Chapter 9

I have just entered the first day of the comprehensive.

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When he reached the third floor, Haruki took out the skill board from his hiding place and checked it.

Skill Points: 2

"Wow! The points increased by coming to the third floor, which means the maximum reached floor is common..."

It's a good thing to have figured out the conditions for increasing skill points. However, it's a shame that I can't earn skill points by exploring different dungeons.

The deepest dungeon right now is at Shinjuku Station, with 50 floors. So, theoretically, I can get up to 50 points.

The maximum value for physical ability skills in the skill tree is 30 points. In contrast, being able to get a maximum of 50 points is quite low.

It seems I need to raise my skills to some extent on my own.

It would be nice if there were other conditions to earn points besides floors...

"Well, I know the conditions, so I'll just earn as many as I can and go back."

Leveling up can be done in the dungeon in the garage at home.

But today, my expenses are in the red because I bought equipment.

"At the very least, I need to earn enough for the leather armor!"

Haruki put in some effort and started hunting.

The monsters that appear on the third floor of "Chikaho" are large pill bugs.

Since he had seen geckos in the dungeon at home, Haruki wasn't too surprised to see a pill bug as big as his waist.

If there are geckos, it's not strange to have large pill bugs.

"Hmm, not very interesting, huh?"

With a dagger in one hand, Haruki slaughtered the pill bugs one after another.

They are slower than geckos, weaker, and softer. That's why it feels boring.

Is it because the new dagger performs well? Or is it simply because geckos are stronger than pill bugs...

Although they don't show clear hostility, it's impossible for their attacks to reach Haruki.

It's like a sterile room with poisonous plants. As long as you don't touch them, you won't die. That's why it's boring.

If only they had a lot of long legs attached, the difficulty would be different. But for that, geckos are enough.

"...No, no."

Shaking off the gecko component from his mind, Haruki continued to move forward.

Perhaps the dungeon in the garage at home is more difficult than "Chikaho." While thinking about this, Haruki continued to slaughter the pill bugs.

Since he didn't feel much of a challenge from the third-floor monsters, Haruki moved to the fourth floor.

The monsters that appear on the fourth floor are Killer Rabbits. They are killer rabbits that attack with their large, developed hind legs.

Their speed is about the same as geckos. They are softer than pill bugs. Even beginners can probably defeat them if their attacks land.

However, they are quite agile.

They move in small steps to avoid being targeted, making it difficult.

This is the first time Haruki has fought a monster that uses feints and provocation.

Since it's his first time, he can't respond well. He doesn't have the experience to respond immediately.

"But... it's fun!"

Finally, he has encountered a monster that surpasses geckos.

Their level might be on par with geckos, but the danger is different.

Geckos only destroy armor. Killer Rabbits can kill people.

Only after reaching the fourth floor did Haruki finally risk his life as an adventurer.

His spine shivered, and his body heated up.

"...Haha."

He exhaled.

Haruki was smiling.

He had already left the safe zone. He was alone. No one would protect him.

But in such a situation, Haruki felt increasingly excited. His adrenaline-pumped body was boiling.

Come on.

Let's go on an adventure.

Let's enjoy the adventure!

"---Go!"

He took a light swing and swung his dagger. It was predictable. Haruki's attack was easily dodged.

Then, a counterattack. The Killer Rabbit timed its attack with Haruki's.

A perfect counter!

Unexpected.

That's why he laughed.

But the smile didn't last. A powerful kick from the large hind leg hit Haruki's abdomen.

"Kah!"

The vicious power, contrary to its appearance, sent Haruki flying backward.

He braced his legs to maintain his balance. His feet slid, and finally, his body stopped.

"I saw it."

He saw it clearly.

Haruki's eyes captured it accurately.

Haruki smiled.

The Killer Rabbit charged at Haruki for a follow-up attack. Seizing the moment, Haruki countered this time.

It was a bit forceful, but Haruki's counterattack cleanly severed the Killer Rabbit's body.

