of bitter taste in their eyes. ......This is it, I have to play my cards right here! I said with a nonchalant look on my face, No, I''ve already got two-star. Wha--t?! Multiple astonished voices rose up. That''s a lie! The one who screamed and stood up was Minamiyama. Ono who saw that frowned slightly. I thought he had been awfully quiet up until now, but did Ono stop him somehow? Minamiyama-kun, leave it to me for now. "If you''re really a two-star adventurer, show me your license!" I guess he didn''t hear Ono''s small voice, because Minamiyama approached me with agitation. Oh, sure." I took out my two-star adventurer license that I had just gotten yesterday while being careful not to let out my inner grin. Minamiyama snatched it from my hand and froze. I-, it''s really a two-star license....... Let, let me have a look too. Ugh, its real. And, and you even have a track record of subjugating an irregular encounters!?" Ono''s startled voice, which he raised unintentionally, caused the classmates to murmur. Irregular encounters. There was no one here who did not know the name and the threat it posed. The horrific incidents that irregular encounters had caused in the past have appeared many times on TV and in textbooks. Even if it was the weakest irregular encounter that came out of an F-rank dungeon, the fact that I had defeated one was enough of a foil. That was enough to persuade them that I was aiming to become a professional. I held out my hand with a thin smile on my face, and Ono returned the card with a twitchy look on his face. ...... heh, I won. Yaah, you''re a great person, Kitagawa-kun. I''m an adventurer myself, so I feel it''s all the more impressive. "Well, it''s partly thanks to coincidence, though. No, no, no, luck is also a part of one''s ability. But I envy you. "Hmm?What? When I tilted my head, Ono grinned. Its just that, you must have a very strong card if you were able to get two stars in such a short period of time, right?I really envy you, having parents who understand you. As for me, I bought my card with the money I saved from my part-time job, so it''s weak, so weak. !!! Ono''s words changed the way our classmates looked at me. From being the classmate who aims to become a professional adventurer, to be the adventurer who are just doing well from their parents'' money. In an instant, I felt my impression in their eyes switch. If this goes on, the impact of both the two-star license and the irregular encounters will be drastically different. If you don''t mind, can I see Kitagawa-kun''s monster card?" Ono''s pursuit was intense. This is bad...... right now, no one who look at Renge and the others will think that I got them on my own. If you were to buy Renge at a store, it would cost tens of millions. There is no way a fresh student adventurer could get such a card. I''m sure they will think that my parents are rich enough to buy it for me. How many people would believe the excuse that I won it in one shot with the 1 million card-packs? At least I won''t....... Is there any way to turn things around from here.....? ........................N, no. I can''t think of anything...... "Hmmm?What''s wrong?" When Ono smiled and looked at me with triumphant eyes, Marocchi did part-time jobs and saved money. Such a voice cut through the silence. I looked over. The voice belonged to Shinomiya-san. She was leaning her elbows on her desk, looking at me. It was about six months ago, I think. I saw him working in the supermarket, sweating every day. Right, Shizuka?" Shinomiya-san asked Ushikura-san next to her. Un (nodding), I think he really worked every day, because the days I didn''t see him were few and far between. I would go there anytime from after school to closing time randomly after all. I thought he was struggling to make ends meet, but I guess it was all for his dreams. The air in the classroom changed dramatically at the words of these two girls, who had a strong influence on all the girls in the normie group. "Ha, haha. Shinomiya-san and Ushikura-san really know a lot about Kitagawa-kun. Could it be that one of you is dating him?" "--Whaa?" What came back to such bitter teasing was a look of absolute coldness. Ono, that kind of joke is boring. For a split second, Ono''s expression became severely distorted. What? Did the word "boring" offend you so much? Or rather.... I think Ono is the one who bought your card with your parents'' money instead of working part-time, right?You were always hanging out with someone after school. "Uh!W, well, maybe it looked that way because I was working mainly on holidays and summer vacation. "Hmmm, well, whatever. But, you should stop pulling down those who are making an effort. That kind of thing really annoys me when I see it." After saying that, Shinomiya-san began to fumble with her smartphone with an attitude of not caring anymore. ........................ Right, I got all worked up halfway through. I''m sorry, Kitagawa-kun. Ah, yeah. I managed to nod to Ono, who bowed deeply. My mind still hadn''t returned to normal because of the sudden change in the situation. Did I manage ...... somehow, or what?Did Shinomiya-san helped me? That Shinomiya-san?The top of the gyaru group, with idol-like looks, and a magazine model, she ...... helped me? It somehow didn''t seem real and it didn''t click with me. When I was just confused, Ono suddenly said, raising his head, By the way, Kitagawa-kun, you''re aiming to become a pro, does that mean you''re going to participate in that tournament?" That tournament? Ono looked at my puzzled face and made a surprised expression, What, you didn''t know?Next Christmas, there will be a MonColo tournament for students only. It will also be broadcasted on TV. Saying this, Ono operated his smartphone and showed it to me. What what?