Tag: Male Protagonist

《 HP +10 MP +15 》

《 Strength +3 Endurance+2 Agility +2 Intelligence+4 Burial Power +666 》

《 【Return】 Lv +1 》

“…Huh? That’s it?”

I was checking the breakdown of my newly increased stats on the floating screen, but something is missing. The usual message—《 Daishi has learned a new skill!》—didn’t appear.

Up until now, I’d gained a new skill every level, so not getting one this time was a bit disappointing. Well… the pace at which I’d been acquiring skills before was just abnormally fast. Things couldn’t always go that conveniently.

But more than that…

Even now, that familiar absurdity in my stats was on full display, once again off the charts.

Anyway, I decided to check how my overall stats had changed.

――――――――――― Name: Daishi Ajiri Class: Cleric Level: 8 (+1) HP: 33 / 63 (+10) MP: 0 / 80 (+15) Strength: 11 (+3) Endurance: 8 (+2) Agility: 6 (+2) Intelligence: 16 (+4) Burial Power: 999 (+423) [243] Skills: 【Retribution (LV1)】 【Requiem (LV1)】 【Return (LV2)】 【Cremation (LV2)】 【Clairvoyance (LV3)】 ―――――――――――

Even after taking down that many mimics, I’d only leveled up once. But my Burial Power seemed to have hit the cap again. Still completely incomprehensible.

And now, my MP was finally at zero.

“Daishi-san!”

In the sudden silence in the Treasure House, Satsuki-chan’s voice echoed as she called out to me. She came running up, small, quick steps carrying her across the floor.

“Ah… Satsuki-chan. Are you okay?”

“In a way… I’m not really okay.”

Her expression was unusually serious.

At first glance, there were no signs of blood or torn clothing.

Maybe she’d hurt herself somewhere invisible? A sprain, maybe?

> She means mentally, probably.

> Even an S-Rank explorer would be completely overwhelmed by that.

> Old man’s too strong.

> He might even be stronger than Satsuki now.

> SS-Rank? I’d believe it.

Yeah… the viewers were right. If a low-level rookie like me can just shatter all the rules with some incomprehensible power, it’s no wonder that even the hardworking S-Rank explorers might feel completely outclassed.

I felt something similar back when I was a salaryman—seeing a new recruit casually surpass my sales record was humiliating. I get it. That feeling exists.

…But right now, my life’s on the line. So, it’s not really the best time for philosophical debates.

“Honestly, Daishi-san, what’s happening with you is just… a bug. So it’s fine.”

Though… her expression didn’t exactly look like she thought it was fine.

“It’s just… that power of yours is too abnormal. I hope there aren’t any side effects later.”

“Side effects…?”

“Yes. I just remembered that I met an explorer who was clearly low-level, but incredibly strong… and it felt… unnatural.”

Apparently, Satsuki-chan had actually encountered an explorer with a nature similar to mine, and she briefly recounted what had happened.

…Honestly, it was the kind of story I wished I hadn’t heard.

> Ah… yeah, there was that guy.

> He wasn’t as strong as the old man, but he was pretty tough too.

> I watched his final stream.

> Me too. It was pretty traumatic.

> It just suddenly happened, like a splat wasn’t it?

> Hey, don’t remind me!

> I got chills just thinking about it.

> That was a broadcast disaster.

> Everyone watching the live stream screamed in terror.

From what I’d just heard, the guy died suddenly due to his power going out of control, and apparently his final moments were horrifying.

…Seriously, that’s terrifying.

“That’s why I said you should probably have the Guild Headquarters take a look at this.”

“Ah… I see. Maybe I should head back now.”

“It’s too late.”

“…Huh?”

What did she just say?

“Didn’t the Guild tell you? You can only turn back while you’re still above ground. Once you descend into the dungeon, you can’t warp back to the surface.”

“Whaaaat!!?”

“Normally, you bring an item to turn back, but since we were in a hurry today, I didn’t bring one.”

“Seriously…?”

“So, that means you’re coming with me all the way to underground floor 10. Whether you like it or not. Got it?”

She should have told me while we were still above ground. I realize it now… she knew this all along and brought me down here anyway. S-Rank explorers are cunning indeed.

> Just give up already, old man.

> Whoa, the viewers just passed 1,000!

> That’s amazing.

> Things are probably going to get crazier once you hit the bottom floor.

> Assuming they survive to get there, that is.

> Anyway, Mister, you leveled up, right?

> Show us your stats!

“Things like that…”

Well, I guess I just had to accept it and keep moving forward. For better or worse, the live stream was doing well, and that alone was something I could genuinely be happy about.

“Alright… my stats are…”

I had almost forgotten after hearing that horrifying story, but then I remembered—I’d actually entered a whole new tier with my stats.

I carefully explained the details to Satsuki-chan and the viewers.

“999 is the maximum value. At this point, that doesn’t even surprise me anymore…”

But Satsuki-chan’s gaze wasn’t on the capped numbers.

It was on the [243] displayed at the far right of my Burial Power. Apparently, this was another one of my unique quirks, and even the viewers were completely baffled.

I just stood there, staring blankly as everyone reacted with curiosity and disbelief.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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When I opened the chest, it was completely empty. At the same time, I thought I heard a click, like a hidden switch had just been triggered.

“The yellow chest is a trap! Get out of there, quickly!”

Wait…what!?  It wasn’t gold?!

Crap. I needed to get out of here immediately.

But strangely, nothing shot out—no poison darts, no hidden spikes. Instead, a strange clattering noise began echoing from all around. It grew louder and multiplied. All the chests that had been glowing red—the mimics—were stirring.

And this… was the trap I had just triggered.

It seemed that what I had triggered was…

> Oi oi oi

> He opened all the chests!

> It’s over. All the mimics activated at once!

> That’s a formidable enemy!

> The old man can handle it.

> Strike first!

> But mimics have high fire resistance, right?

> Cremation might not do much damage.

> Watch out for instant-death magic.

> Even a normal attack could be fatal with the old man’s HP.

The 657 viewers watching live were spamming comments with advice, warnings, and explanations of the situation.

And yes… I was facing the biggest crisis of the day.

Within this graveyard-like chamber, there were roughly ninety-eight mimics. One hit from any of them, and it sounded like it would be game over instantly. The exit is not far, but the problem is that I am all the way in the far-right corner of the room. At the very least, I had to deal with the three mimics right in front of me that are already baring their jagged teeth and practically radiating murderous intent, before I could get out.

Satsuki-chan is still near the entrance, and there’s no way she could come to my aid immediately.

“Daishi-san! Just be extremely careful of the enemies’ attacks and make your way to the exit! One hit and you’ll probably die!”

Her voice rang out over the clattering of countless mimics, almost like it was trying to drown them out. Even though she isn’t that far away, it felt like she’s light-years from me.

