Chapter 88

"Are you thinking about retiring as an adventurer?"

"......Huh?"

Suzu could not immediately understand what Akira had said.

Retire as an adventurer?

...Me?

As the meaning of Akira's suggestion sank in, blood slowly rose to Suzu's head.

"Don't joke around. Is this one of your usual jokes? There's no way I'm going to retire as an adventurer!"

"It's not a joke."

"Then why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

"Because I heard about your symptoms."

Akira's eyes grew sharper by the second.

It seemed she was not joking or being whimsical about suggesting Suzu retire.

However, even if it was a serious proposal, there was no room for consideration.

Suzu had only become an adventurer this spring.

He had only been an adventurer for a little over three months, fulfilling his long-held wish.

His level had steadily risen, and his skills had developed significantly.

Suzu had explored the garage dungeon, which lacked information, and had even advanced to the middle layers.

As an adventurer, he was just starting to hit his stride.

The path ahead was clear and seemed to stretch endlessly.

Suzu could see it clearly.

The idea of quitting was unthinkable.

"Absolutely, I have no intention of quitting."

"Even if it means you won't be human anymore?"

"......What?"

Akira's low voice made Suzu feel as if he had been doused with cold water.

The heat in his head dissipated and began to cool.

"What do you mean?"

"It's a side effect of leveling up. If you level up too quickly, you can turn into a monster."

"......"

Akira's words made both Suzu and Kuren's faces contort.

Adventurers, who already possess superhuman physical abilities, are often shunned by the general public.

Some people who dislike adventurers even think they are potential criminals.

Five years after the First Stampede.

Unfortunately, adventurers have not yet been fully accepted by society.

If leveling up could turn you into a monster, and that rumor were to leak out, it would put adventurers in a precarious position.

Suzu could easily imagine this.

That's why this information is known only to a few.

For some reason, Akira sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"When you defeat the monsters in the dungeon, you can feel your body getting stronger, unlike when you defeat ordinary animals, right? The monsters in the dungeon have a power that enhances your body. We don't know exactly what it is, but it's thought to be something like life energy.

When you defeat monsters, your body is actually strengthened. So, what happens if you defeat a lot of monsters and your body is strengthened a lot? There are experimental results where the body itself changed. Ordinary animals turned into monsters. In other words—"

Akira paused, furrowing her brow.

"The changes in your body are very likely the same phenomenon. The energy you get from defeating monsters accumulates in your body without being absorbed, causing your body to change. The pain you feel is due to this."

"......Am I going to turn into a monster?"

The words came out of Suzu's dry throat, hoarse and pitiful.

"There's a possibility. That's why I'm suggesting you retire now. The best way to avoid turning into a monster is to stop taking in the energy from monsters."

"......Are there other adventurers who have shown the same symptoms?"

"There are, but they are few. I think the symptoms only appear when the rate of energy accumulation exceeds the rate of absorption by the body."

People who level up quickly, like you, are more likely to be affected, Akira shrugged.

"Why only Aozora...?"

"It might not be just Aozora."

"Then, I might become one too?"

"If Aozora can, there's a possibility."

Kuren and Akira exchanged words.

Suzu listened to their conversation in a daze.

Suzu and Kuren work as a team to tackle the dungeon.

They have leveled up in almost the same way, but so far, only Suzu has shown symptoms.

Damn!

Suzu clicked his tongue and put his hand on his forehead.

The cause of the rapid level-up was clear: Growth Acceleration.

He had never expected such a pitfall with Growth Acceleration.

"Is there no special medicine?"

"There isn't. No improvement medicine either."

"......"

Kuren clasped her hands in front of her chest as if in prayer.

She also looked as if she had seen the end of the world.

"So, what are you going to do? I think you should quit being an adventurer."

"......If possible, I want to continue being an adventurer."

But if he continues, he might eventually turn into a monster.

No matter how much he wants to be a strong presence, he doesn't want to cause trouble for others.

