Chapter 10

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010＿Complacency is the Enemy

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“Gah!?”

I was hit by a Level 2 Gray Rat's body slam and flew into the wall.

“Fire!”

As soon as I heard Annelise's voice, my vision turned red. I could feel the heat burning my cheeks.

I had hit my head when I hit the wall, and my vision was blurry. I couldn't stand up properly.

“Are you okay?”

Annelise helped me sit up from where I had fallen awkwardly on the floor. It was embarrassing to be helped by an old woman like this.

“I was complacent.”

“...I have no words.”

I hadn't expected the Gray Rat to be so fast just because my AGI (Agility) had increased by only one point. My complacency led to this result.

“If Annelise wasn't here, it would have been bad. I'm grateful.”

“It's fine. Please don't be complacent in the future.”

When I checked my status, my HP had decreased by 21 points. That's the kind of damage that could kill me in three hits.

My only armor is a chest plate. Maybe I should have equipped more.

There are eight places where I can equip items: head, both ears, neck, torso, both arms, both legs, right hand, and left hand. My right and left hands are occupied by a mithril two-handed sword. Out of the remaining six, I only have the torso equipped, making me almost defenseless.

“I learned my lesson. From now on, I won't be complacent, no matter who I face.”

“Okay.”

The pain from the body slam subsided after about a minute. I had a headache from hitting my head, but it also went away quickly.

Maybe because it's managed by HP, the effects wear off quickly.

“Was that Annelise's magic?”

“Yes. I can use fire and non-elemental magic. This time, I used a fire spell to defeat the Gray Rat.”

“It was really hot. That means it had a lot of power, right?”

“I'm Level 21, so I don't struggle much in this first floor.”

That's true.

“Are mages strong even at Level 1?”

“I think they are quite strong. However, you have a mithril sword, so I think you are as strong as a Level 10 mage.”

If I'm as strong as a Level 10, I shouldn't be complacent and should be able to handle the monsters on this floor.

“Let's keep going.”

“Okay.”

I rely on Annelise's magic perception for scouting, but I don't completely depend on her. I try to stay alert even if I don't understand everything.

“Monster. Distance 30.”

“Understood.”

Distance 30 is equivalent to 30 people. Her magic perception has an effective range of about 50 to 60 meters.

From now on, I won't be complacent.

I calmly check the level. It's a Level 1 Gray Rat.

Whether it's Level 1 or 2, I just need to swing my sword without being complacent.

“Here we go.”

I defeat the Level 1 Gray Rat with one strike. I could see its movements clearly. I want to think that this has made me more confident.

The 10th one was a Level 2 Gray Rat. It's time for revenge.

Tap, tap, tap, tap. The Gray Rat's footsteps make a pleasant sound.

It's faster than a Level 1 Gray Rat. I feel it's about 10 to 20% faster. But I won't be complacent anymore.

“Ha!”

I swing my mithril two-handed sword horizontally as it lunges at me. The Gray Rat's body, split in two, disappears.

“It's a rare drop.”

On Annelise's palm, there was a sharp tooth.

“It's a sharp incisor.”

That's it, huh.

“This is used for arrowheads.”

“Huh? You don't use bows, right?”

“The military does.”

“Military?”

“Nobles and the country's military. Bows are effective as weapons.”

“Is there a job class for archers?”

“Yes. Archers are excellent as a military unit.”

In the military, archers are treated slightly better than swordsmen or spearmen. The reason is that it takes a lot of money to become an archer, so it's usually the sons of rich people who become archers.

“Commoners become swordsmen or spearmen and fight on the front lines, while the rich kids shoot arrows from a distance. Swordsmen and spearmen are more likely to die, while archers are more likely to survive. That's the reality.”

“...It's a harsh reality.”

When the units of swordsmen or spearmen break, the archers immediately flee. Annelise says that's fine because archers are weak when approached and it's a waste to lose their lives. Is it okay to scatter the lives of commoners?

“Commoners can become archers too, as long as they have the financial means.”

It's harsh, but that's the reality.

However, many nobles also become knights. Knights are not a status but a job class. They are excellent in both offense and defense and are a popular job class.

“You might be invited to join the military as a soldier when you become a Level 10 swordsman.”

“Is Level 10 the entry level for the military?”

“The military doesn't engage in much actual combat. Training can increase your level, but it's minimal compared to actual combat. Therefore, they recruit high-level individuals from the start.”

“Is Level 10 considered high-level?”

“A Level 10 swordsman is equivalent to a Level 30 villager. With skills, a swordsman is overwhelmingly stronger despite the level difference.”

I remember the detailed appraisal said villagers are weak.

“Was Annelise not invited to join the military?”

“I was invited, but I chose to continue as an explorer.”

That's why she reached Level 21.

“Is the military better in terms of treatment?”

