Chapter 13

After leaving the union headquarters and walking a little, the local shopping street comes into view. It’s an old arcade street that has been around for a long time, and since it’s close to my house, I’m quite familiar with it.

Right next to the tofu shop, which is located in the middle of the shopping street, there is a dungeon. There’s a hole in the ground, and to prevent it from being a pitfall, it’s covered with an iron plate, which can be moved aside.

According to the documents, this dungeon has one underground floor and five rooms. This isn’t based on actual surveys by the investigation team. Since there’s a hole in the ground, the contents can be roughly determined using specialized vibration equipment and measuring devices.

So there’s no map or anything; we can only rely on the information that can be predicted.

“So, are you coming with me… for real?”

“Of course. I want to see the scene of you weaving the era from a front-row seat.”

“You’re setting the bar pretty high, aren’t you?”

“To avoid any suspicion that I’m relying on you for leveling up, I’ll record and stream the video. If there’s evidence, you won’t have to worry unnecessarily, right?”

“Huh… streaming? Really?”

Godo looks at me with a puzzled expression at my surprised question.

Actually, the exploration of dungeons by explorers isn’t a secret. Many explorers record and stream videos, and some even live-stream their explorations and share their thoughts after completing them.

Godo is one of them, I remember. I’ve seen her thumbnail on the home screen of a video streaming service before. Wow, getting a famous person to stream it? Isn’t that exciting?

“Visibility is important for explorers, and more importantly, it’s guaranteed that you will become the world’s best explorer. We must certainly engrave your first step in the world.”

“World’s best… Godo, what do you think of me…?”

“A savior who has descended to this world with a great mission.”

“Scary…”

You’re already a fanatic. I don’t remember becoming a cult leader.

Looking at her, her eyes seem sane, but there’s a glint of faith in them.

I feel like I shouldn’t touch this, and it feels like I’m stepping into a quagmire, so I decide not to say anything. In this world, giving up and turning a blind eye is key.

“…So, let’s go then.”

“Yes! Leave the filming to me!”

With a sigh, I head into the dungeon, while Godo excitedly sets up her smartphone.

By the way, I’m still in my school uniform, but I’m wearing explorer-specific cut-resistant and pressure-resistant underwear. Weapon? I don’t have one…

Descending the dirt stairs, a fairly wide path continues. As I proceed, I come to a small room about the size of a 4-tatami mat. It’s dark, of course, since there’s no light source. I put on the head-mounted flashlight designed for explorers.

Suddenly, I see something attack me.

“Gyahgyahgyahgyahgyah!”

“Whoa!?”

It’s an ugly-looking little creature, a goblin, swinging a wooden stick and jumping at me.

I flinch, but my skill, "Walking in a Wilderness Where Not Even the Wind Blows," activates, boosting my physical abilities tenfold. I quickly regain my composure and counterattack.

I dodge the wooden stick swung at me and sweep it away with my hand. This throws the goblin off balance, and now it’s my turn.

“Nun!”

“Gyah!”

I drop my weight and deliver a powerful left hook to the goblin’s stomach. It’s a strange feeling to punch someone, but it feels like a critical hit.

Thud! An unusual sound echoes. The goblin’s eyes widen, it spits blood, and then it lets out a final scream as it disintegrates into particles. I must have inflicted a fatal wound with that one hit. The blood suggests I might have ruptured its internal organs.

In the spot where the goblin disappeared, there’s one eyeball. This is a drop item from the monster, a "Goblin’s Eyeball."

It’s said that when boiled, it has a significant effect in treating dementia and is highly valued in nursing care. What a good start.

“Or maybe it’s the effect of the title.”

“Having a monster drop an item with certainty is an incredible effect. You could become a billionaire, Kouta.”

“That’s great… but the punch just felt so natural.”

I look at my left fist, which delivered the fatal blow to the goblin. It’s just a familiar hand, but the punch it delivered was anything but familiar.

The 10x boost from "Walking in a Wilderness Where Not Even the Wind Blows" is certainly a big factor. But there’s also a strange, natural feeling to it.

It’s like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. It feels like something that was missing has been fulfilled.

Maybe if I fight more enemies, all the pieces will fall into place.

Feeling a bit more excited, I continue my exploration.

At the time of posting this, it’s ranked 14th on the Low Fantasy Daily.

Thank you, thank you.

I hope you will continue to enjoy it.

I also appreciate your favorites and ratings.