Chapter 6: The Helltree Dungeon, Mutants, and Encounters

The next day.

I considered heading to the Hellhound Dungeon to keep leveling up, but I decide against it.

Today, I’m going to the Helltree Dungeon.

After the day before yesterday’s reflection, I realized close combat is a weak point, so I’m here to improve my combat skills.

The Helltree Dungeon is an F-rank dungeon, far below my current stats, but it’s perfect for honing combat techniques.

“As expected, this dungeon’s crowded.”

I didn’t pick an unpopular dungeon this time, so it’s only natural, but there are still a lot of people.

Well, can’t be helped.

“Alright, let’s go.”

I equip the Swiftstrike Dagger at my waist, the Dragonwood Bow, and the Hellhound Bracelet, then head into the dungeon.

Reflecting on the day before yesterday, my goal today is to improve my combat skills.

I especially want to train with the dagger, so I’ll likely only use the Dragonwood Bow once, but I do want to test it out.

“Now, where’s a monster…?”

To test the Dragonwood Bow’s performance, I search for a monster.

The primary monster in this dungeon is the Treant, a wooden monster.

Treants are F-rank, with bodies made of wood. As tree-like monsters, they can’t move from their spot but attack continuously with multiple roots.

“There’s one.”

Among the trees, I spot a single Treant.

In the Helltree Dungeon, Treants blend in by mimicking the countless trees, making them hard to distinguish at a glance.

But most Treants have upturned eyes and a mouth on their trunks, so once you’re used to it, they’re easy to spot.

“【Lock-On】”

I activate 【Lock-On】, nock a transparent arrow made with 【Magic Arrow】 onto the Dragonwood Bow, and aim at the Treant.

The Dragonwood Bow feels different from my old one.

The string is soft, and I barely feel any weight on my fingertips.

It’s as light as my previous bow.

Yet, even pulling the string with full force, there’s no creaking sound from the bow.

“Phew… Shi!!”

I steady my breath and fire the arrow.

The arrow flies straight at the Treant, hitting its thick trunk.

But it doesn’t stop there—it pierces through, destroying nearby trees as it continues, finally stopping when it embeds into a large tree far away, vanishing with a high-pitched sound.

“…No way!!”

The power’s insane!! I didn’t expect it to be this strong!! This could one-shot a boss, couldn’t it!?

Or maybe the 【Magic Arrow】’s penetration and attack power were so high it couldn’t be stopped.

With the Dragonwood Bow and Hellhound Bracelet boosting my Attack, it’s no surprise.

“…Alright, time to bail.”

I decide to flee the scene and start running.

“This should be far enough.”

With people around, I escape before anyone sees me caused that destruction.

I’m far enough now, so no one should know it was me.

Even if they did, as long as 【Lock-On】 isn’t exposed, it’s not a big deal, but just in case.

“Now, let’s try the Swiftstrike Dagger.”

I store the Dragonwood Bow in my 【Item Box】 and draw the Swiftstrike Dagger from its sheath.

To prepare, I acquired 【Dagger Arts Lv.1】 before entering the dungeon.

As my body gets used to it, I’ll gradually raise the skill level.

That’s why I’ve been saving SP.

“Treant, where are you~?”

To test the Swiftstrike Dagger, I wander in search of another Treant.

After a bit, I spot one ahead.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

With that, I approach the Treant.

It notices me and silently attacks with a barrage of roots.

“Ha!!”

I parry, dodge, and counter with the Swiftstrike Dagger.

My high Attack stat means if I fail to parry, I just destroy the roots outright.

That delays the next attack, so I have to dodge or parry to create openings for my strikes.

The goal isn’t to defeat it but to improve my combat skills.

I want to be as efficient as possible.

After a while, the roots stop coming.

I must’ve destroyed them all.

“Haa!!”

Now I take the offensive.

I slash at the Treant’s body with the Swiftstrike Dagger, the blade gliding through without piercing.