[Assemble, student adventurers!Who is the Supernova?!] Um, supernova means the moment when a star dies. ......Oh well. There are two divisions: [college students] and [high school students and younger]. Both are only for amateur class, three stars and below. The rule is the standard three-on-three rule? The event will be held for 3 days from December 21 to the 23rd. The video edited for Christmas will be broadcasted as Moncolo Christmas special edition. The deadline for registration is one week before the game. They plan to gather the entries until the very last minute. The participation prize is a potion, and the top four players will receive a D-rank card. As for the prize for the winner, it is--- A C-rank card, a vampire. And it''s a ...... girl monster card! On the card was an illustration of a bewitching female vampire with black hair and a dress. "Look, isn''t it great?A female vampire, a female vampire!I want one so baa-d." "Ye, yeah." I want it for sure. But so do others. There will be student adventurers from all over the country. Some of them must be in the three-star class. It would be extremely difficult to survive and win among them. One might even lose their card. Is it necessary to take such a risk to participate in ......? Of course you will participate, right, Kitagawa-kun?If you''re going to be a pro, you''ll want at least one C-rank card." Ugh. My classmates are looking at me. I guess... I can''t say I''m not going to join in, huh? If I do, then what was the point of wanting to be a pro? In fact, I definitely want the first place prize badly. Just being in the top four is a big bonus. At the very last minute, Ono stabbed me right in the heart. Oh well. If I am about to lose even a single card, I''ll just abandon the game immediately. "Yeah, of course....... I''ll participate. "Oh! My classmates cheered. Ono laughs, saying he got my word for it. Yaah, I''m looking forward to it! We''ll all get together for Christmas and cheer you on! Ah, but by then, the game will already be over, haha! Ono didn''t seem to think I''d win, not in the slightest. He probably even wishes I would lose my card in the process and cease to be an adventurer anyway. But ...... this is an opportunity. For sure, it is tough, but if I can overcome it, I will be able to climb up in the class caste! If I can make a solid achievement here, I''m sure to join the normie group. This is a rare chance to participate in MonColo too, which was originally not possible without becoming a 3-star adventurer first. I''ll go as far as I can! I was secretly burning with fighting spirit. [Tips] Monster Colosseum A new form of entertainment where you can watch adventurers fight each other with their cards. There are various contents such as death match in which professional adventurers fight each other until one''s card is lost, catfights with only girl monsters, battle royale in which multiple adventurers fight until there is only one left, and legion battle in which dozens of adventurers are divided into red and white armies. Despite criticisms that it is cruel and against humanity, it is clear to anyone who looks at it that the Monster Colosseum has sparked a boom in adventurers. In this age of boredom, perhaps the people were still in search of a spectacle. CH 18 Episode 18 High Income - Low Expenses = No Income "Yo, that must have been hard. I got chills watching this." After my conversation with Ono was over and I took my seat, the East-West combi was the first to speak to me. Nishida patted me on the shoulder and said that, then Higashino laughe, saying, "The rebuke you gave to Narikin was really refreshing. Oh, oh... Um, you know..." But I didn''t expect that Maro is an adventurer. I guess that''s what those part-time work days were all about. When exactly did you start? I was about to say that I was sorry for not telling them that I became an adventurer, but I was swept away by the flow of the conversation. I answered Nishida''s question, "Ah, it was around the end of October. It''s really just recently, isn''t it?" And you already got two-star? Thats amazing! I don''t really know, but it''s a lot of work just to go from one star to two stars, no? Ah, ah, there are many F-rank dungeons that can be conquered in a day trip, but the E-rank dungeons require overnight stays. There are also a lot of traps and such. "Haa?, that''s tough work. I guess there''s no such thing as a job where you can make easy money. So, what kind of cards does Maro have? Nishida''s eyes lit up as he asked me that. When I was about to take my cards out, Higashino stopped Nishida. "Come on, we''ll be able to watch it on TV on Christmas anyway, so let''s look forward to it." "Ah, that''s true. Uh, but, is it okay? You ended up participating in the tournament as if Ono was leading you into it." "Oh, ...... I have to admit I''m not entirely excited about it, but I also think it''s a good chance." When I said this while scratching my cheek, Higashino nodded his head in understanding, I figured, ...... well, you''re aiming to be a pro, aren''t you?" The guys in our class are just looking for some fun, but we''re really rooting for you. Good luck. Thank you ......." The heartfelt support from my friends warmed my heart a little. Even though I had kept quiet about me becoming an adventurer, they still treated me the same. They may be a dull bunch, but they are definitely a good bunch. By the way, do you actually think you can win at least a little bit?" "Even if you can''t make the top four ......, can you win at least two rounds?" You idiot!Stop putting pressure on him. It would be a pity if he lost in the first round, wouldn''t