kscans

Chapter 14 - E-Rank

It was the weekend. April was finally drawing to a close.

We had already conquered the Lesser Treant dungeon, where our exploration had been cut short, during the weekdays after school.

So today we'd come to a new dungeon... but this time, it wouldn't be 'work' like before.

An E-Rank Dungeon.

Currently, the majority of adventurers frequent dungeons of this rank. In other words, this is where the world of the 'professional adventurer' begins.

Normally, you'd need to attend various lectures and pass tests to operate at this rank. However, because we scored so highly on the adventurer exam, we started out as 'E-Rank Adventurers'. We may lack experience, but our abilities are more than sufficient.

It might seem like I'm making a big deal out of a single rank, but the threat level is worlds apart from 'F'. After all, the monsters are 'armed'.

Spears, swords, bows. And in some cases, monsters clad in metal armor roam the labyrinth. Weapons originally meant for humans to kill humans... or tools for humans to defeat the inhuman, are now wielded by the inhuman themselves.

Therefore, the 'danger of killing people' is clear. While no deaths have occurred outside of dungeon overflows, over thirty adventurers were injured last year alone.

It's not just the armaments. The monsters' own physical abilities are also generally considered higher than those in F-Rank.

On the other hand, while the quality of dropped items doesn't change much, the 'subjugation rewards' increase significantly. Thanks to this, it's said you can earn an average of 20,000 yen per day of exploration.

...Honestly, I question whether the reward is worth the risk.

Even if you make it your full-time job and go 20 days a month, that's 400,000 yen a month. Simple math makes that 4.8 million yen a year in rewards. From there, you have taxes and license renewal fees, and for some, equipment costs... I don't think you can live a wealthy life.

It's the fact that the pure take-home pay, or rather, the monthly income, looks pretty good on the surface that's so insidious.

After all, 'adventurer insurance is special'. Since existing insurance policies don't apply, the government established a new one, but... the terms are so bad you'd think it was a scam.

Naturally, there are no bonuses like you'd get at a normal company, and there's hardly any kind of guarantee. Since everyone is an independent contractor, maybe it can't be helped.

That's why people apparently upload videos of their explorations to the internet to earn ad revenue or find sponsors like I did. If that doesn't work out, they end up doing it while working another job.

Although some taxes and regulations are more lenient for adventurer-related activities, it was only natural that the system was being criticized from all sides.

But I digress.

If you plan to make a living as an adventurer, you have to be able to clear this rank.

Steeling my resolve, I stepped into the Dungeon Store.

I prepared just as I always had, took a deep breath, and passed through the gate with Erina-san.

And what lay ahead was different from anything before.

"...Hah."

There were no lights installed on the walls; a single LED lantern hanging from my waist illuminated the surroundings.

The air felt damp and humid. The passage, built from grayish stone, was without a single window.

This dungeon, structured like a medieval fortress, lacked SDF-installed lighting not because of obstructive trees like in the Lesser Treant dungeon.

It was because the monsters were destroying the lights. In other words, they were acting with 'intelligence'.

'...You two, be extremely careful. I believe you can clear this dungeon with room to spare, but do not let your guard down.'

"Right."

"Got it."

Aira-san's voice was more tense than usual. I nodded at the voice from my earring, gave a command to Byakuren, whose golem body was now formed, and we began to advance slowly.

In the light of my lantern, I spotted SDF paint on the wall. With Aira-san navigating, we headed for the exit first.

After about a minute of walking...

"I hear footsteps. They sound strange for a human."

At Erina-san's words, I swallowed a hard lump in my throat.

"How many and from what direction?"

"Three of them, coming from the front."

Straight ahead. That means a surprise attack is out of the question.

Ahead of us, in the darkness beyond the reach of my lantern and flashlight, I began to hear hard, yet light, footsteps.

How can monsters perceive their enemies in this pitch-black dungeon?

It's because they are creatures that stir in the darkness.

'Kakaka!'

