Chapter 4 – The Thrill of a Clear

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I kept staring at the embers of the orc as they melted into the atmosphere. Flickering torchlight dimly illuminated the environment as before. Its glow lacked warmth, engendering a damp, cold atmosphere.

Reflecting on the earlier battle, I dispatched the enemies skillfully like some manga character. I lowered my eyes on the smartphone in my left hand.

The skill 『Understanding of Hand-to-Hand Combat』 has transformed me, a normal high school student, into some sort of killing machine. My body was still trembling intensely from the enhanced exaltation triggered by the combat. My heart was throbbing awfully loudly, beating inside my chest like a drum.

I unlocked the smartphone and opened 『Dungeon Seekers』.

Player: Kurase Hirotatsu

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Height: 174 cm

Weight: 62.3 kg

Level: 6

Acquired Skills: 『Understanding of Hand-to-Hand Combat』

SP: 30 pt.

My level rose by three thanks to the battle just now. I also obtained 30 SP…skill points. It’s still up for verification, but I think you likely get 10 points per level.

Going by the fact that I was able to acquire a powerful skill like 『Understanding of Hand-to-Hand Combat』 with 30 points earlier, I should be able to get my hands on another special power with the new 30 points.

I operated my smartphone with a smile unconsciously forming on my lips.

But, what I must do right now isn’t to fiddle around with new skills, but to search for more information about this place.

When I tapped the message 『Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai City – 48th Labyrinth – In Raid!』, which was streaming sideways like a live-ticker, I was directed to another page. For some reason I felt that I might obtain the necessary information if I operate it in the same way as other social games. Then again, 『Dungeon Seekers』 obviously isn’t a normal social game either.

Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai City – 48th Labyrinth

Class: E

Type: Labyrinth

Floor: 1/3

――Undisclosed due to lack of authorization――

The dungeon data was shown in the same way as my stats. If you think of it as a game, E class should indicate something like the danger level or grade of difficulty.

Its type being a labyrinth means dungeons with completely different settings exist as well, I suppose. And if I decide to believe the app’s information, it looks like this dungeon is made out of three floors.

All information beyond that was inaccessible to me, just showing “Undisclosed due to lack of authorization” on a pitch-black background. I feel like I saw something like a red button towards the bottom, but it’s probably nothing that important anyway.

I closed the window.

In short, I have to clear this dungeon in order to get out of here. With a slight delay I finally realized how the corners of my mouth had unconsciously curved upwards.

I’ve been living inside a feeling of eternal stagnation. I’ve been only traversing the safe and comprehensible “known” without ever stepping into the thrilling and risky “unknown.” It’s not like I was born with some sort of outstanding talent. I’m as commonplace a person as they come.

Somehow I was convinced that I’d walk through life like other people do, eventually dying in obscurity. I mean, that’s just how life usually plays out for most Japanese people in modern society.

But, what is this world!? What is this unknown!?

Just who would believe me if I told them that I was transferred into a dungeon after opening a game from a QR Code on a telephone pole? That I had to fight goblins and an orc――――

Right now, I’m deep inside an unknown every other person would mock as being impossible or unimaginable!

I want to know more! I want to reach the deepest end of this place! I’d like to try walking a path that apparently can’t be tread by everyone! I want to rise in this world!

But, to achieve all that, I must first clear this place and get out of here!

After having made up my determination, I picked up the orc’s club which was far bigger than the goblin one. Obviously it should be too heavy to hold with one hand, but for some reason I could lift it up easily.

And probably because the skill 『Understanding of Hand-to-Hand Combat』 was boosting my perception in regards to combat, I grasped that there was no enemy ahead of the path illuminated by torches. I swiftly opened my Stats screen and scanned the Acquired Skill list. I want to get a mighty skill like 『Understanding of Hand-to-Hand Combat』 so that I can crush my enemies, clear this dungeon, and escape.

I swiped several times through the list, constantly considering what skill to choose. In spite of having been dragged into a situation like this, I didn’t feel any fear. My heart was simply bouncing in joy. I wonder when was the last time I felt like this?

I want to experience this feeling a lot more.

｡ ₊°༺🫀༻°₊ ｡

I switched off the smartphone and stuffed it inside my pocket. With the right hand I held the club I had stolen from the orc while I was carrying my school bag on my back.

It looks like I killed all enemies on the first floor. Maybe the E-Rank of this dungeon is the lowest class a dungeon can have? I can’t tell yet. But, I should be on my guard either way.

All preparations are done now.

By myself I walked along the corridor. This place, which had only appeared eerie and creepy to me at first, now felt like a blessing.

“Isn’t that just perfect?”

In front of me were stone steps similar to stairways in subways. Beyond lay the second floor. I hallucinated that a sinister, black aura wafted beyond the stairs.

As if to overcome any anxieties, I took one step. Forward.

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