Entering the Guild Building, I was greeted by a silver-haired elf named Sophie. She had refused to be Bell's advisor, citing his lack of experience or seriousness during their introduction.
"Welcome. Have you come to sign up or post a quest?" she asked in a neutral tone, appraising me with her eyes lingering on my hair and slightly pointed ears.
"I came to sign up and check out the new dungeon guides," I replied.
"Alright, come with me."
We proceeded into the hallway with private rooms, and as we were halfway to an open room, a Werewolf woman with red hair and golden eyes opened a nearby door, interrupting us.
"Wait, Sophie," she said, watching me as her nose twitched. After a moment, she continued, "Boy, are you a member of the Hephaestus family?"
"Yes, I just entered as a blacksmith. Why?" I replied with curiosity.
"Alright, Sophie, I'll take care of... your name?" she asked, inquiring about my name. I replied, "Sinn, Sinn's Krieger, and you?"
"I'm Rose, the advisor responsible for Tsubaki and the tasks she brings," she said, clarifying my doubts. She probably smelled the forge, Hephaestus, and Tsubaki on me. "So Sinn, how about I be your advisor too?"
"If Miss Sophie is alright," I responded. Sophie replied, "No problems. If you'll excuse me," elegantly retreating to the guild's reception.
After losing sight of Sophie through the door, Rose invited me in with a "Come in." I entered the private room, and we sat on either side of a desk where she quickly pulled out a guild form and handed it to me with a pen, indicating me to respond.
Adventurer: Sinns-Krieger
Characteristics
Race: Half Prum (1/8 Elf, 3/8 Human, 2/4 Pallum)
Gender: Male
Age: 14
Hair Color: Matte green
Eye Color: Purple
Height: 147 cm
Professional Status
Affiliation: Hephaestus Family
Occupation: Blacksmith
Level: 1
Floor reached: 0
After completing the form, she took it back and read it carefully, pausing to ask if I had any questions about the guild or the dungeon, or if I wanted to know about the quests available.
"I'd like to hear about how the quest system works and if you can give me any more specific tips about the dungeon than just being careful when killing monsters, Miss Rose," I expressed. She replied, "Quests have three types: contract, search in the dungeon, and clearing monsters on the surface. The contract involves orders between adventurers and is secured by the guild. Search quests offer rewards for items that can be brought from the dungeon, and the last type involves clearing monsters on the surface. The guild charges a fee for posting quests, not necessarily based on the reward's price. For example, monster items for a blacksmith and dungeon ingredients for an alchemist."
She continued, "The guild formulates the quest system so that fees are charged according to the nature of the quest. Now, do you have any other questions?"
"I'd like to know more about the dungeon environment and any specific tips you might have," I asked.
Rose then provided a ten-minute lesson on practical tips for the dungeon, such as not screaming to avoid attracting monsters and keeping an eye on the surroundings. After thanking her, I left the guild, having analyzed some guidebooks and a psychometric map. Unfortunately, like most copied items, the map only contained information about what was written, saving reading time but lacking additional insights.
As I "read," I observed Eina and her friend Misha dealing with adventurers—Eina in a serious, teachable manner and Misha in a playful way.
When leaving the guild, I was offered standard equipment, which I declined, opting for a common but stronger mind potion instead. It only cost 3,000 varis due to novice discounts, and I received a few glances due to having useful magic as a novice. I left before anyone could invite me to a party.
Soon after, I returned to the Hephaestus Familia store, where Ria congratulated me for joining the family. She mentioned that Tsubaki was waiting for me in her forge and teased me as if I were heading into battle.
Entering the forge, I saw Tsubaki polishing a sword sheath, along with three different swords and a katana stuck in a makeshift backpack. She smiled playfully as she put a familiar sword in the sheath, Veteran's Advice I, and exclaimed, "Yosh Sinn, let's go to the dungeon!"
"You weren't going to teach me?" I spoke in a doubtful tone.
