kscans

Chapter 4 - First Dungeon, Part 1

Dungeon.

A labyrinth that suddenly appeared in Japan. The Japanese government currently classifies their danger level on a scale of 'A to F.'

Their interiors vary from abandoned mine shafts to ruined castles, but they all have one thing in common: they contain monsters that will attack humans.

The dungeon for the adventurer exam is a bottom-tier 'F' rank dungeon. The SDF has already cleared out most of the monsters inside and completed the mapping.

Even so, after a certain amount of time, monsters will appear from somewhere and wander the dungeon as if nothing happened. The place we're heading to now is teeming with man-eating creatures.

Even if it's the lowest rank, it's still a life-or-death situation.

And into that dungeon—

"Nice to meet you, Shacho-san! Just pretend you're on the Titanic, it'll be fiiine!"

"Ah, yes... a pleasure..."

I ended up going in with this fake foreigner.

Her name is apparently Rinzaki Erina. She said she's a quarter British.

For the record, she was born and raised in Japan, so her English is supposedly so-so. But that doesn't explain her bizarre way of speaking. Also, we're about to enter a dungeon, so please, no 'Titanic' references.

But I can't bring myself to point it out. I don't want her to dislike me. This is an important exam, after all...!

"Alright, once you've formed pairs, please head to that door. For those whose Arcane Gear lacks sufficient defense, we are lending out bulletproof vests—"

Following the staff member's instructions, we move.

Arcane Gear.

That's the stuff I was inexplicably wearing on the Day of Awakening. Amazingly, I can equip and unequip it just by thinking about it. I can change clothes in an instant just by willing it.

It's a power straight out of a manga, incredible all on its own. It must be a headache for the police, though, since you could easily bring a blade anywhere.

"Ah, Rinzaki-san, are you, um, okay? With the bulletproof vest..."

"I'm fine. I'm a ninja, after all. Ahem!"

"Ah, right."

What's being a ninja got to do with it? Is this one of those 'if it doesn't hit you...' things?

Well, as we were introducing ourselves, we decided I'd be the vanguard and she'd be the scout and mid-guard. As long as I don't mess up, an attack shouldn't reach the back lines.

After that, I'm pushed along by the incredibly energetic Rinzaki-san as we wait for our turn. We're being a bit loud, but everyone else seems to be in a giddy mood about their first dungeon too. They're all having joking strategy meetings or just chatting about things unrelated to the dungeon.

The atmosphere is nothing like a place where people are about to risk their lives. Not that I'm in any state to judge, so I'm not about to criticize them.

And so, it was finally our turn.

"I'm Kageyama, and I'll be in charge of your exam. A pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Rinzaki Erina!! A pleasure!!"

"Yagawa Kyouta. A pleasure to meet you."

The female SDF officer named Kageyama's cheek twitched at Rinzaki-san's loud voice. I know how you feel.

Feeling a bit uneasy, my 'eyes' noticed something was off.

Rinzaki-san probably has experience in some form of martial arts. I noticed it by comparing her to Kageyama-san; the way she shifts her center of gravity is similar. Even though she gestures wildly, her core is solid.

While thinking my 'eyes' are quite useful, I also felt a small sense of relief.

Rinzaki-san seems like she'll be reliable, as long as she takes this seriously. I did some practice swings in between studying for my exams, but there's a huge difference between an amateur doing it for fun and someone who has properly studied martial arts.

"Alright, both of you, please deploy your Arcane Gear."

"Yes, ma'am."

"YES, MA'AM!!!"

She's so loud.

I grumble internally as I deploy my Arcane Gear. A sallet, a choker-like piece of armor with metal plates for my neck. A breastplate with a collar covering my torso, and a loincloth with chainmail sewn into the lining at my waist.

Gauntlets and greaves on both sides, and boots with iron plates on the toes and heels. The left gauntlet is beefier than the right, with overlapping plates like a crustacean's shell.

In contrast to me, Rinzaki-san's gear is much lighter.

A tight black inner layer covering her from neck to torso, with a navy blue kimono edged in dark green worn over it.