After confirming that the Killer Rabbit was no longer moving, Haruki plopped down on his buttocks.

The impact of the Killer Rabbit's kick still lingered as a numbness. If he let his guard down, his stomach might turn. However, it wasn't severe enough to rupture his internal organs.

If he had been wearing his original armor, it might have been a fatal blow. Thanks to the new, highly defensive armor, it was just a bruise.

When he bought it, he blamed himself, thinking, "Why did I buy it? I'm such an idiot!" But now, he deeply appreciated its value.

Even after receiving an attack that could have twisted his internal organs, the armor was unscathed.

According to the shopkeeper, it was made by attaching leather processed from the gecko's carapace. The level of processing for such defensive power is impressive.

Good.

Very good.

He slowly exhaled the heated breath and looked down at the dead Killer Rabbit.

When the Killer Rabbit attacked, Haruki observed:

The timing.

The force.

The initial movement of the muscles, the dynamic movement, the heartbeat.

And the breathing.

In an instant, Haruki observed everything.

By observing in detail, he could see how to move to replicate the Killer Rabbit's movements.

By observing, analyzing, understanding, breaking down, reconstructing, and practicing, Haruki mimicked the Killer Rabbit's counterattack.

This skill was cultivated through the training of comparing samples and plates in the printing company, finding minute differences.

It's like a very difficult spot-the-difference game.

Haruki's observation precision is 0.05 millimeters for plate misalignment. He can instantly distinguish color differences of 1% for each of the four primary colors (CMYK).

However, even though he can observe, his ability to put it into practice is still lacking.

He needs more training.

His physical abilities have improved, but his motor skills haven't caught up. He needs to consciously improve this area.

The Killer Rabbit he defeated was cut in half, and various things were flying out. However, Haruki reached out to the corpse without frowning.

The leather, even when processed, isn't a great material. The meat and the single horn, which only males have, are the valuable parts.

The meat has a taste similar to chicken and becomes a staple food for adventurers who have moved beyond the beginner stage. The price per kilogram is a maximum of 500 yen, slightly higher than imported chicken thighs from a few years ago.

The single horn can be boiled to make traditional medicine. Ointments made from it are particularly popular. The demand is so high that the price doesn't drop even if you bring a large amount to the store. Thanks to this, the trading price is stable at around 2,000 yen per horn.

Unfortunately, the Killer Rabbit he fought this time was female and had no horn.

After inspecting the corpse, Haruki moved it to the corner of the passage. It would probably be absorbed by the dungeon eventually.

This time, there was no harvest. The way he defeated it damaged the meat.

He would get better at it once he got used to the movements of the monsters. Today, he would train here until he could defeat Killer Rabbits skillfully!

While wandering the fourth floor, Haruki continued to slaughter Killer Rabbits one after another. Like with the geckos, at first, he couldn't defeat them cleanly.

But as he defeated 10, 20, he gradually got used to their movements.

At first, he cut them in half, but around the 30th one, he finally had the leeway to prioritize bleeding them out.

While fighting the Killer Rabbits, Haruki pondered.

He hadn't used the three skill points he had gained yet. He was still struggling with which skills to allocate them to.

Perhaps it would be best to increase his throwing and dexterity to adopt a sniper style from a distance.

Shooting from the back is safer than fighting with a dagger. Throwing small stones on the ground would also prevent wear and tear on his main weapon.

However, that would mean the nearly 100,000 yen dagger he bought would just be fertilizer!

He wanted to use the dagger. But he didn't want to adopt an assassin style.

If he, who is already inconspicuous, tried to be stealthy, what would happen?

He would probably go unnoticed by everyone, and even when he spoke, it would seem like he was talking to himself.

Being alone even when surrounded by many people... That would be too sad.

But he didn't want to acquire the one-handed sword skill either. There was a possibility it would increase naturally if he hunted with a dagger like the old man.