it? Oh, yeah, right, sorry, Maro. You guys...... My cheeks twitched at my ruffian friends, who said they were rooting for me but actually looked as if they didn''t expect me to do much. I snorted and smiled gruffly. Well, look carefully. I''ll show you my power and what I can do. *** "Uwaa~n! Renge, huhu~n, my classmates are being mean to me..." After school. As soon as I arrived at the dungeon, I called out Renge and hugged her. I clung to her as if to bury my face in her stomach. Renge''s eyes widened in shock at the suddenness of it, but she seemed to understand the situation immediately "This time I will allow it, Marodai1-kun. What happened?" Renge said while patting my head. "So-and-so, so-and-so." I told her in order what had happened today. That when I went to school in the morning, the atmosphere in the classroom was strange. That I was exposed as an adventurer without permission. That the hateful people had gotten involved. That I fought them off, but Ono, a central figure in my class, talked me into participating in a MonColo tournament. After hearing the general outline, Renge said in amazement, I see. So that''s how you ended up participating in the tournament. You really are an idiot, aren''t you? You''re like a pig that was cajoled to climb a tree. "Don''t say such things and help me! At this rate I won''t have a place in the class~" No helping it. In such a case, this is it2!" Saying that, Renge took out a straw doll from her sleeve. ............Eh? I involuntarily became confused. Oh the straw doll of zashiki-warashi~. ...... Om?Mahaashriye?Svaahaa3." Renka did a D*raemon-style voice imitation only at first, then she suddenly began chanting the incantation in a low voice. The straw doll seemed to glow with a black light for a moment. Phew, now I''ve put a curse on the classmate who was mean to Marodai-kun. Yeah? Like what? The curse of [Leaking Shit on a Crowded Train]. ........................ Scary. Eh, it''s not a real curse, is it?Just kidding, right? The cards cannot be used outside of the dungeons, nor can it have any effect outside of the dungeons. Experiments have proven that even if an enemy inflicts a status ailment within the dungeon, it will be removed once the dungeon is exited. No way, she is not the rumored [Cursed card], and ...... it should be fine, right? But I didn''t have the courage to ask the truth. Cough, well, enough of the jokes. Now that I''ve decided to participate in the tournament, if possible, I want to do my best to win. Thats fine with me. But dont you have the option not to join in? Why don''t you just ignore the guys in your class?" "Well, it looks dangerous no matter how you look at it. But to be honest, the prize is very tempting." I showed Renge the paper on which the info from the tournament website was printed. Let''s see. The top four finalists will receive one of the 16 D-ranked cards. The winner receives a trophy and a female vampire. I see now ...... A female vampire is usually worth 70 to 80 million yen if you buy one. If it had been a male vampire, or a C rank card, I wouldn''t have pushed myself to enter the competition. If we win, we can move Eliza up in rank, right? Yeah, I''ve been putting a lot of the burden on Eliza. I''d like to reward her here. "I''m weak when it comes to Eliza. OK, I will cooperate as much as possible." "Ohh, thank you." "So? Do you have a concrete plan?" "Ah, let''s start with the rules of the tournament..." I began to explain to Renge. The competition will be held in a tournament of elimination style, and [standard] rules will be applied to the match format. There are three types of battles in MonColo: one-on-one (duels), three-on-three (standard), and (expert) rules in which dozens of decks are assembled to fight, with the [standard rules] being the most popular method. In [standard rules], players register a deck consisting of ten cards in advance. In one match, players choose three cards from the deck and fight. There is enough time for each match. Defeat is determined when the master receives a direct attack or loses all the cards on the field. If the game is not decided by the end of the match time, the winner will be determined by the number of surviving cards, and in the case of a tie, technical points will be decided by the referee. The only items that may be brought into the tournament are magical tools. However, they may only be used up to 5 times during the tournament. They may only be used during the match. Simply put, potions are allowed, but not the tear spray. "Well, in this kind of tournament format, it is important to win without reducing the number of cards in your deck. It is also important to know when to bring out the main members of the deck." "Currently, me, Yuki, and Eliza make up three cards. I think the point will be how to decide the remaining seven cards." ...... No, um, Renge-san. We have one more regular in our group, you know. There are only twenty days left until the tournament. As for me, I think it''s tough to make all ten cards a force to be reckoned with. I''m going to train the initial three cards to the fullest and rank up the Imp to rank D. Then, I think it would be more realistic to fill in the rest with E-rank cards that have special tricks...... Hmmm......" Renge pondered for a moment at my words. You know, maybe we could sell Amrita to build up our forces?" Ah I see. Of course that question will come up. No, I want to keep Amrita as insurance. In case that even one of you ever lost, I want to sell it so that I can revive you. If I have 100 million yen, I could revive everyone, including Renge. This was the main reason I decided to participate in the tournament. But that''s only if this is really Amrita. Although it would have