Rupegia Ch. 03: Royd’s Kerfuffle

I'm not really shocked, you know? My "Sanity" didn't go down so I guess this is proof I'm adapting to the situation. It also didn't go up, so I guess this is my limit. I'm just fated to remain half-sane in this shitty world.

Being introduced to magic and monsters so abruptly certainly shocked me and didn't help with my mental state. Though the biggest shock I had so far was the message from God. It was incredibly cryptic and suspicious, but there's nothing I can do about it besides dealing with it and moving on.

Oh wait, it's morning already? Did I sleep? I don't remember sleeping, so maybe I just fainted and then suddenly woke up.

My thoughts are drifting endlessly, preventing me from reflecting upon anything important. I simply can't focus because my mind is swimming with the possibilities.

It's like I'm living inside an isekai novel. There are so many tropes being thrown at me that I can just predict what's going to ha-...

I hear a knock on the door, then a female voice says, "Breakfast is ready!"

That must be the innkeeper's daughter. She's a really cute girl with blonde hair in a ponytail and a very feminine small face. She seems to be very bubbly and kind, and she looks like she's my age, by that I mean this-world-age, not original-world-age. She has a brother, and they kinda look like twins. I've caught a few patrons and even myself staring at her absentmindedly. She's just a bright spirit. But did she notice us? She always comes to us with a warm smile, ma-...

No, wait, I can't run from this, I need to finish that train of thought. I can predict some developments about my reason for being here and what could happen next. Ciel said that the God of Creation is not in this cycle, so the God of Destruction must've followed him, and because of that, this realm is more or less stable. This means that if in the future The God of Creation comes back, or if something calls his or the God of Destruction's attention, then shit will hit the fan.

So, I think I need to prepare and get stronger while not messing with the balance of this world. But am I really supposed to be a "hero"? The message that God sent me is suspicious, why not tell the reason I'm sent here? Why apologize? Did something go wrong? Was I not supposed to come here? I guess that doesn't really matter in the end. In the isekai stories, a "hero" is sent for whatever bullshit reason just to create a story. It's used as an impetus to return to the previous world or save the current world, but in the end, the "why" doesn't matter, what matters is what I do next.

There are too many possibilities and zero answers or evidence. The best I can do is simply prepare while trying to keep the balance of the world. There's a possibility that I might have to fight the Monster King, so information on him is essential.

The possibility of a realm transfer is another thing I need more information on. Maybe my original world is part of this cycle, so it might be best for me to raise my "Piety" and communicate with a humanoid god.

Lastly, there's a possibility that this is all just an ultra-realistic VR game. If I die, will I return to Earth? Well... there's just no way to test that, so I think I should ignore this line of thinking.

Now, let's get back to the present. Training at the hunter's guild is going to take a long time to yield results, so I want to enter Royd's Kerfuffle to gain a few levels. Those skill points can turn me into a master swordsman whenever I want, so I need levels more than anything right now. But before I leave town, I'm going to buy some equipment and supplies, then take a look at the dungeoneering guild for tools.

--

Today breakfast is a simple vegetable soup with a small piece of mutton and some sweet bread. Honestly, it's kinda nice.

After eating, I go to the Crafter's Corner. Walking around town is rather tiring. I wasn't sedentary before, but I'm not used to this amount of exercise. Yesterday I fought until I collapsed, so my muscles are still a little bit sore. Maybe I should rest, but I can't stay still due to my anxiety. I need a stable source of income before I can relax properly.

I see a few pieces of Gray Berserker leather armor on the market. They're, unsurprisingly, gray, and they're three gold pieces each. It seems expensive, but considering how that bear is known for being tough, I decide to part with my money. I get a jacket and pants.

There are more expensive pieces, like Hell Wyvern, Kite Dragon, troll, ogre, and Dragon Lord, but I feel like this one should do for a small dungeon. I let the merchant appraise my armor and he tells me that it's made from Hobgoblin. It's a good low-budget armor, but it doesn't last long, so an adventurer shouldn't bet their life on it.

After observing the merchant, I switch my skills to Armor and [Weapon Appraisal]. There are two forms of appraisal, [Appraise] or [Appraisal Eyes]. The former is the more common method, but it's flashy and I don't want people to know I'm using it. The latter shows me the information of the equipment on a black screen after I stare at it for a few seconds, though it continuously consumes mana, so I can only use it for a very short time.

With 10 points in Appraisal, it seems that it only shows me the "Material" and "Quality" info of the equipment. There are still a few instances of "???" on each equipment.