Her shoulders and thighs are bare, while her forearms and the area from her knees down are again covered in thin black tights. On her feet are what look like leather greaves and sandals. Her arms are covered in gauntlets of the same material, but her fingers are exposed.

I see, she really does look like a ninja. With the white scarf-like cloth wrapped around her neck, she looks like she could be in an anime.

...Also. This girl really does have a great figure. Is this the British blood, I wonder?

No, bad thoughts. I fight back my worldly desires with reason and stare straight ahead. I also hang an LED lantern from my sword belt. This way I can illuminate my surroundings without tying up my hands.

At first, I thought about sticking a flashlight to my helmet, but it didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. Besides, this has more of an 'adventurer-like vibe,' which is nice.

The room we were led into was just a room with a 'gate,' filmed from all sides by surveillance cameras.

As we approached it, Kageyama-san turned to face us.

"We're going in now. Both of you, please grab my shoulders."

"Right."

"Got it!"

Readjusting my backpack, I touch Kageyama-san's shoulder.

"Yagawa-san. Please hold on tighter. It's dangerous if you let go."

"Ah, sorry."

Even through my bulky equipment, touching a woman's body makes me nervous.

Telling myself it's for safety, I grip her shoulder firmly. Of course, through the gauntlet and her bulletproof vest, all I can feel is hardness.

"Okay, here we go."

With that, Kageyama-san opened the gate and stepped inside.

As I followed, pulled along, my vision went completely dark for a moment.

An incredible sense of wrongness. It was like the ground beneath my feet had vanished, yet there was no feeling of floating—a strange contradiction.

A mysterious sensation that made me feel nauseous, as if I had vanished from this world.

Immediately after, the light from a lantern illuminated the surroundings.

A rocky path, reinforced with rotting wooden planks. Stakes were driven in here and there, with LED lights hanging from them.

A place like an ancient mine, lit by modern lights. It gave off a very 'mismatched' impression.

"This is... a dungeon..."

"Yes, it is."

At Kageyama-san's words, I quickly let go of her shoulder.

She answered matter-of-factly while checking the rifle slung around her neck. Now that I think about it, Kageyama-san isn't wearing Arcane Gear, but standard SDF equipment. Helmet, bulletproof vest, and a gun.

This is the first time I've seen a real gun up close. It's a little scary.

"There are places illuminated like this, but in areas where the wiring doesn't reach, or where it's been destroyed by monsters, there's nothing. Please be careful."

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

"Understood."

Her calm tone of voice made me check beside me.

Rinzaki-san was looking at me with a smug look on her face. You can speak normally...?

"As you heard in the lecture, there are numbers written by the SDF in various places in the dungeon. Please compare those with the map to confirm your current location."

As she said that, I took out the map we were given beforehand from my backpack.

On a nearby wall, 'B-4' was painted in yellow.

"During the exploration, I will generally not give instructions or advice. However, if I judge it to be dangerous, I will halt the exam. From that point on, you will follow my instructions to escape."

"Yes, ma'am."

"We're counting on you."

Kageyama-san's words, spoken not as a threat but as a simple matter of procedure, were frightening in their own way.

I realize now that, deep down, I'd been giddy this whole time. Drunk on this newfound power, I'd held nothing but a romanticized image of this 'extraordinary life' in a dungeon.

I don't know if that feeling is completely gone, but... I'll do this.

I take one deep breath. My heart is still pounding a little, but it's okay. I convince myself that it's okay.

"Alright, you may begin."

Kageyama-san moved behind us. I immediately showed the map to Rinzaki-san and started talking.

"Um, about our route..."

"Yep. We're at 'B-4' now, so I think it's best to go from here to 'B-3,' then move to '2,' and then head for 'C-8'."

"...Uh, um..."

I hurriedly traced the numbers she mentioned with my finger and saw that it was indeed the shortest route to the 'exit.'

"...The map, have you memorized it by any chance?"

"Smug!"

My cheek twitched as Rinzaki-san put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest.

I really was a frog in a well... no, a tadpole who couldn't even see the inside of the well.

But I need to switch gears. Having a competent partner is nothing but good fortune.