been possible to find out in one shot with an appraisal, I had a sense of danger that I might lose someone, so I purposely decided not to do an appraisal. I see. ...... If that''s the case, I ain''t got nothing to say." After hearing my explanation, Renge simply withdrew. All right, then, we''re going to get busy. The goal is to complete at least five E-rank dungeons!" From that day on, our days of furious dungeon capture began. I bought information on the dungeons from the guild in advance and chose E-rank labyrinths that were easy to conquer because of their relatively few floors. The reward for conquering an E-rank dungeon is 20,000 yen times the number of floors. The information fee is about 20,000 yen for a map, trap types, and information on monsters that appear. Even in the shallowest dungeon of 11 floors, a fixed salary of 200,000 yen is received per dungeon. I spent one day on weekends and two or three days on weekdays to conquer these shallow dungeons of 11 to 13 floors. I would ride on Yuki''s back to save time and energy. Even so, the journey through the dungeons was difficult, and I found that fatigue gradually built up in my body, even though I was able to recover my strength with recovery magic. Meanwhile, word was gradually spreading at school that I was going to participate in the tournament. I could feel eyes on me when I was just walking down the hallways, and I could hear people whispering about me. I even had teachers telling me how much they were looking forward to it. Most of them were curious and supportive, but a small percentage was malicious. If I show an unsightly appearance at the tournament, their invisible malice will actually bare their fangs. The pressure seemed to be mounting on my shoulders. I was not at ease at school, and my exhaustion was accumulating. Seeing me like this, the eyes of my classmates gradually began to change. At first, they looked at me as if they were watching a guinea pig before an experiment or a clown before a stage performance, but gradually they began to look at me as if they were watching over me. The first people to approach me were the guys from the sports club, who taught me exercises, massages, what fruits to eat, and other things to help relieve fatigue. Apparently, they saw me overlapping with themselves at the moment when they were pushing themselves before a competition. The East-West duo also helped me out. They gathered information from the Internet on players who said they were going to participate in the tournament, and compiled it into a list along with other information such as what they had on hand. The information about my competitors, which had been unclear, gave me a clearer target. I was especially intrigued by the cards of those who were considered to be the favorites to win the tournament. In this way, I had broken through a total of nine E-rank dungeons by the time of the tournament. The total number of floors was 106. The reward for conquering the dungeons was 2,120,000 yen, and 1,940,000 yen4 after deducting the information fee. In addition, the magic stones and magic tools obtained along the way, as well as unnecessary cards, were sold together for 1,460,000 yen. Furthermore, the carbuncle garnet fetched 2.3 million yen. A total of 5.7 million yen. My total savings amounted to 6.6 million yen5. This was almost the same amount as the selling price of the card I was aiming for. The name of the card was [Empusa]. She is a dream demoness in Greek mythology, a beautiful woman with legs of copper, bat wings, and donkeys tail. It is one of the most popular D-rank cards, just because it is in the same family as the Succubus. Thanks to this, it cost 6.5 million despite having no special skills as far as I was concerned. The reason I was trudging through the labyrinth at such a high pace was because I really wanted this card before the tournament. Empusa is one of the cards that enable imps to rank up. The three mainstay cards are too few to win the tournament. I really wanted to add one more card there. She who has synergy with Renge, our biggest fighting force...... I decided to give her a name after she moved up in rank from Imp to Empusa. Her name is Mea. It''s an old English word for dreamer. I had been thinking of various ways for the Imp to evolve, but since I decided to make her Empusa, I decided to name her accordingly, since she was determined to become a Succubus. This is her current status: [Race] Empusa (Mea) [Combat Power] 205 (65 UP!) [Inborn Skills] ?Sucking: She can absorb and store the target''s magic and life force. ?Invitation to Dream: Can use powerful sleep magic. ?The three transformations: Can transform from a beautiful woman into a dog, cow, or donkey. [Acquired Skills] ?Little devils heart. ?A single-minded heart. ?Friendship linkage ?Elementary wizard apprentice Elementary wizard: Able to use all simple magic. Her combat power had already increased by 65 because she was able to inherit the combat skills she developed during her time as an imp. She also inherited all of her acquired skills, along with her innate skill of [Apprentice elementary wizard], and she was able to absorb the primary attack magic skills originally possessed by empusa and grow her skills further. To tell the truth, I tried to rank-up an appropriate F-rank card to an E-rank card before ranking-up Mea, but that one could neither carry over the combat power nor the acquired skills that I had raised at all. I had heard that the succession in rank-up depends on luck and the degree of use, but it seems that the degree of use is more important than I had expected. I will use this as a reference when ranking up other cards. Anyway, I have done all I can do. All that remained was to