The Treant, without a sound, stops moving.

“Alright, next.”

I take only the magic stone, leaving the Treant’s body, and move on to find another.

For a while, I repeat the process: find a Treant, train with the dagger, and defeat it.

“Phew… That’s enough for now.”

After defeating ten Treants with the Swiftstrike Dagger, I take a break.

It’s been about thirty minutes since entering the dungeon.

Not much time has passed, but I fought ten Treants and raised 【Dagger Arts】 to level 2.

The skill level increase makes my dagger swings feel sharper.

Plus, practicing evasion for the first time in a while has likely improved my dodging skills.

“I’d love to keep going, but… it’s tough.”

With my current stats, training further with Treants is pushing it.

“No choice. To the boss.”

I end my break and head to the boss room.

The boss room’s door is on the fifth floor, three floors down from the second floor where I fought Treants.

Along the way, I one-shot attacking Treants and reach the fifth floor.

As with other dungeons, the boss room’s door is open.

“Oh, lucky. No one else is here.”

With how crowded this dungeon is, I thought I’d have to wait, but the open door is a relief.

“Here we go.”

I ready the Swiftstrike Dagger and enter the boss room.

A few seconds after I step in, the door behind me closes with a sound.

“OOOOOHHH…”

A low growl echoes as a monster emerges from the darkness.

It looks like a giant Treant with added arms, easily seven meters tall, resembling a massive tree.

This boss monster is called an Evil Treant.

Its attacks are a slightly stronger version of a Treant’s.

“Ha!!”

For now, I approach the Evil Treant with the Swiftstrike Dagger to gauge it.

The Evil Treant attacks with roots thicker than a Treant’s, sprouting from the ground.

I dodge, parry, and occasionally cut them with the dagger, just like with the Treants.

“It’s tough, alright.”

My attacks connect, but its defense is higher than a Treant’s, and I feel slight resistance when cutting.

With better handling, I could cut through without resistance.

It’s definitely weaker than the white Kobold from the other day.

Its size, the volume, and the weight of its root attacks are intimidating, but that’s it.

I keep attacking while observing.

After some back-and-forth, the Evil Treant stops its root attacks and raises both arms to slam the ground, causing a tremor.

I jump to avoid the vibration, twist midair to adjust my position, and plunge the Swiftstrike Dagger deep into the Evil Treant as I fall.

“OOOOHHH!!”

Ignoring its scream of pain, I swing the dagger with full force.

Thanks to the Swiftstrike Dagger’s sharpness, I carve a large gash into the Evil Treant’s torso.

But it’s still not down and reaches for me, trying to grab me.

“Too slow!!”

I slash again with the Swiftstrike Dagger, severing its arm and knocking its hand away.

“Alright! This is the finisher!!”

I drive my fist into the Evil Treant’s face, shattering it into splinters.

“Phew, I managed to win.”

I’m getting used to fighting with the Swiftstrike Dagger, but I’ve got a long way to go.

In the end, I resorted to brute force.

“Well, that’s fine for now.”

The goal was to improve my combat skills today. I’ll refine it moving forward.

“Alright! Let’s train a bit more.”

I store the Evil Treant’s magic stone in my 【Item Box】 and exit the boss room.

After confirming no one’s around, I re-enter to challenge the Evil Treant again.

How many times can I fight today?

Evil Treant Defeat #20

Some parties came to challenge the boss midway, so I couldn’t go consecutively, but it was a fulfilling session.

“Time to call it quits…”

I also tested high-speed combat, quickly switching between the Swiftstrike Dagger and Dragonwood Bow, and it went well.

As planned, my combat skills have improved dramatically, and 【Dagger Arts】 reached level 7.

“I never imagined raising a skill level would improve my movements this much.”

【Dagger Arts】 at level 7 made high-speed combat much easier, and raising 【Archery】 to level 7 significantly boosted my bow proficiency.