“I’ll get over there as fast as I can! This many enemies is way too dangerous!”

If even an S-Rank explorer is panicking, then this is seriously bad.

Time to clear a path.

Fortunately, none of the mimics had attacked me yet. Even if they were highly resistant to fire, the sheer power of Cremation should at least stop them in their tracks. Rather than risk being hit while running blindly, attacking deliberately would give me a higher chance of avoiding damage.

Alright… here goes.

It’s okay. I can do this… I have to!

“Cremation!”

I visualized the skill in an instant, raised my staff, and activated it. In previous battles, this would have incinerated enemies or dealt severe burn damage without fail.

But this time…

“……Katakatakatakata!!!”

The mimics’ clattering only grew louder, turning the Treasure House into an unbearably noisy chaos. The three mimics directly in front of me blackened and stopped moving, but the further the mimics were from my position, the weaker the damage became. Worse, the partially damaged mimics became even more aggressive, and I could tell from here that they had now locked their sights entirely on me.

“Run to the exit quickly! Most of them are still alive!”

Satsuki-chan’s voice rang out, weaving through enemy attacks while she took down some of the weaker mimics, clearly worried about my safety.

I couldn’t help but glance at the blue-glowing chest that might be valuable, but there was no time to open it now.

For now, survival had to come first.

> Instant-death magic incoming!

> Run, run away quickly!

> Uwawawa

> This is bad!

> Can’t you do something using that [Retribution] thing?

> There’s no time to reach the exit! Just try it!

> Does he even have enough MP?!

> Just do it—NOW!”

The remaining mimics began to glow with a dark aura. They were probably casting an instant-death spell, and it would be unleashed in just a few seconds.

Even if I ran to the exit, I’d likely get hit—every surviving mimic had me squarely in their sights. Satsuki-chan is also fighting desperately to thin them out, but it probably wouldn’t be enough in time.

If the spell hit… it was game over.

No time to think.

I activated Retribution.

The wall of light was easy enough to visualize—I just had to hope it could block it.

Please… let my MP hold out!

“Retribution!”

Whoooosh!

“Katakatakata-ka…ta….”

The instant-death spell unleashed from the mimics’ mouths and the wall of light from my staff—Retribution—seemed to have erupted almost simultaneously.

“…”

Satsuki-chan’s hands froze mid-attack. She stood silently, frozen in place.

And I could feel it too—my senses were intact. Nothing hurt.

The mimics…

> Huh? Eh??

> What? How is this happening??

> They all turned back into normal chests, lol.

> Silence lol

> Unlike Cremation, Retribution is subtle, huh.

> So that means it reflected everything back?

> Mimics are supposed to be immune to instant-death, though.

> That’s how Retribution works—returns the cause.

> Retribution is way too OP, lol.

It seemed I had done something impossible by normal standards.

Yes. The swarm of mimics had their instant-death magic completely reflected by the wall of light I had desperately conjured—and they were now all frozen in place.

According to the viewers’ comments, mimics are immune to instant-death. So logically, being reflected shouldn’t have affected them at all. But my Retribution ignored that rule entirely and it even neutralized the threat.

Well, whatever—it worked out!

The important thing was… I survived.

Seriously… I thought I was dead for sure!

《 Daishi has leveled up! 》

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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I cautiously made my way down the narrow spiral staircase, moving slowly in the dim lighting. Ahead of me, Satsuki-chan walked first, her steps steady and practiced, descending without hesitation as if she had done this countless times before.

After several minutes of going down—

A wide, open space suddenly came into view, far brighter than the cramped stairwell above. We had arrived at the first basement floor of the beginner’s dungeon.

“…I’m not going to be surprised anymore.”

Satsuki-chan, who had arrived ahead of me, muttered those words as if trying to convince herself. It was the first thing she said after seeing the sight spread out before us.

“…Whoa…”

A moment later, I stepped into the chamber myself and let out a rather foolish sound as the full scene came into view. This room was nothing like what I had imagined while descending the stairs.

“…What is this place?”

From the entrance all the way to the exit at the far end, a straight path of stone paving stretched clearly forward. But on both sides of that path were small square sections, five on each side.

Inside every single one of them sat a treasure chest. They continued in the same neat pattern all the way to the back—about ten sets in total. A perfectly arranged row of treasure chests.

For some reason, it gave me the strange feeling of standing in a modern cemetery, the chests lined up with almost unsettling precision.

> That’s a Treasure House, right?

> Can’t believe our luck.

> Already at the very start…”

> There are way too many chests, lol.

> Looks like there’s at least a hundred of them.

> Kinda like a perfectly arranged cemetery.

> Let’s open them all!

Once again, I noticed a word I didn’t recognize from the viewers’ comments.

Treasure House?

“Satsuki-chan, this place…”

“I think… it’s a Treasure House.”

Though her voice carried some uncertainty, she and the viewers were on the same page.

So this is… essentially a room full of treasure chests, right?

Judging from everyone’s reactions, though, it probably doesn’t appear in a regular dungeon. And that made sense. I’d never even encountered a room in a game with chests arranged so perfectly and evenly spaced like this.

“This is kind of creepy….”

I couldn’t disagree. The place practically screamed ‘trap!’, and the very thought of it gave me the chills.

> So, how many of these are real treasure chests?

> Feels like more than half of them are mimics.

> I can almost smell traps on them.

> Maybe they’re all empty.

> Start from the front, old man, and open them one by one.

> Can’t you use Clairvoyance to tell, at least a little?

> I’d really like some armor or healing items.

Clairvoyance, huh…

I wondered if that skill would even work on treasure chests.

“Probably a lot of traps and mimics in here… but with my appraisal level, I can’t really tell which ones are real.”

“Do you want me to try?”

“…Huh?”

“I can use something like an appraisal skill too.”

“Eh? Really?? Oh… are you talking about Clairvoyance?”

“Yeah. I’ve had it from the start.”

“From the start huh. I can’t really believe it…”

Her stunned expression was, as always, adorably blank. She had claimed she wouldn’t be surprised by anything, but apparently seeing a low-level cleric start with an appraisal-type skill was enough to shock her.

And from our last battle, my appraisal—or rather, Clairvoyance—skill had already reached Level 3. Maybe… just maybe, I could put it to use here.

“Alright, I’ll take a look.”

“O-okay…”

“Clairvoyance”

The chant wasn’t really necessary, but she was staring at me so intently that I got carried away.

Well… whatever. Time to see if I could actually sense anything.

“Whoa…”

T-This…

> Hey, hey, what does it say?

> What did you see?”

> Any chests you can open?

> Can you really tell with Clairvoyance?”

> It’s such an unknown skill, I don’t get it at all.

“….”

“Um, so… what do you see?”

