Chapter 43

Today is also Chapter 2 (1/2)

At the first level of Heart Dungeon.

Walking while enjoying the scenery with three people took about half an hour. They walked in a winding path to avoid the forest and finally arrived at the corner of the map.

This first level is surrounded by steep cliffs, similar to the second level of the beginner dungeon. Dense forests are scattered everywhere, and within the visible range, red dots representing monsters were densely packed.

It seems that this area has a relatively small flower field and many forests, making it unpopular among couples. There were hardly any white dots representing people.

"Are the monsters here only in the forest?"

"It seems so, although occasionally some individuals come out to the flower fields..."

"Still, as long as they don't touch you, they are harmless. Bodyguards don't usually kill them unless they appear on the path of the couples."

As they were talking, a monster emerged from the forest in front of them. Its name is Cotton Caterpillar. It is about 50 centimeters long and 30 centimeters tall.

Despite its name, it looks more like a green caterpillar wrapped in cotton, which can be confusing.

Is this what they call 'cute and creepy'?

Come to think of it, I remember seeing plush toys of this creature in the association's internal store.

****

Name: Cotton Caterpillar

Level: 6

Equipment: None

Skills: None

Drop: Cotton Caterpillar's Silk Ball

Magic Stone: Tiny

****

With my 'Appraisal Lv3,' I can now see the drop items.

Still, 'Cotton Caterpillar's Silk Ball'... I wonder how fluffy it is when it becomes an item.

"Wow, it's fluffy!"

"Ah, so cute!"

"This is the monster that appears in the first level. Because of its adorable appearance, some couples even try to take photos with it. In such cases, there's an additional fee. If you touch it, it immediately starts a battle."

"That sounds tough."

Apparently, only couples who pay a high amount in advance are allowed to take photos. However, even if they change their mind inside the dungeon, the permission won't be granted. This is because there are few adventurers who can handle it, and they must sign a contract stating that 'the association cannot guarantee their lives.'

The adventurers here really have a tough job...

"Also, because of its adorable appearance, if you try to kill a harmless Cotton Caterpillar, the couples will boo you."

"That's tough..."

I can't think of anything else.

It's too hard to be an adventurer and not hunt.

But if this item isn't good, there's no need to hunt it in the first place... Do the two of you know about it?

"What's a 'Cotton Caterpillar's Silk Ball'?"

"That's... Wait, Shouta, wasn't your 'Appraisal' level 2?"

Aki, who was also using 'Appraisal,' asked curiously.

Come to think of it, I told them it was 2 before.

"It's 3 now."

"Really...?"

"Then, Shouta, I'll answer! First, the 'Cotton Caterpillar's Silk Ball' is a rare drop item from the Cotton Caterpillar. I think the market price is about 30,000 per piece."

"Wow, that's expensive! Since it's a weak monster, it should be overhunted... Oh, they get angry, right?"

Still, the fact that it has a clear selling price means... it occasionally appears on the market.

If you hunt it in a place where you won't be seen, it shouldn't be a problem. For example, in a corner like this.

"That's one reason, but mainly because it drops very rarely. Even if you kill dozens of them every day, you might only get one in a week. However, because it's a natural item with the properties of the dungeon, it's traded at a high price. Also, selling them in bulk is more profitable than selling them individually."

"Hmm."

I wonder what would happen if I, with a 'Luck' of 454, hunted it.

The average adventurer's 'Luck' is 5-10 if they haven't allocated any 'SP.' If they drop one in 100, I would drop one in every two.

Based on my experience, the drop rate of items is determined by multiplying the base value set for each item by the 'Luck' of the person who killed it.

So, if the base value is 10, a 'Luck' of 1 would result in a 10% drop rate, and a 'Luck' of 10 would result in a 100% drop rate.

From this, I think the base value of 'Tiny Magic Stone' is 1. Therefore, an average adventurer with a 'Luck' of 5-10 would get one after killing 10-20 of them. This is an expected value, so there might be some variation.

In my case, once my 'Luck' exceeded 100, it became a guaranteed drop.

Currently, the appearance of rare monsters and the drop of skill orbs are 100%, but this might not always be the case with the current values. It might just be a coincidence that they all drop, and the base value might vary by rare monster.

Given the example of the 'Rainbow Slime,' I need to keep increasing my 'Luck.'

"Shouta, can I hunt as usual?"

"Is it okay? I thought you liked it because it's cute."

"It's a monster, not a pet or a small animal."

Maki, as expected, can easily distinguish between monsters and non-monsters, unlike ordinary people.

Well, I was also planning to hunt it.

"Then, I'll go ahead."

I took out the sword wrapped around my waist from the sheath bag. I can't walk around the city or on the train with the sword exposed, so I had it covered.

Of course, this sheath bag is a special order from the workshop, designed to withstand the sharpness of 'Mikoto' and not be easily pierced.

Well, if I use 'Super Strength,' I could probably cut through it. This high-performance bag is one of the reasons for the high cost.

I put the sheath bag back in my backpack and approached the Cotton Caterpillar with my sword in hand.

Even when I got within 3 meters, it showed no intention of fighting. It didn't even look at me, as if it had no will to attack. I cut it down as easily as I would a Goblin or a Killer Rabbit.

The Cotton Caterpillar was split in two and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

What remained were a 'Tiny Magic Stone' and a 'Cotton Caterpillar's Silk Ball.' It seems they dropped properly.

"It dropped."

"That was amazing!"

"Shouta, you're getting stronger every day. You've already surpassed the beginner level."

"But it was completely defenseless. Anyone could do this."

It's nice to be praised, but there's nothing impressive about fighting a scarecrow. The two of them looked happy when I showed them the drops. Still, it's a fresh experience to be in a dungeon with someone.

I don't think I'll form a team with anyone in the future, but this slow-paced hunting isn't bad.

But in the end, I'm a selfish person.

Even though I was invited on a date by the two of them, my thoughts were already on hunting the remaining 99 Cotton Caterpillars. I think I'm the worst.

"Shouta?"

"Maki?"

"Go ahead. You want to hunt Cotton Caterpillars, right?"

"But..."

"Don't worry about us. We invited you here just to see you fight up close."

"Right. We'll watch your battle here. Go ahead."

"...Okay, thank you. I'll go and eliminate the Cotton Caterpillars in this area, this area, and this area. I'm sorry, Aki, but can you collect the drops for me?"

"Sure, leave it to me."

"I'll wait here. Come back whenever you're tired."

They are really good people to accommodate my selfishness. They brought me to this dungeon for a break. With the 'Swift' from yesterday, I'll be able to pay back my debt to them soon, and I should do something to thank them properly.

No, I should confess and express my feelings... But the atmosphere is clearly not right for that now.

Mostly, it's my fault...

For now, I'll focus on the field in front of me. I'll think about confessing later.

"The next field is a forest."

The forest is much denser than a grove. In the grove, the ground was covered with undergrowth, but here, large tree roots sprawl across the ground. If I trip, I'll expose a significant weakness.

First, I'll get used to the forest by dashing and taking control of the first one. For the second one, I'll use 'Swift II' lightly and gradually increase my speed.

Well, it's time to hunt!!

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