kscans

Chapter 66 - Towards C-Rank

While my classmates were busy practicing for the upcoming sports festival, we were once again heading into a dungeon.

In the changing room, I put on my jumpsuit and backpack, then stepped outside. After tapping the floor with my toes to check the fit of my boots, I headed to the restroom just in case.

Perhaps because they anticipated adventurers coming in with all their gear, the men’s restroom at the Dungeon Store had plenty of space to put things down. According to my mom, the women’s restrooms were designed that way to begin with, for bags and such.

Well, the details of the women’s restroom didn’t matter to me. After finishing my business, I washed my hands, dried them with a handkerchief, and returned to the front of the changing rooms.

Just then, Erina-san emerged from the women’s side.

"Oh, Kyouta-chan, have you been waiting long?"

"No, I just got here."

‘Hey now. That sounds like a conversation between a couple. Let me in on it.’

"Wh-What!?... Please don’t tease me."

"We’re not a couple! We’re a ninja alliance!"

"We’re not."

"Wait, we were a couple...!?"

"That’s not it either."

‘You got together... with someone other than me. I thought it would be me who became your partner...’

"That reference is a little dated."

‘No way.’

After sighing softly at the exchange with the two tragically beautiful girls, I turned my gaze back to Erina-san.

"Are you ready?"

"Of course-a-rooni! I went to the bathroom before we even got to the store!"

‘Now, now. Erina-kun, you’re a lady. You should use more elegant language.’

"My humble self has already completed my excretory duties at the station lavatory!!"

‘One hundred points.’

"You both fail, idiots."

"Aww, you’re no fun."

After checking with my finger to make sure the earring was properly attached to my earlobe, I started walking toward the gate room.

If I kept talking to these two here, the date would probably change by the time we left.

"Aira-san. We’re heading to the gate now."

‘Right. You two, be on your guard.’

"Roger!"

"Yes."

I gave a short reply and presented my adventurer license at the gate room reception.

Normally, it would end with a quick check of my face and name, but this time, the SDF officer at the desk stared at me with a gentle smile.

Despite the warmth of his expression, his gaze was anything but calm.

It was a probing, seeing gaze... it feels a little embarrassing to say it, but it was what you might call the ‘eyes of a warrior,’ trying to size us up.

Just from that look, I could tell. This was someone who had been through life-or-death situations.

"Excuse me, but could you both please tell me your current levels? This dungeon is relatively more dangerous than other D-Rank ones, so we are restricting entry to those below LV: 15."

This officer’s concern—no, his warning—was perfectly reasonable.

That’s how dangerous this dungeon was.

"I’m LV: 21."

"I’m LV: 16!!"

It was a verbal response. Unless this officer had the `Appraisal` skill or some other ability to detect lies, he wouldn’t know if we were telling the truth.

Still, he must have believed us, because he nodded and took out a few documents.

"...I see. In that case, please review and sign these papers."

On the reception desk was a waiver.

To summarize, it was a document stating that we understood the dangers of this dungeon and were proceeding at our own risk. It also confirmed that we accepted full responsibility for any injuries or ‘death’ that occurred during this exploration.

It was similar to the waiver I’d signed when I got my adventurer license, but it was necessary to sign this one again.

This dungeon went to great lengths to intimidate those who entered. For half-hearted challengers looking for a thrill, it would only lead to death.

After we wrote our names and stamped our seals, the SDF officer placed the documents in a clear file and saluted.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Please be careful."

"Yes."

"We’re off!"

After bowing to the officer, we entered the gate room.

Before the familiar-looking white door, I manifested my `Arcane Gear`.

I checked my helmet, breastplate, gauntlets, fauld with its underlying mail, and greaves. I lightly gripped the hand-and-a-half sword and small knife at my waist to confirm their presence, then handed my backpack to Erina-san.

Thanks to her level-up, her `Item Box` had apparently expanded quite a bit. She said it was about the size of a small room now.

Since I wasn’t bringing out Byakuren this time, all our luggage would be entrusted to Erina-san.

With its armor still incomplete, there was a chance its purpose-built body would just get destroyed in this dungeon. And bringing the ‘spare’ body without the custom parts would just be a hindrance.

"Please take this."

"Mhm, leave it to me."

After watching her store the backpack, I touched my own earring.

"We will now enter the dungeon."

‘Right. I’ve said it many times, but you two, be careful. This is the exam dungeon for promotion to C-Rank. Its difficulty is extremely high. If you judge it to be dangerous, retreat without a second thought.’

"Understood."

"Roger!"

C-Rank.

That was the rank of the centaurs we had fought before.

I was confident I could handle ten or twenty of the normal ones, but against the boss monster... against ‘Leukos,’ victory would be difficult even for us now.

This was the dungeon for the promotion exam to that rank. We should approach it assuming a danger level equivalent to ‘C-Rank.’

"Huuuuu... haaaa..."

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

How many times had I challenged a dungeon like this? I had to step into this space where death could be waiting just a few centimeters away.

No. To say ‘had to’ is misleading. I chose to come here.

As the waiver I’d just signed stated, this was my own responsibility. This was the job I had chosen.

I was reminded of that once again.

"Kyouta-chan."

Erina-san placed a hand on my shoulder.

When I turned to look at the owner of that white hand, she gave me a quick wink.

"Ah yoo ray-dee?"

Her hair was like molten gold, her eyes like emeralds, her skin a translucent white, yet her English pronunciation was terrible.

