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033 Treasure
Box Monster (Volume Two: Start)
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Translator : PolterGlast
It was the morning of
the 16th day since my reincarnation. I decided to enter the dungeon in the
early morning. I remained cautious, as there might be bandits who escaped the
crackdown.
The large-scale
crackdown on the Shardina Bandit Gang from the day before yesterday seemed to
be the hottest topic, with rumors flying around.
The mansion we live in
is a bit far from the dungeon. On the way there, we passed the square where I
first bought grilled pond squid. Since that stall was open today too, we
stopped by.
"Oh, what cute
young ladies you are. Old man here will give you a bonus!" The stall owner
didn't seem to remember my face. That's fine, as he probably wouldn't remember
after only meeting once.
He still thought I was
a girl. I didn't mind, so I decided to accept the bonus.
"I'll take 15
grilled pond squid," I said.
"Oh, buying so
many! I'll give you 15 grilled tentacles as a bonus, just like last time!"
he exclaimed.
"You remembered?"
I asked.
"Of course, I
couldn't forget such a cute girl!" he replied. His memory was quite good.
As a merchant, I was impressed, but giving away 15 grilled tentacles as a bonus
would mean a loss.
"Come
again!"
I waved at the
generous old man, putting on a charming act. Anneliese and Rosalina also
smiled.
Rosalina and I ate the
body parts, while Anneliese ate the tentacles, as we headed to the dungeon.
"It's
delicious," Anneliese said.
"It is
delicious!" Rosalina chimed in. Even though we'd just eaten breakfast,
they both finished their portions, repeatedly saying how delicious it was. I
also thought it was delicious and wanted a second helping, but I held back
since we were about to enter the dungeon.
In front of the
dungeon, I bought some fruit. There were fruits like kiwis and plums. I had the
kiwi for breakfast yesterday, and the plum for breakfast today. Both were
delicious. It felt out of season since winter was coming soon, but apparently,
the fruit was imported from the south. Both seemed to be long-lasting fruits,
and they supposedly ripened and became sweeter during transport. They were a
bit expensive due to transport costs, but I bought them because they were
delicious. Deliciousness is justice.
I immediately moved to
the 5th floor upon entering the dungeon. Dungeon Move is convenient.
It's said that when
you can explore this 5th floor, you're considered a full-fledged explorer. I
guess I'm finally joining the ranks of full-fledged explorers.
When walking inside
the dungeon, I plan to be an Explorer, and during combat, a Hero of the
Two-Handed Sword. I'd be happy if Treasure Hunt was activated. I walked as an
Explorer with that much expectation. With Rosalina by my side, I'm sure the
monsters won't get close while I'm changing jobs. Anneliese was also with us,
but she's a rearguard, after all.
On the 5th floor,
Labyrinth Oxen appears. Labyrinth Oxen, protected by reddish-brown fur, have
high defense, but their most dangerous attribute is their charging power.
A Labyrinth Ox appeared
right away. It had four horns on its head, was about my height, and was
considerably wider than the Japanese black ox I knew, making the passage feel
narrow.
While I was changing
my job to Hero of the Two-Handed Sword, Rosalina charged forward. The dull thud
of the Labyrinth Ox's charge colliding with Rosalina's charge reached my ears.
Surprisingly, the
massive Labyrinth Ox was pushed back. Rosalina is amazing.
She followed up with a
kick to the Labyrinth Ox, whose upper body was lifted by her upward punch.
Oh, the Labyrinth Ox
disappeared.
I didn't land a single
hit. It's good that Rosalina is strong, but there's no room for me to act.
I quickly changed my
job to Explorer. It feels so heartless.
"Labyrinth beef
dropped." Anneliese picked up a lump of meat wrapped in a magnolia-like
leaf. It was about 1 kilogram of meat. It was lean red meat with not much
marbling, but its skewers were delicious.
"Instead of
exchanging all the dropped labyrinth beef for money, let's take some back with
us."
"I think that's a
good idea," Anneliese said with a good smile.
"I love
meat!" Rosalina also beamed.
As we proceeded
through the passage, two more appeared this time.
I changed my job to
Hero of the Two-Handed Sword. In the meantime, Rosalina punched away one Labyrinth
Ox and kicked the second.
I won't be outdone!
"Haaah!" I
swung my Mithril Two-Handed Sword down from overhead.
With a snap, the
Labyrinth Ox was cut open and vanished with a hard, shattering sound.
The Mithril Two-Handed
Sword is a powerful weapon even on this 5th floor.
As soon as I defeated
one Labyrinth Ox, Rosalina defeated the other. She's strong, that Battle
Master.
We advanced steadily,
easily defeating three Labyrinth Oxen.
Then, my skill
reacted. A treasure chest!
"Wait a
moment." I stopped the two and tried touching the wall.
