Translator: LN&WN Warrior
Editor: Starfinder
Kurosaki Karen was a beginner who had just become an adventurer less than 3 months ago.
After she became an adventurer, she anticipated the adventure industry, which is currently at the dawn, would grow rapidly in the future.
The main reason was certainly that she wanted to become a ranker of "Let's be an Adventurer".
She also wanted to join the group of amazing people and exterminate monsters that messed up our daily lives.
Therefore, the "Chikho" dungeon in Sapporo was full of people who enthusiastically went regardless of day and night.
She was dumbfounded for a short while because the dungeon was very different from the horrible appearance that she imagined.
Even though monsters were enemies of humanity, the appearance of proper adults that were crowding and beating it made her disappointed.
‘Are those...... adventurers?’
‘I don't know which ones are the monsters.’
Despite the experience points, Karen didn't have the courage to enter the crowd.
‘Humans are different from monsters.’
‘I don't want to be ugly like them.’
Besides, experience points can be obtained in proportion to the amount of the shaved monster's life force.
If it was beaten up by 10 people, the monster's EXP(experience points) were also divided into ten equal parts.
‘Even if I defeat it, the EXP that I get are too few.’
Nonetheless, the level of monsters that can be hunted by beginners was only on the basement 2nd floor.
On the third floor, there were powerful monsters waiting.
Beginners also would not be able to hunt very well while being solo.
The 1st and 2nd floors were places for beginners, even as a solo, could hunt.
But, there was no place for quiet hunting.
Karen thought about what to do and decided to recruited partners through the "Let's be" bulletin board.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Karen, a beginner adventurer. I am looking for a kind person who will take me to the basement 3rd floor of Chikho for levelling."
‘I hope people like Bacon-san will be in Hokkaido too.’
Whether that wish came through, Karen's writing immediately received a response.
"Well, then shall we go tomorrow? Our team can go up to the 9th floor."
So today, Karen, who managed to successfully join the adventurers, visited the place of appointment while equipping her weapon.
"Are you Karen-chan who made a thread on "Let's be" BBS to find partners?"
"Ye, yes!"
"Oh, really?"
"I thought it was trolling." (TLN: For those who didn't know, trolling means writing online false posts.)
"I also thought you were definitely not serious......."
Karen stood upright while listening to the voices that called her from the side.
The voices that called her belonged to a group of 3 men in their 20s.
"I'm Shikama"
‘He is definitely a vanguard. He is equipping with a sword and a shield about 60 cm in size.’
"I'm Lars, nice to meet you."
‘Another person is an attacker. He carries a large sword on his back.’
"Haria"
‘The last one is carrying a bow on his shoulder.’
‘It is probably their respective nickname in "Let's be".’
They didn't say their real names when joining offline hunting.
Or they may be the team which encountered each other on the recruitment BBS.
From their appearance, Karen felt it was a well-balanced team.
And they also have the ability to pull Karen in. She felt an aura that made them feel reliable, unlike those of beginners.
‘However, I am a little bit concerned about their view.’
‘Did they say that "I thought you were not serious?".’
They were staring at Karen's whole body.
No, they may be checking her equipment as a beginner.
"Is it okay with that equipment?"
As expected.
Karen let out a wry smile.
"Sorry, I'm a beginner, so I can only arrange this."
"That is expected"
"Shikama also didn't have a weapon at the beginning, and because it was too dangerous, I lent him my shield."
"Really?"
"You have a really convenient bad memory loss."
"Ugh"
Shikama showed his tongue to his colleagues.
‘This feels nice.’
Looking at their conversation, Karen envied their good relationship.
‘I also would like to organize such a team as soon as possible.’
‘To do that, first of all, I have to become a talented person.’
"Well then, let's go."
"Please take care of me!"
"Okay"
"Leave it to me!"
"Welcome"
Those three people nodded and headed for the entrance of "Chikho".
"By the way, how old are you, Karen?"
"I am 18 years old."
"Eh, seriously! It barely reaches the qualifying age!"
"Yes, I went to get an adventurer's qualification as soon as I turned 18."
"Oh, wow~. You have courage even though you are a girl."
"I often hear it."
Karen let out a bitter smile to Haria's words.
What she often heard from her circle talking about was not her courage but her recklessness.
"When I think of adventurers who try hard to dive into dungeons, I don't think I should just stay in a safe place a lot."
"Wow, you are nice. We are completely different."
"It is not us but only you, isn't it?"
Lars poked Shikama.
Apparently, the shield user seemed to be the team leader.
In their small talk, Haria and Lars often spoke making-fun like words to Shikama.
However, the atmosphere was transmitted quietly not because he was underestimated but because he was trusted.
Entering "Chikho", Karen didn't care about the monsters that appeared and quickly moved forward.
She went to the 2nd floor, descended to the 3rd floor, and finally reached the 4th floor.
It was a place Karen could never reach alone.
"You don't need to be frightened so much, everything will be fine. Our team is basically active on the 9th floor."
Shikama knocked his sword hard to make Karen feel relieved.
His words were probably the truth.
Their fighting style until now is still relaxed.
There was no doubt. They certainly have the ability to conquer the 3rd and 4th floor.
Shikama defended the monster attack and bind it on the spot.
Lars and Haria finished the monster whose movement stopped in a stroke.
The monster was only slightly hit before Lars' large sword cut off the monster's body like a paper, therefore Karen could only make a few scratches.
‘This is their difference with a beginner.’
‘It was an overwhelming difference of abilities.’
‘I also want to become like this soon.’
‘I admire their strength, but I can't reach it in the near future.’
Even though Karen only made some scratches against the 3rd floor's monster, she suffered from level up sickness.
She felt sick just by giving a little damage was proof that her strength was not enough to deal with the monster on that floor.
‘It's not over yet.’
‘Today, I still haven't reached the level where I could defeat monsters on the third floor alone in a day!’
Next to Karen who was so enthusiastic, Haria the bow user rang a strong scratching sound with his lips.
It was a signal of vigilance.
As they heard that, Shikama and Lars sank down.
......will something come?
"It is dangerous. What should you do?"
After levelling up, the sensory organs also become more sensitive.
Even if Karen watched and listened carefully, she could not capture the minute changes.
"Well, that's it......"
"Let's escape quickly!"
They were swallowed by the released strange atmosphere which made their spine froze.
"Escape?"
‘Why are they who act on the 9th floor running away from the monsters on the 4th floor?’
Karen, who didn't know the reason, suspiciously tilted her head.
"It's a monsters parade!" (TLN: For reference, please watch anime Danmachi)