ch1-ch20 · 007-ch7

Chapter 7

As per the training course.

Beginners were told to first spend some time on the second floor to get their bodies accustomed.

This was apparently necessary not just for building an adventurer's physique, but also for acclimating one's body to magical power. However, Sai's body was already fully acclimated to magical power, and the mana inside the dungeon felt comfortable to him. So he came to the third floor without any particular hesitation.

Incidentally, on the third floor, a troublesome monster called the Raging Bull appeared.

It was a bull that was like a mass of muscle easily exceeding one ton, charging in to attack.

Only one appeared on the third floor, but in a dungeon with no escape, it was highly dangerous.

If done poorly, even adventurers who made it to the tenth floor could potentially suffer serious injuries.

That said, it was just one in the vast third floor.

He probably wouldn't run into it that easily.

Thinking that, he began exploring the third floor.

While exploring, he gradually heightened his sense of alertness.

Up to the second floor, there were many adventurer parties and the place was covered in footprints, so there was no particular need to watch his surroundings or traps. But on the third floor, the footprints were fewer.

The information he'd checked in advance stated there were no traps on the third floor, but that was just "we haven't found any traps in our checks so far."

This tower definitely had some kind of will within it.

Some high-ranking entity.

Even if there were none now, traps could be added.

Alternatively, with something like a mana-draining trap, adventurers not used to magical power might just think "I feel a bit off" and not even realize there was a trap.

Traps weren't all the immediate-dealing kind. There were plenty of types that gradually sapped your strength.

Trust the mapper, but don't trust the completed map.

An adventurer's iron rule.

He systematically explored the third floor.

Occasionally, beginner adventurer parties were surprised to see Sai exploring alone.

Veteran adventurer parties, on the other hand, didn't change their expressions even when they noticed Sai.

From what he'd seen in the streams, about ten percent of adventurers were solo.

At floors around this level, solo adventurers were common since one person could move more freely.

Up to the second floor, he'd fought with just his bare hands, but he advanced while mixing in magic to get his body accustomed. For flying types like Giant Bats, he could knock them down with his fists, but he shot out unaspected magic bullets to take them down.

Back in the other world, the hardest thing to learn was the language, but what he'd trained with passion was magic. It was truly a blessing that the magic he'd worked so hard to acquire could still be used even in Japan.

Especially Body Enhancement Magic—he was grateful he could use it fully.

Several hours had already passed since he entered the tower.

He'd been walking and fighting, yet he felt no fatigue at all.

Running out of stamina and retiring mid-adventure was unbecoming of an adventurer.

But thanks to Body Enhancement Magic, he could keep exploring all day if he wanted.

A real blessing.

As Sai was thinking about the convenience of Body Enhancement Magic, his sharpened hearing caught a scream. Through the wall, he couldn't be sure, but he estimated it was about fifty meters ahead.

A man's scream.

Sai had also served as an instructor for rookies in the other world.

There was no way he'd abandon someone here.

The rookie adventurer Igarashi Tetta was running while crying.

Behind him, the Raging Bull was chasing.

He'd obtained his adventurer license just the other day, and today was his second conquest attempt.

He'd joined an adventurer club at university, and when he came of age, he took the beginner training with other members and got his license.

Adventuring was the ultimate thrilling entertainment and a job that brought in big money.

It wasn't for nothing that it always made the top ten of elementary school students' dream jobs.

The adventurer dream was a young person's aspiration and wish that had continued from the day Shinjuku Tower was born to the present. Even without education, there was the possibility of making it big on your own merit.

There was no reason not to be drawn to it.

Was it because of that dream?

Despite being told in the beginner training to spend some time getting accustomed on the second floor, he'd started challenging the third floor on only his second conquest.

The troublesome Raging Bull that appeared on this floor was said to only spawn one in the vast third floor. In other words, the chances of encountering it were low.

It's better to get some experience with a bit of danger early on.

That was his thinking.

Tetta's three-person party had been dreaming, "With us, we can fully conquer Shinjuku Tower!" Because all three were athletic and talented.

And they hadn't rested on their talents either.

They'd worked hard training from middle school until now to make it in Shinjuku Tower.

In the beginner training combat drills, they'd been cleanly taken down by a middle-aged guy, but he was probably an ex-military type, so that didn't count.

But they couldn't lose. They couldn't stay defeated.

Maybe because all three had competitive personalities, they'd gotten impatient.

The encounter with the Raging Bull had truly been instantaneous.

A few minutes ago.

"The monsters are weaker than I thought, huh."

"I heard anyone can fight up to around the fourth floor."

"Yeah. Seems like a walk in the park for us."

While having that conversation, the moment Tetta's friend Soma stepped into a crossroads, Soma was sent flying by something.

"Soma!"

"Shit! It's the Raging Bull!"

Tetta's other friend, Gakuto, noticed the Raging Bull.

The Raging Bull ignored the Soma it had sent flying, glared at Tetta and the others, and made a pawing gesture with its foot.

The preliminary stage of a charge.

"Run!"

Gakuto fled in the direction they'd come from.

Panicking, Tetta followed suit.

"But what about Soma!"

"We don't have time for that! We'll die too!"

He was right.

The path ahead was a T-junction.

"I'll go right! Tetta, go left!"

"Why?!"

"This way, at least one of us survives for sure! If you get away from the bull, send a rescue alert!"

Tetta had completely forgotten, but as Gakuto said, they needed to send a rescue alert to the Adventurer's Guild. Soma was badly injured and couldn't regroup with the party.

They needed to call for help from the Adventurer's Guild.

While running, he prepared the alert and took the left path at the T-junction.

Right or left—which was it?

The one the Raging Bull had decided to crush next was Tetta.

Even now, the Raging Bull's footsteps were right behind him.

"Waaaaaahhh——!!"

Even as he screamed and cried, his survival instinct wouldn't let him stop running.

But the Raging Bull's running speed was no joke.

It chased after Tetta at tremendous speed.

And then, maybe due to the pressure from the Raging Bull, Tetta—who'd been running at full speed—slipped and fell.

At that moment, barely dodging the Raging Bull's charge was a narrow stroke of luck.

But whether from the fall or from nerves, Tetta's legs began shaking uncontrollably. Because of the tremors, he couldn't get his hips up no matter what.

If Tetta took the Raging Bull's charge, Tetta—who was smaller than average—would die in one hit, unlike Soma.

"A-ahhh...! Move, move, move!"

Tetta screamed for his legs to move. The Raging Bull began its pawing motion.

The signal before a charge. For Tetta, it was a death knell.

And then, just as the Raging Bull was about to charge, in the next instant—

He saw a single adventurer come from the intersection, landing a running chopping strike aimed at the Raging Bull's head.

"I'm backing you up!"

Right after that declaration—when had he even drawn it?—he'd driven a short sword into the bull's neck. Tetta was dumbfounded by the sheer speed of the movement.

And then, he realized who his rescuer was.

It was the middle-aged guy who'd been in the beginner training with him.

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Thank you for reading.

Today also marks a two-chapter update. Another update is planned for 8 PM.

Thank you very much.