ch1-ch20 · 005-ch5

Chapter 5: Thought It Was a Cute Girl?

"Crap, gotta hide the [Gate]s..."

How, though?

(Vanish, vanish.)

When I willed it, the [Skill Gate] extending from my left hand vanished from in front of me.

"Alright. Now the other one..."

Turning around, the [Skill Gate] from my right hand that should have been in the shade of the tree was also gone.

Did they vanish simultaneously?

Maybe when I made one disappear, the connected pair both vanished?

"Close call, close call. ...Hm? That's awfully small. A kid?"

No, minors aren't supposed to be allowed in dungeons.

"So, a girl..."

A short girl, maybe?

But there's no hair, and the whole body is green?

They seemed to have noticed me too—our eyes met.

"G-Goblin!!"

Crap.

I instinctively raised both hands up to eye level.

I'm not holding anything...

Unarmed.

Right, I'd leaned my spear against a tree to test my skill earlier.

Crap. Crap.

The goblin was running toward me.

It was already within ten meters.

I turned and ran.

Five meters to the spear.

I ran.

Full speed.

Grabbed the spear with my left hand and...

"[Gate]"

I thrust my right hand forward, created a [Skill Gate], and dove through.

Ah, this is bad too.

Only one gate appeared.

But I couldn't stop now.

(I'm gonna hit it!)

I shut my eyes involuntarily.

Am I gonna colli... wait, I didn't?

Opening my eyes, I saw the goblin's back.

Apparently I'd emerged from the [Skill Gate] I'd created with my left hand earlier.

The goblin was frozen in surprise—it had seen me vanish right in front of it, then suddenly a gate appeared.

The rental spear was plenty long.

(I can reach it. Heart or neck—which do I aim for?)

I gripped the spear with both hands, stepped in, and thrust.

"Gweh"

The rental spear went clean through, embedding up to the shaft.

Maybe because I'd hesitated, it had struck right between the neck and heart—it wasn't dead yet.

(Huh? It's light?)

I lifted the spear. The goblin was about 120 centimeters tall.

Its body was scrawny and came up easily.

The stat corrections at work?

Even at Level 1, my strength had apparently increased.

"Gweh. Gweh."

The goblin kicked its legs, dropped the club it was holding, and tried to grab the spear.

But what was jutting out from the front of its body was the blade.

It couldn't get a good grip.

Trying to grab the blade, blue blood dripped from its hands.

"..."

Eventually, the goblin's arms that had been reaching for the blade went limp.

"...Is it... dead?"

I dropped the goblin to the ground and pulled out the spear.

"Goblin blood was blue"

Supposedly the first adventurer in history said that, or didn't, or something...

"..."

I was in a daze.

But it was just the surprise...

I'd been shocked by the goblin appearing suddenly, but I was also shocked by myself for mercilessly stabbing it to death.

I looked at the goblin's corpse.

Its face was contorted, eyes rolled back.

I don't feel anything in particular.

Not even disgust.

Just, wow, it's making quite a face, and that's about it...

I'd heard that many people quit being adventurers right after killing their first monster from the shock.

But maybe they weren't shocked by the act of killing, but by discovering they were capable of such a thing.

Like I was now...

"Well then, what to do..."

Of course, I wasn't debating whether to continue being an adventurer.

I'm fine, I should be fine.

But what to do for the rest of today...

I looked at the goblin's corpse again.

Goblins are said to be about as strong as a ten-year-old child.

Around 120 centimeters tall, weighing about 20 kilograms.

And they attack you with weapons.

With killing intent...

(It wasn't a big deal. No need to panic. If I'd been mentally prepared, I could have fought head-on, and maybe I wouldn't feel like this...)

I told myself it was just because I'd been distracted testing my skill and hadn't been ready.

(Since I took this one down without trouble, I should be fine advancing to the next floor...)

On Floor 2, only club-wielding goblins appear.

They also appear one at a time and don't act in groups.

On Floor 2, as long as you don't doze off and get ambushed, your life isn't in danger.

Floor 3 is where you need to be careful, since goblins with small knives appear.

'Please don't go to Floor 3 today.'

Hayashi-san had said something like that when we parted...

Somehow I found myself wanting to see her.

The 'First Floor Gate' caught my eye.

"...Guess I'll head back."