The points gained from descending floors are limited. It would be a waste to easily increase a skill that would eventually rise on its own.

Instead,

"Is there a way to increase my presence with skill allocation?"

For Haruki, presence is more important than anything. But is there such a skill allocation?

Should he grow based on physical abilities or boldly choose a throwing-based approach? What should he do...

When his backpack, which could easily fit a grade schooler's, was stuffed with the meat and horns of Killer Rabbits, Haruki noticed something unusual on the fourth floor.

"...Sound? But I've never heard such a sound before."

There are dungeons where sounds can be heard, but he had never heard of sounds in "Chikaho." So, it must be a sound from a person or a monster.

What's happening?

...Could it be that a high-ranking adventurer is doing a flashy mob hunt?

Holding his breath, Haruki slowly moved toward the source of the sound.

After a while, three men appeared from the other side of the passage.

They were probably a team. A shield user, a greatsword user, and an archer, a very balanced group.

And they exuded a presence that only strong people have. They were definitely stronger than Haruki.

While observing their footsteps,

"Ah, if only we had raped her on the third floor."

Such words came from the men's mouths.

Rape—! Haruki was taken aback.

"If we did that, we'd be caught right away."

"No, we wouldn't. We're leaving here anyway."

"You're the worst."

"You're one to talk, the one who blew her away with your shield."

"True."

Despite his agitation, they didn't even notice Haruki. From their eye movements, it was clear they hadn't noticed him.

...It's fine, though!

Lack of reaction is normal. But this time, even though they didn't react, Haruki wasn't particularly disheartened.

He didn't want to get involved with people who spoke such ominous words. Even if he did, he could see a bleak future.

"That kid is a beginner, right? It's sad, being 18 and all."

"So you, who hit her with your shield, are saying this?"

"You, who abandoned her, shouldn't talk."

"We just made her a human sacrifice to save ourselves."

"Heh, maybe it was a mistake in the bait?"

The words of the laughing men made Haruki stop moving.

Hit, 18 years old, abandoned, human sacrifice, bait.

The words that entered his ears conjured a cruel scene in his mind. His cold blood boiled.

Moving more cautiously but quickly, Haruki headed in the direction the men had come from.

He saw a large number of red eyes—Killer Rabbits—further ahead.

(Monster Parade!)

Haruki immediately recognized what the scene was.

When you see it, run for your life.

That's the established method for dealing with a Monster Parade in "Narou."

Haruki knew its terrifying nature from various wikis and blogs.

Some parties had bravely faced it, but the results were half-destroyed, escape, total annihilation, or disappearance.

He had resolved to run away if he ever encountered such a situation.

The overwhelming number of monsters filling the passage was ridiculous. Any adventurer would say to run away immediately.

So, Haruki tried to run. But—Haruki didn't run.

Because he saw a girl sitting down right in front of the Monster Parade.

The image of the girl and the men's conversation linked in his mind with a snap.

Suddenly, Haruki's head heated up.

His actions were swift.

Haruki quickly took out the skill board. The hesitation he had felt for so long seemed like a lie as he tapped the board swiftly.

Haruki Hoshizora (27) Gender: Male

Skill Points: 3 → 0

Evaluation: Swordsman

- Vitality

Stamina 0

Natural Recovery 0

- Strength

Strength 0 → 1

- Agility

Explosive Power 0 → 1

Dexterity 0 → 1

- Techniques

Weapon Proficiency

One-handed Sword 0

Throwing 0

Light Armor 0

Stealth 0

- Intuition

Detection 0

- Special

Accelerated Growth 3

After allocating the points, he took out a mysterious mask from his backpack.

He didn't know what kind of magical item the mask was, but from here on, it was going to be a slaughterhouse.

In a one-against-many battle, he wanted to increase his defense as much as possible, even a little.

Without considering the curse, he put the mask on his face.

The mask adhered to his skin, reacting to it.

After confirming the mask's stability, Haruki immediately charged forward.

