Chapter 8

Well, this ring, which seems to be loaded with cheats just from its name, is actually not something I consider to be that much of a "cheat."

I might get a "Where is it a cheat?" comment, but please bear with me for a moment.

First of all, this ring is not something that can only be obtained through specific methods like "installing paid downloadable content," "only found in a hidden dungeon after clearing the game," or "impossible to get without specific knowledge." It is something that anyone can obtain.

The method to obtain this ring is simple and straightforward.

You just need to clear the 50th floor of the dungeon in Shinjuku to get it.

Incidentally, the boss on the 50th floor also drops another ring with the effect of "All Stats +100," so if you can defeat it, I recommend doing so as soon as possible.

Indeed, even in the world 15 years later, when we were challenging the 69th floor, no one had cleared the 50th floor, so it seemed that only we had this ring. However, it is not something that is impossible to obtain.

For the reasons mentioned above, if someone clears the 50th floor and is willing to give it to me, it is not impossible for me to use this ring from level 1 to level up, just like I did.

Therefore, I recognize this ring as something that "might be a cheat now, but will not be in the future."

Of course, at this point, having this ring is probably considered a cheat by others, but fundamentally, it is mine.

If you have a complaint, go and clear the 50th floor.

Furthermore, I believe this ring was prepared by the dungeon to train beginners, so using it in this way could be considered the correct way to utilize it.

Incidentally, in the world 15 years later, this ring was sealed in my room.

The reason was simply that there was no use for it.

At first, everyone was happy.

In fact, from the 51st to the 60th floor, everyone was using the two rings to level up diligently.

However, that joy did not last long.

Why?

Because the items we obtained when clearing the 60th floor did not allow us to continue using these rings.

There were two types of items we obtained on the 60th floor:

One was the "Ring of Extreme Status Resistance" and the other was the "Ring of Environmental Adaptation."

...The names speak for themselves, so there's no need to elaborate on their effects.

These items were undoubtedly extremely effective when exploring the harsh environment of the dungeon.

There was no objection to equipping them, but there was one problem.

It was the dungeon's unique rule that "ring effects are limited to one per hand, up to two in total."

For some reason, if you equip more than one ring on one hand in the dungeon, a mysterious force cancels out their effects.

Therefore, it was common knowledge that explorers could only equip one ring on each hand.

Enhancement or adaptation?

This was the ultimate choice that every explorer had to make.

However, we didn't need much time to think about it.

Because when we obtained these items, we thought, "If these items appeared here, it means we'll die if we don't equip them, right?"

We all agreed with this opinion unanimously and decided to equip the two new rings we had obtained.

When we entered the 61st floor, we realized that our decision was correct.

It turned out that from the 61st floor onward, it was impossible to progress without the "Ring of Extreme Status Resistance" and the "Ring of Environmental Adaptation."

Specifically, it was a space filled with poison gas, petrification gas, and corrosive gas spewing from various places, with extreme heat and cold, and abnormal oxygen levels, radiation, and even guinea pigs exploding, drowning, or transforming into other creatures for no reason—a space filled with malice.

At that point, it was no longer a matter of just stats.

The guild members, realizing this, decided to run a marathon between the 51st and 60th floors to level up as much as possible before making a push to the 70th floor.

After leveling up to the point where they could no longer level up, the guild members entrusted the growth rate doubling rings they no longer used to the guild, but they did not let them be used to train new members.

The reason was probably jealousy or the desire to maintain their privileges?

According to the Sword Saint, "If we give these to children or disciples, it's one thing, but why should we make unrelated people stronger and easier to surpass us? If they want it, they should get it themselves."

The other members felt similarly, and I also had similar feelings, so it was decided not to report this ring to the guild.

To ensure no one cheated, I was entrusted with the items.

We were all dead serious about keeping this ring a secret. When guild staff checked the rooms after returning from the dungeon, we even went as far as to wear the rings to avoid detection.

Thanks to this, even those who tried to use me for their benefit did not say anything about the ring.

It was a complete secret among us.

Therefore, if the guild members had the same memories as me, it would not be hard to imagine that they would try to recover this ring before anything else. They would have at least come to confirm if I had it.

However, since there has been no such effort even now, it is clear that they do not have the memories. That being the case, I decided to use their equipment without hesitation.

If someone found out that I was using cheats and asked me, "Are you happy to be the strongest using cheats?" with a negative attitude, I would answer without hesitation, "It's better than dying without using cheats."

I will use whatever I can.

That's what it means to be a proper explorer.

Of course, I am not a demon.

If they had the memories and asked for the return of the equipment, including this ring, I would have no objection.

It was originally theirs, so it is only natural to return it.

However, if they do not have the memories and do not ask for the return, there should be no problem with me using the equipment, right?

Back then, I had permission to use the backup equipment I was entrusted with.

So, this is simply a matter of "using the equipment I am entrusted with as a storage fee."

The equipment used by the strongest explorers and the accessories that efficiently boost stats, along with the cutting-edge knowledge and dungeon strategies that only I know.

With all this, who would not aim to be the strongest?

No one, of course (rhetorical).

However, even I would not immediately go to the dungeon with the strongest equipment.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and prominent equipment gets stolen by explorers.

If a student merchant has such equipment, it would be even more suspicious not to steal it.

I, who have no trust in the guild or the explorers, decided to level up quietly and unobtrusively until I reached a certain level.

Thank you for reading.

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