Chapter 8

Kuren Kurosa stood at the entrance of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing the secret given to her by her mother.

Kurosa had been an adventurer for less than three months and was still a beginner.

She became an adventurer partly because she predicted that the industry, which was currently in its early stages, would grow rapidly in the future.

But the main reason was her admiration for the top-ranked adventurers in "Let's Be an Adventurer."

She wanted to join the ranks of these amazing people.

And to drive away the monsters that had ruined their lives.

With such determination, she went to the Sapporo Dungeon "Chikaho," which was bustling with people day and night.

The grim sight, so different from what she had imagined, left her momentarily stunned.

Even though monsters were enemies of humanity, she was disappointed to see grown adults ganging up on them like a mob.

Is this... what being an adventurer means?

It's hard to tell who the monsters are.

Even if it was for experience points, Kurosa lacked the courage to join such a group.

Humans are different from monsters.

She didn't want to become ugly like them.

Moreover, it was said that the amount of experience points gained was proportional to the amount of life force drained from the monster.

If ten people ganged up on a monster, the experience points would be divided among them.

Degrading oneself for such a small reward was not worth it.

That said, the level of monsters that beginners could hunt only went up to the second basement floor.

It was said that powerful monsters awaited on the third floor.

Beginners, especially solo ones, would find it impossible to hunt there.

The only place where beginners could hunt solo was the first and second floors.

But there was no place where one could hunt in peace.

After thinking about what to do, Kurosa posted a recruitment message on the "Let's Be an Adventurer" bulletin board.

"I'm Kurosa, a beginner adventurer. I'm looking for kind people to take me to the third basement floor of Chikaho to level up. Please be kind to me."

She hoped that someone like Mr. Bacon would be in Sapporo.

Her wish seemed to have been granted, as a response to her post came quickly.

"Want to go tomorrow? Our team can go up to the ninth floor."

And so, today.

Kurosa, dressed in her gear, arrived at the meeting place and successfully joined up with the adventurers.

"Are you Kurosa? You posted on the recruitment board of 'Let's Be an Adventurer.'"

"Y-Yes!"

"Wow, really?"

"I thought it was a prank."

"I thought it was a guy in a girl's account..."

Called from the side, Kurosa straightened her back.

The ones who called her were a group of three men in their twenties.

"I'm Yonkama."

He was probably the tank, equipped with a sword about sixty centimeters long and a shield.

"I'm Lars, nice to meet you."

Another one was an attacker, carrying a greatsword on his back.

"I'm Hary."

The last one had a bow slung over his shoulder.

These were probably their handles from "Let's Be an Adventurer."

Even though it was an offline hunt, they didn't seem to use their real names.

Perhaps they had also met through the recruitment board.

Kurosa felt that they formed a well-balanced team.

And they seemed to have the skills to lead her. She could sense a reliable aura that was different from that of a beginner.

But something about their gazes was slightly off.

Was it because they had said, "I thought it was a guy in a girl's account"?

They were looking at Kurosa as if examining her from head to toe.

No, maybe they were just checking her equipment because she was a beginner.

"Is that equipment okay?"

Indeed, that was the case.

Kurosa smiled wryly.

"I'm sorry. As a beginner, this is all I could get."

"That's understandable."

"Yonkama only had a weapon at first. His equipment was so bad that I lent him a shield."

"Is that so?"

"You forget things when it's convenient, don't you?"

"Shut up."

Yonkama stuck out his tongue at his companions.

It's nice.

Watching their banter, Kurosa envied the comfortable distance in their relationship.

She wanted to form a team like this soon.

To do that, she first needed to become someone people would want on their team.

"Let's go then."

"Please take care of me!"

"Sure thing."

"Leave it to me!"

"Alright!"

The three nodded and headed towards the entrance of "Chikaho."

"By the way, how old are you, Kurosa?"

"Eighteen."

"Really!? You're just old enough to qualify!"

"Yes. I got my adventurer's license as soon as I turned eighteen."

"Wow, that's impressive. You're brave for a girl."

"I hear that a lot."

Kurosa chuckled at Hary's words.

What she often heard from others was not bravery but recklessness.

"Thinking about the hardworking adventurers who delve into dungeons, I couldn't just live a carefree life in the safe zone."

"Wow, you're admirable. You're a different level from us."

"You mean me alone, not the team, right?"

Lars nudged Yonkama.

It seemed that the shield-bearer was the team leader.

While they chatted, Hary and Lars occasionally teased Yonkama, but it was clear that this was out of trust, not disdain.

Entering "Chikaho," Kurosa and the others ignored the monsters that spawned and pushed forward.

They went down to the second floor, then the third, and even reached the fourth floor.

A place Kurosa could never have reached alone.

"Don't be so scared. We're active on the ninth floor, after all."

Yonkama knocked on his sword as if to reassure Kurosa.

His words were probably true.

There was still plenty of room in their fighting style.

They were definitely not at a level where they would struggle on the third or fourth floors.

Yonkama defended against attacks and bound the monsters in place.

Lars and Hary then quickly finished them off.

Kurosa was allowed to attack the monsters a little, but while Lars' greatsword sliced through the monster's body like paper, Kurosa could only inflict minor scratches.

This was the difference between a beginner and an experienced adventurer.

A vast gap in skill.

She wanted to become like them soon.

She admired their strength, but it wouldn't happen overnight.

Kurosa only managed to scratch a third-floor monster and then succumbed to level-up dizziness.