"Then let's do that. ...Um, could I ask you to navigate?"

"Of course. Oh, but depending on the number of monsters we encounter, we might change the route."

"Right."

And with that, I readjusted my backpack and started walking.

...Come to think of it, most adventurers carry backpacks to bring back 'drop items,' but she doesn't have one.

Did she decide she didn't need one since this is an exam? I'd think it would be better to have the same equipment as a real mission, especially since we have an SDF escort.

Well, she probably has her reasons. I focus on the dungeon.

The path is lit by the lights hanging in the passage, so I can see the ground clearly and don't have to worry about tripping.

The path is about two and a half meters wide, and the height is two meters... maybe a little higher?

I draw my hand-and-a-half sword and hold it in my right hand as I proceed cautiously. After walking for about three minutes down the winding tunnel, Rinzaki-san spoke up.

"Hey, Kyo-chan. I hear something like footsteps and a cry, maybe?"

"Kyo—... Understood."

Slightly taken aback by the nickname my mother used to call me when I was little, I readjust my grip on my sword.

The monster in this dungeon is, if I remember correctly...

I stick my arm out slightly from around the corner and use a hand mirror to check what's ahead.

Vvvv...

A low growl reaches my ears.

A bipedal, dog-like monster covered in coarse fur. Its head is about 150 centimeters off the ground.

Milky white eyes, yellowed fangs. And through the gaps in its fur, rotting skin peeks through.

Zombie Kobold.

Apparently, there are also 'normal Kobolds,' but those are 'E' rank. This one is an 'undead' Kobold.

Its intelligence and agility are supposedly relatively low, and it attacks with its claws and fangs.

...Come to think of it, the instructor said during the lecture that 'the exam will feature mentally tough monsters.'

I see. This is certainly...

I can feel my mouth form a grim line at the sight of what can only be described as a rotting dog corpse.

There's one of them. No other monsters in the vicinity...

I whisper this to Rinzaki-san, and she says,

"Well, since we're here, why don't we take it down?"

...Indeed, 'since we're here.'

I glance at Kageyama-san.

I'll have to fight these kinds of things anyway after I get my license. So I should get used to it while my safety is at least minimally guaranteed.

I nod silently in response, and Rinzaki-san pulls out something like a nail from behind her back. This is... I've seen it in historical dramas. A 'bo-shuriken,' was it?

"Okay, I'm going to throw this. When it comes at us, I'm counting on you, okay?"

"Got it."

I was about to take another deep breath, but the smell of the Zombie Kobold wafted over and I stopped.

I look at Rinzaki-san, and she's holding up three fingers, which she then folds down one by one.

As her thumb finally folds, she leans out from around the corner.

The bo-shuriken is thrown without a sound. It flies straight and hits the Zombie Kobold directly in the head.

Gih!

The small body staggers with a short cry.

But it immediately charges straight towards us.

Vuoooh!!

The bo-shuriken is sticking out of its left eye, having crushed the eyeball, but it doesn't seem to care. As its ferocious roar echoes, I feel my knees start to buckle, but I force myself to leap forward.

"—Hraaah!"

I had predicted that I would freeze up when I came face to face with a monster like this.

So, even though it's not exactly recommended in a dungeon, just once, for the very first strike.

"Hraaaaaaaah!"

I'll shout. I had decided on that. To forcibly move my body, which I knew would be paralyzed by the fear of a first battle and the tension of attacking an 'animal.'

Because I had decided, I was able to raise my sword. And I swung it down with all my might.

—CLANG!

"Huh!?"

Eh, what, the tip of my sword hit something... the ceiling?

A hard impact, a shock that travels up my arm. And my slash comes to a dead stop.

I had no time for my blood to run cold; the Zombie Kobold was right in front of me.

I see a vision. Its ragged claws swiping at my torso. The 'future' where they slam into my breastplate.

Therefore, without thinking, I slam my left hand into the predicted trajectory of the claws.

My left arm is covered in a thicker gauntlet than my right, so even a clumsy swing is like being struck with a hammer. The Zombie Kobold's right wrist shatters, and the sickening sensation of crushed rotten flesh travels up my arm.

