I look at a ring in my hand, and wonder if I should sell it or use it.”
Yesterday, as I was returning from my exploration, I found a treasure chest.
This usually signals the start of some sort of event, so I approached it slowly, grew the claws of my divine bird boots, and slowly, slowly opened it. But nothing happened.
There was a ring inside it. Faint red, with a crimson garnet like jewel.
Deep crimson ring
Boosts fire magic. When equipped on the left ring finger, it recovers a tiny bit of magic energy at regular intervals.
Purchase price: Three million yen
I can’t use fire magic, so that would be an automatic sell for me, but the tiny magic energy recovery interests me.
I’m exploring solo, so running out of magic energy is a death sentence. I have more since I passed the thirtieth floor, and I have the Magic Energy Circulation skill, but if I can have other means, I’d like that.
But I want money too.
I sit on my bed and ponder, and in the end, decide to sell it.
Magic energy recovery is tempting, but having to put it on the left ring finger sticks out to me.
It’s not like I’m planning to put anything else there, but, you know, it’s something I want to treasure. And what if I have one of those fateful encounters and the other person misunderstands it?
Let’s go sell it then!
And meet a lady with big ones!
I jump out of the apartment all fired up, start skipping, miss the first step, and fall.
My body hits the steps on the way down, but the fat protects me, and I’m unharmed.
Hurray for fat.
Actually, I just used the Toughness skill.
I think I could get run over by a kei truck and walk away without a scratch at this point.
I get up, dust myself off, and think about how I’m straying further and further away from humanity.
Then I hear someone asking if I’m okay.
I turn towards the voice, and see a girl wearing a school uniform. It doesn’t take me long to realize it’s Yuumi Momoyama of the harem party.
I tell her I’m fine, and say it’s been a while.
She looks surprised when she sees it’s me.
Do you live around here?
No? Ah, another member of your party does.
And the others aren’t around?
They already gathered? I see, so things are going well…
That makes me feel relieved for some reason.
She picks something up, tells me I dropped it, and gives me the deep crimson ring.
Ah! I’m surprised, and take it while thanking her. She sounds surprised that I have a ring.
I feel like she’s implying that it’s weird for someone like me to act all stylish, but surely I’m just being paranoid. And it’s true that I don’t really like accessories like rings or necklaces. I don’t even want to wear a watch. I’d have to if I was working for a company, but I’d always take it off otherwise.
I check to see if the ring is undamaged, and tell her I found it in the dungeon yesterday.
She’s impressed, and asks about its effect. I casually explain it, and her expression turns serious as she asks me what my plans are for it.
I just say I’m going to sell it, and she grabs my hand.
“Will you let me have it?”
Her eyes are moist, and her expression gives me an urge to protect.
How cute, I think as I respond with a smile.
“Four million yen.”
I offer to sell it to her.
◇ ◇ ◇
Momoyama says she needs to talk to someone, and makes a call. It looks like she received approval, because she asks me for my bank details to make a transfer.
I hand her the deep crimson ring, thinking that these people are making a lot of money.
High school seekers casually dealing with millions, what an age we live in.
She bows and leaves, and I head to the dungeon.
◇ ◇ ◇
The thirty-first floor.
I buy a new gray protector in the weapon shop. I wear a big size, so armor costs even more money. And so, I get a protector that can be adjusted to any size.
It falls short compared to armor when it comes to durability, but it’s light and easy to move in. It comes with a headband and shin guards, so it’s a nice buy. Although it stretches a little beyond my budget.
The owner says I can pay later, so I take him up on that.
That covers the defensive equipment.
It falls short compared to the magic mirror armor, but this is what I’ll be using on this floor for the time being.
Brave protector ver.5
Made of processed giant spider silk sewn together many times. The surface is covered with an alloy of steel and adamantite. (made by he Alchemist Corporation)
Durability: 60
The durability is less than half of the magic mirror armor’s, but it still cost eight million.
I have to take good care of this.
◇ ◇ ◇
I run through a single path on a grassy field. I took a right at a fork, but after walking for over an hour, all I saw was grass and trees. I could see a big mountain up ahead, but it would take me over a day to get there.
I think about not going too fast, and advance while exercising with hobgoblins.
Even after coming across a group of six, I don’t stress too much, probably because the defensive equipment makes me feel relieved.
I’m conscious of how I move, positioning myself so I put the vanguard in the line of fire of the arrows. I take out the three on the vanguard, and then finish the ones in the back.
I think I can still work on my positioning, but I’ll try more things later.
The wind blows. Not magic, natural wind.
I feel like I can’t really call it natural in the dungeon, but it’s still a gentle breeze.
I keep walking, and the sound of the wind hitting the grass soothes my heart. Despite this being a brutal dungeon, the peaceful scenery heals my heart.
And after walking a bit more, I see a building.
It looks like a house. Actually, there are a few buildings.
I walk faster, hurrying towards the building.
Ooh, I say without thinking.
It’s a wooden house. It’s a crumbling ruin, but it’s a house all right. The roof has collapsed, and the wall has crumbled to the point where I can see inside. It’s a mess in there too, but I can see what I assume were a table and chairs.
There are more houses like this lined up, becoming sparse after a path.
I start exploring, thinking this is like a village, and find a field. It’s clearly been taken care of, and there are plants growing on it. Something that looks like orange cucumbers, that I’m not sure are edible.
I don’t know if I can eat it, but I grab one and take a bite to check.
The color leads me to believe they’re poisonous, but I have Poison Resistance, so I should be fine.
And after one bite… It’s terrible.
I sob as I take water out of my Storage Space and gargle thoroughly.
It’s really bad, not fit for consumption.
Curiosity got the better of me there.
The taste of vegetable juice combined with what you’d wring out of a house cloth fills my mouth, and makes me feel sick.
I grab gum I bought as a means to keep myself away and chew it. It’s better, but it still stinks.
I try to bear it, and turn around to leave.
I came here earlier than usual, but I’ve been here for longer than I thought, because the sky is being painted with the color of dusk.
I leave the ruins of the village, and find a lot of hobgoblins waiting for me.
Magic cucumber
A gourd produced in the dungeon. Tasty if boiled for ten minutes and rubbed with salt.
Tastes very bad raw. It is flavorless and odorless, but reacts to saliva, releasing an intense stench. This stench has the effect to attract monsters.
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Haruto Tanaka (24)
Level: 25
Skills: Earth Magic, Trace, Healing Magic, Spatial Grasp, Toughness, Magic Energy Control, Physical Strengthening, Poison Resistance, Storage Space, See Through, Parallel Thinking, Sewing, Limit Break, Dismantling, Magic Energy Circulation, Consumption Reduction (Stamina), Wind Magic
Equipment: Greatsword of fortitude, divine bird boots
Status: Fat (All abilities boosted)
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