give it my all. And so the day of the tournament arrived. ---Monster Colosseum. It is a new sport in which adventurers fight each other using their cards. It all started when the Tokyo Dome was turned into a dungeon during the Second Angolmore. The Tokyo Dome has a very special structure for a dungeon, and only one dungeon boss emerges each day. Therefore, as long as it is defeated first, there is no problem to hold any events, but it is indeed impossible to hold events such as baseball in the dungeon, since the Tokyo Dome has turned into a huge box. As for baseball, a new dome was to be built, but the Tokyo Dome, one of the symbols of Tokyo, had to be put to good use somehow. The governor of Tokyo, who thought so, noticed that the Colosseum in Italy had also been turned into a dungeon, and so, in cooperation with the Guild, he transformed the Tokyo Dome into a Monster Colosseum. Although there was some criticism at first, this turned out to be a great success. After all, the spectacle featured monsters that until a short time before had been considered imaginary. The scene of elves, dragons, and other fantastic creatures killing each other, sometimes in spectacular fashion, and sometimes with their fangs bared, sent people into a frenzy. "Gladiator", which is broadcasted regularly on TV and airs every Friday night at 9 p.m., has become a very popular program that continues to dominate the viewer ratings, partly because professional adventurers fight each other until they run out of cards. Adventurers whose lives revolve around colosseum matches are called ''gladiators'', a name that even derives from the show. Other programs with different concepts, such as "Catfight", which is limited to girl monsters, and "Professional Champs", which is limited to three-star adventurers, are also aired regularly on different days of the week and at different times. The one I''ll be in this time, [Gather around, student adventurers!Who is the supernova?], was also planned by "Professional Champs" for a Christmas special program. In terms of viewership, it was a behind the program of "Gladiator," but even so, it seems that it''s attracting quite a bit of attention because it''s a fairly aggressive project where high school students and younger fight each other to the death, albeit in card battles. A total of 68 students participated in this year''s event for high school students and younger. The number of participants was reduced to this number as a result of students who announced their participation but did not show up on the day of the event or cancelled their participation midway. Considering the small number of high school students and younger adventurers, it can be said that a considerable number have gathered. "..........................." On the day of the event. I was quietly waiting for my turn in a room at the Tokyo Dome Hotel. As one would expect from a Christmas special, the program had lavishly prepared a room in the Tokyo Dome Hotel for each of the players. I guess they didn''t want to cause trouble by putting the players in the same room with each other. We were also participating in the event at the risk of losing our expensive cards, even though we were not paid for our performance. It would not be surprising if some of us would do whatever it takes to win the tournament or at least make it to the top four. In order to avoid the possibility of interference between players, the opponents are not even known until just before the match. Well, this was probably also because they were not sure if the competitors would actually show up until the day of the event, so it was not possible to decide in advance. Around this time, the artificial intelligence is probably creating exciting combinations based on the inputted data. I took out the cards I was going to use in the first round. The first card was Eliza. [Race] Ghouler (Eliza) [Combat Power] 200 (60UP! MAX!) [Inborn skills] ?Living corpse ?Firefield''s fool power ?Corpse Eater [Acquired skills] ?Absolute obedience ?Sexual skill ?Pheromones ?Ambush ?Quiet mind ?Protect ?Precision movement: Enables more accurate movement. ?Music performance (NEW!): Have a certain knowledge and skill in music performance techniques. When specific actions are taken, a positive compensation is given for the action ?Trap Disarming (NEW!): Possesses certain knowledge and skills in trap disarming. When specific actions are taken, a positive compensation is given for the action. She has reached her growth limit in combat power and has acquired the skills of [Music performance] and [Trap disarming]. Although they are not skills that directly lead to fighting, her many skills were of great help in my high-paced dungeon exploration. In this tournament, where direct attacks can lead to immediate defeat, she will likely be a starter with her defensive skills. For the other two first cards, I chose the ones with excellent skills from among the E-rank cards. [Race] Nightmare [Combat power] 60 [Inborn skills] ?Dreamer''s Messenger: A dreamer''s messenger. Able to use powerful magic power and life force absorption only on a sleeping target. [Acquired Skills] ?Presence blocking: Able to block out all signs of life. [Race] Sandman. [Combat power70 [Acquired skills] ?Sleeping Sand: Sand that puts those it touches to sleep. [Acquired skills] ?Status ailments enhancement: Enhances status ailments. ?Preemptive attack: Strong positive compensation for the first action. When I was clearing those E-rank dungeons, the most memorable enemy was this combination of Sandman and Nightmare. These guys had the most excellent acquired skills among them. This Sandman put Mea, who had just become an empusa, to sleep, and this Nightmare''s [Presence