“Well…”

I focused on the treasure chest closest to me, examining it carefully…

“The surface is just glowing red, kind of hazily. I can’t see what’s inside.”

“Oh… so it works normally, huh?”

“Eh? Really?”

“Yes. The red glow means it’s a mimic.”

Oh, really? I thought you could see the mimic’s stats and even what’s inside. Turns out… it wasn’t that impressive. Still, even just knowing whether it’s dangerous or not is a huge help.

Looks like we shouldn’t open this one.

“Alright, let’s check the others.”

With about a hundred chests in here, at least ten of them should actually contain something. I raised my head, ready to move along the row from right to left, using Clairvoyance to scan each chest as I went.

“Huh? Wait a sec.”

I didn’t need to move so leisurely. Looking around the room, almost every chest in view was glowing red.

“Damn… almost all of them are mimics.”

But the second chest from the passage in the far-right section glowed blue. And the chest in the far back corner…

“Gold! That’s definitely rare!”

Gold always meant valuable loot.

Yes! Even if there’s just one good chest, that’s enough. That one is surely a rare item!

I never imagined I’d get treasure this early in the dungeon.

All the effort so far… it finally feels a little rewarding.

“W-wait, Daishi-san! That’s not gold, it’s yellow…”

“Oooooh!!”

I sprinted to the chest, barely paying attention to anything else, grabbed it, and opened it immediately.

Then, one of the comments popping up from the chase camera caught my eye:

> It’s over. LOL

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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S-Rank Explorer Satsuki Amane Live Thread — Part 72

56

Why is Satsuki heading to such a lame dungeon?

57

Don’t tell me you don’t know the Guild HQ just issued an emergency quest.

58

Quest: Investigation Request [Emergency] ★5~

Client: Explorer’s Guild Headquarters

Location: West Tokyo — 4th Beginner Dungeon

Overview:

An abnormally high concentration of magical energy far exceeding the standard threshold has been detected within the target dungeon.

To determine the cause, explorers are requested to submit an investigation report summarizing the internal conditions of the dungeon, along with recorded footage.

Reward:

Lapis Jewel — awarded to one explorer who significantly contributes to identifying the cause.

59

If it’s ★5, that means it’s limited to S-rank explorers and above, right?

60

If you’re going solo, it has to be S-rank or higher. Not sure how it works if it’s a party, though.

61

Since the request is coming from Guild Headquarters, apparently explorers with a bad reputation don’t even get the offer.

No idea what the exact criteria are, though.

62

Isn’t the West Tokyo 4th Beginner Dungeon meant for newbies?

63

Its deepest point is Floor 10 underground.

Mostly just weak mobs spawns there.

64

It’s basically one long straight path—nothing interesting about it at all. The only viewers who watch streams there are weirdos who enjoy seeing beginners panic and stumble around.

65

Yeah, it’s basically a tutorial dungeon.

66

So it’s just an investigation quest, huh?

Kinda boring.

67

Have there ever been cases where a beginner dungeon showed abnormal activity like this?

68

Never heard of one.

69

Someone go look it up for us.

70

Oh—Satsuki-chan just entered the dungeon.

71

She’s in a huge hurry, lol.

72

Well, obviously she is.

It’s not written in the description, but apparently emergency quest rewards are basically first-come, first-served.

73

That reward is insanely good, though. Seriously.

74

Isn’t the Lapis Jewel a rare drop from Divine-Domain-class dungeons?

75

That’s ridiculously generous for a ★5 quest reward.

76

But if you look closely, there’s a “~” next to the ★5, lol.

77

Maybe it means ★5 or higher?

I mean, the cause is unknown, so the real danger level is anyone’s guess.

78

I hope Satsuki-chan will be okay…

79

>> @69

I checked it out.

Here: https://danjon.net/test/read.cgi/npick/2154852/

80

So there’s only been one case, five years ago.

And the cause turned out to be a malfunctioning detector.

81

It’s the same location as before.

West Tokyo 4th Beginner Dungeon.

82

That’s… ominous.

83

Stuff like that probably happens all the time without the public hearing about it.

Nothing to worry about.

84

Still, it’s pretty suspicious that Guild Headquarters issued an emergency quest rated ★5 or higher.

85

True.

86

Maybe there’s actually another reason behind it.

87

Lol, Satsuki just picked up some old guy.

88

Beginner, maybe?

89

Black robe, wooden staff… looks like guild-issued gear, so definitely a beginner.

And he’s a cleric, too.

90

He’s not in a party?

91

A healer going solo? Now that’s ridiculous.

92

Didn’t he get the guild briefing?

Is the guy trying to get himself killed?

93

Satsuki really is kind.

Helping heal some random old man she just met.

94

How many viewers does Satsuki have right now?

I’m not watching the stream live.

95

>> @ 94 Almost 10,000.

96

The comment section is absolute chaos, lol.

97

Who even is that old guy?

98

Wait… what?

Did an orc appear in the first room?

99

Huh?

No way that’s possible.

100

Bones are flying everywhere, lol.

101

Did the old guy defeat it?

No way.

102

I watched the footage.

He one-shot it. It was an instant kill.

103

Apparently the skill is called “Cremation.”

104

Cremation, lol.

105

Did that thing just burn?

106

More like it evaporated.

107

Yeah, more like it got incinerated out of existence.

108

What insane firepower.

Actually… not even sure if “firepower” is the right word.

109

Wait.

Isn’t that old guy supposed to be a cleric??

110

I’ve never heard of a skill called Cremation.

111

More importantly, a beginner cleric instantly killing an orc is impossible.

112

Hey, investigation squad. Time for you guys to get to work.

113

Magical power??

114

Funeral Power huh

115

Apparently it’s not magical power, but funeral power.

He originally had magic power, but it disappeared when he leveled up.

116

That old guy sounds completely insane in more ways than one.

117

Ajiri Daishi.

He’s a brand-new newbie who just registered today.

118

No wonder no one’s heard of him.

119

It’s not even a unique class or anything.

Definitely a bug.

120

Honestly, I hope the bug stays.

121

This is getting really interesting.

122

I just subscribed to his channel.

123

I’m going to follow this in real time.

124

Monster House, lol!!

125

Wait—seriously?

A Monster House in a beginner dungeon?

126

And right at the very start, too.

127

Looks like even Satsuki got startled.

128

Her scream was adorable, lol.

129

There are at least fifty monsters in there.

130

Satsuki should be able handle it easily though.

Just slimes, goblins, skeletons…

131

Yeah, looks like a bunch of weak monsters thrown together.

132

No orcs in there.

133

She rushed in so fast she ended up almost in the middle of the room.

134

Ah—

the entrance just got blocked.

135

She’s surrounded…

Is she really going to be okay?

136

Yeah, she’s totally fine.

137

Hey, wait—lol.

138

Ah.

