Volume 2 Chapter 1 Departure And A-Rank Monster
"Alright, is this enough for the journey preparations?"
The morning after the cursed equipment incident. After packing my belongings into the cloth bag, I took one last look at my hometown, the Town of Mahariji.
The Town of Mahariji was destroyed by yesterday's cursed equipment incident.
The Gold Man who went berserk with the cursed equipment, Bloodsucker Blade, massacred the adventurers gathered in the dungeon town, killing almost 90% of the town and destroying it. Some people barely survived, but it seemed impossible to live in this town anymore. With almost all adventurers wiped out and the city walls destroyed, there was no way to protect themselves from monsters. Even if they were to rebuild, it would take a considerable amount of time.
Although I didn't have many good memories of the Town of Mahariji, it felt lonely to see it disappear. I had no family when I was born, and I had been oppressed as "Noroa the Zero" since I was young, but... it seems like I still considered this town my hometown.
Even though the town had turned into a pile of rubble, I wanted to engrave it in my memory one last time. I wouldn't return to this town. I wouldn't have another chance to see it like this again.
Goodbye, my hometown...
'Noroa~! Let's loot this merchant's corpse for money! He's got a ton of it! Uhhah, his pants are made of pure gold! Hilarious!'
"Hey... please, don't ruin my sentimental moment."
That didn't evoke any sentimentality at all.
But Juju's lack of sensitivity was nothing new. Besides, I couldn't remove the cursed equipment, and I would have to deal with this doll until I died. I had to get used to these things to keep my sanity.
"For now, Juju, let's stop doodling 'Butt Hair Beam!' on that person's butt."
'Why not! This is way more fun!'
"No one is looking for fun in a corpse."
I felt a strong sense of guilt even though I wasn't the one doing it. It made me think the world was absurd since the person involved was fine with it.
After stopping Juju's rampage for a while, I finally left the Town of Mahariji. As I watched the town getting farther away, I felt a slight sense of attachment.
I didn't have any lingering attachment to the town, but there was one regret.
I couldn't properly bury Mr. Yabuki. We weren't that close, and Mr. Yabuki found me annoying, but he tried to help me in the end. He became a good listener despite the discrimination I faced.
"...sigh."
'What's wrong, looking so gloomy? Are you hungry? Your worries probably revolve around being hungry anyway...'
Juju, sitting on my shoulder, asked. It felt quite rude.
"No, I just have a bit of regret about an acquaintance..."
'Wait. Don't say it. I'll guess it.'
"Please don't turn people's worries into a quiz."
Being with Juju made me feel foolish for taking things seriously. If I could live with an empty mind like this doll, I would probably be happier.
And so, I walked along the forest road. The other survivors were planning to head to the neighboring town, so the road was still empty. Being in the countryside, there were no people or carriages passing by, and although the road wasn't very wide, I could walk leisurely.
It was fortunate that the town was destroyed in early summer. The nights were slightly chilly but not freezing, and the daytime temperature was just right. It would have been terrible if it were winter. Especially around here, the winter clashes with the rainy season, making the roads muddy or frozen, making travel impossible.
However, there was also the issue that monsters were more likely to appear in the summer...
Just as I thought about it, the bushes ahead rustled. With a bad feeling, I stopped, and a giant bear peeked out from the treetops.
Looking up, there was a big black bear. Its unnaturally enlarged body meant this bear was no ordinary beast.
...This guy is a monster.
"Eek!"
Looking up at the bear monster, a scream escaped involuntarily.
It was the first time seeing such a huge monster.
In a panic, the little remaining calm rationality in my head searched for information about monsters. Having studied monsters before, even though it was the first time seeing this monster, its name was known.
This monster's name was Evil Bear.
It was a bear monster about 20m (65'6ft) long. It was said to be an A-rank monster that even a group of B-rank adventurers like Gold Man could barely defeat due to its high HP, Attack, and surprisingly high Agility for its massive size.