"Little Sinn, have you never heard that the best way to learn is by doing?" she replied playfully, so I could only agree.
Shortly after, we found ourselves in the dungeon.
"So Taichou, you just wanted to test your new weapons soon?" I asked, knowing the answer.
"Why not? We kill monsters, gain Excellia for your level-up, and I'll protect you. Besides, don't you want to test the sword you made in real combat?"
"I do, Taichou, but wouldn't you have to test your weapons on deeper floors? How would I follow you?" I inquired.
She replied mysteriously, "No problem, I have a plan." I couldn't help but think, 'That and a lot of trust in something unreliable, right?'
Descending to the first level of the dungeon, we encountered the first monster since I came to this world—a goblin.
"I was rooting for a dog-head kobold, but I got to see the ugliest version of the goblin possible," I said as Tsubaki pushed me toward the monster.
"Right, for being so ugly, I'll save you from being cursed even more," I said as I pulled out the sword, nearly the size of my body but only weighing five pounds despite being made from Damascus of Sharm, the siderurgic country.
I went into a combat stance as the goblin ran towards me, making goblin noises. I cut by burying the sword point in his right shoulder and slashing his torso diagonally to his left leg. The goblin exploded into ash, dropping a broken crystal and a goblin fang.
"Just as I expected," I said, acting as if it were easy. In fact, I used the experience of the mistakes committed by greatsword wielders I received from using psychometry on weapons and equipment of less experienced adventurers using large blades against goblins, learning from their mistakes and taking advantage of the size difference between the goblin and me.
"So, what did you think of your first kill in the dungeon?" Tsubaki asked.
"Harder than expected. I thought it would have a less taxing response against a weak monster. I see this as a problem against a large group," I replied.
"Hoh, so you know a lot. I thought I would have to throw you in the middle of a group and let you take a beating, and run out of energy. So, you're after a skill, aren't you?"
"Yes, Punisher (Increases the user's strength with every consecutive hit on the opponent) or Hunter (After ranking up, the only choosable skill that boosts damage against monsters you gained Excellia before). Seems helpful. I want to see if
I can get something on fatigue resistance or sleep as well."
"Do you have any tips?" I asked.
"About fatigue, maybe just fighting non-stop for a few days. At least I know forging non-stop or sleeping for two days didn't give me that," Tsubaki replied thoughtfully.
"Sigh. Anyway, you'd better focus on gaining Excellia and increasing your stats, Sinn. In the future, you'll get the skills if you don't stop trying. Plus, trying to exhaust yourself now will only harm your body," she replied seriously.
"Yes, ma'am."
Continuing, I killed ten goblins and analyzed their magic stones, uncovering their short thoughts of fighting desperately with life and death hate. I finally tested my magic on a goblin with limbs broken by my sheathed sword.
"Weakness of choked nerves, stagnant blood, and Paralysis, Bestow Curse!" I cast the spell, focusing it on my left hand with no visible sign other than feeling the spell circling and my mind slowing down by a little more than 5%. I waited ten seconds, the spell now decreasing by twenty. 'I must try to keep two sentences if that's not necessary anymore,' I thought as I walked, trying to move as quickly as possible around the goblin that was trying to get up, looking for the conditions for the concurrent chants skill and mage.
Touching the head of the goblin who was trying to get up, I watched as the goblin fell to the ground. An aura explosion with dark and faded colors of gray and orange-purple, like a rising flame, appeared before vanishing. It showed only the drowning goblin slowly dying after a minute to a stroke.
Lamenting the fact that even though it was an alternate curse, I still suffered side effects, I ripped the stone from the goblin's chest. I turned it with a respectful kick while Tsubaki said something about monsters being cursed ironically and cruelly.
"Well, I found out the side effects of using the curse," I said, interrupting her.
"Hmm, so what is it?" she spoke eagerly.