139

The old man has arrived, lol.

140

Idiot! LOL

141

Why the heck did he follow her in?!

142

The old guy’s in trouble immediately.

143

Tch. Why’d you save him, Satsuki?

144

Yeah, fighting while protecting that old man would be a pain.

145

Even if Cremation is insane, there’s no way a beginner can handle this many monsters.

146

He almost got taken out right away, too.

147

Oh—

new skill.

148

Huh?

149

Mr. Skeleton looks like he’s about to cry, lol.

150

Whaaaaaat?!

151

He passed on wrapped in kindness, lol.

152

All the undead monsters got wiped out.

153

Holy crap, lol.

154

Where the heck did a Goblin King come from?!

155

Wait, what?

A Goblin King showed up too?

156

>> @155

Yeah, Satsuki is facing it right now.

157

Looks like the old guy has to fight on his own now.

158

There are still about thirty monsters left.

159

Simultaneous attack.

160

The monsters are pissed.

161

He did it again, LOL!

162

Cremation is insane.

163

It’s basically a Bone Festival now.

164

Even the Goblin King is staggering.

165

Did they get it?

166

Nice one, Satsuki!

167

For a second I thought Satsuki got burned too.

168

Complete victory.

169

Seriously, who the hell is this old man?

This is way too weird.

170

He basically suppressed the Monster House almost by himself.

171

Shouldn’t someone report this to Guild Headquarters?

172

Huh? Satsuki’s taking the old man with her?

173

When she makes that little devil face, she’s definitely plotting something.

174

She may not look it, but Satsuki is pretty greedy.

175

She’s totally planning to snatch him up.

176

But can she even catch him?

This cleric is way too cheat-level.

177

Anyways, this is insanely entertaining, so I’m going back to watch the stream!

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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【Retribution】: Returns cause and effect with a special wall of light

> Retribution? What’s that?

> Is it like karma?

> The explanation is way too simple, I don’t get it

> And… isn’t Burial Power stat way too high?

> Mm. It makes no sense

> Feels like it might hit the max level any second

As I explained my new skill and updated stats to the viewers, the comments flew by so fast it was almost impossible to read them all. It seemed like everyone was confused as there were just too many unknowns to process.

“…I can’t just let this slide.”

Satsuki-chan had also heard the breakdown of my newly increased stats and skill descriptions. Her expression was serious, clearly showing that her focus and concern were on me, rather than the chaotic excitement of the viewers.

“Eh?”

“This dungeon aside, you… you’re completely abnormal, too.”

The words of an S-rank adventurer carried serious weight.

“…Yeah. At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if an emergency capture quest gets issued for you at any time.”

Satsuki-chan spoke that ominous prediction in response to her viewers’ comments.

Hey… give me a break. I just became an adventurer, and now I’m being treated like some kind of freak. Sure, my abilities are… unusual, to say the least, but so far I haven’t caused anyone any real trouble. I’d really rather not become the target of a quest and end up hunted by every adventurer out there.

> With the viewer count skyrocketing, that’s actually possible

> Don’t you dare report him to headquarters

> Satsuki Channel alone has 10,000 concurrent viewers

> Looks like the old man’s getting pretty famous

> The SNS feeds are already buzzing

> A few threads have popped up too

> Highlight clips will probably spread fast

> Widespread sharing is inevitable

The concurrent viewers finally exceeded 100. And just as they’d said, my heroic rampage through the monster house—obliterating everything with [Requiem]—was probably captured perfectly on Satsuki’s channel.

…Yeah, I might have seriously messed up.

“…Change of plans.”

“Huh?”

“I was in a hurry before, but we’re changing the plan!”

Uh… I got a very bad feeling about this….

“This beginner-level dungeon normally goes down to the tenth underground floor. Once you reach there, you can use the warp point to return to the surface.”

“O-oh.”

“So, how about we go there together for now?”

Well… I kind of expected her to say that.

“But… I’m just a beginner. I’d probably just slow you down.”

“You’ve been far too flashy for that excuse to hold.”

“That was just… luck…”

“There’s no such thing as a beginner who accidentally wipes out an entire monster house, let alone the monsters in one blow.”

Yeah… I don’t think I can refuse her. That smile… it’s way too genuine. And cute.

Great… I’m doomed.

“And… I’m a little worried, too. Running into a monster house and the Goblin King this early… I don’t even know what’s ahead. I really shouldn’t go alone…”

I thought, “Well, then we can just turn back.” but that thought only lasted a moment.

Satsuki-chan’s eyes were glistening as she grasped my hand while saying that.

And so just like that… I was already caught in her trap.

She probably wants to complete her dungeon exploration quest, but at the same time, she’s plotting to capture me immediately if an emergency quest to capture me is issued and hand me over to the guild headquarters.

Having lived a little in the real world, you start to get a feel for what other people are thinking. My former corporate life’s sales skill—“Understanding Customer Needs”—was apparently functioning perfectly.

But even if the logic is sound, emotions are another story entirely. Especially when a cute girl’s bare skin touches yours, all the reasoning an old dude has painstakingly built up can be obliterated in an instant.

“…Okay. I’ll do my best.”

“Yey! Thank you, Mister!”

Satsuki-chan swung my hand that she’d grabbed up and down, feigning excitement.

I knew I was being fooled by her bursting smile, but… I didn’t mind it one bit.

“By the way, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m—”

“You’re Amane Satsuki, right?”

Well, the viewers already told me.

“Come on! Isn’t it a rule of thumb not to say anything even if you know? That’s the thing about you…”

“You think I’m old? Well, I am older than you are, so I guess it can’t be helped.”

“That tone… like you’re some sage or something… it’s not cool at all, you know?”

I wasn’t trying to act cool… but I guess that’s how I must look. Maybe this is the very first step of “old man vibes.”

“I’m Daishi. Ajiri Daishi.”

“Can I call you Daishi-san?”

“Ah… yeah. And… can I call you Satsuki-chan? Is that okay?”

“Yes! That’s perfect!”

Yeah… I guess that was the right call. I really don’t understand the way young people think these days.

“For the first floor of this dungeon, normally there should only be two rooms—the one we just came from and the monster house. If we follow the corridor ahead, we should reach the stairs going down.”

The room where I’d fought the orc and the monster house seemed to follow the same basic layout. So I understood that the passage Satsuki-chan was pointing to led further in.

Aside from knowing that the West Tokyo 4th Beginner Dungeon is for absolute beginners and goes down ten floors, I didn’t know anything else. Thanks to the viewers and Satsuki-chan, I could piece together some of the situation, but beyond that, it was completely uncharted territory. I had no idea what might be waiting for us.

“Well then, shall we go?”

Honestly, all I felt was anxiety—but I had no choice but to follow along.By now, the number of viewers had risen to 202.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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> Amazing!!!