"..." It
just felt like an ordinary wall.
"Anneliese.
There's a treasure chest ahead, so can you break through the wall?"
"Leave it to
me!" Anneliese activated Mana Hand and punched the wall. After several
thuds, the wall crumbled, revealing a passage beyond.
"No monsters
here!" Rosalina exclaimed, on alert in the passage.
Upon entering the
passage, we found a treasure chest. Now, what was inside this time?
"Please wait.
That treasure chest has a suspicious aura," Anneliese warned.
"A trap?" I
asked.
"It feels
strange, somehow different from a trap," she replied.
Since Anneliese's
Magic Sense detected something unpleasant, we discussed it and decided to open
the lid with Mana Hand.
I readied my shield,
and Rosalina crouched low, preparing herself.
"Opening
it," Anneliese said. Mana Hand extended and opened the lid. In that
instant, the treasure chest lunged at us. The treasure chest was a monster.
Its lid opened like a
mouth, revealing sharp teeth. The bottom was invisible, a pitch-black abyss
that brought to mind the deep sea.
I instinctively
activated Detailed Appraisal.
"It's a Treasure
Box Monster!" I shouted the monster's name.
I mean, that's its
name, huh!?
"Hup!"
Rosalina countered by kicking the pouncing Treasure Box Monster away.
"This thing's VIT
and HP are abnormally high!" I exclaimed.
"I'll fight
too!" Anneliese offered.
"Please do."
Anneliese's magic
wouldn't be affected by its VIT. Its resistance to magic would be based on its
MIN.
I also changed my job
to Hero of the Two-Handed Sword and joined the battle.
"Take that!"
Rosalina dodged the Treasure Box Monster's biting attack and landed three
punches.
"Hmph!" I
slashed from the side, but it was hard.
"Firing!"
Anneliese's magic activated. Rosalina and I jumped back.
A ball of fire hit the
Treasure Box Monster, burning its wooden (?) body.
The Treasure Box
Monster recoiled in extreme discomfort, unable to launch a counterattack.
Rosalina and I pursued.
Wham! Wham! Wham!
Wham! Rosalina punched.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Thud! I slashed. This wasn't the sound of cutting.
It tried to bite us
several times, but Rosalina covered for me. She dodged the Treasure Box
Monster's attacks with absolute ease.
"Firing!"
We jumped back, and a
fireball flew, incinerating the Treasure Box Monster. This was the finishing
blow, and the Treasure Box Monster vanished.
I was in danger a few
times, but thanks to Anneliese and Rosalina, I wasn't injured.
"Ah!?"
Rosalina exclaimed as she reached to pick up the drop item.
"What's
wrong?" I asked.
"Master! This is
it!" Rosalina held out a book.
"That!?"
Anneliese also exclaimed.
"Could this
possibly be...?" I wondered.
"Yes. It's a
grimoire," Anneliese confirmed.
"Ohh!"
"It's
amazing!" Rosalina added.
While taking a break,
Anneliese gave me a lecture on the grimoire.
Grilled pond squid,
delicious!
"Using a grimoire
allows you to change to a Mage. But there's one more job you can change
to," Anneliese explained.
"Not just
Mage?" I asked.
"Yes. Rarely, you
can also change to a Sorcerer."
"Sorcerer?"
That was a new word.
"Unlike Mages,
Sorcerers use sorcery. Sorcery requires catalysts, but it can do things
equivalent to magic."
"Catalysts, huh?
Do you buy those? Or do you get them in the dungeon?"
"You make them
from items dropped by monsters. Only Sorcerers or Alchemists can make
catalysts."
So, it takes effort to
make catalysts, and there's a financial burden from buying or obtaining items.
A Mage seems more convenient.
"Mages are
popular because they are less expensive, but unlike Mages, Sorcerers can use
sorcery of all attributes," Anneliese continued.
"Based on the
catalyst's attribute?" I asked.
"Yes. Depending
on the catalyst's attribute, a Sorcerer can use all attributes," she
confirmed.
So, a Sorcerer has versatility,
but a Mage is easier to use, huh?
"I've heard that
the probability of a Sorcerer appearing is about 1 in 30."
I wondered if it was
just my imagination that I felt like I might hit that 1 in 30 chance.
Thinking about it,
since Anneliese is a Mage, a Sorcerer might be more versatile. That's what I'm
thinking, but I haven't decided whether to use it yet.
"Further ahead,
are there any floors where it would be better to have more Mages or
Sorcerers?"
"There are quite
a few monsters that are difficult to damage with physical attacks. For such
monsters, magic or sorcery is more effective."
"...Alright, I'll
hold onto it for now. Anneliese's magic is enough for now, so I'll decide
whether to use it or sell it while observing the situation."
I stored the grimoire
in the Item Box.
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