"No way... an A-rank monster in a place like this?"
The Evil Bear looked down at me as I stepped back. At the moment our eyes met, a chilling sensation ran through my body as if it had frozen.
In my almost blank mind, memories of yesterday's battle with a skeleton came involuntarily. Even against an E-rank monster like a skeleton, I was blown away by its attack and had my sword broken. If attacked by an A-rank monster, even a slight hit would likely be fatal.
"What should I do..."
'Hey, just pull out the Bloodsucker Blade.'
"Huh? Oh, right."
Come to think of it, besides this Cursed Doll, I had equipped a weapon called the Bloodsucker Blade.
However, the Bloodsucker Blade had a drawback: with an Attack of 16,300, it was a powerful sword, but once drawn from its sheath, it would go berserk, causing the wielder to lose control. Moreover, once in a berserk state, the wielder would not regain sanity until they had killed every living thing in sight. This meant that once a creature was seen in a berserk state, it had to be chased and killed until the wielder lost sight of it, remaining in a berserk state indefinitely.
Nevertheless, the reason Gold Man went berserk to that extent might have been due to the presence of many humans and monsters around. Fortunately, there were no people around now, so the danger of going berserk like Gold Man was considerably lower.
Still, due to the memories of yesterday's tragedy, there was resistance to drawing the sword. However, the Evil Bear paid no heed to my circumstances and charged towards me.
"Eek!"
There was no choice but to draw the sword in a state of desperation.
As the crimson blade was exposed to the air, a sensation akin to boiling blood surged through my body.
Simultaneously, my vision turned completely red. In a fading consciousness, I witnessed the sword blowing the Evil Bear and the surrounding trees away...
"--Hah!"
Regaining my senses, I stood in the middle of the crater.
Looking around, there was no trace of the Evil Bear left.
Had I defeated the Evil Bear...?
Was it me, a perennial G-rank adventurer...?
It was hard to believe, but it was probably true.
It was a first victory that felt rather anticlimactic.
'Hmm... no matter how many times I see it, that sword has unbelievable power...'
Juju said in amazement.
'This is a bit too much, isn't it?'
"Too much?"
'Everything, all of it. After all, it's strange that just as you, who can equip 9999 cursed equipment, appeared, I, who can steal cursed equipment, showed up so smoothly.'
"Well, maybe not so smoothly, but it does seem strange."
'That's not all. Powerful cursed equipment like this has only recently been found in a dungeon. Even though B-rank adventurers should be cautious of cursed equipment, one happened to draw the cursed sword. He went berserk and killed people, yet the attacks towards you were half-hearted...'
"...Now that you mention it, it does seem unnatural."
When coincidences pile up like this, it feels like the work of someone. Especially regarding the last incident, it couldn't be dismissed as mere chance.
'Well, whatever. Regardless of who's plotting what, they're not your enemy, right?'
"Is that so?"
I looked at the Bloodsucker Blade in my hand. The equipment I held could destroy an entire town. However, even with such powerful equipment, I still didn't feel like I had become stronger.
'Well, it's just the beginning. Sure, your Attack has increased, but you're still weak in other areas. If you continue like this, you'll die soon, and the punchline will be 'Butt Hair Beam' written on your butt.'
"Well, except for 'Butt Hair Beam,' I agree."
My HP and Defense are still weak. If I get ambushed, I'll easily die. To improve this situation, I need cursed equipment that can boost my HP and Defense.
'So, get stronger quickly. If you die, it'll be a problem for me too. I won't be able to move around freely or enjoy B-grade gourmet food.'
"Oh, just that would be a problem?"
'Well, anyway, the goal for now is to get lots of cursed equipment to become stronger.'
"But where can I find cursed equipment?"
'It's obvious. When it comes to cursed equipment, it's in dungeons.'
"Dungeons..."
