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027 Surrounded
by Bandits
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Translator : PolterGlast
My Explorer job was
still Level 9, so I re-entered the 4th-floor boss room.
This time, I could use
the Mithril Two-Handed Sword, and Rosalina, even as a Battle Master Lv1, was
stronger than a Villager Lv10. We steadily defeated the 4th-floor boss, and my
Explorer job safely reached Level 10.
"Hm, my skills
have increased?"
【Job】 Explorer Lv10
【Skills】 Dungeon Move (Low), Treasure Hunt (Low), Mapping (Minor)
【Unique Skills】 Detailed Appraisal (Medium), Item Box (Medium)
·
Mapping (Minor): Can display traversed locations on a
mental map. Can accurately transcribe them onto paper. (Passive Skill)
Having a map display
is helpful.
The booklet sold at
the guild included maps up to the 5th floor, but no booklets for the 6th floor
and beyond were sold. It seems I'm expected to gather information myself.
"Since we're at
it, can I level up my Assassin job too?"
"Eh? Master,
aren't you an Explorer, which is a rare job?"
"Oh, Rosalina,
you didn't know. I can change jobs myself."
"Eh...
EEEHHH!?"
Rosalina exclaimed in
surprise. It's fine since we're in the boss room, so the sound won't leak
outside.
"Rosalina-san.
You absolutely must not tell anyone about Master."
"O-of
course!"
Rosalina's eyes are
sparkling when she looks at me, though? I can just change jobs, that's all.
Leveling up my
Assassin job also progressed smoothly, and it reached Level 10.
As an Assassin, I can
defeat a Black Ant in an instant. However, if I attack one, Stealth breaks, and
the other two perceive me.
So, Rosalina and I
each take on one to defeat them. We repeated this many times until my level
reached 10.
Furthermore, as an
Assassin at Level 10, I was able to learn a new skill.
【Job】 Assassin Lv10
【Skills】 Vital Point Strike (Low), Stealth (Low), Trace Erasure (Low), Godspeed
(Low), Sense (Low), Wall Pass (Minor)
【Unique Skills】 Detailed Appraisal (Medium), Item Box (Medium)
·
Wall Pass (Minor): If the other side of a wall is
hollow, the user can pass through the wall to move. Consumes 8 MP. (Active
Skill)
This looks useful.
When entering that old witch bandit's mansion, I couldn't move if the door
didn't open.
After that, we exited
the dungeon separately. When I boldly revealed my face and left the dungeon,
about five bandits started following me.
I bought 10 grilled
pond squid and 10 grilled tentacles each, putting them in a bag, and also
bought 10 skewers of grilled Labyrinth Ox. Labyrinth Ox is a monster that
appears on the 5th floor. It was more expensive than pond squid, but it smelled
delicious, so I bought it.
I also bought some
round bread, thinly sliced, with vegetables and dried meat sandwiched in
between, drizzled with something like a sour dressing. Basically, sandwiches. I
bought enough for everyone.
Thanks to the Item
Box, they can be preserved as they were purchased.
Alright, let's go. As
I led the five of them along the narrow path in the forest, the bandits made
their move. Five of them surrounded me.
"You're Toi,
aren't you?"
It was a tough-looking
Bandit Lv8.
"Hey, say
something."
It was a dull-faced
Bandit Lv9.
These two are small
fry. The highest level of the five was the one behind me. I caught a glimpse
earlier, and this guy isn't a bandit. No, I should say, he was a bandit.
"When you ask
someone's name, state your own first. Do recent bandits not even know that
much? No, I guess they're too stupid to know, being bandits. Yeah. Bandits are
trash, stupid, and hopeless. They're worse than vermin."
The bandits became
enraged. Wow, they took the bait of my provocation so cleanly.
"You brat!"
One of them pulled a
dagger from his waist and thrust it at me. The dagger pointed at my throat
didn't seem to be of good quality.
This world operates on
a status system.
Even if this guy were
to slit my throat and it became a critical hit, my HP would decrease by at most
1 or 2 points.
The Hero of the
Two-Handed Sword has 114 DEF with armor, but this guy's ATK with his
poor-quality dagger isn't even 40 points.
Bandits are a job with
poor growth, like Villagers, so even at Level 10, 20, or even 50, they can't
beat a Level 6 Hero of the Two-Handed Sword.
I observed monster
statuses and calculated the relationship between ATK and DEF from damage taken
and dealt, which led me to this conclusion.
I've been fighting
quite thoughtfully, even with all this. Since Detailed Appraisal shows me
statuses, not using it would be a waste. That wouldn't be fair to Detailed
Appraisal.
"Short-sighted,
thoughtless, shallow, reckless, single-minded, and immature. Just by thinking a
little, these many words come to mind to describe you. It's understandable if
you're uneducated, but aren't you ashamed to live your life flaunting it?"
