kscans

Chapter 3 - First Frontier

After listening to Asakura-san's explanation, I went to the second floor and bought the cheapest sword for 50,000 yen. It was a short sword with a blade length of about seventy centimeters, and it was light.

Honestly, it felt incredibly unreliable, but I had no money, so it couldn't be helped.

I went back down to the first floor, waved to the bored-looking Asakura-san, and headed for the hallway at the back. As I walked down the passage, a large gate came into view.

"So this is a Gate…"

I'd seen pictures of it in textbooks, but this was, of course, the first time I'd seen one in person. I heard the Gate was ten meters wide and twenty meters tall, and it really was huge. Most of all, the space beyond the gate was pitch black, and I couldn't see a thing.

"This is scary."

I have to respect the first person who walked through this gate. I could never do it.

Still, since I already knew it was safe, I proceeded forward and passed through the gate.

The other side was a different world.

Behind me was a matching gate, but to my left and right stretched a grassy plain, and a path lay before me. At the end of that path was a forest.

"So this is Eden Forest…"

By picturing a location in your mind, the Gate can take you to various places. Of course, you can only go to lands leased by Japan, but conversely, you can travel from any branch to any of the lands leased by Japan.

I chose Eden Forest, the go-to spot for beginners. Naturally, the profits are lower than in other places, but as a beginner with hardly any armor, I had no choice. I had to start by getting used to it.

First, I jumped on the spot. My body felt lighter than usual.

"So this is the blessing of magical power."

Apparently, you gain magical power when you come to the Frontier. Because of this, your physical abilities are enhanced compared to when you're on Earth.

Next, I drew the short sword from my waist and gave it a swing. It felt lighter than when I swung it at the weapon shop, and my movements were smoother.

"This is better than when I was in high school. To surpass an eight-year gap is amazing."

Well, if I hadn't taken a break, I'd probably be even more amazing.

I sheathed my short sword and looked at the ground around me.

"Let's see… Status Card, Status Card… There!"

Scanning the ground, I found a black card lying right behind me. I picked it up and read what was written on it.

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Name: Okita Hajime
Level: 1
Job: Swordsman
Skills:
≪Swordsmanship Lv5≫
☆≪Alchemy≫
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Hmm, Swordsman, huh. Well, I use a sword, so that makes sense. Plus, my Swordsmanship is level 5. That's pretty impressive. I read online that Swordsmanship Lv5 is master-class. As expected of me. Still, this isn't a new skill I acquired, so it doesn't really matter.

What I'm more curious about is…

"What's Alchemy?"

Am I an alchemist? No, my job is Swordsman.

"I think if I tap it, I can see the details, right?"

Just as I heard at the training course, I tapped the Alchemy section.

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☆≪Alchemy≫
Consume materials to create new items.
Recipes increase as the skill holder's level rises.
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Level 1
Healing Potion Lv1, Gender Reassignment Potion
Sleeping Potion, Pure Water
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Hmm, this seems pretty amazing.

"But why do I have a skill like Alchemy?"

Apparently, it's normal for people to have skills from the start. If you already possess an ability, it becomes a skill. My Swordsmanship is probably a good example of that. But I don't know anything about alchemy.

"And what's with this star mark? Is it some kind of special skill?"

If so, I'm in luck.

"Well, let's give it a try… Let's see, a Healing Potion needs a Medicinal Herb and Pure Water… I can make Pure Water. Um, Pure Water is… any kind of water will do, I see."

So that means I need a Medicinal Herb. Apparently, they grow in the Frontier.

"Alright, let's go find one!"

I strode into the forest, full of enthusiasm.

And five minutes after I started searching for a Medicinal Herb…

"Which one is a Medicinal Herb?"

I have no idea…

"Right. I'll look it up on my phone!"

I took out my phone.

"…Yep, no signal! Knew it!"

This is hopeless… I'll have to look into this skill when I get back. I can probably buy a Medicinal Herb online.

"Anyway, what are the other items?"

Sleeping Potion, well, that's understandable. It's probably a sleeping pill.

The problem is the Gender Reassignment Potion. Judging by the name, it probably changes your gender…

If I drink it, I become a woman. If I give it to Asakura-san, she becomes a man.