I hadn't really thought about diving into dungeons to get cursed equipment before. I couldn't enter a dungeon alone, and I couldn't act freely as a pack mule. I just waited for cursed equipment to be mistakenly sent to the armory.
"But aren't dungeons dangerous?"
I remember what happened when I entered the dungeon yesterday.
I was completely defeated by the weakest monster, a skeleton.
Even though my Attack had increased, could I challenge a dungeon with low HP and Defense? The skeleton moved slowly, so I could defend against its attacks... but if it had been a bit faster, I could have been killed in one blow.
'Hey, getting scared while getting super strong weapons, that's seriously unbelievable. If I had that sword, I'd probably have already unified the galaxy by now.'
"But this sword is not easy to draw..."
That's the problem. The Bloodsucker Blade is powerful but too difficult to use.
The cost of the Bloodsucker Blade is that when I draw the sword, I go berserk and can't return to my senses until I've killed all living creatures in sight. Even though I think this "living creatures" probably refers only to humans and monsters with HP not plants, it's still a tough condition. The timing to meet such convenient conditions like now is rare, and if I draw it in a dungeon full of monsters, I'll probably go berserk like a Gold Man for a while.
So, it's almost unusable...
'No, it's not a problem. Just don't let living creatures into your sight, just close your eyes.'
"Huh, is it that simple?"
'Surprisingly, there are loopholes in the cost of cursed equipment. Humans made them, so it's true what the cursed equipment itself says.'
"Is that how it is?"
I feel like my perception of cursed equipment has changed. Maybe I had an irrational fear just because it was cursed equipment.
'Are you feeling less anxious now?'
"Well, I guess I feel a little relieved."
"That's good. Let's head to the dungeon right away!"
Juju is raising his fist with a cheer on my shoulder.
It seems like going to the dungeon has been decided. They say "equipment determines your life," but I couldn't help feeling like everything was already decided.
I'll add an explanation here. You don't have to read it if you can follow the story without it. It's just for reference.
(Equipment Ranks)
- G Rank... Everyday items and natural materials.
Equipment that can be equipped but with little benefit. Items like clothes, stationery, and natural materials (like twigs or stones) fall into this rank. They can be worn without being equipped normally.
- E to F Rank... Apprentice equipment.
Made from animal materials or processed natural items. Generally wearable by ordinary people.
- D Rank... Professional equipment.
From this rank onwards, monster materials (strictly speaking, materials containing powerful souls, including rare ores that are easy to infuse with souls) are used.
- C Rank... Veteran equipment.
In modern times, up to this rank, you can often find these weapons and armor in weapon shops. Beyond this rank, it becomes difficult to meet the equipment requirements while keeping the base stats, so you need to combine them with other equipment. Even if you try your best, a regular person (with one equipment slot) can only reach a C rank.
- B Rank... Top-tier equipment.
Only a handful of genius craftsmen can make these, so most of them are unearthed from dungeons or ancient ruins.
- A Rank... Equipment of geniuses.
It's impossible to make these in modern times, so they can only be found in dungeons or ancient ruins. They are often made from legendary monster materials, each with their own stories and legends. To meet the equipment requirements, one needs to raise their stats with multiple high-rank equipment. Without a large number of equipment slots, it's almost impossible to equip them.
- S Rank... Disaster level.
Cursed equipment that can have a huge impact on an entire city.
- SS Rank... Catastrophe level.
Cursed equipment that can have a significant impact on an entire country.
- SSS Rank... Calamity level.
Cursed equipment that can have a major impact on all of humanity. Indestructible. They possess power to the extent of ignoring the laws of the world, and many major disasters recorded in ancient texts are often caused by cursed equipment of this rank. However, due to the high cost, very few can fully master them.
- ??? Rank... Apocalypse level.
Cursed equipment that can potentially change the world. They deviate from the laws of the world, making it impossible to determine their rank. However, just being an exceptional equipment doesn't necessarily mean it's powerful. (Formerly: 'Rank: Unknown').
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