15 - I WANT TO FLEX TOO!!!

I headed down to the third floor, where several coffee shops and stalls were set up. I grabbed a six-pack of takoyaki for 800 yen and took a break. Unfortunately, this stall was a disappointment—the takoyaki were too floury, and the octopus pieces were tiny.

As I observed the adventurers shopping nearby, I noticed they were wearing black leather armor. Maybe it was time for me to get some proper armor as well. I discarded the takoyaki container and made my way toward the Orc Room.

This floor was busy with adventurers, and we reached the branch near the Orc Room without much fighting. From there, we proceeded carefully. Like the goblin room, the Orc Room should have three orcs inside.

Peeking into the room, I confirmed there were indeed three orcs. At first glance, they resembled humans, but their thick necks, stocky builds, and pig-like snouts gave them away.

"The first one is the most important," I reminded myself.

Now that I've leveled up and can wield a heavier metal weapon, I feel confident I can take on three orcs. However, there's still a risk of getting surrounded and beaten if I'm not careful.

To mitigate this risk, I invested in a stun grenade. They were quite pricey at 5,000 yen each at the Adventurer's Guild merchandise corner, but I figured it would pay off if I could keep hunting orcs. It seemed like a necessary investment.

Unlike in the original world, where stun grenades come with a flash and an explosive sound, the dungeon version is almost silent, emitting only a flash to avoid attracting nearby monsters. I'd read the manual and notes thoroughly last night, so I was confident I could use it effectively.

I tossed the stun grenade into the orc room. After a brief hissing sound, a strong flash of light filled the room. The orcs screamed, temporarily blinded. Taking advantage of their disorientation, I moved in quickly and aimed for the back of their heads.

It's wise to leave two orcs on the brink of death to create a time gap between them.

"These orc magic stones are worth... 200 yen each?"

If you're in a party, you'd probably earn less than a regular part-timer's hourly wage even if you kill a lot of orcs. But as a solo adventurer, the higher risk can yield some decent returns.

My timer shows 30 seconds until the next spawn, and right on cue, the black fog starts to form.

I quickly readied my weapon and approached the defenseless orc, aiming for its vital point. Its thick neck makes it tough to take down with a single blow, but if I land my first strike accurately, I can daze it by targeting its tibialis posterior bone. From there, I unleash a flurry of attacks, finishing it off swiftly.

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After that, I continued to defeat the orcs without any problems until a goblin appeared. This one had a staff, marking it as a Goblin Mage.

The Goblin Mage's |Fire Arrows| can be formidable when facing multiple enemies, but alone, they're easy to dodge. Its durability is similar to that of the goblins on the second floor, so when caught off guard, it becomes an easy target that can be taken down with a single hit.

"Mwahaha, free exp!!! Taste this, weaklings!" I exclaimed, relishing my dual cheat skills.

I picked up a magic stone larger than an orc's, humming to myself, confident that reaching level 5 would be a breeze. I took a break, then continued hunting about 20 orcs in a good mood. For the first time, a higher-level Orc Chief appeared.

I tried to close the distance to aim for its head as usual, but it was wearing a helmet and shoulder armor. Swinging down wasn't going to work. I quickly shifted my aim to the arm holding the big club and delivered my strongest blow. As it screamed "GRUOOH!", I followed up with three more strikes, but it still managed to withstand them. Its eyes weren't dead yet; this fight was far from over.

We locked eyes, both of us still breathing heavily. I swung my mace from a low angle, aiming to finish it off.

"Turn to magic stone... hu– what!?"

Even though it was on the brink of death, the Orc Chief managed to step back. It gathered the last of its strength and attempted a horizontal swing, but the damage it had taken slowed its movements. As it bent over, hesitating, I seized the opportunity and swung my mace upward, striking its crotch.

"Guoooooo..!"

"Damn..."

As a fellow male, I couldn't help but wince at the impact. The Orc Chief knelt down, clutching its crotch, before finally turning into a magic stone.

"I guess I really am a scumbag..."

