Volume 2 Chapter 3 S-Rank Dungeon And S-Rank Monsters
After walking to the north from Geats town, I quickly arrive at the entrance of a dungeon. In the center of the square surrounded by earthworks, a cave leading underground opens up. That must be the entrance to the dungeon.
Since it's already dark, there were no adventurers around. It wouldn't be wise to camp in a dungeon with monsters, so they would probably head back before the city gate closes. But, it's better for me if there are no people around to use the Bloodsucker Blade.
'Well, let's conquer the dungeon quickly. Staying up late is bad for your skin.'
"Uh, okay..."
Due to the trauma from the previous dungeon exploration, I still have some anxiety. Although my attack power has significantly increased, my endurance remains the same. If I take a hit from a monster, I could easily die.
But the difference this time is that I'm not alone. Even with someone like Juju, it's more reassuring than being completely alone.
"Um, excuse me..."
'Why are you greeting the dungeon? Do you want a surprise wake-up call?'
"It's not like that..."
Gathering my courage, I descend the stairs at the dungeon entrance.
The dungeon corridors are dimly lit, but not so dark that I can't see ahead. Magic lamps are lit on the walls. These lamps are probably set up by the dungeon's manager to make it easier to gather resources here. Fighting properly would be difficult if I had to hold a light in one hand, and if the light went out midway, traps and monsters would be invisible.
"...By the way, is it okay to swing the Bloodsucker Blade in the dungeon?"
The dungeon walls seem to be made of ancient special materials, and I had never seen them break. However, using a weapon with as much attack power as the Bloodsucker Blade could pose a risk of collapse.
'It's fine.'
"Why?"
'The walls of this dungeon are made of SSS-rank equipment.'
"The walls are SSS-rank equipment?"
It's a bit hard to grasp.
'Well, technically it's made of stone. By combining stones made from SSS-rank equipment, people can create walls that never break. In ancient times, these equipment stones were used for important facilities.'
"Making SSS-rank equipment sounds complicated... How do ancient people even do that?"
Simply put, the highest rank for normal equipment is A in current era. Unless it's cursed equipment, it shouldn't reach SSS rank.
'Well, it's not that exciting of a story.'
Juju blatantly evades the topic.
'Anyway, Noroa! The monsters are here!'
"Uh..."
Countless giant spiders crawled out from the corridor ahead.
In the darkness, their red glowing compound eyes, hairy 8 legs, sharp claws, and fangs were visible.
It was a swarm of Killer Spiders.
Each Killer Spider was ranked C individually, stronger than Skeletons. They also used tricky attacks like binding with sticky silk and poison. Moreover, the swarm of Killer Spiders was highly coordinated, capable of cornering even B-rank adventurers... In other words, very scary.
At least, it wasn't a heartwarming sight. I had wanted to have a more peaceful battle with gentler monsters, but the Killer Spiders were right in front of me.
'Alright, Noroa! Let's do this!'
"Uh, okay...!"
Following Juju's instructions, I drew the Bloodsucker Blade smoothly.
Fortunately, there was no sign of anyone around. Since it was a straight path, there was no risk of losing sight of the monsters. If Juju was right, the dungeon walls should withstand the shockwaves of the Bloodsucker Blade.
As the field turned red, I swung the sword with all my might.
"Haa!"
With the equipment boosting my attack by over 10,000, I swung the sword at a speed I couldn't even perceive myself. The speed left sound behind, cutting through the air like a blade. The powerful shockwave generated from the blade raced through the corridor...
――BANG!
A loud explosion rang out.
With that sound, my consciousness that was about to leap forward was forcefully pulled back.
"Huh..."
Before I knew it, a massive swarm of Killer Spiders had vanished in an instant. It wasn't just that they were smashed to bits, they completely disappeared. There was no trace left of the Killer Spiders that were once here. The magic lamps had also vanished, leaving only darkened corridors behind.
It was so unbelievable that I found myself staring in shock.
'What are you spacing out for? Let's keep moving forward.'
"Oh, yeah, sure."
Prompted by Juju, I hurriedly sheathed my sword.
...I still couldn't get used to this power.
A G-rank adventurer who had been overwhelmed even by Skeletons had effortlessly wiped out dozens of C-rank monsters with just a swing of this Weapon.
Instead of excitement, I felt more bewildered.
We continued forward, wary of monsters and traps.
As expected of an unexplored S-rank dungeon, the monsters we encountered were quite powerful. With no other adventurers ahead of us, there were plenty of monsters to deal with. Even for multiple A-rank adventurers, it would have been a tough battle. For someone like me, a G-rank adventurer, even being a pack mule was a challenging task.
However, my dungeon exploration went smoothly.
The Bloodsucker Blade was just too powerful.
Advance down the corridor, turn, draw the sword, move forward... (repeat)
With just this routine, I made steady progress. It was an experience that shook the very foundation of dungeon exploration. It almost felt like a casual picnic. Did strong adventurers conquer dungeons with this kind of feeling?