"Tch!"

Still holding the sword, I punch the Zombie Kobold's face with my right hand. It was a clumsy punch by my own standards, but the impact sent the Zombie Kobold's body flying.

The creature collapsed two or three meters away, and after a few seconds, its body turned white and crumbled away.

Salt. Just like the information from the internet and the lecture said, a monster's corpse turns into an equal mass of salt.

Amidst the salt, I saw something glitter. But with no time to worry about that, I resumed breathing, which I had unknowingly stopped.

"Hah... hah..."

...How uncool.

I can't help but give myself that evaluation. After all that image training, all those practice swings. During the physical test, I was so smug, even if it was just internally.

And then, when it comes to a real battle, this is the result. It's so pathetic I feel like crying.

This means an 'E' start is out of the question... maybe even the adventurer license itself...

"Nice guts!"

"Whoa!"

A light pat on the back makes my body jump in surprise.

I turn around to see Rinzaki-san with an impossibly bright smile.

"Eh, no, um..."

"That was an amazing punch. When it hit, it went 'THWACK!' you know. THWACK!'"

She's bouncing around like a little kid. I give her a small bow.

"I'm sorry. For, um, taking so long. And for making you worry..."

"Hm? What are you talking about?"

Rinzaki-san tilts her head, looking genuinely confused. Is she acting, or...?

"...Oh. If you're talking about hitting your sword on the ceiling, that's fine. Everyone makes mistakes at first. When I was doing kendo, my sword slipped and I broke a ceiling light!"

Well... I feel like that's a bit different.

But she seems to be saying it from the heart. And that made me feel a little lighter.

"...Thank you."

"You're welcome!!"

"...Also, I'm sorry for shouting."

"I don't think monsters will come running just because you shout in a dungeon. My senpai said so too!"

Rinzaki-san says with a smile, throwing her hands up in a 'banzai' pose. Senpai? I see, she has a senior adventurer.

"Understood. In that case, let's resume the exploration. Oh, but before that..."

I stick my fingers into the pile of salt that was once a Zombie Kobold and pull out a single coin.

Drop Item.

When you defeat a monster, it turns into salt, but there's always some kind of item mixed in.

Sometimes it's an iron or copper coin, sometimes it's a horn or claw that seems to be a part of the monster. It varies.

It's a phenomenon straight out of a video game, and scholars all over the world are scratching their heads over it.

Some say, 'Did we really connect to a game world?' while others suggest, 'Are they being operated with some kind of technology using that as a core?' There are no conclusions, only a flurry of hypotheses.

Well, for adventurers, none of that matters. These drop items are a source of income separate from our hourly wage.

...In fact, in the early days of the Dungeon Law, the value of these drop items was apparently the only reward. It was only after complaints from our predecessors that the 1,000 yen per hour was added.

By the way, I call it an 'hourly wage' because it's easier, but it actually has a different official name and is separate from the minimum wage. It's a tough world.

Adventurer activities, except for some 'quests,' are treated as 'individuals voluntarily going to dungeons to hunt,' so that's how it is.

Anyway, back to the topic. I show the iron coin to Rinzaki-san.

"Um, who should hold onto this? It's an exam, so we don't get to keep it, but..."

Unlike a real dungeon exploration, everything we find in this exam goes to the testing facility. Considering we have the insurance of an SDF escort, I have no complaints.

"Hmm, then I'll hold it."

"Okay. Please do."

I hand her the coin, and Rinzaki-san puts it 'somewhere' behind her back.

...Seriously, where did she put it? For a moment, my 'eyes' caught a flow of mana.

[Spirit Eye]

A type of magic eye that reads the flow of mana and, in the face of danger, shows a glimpse of the near future.

In daily life, it's useful for dodging bird droppings or avoiding dangerous cars, but in a dungeon, it's extremely helpful.

Since that's what I sensed, it's probably some kind of skill. She really is a ninja, it seems.

In any case, it's time to resume the exploration. I once again proceed forward cautiously.

My first dungeon exploration. I'll just try not to be too nervous. I tell myself that.

First, I need to get through this safely. That's all that matters.