I wondered how long it would take to defeat this creature with an all-out, unprotected attack. And if a Goblin Mage appeared during that time, I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold out.

If the battle with an Orc Chief is going to be lengthy, it's best to lure him out of the Orc Room and fight him elsewhere. Fortunately, Orcs aren't very fast, making it easy to escape. It's common on this floor to see adventurers fleeing from Orc Chiefs, creating "trains" of monsters. Of course, this tactic can anger other adventurers.

The reason I can't defeat them all in one go, even from a defenseless state, is partly due to my lack of STR and partly because my weapon isn't strong enough. While it's tempting to buy a high-quality new weapon, it will soon become obsolete as I level up. So, renting several different types of weapons to try out at low levels is a smarter approach.

Or perhaps I should switch from a mace to a sword for better thrusting capability. Maces tend to do less damage against armored areas. I initially chose the mace because I was only familiar with using a bat, but tomorrow I'll try out a sword for a change.

In addition to the magic stone, the Orc Chief dropped a piece of shoulder armor. I was thrilled and put it on, only to realize it resized to fit me, indicating it was a magic item. If this item were cursed and couldn't be removed, it would be a problem. The last thing I want is to attend school with shoulder pads permanently attached.

Removing a curse at the adventurer's guild costs 100,000 yen, so it's crucial not to carelessly equip unknown items. Although I could pay 10,000 yen to have the item appraised, leveling my [Newbie] job to level 7 would let me learn "simple appraisal," saving money. High school students have tight budgets, after all.

By the way, once you reach job level 5, you can change your job to a basic job such as [Fighter], [Caster], or [Thief]. However, if I change jobs at that point, I won't be able to take the [Novice] skill that I was supposed to learn after that, so I'm going to die trying to raise my job level to the maximum.

I left my shoulder armor, which I didn't know what it did, in the corner of the orc room and continued hunting orcs until late. However, there was no more Orc Chief that day.

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"Oh, welcome back, brother!"

"Yeah, I'm back."

When I got home, my sister greeted me, picking up her backpack and luggage. Was she always this energetic? Is this really what I'm aiming for?

"Is that a drop item from the dungeon?"

She seemed curious about the shoulder armor sticking out of my backpack.

"It came from the Orc Chief."

"What? You're already fighting on the third floor? What kind of party are you in? What role do you play?"

"Calm down," I said.

I sat down on a chair in the living room and stretched my legs. After several hours of hunting, I felt a bit sore. Although the effects of strengthening my body had started to show at level 4, I still felt weak.

"You know, I've been diving solo."

"What? Solo? Oh... maybe you're a loner…"

"I'm not a loner!"

Don't make such a pitying face. I was invited to a party by some cute girls. It was just a favor, though.

"But the third floor is where the orcs are, right? Dad said it's dangerous."

It's true that hunting Orcs would be tough for anyone below level 3 unless they're in a group. Even if you're level 4, it's risky without a solid strategy and constant vigilance.

"Well, there's a way to handle it. If you're smart about it, you can make it work."

"Really? It sounds scary to fight orcs…"

If you reach the fifth floor, there's a power leveling spot. I'm not sure if that method can be used in this world, though.

"Theo, go take a bath before you eat."

"Ah, alright."

I think I'll take a good rest today and get ready for tomorrow's hunt.

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I'm level 5 now, and I've also learned |Simple Appraisal|!

Day after day, I visited the dungeon and hunted Orcs. Just when I was about to leave, my level finally went up. It happened surprisingly fast because many goblin mages appeared, and I was able to use my sword as a weapon, increasing my efficiency and allowing me to hunt Orcs nearby. As for the Orc Chief that I struggled with, I only encountered one on the first day. It might have been a very rare monster.

Learning |Simple Appraisal| means that my [Novice] job level is now 7. Job levels are generally easier to raise than the main level.

I immediately checked the shoulder armor and the staff dropped by the goblin mage using |Simple Appraisal|.

"What? Shoulder armor is... [Vitality Guard], effect is defense +2, HP +5."

Hmm. I'm glad that the HP bonus is additive rather than multiplicative.

