14 - "Is it losing to a slime?"

With my mace on my shoulder, I parted ways with Matsuri and Luo and ventured onto the second floor for the first time.

"Well, time for some goblin hunting."

Goblins. In the game, they stand about 100 to 120 centimeters tall, with ugly faces and green skin. They're much more dangerous than the slimes on the first floor, but they're only as tall and strong as a child. As long as you're cautious with their clubs, they aren't too difficult to fight individually.

However, one must be wary of the goblin chiefs that occasionally appear. They may wield metal weapons. Their physical strength isn't much different from regular goblins, and their monster level is 3, making them valuable for experience.

The path to the third floor is naturally crowded, so we move to a place called the "Goblin Room," where goblins spawn frequently. The goblins here reappear quickly after being defeated, making it easier to encounter the Goblin Chief.

"There aren't many people here. Well, it's better stay this way."

I sneak a peek into the goblin room and see two goblins cackling to each other. I wonder if that's an actual language. After observing for a while, one of the goblins comes close enough for me to swing my spiked club down from behind.

"Taste this!"

The goblin falls with one blow, turning into a magic stone. Tough luck for it. The other goblin, still alive, seems either surprised or angry and starts shouting, brandishing its club menacingly.

"If you won't come to me, I'll come to you!"

With my superior reach and power, I aggressively swing down the mace. The goblin, instead of backing down, raises its club to block my attack. This one's got some fight in it.

When I struck the goblin's belly, it burst against my back. Without hesitating, I closed the gap and swung my mace again, turning it into a magic stone without remorse.

"Unlike slimes, humanoid monsters leave a bitter aftertaste. But isn't it better than leaving no remains?"

Goblins, unlike slimes, bear a humanoid shape, which lends a peculiar aftertaste. However, upon closer inspection, their faces betray their fundamentally incompatible nature, so there's no need for concern.

This magic stone... is worth more than a mere 100 yen. It's a valuable commodity even for brief dungeon expeditions. Ordinary folks don't often encounter magic stones from monsters they can defeat easily. Let's cash in on this and gain some bonus levels.

Monsters typically remain defenseless for a few seconds after emerging from the black mist. If you can strike during this brief window, you gain a significant advantage.

To exploit this, it's crucial to identify specific locations and timings where monsters appear, such as a "slime room" or a "goblin room". In the goblin room, three goblins emerge at precise ten-minute intervals, allowing for efficient solo hunting.

Such spots are scarce on each level. In the game, they were highly sought after by experienced players, making it challenging to secure a spot. However, whether due to lesser popularity in this world or lack of awareness, there's no sign of anyone else around—essentially, a lucrative monopoly opportunity.

But still, at first, I was quite perplexed by my own body. There's a substantial difference in physical strength between Theodore and me; I once tore a page while trying to turn it and accidentally crushed an egg while handling it gently. However, after a few days, I've grown accustomed to this body. I've developed a better sense of balance and know when to rest, which has made managing my physical condition much easier.

Nevertheless, there are still significant drawbacks to continuing to fight with this body type. Despite compensating for the speed loss caused by excess weight through leveling up, I prefer to conserve as much energy as possible for future, tougher battles. If we were forced into prolonged combat, we'd quickly become fatigued, and without careful attention, the consequences could be fatal.

I might even ramp up the training a bit more, despite feeling my muscles ache.

After about five more hunts...

"Whoa, he's wielding a metal weapon. Is that a goblin chief?"

Whether a Goblin Chief or not, it stood motionless for the initial seconds, so I aimed to take it down in one strike. However, it wore a helmet, forcing me to redirect my swing towards its exposed shoulder.

The Goblin Chief cried out in agony and dropped its weapon. Moving faster than it, I struck its remaining arm with my mace, followed by a blow to its side.

The goblin transformed into a magic stone, and simultaneously, a rusty dagger fell to the ground.

It appeared to be an ordinary dagger, not a magic item, though it was difficult to confirm just by visual inspection.

"I'll need to strategize for my initial attacks differently, especially if they're wearing helmets."

I hunted until just before dinner that day, but my level remained stagnant at 3. Deciding to take it easy, I called it a day. I obtained three battered weapons, but they were of no use to me, so I opted to sell them to a scrap dealer. It might fetch me some extra pocket money.

