Chapter 6

As I walked north from the town of Geits, I soon arrived in front of the dungeon. In the center of a square surrounded by earthen walls, a cave yawned open, leading underground. This was undoubtedly the entrance to the dungeon.

Since it was already dusk, there were no adventurers around. It wouldn't make sense to spend the night in a dungeon filled with monsters, and they would have returned before the city gates closed. Besides, with people around, I couldn't use the Blood Licker丸, so it was better that no one was there.

"Let's quickly clear the dungeon. Staying up late is bad for your skin."

"Y-Yeah..."

The trauma from the last dungeon exploration still lingered, and I was still uneasy. While my attack power had significantly increased, my durability remained the same. A single hit from a monster could easily kill me. However, the difference this time was that I wasn't alone. Even with someone as unreliable as Jujyu, it was better than being by myself.

"U-Um, I'm coming in..."

"What, are you greeting the dungeon? Do you want to surprise it with a morning shock?"

"It's not like that..."

I regained my composure and descended the stairs at the dungeon entrance. The dungeon's corridors were dim, but not so dark that I couldn't see. Magic lamps were dotted along the walls, likely installed by the dungeon's administrators to make resource extraction easier. Holding a light source in one hand would make it difficult to fight properly, and if the light went out, it would be impossible to see traps or monsters.

"By the way, is it okay to swing the Blood Licker丸 in the dungeon?"

The dungeon's walls were apparently made of an ancient special material, and I had never seen them damaged. However, using a weapon with the Blood Licker丸's attack power might risk a collapse.

"It's fine."

"Why?"

"The walls of this dungeon are made of SSS-rank equipment."

"SSS-rank equipment walls?"

I didn't quite understand.

"Well, technically, it's the stones. By making SSS-rank equipment from the stones and combining them, you can create walls that never break. In ancient times, this equipment stone was used for important facilities."

"But how do you make SSS-rank equipment?"

It's not easy to say, but the highest rank for normal equipment is A. Unless it's cursed equipment, it shouldn't be SSS-rank.

"That's... well, it's not a very uplifting story."

Jujyu deliberately changed the subject.

"Anyway, Noroa! Here come the monsters!"

"Ugh..."

From the corridor ahead, countless giant spiders crawled out. Their compound eyes glowed red in the darkness, and their hairy eight legs, sharp claws, and fangs were terrifying. They were a swarm of Killer Spiders. Each one was C-rank and far stronger than skeletons. They could also use troublesome attacks like web entanglement and poison. Moreover, the swarm was highly organized and could even corner B-rank adventurers with advanced tactics—basically, they were really scary.

At least, it wasn't a heartwarming sight. I had hoped to start with a more gentle monster and a cozy battle, but the Killer Spiders were already in front of me.

"Alright, Noroa! Let's finish this!"

"Y-Yeah...!"

Jujyu gave me instructions from my shoulder. I followed them and smoothly drew the Blood Licker丸. Fortunately, there was no one around. Since it was a straight path, there was no risk of losing the monsters. If Jujyu was right, the dungeon walls should withstand the shockwave from the Blood Licker丸.

As my vision turned red, I swung the sword with all my might.

"Haah!"

My body, enhanced by the equipment to have over 10,000 attack power, swung the sword at a speed I couldn't even see. The speed left sound behind, slicing through the air. The powerful shockwave generated from the blade raced down the corridor—

—*Pang!*

A single explosion.

With that sound, my consciousness, which had been flying away, was forcibly pulled back.

"Huh..."

I realized that the swarm of Killer Spiders had vanished in an instant. They didn't just disintegrate; they completely disappeared. There was no trace that they had ever been there. The magic lamps had also vanished, leaving the corridor in darkness. I was so stunned that I was momentarily dazed.

"What, are you spacing out? Let's move on quickly."

"O-Oh, right. Yeah."

Encouraged by Jujyu, I hastily sheathed my sword. ...I still couldn't get used to this power. A G-rank adventurer who had been overwhelmed by skeletons had just eliminated dozens of C-rank monsters with a single swing of a weapon. I was more bewildered than excited.

We continued to advance, wary of monsters and traps. As an unexplored S-rank dungeon, the monsters were quite strong, and there were many of them since no adventurers had cleared the dungeon before. Even multiple A-rank adventurers would have struggled. For a G-rank adventurer like me, it would have been a difficult task just to carry supplies. However, my dungeon exploration progressed smoothly.

Why? Because the Blood Licker丸 was too strong.

Walk the corridor → Turn → Draw the sword → Move forward... (repeat)

This alone allowed me to advance quickly. It was an experience that completely shook my image of dungeon exploration. It felt like a casual picnic. Strong adventurers must have felt this way when clearing dungeons.

