Chapter 7

This is the first dungeon attack.

I plan to make the protagonist the strongest in the end, but I want to gradually increase his strength.

I am very happy to see the number of favorites increase every time I post!

Tanaka Jiro, 28 years old, single, no girlfriend, occupation: Dungeon Tester (full-time employee)

Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)

Position: Warrior

"This is the dungeon."

Looking around, the brick-paved corridor stretches endlessly, with the same scenery continuing before his eyes.

"No discomfort in my body."

The moment he entered the entrance, his body glowed, which made him panic, but this must be a procedure to transform his body into a magical one.

While being cautious of his surroundings, he moved his body, but there was no particularly strange sensation.

He had only entered the dungeon a few meters and had not yet encountered any dungeon monsters.

If he was to get used to the magical body, it would be better to do so as soon as possible.

Starting with stretching, he went through a series of movements to warm up his body.

In the process, he felt something different from usual.

The air felt heavy, as if there was an unpleasant pressure.

"The magic is really dense, isn't it?"

During the training, they said that the magic in the dungeon was incomparably denser than in the company, but he didn't expect it to be so different that he could actually feel it.

For now, he had to get used to this air.

"If you're going to start, I recommend the Machine General's dungeon."

Taking a deep breath, as if to absorb the magic, he felt somewhat accustomed to the atmosphere.

He came to the recommended dungeon, but he couldn't judge whether it was a good choice until he tried it.

"Alright, let's get serious."

He lightly slapped his cheeks and stepped into the dungeon.

A few minutes earlier

"If you're going to start, I recommend the Machine General's dungeon."

"Why? Is that the best for beginners?"

"No, it's a matter of balancing efficiency and danger."

"Efficiency and danger?"

Called over the counter, I was being taught about the dungeon by the store clerk, a vampire girl, about things I couldn't learn during the training.

"I am also an employee of this company, so I have heard some things from the testers. From rumors, actual training observations by teachers, and the personalities of the people on this side, I believe the Machine General's dungeon is the best hidden gem."

She raised a finger and connected it with the first point.

"First, no one would go to the dungeon of the Undead King, to whom we belong. Even if someone did, they would return out of fear. The same goes for the Worm General's dungeon."

If asked if anyone had the experience of being attacked by giant insects, I shivered at the thought.

Shaking my head, the vampire girl replied, "That's right."

"Furthermore, these two dungeons are not suitable for you at the moment. If you equip yourself and improve your status, it might be different, but for now, it's impossible."

The army of the undead is simply hard to damage with physical attacks, and the army of worms is hard and reproduces easily, making it a tough challenge for a solo adventurer, as many of the individuals are hard due to their racial characteristics.

"Next, the Tree General and Giant General's dungeons. You are not ready to fight humans. They look the most human, and you lack the resolve to fight them."

Indeed, that makes sense.

You might be able to fight, but in the dungeon, you have to not only defeat but also kill them.

You might even have to fight someone who looks like Suela.

"From your expression, I can tell what you're thinking. For now, calm down and listen to me.

I will exclude these two as well.

There are three left, but the Dragon General's dungeon is composed of dragon minions, so the quality of the forces is higher compared to other dungeons. If you go there now, you'll probably get your head or arm bitten off."

This vampire girl is good at stirring up the human race's anxiety.

As I listened to her, I gradually became hesitant.

"Of the two remaining dungeons, most of the testers are probably challenging the Demon General's dungeon."

"Why do you think so?"

"It's simple. People fear the unknown. It's easier to challenge something they know than something they don't. Also, during the joint training, they were able to overwhelm the goblins."

Her words, which seemed to call us fools, made me recall the training I had participated in. Indeed, there weren't many dropouts during the goblin training.

The collapse began with the skeletons.

Moreover, I was able to overwhelm the goblins to some extent.

"By contrast, most testers are not challenging the Machine General's dungeon. It will be an unknown experience, but you can challenge it efficiently without being interrupted. Additionally, the Machine General's dungeon is mainly composed of golems, and the number of individuals is much smaller compared to goblins, so the frequency of being surrounded is reduced. The quality is higher, but if you don't get overconfident with the equipment you have, you should be able to fight without much risk."

Most importantly, she continued.

"Golem loot sells for a higher price than goblin loot."