But that’s it for today.

“Alright, one last run—”

“‘Yahoo! We made it!!’

“—Huh?”

As I prepare to enter the boss room for the final run, I hear a girl’s voice from behind.

“…”

I reflexively turn toward the voice and see a girl holding a wooden staff. She has golden hair trimmed to her shoulders and striking blue eyes.

Her features are so refined that she’s clearly a stunning beauty at first glance.

But what stands out even more is the creature behind her.

A monster with a stone body, wings on its back, and sharp claws on its arms—a Gargoyle with a blue scarf tied around its arm, holding a camera and flying behind her.

Uh, what’s going on?

“Phew, that was tough♪ I didn’t struggle, but who knew Treants were so hard to spot♪”

She turns to the camera-holding Gargoyle and starts talking.

I see, she’s a Poutuber.

That explains the camera and the Gargoyle.

She must be filming a video.

Dungeons block signals, so live streaming is tough, but regular recording is fine.

I’ve relied on strategy videos myself.

“But after coming this far, I can’t challenge the boss solo♪ If only there was a party with an open spot…”

She looks around.

Her gaze seems to lock onto me.

…Sigh… It’s not me, but I feel like I’ve been targeted.

“Excuse me~♪”

She approaches and speaks to me.

“Um, I’m alone, and it’s tough to challenge the boss. Wanna team up for the boss fight, Onii-san!!”

I don’t nod immediately and take a moment to think.

She said she didn’t struggle, so she’s likely strong enough to handle F-rank monsters easily.

Judging by her staff, she probably uses magic but made it here solo.

That suggests she’s quite skilled.

Still, while magic is effective, soloing the Evil Treant seems tough. That’s my impression.

If I take the front line and buy time, we should be able to defeat it easily.

The Gargoyle… well, it’s holding a camera.

I won’t count on it for combat.

I’ve heard tamed monsters acting as camera operators will step in if their owner requests help or is in danger, so there’s that.

…Alright, fine.

I can always do another run later.

Besides, I’ll likely only use the Swiftstrike Dagger, so my 【Lock-On】 skill won’t be exposed.

“Got it. I’ll help if that’s okay with you.”

“Thank you! I’m Rieshe, and this is Gar-kun! Nice to meet you!!”

“…That’s not your real name, right?”

“Of course not! It’s my handle. I’m a streamer, so I can’t use my real name! Oh, I’m filming—hope that’s okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Got it! Let’s go!!”

Wow, she’s full of energy.

At least she’s following basic etiquette by not filming without permission, so that’s good.

“Oh, I use fire and wind magic!!”

“Got it. I’ll take the front line, so cover me.”

“Yes! Leave it to me!!”

Rieshe places a hand on her chest, brimming with confidence.

…This reminds me of when I was teaching new explorer parties the ropes. She’ll be fine.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

“Yes! Oh, wait a sec.”

“Hm?”

“I haven’t introduced myself! …Ahem. Hi, everyone! Your favorite, everyone’s idol, Rieshe-chan!♪”

Whoa, she switches gears fast.

“Wow, impressive~”

“Haha, no touching!♪”

She makes a V-sign with her fingers.

Adorable.

She’s got a lively vibe.

Honestly, that’s a relief.

“—Alright! Onii-san, let’s go!!”

“Yeah.”

And so, Rieshe and I enter the boss room together.

“Wow… I’m nervous…”

As Rieshe speaks, we step into the boss room and encounter something different from the Evil Treants I fought earlier.

Its body resembles an Evil Treant’s, but one glance reveals a key difference.

Its color is white…!

“OOOOOHHH!!!”

The white Evil Treant roars and charges at us.

“Gar-kun!!”

“Eek! W-What’s that!!”

I shout to Gar-kun, grab Rieshe, and try to flee the boss room. But the white Evil Treant is one step ahead, sprouting roots from the ground to block the door.

