kscans

Chapter 7 - 7

A dungeon that should only exist in the game world had appeared in reality.

There were many things to question, but my body moved before I could think about them.

As I passed by the living room on my way to the entrance, my parents were putting back the shelves and things that had fallen over in the earthquake just now. Neither of them seemed to be injured.

"I’m going to the school for a bit!"

I shouted and bolted out of the house without waiting for my parents’ reply.

On my way out, I grabbed a wooden sword from a school trip to Kyoto that had been left in the umbrella stand at the entrance. Then I got on my bicycle.

My destination was the tower-type dungeon that had appeared near the high school.

From its shape, it was a dungeon for beginner players to challenge.

And if the announcement from just now was real, if the absurd story that FWO had synchronized with this world was true...

Then the first person to clear a dungeon should get some kind of bonus.

I know it’s impossible.

But still, what if this wasn’t a dream?

What if an FWO dungeon had really appeared in this world?

I absolutely wanted the title of first clearer.

I pedaled my bicycle with all my might, heading for the high school.

The tower-type dungeon grew larger and larger.

It didn’t seem to be an illusion.

The dungeon had appeared on the school grounds. It had also swallowed up part of the first and second-year school buildings.

Many people had already gathered around the black dungeon that towered high into the sky. This is bad. Did someone beat me to it?

I have to hurry!

I got off my bicycle and headed for the dungeon with the wooden sword in hand.

"Ah, Hayate-kun! Wait a minute!!"

My homeroom teacher, whose house is right next to the school, was here. The teacher noticed me and tried to stop me from entering the dungeon.

Ignoring the restraint, I jumped into the wide-open entrance of the dungeon.

As I passed through the entrance, I felt like I had passed through a thin membrane.

When I looked back, the entrance was gone.

It was exactly the same as in FWO.

【Welcome to the Black Dungeon.】

A voice that seemed to echo in my head.

Just as I thought. This dungeon was indeed for beginners.

【Would you like to start the tutorial?】

Selection buttons for YES / NO appeared before my eyes.

After a moment of thought, I pressed NO.

I want to clear this as quickly as possible.

I strongly wished that the specifications would be exactly the same as in FWO. If this place followed FWO’s specifications—

【Skipping tutorial. Now, please select a combat job.】

Good. It seems to be fine.

Countless jobs were displayed on a translucent board.

I scrolled through the screen, praying in my heart.

Please let that job be there.

"Ah! There it is!!"

I found the job called Multi-Sword User.

But from here was the biggest problem.

With a trembling hand, I pressed the Multi-Sword User item with my finger.

The item expanded, and a screen appeared where I could select from several more combat styles.

Among them—

"It’s thereeeee!"

I found the combat style ‘Four-Sword Style’.

Things like why the real world and the game synchronized, or what would happen if I got injured inside this dungeon, were all trivial to me right now.

I couldn’t stop my excitement.

Without hesitation, I selected the four-sword style.

【Once you have decided on a job and combat style, you cannot change them until you obtain a special item. Do you confirm the job as Multi-Sword User and the combat style as Four-Sword Style?】

The YES / NO display appeared again.

I immediately selected YES.

【Combat style has been decided. Please equip the initial equipment exclusive to the four-sword style.】

The space in front of me glowed, and the Manipulators I used when I first started FWO appeared. I had thrown them away a long time ago in the game, so seeing them like this felt quite nostalgic.

"If I remember correctly, the quirk of this one is..."

Manipulators have their own unique quirks depending on the model.

How well you can grasp them is extremely important in the four-sword style, where you handle multiple swords.

Recalling the feeling from the past, I stood in front of the floating Manipulators.

Sucha. Two auxiliary arms were attached to my shoulder blades.

There was a different kind of discomfort than in FWO. But I should be able to get used to this level of it soon.

I had the right Manipulator hold the wooden sword.

I tried swinging it lightly.

...Yeah, seems to be no problem.

Next, let’s try it a little more seriously.

I raised the wooden sword—

A downward cut followed by an upward cut, a diagonal downward slash, a right upward slash, a reverse diagonal slash, a left sweep, and finally a thrust.

A seven-hit combo with all my might.

Even the movement from a reverse diagonal slash to a left sweep, which would be troublesome for a human due to the wrist turn, is done smoothly by the Manipulators.

It seems I can swing with all my strength without any problems.

When I stopped moving, the announcement echoed again.

【Next, please select your weapons.】

Here it is. Weapon selection.

What’s extremely mysterious about FWO’s settings is that even if you choose the four-sword style, you only get two weapons. When I was lecturing beginners on the four-sword style, I can’t tell you how many times I thought, "Just give me four from the start."

Several choices appeared on the translucent board.

The number of selections is 0 / 2.

In other words, I can only choose up to two weapons here too.

Thinking something like this might happen, I brought the wooden sword from home.

To think that the wooden sword I impulsively bought on a middle school trip would make its debut in a place like this... Well, it was the right choice to bring it.

I selected two swords with high attack power, though they are difficult to handle, to be held by the Manipulators. With these two and the wooden sword, I should be able to clear this place without having to leave the dungeon once for enhancement.

"Well then, time for the first real battle. Hayate-Style Four-Sword Style, let’s see how far I can go."

It’s not like I was streaming. I was just a little worried about whether I could fight the same way I did in the game. To distract myself from that anxiety, I proceeded deeper into the dungeon while commentating in my usual style.