March 26th.
Swallowing the irritation of being made a mockery of online, I headed to the Shinjuku Dungeon today, just like any other day.
During the breaks between hunts to recover my HP, I killed time reading manga and light novels I'd purchased as e-books.
Up until yesterday, I probably would have spent that time idly scrolling through videos, but I wasn't in the mood for that today.
Still, by 6:00 PM, I managed to reach Level 12, building on yesterday's momentum. I wasn't in a bad mood when it was finally time to head home.
●◯●
March 27th.
Back to the Shinjuku Dungeon, of course.
As I was leaving the house, my mother asked, "Don't you ever take a break?" but leveling up is my entire reason for living. There was no way I was resting.
And so, I spent another day devoted to the hunt on the 3rd Floor.
However, having just leveled up right before leaving the day before, I didn't manage to gain another level today.
●◯●
March 28th.
With my stats and skill levels rising with every level-up, my hunting efficiency was steadily improving.
I was now averaging seven encounters an hour, taking down nearly twenty goblins in that time, and the battles didn't feel dangerous at all.
By noon, I hit my goal of Level 13.
――――――――――――――――
【Name】 Takeo Samejima
【Level】 "13" Exp to next level: "13,960"
《HP》 24/61 (11 up!)
《MP》 18/18
《Strength》 35 (5 up!)
《Constitution》 26 (6 up!)
《Intelligence》 6
《Spirit》 12
《Agility》 40 (10 up!)
《Dexterity》 30 (9 up!)
【STP】 "0"
【SP】 "0"
【Skills】 《Increased Damage with Bladed Weapons Lv. Max》《Berserk Lv. 1》《Goblin Killer Lv. Max》《Fighting Spirit Lv. 4》
【Titles】 《Madman》《Goblin Killer》
《Goblin Killer Lv. Max》—— Damage dealt to goblin species is multiplied by 2.0.
《Fighting Spirit Lv. 4》—— While active, Strength, Constitution, and Agility increase by 80%. Consumes 4 HP every 10 seconds.
――――――――――――――――
To be honest, thanks to my damage-boosting skills, my attack power was bordering on excessive. Between Increased Damage with Bladed Weapons and Goblin Killer, I was dealing four times the normal damage to any goblin, no strings attached.
Since Fighting Spirit also buffs my stats, I hadn't been putting many points into Strength.
However, now that Fighting Spirit was Level 4, its HP drain had increased. I’d have to start dumping points into Strength or Endurance to bolster my HP pool.
It might be wise to hold off on putting Skill Points into Fighting Spirit for a while.
...Then again, I wasn't sure. I wouldn't be able to unlock that skill unless I maxed out Fighting Spirit... Well, I'd just have to be flexible.
"Hmm... With Fighting Spirit active, my Agility exceeds 70..."
Looking at my status, I felt certain I was ready.
The goblins on the 4th Floor of the Shinjuku Dungeon were Level 6 to 8, and the roster expanded to include Goblin Archers and Goblin Mages.
They were troublesome monsters with ranged attacks, but Goblin Archers had a rare drop of Beginner Heal Potions, and Goblin Mages—though it was incredibly rare—dropped a specific Skill Orb that every Explorer lusted after.
Yes—a Skill Orb.
These were special items that allowed a person to learn various skills just by using them.
They were usually named after the skill they provided, like "Skill Orb of X."
Some didn't just teach skills but had even more specialized effects... but I'd explain those if I was lucky enough to actually get a drop.
Regardless.
The Skill Orb dropped by Goblin Mages was an essential item for a solo Explorer like me who lacked magic-type skills. If I wanted to advance further, I absolutely had to have it.
Because of that, I’d likely be grinding the 4th Floor for some time. The high-efficiency hunting ground I’d originally been aiming for was also on the 4th Floor, so the timing was perfect.
I’d probably stay there until Level 19. Assuming the Skill Orb dropped by then, anyway.
"Alright. Once my HP is back up, I'll head down to the 4th Floor."
I returned to the stairs and took a lunch break before heading toward the descent with my smartphone in hand.
●◯●
I followed the shortest route to the 4th Floor stairs, keeping the map from the Modern Dungeon Strategy Wiki open.
I ran into a few groups of goblins on the way, but the fights weren't even close. Since my priority was reaching the next floor, I bypassed any groups of four that I couldn't wipe out in under ten seconds.
An hour later.
"Huh?"
Just as the stairs were coming into view, a sound drifted toward me from the end of the dim corridor. It was echoing, making it hard to identify, but it sounded like a human scream.
I stopped in my tracks and listened intently.
"...A scream. Definitely."
No doubt about it. And it sounded like more than one person.
What was going on? If it was something troublesome, I really wanted to just ignore it, but...
"...No, I can't do that."
I shook off the thought.
If someone was calling for help, the rules were different in a dungeon than they were on the surface. Above ground, if you assumed someone else would help, they probably would. But in a dungeon, there was a very real chance that no one else would ever know.
This was about mutual aid. As fellow Explorers, we had to have each other's backs, even if we weren't in the same party.
Since I was the one who heard it, I was the one who had to go.
Having made my decision, I sprinted toward the screams.
I could still hear them, now mingled with the rhythmic clang of metal on metal. But shortly after, the clanging stopped, leaving only the screams.
I had to hurry.
I rounded a corner and pushed myself faster. Two figures appeared up ahead, running toward me.
Two men. They spotted me but didn't slow down for a second.
"Out of the way!"
"Move!!"
They looked like a couple of shallow lightweights in their twenties, but right now their faces were masks of pure desperation.
I instinctively pressed myself against the corridor wall to let them through. They didn't even offer a word of thanks as they bolted past.
Were they the ones screaming?
If they were, I should probably be running too—
"Noooooooo!"
A woman's piercing scream rang out from the direction the men had come from.
There was still someone back there.
I rushed forward and burst into the wide hall in front of the 4th Floor stairs.
I saw three figures.
One was a woman clutching a staff; she seemed to have a leg injury. She was slumped on the ground, legs giving out, with a terrifying amount of blood pooling around her thigh.
Another was a man lying facedown. Like the woman, he was surrounded by blood—but I could tell at a glance. He was beyond saving. He might already be dead.
And the last one... or rather, the last thing...
"You've got to be kidding...?! There's nothing about this in the data!"
It was something that absolutely should not have been on the 3rd Floor of the Shinjuku Dungeon.
It was clad in dull-colored full-plate armor that left no opening, gripping a kite shield in its left hand and a blood-slicked longsword in its right. It stood about 170 centimeters tall—slightly shorter than me, but close enough.
Its face was entirely hidden by a helmet, so I couldn't see what was inside, but thanks to my research on the Modern Dungeon Strategy Wiki and DungeonTube, I knew exactly what it was.
A Goblin Knight.
In the Shinjuku Dungeon, they weren't supposed to appear until the 5th Floor.
And for a physical-focused Explorer like me without any magic skills, it was the worst possible matchup.
The Goblin Knight moved.
It stepped away from the fallen man and toward the cowering woman.
"Dammit!!"
I didn't have time to wonder why a Goblin Knight was here.
I triggered Fighting Spirit, drew my sword, and lunged forward, throwing myself between the monster and the woman.