I nodded in response.

"Yeah. Let’s go."

"Alright! Time for a raid!!"

Chuckling at her loud voice echoing at close range, I stepped through the white door.

The familiar sensation of the ground disappearing beneath my feet. Before I could even frown at the discomfort of a floating sensation without any actual feeling of floating, my soles found solid ground again.

Hard, smooth stone tiles. A chalk-white corridor stretched out before us, flanked by black iron bars on either side.

Beyond the rugged iron bars, dense hedgerows grew without a single gap, adorned with crimson roses.

The space, with even its ceiling constructed of beautiful white material, was so magnificent it could have been a tourist attraction if it weren't a place teeming with monsters. The combination of white and black, green and red, was reminiscent of a fairy tale world.

Above all, the faint glow emanating from the roses themselves, in addition to the artificial light hanging from my waist, enhanced the fantastical atmosphere.

But this was a den of monsters that would brutally murder humans. Carelessness and overconfidence meant death.

"Beginning exploration."

‘Roger.’

I drew the sword from my waist, exchanged a glance with Erina-san, and moved forward.

Clank, clank. My footsteps echoed loudly. It was proof of how on edge my nerves were.

Less than thirty seconds after we started walking, we spotted an SDF paint mark. A splotch of dark yellow was smeared across the pure white stone tiles, with letters and numbers written on it.

"Aira-san. We are currently at G-12. Please provide navigation."

‘Understood... From there, proceed straight and turn right at the second intersection.’

"Roger."

I nodded in response to the `Telepathy` and started walking again.

A quick glance back at Erina-san showed her constantly looking around. This was unusual behavior for her during a normal exploration.

Thanks to her skill, her hearing boasted a search capability worthy of being called a sonar. The fact that she could masterfully use that keen sense of hearing was part of what made `Five Senses Enhancement` an ‘大当たり (jackpot)’ skill.

And yet, there was a reason she was now scouting without relying on her hearing.

A terribly simple, and therefore troublesome, reason.

"Tch..."

I stopped and raised my left hand slightly.

"Something’s coming around the corner. Be on guard."

"Okay."

We exchanged whispers. In this dungeon, I was the one to spot the enemy first.

My `Spirit Eye` could visualize mana. It could even detect enemies through obstacles like hedgerows and walls.

This was especially true since our current opponent was emitting more mana than a typical monster.

Slowly, a shadow emerged from around the corner. It billowed a vibrant red cape, no less brilliant than the roses blooming around us.

A cape that looked like it belonged to a stage actor, a black top hat, and a mask one might wear to a masquerade ball.

The hand peeking out from the cape was covered by a white glove—and the wrist and forearm that should have been there were nowhere to be seen.

Floating objects. A poltergeist.

Almost at the same moment the white glove disappeared inside the cape, a knife and a throwing spike flew toward the ‘enemy.’

But they were knocked aside with a single swing of a sword.

A slender, beautiful rapier. Gripping it with a glove that should have been empty, the monster, the `Wraith`, charged.

Masquerade.

That was the name of the monster in this dungeon.

As the monster closed in at high speed, I advanced as well. My heavy footfalls, forceful enough to crack the stone tiles, contrasted sharply with the silently moving `Masquerade`.

Due to the difference in reach, the tip of the rapier reached me first.

Though it was a weapon that could also slash, its deadliest attack was this thrust. According to SDF intel, this thrust could easily pierce even a plate-reinforced bulletproof vest.

I caught it with my left gauntlet.

The thick armor sparked as the rapier bent sharply.

I forcefully swung my left arm aside and stepped in further. My diagonal downward slash reached the `Masquerade`.

Its body should have been intangible. Normal lead bullets would pass right through its cape, but my `Arcane Gear` was an armament of condensed mana.

I mercilessly cut through the crimson cloak and tore its spiritual body apart.

With a soft rustle, the vibrant red fell, like a splash of blood.

It immediately turned to salt, leaving behind a coin that glinted in the light of my LED lantern.

I let out a sigh of relief and scanned my surroundings. I moved my gaze from left to right, then right to left.

It was one of the basics I learned in the adventurer course. Modern people are used to reading from left to right, making it easy to overlook inconsistencies in their field of vision. That’s why, for visual scouting, it’s necessary to properly move one’s eyes in both directions.

No enemy mana appeared in my `Spirit Eye`. This time, I truly breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the coin.

"Aww. Kyouta-chan beat me to it."

I offered the coin to a frustrated Erina-san, who was biting on a handkerchief, and gave her a wry smile.

"It’s just that this dungeon is a bad match-up for you. I usually rely on your ears completely, so let me pull my weight this time."

"I guess so, but... Kyouta-chan basically does all the fighting by himself."

"If we get pinched by two or more, I’ll leave my back to you, so I’ll be counting on you then. I’m relying on you."

"That’s true! Leave it to me!"

Erina-san accepted the coin with a smug look and put it in her `Item Box`.

It wasn’t flattery; I fully intended to entrust my back to her. Her scouting ability was high, but I also trusted her swordsmanship.

While the `Masquerade`’s speed and attack power were a threat, it wasn’t a particularly durable enemy. Erina-san’s ninja sword was more than enough to handle it.

"Resuming exploration. We just turned at the designated location."

‘Excellent. Then it’s a straight shot to the end of the hall. There are a few intersections along the way, so watch out for enemies coming from the side.’

"Yes."

"Roger!"

I replied to Aira-san and we continued through the labyrinth.