Chapter 2

Hearing that there was cursed equipment deep in the dungeon, I started preparing... but with my current strength, it’s impossible to even clear the first floor, let alone defeat the boss.

With no equipment, I can’t even defeat a single monster.

But, I’m not completely without a plan.

There is a way for someone like me to reach the deepest part of the dungeon.

That is... parasitism.

I plan to follow a strong party and casually take the cursed equipment. No one would want cursed equipment, so it will likely be left behind. I’ll just take it secretly.

However, no party would hire me as a porter. As the flashy guy said, there’s no room for dead weight in the dungeon. Even just for observation, it’s unlikely they’d take me along for a serious boss raid.

But, it shouldn’t be a problem if I follow on my own.

---Ah, I’ll be so relieved when you’re gone. There’s no room for dead weight in the dungeon.

From the flashy guy’s words, it seems he will go to the dungeon tomorrow. Considering today was just for observation, he’ll likely do a serious boss raid tomorrow. And, the flashy guy will probably defeat the boss. With three B-rank pieces of equipment, he’s the top in this town. He wouldn’t fail to defeat a boss that other parties have already beaten, even on his first try.

If I follow, I’ll definitely get a share.

While planning this pitiful strategy, I prepared for the dungeon.

I equipped non-usable weapons, carried a lot of healing potions, and wrapped rags around the wooden soles of my shoes to muffle my footsteps. I also prepared a large hooded cloak to avoid being recognized...

Thanks to a night of careful preparation, I was unusually confident the next morning. Today, I would get the cursed equipment and change my life. Excitement was already bubbling in my mind, making my feet feel light.

Leaving the town with the morning bell, I headed to the eastern dungeon.

I staked out at the entrance, waiting for the flashy guy.

As expected, he appeared early, leading his party members. Surrounded by adventurers who cleared the way, he walked straight into the dungeon with a look of disdain.

I saw a few other adventurers sneaking in behind his party, probably also aiming to parasitize. I joined their group.

The first floor went smoothly.

Even from a distance, I could see the flashy guy defeating monsters with a single strike. The only enemies on this floor are sword-wielding skeletons, ranked E, which means they can be defeated by an E-rank adventurer alone. They are particularly slow and sluggish.

The flashy guy chatted with his party members as he advanced, as if on a picnic. I lagged behind, just being cautious of traps. The difference in speed was evident.

Before I knew it, the other parasites were out of sight, and I was left alone in the dungeon.

But, I wasn’t worried.

Thanks to my experience as a porter yesterday, I knew the map up to a certain point. If I picked up the pace, I should catch up soon...

Thinking this, I turned a corner—there it was.

“Huh?”

I couldn’t help but exclaim.

Whether it reacted to my voice or not, it turned around.

—A skeleton.

The weakest enemy in the eastern dungeon.

The enemy the flashy guy defeated with a single strike while chatting.

Yet, this low-level monster instilled a fear of death in me. Without equipment, I couldn’t even defeat such a low-level monster. It could kill me if I let my guard down.

“How... why...?”

The flashy guy should easily wipe out all the monsters.

For a moment, I thought he left the monster for me as a prank. But, that was unlikely. He wouldn’t do such a thing while seriously raiding the dungeon.

So, the answer is simple.

This skeleton was deemed not worth defeating. It wasn’t a threat even if left alive. It’s better to conserve stamina by ignoring it, even if it could be defeated in an instant.

Indeed, the slow-moving skeleton could be avoided... by the flashy guy’s party. The other parasites probably did the same.

But, it was difficult for me.

“Ah!”

The skeleton noticed me and approached with a clattering sound. The clacking of its jaw bones as it walked made it seem like it was laughing, which only made it more terrifying.

I could run, but then I’d never catch up to the flashy guy. I wouldn’t get the cursed equipment, and my life wouldn’t change...

“Damn!”

I drew my bronze sword and took a shaky stance.

One strike... just one strike. If I could land one strike, I might scare the skeleton. That would give me a chance to advance. Even with no equipment, I might be able to handle this weakest enemy.

“Roar!”

I raised my sword and charged at the skeleton. It was my first battle with a monster, but the will to move forward overcame my fear.

Besides, I had been training with a sword every day. I had simulated battles in my mind and studied the weaknesses of monsters.

The skeleton’s weakness is its head.

Attacking the head should make it lose balance and fall.

Following this information, I struck the skeleton. Thanks to my intense training, I delivered a strike so fast the skeleton couldn’t react.

As planned, my sword hit the skeleton’s head—

“Huh?”

—It didn’t budge at all.

Attacking a skeleton’s head should make it lose balance. This is common knowledge among adventurers, even beginners.

But, I couldn’t do it.

Without equipment, humans can’t defeat monsters.

I finally understood the meaning of those words.

“A... ah...”

The skeleton looked at me with its black eye sockets.

Intimidated, I backed away.

At that moment, the skeleton struck with its sword.

Its movement was slow, and I managed to guard, but—

“—Ugh!?”

I was blown away, my sword and all. I bounced off the ground several times and finally stopped when I hit the wall. Gasping for breath, I looked up to see the skeleton approaching with a clattering sound.