"I'm not sure if it's a magic item or not, but I'm sure it's worth it."

The staff, on the other hand, seemed like it was going to break soon. At least one of them was useful.

But then, something caught my eye. I thought |Fist Break| was just a skill that would make me hungry, but then I saw some disturbing text on...

"When you level up, your HP and VIT increase, along with a correction that affects your appetite. Additionally, there's a penalty: -30% STR, -50% AGI, and the last item is unappraisable. This skill is far more complex than I anticipated, with such diverse effects. I'll set aside the appetite increase, as that was expected.

The first benefit, increasing status values upon leveling up, is crucial. HP, vital for survival, and VIT, enhancing defense and vitality, are paramount in dungeon diving. Being able to boost these stats plus receive compensation—though the exact amount isn't clear—is an excellent ability.

However, the drawback of "STR -30%, AGI -30%" is significant. Initially, I was surprised to find my arms and legs thick yet my strength and agility remarkably weak. I attributed this to lack of exercise Theo do. If my skills continue to decrease, overcoming these disadvantages will remain challenging until I find a way to mitigate their effects.

So far, leveling up and combat haven't posed any major issues.

Despite the reduced STR, I've managed to wield a sword and maintain adequate attack power. Even with my AGI halved, I can still run fast enough to evade orc opponents. However, even a slight decrease in these attributes could potentially be life-threatening.

The last item, labeled "???", remains unreadable. If even |Simple Appraisal| fails to identify it, the ability could rival that of an advanced job class. I can only hope it proves beneficial rather than a debilitating debuff.

Considering these factors collectively, the effectiveness hinges on how much the positive status correction offsets the drawbacks and what the mysterious "???" entails. Even if the skill offers some advantages, the substantial disadvantages make it akin to a debuff. In a game, risking death might be acceptable for stat gains, but in reality, I'm unwilling to take such risks.

"At least... I just want to know what the "???" part is... I don't want to go to the guild for an appraisal."

Detailed status can be known if there is a high-ranking |Appraisal| skill or appraisal item, but at present there is no such skill or item. If you want to know, there is no choice but to measure with the appraisal device in the adventurer's guild and update the profile of the terminal. But then that data is also shared with the school's database so that levels and status can be viewed from other students' terminals.

The reluctance to update my database stems from the potential for unforeseen consequences. In this world, revealing game knowledge could lead to complications, especially considering the pride and competitiveness of high-ranking students and seasoned adventurers alike. To avoid stirring up trouble, I'm cautious about disclosing any information.

However, there are exceptions where appraisal can be conducted without updating the database. One such place is the "Hag's Store," located on the 10th floor of the dungeon in a secluded area. This store sells appraisal items and offers job change services, making it a must-visit location for me.

Despite researching extensively in the library, I found no mention of the Hag's Store. According to the game lore, it should exist, yet its absence from records raises questions. The mystery behind this discrepancy remains unknown to me thus far.

Regardless, until I visit the Hag's shop, I can't appraise whether to erase |Fist Break| or not. It deals significant damage but consumes MP quickly. Moreover, without changing my job, I can't learn a skill to replace it, leaving me no choice but to contend with this peculiar skill for now.

"Hmm... It's a skill that has exceeded my expectations in many ways, but whether I erase it or not, I must strive to level up and aim for the 10th floor."

As immediate goals:

1. Continue dieting and muscle training, aiming for greater muscle mass.

2. Work hard to raise my level so I can visit the Hag's Store on the 10th floor. Target level: 10.

3. Purchase an appraisal item to appraise my status and understand |Fist Break| thoroughly.

Why?

Someday, I want to confidently reveal myself without hiding. However, standing out could attract unwanted attention from high-ranking adventurers. In this world, high-ranking adventurers are around level 30, so reaching that strength could offer protection... or it could endanger my family.

"Therefore, we should all level up together."

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Train¹

Usually it means a train, but in the case of a game, it means to take a large number of enemies and run away. If the player who is brought in this state dies or runs away, the monster that lost the target will involve the surrounding players, so it is considered to be one of the worst etiquette violations.