Chapter 43
Future Goals!
One of Japan's leading popular Dungeons, the Kagurazaka
Dungeon, is always crowded with people. Whether it's late at night, early
morning, a holiday, or a weekday, it doesn't change; it's constantly bustling
with many Dungeon Hunters. Starting today, I will be one of them.
While nibbling on bread in the hotel's dining room, I reconfirmed my
goals.
First, what I want is money. Acquiring a Sub-class at Level 20 is a goal
far in the future, but in the process of earning money, I'll naturally earn
experience points. Since they progress in parallel, it's not a matter of
prioritizing one over the other, but what's more important is money. After all,
I'm still a person with no fixed address. I want a smartphone soon, and I want
a proper room of my own too. And I want to buy pots, paintings, and sculptures,
and decorate it more and more.
As a target amount for the time being, I guess around 150 million yen
would be fine, just off the top of my head. There's no solid basis for that
amount, but factoring in the purchase price of a tower mansion, the initial
costs associated with it, furniture, and various other things, there's no doubt
a considerable amount will be needed.
If I'm going to do it, I want to prepare the money without any
shortages. For that purpose, I'm thinking about 150 million yen. Though it's a
rough guess. Even if 100 million isn't enough, having about half of another 100
million on top should be enough, right? My current savings are around 20
million yen, so I'm still completely far from my goal.
The next important things are leveling up and the Sub-class. This will
progress at the same time as earning money, but I need to be careful not to end
up with an unwanted Sub-class. Next time, I absolutely want to get a
transcendentally cool Class.
Therefore, in battles against monsters, I have to get more fired up,
look cooler, act more like an amazing warrior, and also think about improving
my own combat techniques. I must keep in mind that I can't become a
transcendentally cool Class just by pushing through with brute force
relying on weapons and skills. Unlike the target amount for earning money, I
can't be half-assed with this. Let's do my best.
「Fueee, this
bread is way too delicious~.」
While thoroughly enjoying the nice aroma of freshly baked bread, I
reached for my third piece. I'm having seconds of the rolled omelet, sausages,
and salad, too. Since it's a buffet-style all-you-can-eat, I'll eat without
holding back. The food at this hotel is delicious~.
「Aoi-san, seeing you eat so deliciously is cute, but let's sit in the chair
with your back straight.」
「Yes, Yukino-san!」
The receptionist Onee-san from the hotel, who invited me to
lunch, is sitting with me. And she strictly scolds me about my manners. But for
me, who had been spending my days lonely filling my stomach at a beef bowl
shop, while I think it's a bit annoying on one hand, I also feel happy to be
eating a meal with someone. Thinking that improving my manners will surely have
a good influence on me, I'll actively accept a bit of scolding.
Taking a little walk to serve as an after-meal stroll and to check out
the neighborhood, it's finally time for labor. The current time is still high
noon, and just as expected, the Kagurazaka Dungeon Administration is
crowded.
I see splendid-looking equipment time and time again; as expected, they
must be high-level guys. Every single one of them is clamoring in groups, and
there's absolutely no loners like me. Well, I knew that. Hmm, making friends
might actually be pretty difficult.
Anyway, I didn't come here to play. Let's labor. Just like last time, I
lined up first to finish the reception, and once again like last time, I didn't
change clothes in the changing room, plunging into the Dungeon in my
regular clothes.
I felt like I was being watched by a lot of Hunters, but since I
swaggered around cutting the wind with my shoulders, I probably won't be looked
down on. It's a flawless, perfect debut. Since I have no intention of hiding my
『Solo Dungeon』 skill, I
don't care about the public eye.
「As I
thought, a Dungeon with no one in it is relaxing~.」
The congestion from just a few seconds ago has completely and cleanly
vanished, making me feel good. Combined with the feeling of liberating my power
that I experience when plunging into the Dungeon, I get even more fired
up. I immediately scattered my British young lady-style clothes, and it's time
to change into my usual battle attire. While feeling true freedom, I cheerfully
changed clothes, took my weapons, and trotted onward.
In the Kagurazaka Dungeon, I had only advanced up to the Fourth
Floor, so at first, I'll avoid combat, prioritizing going down to the lower
floors anyway. I dashed through the horror-filled Edo-like town Dungeon,
occasionally stopping to check the map. I thought this last time too, but it
seems I'm quite insensitive to horror. Even with the deserted, dim townscape
and Skeleton-kuns walking around here and there, I don't feel scared at
all.
Dashing fiercely for about three hours while taking breaks in between, I
managed to reach the Tenth Floor. I register at the transfer circle and
secure today's minimum results. I got tired just from moving, but from here on
out is the real deal for gaining money and combat experience.
On the Tenth Floor of the Higashi-Nakano Dungeon, the Wood
Golem-kuns there were an easy win. Since it's the same floor, there's no
need to excessively fear the Skeleton-kuns, which are considered to be a
similar level of threat. I'll try fighting just a little, and if it seems like
I have leeway, I'll try going to the Eleventh Floor. If that happens,
I'll finally be stepping into the middle layers.
「Well, for
now, it's the Skeleton-kuns on the Tenth Floor. The ones here are
Ashigaru (foot soldier) types? They don't look very strong.」
The silver-boned Skeleton-kuns are clad in thin, tattered
reddish-brown armor and protective gear covering their limbs, wearing headbands
of the same color wrapped around their heads. Climbing up to a slightly high
place and observing the monsters, it seems the ones on this floor are nothing
but Ashigaru-type Skeleton-kuns holding katanas or spears.
Dashing with a dada and approaching an Ashigaru from the front, I
slam my hammer in a horizontal sweep while watching its reaction. The
Ashigaru's thin armor doesn't show any particular effect, and I shatter it
along with its chest bones, turning it into particles of light.
「Yep, easy!」
Human-sized skeletons are small compared to golems, and I feel their
durability is overwhelmingly weak. They should technically be monsters of the
same rank, so maybe they have some special ability. Looking ahead, I guess I
should confirm that too.
When I approached the next monster, first I deployed 『Rock-hard
Armor』 and tried
letting the enemy attack. The Skeleton-kun, who raised its katana high,
swung the blade down along with a sharp step-in. It felt like an authentic
samurai-like movement, making it seem like its combat techniques were
surprisingly high despite being a monster. Unlike Golem-kun, there is
fear in that aspect.
When the attack hit my defensive shield, the katana the monster held
snapped with a tremendous clashing sound. It seems they have more power than
they look, and even wrapped in strong armor, I don't feel like taking that
head-on. Even if they look shoddy, they are still 『Ultra Hard Mode』 monsters.
「I see, now
it's my turn.」
Instead of defeating it in one hit like before, I aim for its arm and
swing my hammer down. Because of the overwhelming difference in speed, if it's
just a single monster, I can experiment however I want. Right after
successfully smashing its arm, the arm that should have been crushed went right
back to normal in a flash. That's quite the regenerative ability; an ability
that is truly fitting of an undead monster.
「From the Eleventh
Floor onwards, this power and regenerative ability might be the standard.」
I have to be careful. Even if I take down enemies I can defeat in one
blow, I want to polish my combat techniques more from now on. Just because I
can defeat them doesn't mean it's fine to just defeat them vaguely. I did this
last time too, but I'll do it while being conscious of results that go beyond
the numbers called experience points.
And eventually, I'm going to get a transcendentally cool Sub-class. That's what I came here for, after all.