> Undead monsters annihilated instantly!

> Mister’s skill is on another level lol

> And it’s only Skill Level 1! Ridiculous, right?

> It’s not over yet!

> Aren’t all the enemies glaring at the old man now?

The sheer unexpected range and power of 【Requiem】 had obliterated every undead monster in the monster house. And as a result, the surviving creatures’ expressions changed instantly.

“Mister!”

Satsuki-chan shouted.

It seemed that almost every remaining monster in the monster house had now set their sights squarely on me. Blaring snarls and growls echoed through the enclosed space, spreading discord like a storm.

“I don’t really know, but there’s a really strong enemy! I can’t come help you right now, so hang in there!”

Satsuki-chan’s gaze was locked on a monster that radiated an entirely different presence from the others. That had to be the boss of this monster house.

It looked like the monsters had split up their roles strategically.

> That thing Satsuki’s facing… isn’t that the Goblin King?

> A mid-boss from an advanced dungeon!

> Why is it here?

> Are we sure this is a beginner dungeon?

> Even for an S-rank, instant-kill would be impossible.

> This is seriously bad, isn’t it?

> The old man’s constantly in danger.

So basically, Satsuki-chan was tied up with the boss and couldn’t come help. That meant I had to handle the rest of the monsters on my own.

…Fine. Bring it on.

Since I’d already wiped out the undead skeletons with 【Requiem】, by my rough estimate, there were only about thirty monsters left to deal with. And just as I expected, 【Requiem】 didn’t affect the other goblins or slimes. But since my HP had been restored earlier, I could probably take a few hits without dying.

Still… even with my level increased, all my stats except Burial Power were too low to fight effectively in physical combat.

That meant I had no choice but to rely on skills.

Right now, 【Cremation】is the only effective option, but the raw power it had displayed earlier was insane. Against enemies this weak, it should be more than enough. I just had to dodge carefully and spam it efficiently.

【Cremation】seemed designed for single-target attacks, but if the monsters clustered close together, the flames might spread and take out multiple foes at once.

“Gushaaaaa!”

“Shaaa—!!”

“Gurruaaaah!”

“Sheeee—!!”

No way! Seriously?! They all came at me at once!

Front! Side! Above! Even behind me! It’s a full 360! How the hell are these guys coordinating that?!

My entire field of vision was completely filled with monsters.

Screw it! Let whatever happens, happen!

Focus on the enemies right in front!

Burn them down quick and push straight through!

“Cremation!”

I pictured the flames surging with maximum power, raised my staff, and unleashed the skill. I had planned to take out two or three at a time, carve a path back to the corridor near the entrance, and deal with the rest one by one in the narrow space.

Sure, I’d probably take some damage, but that seemed like the safest way to survive.

…But once again, things didn’t go according to plan.

> LOL wut

> Huh?

> NO WAY!!!

> What the-?!

> What the hell is happening?

> And you say this is only Skill Level 2?!

> Full-circle mass cremation lolol

It seemed like every single monster that had charged at me had been incinerated without exception. The charred remains of goblins were scattered carelessly across the floor.

“Grbububu…”

And…

Even the Goblin King that Satsuki-chan had been facing appeared to have taken some damage. A few meters ahead, I could see its back scorched blackened.

Wait—

I couldn’t see Satsuki-chan… I hope she’s okay.

She didn’t accidentally get caught in the flames, did she?!

“Got you!”

I heard her voice, still full of life.

Good—she’s fine.

“Haah!”

Seizing the brief moment while the Goblin King staggered, Satsuki-chan delivered a dazzling strike, cleaving the boss in two. The Goblin King disintegrated into dust, and it seemed that all remaining monsters in the room were eliminated.

“Mister!”

Satsuki-chan rushed over immediately.

Thankfully, the aftereffects of my skill hadn’t harmed her at all. The system apparently handled ally-and-enemy distinctions automatically.

“Honestly… even after seeing that footage, I couldn’t believe it… Who are you, really?”

“Eh… I-I’m just a beginner cleric…”

“That’s impossible!”

She raised her eyebrows and spoke a little louder, flat-out denying my explanation.

Uh… am I getting scolded?

She seems a little hot-tempered.

> You basically did it almost entirely alone

> Monster house handled with no problem

> Kinda gave me goosebumps

> The strongest cleric is born

> S-rank adventurers got nothing on this lol

The chat speed was skyrocketing. Before I knew it, the number of simultaneous viewers had reached 89.

《 Daishi leveled up 》

《 HP +20, MP +30 》

《 Strength +5, Endurance +3, Agility +2, Intelligence +6, Burial Power +444 》

《【Clairvoyance】Lv +1 》

《 Daishi learned a new skill 》

Hmm, it seems that levels only increase once a stage or encounter wraps up. Maybe it’s evaluated per encounter?

I hadn’t checked my status at all while I was absorbed in battle.

Alright, let’s take a peek.

By the way, I learned another new skill, but honestly… I’m starting to give up on recovery.

――――――――――― Name: Daishi Ajiri Class: Cleric Level: 7 (+2) HP: 33/53 (+20) MP: 6/65 (+30) Strength: 11 (+5) Stamina: 8 (+3) Agility: 6 (+2) Intelligence: 16 (+6) Burial Power: 576 (+444) Skills: 【Retribution (LV1)】 New 【Requiem (LV1)】 【Return (LV1)】 【Cremation (LV2)】 【Clairvoyance (LV3)】 ―――――――――――

MP is looking really bad.

Let’s see… earlier I had 13 MP left. 【Cremation】costs 2,  then 【Requiem】is… 5?

I don’t know the exact cost of the other skills, but at least 【Cremation】 can be used three more times,【Requiem】only once before MP runs out.

Guess I’ll need to head back soon, or I’ll get worn down.

Ah… but still.Burial Power… isn’t that insane?!

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“That was Satsuki-chan’s voice!”

The scream had come from deeper in the dungeon—the direction she had gone.

Before I knew it, I had already turned on my heel. I sprinted full speed in the opposite direction of the exit, charging straight into the depths of the dungeon.

> That’s dangerous, Mister!

> You shouldn’t go!

> If Satsuki’s screaming, something is seriously wrong!

> What the hell is going on in this dungeon?!

Like hell I could just ignore it!

There’s no way I could pretend I didn’t hear the scream of a beautiful girl who had just healed some random middle-aged guy like me. Something serious—something really bad—had to be happening deeper inside.

I have to hurry!

Bursting out of the domed chamber, I ran through the passage beyond it. My footsteps rang sharply against the stone floor as I sprinted forward, gasping for breath.

After several dozen meters, another exit came into view ahead—light spilling through the opening.

Satsuki-chan had to be somewhere past there.

Either way, there was only one option.

I had to go.

“Uooooooooh!!”

“Shaaaa!!”