A sound like chattering teeth, which could have been laughter.

In the gloom, a pair of red eyes glowed eerily.

'Skeleton'.

A skeleton, without a single scrap of flesh remaining. It was clad in tattered clothes or simple leather armor, walking with a rusted weapon in its hand.

In a game, it would be a trivial early-game enemy. But seeing it in person like this changes that impression.

It was deeply unsettling. It exuded an aura that was not of this world—unpleasant and chilling.

But my body moved. My left hand drew and threw a knife. Diagonally behind me, Erina-san also threw a rod shuriken.

The one on the far right of the three. A rod shuriken struck it in the head, and my knife pierced its right shoulder.

'Kak!'

The rod shuriken lodged in its forehead, and the creature's right arm tumbled to the floor. It didn't fall, but it was clearly a heavy blow.

My attacks work. That means I can defeat them.

I told myself that as I put strength into the sword gripped in my right hand.

'Kakaka!'

I couldn't tell if they were laughing at our attack or angry.

Ignoring the one that was picking up its dropped weapon, the two relatively unharmed skeletons charged at us.

I left the spear-wielder to Byakuren and faced the one with a sword and shield, taking a high-guard stance with my hand-and-a-half sword.

This passageway was wide. Nearly four meters across, with a ceiling about three meters high. I could swing my weapon without any problem.

The skeleton thrust its buckler, a small shield, towards me and raised its sword. I brought my own sword down diagonally from above, aiming for its shield.

The buckler went flying with a high-pitched clang, and on the return swing, my sword sliced into the side of the skeleton's head.

I expected the blade to bite into the exposed skull, but instead, it shattered with no resistance. The skeleton, now without a head, collapsed into a pile of bones on the floor.

For a moment, I was almost taken aback, but I quickly reset my stance. The one-armed skeleton was charging at me, its spear held low.

'Kakaka!!'

It came at me with the force of a body slam, but to my Spirit Eye, it was moving in slow motion.

I dodged the spear, stepped in hard, and countered with a downward diagonal slash.

My sword entered its left shoulder, ignored the leather armor covering its torso, shattered its clavicle, and tore through its spine and ribs. As expected, the skeleton easily returned to being just a pile of bones.

I averted my gaze from the two that had turned to salt and looked at the last one, which was fighting Byakuren.

"Hyaah!"

'Kaaah!?'

With the skeleton unable to move, its spear caught by Byakuren, Erina-san brought the back of her ninja sword down on its head.

The skull cracked with a snap. As the skeleton collapsed into a pile of bones, the self-proclaimed ninja declared, 'Justice is served!' or something.

...Huh?

"...Aren't these guys... kinda weak?"

'Oh? Is that overconfidence I hear?' a teasing voice came from the earring.

'Skeletons may look like that, but they have the strength of an adult male and the speed of a high school track club member. The fact that they're attacking with weapons makes them a considerable threat under normal circumstances.'

...So, they're about as strong as an athletic adult male?

I mean, a threat is a threat, but, seeing them as monsters...

"Honestly, they seem weaker than the Lesser Treants."

'That's because Lesser Treants are tougher! It's only natural that a tree stump is harder than a mere bone. I told you, didn't I? The fact that you two can overwhelm Lesser Treants means you're in a pretty strong class.'

I guess that's true, but...

To come in here so tense and have this be the result, I can't help but feel a little let down.

"Don't get careless, Kyou-chan! You'll get tripped up! Like in lotion sumo!!"

"...Why lotion sumo?"

"Because the comedians do it a lot on New Year's and spring specials!!"

"...We're not comedians."

"!!??"

Is this self-proclaimed ninja really okay?

My head starting to ache slightly, I took a single deep breath.

It was certainly anticlimactic, but taking a spear or sword to an unarmored part of my body would still be dangerous.

Her example was weird, but Erina-san was right. Complacency is forbidden. I'll continue the exploration just as I have been.

I picked up the coins from the salt and handed them to Erina-san.