"Y-you!"
He tried to pull the
dagger back, so I grabbed his arm. Even if my HP doesn't decrease, it still
hurts. I'm not going to willingly accept that.
"B-bastard!"
If I were a Villager,
having my throat cut would be a fatal wound.
"Hey, it would
hurt if you were cut by this, wouldn't it? Don't you even understand that? You
really are stupid."
"Let go, you
bastard! Whoa!"
He told me to let go,
so I did, and he fell on his bottom.
"What the hell
are you doing?"
"You told me to
let go."
"Who lets go just
because they're told to?"
"I'm here, aren't
I?"
What a troublesome
guy. Is this a Yoshi● Kogyo comedy routine?
"Hey, stop
messing around and just kill him."
"Eh, am I going
to be killed? I don't like that."
" " "
" Don't mess with us! " " " "
You're the ones
messing around.
Four of them lunged at
me.
I took out my Mithril
Two-Handed Sword from quick-equip.
---SLICE!
I cut through the
torsos of three of them. Two died instantly from that, but one was still alive,
just barely.
The surviving bandit
was bleeding from his stomach, and his HP was down to 30%. He was writhing with
a very grim expression.
"I-impossible...
a mere Traveler... why...?"
"Heh, so you knew
I was a Traveler, huh?"
That's an interesting
story. I'd like to hear more details.
"Did I do
anything to you guys?"
I asked, glaring at
the bandit who seemed to be the leader.
His gaze wandered. His
behavior indicated he was looking for an escape route.
"Just so you
know, I won't let you escape."
Even if I let this guy
escape, I've already pinpointed their hideout. If I go there, I'll probably
find other hideouts. But I won't let him escape.
I intend to crush the
Shardina Bandit Gang so that I can sleep peacefully. To prevent bandits from
loitering around me and to stop them from annoying me or my associates.
But not letting this
guy escape is for the sake of the world. I know I'm doing something out of
character, but if I let this guy go, many more people will be killed.
This guy, who has the
Mass Murderer job, is trash among the trash, taking pleasure in killing the
weak. He has killed many innocent people so far. He will continue to kill.
Perhaps some of those might even include people related to me. So, I won't let
him escape.
"Hehehe. If you
kill me, you won't be able to back down."
He's being tough. But
I won't yield to such threats. I won't yield to anyone. Not before, and not
now.
"I have no
intention of backing down. Rest assured."
"W-wait..."
"You picked this
fight. That old hag will follow you soon enough. Don't worry."
"Old... hag...
you, how far...?"
"You don't need
to know."
I pointed my Mithril
Two-Handed Sword at him.
"Wait!"
The mass murderer
prostrated himself, rubbing his head on the ground.
"...What are you
doing?"
"I won't resist.
So please don't kill me."
"Are you saying
you'll surrender quietly?"
"Yes. I won't
resist. I'll be quiet. So please don't kill me."
I moved to a spot
where I could step on the back of his head as he prostrated himself. I wouldn't
step on him, but I wanted to.
"If you behave,
you won't suffer. I'll just hand you over to the guards, and that'll be the end
of it."
"Ah, thank you.
I'm grateful."
Just as I lowered my
rucksack to take out a rope.
"You let your
guard down!"
The mass murderer
pulled a dagger from his hidden pocket and aimed it at me.
The dagger had poison
on it, clearly radiating a sinister color. Even if the damage was minimal,
taking this was dangerous.
"Die!"
Clank!
"There's no way
I'm letting my guard down, you know."
I grabbed the mass
murderer's arm, stopping the dagger.
I knew this would
happen. There was no way this guy would surrender so easily. I thought it would
be strange if he didn't try something.
So, it's only natural
to be on guard to be able to respond to any development. I thought he'd put a
bit more thought into it, but I'm surprised by how cliché it is.
---CRUNCH! CRACK!
SNAP!
"Gyaaaah!"
I crushed the bones in
the arm I was gripping with sheer hand strength.
I twisted his arm and
plunged the mass murderer's poison dagger into his leg.
"Aaaaaaahhh!"
"I don't show
mercy to trash."
I showed him a bright,
cheerful smile. How's that, refreshing, isn't it?
"Hieee!"
Don't be so scared,
you'll get hurt.
The mass murderer
pulled something out of his pocket. Naturally, I snatched it.
"Ahhh...
that..."
It seemed to be an
antidote. Well prepared, aren't you?
"You want to
drink this?"
"Y-yes..."
"Then, answer my
questions."
"..."
"Aren't you in
danger if you don't drink it quickly?"
"Ugh... What do
you... want to know...?"
The sweating mass
murderer spilled everything for the sake of the antidote.
As expected of someone
who changed from a bandit, he was quite the executive. He knew a lot.
Tonight's going to be
a long one.
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