Chapter 26

The next day.

I had come to the Kenzaki Dungeon early in the morning.

And I was surprised by the bustling crowd.

“I’ve heard that C-rank adventurers are the most common among those who make dungeon exploration their profession… but it’s true.”

Moreover, unlike E-rank or D-rank adventurers, C-rank adventurers have proper equipment.

They wear armor to protect themselves from enemy attacks, carry staffs that enhance mana transmission, and so on.

There are very few like me, who are lightly equipped with just a short sword.

Another thing I noticed is that it seems no one other than me is attempting to challenge the dungeon solo.

That makes sense. The higher the rank, the more unpredictable the dungeon becomes, and more personnel are needed to deal with it.

If your goal is to conquer the dungeon, the more people you have, the better for leveling up.

While thinking about this, I joined the line to enter the dungeon, when suddenly—

The surrounding adventurers began to stir.

“Hey, look at that. Isn’t that the party that’s been making the rounds recently?”

“I know them. All the members have unique skills, and they reached level 2000 in just one year since their debut. They’re monsters, right?”

“Yeah, and they’ve turned down all the offers from famous guilds. But why are they here at the Kenzaki Dungeon?”

“Who knows. Normally, they’d be challenging higher-level dungeons…”

Hearing this conversation, I couldn’t help but turn around.

From a distance, five adventurers were approaching as a group.

I widened my eyes when I saw their faces.

“Could it be…?”

The person standing there was someone I knew.

Perhaps because I was staring, the blond man at the front noticed my presence, showed a slightly surprised expression, and then approached me.

“Hey, it’s Ten音-kun! What a coincidence to meet you here!”

He spoke with a thin smile.

I cursed inwardly, wondering how he could greet me so casually.

But I’m not a child to let that show.

“Yeah… I’m surprised too, Fumi.”

I responded while maintaining my composure.

In the back of my mind, I recalled a memory from a year ago.

This man’s name is Fumi Shin.

He became an adventurer at the same time as me, awakened to a unique skill, and was a former companion with whom I formed a party.

And he was the person who became the catalyst for me being labeled as incompetent.