The wall of roots grows thicker by the second.

“Damn…!!”

“What’s happening!!”

“You didn’t notice…? That thing, that Evil Treant, is a Mutant Monster.”

A Mutant Monster, like the white Kobold I faced two days ago.

And this one’s a boss Mutant Monster.

“No way… Then we can’t escape, can we…?”

“Probably not.”

The white Evil Treant’s arms are thicker and sturdier.

Judging by how it blocked the door, it has more roots and likely improved control over them.

“N-No way! W-W-What do we do—!!!”

“Hm…”

If it’s just about defeating it, that’s simple enough. Let’s take it down quick.

Worst case, we’ve got Gar-kun, a D-rank monster, so we’ll manage.

But first…

“Ha!!”

“Eek!!”

I slice through the roots reaching for Rieshe with the Swiftstrike Dagger.

“Th-Thank you…”

“Don’t mention it. So, what’s the plan? Still want to fight it?”

I ask the trembling Rieshe if she’s up for the challenge.

Meanwhile, the white Evil Treant doesn’t wait, attacking with more roots, which I cut down.

“As you can see, I can win alone. But if you want to fight, I’ll respect that.”

After a moment of thought, Rieshe speaks.

“…No! I’ll fight! Let me fight!!”

…Wow, her eyes are fierce now.

She’s scared, but I sense a strong resolve.

She’s trembling, but she’ll be fine.

“Alright! I’ll clear the way, so fire off your magic to your heart’s content!!”

“Yes! Thank you!!”

“Let’s do this!!”

“Yes!!”

And so, Rieshe and I take on the white Evil Treant.

I hold the front line as usual, while Rieshe deals damage from the rear.

I face the incoming roots head-on, not bothering to parry, buying time for Rieshe to cast her magic.

And then—

“Fireball!!”

Rieshe’s fireball engulfs the white Evil Treant in flames.

Magic relies on imagination. With a high enough skill level, you can cast any spell you envision.

Chanting isn’t necessary, but many, like Rieshe, shout spell names to solidify their mental image.

“OOOOOHHH!!!”

Despite being a tree hit by fire, the white Evil Treant, a Mutant boss, acts as if it’s barely affected, counterattacking with roots.

“Not happening!!”

“Kyaa!!”

I slice through the attacks with the Swiftstrike Dagger, blocking them.

Rieshe, undeterred, casts her next spells.

“Wind Blade! Fire Arrow!!”

She slashes with wind and pierces with flaming arrows.

But the white Evil Treant brushes it off, attacking again with roots.

However, using 【Appraisal】 to check its HP, I confirm it’s definitely taking damage.

It’s losing about 20 HP per hit from a total of 1500!

Still, she’s fighting despite her fear. I’ll let her do her thing.

With that in mind, I focus on blocking the white Evil Treant’s attacks, while Rieshe relentlessly unleashes her magic.

Finally, the moment arrives.

“Haa… haa… ha… Sorry! I’m out of MP!!”

“Good work. You did great.”

“Yes!!”

I fend off all the white Evil Treant’s root attacks and return to Rieshe.

“You did awesome. Leave the rest to me.”

“Yes… Please.”

Rieshe, panting heavily, manages to say.

Probably from shouting spell names too much.

If running out of MP does this, I’d be like this every time after boss farming.

I dash toward the white Evil Treant.

“Now, the real fight. Ready?”

“OOOH!!”

The white Evil Treant roars, whipping its roots toward me.

I cut down the incoming roots, ensuring none reach Rieshe behind me.

Then, as practiced, I pull the Dragonwood Bow from my 【Item Box】.

“Huh? Onii-san, what’s that…?”

“Oh, this is my main weapon.”

I hadn’t mentioned it to Rieshe, thinking I wouldn’t need to show it, but this is my true weapon.

“【Multi Lock-On】”

Muttering softly so the camera doesn’t catch it, I create three arrows with 【Magic Arrow】 and draw the bow.

