ch1-ch20 · 008-ch8
Chapter 8: Don't Go. Seriously, Don't Go.
I exit the Adventurer's Association building and head in a different direction from the Second Floor Gate.
It's the area behind the cafeteria that serves monster meat.
There's no one around here.
There's something I need to test in a place without people.
([Gate])
I create a [Gate] with my left hand and slowly step through it.
As my face passes through the Skill Gate, everything goes dark for a moment, and the scene changes.
In front of me is a familiar-looking tree.
It's definitely the same tree where I was hiding on Floor 2.
I've successfully used the Skill Gate to travel across floors.
"Alright, Gate, disappear."
Having a Special Skill seen by others would be bad. Better make it vanish.
Theoretically, the Skill Gate I left on Floor 1 should have disappeared too, but I'll verify that as well.
Come to think of it, the goblin corpse is gone.
Probably absorbed by the dungeon.
Not a trace of blood remains—it's pristine.
Taking one step, then two, I move away from the direction where the Floor 1 Gate would be hidden by the trees.
([Gate])
With my left hand.
Even if the Skill Gate on Floor 1 hasn't disappeared yet, this should make it completely vanish.
No, I should think of it as having moved here instead.
Looking at where I was just moments ago, I can see a Skill Gate different from the one I just created with my left hand.
When I create one, the other appears.
(Disappear.)
When I dismiss one, the other vanishes too.
The Skill Gate from the opposite hand appears at the position where I last dismissed it.
This is getting confusing to think about as "the Skill Gate."
I'll call the one from my right hand "Right Gate" and the one from my left hand "Left Gate."
"Alright. That's enough skill testing for now."
Time to find goblins and level up.
I'm going to become an adventurer.
Get stronger, earn magic stones, and make a living that way.
That's what I decided when I came to the dungeon today.
"Let's do this."
Fired up and ready to go, I find a club-wielding goblin less than a minute after I start walking.
It notices me too.
"Gugyaa!"
It shouts and charges at me.
I lower my stance, grip my spear with both hands, and swing it back.
Just as the goblin gets into the right position—within my spear's range—I bring it down.
There's an unpleasant impact through the spear's shaft, and the goblin collapses, blue blood spurting from its head.
Even though it's not moving, I calmly thrust at its heart.
"Gweh..."
That should finish it off completely.
...No, actually, they're so weak that resolve and all that doesn't even come into it.
I'm just scary-calm about this.
Is it because the opponent is weak that I can do this?
No good. Can't chicken out now. I'll extract the magic stone and find the next one.
There are quite a few goblins on Floor 2.
Just as Watanabe-san said—thrust, strike, sweep, slash.
"This is no good. I don't understand spear techniques at all."
The goblins are so weak that it's just become routine work.
From some point on, I was only doing thrusts.
Even when facing them head-on, I could easily pierce their hearts.
The small pouch at my waist now holds ten magic stones.
Ten in total, including the ones from this morning.
"[Status]."
Name: Kasugano Haruki
Job: [None]
Lv: 3
HP: 18/30
MP: 2/30
Strength: 3
Endurance: 3
Agility: 3
Magic: 3
Skill: [Gate]
"Leveled up, huh."
Since I took a lunch break and rested, my HP has recovered somewhat.
By the way, I haven't taken a single hit.
The fact that MP doesn't recover inside the dungeon is apparently a "feature."
There seem to be special skills that allow recovery, and people like that become magic users, apparently.
As for the stat numbers, while they've tripled, it doesn't really feel like I'm three times stronger.
"Should I check it out?"
In my line of sight is the Third Floor Gate.
Hayashi-san said not to go to Floor 3.
But I wanted some kind of real understanding.
Some confidence that I can make it as an adventurer.
Maybe I'll understand if I go deeper.