blocking] could not be noticed except by Yuki. It is not a combination that could be used over and over again, but I saw it as a good enough first-time killer. In my head, I repeated the battle simulation over and over again. It was almost delusional since I did not know the strength of my opponent, but the purpose was to enable smooth action by imagining the most successful pattern over and over again. At that moment, a call came in on the room extension phone. Yes. Kitagawa-san, please get ready for the upcoming match. The TV monitor will show you your opponent and directions to the venue. I understand. I hung up the phone and turned on the TV. My heart started pounding. What kind of person would my opponent be? What!? My eyes widened in astonishment when I looked at it. I couldn''t believe my eyes and checked the contents over and over again. But no matter how much I checked, the reality remained the same. What was being displayed on the screen was ----Minamiyama. [Tips] Card Rank Up Cards can be ranked up by preparing higher ranked cards. One of the advantages of upgrading a card is that it inherits the appearance, memory, and personality of the card you originally used. Also, depending on how much you use the card, it can also inherit its increased combat power and skills, but this also depends on luck. In order to rank up, the sacrificed card should be unused (initialized), of the same lineage, and of the same gender. Example: Ghouler -> Vampire; Coosie -> Garm; Etc. *** Notes: 1 -dai: An attachment to make the name seem more masculine? 2 The same way D*raemon said it ? 3 Spells ? 4 Roughly 13800usd ? 5 Roughly 47000usd ? CH 19 Episode 19: Have you ever been so hated...? Now the first round, sixth match. First of all, players please enter! Prompted by the announcement, I was greeted by dazzling lights as I passed through the gateway. The interior design was reminiscent of the amphitheater in Rome, and when I actually stood here, I got the impression that it was really savage. The smell of dust added to the atmosphere. The bleachers were packed with spectators who won viewing tickets, and although I couldn''t spot them, my family was among them. A few seconds after my entrance, Minamiyama appeared. He was glaring at me with a terrible look on his face. It really is Minamiyama. That guy, even though he didnt say anything, he participated too. The next two are classmates who go to the same high school! The two of them, who usually study side by side, are forced to fight due to a twist of fate. Shigeno-san, the commentator, was also present at the registration of these two adventurers. Hearing the emcee''s words made me involuntarily look at the commentary seat. What, Shigeno-san?What is he doing? Well, I have an impression of the two of them. Hoo, they left an impression on Shigeno-san, a former Self Defense Force officer with a record of clearing a B-rank dungeon? What kind of impression were they? I got the impression that Minamiyama-kun is solid and Kitagawa-kun is a gambler. Oh, you say he likes gambling? Well, I can''t go into details, but I can say that he has the strength of will to throw everything away for the sake of his goal. I remember him well since this type either disappear early or rise to the top with overwhelming speed. Hoho, according to the information, Minamiyama-kun has been an adventurer for more than half a year and is a one-star adventurer, while Kitagawa-kun has already become a 2-star adventurer despite having only been an adventurer for about 2 months. Two stars in two months is pretty fast, isn''t it? How will these two contrasting characters battle it out? I''m looking forward to see it! ...... I smiled wryly at the personal information that was being leaked out of nowhere. But as expected, he didn''t reveal the fact that I had suddenly taken the gamble of buying a pack of cards. However, I had no idea that Shigeno-san was a former Self Defense Force officer. Well, it''s not so strange when I think about it. I heard that the guild actively recruits former adventurers. It is no surprise that retired high-ranked adventurers become employees of the guild to seek stability. After all, Japan is very strict about young unemployed people, no matter how much money they have. In this respect, the title of civil servant is a different kind of security. What is strange is that Shigeno-san is specifically invited here. ......Well, it doesnt matter. It''s always the case that ex-adventurers are called in for commentary. Rather than that. This emcee...... what is he saying? Forced to fight due a twist of fate? I''m sure you''ve got it all planned. What are the odds of suddenly meeting someone you know in the first round? But that''s okay. Somewhere in the back of my heart, I wanted to settle the score with Minamiyama. The words that Minamiyama once said to us still remain as a lump in my heart. He seemed to have his own thoughts about me, too, and the tension between us as we stared at each other grew at an accelerating rate. Well ten, let the game begin! The bell rang, and at the same time, we called out our cards. Both players summoned their cards at the same time!In Kitagawas side is Ghouler, Sandman, and...... Oh? I can''t seem to see the last one. It seems to be hiding with a skill. On the other hand, Minamiyama''s monsters seem to be a Boar Orc and two High Kobolds. I clicked my tongue when I saw the monsters Minamiyama had called out, especially the boar-headed beastman. Damn, a proliferation party. Boar orcs and high kobolds have the ability to summon lower races at regular intervals. It is a similar ability to the water tiger we had fought before, and although the ability of each one is reduced, their strength is that they