I choose a "high" quality steel one-handed sword with the same design as my current one, which is made of iron. I also choose a "high" quality small round shield made of iron, it's painted entirely in black color. I'll use this shield by holding a handle instead of strapping it to my arm so that I have more flexibility with it. Finally, I pick a pair of Hobgoblin leather mittens, a Hobgoblin cap, the cheapest bow, a quiver, and twenty arrows.

Even if I don't know how to use a bow yet, I can put some points in archery once I level up. All of this costs me three gold. I see much more "fashionable" versions of the same equipment I'm buying, but they cost a lot more, of course.

I notice that good padding is quite expensive, and most of it comes from monster fur. It seems like cotton is comparatively weak in comparison to the more durable stuff. I don't have much money left, so I'll have to go with cheap padding for now. Hopefully, it won't hurt much.

Then I go look for supplies like blankets, cloth, cutlery, plates, bowls, rope, lantern, food that's easy to eat, spare clothes, whetstone, and finally, oil for equipment maintenance. There is straw pail for use as toilet paper, but it seems like even children are trained to learn [Conjuring Magic] and [Light Magic] level 1. With that, they can use the [Conjure Water] and [Clean] spells to clean themselves after heeding the call of nature. I guess this is what the entrance guard meant when he said I had no "life skills."

I also buy a few of the lowest-grade health, mana, and antidote potions. They aren't for use during combat since they only act after five minutes and work up to thirty minutes. I notice that the HP and MP potions have a small shine to them, so I guess that the standard way of knowing if something is magical or not in this world is to see if it shines.

Then I go to the dungeoneering guild for tools for the expedition. All adventurers need items that keep them safe from monsters while they sleep, eat, or answer the call of nature, especially if they're alone. The most common item is scented candles to keep monsters away, but there's the danger of the wind snuffing them while someone sleeps, which would make them vulnerable to being attacked while sleeping, so at least a [Monster Repellent] magic tool is necessary. This magic tool is a crystal that uses mana to reproduce the effect of a scented candle, so there's no risk of it being snuffed out, but the downside is that it's more expensive and requires mana to recharge. To use it I need to put 1 point into [Mana Control], then I can turn it on or off, or recharge it.

Another important tool is the Escape Bomb. It's a more concentrated version of the scented candle and it's used to run away from monsters. The seller tells me it stinks horribly, so I should throw it on the monster or the ground and not on myself if I don't want to pass out from the smell.

Then there are the [Proximity Warning] crystals. Thieves occasionally prey on adventurers, so monsters aren't the only danger in a dungeon. If I'm going to sleep inside the dungeon alone, then I need something to warn me if something or someone is getting close.

And finally, I buy the map of the ten first floors of Royd's Kerfuffle. I don't plan on going to the eleventh floor anytime soon.

The stone and crystals were expensive, five gold total, but it's something I'll never have to buy again.

A huge hole opened in my funds, and more than half of my gold coins are gone. I still have the rose coin, but I have no idea what is the exchange rate to gold coins. I'm also afraid to exchange it because I still haven't seen anyone use it, so I might get scammed. Perhaps another day I should go to the merchant guilds or bankers and see if there's a place for money exchange.

The dungeoneering books mentioned that Space magicians normally ferry people between the dungeons entrances and the town. I noticed a few huts spread around town with "[Gate] services" written above the entrance, so I guess that's where I can get a teleport. But teleportation gets more expensive depending on the contents of your [Item Box], so I don't wanna expose that I have nothing in my [Item Box] to random people. It's suspicious to walk around without an [Item Box] because this spell seems to be another thing that everyone learns when they're a child so that they can at least carry coins in it.

I don't think everybody has level 20 [Space Magic], so it must be possible to learn spells before you have the required level. Must be why the [Item Box] starts small and why magicians are normally the ones that carry the most supplies. Even if the magician isn't an offensive one, the dungeoneering book always recommends having one just for the [Item Box]. They're basically pack mules.

I don't wanna hire a magician yet, so I'll go to the dungeon on foot with the crude map that I got from the dungeoneering guild. It shows me that the Sea of Trees is to the south of the town, the farms are to the north, and to the northwest is the entrance to the dungeon. It takes one hour on foot, so I'm going to arrive there around two hours before noon.

--

I put all my points in [Space Magic] so that I can use [Item Box], then I put my silver and copper coins, and some things like the sleeping bag and some food into it.

I walk to the west gate, the same one that I came in from, then I start customs. I show my ID and the guard at the gate uses a crystal ball to read the contents of my [Item Box].

I take a look at his crystal table and see that they at least can't see the number of coins that I have. Looks like it's an anti-smuggling measure. Since trade goods are taxed, they don't let people just put anything they want in their [Item Box] and then travel to wherever.

