Chapter 13

Since I received the honor of being ranked 1st in the Low Fantasy daily rankings, I'm posting three episodes today. (This is the first one.)

I am now walking around the first floor of the dungeon.

The 'Auto Mapping' skill I obtained the other day automatically displays enemies and humans on the map once I've passed through an area, but it doesn't reflect areas I haven't directly traversed, even if I have a map of them. So, I decided to fill in all the gaps because the partially filled map was bothering me.

The branch manager gave me a two-week deadline, but I couldn't help but be bothered by the holes in my map skill. It's easier to concentrate when things are neat and tidy.

"This makes 30 consecutive kills. ...Just in case, I should start looking around now."

Yesterday, I avoided being seen and prioritized killing 100 goblins, so the map's progress was only about 30%. The respawn time for goblins is short, so it was more efficient to keep circling the same area.

However, today I'm being careful not to kill 100 goblins. I might have an accident if I get too absorbed. I'll prioritize filling the map, but once I exceed 30 kills, I'll switch to targeting Killer Rabbits as my main goal.

Monsters move around the dungeon even when there are no humans. Therefore, by carefully observing the red dots on the 'Auto Mapping,' I can distinguish between goblins and Killer Rabbits based on their movement speed and distance. This discovery is significant.

If I can identify Killer Rabbits on the map, it will be easier to attempt the 100 consecutive goblin kills again.

"...Alright, the map is finally complete."

I managed to fill in the map while killing a few Killer Rabbits.

Looking at the map again, this dungeon is much larger than the 'Unlucky Hole.' It might take an hour just to walk around the perimeter.

During this process, my level exceeded 11 and even reached 12 due to overhunting.

Normally, I would want to use the gacha as soon as I level up to avoid wasting experience points, but I couldn't this time. Why? ...

"Still, they're definitely following me, no matter how you look at it."

The white dots on the map representing humans were clustered a few dozen meters away from my location. At first, I thought it was a mistake, but they have been maintaining a consistent distance for the past few hours, following me closely.

They haven't hunted much because they've been following the path I took. This is clearly different from the behavior of adventurers who hunt monsters for a living.

"How much free time do these guys have...? Was it really the skill orb yesterday that caused this?"

I was just scolded by Maki, but that was indeed a bad move. I got carried away because I was happy and wanted to reassure her.

What should I do this time...?

"1. Run away. 2. Shake them off. 3. Ignore them. 4. Go and greet them. ...Hmm."

1: Running away makes it seem like I did something wrong, and I don't like that. Plus, it might give them a reason to follow me again.

2: Shaking them off in the dungeon is a mixed bag. Let's keep it on hold for now.

3: 'If you don't touch it, it won't bite you.' Ignoring them is an option, but it's painful not to be able to use the gacha while being followed.

4: ...This is unpredictable. I don't know any adventurers who have been stalked, and there probably aren't that many people who have been stalked. If I do something wrong, I might cause trouble for Maki again.

Maki...

"Oh!"

Then, a brilliant idea came to me.

"Right, I should report it."

Also, I have an overflow of 'Iron Knives' from today's hunt. My bag is packed to the brim, and I should get them appraised and disposed of while they still fit.

It's past noon, and I'm starting to feel hungry.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

"Being followed, you say?"

"Yes, what should I do?"

I bought lunch at the convenience store next to the guild and decided to eat in the meeting room while reporting. It was fortunate that Maki was on her lunch break and joined me. Eating with Maki... Hmm, if this gets out, I might be hated.

Maki brought a bento box... Maybe it's homemade.

"Already today... In that case, Shota, why don't you go to the second floor?"

"Ah, yes. I was planning to go to the second floor after lunch."

"Then let's go to the second floor. It's a plain area, larger than the first floor, making it difficult to follow you without being seen. If they still follow you, you'll have a chance to see their faces. From now on, I'll see you off when you enter the dungeon. Although it's usually done by a dedicated person, it's fine since I'm your 'Dedicated Agent,' right?"

"Really!? That's great, but is it okay?"

"Yes. Also, by seeing you off, we might find out who is following you. If they follow you to the second floor, we can issue a stern warning based on that information."

"Wow!"

I couldn't help but clap. Maki's lips curved into a smile. She's beautiful, but she's also cute in moments like this.

We finished our enjoyable lunch and then got the items appraised.

The morning's kill count was 230 goblins and 9 Killer Rabbits.

The results were 197 'Tiny Magic Stones' and 37 'Iron Knives.' From the Killer Rabbits, I got 3 'Tiny Magic Stones' and 2 'Killer Rabbit Horns.'

Incidentally, these item names were officially decided by guild members who, like me, have the 'Appraisal' skill. The guild has a database that compiles this information, and the app allows you to view basic details, such as real photos, names, and buyback prices.

Yesterday, I underestimated the knives and discarded more than half, which got me scolded by Maki. Rather, she sighed. She told me to check the app for items I pick up in the dungeon in the future.

That's very reasonable.

"Bringing back so many... Do you intend to exhaust the dungeon, Shota?"

"Sorry."

"Hehe, I'm just joking. Good job."

I was captivated by Maki's smile.

Danger, I might fall in love.

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