The skeletons' equipment... seemed to have vanished. Apparently, their weapons and armor sometimes remain, so it's a bit of a shame.

Getting my head back in the game, I resumed the exploration.

As I started walking, I reconstituted the knife in its sheath. The one that had passed through the skeleton and clattered to the floor had disappeared, and a new small knife now rested at my waist.

Things like this are really convenient. The only downside is that it takes about ten seconds to reconstitute, probably because I'm not used to it yet.

As we proceeded through the dim dungeon, we discovered an unnatural structure in what appeared to be a large hall. A police-box-like building inside a medieval-style fortress created a tremendous sense of incongruity.

I marked a nearby wall, and we continued our exploration. Then...

"Ah, sounds like someone's fighting up ahead."

I stopped at Erina-san's words.

'Can you tell what's going on?'

"Hmm, I don't hear any screaming. Oh, there's the sound of bones scattering on the floor."

It seems the person, or people, fighting ahead are successfully defeating the skeletons.

'In that case, it's best to go around. Approaching other parties carelessly inside a dungeon is a recipe for trouble.'

"Yes, senpai!"

"Understood."

It's not like we have the place to ourselves, so of course, this kind of thing happens. Especially in a populated 'E-Rank' dungeon.

It's basic procedure not to get close to other adventurers exploring the same dungeon unless it's an emergency. That's what they taught us in the lecture.

There's the concern of kill-stealing and loot-snatching, but even more frightening is the risk of 'accidents'.

Adventurers are basically ordinary people who just happen to have high physical abilities. Even professional soldiers and SDF personnel have 'friendly fire' incidents, so the chances of a spear or arrow hitting another person instead of a monster are not low.

"Kyou-chan's socially awkward, so he doesn't want to meet other people anyway!!"

"...Yeah, sorry about that."

"Hmm. Your energy level is different from when we're playing games. Yesterday you were so fired up you were hitting me with a paper fan."

"...Well, uh... yeah."

Where did a paper fan come from? Is she still on that comedian kick from the lotion sumo thing?

'I understand, Kyou-chan-kun.'

"Aira-san."

'There's a big difference between being behind a screen and meeting face-to-face.'

"Aira-san...!"

That's exactly it. Being in my own room, where all I can perceive is a voice and my opponent's player character, is incredibly relaxing.

That's why I can speak to Aira-san relatively normally. I can only hear her voice.

'A textbook internet tough guy and closet nerd! Welcome to our side!!'

"Please stop with the self-deprecating jokes that I don't even know how to respond to."

"Ooh, you two really are good friends."

'Good friends... Was I the lover in Kyou-chan-kun's ear all along...?'

"I'll pass. And didn't you just say we shouldn't get careless?"

"You're right. Okay, let's get serious!"

'Yeah!!'

"Y-Yeah..."

With a rally cry, we resumed our advance. A few minutes later, we encountered skeletons again.

"Three of them again. They're just around this corner. I went invisible to check, and there's an archer on the far right, so be careful."

"Roger."

I held my hand-and-a-half sword in my right hand and a knife in my left.

...While I'm at it, might as well test 'that' technique I've been practicing.

I thought so and consulted with Erina-san, who gave her consent.

Right after we exchanged a glance, I leaped out from around the corner. Noticing me, the skeletons turned to face us.

The priority target was the one with the bow. A small knife and a rod shuriken flew towards it and found their mark.

The knife pierced its right shoulder, and the rod shuriken shattered the fingers of its left hand, causing it to drop the bow.

I couldn't help but be impressed by her skill. To be able to aim for the fingers in this gloom was amazing. I was barely hitting the shoulder when I was aiming for the torso.

'Kakaka.'

I focused on the skeletons raising their weapons and coming towards me, gripping my sword with both hands and moving forward.

I gathered wind around the blade. Just like in practice, with the image of swinging a giant club...!

"H-Hraaaah!"

With a shout, I swung my sword in a wide horizontal arc.