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"I'm not sure, but the curse I cast will affect my body or at least the hand I choose. It's arguably weaker than the effects shown on the enemy I touch, but it looks like as long as I don't touch or scatter the magic, I will continue to be affected. I would like to try one more time," I replied.
"Alright, let's go to the seventh floor; otherwise, we won't be able to get back from the middle floors today," she spoke as she started to run, waving teasingly and urging me to keep up the speed.
'Ugh, she's planning to carry me, isn't she?' I thought as we ran.
I followed, running for half an hour while she took time to kill almost everything on the way, leaving the bodies to the few adventurers we found, and left alone killing monsters. Until the fifth floor, where I had to stop. Even though I drank an energy potion to recover, I gasped when I felt a chill in my neck. I was grabbed and carried against a sarashi faster than I could react.
"Here we are," the half-dwarf woman spoke as I tried to regain my senses, leaning on my sword and watching a group of three goblins with stone knives approaching.
"So, your plan…?" I spoke while looking at her.
"Yea?" she spoke with a smile, to which I could only respond with a grunt of resignation as I ran to cripple the goblins.
Now, alongside three new lab rats, I tested some more spells.
"Bleeding wounds, Bestow Curse!" and touched it after a few seconds without seeing side effects when holding the magic. I cut it on one wrist and thigh, seeing how the shallow wounds began to leak more blood than they should.
After that, I used a spell I learned from the half-elf at the beginning, conjuring a few phrases about regeneration, the dew of nature, fairies, spirits, and blessings. I attested that the spell was really weak, even though it consumed a lot of time and mind when it barely closed the shallow wounds on the goblin.
Outside that, I wasn't even a quarter of an elf, which caused the magic to be weakened at least in half, even if I had a bonus on mind use. When I cut again and watched carefully, I saw that the curse power was slowly consumed to aggravate the wounds, damaging the goblin's blood vessels, disappearing after reopening the wound.
"Uncontrollable magic that prevents healing, Bestow Curse!" I sang this time, definitely consuming more mind than before, about 15% after fully charging even though it was just one sentence.
Touching the goblin this time, I could feel his hatred replaced by fear as the spell's effects glowed eerily around him before fading away inside the monster. This time, I just used an ordinary 500-valis healing potion and saw that it didn't heal him from the injuries and barely consumed the curse by ten percent.
Seeing this, even Tsubaki was interested and told me to try a bluish potion she handed me that I thought was expensive.
I spilled half of the potion, which hissed as it came into contact with the goblin who cried before the curse was gone and the wounds healed.
"I see, the curse stays in your magic and can invade the enemy's body with touch. It's weak compared to a cursed weapon as it doesn't permanently curse the target but mimics a curse, consuming the mind you used in the magic to keep working, and it ends when it is totally consumed," Tsubaki stated.
"Yeah, I think so too. Plus, I can't use magic on the same target before the first effects are canceled."
I spoke before testing a new curse, this time sword ready, in the right hand.
"Battle frenzy without fear of painful death, Bestow Curse!" I said before leaving after touching the goblin.
When I saw the aura of magic being sucked quickly into his chest as he rose to his feet, his bones snapping back into place as his muscles bulged and his skin turned red, and he screamed like a child who has lost a battle of reason.
As I moved around him, putting the other two crippled goblins in the middle, I prepared to attack. I quickly chanted "Shocking paralysis, Bestow curse" as the goblin ran towards me, making a grimace of anger and stepping on one of the goblins, making the back of the goblin crackle as he screamed.
"Scary," I said as I threw a handful of lime powder in his face and sliced his legs before pushing back, gaining distance, and applying a new curse.
Then the goblin rose, legs barely upright, muscles quivering as if he were being electrified. I realized the curse was quickly ending; maybe I had half a minute before it broke free.
"Tsubaki," I said.
"What, want help with your problem?" she replied, clearly interested in the mutated monster.