“It depends on the floor you explore. As an explorer, you can earn more, but joining the military provides a stable income and reduces the risk of injury since you're not always in combat.”

“But there are wars, right?”

“No wars have occurred in the past dozen years. Considering this, many explorers choose stability.”

If there are no wars, it's better to have a stable income.

“By the way, aren't there bandit hunts?”

“Swordsmen or spearmen are clearly stronger than bandits. If you gather enough numbers, bandits are not much of a threat.”

The military can more easily gather numbers, and if necessary, nobles can work together to hunt bandits. The nobles in this country are quite friendly and cooperate when needed.

We shouldn't talk too much in the dungeon. I continue to search for more monsters.

“Monster. Turn left at the crossroads, it's right there.”

“Understood.”

On this day, I defeated 20 Gray Rats and leveled up.

Villagers gain experience points evenly, but since they are not combat jobs, the experience points gained from combat are not that much. Combat jobs level up more easily.

“Master, you were able to defeat 20 Gray Rats on your first day thanks to that mithril sword. Normally, it takes a party to surround and attack multiple times to defeat them.”

I understand, but it's a bit confidence-shaking to be told directly... But I'm grateful to Annelise for preventing me from getting too cocky.

When we returned to the surface, I took a deep breath of fresh air and felt a sense of relief.

The dungeon is a closed space, so it's a relief to see the sky.

I went to the Explorer's Guild to sell the drop items.

20 pieces of rat meat and 1 sharp incisor—since Annelise defeated one, it's a total of 21 items.

The total amount was 1100 grils. The meat was 50 grils per piece, so 20 pieces were 1000 grils. The incisor was 100 grils.

It's equivalent to earning 11,000 yen in one day. For a part-time job, that's a lot, but I have an old woman to take care of.

I don't know how much the inn costs, but after paying for the room and food, there won't be much left. I'm grateful to Gorteo for covering the inn costs.

However, I need to pay for the inn myself in a month. I need to earn more.

When you equip items, there are maintenance costs in addition to the purchase price. The mithril two-handed sword has an auto-repair effect, so its durability is restored, but regular equipment doesn't have such a convenient effect.

If the durability reaches 0, the sword or armor will break and become unusable. You need to take it to a blacksmith for maintenance, which costs money. But equipping items is a must. It's scary to take damage that can kill you in just three hits.

When I left the guild, the sunset was already low on the horizon. There are almost no streetlights, so it's difficult to walk at night. I'll go back to the inn. I'll buy armor tomorrow.

At the inn, I ate and returned to my room to wipe my body with water. Annelise helped me with my back, and I helped her with hers, but I didn't get excited at all since she's an old woman.

Annelise offered to wash my clothes, so I let her. I can cook, but I can't do laundry, so it's a help.

While she was doing that, I checked my status. My level had increased, but there was no visible improvement in my abilities. I wanted to complain that this isn't a level-up.

“Hey, Annelise.”

“Yes?”

“Why don't my abilities improve even when I level up?”

Her hands stopped washing, and she slowly turned to look at me. Her eyes looked dead.

“Can you see your abilities?”

“Yes, I can.”

“Can you use appraisal?”

“I can, but...”

“...Sigh.”

Annelise sighed deeply.

“So, you have appraisal in addition to the item box.”

“Yeah...”

“Unique skills are rare.”

Annelise continued in a disappointed tone.

Villagers don't have skills, so having appraisal means I have a unique skill. But something feels off...

“Please try to keep your unique skills a secret.”

“O-Okay.”

“Do you have any other unique skills?”

“Just two.”

Her hands started moving again after hearing my answer.

“Villagers don't improve much in abilities even when they level up. You might notice this around Level 4, but that's how it is.”

Watching Annelise wash clothes, she looks like a hardworking old lady.

I knew villagers don't grow much, but I didn't expect it to be this bad. I want to change my job to swordsman as soon as possible.

What's this?

When I checked my job, there was an explorer job.

The requirement is to defeat 20 monsters alone when you first enter the dungeon.

“Good thing I defeated 20...”

“Did you say something?”

“No, nothing.”

Explorers can level up through combat, so I changed my job from villager to explorer.

【Job】Explorer Lv1

【Skill】Dungeon Move (Minor) Treasure Hunt (Minor)

【Unique Skill】Detailed Appraisal (Low) Item Box (Low)

Dungeon Move allows you to shortcut through the dungeon, but you can't move to a place you haven't been to before. It's convenient, but since I haven't even defeated the boss on the first floor, it's only slightly useful for now. I think it will become a god skill as I progress through the floors.

Treasure Hunt seems useful. It allows you to sense the presence of treasure chests nearby. I want to see a treasure chest and its contents soon.

Ah, I get it!

I can check my abilities without using Detailed Appraisal. Why did Annelise think I was using appraisal?

“Hey...”

“Yes?”