The released wind struck them like a sledgehammer. The two skeletons holding a sword and a spear staggered from the impact, their ribs and other bones scattering.

Mana Conversion: Wind.

Without missing a beat, I swung my sword back, again coating the blade with wind for a flash-like slash. Before the two could even swing their weapons, they were blown to pieces and scattered across the floor. Whoosh. The dispersed wind slapped against the walls.

Meanwhile, the remaining one, with its broken fingers, clutched an arrow and charged at me, but I shattered its skull with a single blow.

I confirmed that it had turned to salt and exhaled. I'd tested it at the 'government-approved practice facility,' but I was glad it worked in a real situation.

'Was that the area-of-effect attack you were talking about?'

"Well, I wouldn't call it an area-of-effect attack..."

I answered Aira-san while picking up the coins. No equipment drops this time either, huh.

"The reach isn't that long, and at most, I can probably only hit two or three of them standing side-by-side."

'That seems more than sufficient to me.'

Being able to attack multiple enemies at once is certainly convenient, but the wind output is still weak. I think a normal sword swing accelerated by wind probably has more raw destructive power.

As for mana consumption... thanks to my 'unique skill,' I don't have to worry about it.

'It's never a bad thing to be able to thin the enemy's numbers quickly.'

"But I don't get much experience that way!!"

"Ah."

...Oops.

"I'm not asking you to weaken them for me, but I'd appreciate it if you left some for my ninja training."

"S-Sorry."

'Hey, hey. Isn't this the part where you're supposed to retort with, 'What the hell is ninja training?! The only bedroom arts I know are sleeping!'?'

"Three points."

'Hmph... I shall consider your harshness a sign of familiarity...!'

Her way of thinking is just like a pervy old man's.

But it was true; this kind of trouble was famously common in parties. It was something I knew about intellectually, but to have forgotten it was something I had to reflect on.

It's one thing when we're in a tight spot, but since the archer was dealt with and we weren't outnumbered, I should have let Erina-san have some. Besides, I could probably deflect a skeleton's arrow with just wind.

She's also leveled up to LV: 2, same as me, but creating a strange gap between us from here on out would just make things awkward. Especially since... our growth rates aren't the same.

"I'll be more careful from now on..."

"Yup! Do as you see fit. Also, you had a bit of an opening after those two swings earlier, so you should be careful about that."

"Did I...? Alright, I will."

"Yeah!!"

I gave Erina-san a slight bow and resumed the exploration. We proceeded without any further issues, and in a corner of a room that might have been a dining hall, lined with long tables, she collected data by burning and bending drop items. I just stood guard during that time.

In any case, my first exploration of an E-Rank Dungeon, which lasted a total of about two hours that day, ended safely.

My income from drop items and subjugation rewards, after accounting for damaged coins and such, came to '10,000 yen' per person. The cooperation reward from the research lab Aira-san belongs to, partly because our rank had increased, was '60,000 yen' per person.

That's 70,000 yen in total. Even after some is taken out for taxes, it's still a significant amount compared to a normal part-time job.

All things considered, my adventurer life is going smoothly. My high school life, on the other hand, is not worth mentioning.

However, I must never forget the dangers involved. Monsters are terrifying creatures, and I will continue my adventuring career with that awareness.

...Or so I told myself, but there was still a part of me that had grown lax.

The day after I went to the skeleton dungeon, a news report on TV would serve as a stark reminder of the threat monsters posed.

'Look! The town, the town is being swallowed by a tsunami of flames!'

On the other side of the screen, for the first time this year, a dungeon in the middle of a town had overflowed.

'It's a dragon! A dragon is flying in the sky! W-We're trying to escape this airspace now, but our helicopter is also—'

There was a loud noise, and the reporter's voice turned into a scream. The camera feed became chaotic, making it impossible to understand the situation.

In the split second before the screen cut back to the studio,

'■■■■■■■────!!!'

A monster's roar echoed.