"That's important."

It's a matter of money, and hearing that it's profitable, I became surprisingly proactive, despite being hesitant just a moment ago.

Given that I had spent a considerable amount today, this information was quite effective.

"Is that about it? I consider this to be in exchange for the help I gave you earlier. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."

After saying that, she shifted her gaze to the next stack of receipts, indicating that she had no further use for me.

The information she provided might be just an overview of the dungeon, but for me, who was feeling my way without prior information, it was quite valuable.

"I'll take it into consideration. See you again."

"Looking forward to your next visit."

Given the limited time, I left the store, hearing the standard phrase in my back.

I stopped by the convenience store, bought onigiri to fill my stomach, and purchased portable food and water, then changed into my equipment in my room.

"Does it look like a costume?"

My reflection in the full-length mirror looked suspicious in the city, but I thought I would get used to it if I wore it for a while.

"Well, let's go to my first job."

After checking all the equipment, if there were no problems, it was time to head to the dungeon.

And so, I arrived at the present.

Even without windows or fluorescent lights, the path was bright as I walked to a crossroads.

The space was wide enough to swing a pickaxe freely in all directions.

Even in combat, there would be enough room to maneuver.

"This is a crossroads."

I then noted the path in my notebook.

What I was doing was mapping. I drew the map with my back to the wall, so it was a bit messy, but as long as I could understand it, I wouldn't get lost on the way back.

*Click*

"Did I just hear something?"

It might have been my imagination, but in a dungeon, there's always the risk of something happening.

I had been ingrained with the idea of not letting my guard down, to the point of being ready to die.

The instructors had physically ingrained this in me, but I would have preferred to be taught gently like Suela.

I closed my notebook and looked around, trying to pick up any sounds.

"First combat, huh?"

I wasn't sure if I had been noticed, but I hid behind a wall to avoid being seen.

I took the pickaxe from my backpack, and as I willed it to detach, a heavy weight was transmitted to my hand.

I peeked around the corner and caught a glimpse of a shadow.

There was a sense of distance, and with it, a sense of estimation.

It's a way to guess how far away something is by feel, but

"More than ten meters?"

Of course, I wasn't used to it, so I could only make an educated guess within the range I could understand.

I've always had good eyesight, so I don't wear glasses.

Moreover, I felt my vision had improved somewhat thanks to the magic runes.

Thanks to this, I could clearly see the number of figures: two small human-like figures and one adult-sized figure. The small ones were slightly larger than goblins.

Numerically, I was at a disadvantage, and I had no information about the enemy. Challenging them would be somewhat reckless.

"Could you come a little closer?"

Because of the distance, I couldn't see the details of the enemy.

It could be a soul, or it might suddenly be a blood.

I tried to observe carefully without getting anxious.

The footsteps were becoming clearer. From the lightness of the footsteps, they might be light in weight.

"Type of golem with weaponized hands, material is wood? It looks more like a puppet and a mannequin combined."

It had a human shape, but the material looked like wood at first glance. The face was smooth, with a single gemstone like a cyclops' eye.

"That looks like a weak point, but it's impossible to aim for it, isn't it?"

It would be difficult to aim for something as small as a ping-pong ball with such a large weapon.

As I observed, the distance closed to less than ten meters.

"The medium one looks dangerous. Its hands are like spears, so if I get stabbed by that, it would be bad. I should aim for that one first and endure the small ones."

The medium mannequin type was designed to attack without holding anything, with its arms sharp like spears from the elbow.

Unlike the mannequin type, the puppet type had hands shaped like wooden mallets, probably designed for striking.

The small ones would cause chaos at my feet, and the final blow would be delivered by the medium one.

Therefore, it would be safer to take down the medium one first.

I could run away, but it was said that there were few individuals wandering alone, so it might be better to prepare for multiple attacks and face them head-on.

I measured the distance, step by step.

The dry sound of wood and stone clashing.

It was getting closer, and I swallowed hard.

*Gulp*

I thought the sound was louder than I expected, and my body judged that I had been noticed. Without thinking, I moved away from the wall and launched myself at the mannequin.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Running and slashing horizontally from below, I felt the wood crack at the hilt, and the medium mannequin was split into upper and lower halves.

"MEEEEEEEEE