(EP-123.1) Hunting #3

123 – Monster Hunt #3

‘Dungeon.’

To those who were born in the 21st century and had played countless games, this ‘dungeon thing’ was a distinctive space that required no explanation.

Just hearing the name “dungeon,” I could already envision vivid scenes in my mind. Dim stone walls, traps, treasures, monsters, thrilling adventures and captivating stories, it was like living in an epic.

The dungeons in this world were no different.

In this world, there were numerous dungeons created by various entities for a myriad of reasons, with many brave warriors venturing into their depths, collecting loot and tempering themselves.

However, I had always thought that it had nothing to do with me.

Theo Gospel was more suited for the negotiation table, and was far from the campfire of adventures.

An underground labyrinth with subterranean monsters lurking in the shadows? That was an even more distant realm.

‘But now I have to go. It is a bit dangerous, but there’s nothing more effective than this. Alongside risks, there would be bountiful rewards.’

In the dungeon beneath the Draco Family’s mansion, the Devil’s Nest, I had also faced various monsters and even a boss. And, in the end, I raised my magic skills up to the 4th rank.

Dungeon crawling was the king and shortcut to big, fast improvement.

As my hair started to turn red and my time became limited, there was no better method of progress than dungeons.

「You have calmly judged the situation!

You have gained experience points through the talent 《Calm Thinking》.

All job experience +5」

‘See?’

“So, uh, Marmar, would you like to go to the dungeon with me?”

I proposed to Marmar that we should explore the dungeon together.

However, Marmar, as if not hearing my words, asked back, “What? What did you say?” Her face was covered in dust, while holding a broom in her hand.

“Marmar, are you busy right now?”

“The Imps will be moving in soon! I have my hands full with organising the unused rooms and the furnishings!”

Marmar seemed busy taking care of the building, “Fairy’s Paradise,” which she had recently acquired.

The old rooms were now decorated with pretty teddy bear wallpaper and frilled curtains that girls loved, and all the rooms had neatly installed windows, letting in plenty of sunlight.

“Will they like this? Is the color of the wallpaper too bright?”

“Um, I’m not sure. But you diligently prepared, so they ought to appreciate it.”

“Is that so?”

I hadn’t met any other Imp other than Marmar, but if their temperaments were similar, then they would definitely like the room Marmar worked so hard on.

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Marmar asked with a deep breath.

“So what did you say? Where are you going?”

“Um, it’s nothing.”

I had planned to take Marmar to the dungeon, but if she had a lot to do, I didn’t want to force her to come along. Besides, Marmar wasn’t particularly talented in combat like me.

“Then I’ll come back later when you’re no longer busy. See you later.”

In order not to disturb Marmar, I just decided to leave for now. Meanwhile, Marmar was waving her hand behind me.

“Okay! And there will be another Fairy Night soon, let’s go together again later! And when the Imps move in, we’ll have a housewarming party, so make sure to come then!”

“Yes, I will.”

It would be interesting to see a lot of Imps that look like Marmar. With such idle thoughts, I sat down at the nearby park.

Perhaps because of the good weather, the park was filled with students.

━Hey, how are you preparing for the exam?

━Nothing, I didn’t do anything. I’ve been busy hunting monsters nearby. I’m planning to submit my score based on the recent polar bear subjugation.

━I’ve missed a few lectures myself, so I have to make up for it with my performance. It’s bad, though… Is there anything like a dungeon nearby?

As I listened closely, it seemed like everyone was worried about the upcoming midterm season.

Well, I had so much going on that I couldn’t pay attention to school. But for the students who were diligently attending classes, the exams seemed to be their biggest concern right now.

Come to think of it, I was just attending lectures for the sake of attending, without really absorbing anything. This made me wonder if there was any point in being at the academy at all.

━I’m thinking of going into the dungeon they just found in the south this time, would you like to join me? I think the difficulty level is about Silver Rank.

━I have to. I need to raise my contribution to help increase my overall score even a little. Only by doing so can I get more support from the church later on.

It seemed that clearing dungeons or defeating monsters could substitute for exam scores based on the level of contribution, which was favorable for me.

The problem was that there were too many dangers in entering the dungeon alone. What would I do if I got trapped like last time?

It would be best to have party members or a partner.

Who should I go with?

The faces of Elga and Mirna came to mind. They would definitely agree if I asked them.

However, the problem was that if I entered the dungeon with them, I would just get carried, let alone increasing my magical prowess.

I wished I had a colleague around the same level as me.

But no matter how much I thought about it, none came to mind…