My targets are the multiple roots still coming at me.

“Shi!!”

The three arrows hit their marks, piercing the roots and blowing away others behind them.

“…Huh?”

Rieshe’s jaw drops. Understandable.

But I’m not done.

“Keep it coming!!”

I continue firing three 【Magic Arrow】 arrows at a time.

Each shot pierces and destroys the roots.

“OOOOOHHH!!”

The white Evil Treant, unwilling to go down, extends branches to attack me as I destroy its roots.

But attacks that don’t land are meaningless.

I keep firing, obliterating every root that approaches.

Eventually, the white Evil Treant stops sprouting roots, swinging its sturdy arms uselessly.

Like the Treants, I’ve destroyed all its roots.

“Amazing…”

Rieshe lets out an awed whisper.

“Alright… Time to finish this!!”

I aim at the white Evil Treant, draw the bow with full force, and fire the nocked arrow.

“O… OOOOH…”

The arrow pierces the white Evil Treant’s body.

It passes straight through, and the monster lets out a groaning sound, its voice fading until it stops moving entirely.

…Seriously, one shot…?

『Level increased by 3』

――――――

Kaede Amamiya

Level: 331

HP: 3330/3330 MP: 2175/2175

Attack: 403 (+52)

Defense: 353 (+12)

Agility: 983 (+637)

Dexterity: 508 (+152)

Mental Strength: 1123 (+787)

Luck: 50

BP: 15

SP: 455

Skills: 【Magic Arrow Lv.11】【Archery Lv.7】【Hawk Eye Lv.2】【Item Box Lv.4】【Lock-On Lv.10】【Appraisal Lv.5】【MP Boost Lv.5】【MP Recovery Speed Boost Lv.5】【Dagger Arts Lv.7】

――――――

“We did it… We won, Onii-san!!”

“Yeah, we did. You did great, Rieshe.”

“Yes!!”

After defeating the white Evil Treant, Rieshe and I high-five in celebration.

She’s probably much stronger than I was at her age, but she got unlucky this time.

Her magic had enough power to take down a regular Evil Treant.

“Phew… Thank you, Onii-san.”

“No worries. You okay? No injuries?”

“Yes, I’m fine. You protected me.”

She says I protected her, but facing that white Evil Treant alone makes Rieshe impressive in my book.

“Alright♪ We had a bit of a hiccup, but the Evil Treant’s been defeated♪ Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed!♪”

While I’m marveling at her, Rieshe starts talking to Gar-kun’s camera.

I totally forgot, but yeah, she’s a streamer.

Her determination earlier makes this feel a bit jarring.

“…Phew… I’m beat.”

After filming, Rieshe plops down.

I approach and pull a water bottle from my 【Item Box】, offering it to her.

“Here, drink. You sweated a lot, right?”

“Oh, thank you. Um, money…”

“Nah, it’s on me. No big deal.”

I toss her the bottle.

“Thaks, I’ll take you up on that.”

Rieshe thanks me, drinks, and takes a breather.

Watching her, I pull another water bottle from my 【Item Box】 and take a sip.

Phew… Water after a workout hits different.

“Pwah… I’m alive again. You’re really strong, Onii-san.”

“Hm? Yeah, I guess I’m decent.”

I can’t—absolutely won’t—reveal the secret to my strength, but saying I’m decent isn’t a lie.

My level’s nothing compared to top-tier explorers.

“That arrow thing was amazing! I’ve never seen it before. Is it your Unique Skill?!”

“Yeah, something like that.”

People used to call me “Guide,” so anyone could look me up. No point hiding it.

The only thing I don’t want exposed is having two Unique Skills.

If it’s just 【Magic Arrow】 on video, that’s fine.

“Wow, what does it do?”

“Secret. Come on, let’s collect the Evil Treant’s materials.”

“Muu… Fine. Tell me later, okay?”

“If I feel like it.”