“Whoa—! That was close!”

The moment I burst out of the corridor, I instantly recognized the space beyond. It was identical to the plaza where I had fought the slime and the orc earlier.

And at that exact moment—

I was attacked.

A skeletal monster suddenly slashed at me. My body lurched instinctively, my knees buckling as I stumbled forward, and by sheer luck the blade missed its mark.

But the relief lasted only a moment.

“Shaaa!!”

The skeletal monster was already moving in for a follow-up attack. Its sword rose high overhead, perfectly poised to split me in two.

“Shit! I can’t get up….!”

My knees were shaking so badly I couldn’t stand. I pushed my body too hard running all the way here with barely any stamina left. Now it simply refused to obey me.

Crap. This is bad. I’m done for.

“Haaah!!”

“—Bffu!”

The skeleton suddenly split vertically in two from the unexpected strike from behind it. Its two halves slid apart and collapsed to both sides. Standing there, having felled the monster in a single blow, was Satsuki-chan.

“Are you alright, Mister?”

“Th-thanks….”

“Seriously! Why did you come here?!”

“Well…. I heard you scream. Before I knew it, I was already running this way.”

“Ah… Sorry. That was probably my fault, wasn’t it?”

“N-no, not at all….”

“I just got a little startled. I never expected to run into a monster house in a place like this.”

A monster house?

> For real?

> So that’s why it’s crawling with monsters.

> No way…. this is insane.

> A monster house this early in the dungeon? That’s just cruel.

Even after saving me, Satsuki-chan hadn’t let her guard down.

She faced the monsters head-on. She’s standing between the monsters and my kneeling, wobbly self. Thankfully, the wall behind me meant I didn’t have to worry about a sneak attack from behind.

Still, true to the name, the room I had stumbled into was absolutely swarming with monsters—everywhere I looked, there were countless hostile forms.

“If I were alone, this wouldn’t be much of a problem…”

Satsuki-chan muttered. I heard it and I shakily rose to my feet.

Yeah, I get it. I can handle myself.

Could you not treat me like some kind of useless obstacle, please?

“You don’t have to worry about me. Just do whatever you need to do.”

“Just focus on protecting yourself. You already managed to take down an orc, so handling yourself should be fine, right?”

“P-Probably….”

“I’ll try to finish this as quickly as I can. If it looks like you’re about to die, just call out, okay?”

With that, Satsuki-chan honed her focus on the swarming mass of monsters—skeletons, slimes, goblins—easily numbering fifty or more.

At first glance, none of them looked particularly strong. Well, that is from the perspective of an S-rank adventurer of course. If I hadn’t shown up here, she probably would have cleared them all in no time and moved on to the next area.

> Try not to get surrounded.

>  Just burn them all with [Cremation].

> Or maybe use [Requiem]?

> Oh, that might work on the skeletons.

> Yes, yes.

Thinking it’s someone else’s problem….

I’m still not used to combat, you know. This isn’t like a game stream. 

Still… I can’t deny I’m curious about that [Requiem] skill.

Skeletons are, by all normal logic, undead-type creatures. If I combined it with [Cremation], I might actually be able to handle protecting myself.

I’m starting to feel a bit confident.

Alright! Let’s give this a shot!

“Okay, let’s go!”

With that shout, Satsuki-chan lunged at the enemies ahead. A sweeping strike wreathed in flames instantly obliterated three monsters in a single blow.

That’s [Fire Blade], huh? So cool!

Oops, this is not the time to get distracted. I have to activate my own skill.

“.….”

But how the hell am I supposed to imagine [Requiem]?

Chanting a sutra? Saying a prayer?

Nope. I have no idea at all.

Fine! It’s called purification, right? Then light—light it is!

I visualize the light. Picturing a gentle radiance pouring down from the heavens.

“Shaaaa!!”

Whoa! Here it comes! A skeleton!

Please let the light shine down! Banish this evil spirit!!!

Paaaahhhh!

“Eh?”

“Shwoah….”

With a sound like a trickle of water, the skeleton was bathed in soft light, dissipating into mist as it drifted upward toward the sky.

And not just that—

Shwoah…

Shwoah…

Shoo, shwoah…

The gentle glow of [Requiem] filled the dim monster house, and every single one of the twenty or so skeletons vanished in an instant, carried away into the light.

“No way….”

Satsuki-chan, already having struck down a few monsters with her own attacks, stared up at the ceiling, utterly speechless. The sudden burst of brightness and the complete disappearance of the skeletons left her frozen, unable to believe what she was witnessing.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“Wait a second.”

Amane-san activated her Appraisal skill and began checking my status.

“Your class is Cleric and… Eh? You’re a cleric!? And, your level is five…”

Just like how I used Clairvoyance, she worked through my status with her skill, reading out each line from top to bottom as she deciphered it.

Then, halfway through, she paused.

“Your magic power is… no, wait. Where’s your magic power? …What is Burial Power?”

It seemed that the stat called Burial Power was just as unusual as I thought. Come to think of it, the viewers had sounded confused about it earlier too.

> Yeah, that’s exactly where you’d get stuck lol

> What the heck is that stat?

> Even an S-rank hasn’t seen it before?

> It sounds kind of weird too

> Yeah… that’s gotta be a bug

“Did you defeat the orc with this [Cremation] skill…?”

Amane-san compared the orc’s scattered bones with the information in my status window, trying to piece together what had happened.

Considering the remains were nothing but charred fragments, that was probably the most reasonable conclusion.

Still, it made me think all over again.

Just what kind of standard were my stats based on, anyway?

One thing was certain—my abilities didn’t seem to follow the same rules as those of normal adventurers. The viewers kept joking that it was probably just some kind of bug, but… was it really something that simple?

Well, there wasn’t much point in overthinking it.

I think things will just happen as they’re meant to.

“This [Return] skill… could it be some kind of teleportation ability…? But more importantly—why don’t you have any healing skills…? You’re supposed to be a cleric after all…”

“…So it really is strange, huh?”

“It is strange.”

Hearing it said so bluntly made it sound like I was the strange one.

Didn’t feel great, honestly.

I’m just a perfectly ordinary middle-aged guy.

“Maybe you’re actually—no, that can’t be right. Your class definitely says Cleric… I even wondered for a moment if it might be a Unique Class, but…”

A Unique Class?

What’s that supposed to be?

> Oh, the ultra-rare class people say only five exist in the entire world.

> Does that even really exist? Never seen one.

> I’ve only ever heard rumors about it.

> I know about Hero and Demon Knight though

> Yeah, those two are SSS-rank classes

Heh~. So people like that actually exist in this world huh. I had no idea.

Still, I am a clearly a cleric.

Apparently this class is a bit uncommon among dungeon explorers, but it is still just a perfectly ordinary background job—basically a pretty normal NPC class.

