Chapter 5

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How delightful.

I finally understood from the bottom of my heart why other authors were so happy, now that I have become an author myself.

It has been two weeks since Node was promoted to Slate-class adventurer.

During this time, Node has been continuously accepting extermination missions in the dungeon using the armor he rented from his brother.

Day after day, he would just keep going to the dungeon, hunting monsters like goblins and giant bats, which had become a kind of routine. Repeating the same task over and over was more mentally exhausting than physically.

However, Node continued the extermination without showing any signs of fatigue.

He would rush to the guild early in the morning to snatch up the requests, complete the acceptance procedures, and head straight to the designated dungeon. He would collect magic stones until just before sunset, sell them at the dungeon's exchange counter (in dungeons managed by the kingdom, taking magic stones outside is prohibited by law), and return to the capital before dark.

This had become Node's daily routine over the past two weeks, but unfortunately, these days were coming to an end today.

The reason was that his brother Albiore, the owner of the armor, was ending his vacation.

Even though he was only dealing with low-threat monsters, for a newly promoted Slate-class adventurer, they would normally be formidable opponents.

The success was due to the counter-tactics using the armor (even though it was borrowed) to take advantage of the low attack power of the monsters. Naturally, if the crucial armor could no longer be borrowed, the efficiency would drop significantly.

Therefore, Node continued the monster extermination at an unusually high pace, as if it were his final harvest.

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He dodged a short sword's slashing attack by shifting his body to the side.

At the same time, he lightly swung his longsword, taking advantage of the goblin's momentum, and easily decapitated it without much force.

Kicking the headless goblin's body with a spinning kick, it collided with another goblin trying to attack from the opposite side.

“...Gah!?”

The corpse that hit the goblin before disappearing caused it to lose its balance. Node stepped forward and delivered a swift sword strike, slicing it diagonally and killing it instantly.

“Giiii...”

The last goblin, now alone after being surrounded, showed signs of panic and hesitation.

It was probably trying to decide whether to run or fight.

But Node wouldn't miss this opportunity.

The goblin's moment of hesitation slowed its reaction to Node's sword, and it too was decapitated and killed.

After the battle, Node carefully checked the surroundings for any signs of danger before collecting the magic stones left behind by the vanished corpses.

Still, as Node threw the magic stones into the bag tied to his waist, he thought.

In the first few days of his extermination missions, he often took hits from surprise attacks or attacks from monsters in blind spots. He also had issues with overexerting himself, causing his sword strikes to go off target, misjudging distances from awkward stances, and delivering shallow cuts.

But how things had changed.

By fighting in the unfamiliar armor, he had become accustomed to its movements and could avoid ambushes and surprise attacks even with his vision restricted by the helmet.

Especially in dealing with multiple enemies simultaneously, he had struggled at first, but he no longer relied on the armor for protection.

Now, he could completely read the movements of his opponents and easily end battles without taking a single hit. His sword strikes had stabilized, and he could reliably finish off goblins.

And then—

Swish

He drew his sword from the scabbard at his waist without any preparatory movement.

The sword cut through the air,

and the two halves of the giant bat's corpse fell to the ground, leaving behind a small magic stone before disappearing.

（I feel lighter. My movements are sharper, and my senses seem to be more acute.）

The dungeon he was in was somewhat managed by the kingdom, but it was still a dungeon.

The cave was dim and visibility was poor.

Despite this, Node could see the dungeon more clearly than usual. Of course, it was still dim, but the texture of the cave walls and the ground were more vivid.

–Strength Increase

That phrase floated in Node's mind.

As he gained combat experience, he would sometimes feel a step up in strength compared to his previous self. This was called a strength increase, and it had finally come to him.

Node had been accepting these magic stone collection extermination requests since his promotion to Slate-class adventurer, not only to take advantage of the borrowed armor for financial gain but for another reason.

Actually, unlike natural dungeons, the artificial dungeons like the one Node was currently exterminating in were not particularly profitable.

While magic stones have demand and can be sold at a decent price, in artificial dungeons, the administrators buy them at a low price to monopolize their sale. These administrators are, of course, the kingdom, and it is strictly forbidden to resist or sell them illegally.

Moreover, while dungeon extermination requests do contribute to the market supply of magic stones, they are primarily a source of income for the royal family. For the Adventurer's Guild, the benefits as a job are thin.

Therefore, dungeon extermination requests do not grant the necessary 'contribution points' for adventurer promotions. (Artificial dungeon extermination is popular because it is safer and more stable compared to external adventures, especially if the monsters can be easily defeated)

For adventurers, the benefits of promoting to a higher class (such as being able to take on more lucrative requests) are significant. Therefore, except for stable adventurers who are considering retirement (who are sometimes mocked as 'lifestyle adventurers' for not taking risks), it is generally more advantageous to take guild requests that grant contribution points.

Furthermore, while the reward for dungeon requests is only the money from selling magic stones, exterminating monsters outside the dungeon comes with achievement rewards. Depending on the type of monster, valuable parts can be harvested from the corpse, and the money from selling these parts can make the external missions more profitable than dungeon requests.

Node was aware of this.

So why did he choose to take on dungeon extermination missions despite this?

Of course, there was the calculation that he could gather more magic stones with the help of the armor. But more importantly, Node prioritized gaining combat experience safely.

In the Ferris Knight Family, boys are trained in swordsmanship from a young age. Node was no exception, having been taught by his father, his two brothers, and even his servants.

Node seemed to have a talent for the sword, and his skills improved rapidly. Although he did not attend a military academy, he was praised for having the skill of an average soldier.

However, the sword masters he studied under—especially those with combat experience—always emphasized that sword skills and combat skills are similar but different. Sword skills honed through practice and training can only be truly effective with combat experience. Forgetting this means that while you might cut down one opponent, you will be the next to fall.

Growing up with this advice, Node chose to take on dungeon extermination missions with borrowed armor to gain combat experience in a relatively safe environment.

And this strategy paid off.

Node survived his first battle and became stronger through the experience.

Furthermore, thanks to the armor, he avoided injuries and saved money on medical expenses (though the rental fee for the armor was a small cost).

As a result, the income from the extermination missions over the past two weeks was a considerable amount for a newly promoted Slate-class adventurer.

And that amount had reached the target he had set for himself.

Node's first level up.

Personally, I enjoy playing as a type that levels up and deals physical damage.