Besides, at this point, Suzu can no longer fight properly.

Even if he continues as an adventurer in the future, the severe pain might prevent him from fighting.

Thinking about this, Suzu couldn't say, "I will continue no matter what."

Akira, who had been staring intently at Suzu, suddenly relaxed her shoulders.

"......Sigh. I understand how you feel. I don't really recommend it, but there is a way to deal with your symptoms."

"Really!?"

"Just don't get your hopes up too much. It's not guaranteed to work."

Saying this, Akira took out a map from under the counter.

She flipped through the pages and pointed to the page for Asahikawa.

"There's a hot spring called Kamui no Yu here. The water comes from the dungeon."

"Should I drink the water?"

"......What? E, eh—"

"How many liters? How many liters do I need to drink!?"

"Hey, hey, calm down!!"

Akira tried to dissuade the enthusiastic Suzu with a desperate look.

"You just need to soak in the hot spring! There are cases where people have been cured by soaking in hot springs that come from dungeons. Drinking some of the water might increase the effect, but you don't need to drink a lot!?"

Suzu tilted his head in confusion at Akira's hurried explanation.

"......Will it really improve just by soaking in the hot spring?"

The idea that such an abnormal symptom, where he was turning into a monster, could be cured just by soaking in a hot spring was hard to believe.

"I've heard of cases where people have been cured by soaking in hot springs that come from dungeons in several regions.

We don't know if the energy that wasn't absorbed by the body dissolves in the water or if it improves circulation to promote absorption.

This information was collected by our company, but it's still speculative, so don't get your hopes up too much. If something happens, you'll be the one responsible."

"......I see."

Indeed, that's true.

Suzu nodded solemnly.

"By the way, how long do I need to soak in the hot spring?"

"Why are you assuming you'll be soaking for a long time!? Get out! Get out of the hot spring before you get pruned!?"

Akira stood up on the other side of the counter.

Why is she reacting so dramatically?

Suzu tilted his head in confusion.

"If it were Aozora, he might really stay in the hot spring forever..."

Kuren, seeming to understand Akira's concern, chuckled and hung her head.

"What are you two talking about? The longer I soak, the faster I'll get better, right?"

"......"

There it is.

Just as expected.

Those unspoken words, carried by the cold gazes of Akira and Kuren, reached Suzu's ears.

"Kuren, you need to keep a close eye on this guy..."

"Understood. I'll take care of it..."

It's insulting to be treated like a child.

Suzu, who is 28 years old this year, is not at an age where he needs to be taken care of.

He doesn't want to be treated like a child.

Suzu crossed his arms with a frown.

"Soaking in the hot spring for about an hour a day is enough. I think the effects will start to show in 3 to 7 days, but since there are few cases of adventurers turning into monsters due to leveling up, it's not clear how long it will take to improve."

"Then, if I soak for a long time, it will definitely improve faster—Ouch!"

A sound rang out as Akira smacked the back of Suzu's head.

Just listen to people.

At the sound of Akira's stern voice, Suzu nodded obediently, trembling.

"Anyway, you've been cooped up in the dungeon for a while, right? Why don't you take a break and soak in the hot spring to relax?"

"That's true, but..."

Akira's words were reasonable.

Since the Second Stampede, Suzu had been fighting almost non-stop, advancing to the middle layers, clearing the Montparnasse in the garage dungeon, and hunting rare deer.

He wants to see what lies ahead.

He wants to be the first to experience the unseen scenery from the best seat.

The overwhelming impulse still swirls in Suzu's chest.

But if he rushes now, he won't be able to fight properly. He'll just end up losing his life.

So, it might be good to take a break and regain his strength.

"---No, you're right. I'll go to Kamui no Yu for a while. Kuren, you—"

"I'll go too."

Kuren interrupted Suzu.

Unlike Suzu, Kuren doesn't feel pain during battles.

They have leveled up together, but she doesn't have Growth Acceleration.