Thanks to defeating numerous monsters, my level shot up to 30 in no time. My HP and Defense increased, and I felt a bit more mentally at ease. The only worry was that I had been breaking magic lamps left and right... yeah, I'd have to make reparations for that later.
As we proceeded, a massive door appeared at the end of the corridor.
Even though I had never seen one in person, I could guess what it was.
"Oh, is that already the boss room...?"
I had progressed so smoothly that it didn't feel real.
I hadn't rushed because I had come to scout, and I had even searched for treasure chests and explored all the corridors...
'That's because you're strong.'
"Yeah, I guess."
After battling so many monsters, it was hard not to realize
――I had become stronger.
In a world where strength is determined by equipment, I had obtained SSS-rank gear. Even if I was weak myself, with powerful equipment, I could become strong. While believing in myself was difficult, I could believe in my equipment.
'You have decent sword skills, knowledge of monsters and traps, and now you have powerful equipment. You're unstoppable.'
"Yeah..."
Being praised by Juju made me feel a bit awkward. This doll spoke bluntly about what she wanted to say, even when giving compliments. For someone like me, who wasn't used to praise, it stung a bit.
'More importantly, it would be great if the boss dropped cursed equipment.'
"Yeah, you're right..."
In the first place, I hadn't come to this dungeon to conquer it.
The goal of this dungeon exploration was to find cursed equipment.
However, despite our exploration so far, I hadn't found any cursed equipment. If the boss didn't drop any cursed equipment, I would lose sight of why I had come to the dungeon in the first place. I had obliterated all the monsters without leaving a single scrap of flesh, so I couldn't even make money from monster materials.
'Well, in a dungeon with such a high difficulty level, the chances of cursed equipment dropping are high.'
"...? Why is that?"
'Well, because cursed equipment is of a higher rank. You see, regular equipment only goes up to A-rank, but cursed equipment can be even higher.'
"Come to think of it, that's true. Why is that?"
'Cursed equipment was originally used as powerful equipment. Despite the cost, it's significantly stronger than regular equipment. By cleverly combining cursed equipment, one can even offset the drawbacks.'
"I see..."
It did make sense that there were so many unused items. They must have remained in abundance because they were once in use.
'Well, the most common use was to have sl*ves carry them as bombs. Even if the sl*ve dies, it explodes every time the enemy touches it. The fact that cursed equipment forces you to wear it is a remnant of that.'
"Yeah, that's right."
I casually looked at the Bloodsucker Blade hanging from my waist. Seeing the Gold Man forced to hold the Bloodsucker Blade, calling it a 'bomb' did seem fitting. If I were to forcibly touch an enemy with it and send them into enemy territory, it would cause significant damage.
'So, one of the equipment created to counter such cursed equipment is me. In other words, I'm way more powerful than your average cursed equipment. This is very important.'
"...Well, anyway, we need to focus on the boss battle now."
'Huh? Am I being ignored?'
Juju mentioned that the boss here might drop cursed equipment, but there's no guarantee I can defeat the boss. Even with the Bloodsucker Blade, if the enemy is fast, I might not be able to land a hit and could end up dead. I can't underestimate the boss of an S-rank dungeon.
I tightened my grip and pushed open the stone door to the boss room.
The door creaked heavily as it opened. In the room beyond, I saw a space resembling a small forest, with a giant spider at its center.
――Queen Spider.
That's the name of this spider.
It's the boss of an S-rank dungeon, a monster designated as a disaster of S-rank. It's a monster that even a group of A-rank adventurers might struggle to defeat. Just defeating it could turn into a heroic tale.
...Can I really defeat such an opponent?
Anxiety filled my chest, but I had no choice but to fight. The Queen Spider had already noticed our presence.
――SKREEEAAAHHH!
The Queen Spider roared and shifted into a combat stance, preparing to attack with its 8 legs firmly planted on the ground.
"Ughhh!"
With low endurance, I couldn't afford to wait.
I rallied myself and swiftly drew the Bloodsucker Blade from its sheath.
The shockwave from the blade struck the Queen Spider――
"...Ah."
The Queen Spider was dead.
Its body easily torn apart by the shockwave, splattering its fluids against the wall. It looked like a crushed wall painting. It might not have completely disappeared like other monsters, but it was motionless.
"..."
Suddenly, I fell silence.
I stood still for a moment, but nothing else seemed to be happening. There were no signs of it reviving and attacking again, or having 3 more transformations.
Well... a heroic tale was born.
Noroa Rator, Adventurer Level 39
HP: 114
MP: 43
Attack: 37 (with sword: 43,137)
Defense: 40
Agility: 52
Magic: 52
Luck: 0
Equipment Slots: 9999
- Weapon
Right Hand: Bloodsucker Blade [Curse] (Attack +43,100)
- Armor
None
- Accessories
1: ■■■■ [Curse] (Equipment Slots: 9999)
2: Cursed Doll [Curse] (Luck: 0)
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