“Does anyone know this stat? Burial Power?”

Amane-san turned toward the camera, directing the question to the countless viewers who were watching her stream.

With that many people tuned in, surely at least one of them should recognize it.

“…Yeah, it’s definitely a bug.”

Apparently not. Looks like no one had ever seen or even heard of it before.

“Oh, right! I can’t just stand around wasting time here!”

Amane-san suddenly snapped back to her senses, reacting to the flood of comments racing through the chat.

Now that I thought about it, she had seemed to be in a hurry earlier.

“Mister, that stat of yours is pretty strange. You should go consult the Guild Headquarters about it at least once!”

“Eh? Y-yeah… you’re probably right.”

“See you! Ah—if I don’t hurry, other explorers will get here!”

She gave my shoulder a quick pat, then dashed off at incredible speed, racing straight for the exit of the room where the orc had appeared.

> Maybe an emergency quest popped up.

> Probably one of those first-come, first-served ones.

> It’s pretty rare to see it in a beginner dungeon.

> The competition’s probably brutal. It’s just right that she hurry.

> I wonder what kind of quest it is.

> It’s an investigation quest. Apparently, something strange is happening in this dungeon right now.

> Oh, did you come over from Satsuki-chan’s channel?

> Yeah, I got curious about this Mister lol

> Maybe the orc on the first floor was because of that anomaly.

> Either way, Mister, you should probably leave the dungeon for now.

The viewers were getting pretty fired up all on their own.

Before I knew it, the number of simultaneous viewers had climbed to thirty-four.

Hmm…. So there are emergency quests like that, huh.

Dungeon exploration really feels like it’s borrowed the best parts from all kinds of games. Maybe it’s designed that way on purpose—making it easier for people to get used to it.

“Well… I guess I’ll stick to the plan and leave the dungeon for now.”

Even if my level had gone up and my HP had been restored, I am still, without a doubt, a beginner. Beating that orc earlier had been a complete fluke. If someone asked me to do the same thing again, I honestly couldn’t say whether I could pull it off.

To be honest, I was incredibly curious about Amane-san. But if I followed her, I’d probably just slow her down. Charging without a plan into a dungeon where something strange is already happening  is just asking for trouble.

“Since I’m at it… maybe I should try that [Return] skill I learned earlier.”

From the description, it sounded like an escape-type ability.

It said that it will let me return to a designated location.

Hmm, I guess I’ll try imagining my house the same way I did when I activated my other skill. Hopefully that works.

《 No destination point has been set. Activation cancelled. 》

A warning chime sounded, and a glowing text appeared in midair.

So this skill needs some kind of setup first, huh?

Maybe it requires marking a location beforehand or something. Looks like I can’t just teleport somewhere by imagining it.

“Figures it wouldn’t be that convenient. Oh well… guess I’ll just walk back…”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

Just as I turned towards the entrance to head back, a piercing scream came from deep within the dungeon.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“I’m so sorry! I never imagined there’d be someone lying around in a place like this…”

Apparently, that’s how the girl who had nearly crashed into me interpreted the situation.

She lightly pressed her palms together and apologized with a wink.

Well, I hadn’t exactly been lying around, but still.

I twisted my body at the last second, so we didn’t collide. But if we had crashed head-on at that speed, I’d definitely be dead right now.

Why was she in such a hurry anyway?

The chat suddenly exploded with excitement.

> Huh? Isn’t that Amane Satsuki?

> Oh, you’re right! It’s Satsuki-chan!

> Why is she in a beginner dungeon?

> She was moving crazy fast.

> Maybe she’s streaming an RTA run?

> Surprise appearance of an S-rank explorer.

> Bro got discovered by a famous streamer.

…Huh?

It seemed the viewers were still watching.

From the flood of comments, I was able to piece together the identity of the girl who had just charged in.

So her name was Amane Satsuki. And she is an S-rank explorer.

Seriously? That’s incredible. She looked so young. Dungeon explorers really did live in a world of dreams.

“Oh! Mister, you’re hurt! That’s because of me… right? Actually—maybe not. But let me see.”

The girl grabbed my left arm and carefully examined the burn-like wound on it.

Then she softly spoke a single word.

“Heal.”

The recovery skill I had been desperately wishing for—she used it as easily as breathing. A gentle light wrapped around my arm, and in moments the pain vanished. The injuries on my hand and leg disappeared as well, as if they had never existed.

Is Amane-san a healer-type explorer too?

The chat immediately erupted again.

> Switch places with me, Mister!

> So jealous, this is unacceptable.

> Man, high-rank classes really are different.

> Satsuki-chan is so cute.

Yeah… this girl is definitely popular. I could practically feel the aura of it coming off her.

She really is cute—far cuter than most idols seen on TV. Her face had a youthful softness to it, but the light in her eyes carried a sharp, dignified strength. It left a striking impression. And she is a S-rank explorer on top of that. No wonder she is such a popular streamer.

“T-thank you. You really saved me.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. When someone’s in trouble, we should help each other out.”

Her smile was critical hit. And polite, too. This girl is absolutely lethal to middle-aged men. I doubted there was a single person who could dislike her.

“…Eh? It’s fine, isn’t it? Think of it as fate bringing us together.”

She must have been responding to complaints from her own chat. After all, she was streaming live too.

Judging from the way her eyes flicked briefly toward the air in front of her, the comments on her side were probably flying by at an incredible speed.

> Looks like you’ve just made an enemy out of Amane-chan’s viewers.

> Jealous fans are popping up everywhere.

> Her fans are practically fanatical, you know.

> She’s got over half a million followers.

Half a million… that’s basically god-tier.

For a rookie old-timer like me, there’s no way I could ever be in her orbit. Just crossing paths with her? That alone was pure luck. Might as well try my luck a little further.

I probably won’t get another chance to see her, so maybe I’ll use a little Clairvoyance to check her stats as a keepsake.

I’ve always wondered… what exactly makes an S-rank adventurer so extraordinary?

Now was as good a time as any to find out.

Ah, and don’t go calling this “peeping” or anything.

――――――――――― Name: Satsuki Amane Class: Magic Swordsman Level: 52 HP: 453/453 MP: 349/351 Strength: 388 Stamina: 272 Agility: 304 Intelligence: 321 Magic: 356 Skills: 【Healing (LV3)】, 【Fire Blade (LV4)】, 【Ice Blade (LV3)】, 【Detection (LV3)】,【Appraisal (LV2)】…… Titles: 【S-Rank Adventurer】,【Generalist】…… ―――――――――――

Huh. Maybe it’s because my skill has leveled up, but there’s actually a lot of detail here.

The amount of info is leagues beyond what I could see back with the slime.

Not everything, but I can even see her skills and titles.

