kscans

Chapter 85 - The C-Rank Dungeon

June was drawing to a close.

Erina-san and I were at the city hall. Outside, the high temperature and rain had made it muggy, but inside the building, the air conditioning was a welcome relief.

"It's great we passed, isn't it, Kyo-chan?"

"Yeah. It really is..."

The morning after their visit, we had received our notifications of passing the 'C-Rank Adventurer' promotion exam.

I had been worried I'd failed because of the interview, so this was a huge relief. My parents, however, didn't seem ready to celebrate wholeheartedly and just gave me complicated looks.

With this document and our 'D-Rank Adventurer Licenses' in hand, we could go to the city hall and have our 'C-Rank Adventurer Licenses' issued in about thirty minutes. Right now, we were waiting on a long bench near the reception desk.

I discreetly glanced at my partner sitting next to me, dressed once again in her Taisho-era romantic style.

She seemed to be acting normally, with no sign that she was upset about yesterday. It looked like I was the only one still bothered by my careless question about her father.

"Now serving number 12."

"Ah, yes."

I went up to the counter, where a kind-looking older woman handed me my adventurer license in its protective case.

The letters 'C-Rank' were printed next to my name.

Though it was physically light, it felt a little heavy in my hand.

Starting today, I was one of the highest-ranked adventurers. Not that it would change anything about my daily life.

I received my license and listened to the necessary explanations. The content was the same as when I'd gotten my 'E-Rank' and 'D-Rank' licenses.

This weight I was feeling must be purely subjective.

But it was a weight I knew I shouldn't forget.

"Also, our city is planning to establish a Dungeon Countermeasures Division, so if you're interested, please register—"

"Ah, no thanks."

Correction. The speech was a little different this time.

Come to think of it, they tried to recruit me before, and it was still just a 'plan'. Does that mean they haven't managed to gather any adventurers...?

Is our city going to be okay...?

*

'My, my. You two are quite diligent.'

As the bus rattled along, I listened to Aira-san's voice through my earring.

'Prioritizing a trip to a C-Rank dungeon over a promotion celebration.'

Her tone was slightly exasperated. It was understandable. Here we were, heading straight for a dungeon right after renewing our licenses.

But we had our reasons.

"We haven't been able to go to a dungeon since the incident with the demon. It's about time we got back to our adventurer work."

"That's right, Paisen! In the world of the ninja, a day of rest means you fall three days behind!"

"That has nothing to do with ninjas."

And also... this is a rather grim reality...

I just needed money.

The thing is, the brand-new armor `Byakuren` had been wearing was half-destroyed during the stampede we encountered at the sports festival.

This break was also a period for repairs. Having it break before we even took it into a dungeon was completely unexpected.

But what was also unexpected was the cost of those repairs.

Seven million yen.

That was just for the armor. My eyes practically popped out of my head. For a moment, I even doubted my `Spirit Eye`, thinking I must have miscounted the digits.

But it was a full custom order from a production-class skill user. Apparently, this was a very reasonable price, which made my blood run cold.

Ooyama-san had offered to repair it for free, saying, 'it was before the official delivery,' but I couldn't accept. This amount was beyond the scope of friendship.

Fortunately, thanks to the money I'd earned from the lab, I was able to pay for it. Still, it was a significant blow.

...I have to admit, when Ooyama-san offered to do it for half price if I gave her my 'pubic hair,' I was seriously tempted.

But pubic hair is just wrong. And that's way too much for a high school girl to be saying.

Apparently, such hair has long been said to have protective properties, and that's still true in this modern age of skills.

Long ago, women's pubic hair was prized as a charm against bullets, and the hair of a strong person was said to ward off evil spirits.

Ooyama-san explained that the stronger the Awakened Person, the stronger the effect, and with my `Concept Interference` skill, my hair might have a devastating effect on Wraith-type monsters.

Even so, that was a line I couldn't cross... I have a sense of shame, you know.

Besides, who would even use equipment made from hair like that? I can't imagine there being any demand for it.

But I digress. It's mentally healthier to earn money with my body than to sell parts of it. I'll just have to keep working hard as an adventurer.

Aside from money, there was still the goal of 'leveling up.'

The demon was a tough opponent, but a 'narrow victory' meant I wouldn't even be able to escape if I encountered a dragon.

I'd seen on the news that the dragon that once attacked a provincial town and escaped from two fighter jets had been designated as 'A-Rank.'

What I needed was a level that would allow me to survive an encounter with an A-Rank monster.

It seemed I still had a long way to go.

We arrived at the `Dungeon Store` and got off the bus. The parking lot was empty except for the employee spaces, and there were few people around.

The inside was basically the same as any other store, but... in front of the gate room, the number of SDF personnel was higher than usual.

I could also feel a faint trace of mana from them. They were all Awakened SDF members.

'Hmm... all common rarity. And all single-digit levels.'

"Honestly. I thought this when you scouted Kyouta-kun too, but it's rude to use `Appraisal` on people without permission."