The acceleration was beyond what he imagined. The edges of his vision blurred. A split second felt stretched.

With his dagger at the ready, Haruki forcefully charged into the front row of Killer Rabbits.

Almost simultaneously, a Killer Rabbit lunged at the girl.

In an instant.

Collision.

A shock like a large dump truck accelerating and crashing into him hit Haruki's entire body.

But Haruki's momentum didn't lose to the Killer Rabbit's attack.

At the midpoint between the girl and the Killer Rabbit swarm, their momentum collided and stopped.

The Killer Rabbit that flew into the air—

Exploded.

Shattered.

Chunks of the former Killer Rabbit's flesh splattered onto the heads of the swarm. Despite receiving such an impact, Haruki's body sustained almost no damage.

After defeating a few Killer Rabbits, his body was hot.

His head was dizzy, and a dull pain pressed against it.

—Level-up dizziness.

"Uooooo!"

But there was no time to be dizzy. Haruki shook off the level-up dizziness with determination.

His body moved.

The damage was minor.

His attacks were effective.

—He could do this!

Haruki's intrusion made the Killer Rabbits in the back suddenly become hostile. The target had moved.

Haruki, with red eyes staring at him, shuddered.

The target was fixed on Haruki. At the same time, Haruki moved.

He slashed the one that tried to drop-kick him with his dagger and sent the one that attacked from behind flying with a backfist.

Despite wearing the mask, his vision was the same as if he had nothing on. The inside of the mask seemed to be transparent.

His breathing was clear, not muffled.

It was probably a mask with such capabilities. The wearing sensation was non-existent. He could almost forget he was wearing it.

Exposed to the fierce attacks of the Killer Rabbits, Haruki was confident he could survive if he didn't make a mistake.

The possibility might be one in ten thousand, or one in a billion.

But the path to survival was clearly shining in the distant future. Haruki just needed to reach it.

So, observe.

Absorb everything about the enemy.

Don't miss a single sign.

Don't forgive any attack.

Surpass the enemy's violence!!

Adrenaline heated his body. His heart pounded fiercely. His body felt light!

Haruki wasn't just unafraid of the one-against-many situation; he was even smiling, like a fish in water.

"Come on, let's go on an adventure!"

This is an adventure.

A challenge that risks your life.

The rewards are strength and the girl's life.

And only his own honor.

What he would lose is everything in his future.

It's completely unbalanced.

But that's what an adventure is.

An adventure is

A fool's play that seeks the unknown and exhilarates.

A sage's training that accepts the loss of life.

Come on, I'll take everything from you!

So, show me everything you have.

Show it all and become my sustenance!!

He kicked up those that attacked from below or dodged them with a step.

His movements were completely different.

His strength was different.

His body moved as he wished.

He was enhanced beyond his imagination.

Haruki finally understood the power of the skill board, which he couldn't feel with accelerated growth.

He could blow away Killer Rabbits with his fists.

He could easily dodge attacks.

He could tear through their bodies with his dagger like paper.

One point.

Just one point, and Haruki's abilities had soared to a different level.

The change was overwhelming, unsettling, and frightening.

If it were a normal time, Haruki would have probably frowned.

But now, his focus was solely on defeating the Killer Rabbits in front of him.

—No, in front of the adventure, Haruki was smiling.

The Killer Rabbits tried to flank Haruki, but he wouldn't allow it.

If he let them pass behind him, the girl behind might be attacked.

He didn't know how strong she was. From the fact that she hadn't moved yet, he assumed she wasn't a strong adventurer.

...No, he was acting based on the worst-case scenario.

To prevent them from flanking him, Haruki moved his body widely to the right and left.

It was like a game.

Defend against the enemy's bullet curtain to clear it.

If they slip through, it's game over.

Perhaps because of this image in his mind, Haruki's movements became even sharper.

I won't let them through here!

Before he knew it, Haruki was growling.

He was laughing, kusukusu, kusukusu.