Yeah, useless. The only use I can think of is sneaking into the women's bath or changing room.

"W, well, I guess I'll at least check the required materials! Not that I have any ulterior motives or anything!"

Let's see! Sleeping Potion is… Sleeping Grass and salt. Hey, isn't Sleeping Grass enough to make you sleep on its own?

O, okay! For peeking… I mean! For the Gender Reassignment Potion, let's see… huh?

"Water and flour?"

Huh? Am I making okonomiyaki?

"Can I really peek… I mean, change gender with those ingredients… Huh? Wait. Do I have to report this to Asakura-san?"

I suddenly became very rational.

Come to think of it, the Sleeping Potion has a seriously criminal vibe too. If I say it's for people with insomnia, will she believe me? But she probably wouldn't want to go out to eat with me after that.

I mean, really. Would you want to go eat with a guy who can make sleeping potions? If I were a woman, I wouldn't.

"Well, can't be helped. Let's think positive. First, I need to kill a monster and get a drop."

I'm broke.

I gave up on finding a Medicinal Herb and decided to look for a monster instead.

The monsters that appear in this forest are Slimes, Goblins, and Wolves. I can pretty much guess what they are from their names, and I hear they aren't that strong. However, in the forest, visibility is poor, so I'm supposed to be careful of surprise attacks from Wolves.

"Alright, let's go…"

I started exploring the forest, moving deeper while scanning my surroundings. Then, I noticed a rustling in the bushes.

I placed my right hand on the hilt of my sword, lowered my stance slightly, and waited. After a moment, a gelatinous creature about a few dozen centimeters in size emerged from the bushes, looking like it would make a poyon sound.

"A Slime…"

It was clearly a Slime. It didn't have a mouth, eyes, or horns, but it had to be a Slime.

Slimes only do body slams and are apparently the weakest of the weak. Still, I won't let my guard down. You have to be cautious with any enemy the first time you face it.

I quietly drew my sword and took a standard stance. The Slime was slowly crawling toward me along the ground.

The next moment, the Slime jumped and came at me with a body slam. I calmly swung my sword at the airborne Slime, and it was sliced in two. It then vanished into smoke, leaving behind a blade of grass as a Drop Item.

"Yeah, it's definitely weak."

Any normal person could probably beat that. A child could probably even manage it.

"What's this?"

I picked up the dropped grass and examined it.

"Hmm, it's probably not a weed, so I think this might be a Medicinal Herb."

Still, I can't be sure, and for all I know, it could be a Poisonous Herb. I don't think I can make a poison potion, but just in case, it's better to have it checked at the guild first.

I was about to move on, but I froze, still holding the grass I had picked up.

"…I don't have a bag for the drops."

I didn't bring anything. Come to think of it, I didn't bring any drinking water or food either.

"I might have been a little too careless…"

I had failed to think and prepare.

"Can't be helped. Today was just a test run, so I'll head back."

I stuffed the grass into my pocket and decided to retrace my steps.

"Ah, come to think of it, I could get lost…"

I hadn't gone that deep, so I probably wouldn't get lost, but thinking about the future, I'd need to be prepared for that. Especially since my phone doesn't work in this world.

"Asakura-san, you should have explained this…"

I decided to blame everything on Asakura-san.

As I was grumbling to myself and heading back the way I came, I saw the bushes rustling with a gasagoso sound again.

Judging by the size, it's not a Slime like before.

I waited where I was. This time, a small humanoid carrying a small knife emerged almost immediately. The creature had pointed ears and an ugly, green-skinned face.

"That's definitely a Goblin. Come on, bring it."

I beckoned to the Goblin, and whether it responded to my gesture or not, it came running at me.

I timed my move, stepped in, and sent the Goblin's head flying. The headless Goblin collapsed on the spot and vanished into smoke. As a drop, it left behind the knife it was holding.

"A knife, huh… looks like it'll be cheap."

I muttered as I picked up the dirty knife.

"Well, whatever. Let's go home."

I couldn't put the knife in my pocket, so I carried it in my hand and started back. I returned to the Gate, passed through it, and arrived back at the guild.

My first adventure ended in less than an hour for the silly reason that I forgot a bag.