can compensate for quality with numbers. There are two ways to deal with it. Either persist until the opponent''s summoning limit is reached, or finish off with a quick attack....... I would choose the latter, of course! Summon them, guys! Sandman!" The orders were simultaneous. Just before the three cards on the enemy side raised their summoning howls, Sandman''s [Sleeping sands] were scattered all around them. The D-rank card, Boar Orc, shook his upper body for a moment in resistance. However, the two E-rank High Kobolds fell down with a thud, their white eyes glazed over. Hey, High Kobolds?! Kitagawa''s abnormal status skill confronted Minamiyama''s vassal summoning!The two High Kobolds were put to sleep! The Sandmans acrtions are quick. Is it well-trained, or is it some kind of skill? However, the Boar Orc resisted and summoned one Orc. Hitting the High Kobolds will easily wake them up. Now what to do! What the emcee said, Minamiyama noticed and so he gave an instruction, Wake up the high kobolds quickly! The Boar Orc and the Orc went to wake up the High Kobolds, but they were too late. Eliza was already closing in on the orcs. She kicked the Orc with the same momentum of a sprint. The weaker than normal orc could not withstand the blow of a ghouler with maximum combat power, and was obliterated with a single blow, spewing blood. Just like that, Eliza then approached the Boar Orc. Kitagawa-kun''s Ghouler kicked the summoned Orc to death with a single blow!Tremendous power! Oh, that Ghouler is well trained. The lower level undead are difficult to train, but this one is brilliant. However, the Boar Orc has a higher initial combat power than the Ghouler. What will happen? The Boar Orc held up an iron axe toward the approaching Eliza. That axe...... wasn''t brought in. He had it with him when he appeared. Then it is Boar Orc''s initial equipment. In other words, there is no special effect. The two sides move in to each others range. The first one to set up was the strong boar-headed beastman. Taking advantage of the difference in reach, he swung his axe down. On the other hand, the beautiful blonde corpse-eating undead slides near the opponent''s hip and then kicked him on the back of his knee. The Boar Orc lost his balance, and he fell to the ground. Then she swung her foot up to the sky and dropped her heel hard. The foot struck against the thick nose, and the momentum of the foot swinging slammed the giant body against the ground. The people in the venue who saw this fluid series of movements let out cheers of "Ooooh!. Ghouler defeats the opponent with superior combat power with splendid techniques!Strong and beautiful! Shigeno-san, I have not seen many adventurers using Ghouls, but is it such a strong card? No, Ghouls are the weakest of the D-rank cards. Its initial combat power is low, and its lack of ego prevents it from making complex moves. However, this Ghouler''s movements just now were as smooth as, or even better than, those of a real human. This is clearly a correction due to skill. On top of that, those series of moves was clearly planted. But there was no command of any kind! I''ve never seen a ghoul that has been raised this far! Highly praised by Shigeno-san!Is this already over?But there are still two High Kobolds left, no, wait!The High Kobolds have disappeared!When did it happen?! That black haze is ...... I see, its Nightmare. Perhaps it possessed the High Kobolds at the same time they fell asleep. I thought I couldn''t see Kitagawa''s third monster, but I understand now, it turned out to be a Nightmare. He put them into a fast sleep with Sandman. While stalling for time with Ghouler, the Nightmare would take care of the High Kobolds. This must have been Kitagawa-kun''s strategy. Minamiyama, who heard the live commentary, glared at me hatefully. "Kitagawa......! ........................." In response, I silently gave the next instruction. This game was already won. But even if I tell him to surrender now, Minamiyama won''t listen. Therefore. Eliza." She accurately responded to my short command, which was to call her name. She quickly moved away from the Boar Orc that she was holding down with her leg and headed toward Minamiyama. Before that though, she beat the Boar Orc with a blow faster than it could get up. Hii......! A translucent wall appeared around Minamiyama, who crouchds down to protect his head. It was a defensive magic that all the players have. After a moment of resistance, the wall was shattered into tiny pieces. I won. Actually, I could have had the Boar Orc card destroyed, but that would have been too much. Even if we were no longer friends, Minamiyama is still a classmate. I don''t hate him enough to make him lost his card. The direct attack was my way of showing mercy. Deci ded!The battle between the classmates ended with Kitagawa-kuns victory!Both players cards were of D, E, E ranks combination. But when it was over, I got the impression that Kitagawa-kun won easily. Yes, I guess there is a big difference in experience. The combo of Sandman and Nightmare that Kitagawa showed is something you sometimes see when you dive into an E-rank dungeon, a combination that can destroy even a party that includes D-rank cards. Beginners should watch out for that. Minamiyama, a one-star adventurer with a longer career, did not know this, while Kitagawa, who had a shorter career but have managed to come to E-rank dungeon, did know. . I guess that''s what made the difference between this victory and defeat. I see... Although he lost, lets applaud Minamiyama-kun for putting up a good fight! Amidst the sparse applause from the audience, I was looking down at Minamiyama. To be honest, I was disappointed...that was my true