'My apologies. It's a habit.'

"If you do it again, you're getting a scolding!"

'Hahaha! Yes, well, I will do my best.'

"From Grandma."

'I will never do such a thing again.'

I almost chuckled at Erina-san's conversation as I headed to the changing room.

Even with a new rank and a more heavily guarded store, my routine didn't change. I got ready as usual and headed to the gate room.

At the reception desk, I presented my adventurer license. After a thorough check of my face and name, I was allowed through.

Standing before the white gate, Erina-san summoned her golem for me.

"`Byakuren`."

Calling its name, I poured my mana into the golem, activating it.

The white armor, now so clean it looked brand new, gleamed. Deep within, its glass eyes lit up, and Byakuren stood on its own.

Its weapon was the same as before: an iron ball and chain. It was extremely against my preferences, but for 'this dungeon,' it seemed to be the most effective option.

I really wanted to equip it with its official gear, a battle axe and a large kite shield...

Why did my ideal knight robot have to wield such a barbaric weapon?

The thought flickered through my mind, but I quickly pushed it away. I wasn't here to play. Such attachments to 'tools' were unnecessary.

"Erina-san, are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!"

Erina-san snorted. Reassured that she was her usual self, I nodded.

"Aira-san, we're entering the gate now."

'Right. You two, the dungeon you're about to enter is the most difficult one currently open to the public. Do not let your guard down for a second. Go in expecting a Refcourse or a demon to be waiting for you.'

"Understood."

"Roger!"

Confirming that Erina-san's hand was on my right shoulder and Byakuren's on my left, I stepped into the gate.

I'd never get used to this feeling of the ground disappearing without any sense of floating.

Soon, the solid sensation returned to my feet. It was the rough surface of rock, and the area was illuminated by an artificial light.

But the light only reached around my head. Relying on the SDF's relatively low-placed lights, I looked around.

It was huge.

The passageway was wide enough for two trucks to pass each other with ease. It was a cave that looked as if it had been carved out of brownish rock, and both the floor and walls were extremely uneven. I could faintly see something like strata in the walls.

And the ceiling. I couldn't tell how high it was, but it had to be at least six meters. Stalactites grew from it like icicles.

Each one was nearly two meters long. According to the information at the store, their hardness was different from normal ones, rivaling that of steel.

If one of those fell on my head, 'ouch' wouldn't even begin to cover it, even with a helmet. But if I only paid attention to what was above, I'd likely trip on this ground that was anything but easy to walk on.

It wasn't just the enemies; the very terrain of the dungeon felt malicious. I couldn't help but think so.

Just in case, I turned on my lantern and penlight and checked the mirror attached to Byakuren.

"Alright, let's begin the exploration."

'Yeah. Be careful.'

"Will do."

We proceeded in a line: Byakuren, me, then Erina-san. The clanking of armor echoed through the cave.

After walking a short distance, I noticed the smell.

The cool dungeon air was mixed with the stench of animal grease and saliva. This must be what people meant by a 'beastly odor.'

"...Kyo-chan. I don't think I can use my sense of smell for scouting in this dungeon."

"Yeah. I figured..."

I could only nod at Erina-san's serious expression. A police dog would probably give up in this dungeon.

But she mainly relies on her hearing and sight anyway. Was this her way of saying she could handle scouting as usual?

But it seemed we'd only have time for such lighthearted banter until the first intersection.

"Kyo-chan!"

Her warning and...

THUD.

...the sound of an earth-shaking footstep came at almost the same time.

The sound echoed through the cave, and I couldn't tell which direction it was coming from. But Erina-san seemed to have pinpointed it.

"Ahead, one is coming from around the curve. Sounds like it's walking."

"Got it."

The path curved gently. To think we'd encounter a monster before we even found an SDF marker.

I drew my sword and focused my attention on the ring on my left hand.

I wouldn't hold back. In terms of individual strength within the dungeon, the monsters here were 'stronger than a Lesser Demon, but weaker than a Demon.'

The source of the footsteps, which drowned out the sound of me swallowing my own saliva, came into view.

For a moment, I thought it was extremely close.

About thirty meters ahead, the monster that appeared from around the curve was so huge it distorted my sense of perspective.

Its skin was a deep green. Its bulging eyes glowed yellow, and the teeth peeking from its mouth were like those of a carnivore.

Its hair, beard, chest hair, and all other body hair were matted and unkempt, and it reeked even from this distance.

It was around five meters tall. A body like a professional wrestler, packed with muscle and fat, that made it seem even larger than its height suggested.

The giant, clad only in a loincloth, let out a roar from a mouth that could swallow a human whole.

'GROOOOOOAAAAAAAR!!'

A Troll.

The monster, said to be nearly immortal, ripped one of the stalactites from the ceiling. It was infuriating to know that only the bottom part was as hard as steel; the base was no different from a normal stalactite.

The Troll, holding its stone club, roared again and charged, shaking the dungeon with every step.

The opening bell for our first 'C-Rank Dungeon' exploration had rung.