"No, just stay tuned. I'll try something dangerous," to which she replied by placing her hand on her naginata and glaring at me with her eye.
"Cursed and imbued with negative energy, greatly damage the enemy. *My Blade, Bestow Curse!" After five seconds charging the magic, I was almost dry for more than half that I had after the last two curses. I touched the sword, and it cried.
(Whiiiirlllll)
After I touched the sword, it got covered in black and purple curse flames before dwindling and covering the edge with a black glow.
I felt the cold of the sword slowly spread through my fingers as I watched in delight as the blade metals darkened with each passing second.
"Sinn, attack!" Tsubaki yelled with a little worry to bring me out of my stupor.
I walked over to the goblin who tried to defend himself with his arms trembling in front of his body, which I cut with a single blow and watched as the wounds slowly necrotized, making him scream in rage. Realizing the pain was releasing him faster, I decapitated him, and strangely the body turned to smoke instantly after that, leaving only a white fang with red edges and no magic stone.
I fell to the ground tired after killing two other goblins while Tsubaki came and took the sword out of my hands.
"Interesting, the sword is not cursed, but its metal has been polluted with magic permanently. It seems to be stressed too. Remember that girl's skill," Tsubaki spoke to herself as I drank my last mind potion.
"Girl? You mean..." I said, guessing the answer.
"The Sword Princess? Yes, all the common swords she uses her skill Avenger on gets destroyed," she said, proving my thought.
So I took the glove off my hand and watched.
"Interesting, there doesn't seem to have been any effects on me, maybe because I didn't curse something alive directly? It cost a lot of mind though," I informed her.
"So are we done here?" the master blacksmith asked.
"I intended to test some curse that would affect vision, but better make sure I don't go blind until I curse something."
"Play it safe Sinn, so let's go to the deeper floors." So I was carried like a sack of potatoes through the next floors as Tsubaki gouged holes in the dungeon floor as if she knew which parts were thin until we reached an area of
mist and dead vegetation. Instead, we slowed down when descending to the 11th floor where monsters with LV 2 strength can spawn.
So we kept stopping only for Tsubaki to teach me how to kill the monsters that appeared while she was using my sword, which I kept cursing this time with only curse power and a new curse.
"Weapon inhabited by salamanders, burn the enemy," causing burns, besides being more economical than my first attempt.
Finally, out of the fog, we reached the middle floors, where Tsubaki started using her different swords, barely giving me time to harvest the most valuable stones on the way. So she broke the floor again down to the 15th floor where we spent more time than I would have liked killing Minotaurus and Ligerfangs, who happily dropped several items forcing me to use my cloak as a makeshift backpack.
On the way back, I was carried again after getting tired of the extra weight.
'I'll probably get Artel Assist if I do this more often, which reminds me of someone and some useful places to steal... kof, I say gaining knowledge of the special qualities of the Psionic skill, mainly the gnome library, or were they spirits?' I thought, remembering with doubt.
When we were finally about to leave the dungeon, I tried to get off Tsubaki's back, only to be pinned again on his free arm. I tried to argue, but...
"Tsubaki?"
"Yes, Sinn?" she spoke as she squeezed me tighter.
"Can you drop me?" I spoke gently, trying to be "cute."
Needless to say, I passed out from suffocation after that. When I woke up again, I was in a bar full of "strong" women and Amazons laughing as they teased me while trying to serve me drinks. Tsubaki drank his fifth bottle of something, with an arm around my shoulder ready to arrest me if I tried to run away.
"Sinn, drink! We'll only come out when you get drunk!" Tsubaki, a little altered, said.
"Taichou, I don't like alcohol."
"Come on, boy, you're an adventurer." "Yes, celebrate Sin-nya," and "Drink if you're a man" were the friendliest and wholesomest phrases I heard there...
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Aaa-nya I lost my time thinking about the next chapter just to lose a lot of ideas without writing them... anyway let's gooooo.
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