Chapter 1

I walked through the tunnels on the fourth floor, trying not to breathe too hard. I don't know if it's paranoia or just caution, but you never know when something furry and toothy is going to jump in your face. And speaking of things with teeth...

A kobold appeared out of nowhere, growling as if it had just stepped on a sharp rock. It was an ugly creature. If you took a human and a pig, forced them to mate, and somehow that abomination survived, you'd get this: a pig-human hybrid that should never have existed.

But honestly, it didn't scare me. I'd already gotten over my fear of goblins―the kind of shit that traumatized me thanks to an anime. I'm no Goblin Slayer, but I slaughtered them. Every goblin that came my way, I took out all my pent-up frustration on them. That said, a kobold was nothing more than a goblin with red paint.

"My first kobold."

I held up my dagger. It was a piece I bought with some Valis from the first few days of grinding, nothing too fancy, but enough to survive on this floor.

The kobold ran towards me and I dodged it with ease. I'd been perfecting these moves for days, so it was almost like a dance. Seeing its attack miss, the kobold lunged again, but this time I was ready. With a quick twist, I drove the dagger into its side. It wasn't hard, really. The kobold let out a shriek before collapsing to the ground.

Then it happened.

[DING!]

My vision filled with a translucent screen—only visible to me. The System.

―Enemy defeated: Kobold

―Experience gained: +5 Exp

 --- 

[Experience Progress]

―Current level: 3

―Exp: 400 / 400

 --- 

―Congratulations, you have reached level 4!―

 --- 

[Level Bonus]

― HP: +100 

― MP: +50

― Stats Increase: +5 to all Stats 

― Stat Points gained: +5

 --- 

[Progress to next level]

―Exp: 0 / 500

---

A warm sensation coursed through my body, as if my blood was being bathed in liquid fire. The change was subtle, but I could feel my muscles tightening and my mind clearing. It didn't matter if it was my first or this fourth time, the feeling was always exhilarating. It was like being one step closer to understanding how this world truly worked.

"Another level. Doing well."

I had received five points to distribute as I pleased. Normally in games, I would split them between Strength and Agility, but...

"This isn't a game."

I pushed aside the things the kobold had dropped. There was a small canteen; it was glass, and the red liquid inside didn't look appetizing―a HP potion. But a cloth bag caught my eye. I took it and opened it.

Inside were shimmering purple pearls. If you looked closely, you would notice that it was almost transparent, and if you tried to touch it, your fingers would pierce it. Such a strange thing.

[You have obtained 300 Soul Essence]

[You have met the Soul Essence requirement on your account for the Shop to function. The Shop will open in 24 hours]

The purple pearls disintegrated and entered my Inventory.

Crouching down, I placed the dagger on the kobold's chest. With a quick tug, I pulled out the Magic Stone. It was small, like a shard of purple marble, but it had that special glow that said, "I'm valuable, sell me on the surface." As soon as I held it in my hand, the kobold's body crumbled into dust, scattering into the air as if it had never existed.

"Thank you for this, my friend. Because of you, I can eat tonight."

Stowing the Magic Stone and the potion in my inventory, I stood up and looked around. There was no sign of any more monsters for the moment, and the air was slightly calmer. Enough farming for one day. Besides, leveling up was always a good excuse to go back to the surface and celebrate. Maybe with a nice meal in the tavern or just resting in my bed.

"It would be nice to have a girl."

I mentally pounded a fist into myself, rejecting the thought. It wasn't good to let hormones control me. It's always a mistake.

***

After a long walk through the dungeon, I made it to the entrance. As usual, the place was pretty crowded. There were adventurers everywhere, some laughing after a successful loot, while others sulking after losing something valuable. It was more like a bustling market than an official adventurer's center, but that was just how things were done in this world.

White walls, imposing columns, and a wooden counter that looked like something you'd find in a luxury hotel reception area. I made my way to the center of the large room above the dungeon entrance. A few people glanced at me, but soon went back to what they were doing. A boy like me, dressed in a worn shirt and ragged pants, was the least of their concerns.

In this place, I was like a ghost, and I liked it that way. The last time someone noticed me, it ended up getting me into more trouble than I could handle. So when I heard that familiar voice behind me, I got a little chill.

"You again..."

I slowly turned around to face the person who had spoken. Tall, with her waist-length curly red hair and those golden eyes that looked bright, like those of a feline.

To be fair, she was pretty close to being one.

"Good to see you, Rosy," I said, trying to sound friendly as a bead of sweat ran down my forehead.

"Don't call me Rosy."

She frowned and crossed her arms. Her face was that of someone who fit the description "expressionless beauty," but her gaze had the edge of a razor sharp knife. That look scared me more than all the monsters in the dungeon combined.

"Oh, come on. Rosy is a cute nickname."

For a moment, I noticed her wolf ear swaying slightly through her long hair, and though she kept her lips pressed into a thin line, a small fang protruded from between her lips.

Cute and scary at the same time.

"Would you bet your life on it?"

"I'd like to live a bit longer, thanks."

"..."

I forced a smile, but I felt my life was hanging by a thread. It wasn't easy to relax when a woman with visible fangs was eyeing you as if you were her next prey. I put my hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright. Sorry, Rose. Are you happy now?"

For a second, I thought she was going to jump on me, but then her shoulders dropped and she let out a sigh, losing her intimidating frame a little. I suppose that was about as much of a gesture of peace as I could have expected from her.

"Good to hear you're still alive."

"Thanks, I guess... You know, sometimes I feel like your words are more cutting than any sword in the dungeon."

She gave me a look that could kill. "Are you trying to be sarcastic?"

"Maybe so."

"Let the bards handle that. You just sound a bit foolish."

Ouch, that hurts.

"So, what are you doing here, Eithan? I thought I told you never to come back. A person without <Grace > is not fit to venture into the dungeon."

"What do you want me to do? Steal old women? I'm not proud of it, but I barely have enough to pay for breakfast."

Rose closed her eyes and shook her head. The sight of the woman despite what she was doing was especially elegant, I wonder why she had that sneering womanly expression on her face!

"Eithan, you're going to get yourself killed."

"Cut it out, Rose. I'm not that stupid. I'm just going up to the fourth floor. I make enough from hunting to cover my rent and food."

"I'm curious how you can even reach the fourth floor without a Grace... That aside, if the rest of the Adventurers Guild employees find out about your situation, it'll have some pretty unpleasant consequences."