The dungeon closest to my house has its entrance on the embankment of a river at the border with the neighboring prefecture.
I pedaled on my bike for about twenty minutes and arrived there.
Near the dungeon entrance, there are several special facilities.
I entered one of them, a small building with a sign that read “Dungeon Information Center.”
“Welcome! This is the exclusive information center for dungeon seekers,” said the receptionist behind the counter with a business smile.
So I proceeded to show her the pattern that had appeared on the back of my right hand.
“I woke up this morning and became a dungeon seeker. I want to enter the dungeon, what procedures do I need to follow?”
“In that case, you must first register as a dungeon seeker. Please fill out your address, name, phone number, etc., on this form.”
After receiving the form, I completed it and then went through some tests and brief training.
After about twenty minutes, everything was done, and I was given a provisional license.
Apparently, if I bring a photo of my face in the next few days, I can get an official license.
“If you don’t have weapons or armor yet, I would recommend buying the basic equipment at the weapon store.”
“Then I’ll stop by there. Thank you very much.”
I thanked the staff and left the information center. I then went straight to the Dungeon Weapon Store, which was very close by.
In the weapon store, weapons and armor were displayed everywhere, each with its respective price tag.
I headed to the section labeled “For beginners” and started looking at the products. I only had 10,000 yen in my wallet at the moment.
The cheapest weapon among those displayed was a “Dagger” for 5,000 yen. It was a large knife type similar in size to a kitchen knife, with the description “Classification: Dagger,” “Equipment part: One hand,” and “Attack power: 5” on the tag.
Then there was the “Short Spear” for 8,000 yen. It was a spear the size of my height, with the description “Classification: Spear,” “Equipment part: One hand,” and “Attack power: 6” on the tag.
The next option was the “Hand Axe” for 11,000 yen. It was a small axe with the description “Classification: Axe,” “Equipment part: One hand,” and “Attack power: 7” on the tag. However, at this point, it was already too expensive and I couldn’t afford it.
There were several more weapons, such as the “Short Saber,” “Broad Sword,” “Rapier,” and “Battle Axe,” but all easily exceeded 10,000 yen.
I decided to take a look at the armor.
The most economical one was the “Wooden Shield” for 4,000 yen. It was a wooden shield with a metal frame of about 50 cm in diameter, with the description “Equipment part: One hand” and “Defense power: 2” on the tag.
Then there was the “Leather Helmet” for 6,000 yen. It was a leather helmet with the description “Equipment part: Head” and “Defense power: 2.”
As for armor, the cheapest option was the “Leather Armor” for 12,000 yen. It was leather armor that protected the torso, with the description “Equipment part: Torso” and “Defense power: 5.”
“Hey, kid! Is it your first time exploring a dungeon today?” suddenly asked a bald and rough man who approached while I was looking at the weapons and armors in the beginner’s section.
He seemed to be an employee of the weapon store.
Despite his intimidating appearance, he showed a friendly smile.
“Yes, this morning I woke up and became a dungeon seeker, so I thought of trying to descend into the dungeon… I have a question, what do these ‘Attack power’ and ‘Defense power’ mean?”
“Ah, those numbers are what appear when you use the ‘Object Identification’ skill. I don’t understand much about the numbers yet, but use them as a reference when you buy.”
“Are the ‘Classification’ and ‘Equipment part’ also determined by that skill?”
“Yes. If you have skills related to weapons, it might be useful to check the ‘Classification.’ And by the way, have you used your first skill point yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“Then, before buying weapons, it would be good to check the list of skills you can acquire.”
Following his advice, I opened my “Skill Acquisition” page by manipulating my status. The process of operating in this area was something I felt instinctively familiar with.
Acquirable Skills (all available with 1 skill point)
Weapons
-Spear Attack Power Enhancement (+2)
Magic
-Rock Bullet
-Protection
-Earth Healing
General
-Strength Enhancement (+1)
-Endurance Enhancement (+1)
-Agility Enhancement (+1)
-Magic Enhancement (+1)
-HP Increase (Endurance x4)
-MP Increase (Magic x4)
-Mapping
-Stealth
-Presence Detection
“The only weapon-related skill among the acquirable skills is the Spear Attack Power Enhancement (+2).”
“Oh, is the spear your preferred weapon, buddy? By the way, if you have at least one weapon-related skill, there’s a possibility that you’ll excel in weapon combat. These types of skills unlock the next level each time they are acquired, like (+4), (+6), and so on. It seems that for some people, the maximum limit is (+10) or even (+20),” added the man.
“Are there people who don’t have any weapon-related skills?”
“Yes, some people are in that situation. If you lack weapon and magic-related skills, exploring the deeper dungeons can become quite challenging. In that aspect, you are fortunate.”
According to what I heard during the training, the list of acquirable skills is unique to each dungeon seeker. While I have the skill Spear Attack Power Enhancement (+2), it’s possible that some people may have similar skills but for “daggers,” “axes,” or “swords,” and it’s also likely that some people may not have any of these skills. Additionally, it seems that the skill list also includes the element of unlocking new skills. It is said that by acquiring certain skills, new skills can be unlocked in a skill tree, or by leveling up to a certain point, it’s possible to unlock new skills.
Putting that aside, in the end, I decided to spend 8,000 yen to buy the “Short Spear.” My modest 10,000 yen quickly dwindled down to 2,000 yen. “It would really be ideal to have at least an ‘HP Potion’ as a safety net, but with only 2,000 yen left in the budget, it’s a bit tricky.”
“It seems that in the list of acquirable skills, there is a recovery skill called ‘Earth Healing,’ so I’m thinking of acquiring it.”
“Oh, you can also acquire a magical recovery skill? How fortunate! I think it’s a good idea to prioritize having a magical recovery skill,” replied the man.
Motivated by his words, I quickly proceeded to acquire the magic skill “Earth Healing” by manipulating my status. “Earth Healing” appeared in the “Skills” section of my status.
“Thank you so much for everything. Now I will head to the dungeon and give it a try.”
“Of course, take care! Although the monsters on the first floor, the ‘Kobolds,’ are not very strong, it’s important not to lower your guard. It’s especially tricky when facing two or more at the same time.”
After bidding farewell with a gesture of gratitude to the man at the weapon store, I headed towards the dungeon entrance.