Heh, I said if I feel like it, not that I will.

Grinning at Rieshe’s puffed cheeks, I approach the white Evil Treant with her.

I only fought it from a distance or intercepted roots, but up close, its size is striking.

“Wow… It’s huge. I’ve never seen a tree this big. Worthy of a boss monster, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s massive. Regular Evil Treants are about 7 meters, but this one’s gotta be 10.”

Its developed, sturdy arms make it look even bigger.

“Let’s grab the magic stone!!”

“Yeah. But first… Rieshe, touch it with your bare hand.”

“Huh? Okay…”

Looking puzzled, Rieshe follows my instructions and touches the white Evil Treant.

The moment she does—

“Eek!!”

Light bursts from where she touched, blinding the area.

Having experienced this with the white Kobold, I’m unfazed, but Rieshe lets out a cute yelp.

When the light fades, a wooden staff leans against the white Evil Treant’s corpse.

“What’s this…?”

“Never heard of it? It’s an item you get from defeating a Mutant Monster. Like this bracelet from the Kobold Mutant Monster.”

I show her the Hellhound Bracelet while explaining.

Mutant Monster drops are random due to their rarity, but it’s a staff.

In that case…

“Rieshe, want this staff?”

“Wha!? W-What do you mean!!”

“It’s a staff, and I don’t use them, so I thought it’d suit you, a magic user.”

“But you defeated it, right!? So it’s yours…”

Rieshe fidgets, hesitant.

“Nah, I don’t need a staff. It’s yours.”

“No, but…”

She’s still reluctant.

“No big deal, don’t worry.”

“No! I can’t just take it!!”

…She’s surprisingly stubborn.

Hm… How do I get her to accept it?

…Oh.

“Alright, fine. If you won’t take it, I won’t force you. How about this?”

“What?”

“We fought as a party, so we split the loot, right?”

“Um, I guess…?”

“Exactly. So you take the staff, and I’ll take the Evil Treant. Deal?”

Rieshe thinks for a moment and nods.

Sweet. Problem solved.

…Honestly, I really didn’t need the staff, and the Mutant boss Evil Treant won’t go to waste.

I’ll give it to Seizo-san as thanks for the Dragonwood Bow.

A Mutant boss monster is rare, so he shouldn’t refuse it.

“Thank you! I’ll treasure it!!”

Seeing Rieshe hug the staff with a beaming smile, I can’t help but grin.

At the same time, I store the white Evil Treant in my 【Item Box】.

…Thank goodness I leveled up 【Item Box】.

Without it, this thing wouldn’t have fit.

“So, ready to call it quits?”

“Yes, I’m good. I don’t have enough MP for another round.”

I chuckle at Rieshe’s words.

Yeah, she used a ton of magic and ran out mid-fight.

I was thinking of doing one more run after helping her, but the Mutant boss fight was satisfying enough.

“Cool. Then we’re done?”

Man, it’s been a while since I fought in a party or helped another explorer.

Rieshe isn’t exactly a newbie, but close enough.

“Um…”

“Hm? Something else?”

“Well… Could you… escort me out of the dungeon?”

It clicks immediately.

She said she ran out of MP during the fight, so she’s got none left.

So, I end up guarding Rieshe, who’s out of MP, as we make our way through the Helltree Dungeon to the exit.

She looks apologetic the whole time, but I don’t mind, so it’s no big deal.

“Man, I’m wiped~”

Back home, I stretch big.

Today was way too eventful.

…A Mutant boss Evil Treant.

And Rieshe’s video shoot.

…What a day…

I muttered 【Lock-On】 quietly, and since people think you only get one Unique Skill, 【Magic Arrow】 stands out more, so it shouldn’t be exposed.

“…Wait, I didn’t get Rieshe’s real name…”

She used her handle, and I called her Rieshe.

Oh well, I’ll probably see her again sometime.

For now, I’ll wrap up and rest.