Trying to raise my sword, I noticed it was broken in half.

The bronze sword I had saved for years to buy and maintained daily.

It broke in my first battle.

To destroy equipment, you need equipment of a higher rank.

This means I was even weaker than a skeleton.

I was... overwhelmingly weaker than this weakest monster.

“Ha... ha...”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Everything seemed absurd. My heart must have broken along with my bronze sword.

“Ha, ha... ha...”

If I ran now, I wouldn’t catch up to the flashy guy.

I wouldn’t change my life.

So what?

“Waaaaaah!”

I threw the hilt of my beloved bronze sword at the skeleton and ran away pitifully.

* * *

Desperately fleeing from the weakest monster, crying as I left the dungeon, and being laughed at by the adventurers—

Wandering the town like a sleepwalker, I realized it was evening when I heard the evening bell. I must have been in shock from losing to the skeleton.

By now, the flashy guy has probably defeated the dungeon boss.

A thought crossed my mind.

But, who cleared the dungeon... it’s none of my business. What can I do about the dungeon’s affairs when I can’t even parasitize properly?

“Sigh...”

I walked aimlessly. Unconsciously, I ended up in front of Yabuki’s armory.

The usual Adamantite Armor was displayed in the window, its blue-silver shine as usual. Yet, it no longer comforted me.

This Adamantite Armor will likely be equipped by some hero-like person. Someone who isn’t weak and isn’t ugly.

“Ah... how nice.”

A hot tear ran down my cheek. I couldn’t stop it.

“I wanted such equipment too...”

Every adventurer dreams of it.

Wearing dazzling equipment and saving the world.

I had dreamed of it too.

That’s why I trained despite the pain and clung to the adventurer profession despite the oppression. Even if I could only equip cursed equipment, with 9999 slots, I thought I could become a hero. I thought I could become the strongest in the world, like someone once said.

But, it’s time to stop dreaming such unrealistic dreams.

If equipping cursed equipment could make a hero, someone else would have done it. Many people have touched cursed equipment, yet no one does it now.

Why? The answer is simple. Cursed equipment has no value.

Neither do I, if I can only equip cursed equipment.

This applies to all professions, not just adventurers.

Equipment isn’t just for combat. A clerk’s quill, a priest’s gospel, a porter’s bag—everything is equipment. In this world, everything has a soul, and humans become capable by forming a contract with these souls. This equipment society isn’t so lenient that you can work like others without equipment.

Without equipment, you can’t be anyone, let alone a hero.

“...Am I always going to be a ‘zero’?”

I touched the glass, asking the Adamantite Armor.

That’s when it happened.

—The store vanished.

“Huh?”

The explosion followed a moment later.

It was so sudden, I couldn’t grasp the situation.

I was rolled across the ground like a pebble by the shockwave.

“Ugh...! W-What...!”

I managed to get up and look around.

I was calm until then. But, my thoughts stopped.

...It was gone.

The town that was under the sunset sky a few seconds ago—gone.

The bustling streets were completely gone. The surrounding shopping district had turned into a pile of rubble. The weapon shops that lined the streets were spewing broken weapons like intestines. Human remains, indistinguishable from horse droppings, were scattered haphazardly.

The red sky added to the apocalyptic scene.

“What is this...”

I couldn’t understand. Sitting on my butt, I backed away.

My hand touched something hard.

It was a blue-silver fragment. There were many similar fragments scattered around.

I recognized it immediately, having seen it every day.

“...Adamantite Armor?”

The world’s best A-rank equipment.

Equipment can only be destroyed by higher-rank equipment.

Yet, it was shattered by a mere shockwave. It lay in pieces, a pitiful wreck.

I didn’t understand what was happening. The only thing I knew was that the world I believed in, along with the Adamantite Armor, had shattered.

“Cough, cough... Nuroa, is that you?”

Turning around at the sound behind me, I saw Yabuki crawling out from under the rubble.

“Yabuki! You’re safe!”

“The store isn’t, but... what the hell is that?”

Seeing the broken Adamantite Armor, Yabuki’s face hardened.

“Hey, Nuroa... what happened?”

“I don’t know. I was suddenly hit by a shockwave...”

“Shockwave? What’s that?”

Yabuki frowned and scanned the surroundings with a sharp gaze. As a former B-rank adventurer, he seemed to grasp the situation quickly. In this extreme situation, I felt that being with Yabuki might help.

“...No way.”

Yabuki muttered.

“...Cursed equipment.”

His voice trembled in fear.

Following his gaze, I saw a blood-covered man. His eyes were red, and red veins protruded from his skin. He walked in a jerky, skeleton-like manner.

Every time he swung his blood-red sword, a shockwave destroyed the town. At first, I thought it was a high-rank monster... but the “gold” visible through the blood-soaked armor was familiar.

Despite the familiarity, I couldn’t confirm it was him.

He had changed so much. The obnoxious handsome face from this morning was now a ghostly, emotionless visage. The only thing that could reduce a B-rank adventurer to this state was—

“Damn, idiot... idiot...!”

Yabuki’s teeth chattered, and his large body trembled.

“—Damn, the idiot touched the cursed equipment!”

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