Thanks to the numerous monsters I defeated, my level quickly rose to 30. My HP and defense increased, and I felt a bit more at ease mentally. The only worry was the number of magic lamps I had destroyed... Yeah, I'd have to pay for them later.

As we continued, a massive door appeared at the end of the corridor. Even though I had never seen it before, I knew what it was.

"Is that the boss room...?"

The exploration had been so smooth that I couldn't believe it. I hadn't rushed; I had even searched for treasure chests and explored all the corridors...

"That just shows how strong you are."

"Yeah, I guess."

After fighting so many monsters, I couldn't help but realize it. I had become strong. In a world where strength is determined by equipment, I had obtained SSS-rank equipment. Even if I was weak, I could become strong with strong equipment. It was easier to believe in the equipment than in myself.

"You have decent sword skills and knowledge about monsters and traps. Add to that, you have powerful equipment. You're invincible."

"Y-Yeah."

It felt a bit embarrassing to be praised by Jujyu. This doll, who spoke her mind bluntly, also praised me straightforwardly. It was a bit toxic for someone not used to being praised.

"Anyway, it would be great if the boss drops cursed equipment."

"Yeah, that would be great..."

I hadn't come to the dungeon to clear it. The purpose of this exploration was to find cursed equipment. So far, I had found none. If the boss didn't drop any cursed equipment, I would wonder why I came to the dungeon. I had even eliminated the monsters without leaving any remains, so I couldn't make money from their materials.

"Since this is a high-difficulty dungeon, the probability of dropping cursed equipment is high."

"Really? Why?"

"Because cursed equipment is of a higher rank. While normal equipment only goes up to A-rank, cursed equipment can be higher than A-rank."

"Right, that's true. Why is that?"

"Originally, cursed equipment was used as powerful equipment. Despite the drawbacks, it was much stronger than normal equipment. The drawbacks can also be negated by combining cursed equipment effectively."

"I see..."

It did make sense. It was odd that so much unused equipment existed. It must have been used in the past, which is why there was so much of it.

"The most common use was to give it to slaves as bombs. If a slave died, it would explode when an enemy touched the equipment. The forced equipping of cursed equipment is a remnant of that."

"Really?"

I looked at the Blood Licker丸 hanging from my waist. The golden man who had been forced to carry the Blood Licker丸 did look like a "bomb." If he were forced to touch it and sent into enemy territory, it would cause significant damage.

"One of the pieces of equipment created to counter such cursed equipment is me. So, I'm 1,000,000 times more important than any cursed equipment. This is very, very important."

"Anyway, we need to focus on the boss battle now."

"Hey? Am I being ignored?"

Jujyu had said the boss might drop cursed equipment, but there was no guarantee we could defeat the boss. Even with the Blood Licker丸, a fast-moving enemy could dodge my attacks and kill me. I couldn't underestimate the S-rank dungeon's boss.

I steeled myself and placed my hand on the stone door of the boss room. The door creaked open heavily. Inside, I saw a space like a small forest, with a giant spider sitting in the center, surrounded by countless pus-colored eggs.

—Queen Spider.

That was the name of this spider. It was the boss of an S-rank dungeon, and it was a monster designated as an S-rank disaster. It was so strong that a group of A-rank adventurers might barely defeat it. Defeating it would create a hero's tale.

...Could I defeat such an opponent?

Anxiety welled up inside me, but I had no choice but to fight. The Queen Spider had already noticed my presence.

—*Kishaaaaa!*

The Queen Spider roared and entered a battle stance. Its eight legs firmly planted on the ground, it was preparing to attack.

"U-Ughh!"

With my low durability, I couldn't afford to let the first move go to the enemy. I steeled myself and drew the Blood Licker丸 in one swift motion. The shockwave from the draw attacked the Queen Spider—

"...Ah."

The Queen Spider was dead. The shockwave had easily torn its body apart, splattering it against the wall. It was completely flattened, like a mural. While it didn't disappear like other monsters, it was clearly dead.

"..."

Silence fell. I stood there for a while, but nothing else happened. It seemed the Queen Spider wouldn't revive or transform.

Yeah... A hero's tale was born.

---

Noroa Reita

Adventurer

Lv 39

HP: 114

MP: 43

Attack: 37 (43,137 when drawn)

Defense: 40

Speed: 52

Magic: 52

Luck: 0

Equipment Slots: 9999

- Weapon

Right Hand: Blood Licker丸【Cursed】 (Attack +43,100)

- Armor

None

- Accessories

1: ■■■■【Cursed】 (Equipment Slots: 9999)

2: Jujyu Doll【Cursed】 (Luck: 0)

Ranked 9th in the daily overall rankings!

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