Magic Swordsman, huh…

A viewer mentioned earlier that it’s an advanced class. I wonder how someone qualifies for an advanced class.

Do I have to hit level twenty and then petition some clerics in the temple?

…No, this isn’t some video game. Well, it doesn’t concern me for now. That’s a long way off.

I can’t tell exact numbers, but judging by the lack of weak spots, she’s clearly a well-balanced type.

And her skills… she’s got versatility in spades.

Honestly, I’m a little jealous.

“Alright then, Mister. I’m in a hurry, so I’ll be off now.”

She straightened from her crouch—where she’d been tending to my healing—and stepped deeper into the dungeon.

And that’s when she noticed the anomaly in front of her for the first time.

“…What is this?”

The shattered remains of an orc sprawled across the floor finally entered her line of sight.

“Bones? Mister, what is—”

“Oh, that? That’s just the remains of an orc I burned.”

“Eh? Wait, no… Mister, orcs don’t just end up in places like this!”

“Really? But a viewer said it’s called that.”

“But… judging from your gear, you’re definitely a beginner, right? Even if it were an orc, there’s no way you could have taken it down alone!”

Impossible or not, it’s the truth. Then again, I’m not desperate for her to believe me. That’s fine. Really.

> Why don’t you show her the footage?

> There’s a switch next to the camera itself.

> It’s okay. You can still broadcast live while showing it.

> Let Satsuki see you in action.

Alright…

Oh, I see. This must be the switch.

It was in an obvious spot, so I clicked it, streaming the footage of my orc battle.

Heh. It displays in midair huh. Technology these days are really impressive.

“I… I don’t get it….”

When Amane-san saw the video of my pathetic performance, she was so shocked she was speechless.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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I probably shouldn’t have been able to defeat something like that. But somehow, the 【Cremation】 skill I fired off in desperation had protected my life.

Seriously… that was close.

《 Daishi leveled up. 》

《 HP +10　MP +15 》

《 Strength +3　Endurance +2　Agility +2　Intelligence +4　Burial Power +88 》

《 [Cremation] Lv +1　[Clairvoyance] Lv +1 》

《 Daishi learned a new skill. 》

I collapsed to the ground in front of the orc’s charred, crumbling bones. Just like when I defeated the slime, the level-up window floated in the air before my eyes.

“Haha… I did it.”

To be honest, it didn’t feel like I had actually defeated the orc. I had simply dealt with the problem in front of me in a blind panic.

Suddenly, I was reminded of my first days at the company I’d already quit. Back then, it had felt exactly like this. I’d thrown myself into work I didn’t understand at all, desperately trying to keep up, even standing up to unreasonable orders.

In its own way, that had been a life-or-death struggle too. I had spent every day grinding away pieces of my soul for that company after all. Thinking of it as a life-or-death struggle wasn’t really an exaggeration.

Anyway… thank goodness I survived.

“…Maybe I can finally use a healing spell now.”

My current HP is probably still 2.

When I leveled up earlier, my current HP hadn’t changed, and I hadn’t taken any new damage since then. So it should still be the same.

In some RPGs, leveling up restores your HP to full—but apparently the dungeon system wasn’t that convenient. Either way, I needed to do something about this near-death state as soon as possible.

The adrenaline had made me forget for a while, but now the pain in my hands and legs from the slime attack is starting to return.

There had been some really strange stat increases again during the level-up. But for now, I decided to check my full status and see how everything had changed.

Name: Daishi Ajiri Class: Cleric Level: 5 (+3) HP: 2 / 33 (+10) MP: 13 / 35 (+15) Strength: 6 (+3) Endurance: 5 (+2) Agility: 4 (+2) Intelligence: 10 (+4) Burial Power: 132 (+88) Skills: 【Requiem (LV1)】New 【Return (LV1)】New 【Cremation (LV2)】 【Clairvoyance (LV2)】

Once again, I had not been blessed with a healing skill.

“…”

The chat quickly reacted.

> Hey Mister, you still alive?

> Dude looks completely spaced out lol.

> Another monster’s gonna show up.

> You leveled up, right?

> Tell us your stats!

“Ah… yeah.”

Still staring at my status screen, I explained everything to the viewers without hiding anything. At some point, the number of viewers had climbed to seven.

My level had jumped up by three. My MP limit had increased by 15, but my current MP had actually dropped by two.

Based on this, the MP cost of 【Cremation】 must be 2, huh.

But more than that…

What really caught my attention was the increase in Burial Power.

It had skyrocketed to a ridiculous degree.

Did that stat directly affect my skills?

With magic, higher Mana usually meant stronger spells.

But…

Even so…

I had just learned two more bizarre skills that I’d never heard of before.

The chat immediately erupted.

> 【Requiem】 and 【Return】??

> That’s a legit priest skillset lol.

> Something’s seriously weird here.

> This whole status has to be bugged.

> So you still didn’t learn any healing?

> Read the skill descriptions!

“Alright, alright. Let’s see… first one…”

【Requiem】: Sends the target to heaven with a purifying light. 【Return】: Guided by heaven, return to a designated location.

Yeah… neither of those looked like healing skills.

Still, both descriptions sounded like they might be useful someday.

Especially [Return]. That one seemed extremely practical.

Well… assuming I was interpreting it correctly.

As for [Cremation] and [Clairvoyance], which had leveled up, there didn’t seem to be any additional description.

Looks like the only way to see how they’d improved was to actually use them.

The chat kept scrolling.

> Never heard of a cleric without healing.

> The damage of that [Cremation] skill was insane.

> The orc literally evaporated.

> Even if it’s weak to fire, that’s ridiculous.

> That was S-rank level damage.

> No way you’re actually a cleric lol.

Uhm… but I really am a cleric. Still, I had a powerful magic-like skill, so maybe I should just think positively about it.

“Well… my HP is in a pretty bad state, so I’m thinking of leaving the dungeon for now.”

I informed the viewers that I’d be heading out. There was no way I could continue exploring without healing first.

Before I knew it, the viewer count had climbed to twelve.

> Got it. Good job today.

> That was fun! Looking forward to the next stream.

> Just subscribed.

> Can’t wait to see the new skills.

> Bring healing potions next time.

> It’s only a beginner dungeon—you’ll be fine.

Everyone felt… surprisingly supportive.

I am glad that I’d decided to stream. I had no idea what would happen from here, but since people were actually watching, I wanted to keep doing my best with dungeon exploration.

“Thanks, everyone! I’ll end the stream for now—”

“Move asiiiiide!!!”

Huh?!

Screaming at the top of its lungs and moving at an incredible speed, something is charging towards me from the dungeon entrance.

W-wait! That’s so sudden!

What the heck?!

This is bad!

“Uwaaa—!!!”

I let out a startled cry.

And as I sat there, all I could do is shift my body slightly to the side in response to whatever was coming towards me.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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