feeling. When I found out that my opponent was Minamiyama, I was shocked. He had started more than half a year earlier than me, so it was no surprise that he had used his cards more than I had. I seriously regretted not registering with my best cards, and when I saw a party consisting of a Boar Orc and two High Kobolds, a concept of quantity over quality, I panicked to see that he was serious. In fact, it would have been pretty dangerous if his whole cards had resistance to status ailments. I kept my eyes on his hand, wondering if he might use magic items to cure the status ailments. But, I was the one who won. When it was all over, I had a comfortable victory. As Shigeno-san said, the decisive factor in the victory was that Minamiyama did not know the scary thing about of status ailment. In other words, I won by my skill as a master. If this had been the strongest member of the team, including Renge and Yuki, I would not have thought so. The cards were also my power. But inevitably, somewhere in the back of my mind, I would have thought that I had won because of the difference in rank. But like this, I won with the same D, E, E combination as Minamiyama. I won on even terms. In the end, as an adventurer, I probably put in more effort. Ever since I became an adventurer, I have continued to dive into the dungeon every day. While Minamiyama, was hanging out with his classmates almost every day. He dives into the dungeon only a few times a month. I knew it from the conversations in class and his posts on SNS. Even in the past 20 days, Minamiyama had looked at me like I was a fool as I struggled desperately. That made the difference between victory and defeat. ............ Shit, shit! Minamiyama was crying. Did he regret losing to me who he looked down upon? Or was he regretting that he should have tried harder? Or maybe both. Either way, I don''t know how he really feels. ......Because we are no longer friends. I had a little respect for Minamiyama. He had the same mob character qualities as me, but he had made it into the normie group. And more than that, I was jealous. If he could do it, so can I. That was my driving force. But now it''s different. I am no longer jealous. Because I realized that I was making more effort than he was. "... Bye, Minamiyama. See you at school." I said that and turned my back to him. H, hey. ......?" I turned around when I heard him say something faintly. At that moment. "Dont fuck with me--! A mob character like you! How dare you, to me! I''m different from you! I''m different from you guys!" "!?" Eh, wha-, what''s going on?! I was seriously freaked out by his sudden frenzy. With his face covered in snot and saliva, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth bared, and his voice strangely high-pitched and hysterical, Minamiyama''s appearance was more terrifying than some monster in the dungeon. "M-Minamiya..." "Boar Ooorc!" "Wha!?" The Boar Orc responded to Minamiyama''s angry shout, leaped to his feet, and rushed toward me on all fours. ----Dang -er. The moment I thought so intermittently in my confused head. A golden silhouette rushed over in an instant. It''s Eliza. She rushed over with her [Protect] skill. Thump....... My heart was pounding. I''m gonna fall in love with her if she does this. As expected of the golden shield of our party, Eliza-san, coming at the perfect time in times of trouble! Eliza-san acted rationally, while I was making a face like a heroine in a shoujo manga. While pushing me away with one hand, she kicked the head of the rushing Boar Orc. The Boar Orc, his direction forcefully twisted by the force of the kick that seemed it could crush anything, got his head deeply buried into the ground. Before he could pull his head out of the ground, Eliza-san followed up immediately. She clasped his unprotected back and then bit him on the neck. Blood was spraying. The Boar Orc''s writhing body was pinned down, and she bit his neck a second and third time. Thump!My heart pounds. This time, it was not a heartbeat of excitement, but a pulse of fear at the sight of a horror movie. I can never get used to Eliza-san''s violent side, which appears from time to time. Eventually, the Boar Orc''s movements weakened... and disappeared. Silence fell over the venue. Eliza-san looked up and asked me. Are you okay, Master? Ah, yes. The moment I managed to nod, Ah, hey!Staff!Quickly seize him! With the emcee''s impatient voice, the buzz from the venue revived. At the same time, staff and security guards arrived and seized Minamiyama. I, too, was being taken away. As I was pulled to the players'' passageway, I took a look at the program''s staffs. While they were verbally expressing their concern for me, I could tell by the expressions on their faces, which were clearly more tense than mine, that I was in for one hell of a ride. I thought absentmindedly, ......Can this tournament continue? [Tips] Rewards for conquering dungeons The reward for completing the dungeons increases as the rank increases. ? A rank dungeon: 10 billion yen if you can break through. ?B rank dungeon: Number of floors x 1,000,000 yen ?C rank dungeon: Number of floors x 100,000 yen ?D rank dungeon: Number of floors x 30,000 yen ?E rank dungeon: Number of floors x 20,000 yen ?F rank dungeon: Number of floors x 10,000 yen Professional adventurers, whose main income comes from the rewards of dungeon conquering, are sometimes referred to as professors to distinguish them from gladiators. More than money, they are fascinated by the mystery of the existence of the dungeon, and many of them are trying to solve it. The reason they are called professors is because of the fact that some of them are actually teaching as guest professors at universities.