Suzu didn't think she needed to soak in the hot spring.

However, Kuren shook her head.

"Because if Aozora goes alone, he might stay in the hot spring until he dissolves. I'll stop his recklessness!"

"Mu..."

Kuren clenched her fist as if to solidify her resolve.

It seems she doesn't trust him at all.

However,

"I'll be in the men's bath. How will you stop me?"

"......Hehe."

Kuren smiled and tilted her head.

It was a gesture like a maiden confused by unknown knowledge.

But seeing Kuren's smile, a chill ran down Suzu's spine.

A poisonous aura, like that of an executioner choosing the best torture, rose from behind her.

"K-Kuren, you can practice on your own in the garage dungeon!"

"No. Aozora is my benefactor. I can't just stand by and do nothing when he's in trouble!"

"But—"

"Whenever you buy new weapons, you secretly try to reduce my burden. Since you always bear the cost, I'll pay for this hot spring trip!"

Under the pressure of Kuren's relentless words, Suzu's mouth dried up.

He hadn't seen such a terrifying expression on Kuren since the hunt.

The overly polite tone only heightened the fear.

"No, but—"

"I'll pay, okay?"

"Y-Yes."

Under the pressure of Kuren's sharp words, like a knife to the throat, Suzu's resistance crumbled.

"By the way, how about taking a job while you're in Asahikawa?"

The serious expression on Akira's face had completely disappeared.

"What kind of job?"

"It's a request to clean up after the last stampede."

"Clean up..."

"Yes. It's been discovered that the monsters that overflowed from the Asahikawa dungeon are hiding in the surrounding forests. The request is to surround and eliminate them."

"I see."

The phenomenon where monsters overflow from a dungeon is called a stampede.

To stop a stampede, you need to defeat the boss that commands the monsters or eliminate all the monsters.

The ideal way to stop a stampede is to systematically defeat the monsters as they come out of the dungeon and seal them off.

However, reality is not that simple.

It's extremely difficult to eliminate all the monsters that come out of the dungeon without missing a single one.

Especially when the defense force, which includes civilians who are not skilled in monster hunting, is involved.

In fact, there are only a few dungeons in the country where a stampede has been perfectly contained.

The garage dungeon is one of the dungeons where a stampede was ideally contained, but it was due to good luck.

If only high-level monsters had appeared, the stampede would not have been contained.

In any case, the Asahikawa dungeon is one of the dungeons where the overflowed monsters were not completely eliminated.

The fact that a request has been issued suggests that the local defense force is having trouble eliminating the monsters.

The entrance to the Asahikawa dungeon is in Kamui-gata.

Suzu has never been there, but he knows where Kamui-gata is.

It's a remote area.

Moreover, it has many difficult terrains such as forests, rivers, and cliffs. That's why the local defense force is struggling.

"By the way, Akira. Didn't you just say I can't fight?"

Suzu asked, implying, "Are you okay in the head?"

Akira pouted, as if offended.

"The request starts in two weeks. The monsters that overflowed from the dungeon are just grunts for mid-level adventurers. It's perfect for rehabilitation, right?"

How about it? I'm thinking of everything! Hehe.

Akira puffed out her large chest.

For some reason, Kuren's eyes narrowed.

It would be a good opportunity to check his condition after soaking in the hot spring.

But,

"To think you'd consider this much for me, I'm really too kind! Don't you think I'm an angel? Huh? Huh!?"

Hehe.

When she gives off such a dirty, eager-to-be-praised aura, you just don't want to praise her.

Instead of words of gratitude, you want to give her a heated response.

Suzu, suppressing his trembling fists, opened his mouth.

"......Huh. First, tell me the details."

The release date for "Become an Adventurer! ~Dungeon Strategy with Skill Boards~" has been decided.

The release date is July 30th, and pre-orders have already started at some online stores.

For more details on the book release, please check the activity report.

Thank you for your continued support of "Become an Adventurer!" m(_ _)m