Chapter 2

The next day, when I woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

Even though I had been kicked out of the party just the day before, I thought it was rather carefree of me to sleep until noon... I mocked myself.

Yesterday, I had fallen asleep immediately after entering this inn, so I hadn't made any plans for the future.

While slightly amazed at my own resilience, I reflected on my current situation to make plans for the future.

I still had a fair amount of money and materials that could be exchanged for cash from my days as a hero party member, so I could live without any problems for a while.

However, even if I cut back on expenses, the money I had left wouldn't be enough to live without working forever.

If that was the case, I would need to earn money little by little from now on.

There were three main ways to earn money.

The first was to continue as an adventurer, as I had done before.

Across the continent, there are underground spaces called dungeons where monsters appear.

People who delve into these dungeons and sell what they obtain are called adventurers.

What they sell mainly includes magic stones and monster materials obtained from slaying monsters, as well as minerals and plants found within the dungeons.

The second was to get a regular job somewhere.

The money earned might be less, but it would be safe and promise a stable life. Of course, this wouldn't be the case if the employer was troublesome.

The third was to open a shop or something myself and earn money independently.

I had a few ideas that might work, but they were the least certain.

However, the potential to earn a large sum of money was the highest.

"Among these options, being an adventurer is the only choice..."

Honestly, there was no need to think about it.

I didn't particularly want to become rich, and I had come to this town to become an adventurer.

When I became an adventurer, I was with Oliver, but I didn't become one to follow him.

I chose to become an adventurer of my own will.

Now that I've decided to continue as an adventurer, I first need to assess my current abilities.

Until yesterday, I had been exploring dungeons as a bestower.

There were various reasons why I had been a bestower, but the main one was the party situation.

Since I no longer needed to be bound by the hero party's situation, I decided to return to being a swordsman today.

I had always wanted to be a swordsman adventurer, so I couldn't give that up.

When I was in the hero party, I started as a swordsman.

It's true that before I converted to a bestower, Oliver was more skilled as a swordsman. Even now, he is still superior in terms of physical ability.

However, thanks to my time as a bestower, I believe I have become much stronger than when I quit being a swordsman.

Perhaps even stronger than Oliver, who is called a Sword Saint.

Still, there has been a break, so I need to regain my skills first.

Once I regain my skills, I should be able to navigate the middle layers of a large dungeon on my own without any problems.

"By the way, I heard that a nearby dungeon was recently opened. It's a good opportunity, so I'll go check it out."

Deciding to head to the newly discovered dungeon, I prepared my exploration equipment and left the inn.

◇

No one knows why dungeons exist.

They apparently started appearing suddenly in various places hundreds of years ago.

The internal structures of dungeons vary widely. Some are artificial stone corridors, some are cave-like, and some are similar to the surface.

Dungeons typically have a similar structure that extends from ten to thirty layers, but there are four exceptions on the continent.

These are the massive dungeons, known as Great Dungeons, which are said to have a hundred layers.

As you progress through the layers of a Great Dungeon, the scenery changes, and the items you can obtain also change significantly.

For this reason, it is said that you don't need to explore other dungeons if you delve into a Great Dungeon, as you can obtain a variety of monster materials, magic stones, and various plants and minerals.

In reality, this isn't entirely true, but I'll skip that for now.

From this, the depth reached in a Great Dungeon is a kind of status among adventurers.

I arrived at the target dungeon.

Guild staff were managing the entrance to the dungeon.

To enter a dungeon, you need to show your guild card to the guild staff managing the entrance.

I approached the guild staff and showed my guild card on the spot.

"Um... Are you going to delve into the dungeon alone...?"

The female guild staff member looked around me. After confirming that I was alone, she asked me that question.

"Yes, is there a problem with that?"

"According to the rules, there's no problem. But, dungeons are very dangerous places? Going alone is reckless. If you go to the guild headquarters, you can find adventurers looking for a party, so it's better to form a party first."

The female guild staff member gave me advice in a gentle tone.

What she said is correct.

However, I've heard that the strength of the monsters in this dungeon is about the same as or weaker than the upper layers of a Great Dungeon.

If that's the case, I should be able to handle it alone without any problems.

I understand that she is being kind, but I wish she would check my guild card before deciding whether to give advice.

"Thank you for your advice. But I can go alone. I think you'll understand when you look at my card."

"Card...? ...Eh..."

The guild staff member's face froze as she checked my guild card.

The main use of a guild card on the surface is to prove that the holder is an adventurer.

Therefore, it only shows the holder's name and the depth reached in a Great Dungeon.

In other words, my guild card shows that I have reached the 94th layer of the Great Dungeon in this town.

"94th layer reached!? S-Sorry! I apologize for my rude attitude!"

The guild staff member's attitude changed completely after checking my card. She bowed deeply with great enthusiasm.

"No, it's fine. Can I go in now?"

"O-Of course! Please go in."

With permission to enter, I stepped into the dungeon.

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