Feeling dizzy after dealing only minor damage was a sign that she was far too weak for the monsters on that floor.

There was still a long way to go.

She had to work hard to be able to defeat a third-floor monster alone by the end of the day!

While Kurosa was determined, the archer Hary made a sharp sound with his lips.

It was a warning signal.

As soon as it reached their ears, Yonkama and Lars crouched down.

...Something's coming?

"Shit, what do we do?"

As you level up, your senses become sharper, right?

Even with her eyes and ears straining, Kurosa couldn't detect any subtle changes.

"What do we do—"

"Let's run!"

Their unusual atmosphere made Kurosa's spine freeze.

"Run?"

Why were they, who were active on the ninth floor, trying to run from a fourth-floor monster?

Confused, Kurosa tilted her head.

"It's a Mon Parade!"

"Mon Parade...?"

"Damn!"

Frustrated by the communication breakdown in a crisis, Yonkama spat angrily.

"It's a Monster Parade! Run!!"

"---!"

Hearing the official name, Kurosa gasped.

A Monster Parade, as the name suggests, refers to a large migration of monsters.

There are various reasons for a Monster Parade.

Adventurers might pull more and more monsters while fleeing.

Or it's rumored that there are special monsters that generate other monsters.

The response is simple.

If you see one, run without hesitation.

Currently, most adventurers' weapons have a wide range.

Therefore, most adventurers are ill-suited to deal with a Monster Parade, which attacks without gaps.

Greatswords and spears lose their swinging space, and bows eventually run out of arrows.

Even if you have the upper hand in terms of skill, the sheer number can close the gap, and the weapon mismatch can turn the tide.

If you have exceptional skill, you might be able to break through a Monster Parade.

But even if you defeat a large number of weak monsters, the reward is minimal.

There's no point in deliberately rushing into a Monster Parade.

In the brief moment it took Kurosa to recall the information about Monster Parades, the three had already started running.

Just a few seconds.

But the distance between Kurosa and the others was already ten meters.

I have to run faster!

Kurosa kicked the ground with all her might.

By then, the vibrations from the approaching horde of monsters were already reaching her.

"Huff, huff!"

Faster, faster!

Even though she was running at full speed, the distance between her and the others was increasing.

If this continued, she would be left behind!

"Don't leave me behind!!"

Would she be swallowed by the monsters?

Thinking that, her voice tightened and cracked.

Even with such a terrible voice, it seemed to reach them.

Yonkama turned back and grimaced.

"Run faster!"

"Idiot, it's impossible for a beginner."

"What do we do?"

"We're in trouble if we don't help her."

"Hey, I hear battle sounds from another direction!?"

"---Are we surrounded?"

"This is bad!!"

"Can we escape?"

"Damn, what do we do!!"

The three were shouting at each other while running.

Their voices were already too far to reach her unless she turned to face them.

After some discussion, the three nodded seriously and stopped.

Lars and Hary moved to the same position, and Yonkama stepped forward, taking a stance.

Could they be planning to fight the Monster Parade?

How many monsters were behind them...?

Kurosa didn't know, and she didn't have the courage or time to look back.

Just thinking about it was terrifying.

But their readiness to fight made her feel safe.

And grateful.

To face a dangerous Monster Parade to save her...

Yonkama and the others were adventurers active on the ninth floor of "Chikaho."

This was the fourth floor.

They would surely be able to repel the Monster Parade.

If she could reach them, she would be safe!

So, come on, body, just a little more!

Encouraged by their reassuring presence, Kurosa's speed increased.

She passed Yonkama and hid behind the back of the rear guard.

Just as she intended to do so, Kurosa's body was suddenly blown away.

"Ugh!"

It was a perfect surprise attack.

Kurosa didn't know what had happened.

She rolled on the ground, unable to do anything.

Her vision went white, slowly returning to color.

Her head spun.

Her lips split, and blood gushed out.

Kurosa felt as if she had been hit by a truck.

The monsters behind her hadn't reached her yet.

Then...

With a hollow gaze, she looked up to see Yonkama, shield at the ready, looking down at her with a serious expression.

"Sorry."

"......What?"

"Hey! Leave her and run faster!"

"If we don't, we'll get targeted too!"

"..."

Yonkama turned on his heel and left Kurosa at an incredible speed.

"Wait—"

She couldn't say it.

The sound of a large number of monsters approaching from behind.

It stopped, unnaturally.

Kurosa hadn't looked behind her yet.

But for some reason, she was sure she had been spotted.

Slowly.

Very slowly, Kurosa turned around.

"---!!"

There were countless red eyes.

Rabbits, about fifty centimeters long, covered the corridor.

Killer Rabbits.

They got their name because a beginner adventurer, captivated by their cute appearance, approached them and was killed with a single kick to the head. They were aggressive monsters.

They covered the entire corridor.

There were so many Killer Rabbits in front of Kurosa that it was ridiculous to count.

They weren't planning to attack her.

I'll go first.

No, I'll kill and eat the meat first.

They were sizing each other up with their twitching ears.

---I don't want to.

She might survive a bit longer if she didn't move.

But "a bit" was just that.

One second or ten seconds.

The end result was the same.

---I don't want to die.

Kurosa had been used as bait so Yonkama and the others could escape.

And now, death was in front of her.

---I don't want to die yet!

In such a situation, who could stop her tears?

---Someone.

Tears ran down her cheeks and fell to the ground.

At the same time, the red-eyed Killer Rabbits moved in unison.

---Someone, help me!!