“I’ll give the Evil Treant to Seizo-san next time I hit the Hellhound Dungeon… Now, SP allocation.”

――――――

Kaede Amamiya

Level: 331

HP: 3330/3330 MP: 2175/2175

Attack: 403 (+52)

Defense: 353 (+12)

Agility: 983 (+637)

Dexterity: 508 (+152)

Mental Strength: 1123 (+787)

Luck: 50

BP: 15

SP: 455

――――――

I kept SP in reserve since I wasn’t sure how far I’d raise 【Dagger Arts】, but this should be enough.

Now, which skills to take or level up with 455 SP…

“Hm…”

Maybe that one?

Level up 【Magic Arrow】?

No, I want to boost support skills too, not just combat ones.

“Ugh… Tough choice…”

I’m exhausted, so my brain’s not at its best, but it’s still a hard decision.

“Alright, decided.”

I open my status and allocate the SP.

Here’s how it shakes out—

――――――

【Magic Arrow Lv.12】: 60 SP

【Hawk Eye Lv.5】: 60 SP

【Item Box Lv.7】: 90 SP

【MP Boost Lv.7】: 65 SP

【MP Recovery Speed Boost Lv.7】: 65 SP

【Enemy Detection Lv.5】: 80 SP

――――――

—leaving 35 SP.

I’ll save that for future skills or upgrades.

The allocation is mostly standard, but there’s a twist this time.

The new skill, 【Enemy Detection】.

I wanted it when I was wary of Kobolds in the Hellhound Dungeon or searching for Treants in the Helltree Dungeon.

As the name suggests, it lets me sense enemy locations.

My main reason is to cut down travel time to the boss room.

Basically, it’s not for boss fights but for speeding up the journey there.

I research the shortest dungeon routes beforehand, but monsters are unpredictable.

“No more ambushes, and the trip’s safer now.”

I also agonized over leveling other skills.

【Magic Arrow】 is aiming for level 20, hoping for new effects.

Like 【Lock-On】, it might unlock a new skill instead, but still.

The other skills, except 【Item Box】, were leveled to boost leveling efficiency.

【Hawk Eye】 lets me use 【Appraisal】 and 【Lock-On】 immediately in the boss room.

The MP skills increase my boss run count.

【Item Box】 is for collecting more loot.

“…Yeah, not bad, right?”

I’m pretty satisfied.

Plus, I trained against multiple Treant roots for a day, so I’ve grown, even if just a bit.

“Back to leveling tomorrow!!”

With that… bath and bed!

Goodnight!

――――――

Kaede Amamiya

Level: 331

HP: 3330/3330 MP: 2375/2375

Attack: 403 (+52)

Defense: 353 (+12)

Agility: 983 (+632)

Dexterity: 508 (+152)

Mental Strength: 1138 (+802)

Luck: 50

BP: 0

SP: 35

Skills: 【Magic Arrow Lv.12】【Archery Lv.7】【Hawk Eye Lv.5】【Item Box Lv.7】【Lock-On Lv.10】【Appraisal Lv.5】【MP Boost Lv.7】【MP Recovery Speed Boost Lv.7】【Dagger Arts Lv.7】【Enemy Detection Lv.5】

――――――

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!!”

In a room, a man yells while holding a smartphone.

He’s the overseer of the Hellhound Dungeon, currently on suspension.

“Why the hell am I in this mess!? It’s all that guy’s fault! If he wasn’t around!!”

『Shut up, you idiot! Be grateful it’s just this punishment!』

His call is with a colleague from the Explorer’s Guild.

The colleague helped him avoid getting fired for his role in the incident.

But even with that help, his anger doesn’t subside.

“Don’t screw with me!! That guy almost got me fired!!”

『I sympathize, but what you did was a crime. It would’ve come out eventually. I warned you to do your job properly, didn’t I?』

The colleague’s exasperated tone is clear even over the phone.