—————————————

Regular classes commenced. Being my second time in high school, I assumed I could handle the curriculum, but I was surprised to find myself tackling rather advanced problems for a first-year class, showcasing the high academic standards of this school.

After homeroom and during after-school hours, classmates swiftly stowed their textbooks and gathered with their close friends to strategize for dungeon dives.

Renji often conversed with Sasaki, but I wondered if he was earnestly focusing on dungeon exploration. If he didn't reach level 10 by month's end, defeating Kariya would prove challenging. Yet, judging by his relaxed demeanor, he seemed confident.

As I packed my belongings into my bag, envisioning battles with goblins, a dignified voice rang out, halting me in my tracks.

"Hey."

I turned around to find Akari, my childhood friend and ex-fiancée, standing there with her arms crossed as usual, wearing a slightly displeased expression. It struck me that she never called me Theo at school.

"What's up?"

"...Shouldn't you be practicing?" she asked pointedly.

Practice? I searched Theo's memory for any promise I might have made to practice with Akari, but came up empty. Perhaps they had trained together or prepared in some way before enrolling, but I couldn't recall.

Today, I planned to head straight to the dungeon solo. Walking through the dungeon would be a good way to train my legs and get used to the physical demands. Besides, forming a party with several people to fight goblins didn't seem efficient.

However, I knew she might be concerned, so I needed to choose my words carefully.

"I'm doing my best to train on my own, so it's okay," I replied calmly.

Akari regarded me with suspicion, her sharp gaze fixed on me. "What kind of things do you do?"

I avoided her piercing stare. "Just walking. I've been exploring the dungeon on foot for the past few days."

"Is it losing to a slime?" she said with a stifled laugh.

I clenched my fists, frustration mounting. How could she mock me for something like that? Even though we'd been childhood friends for years.

"That's a bit harsh. But I'm managing fine," I said defensively.

"...Sure," she replied, her tone skeptical.

I wasn't referring to my physical training, but rather my diet. The calorie restriction was starting to take its toll, leaving me feeling a bit lightheaded.

I don't know if my explanation convinced her, but Akari eventually turned away and returned to her seat. I hoped that diving deep into the dungeon with Renji's party would make her stronger. There would surely be challenging trials ahead, but I silently cheered her on.

—————————————

I've defeated dozens of goblins and goblin chiefs over the past few days, yet I remain stuck at level 3. My focus on dieting and physical training has limited my time for dungeon dives. The challenges awaiting on the third floor and beyond necessitate careful preparation.

According to the Adventurer's Guild information board, several deaths occur monthly on the third floor, marking it as the first real dungeon fighting ground. Going solo means I need to maintain mobility and aim to reach level 4 on these two floors.

Solo diving is risky without backup if something goes wrong, but the experience gained from defeating monsters is substantial. With my game knowledge, I can effectively monopolize prime hunting spots and monsters, maximizing the benefits of solo exploration.

I didn't miss the few seconds of vulnerability during the respawn and continued hunting in the usual goblin room, quickly reaching level 4 within an hour. Taking a break, I used a |Small Recovery| to check how my body was faring.

It's a bit of an MP waste since I lack good skills at the moment, but I need to be cautious about my overall MP usage. On the second floor where most enemies are level 2 monsters, my level 4 advantage is halved, which isn't ideal. Moving to the third floor would be more efficient.

For weapons, I borrowed a five-kilogram metal mace designed for Orcs. Despite its weight, my current status should allow me to handle it adequately.

Level 4 seems to be the toughest to advance. Not only does it require more experience to level up, but the enemies on the third floor also pose a significant challenge. Orcs there wield powerful clubs that pack a serious punch. Additionally, there's a goblin mage known for its |Fire Arrow| attacks from a distance. The Orc Chief, a higher-level Orc, is particularly perilous and can prove fatal for adventurers below level 3.

Forming a party can make defeating the Orc Chief easier, albeit at the cost of shared experience points. It also means scouting for optimal monster spawn locations. While diving deeper for more experienced monsters may seem appealing, it also increases the danger significantly as monsters become stronger.

Similar to my father, many ordinary adventurers tend to plateau at level 4 due to these challenges. However, with my game knowledge, reaching this level isn't as daunting. I also have a secret strategy in mind.

After this short break, I stood up to proceed to the next floor.

Time to hunt some Orcs.

—————————————

Lottery Pop¹

When an enemy reappears, a different monster will appear with a certain probability. In many cases, rarer monsters will appear.