I don't have to pay for anything because of my adventurer ID. I walk out of town and see a line of multiple wagons with groups of between in between, all waiting to enter the town. Most of the groups seem to be composed of adventurers. It seems like this is quite a busy town.

--

After I'm a little ways away, I put everything back into my "Items" and spec my skills for fast movement and stamina. I have 31 points, so I put them like this:

-

['Wolf Ryder Skill Report']

['Physical']

[Skill Name: Level | Skill Name: Level| Skill Name: Level]

[Sword Use: 5+1| Dodge: 0+1| Parry: 2+1]

[Block: 0+1| Sense Presence: 3+0 | Enhanced Stamina: 5+0]

['Magical']

[Skill Name: Level| Skill Name: Level | Skill Name: Level]

[Electric Magic: 5+0 | Nature Magic: 5+0 | Blessing Magic: 10+0]

['Miscellaneous']

[Skill Name: Level]

[Andraste Language: 10+0]

-

With 10 points in [Blessing Magic], I can use [Swift Foot] on myself, and with [Enhanced Stamina], I can walk much faster without tiring.

--

I enjoy the sights as I follow the cobbled road west. To my right, there are the farms, and to my left, there's the Sea of Trees.

I recognize that most plantations are of beans. The plants are short sprouts, and if you look carefully, you can see the bean pods. Further away I can see water wheels, so there's a river that runs close to the town. I can't see any sheep, so maybe they're deeper in because this area could be in danger being so close to the Sea of Trees. Very, very far away beyond the plantations, I see the snowy peaks of a mountain range. I know that before them there's a valley with quite a few dungeons, so one day I might go there.

On the side of the Sea of Trees, the trees are so tall that I can't even see what's beyond. The area around the town is a plateau surrounded by mountains, but nobody fully mapped the Sea of Trees, so it's unknown what's beyond there.

Soon, the road turns north, which means I'm close to the dungeon.

Far ahead, a small forest starts to peek above the farms, the sign that I'm close to the dungeon. The trees surrounding the dungeon grow fast, so the area is never completely deforested.

As I approach, I see that a small wall surrounds this forest, and a single squad of guards protects the entrance to the small grove in the rare chance a monster comes out of this dungeon.

When I get close, they just nod at me, uninterested in the common adventurer passing by.

Then I finally reach the entrance to Royd's Kerfuffle. It's an ominous black vertical rectangle that glows slightly, a dimensional door. I change my skills towards combat and make them as follow:

-

['Wolf Ryder Skill Report']

['Physical']

[[Skill Name: Level | Skill Name: Level | Skill Name: Level]

[Sword Use: 5+1 | Dodge: 3+1 | Parry: 0+1]

[Block: 3+1 | Sense Presence: 5+0]

['Magical']

[Skill Name: Level | Skill Name: Level | Skill Name: Level]

[Mana Efficiency: 4+0 | Mana Recovery: 4+0 | Electric Magic: 1+0]

[Nature Magic: 5+0]

['Miscellaneous']

[Nothing]

-

This way, my main attack is the sword, [Lightning Bolt] is a backup, [Entangling Vines] is for utility, and [Regeneration] for healing.

With that, there's only one choice here, I step inside the black door.

--

I enter an eerie dark room. I can see myself, but I can't see anything else, and there isn't even an exit behind me. As if I opened my "Menu," a small black window appears in front of me. It has only two lines written on it: "1st floor" and "Exit." I choose "1stfloor."

A familiar feeling strikes me. Like when I first got transported to this world, the ground vanishes under my feet, then I feel like I'm free-falling, but this time I remain conscious. After a second, the ground reappears under me, then the darkness around me is lifted slowly.

I'm in an empty room with gray square tiles and black seams as the only decoration. There's only one exit out of this room, and behind me, the same ominous black door is present. Every few tiles, there's a small gem that glows faintly, illuminating the dungeon. There are areas and even entire levels without light higher up, so it's another reason to keep on the low levels for now.

There are three types of enemies found here. The first are the goblins, which carry a variety of conjured weapons. These weapons disappear when the caster dies, and most equipment is like that inside dungeons. The goblins are so weak that even a greenhorn like me can take them down in a duel.

The second enemy is the Mandrake, a small walking root that looks like a baby. It'll scream while attacking to disturb the enemy, but it's a very weak monster. Its feet are used for potions or cooking, but the rest of the body isn't valuable. Though, the more mature ones have leaves growing out of their heads that have some value for potions.

The third enemy is the Bush Baby. It's not the animal Bush Baby, but an actual baby-looking monster that has a bush on its head. It's a relative to the Mandrake that doesn't scream. It attacks with piercing vines, and there's a chance to be poisoned by them if the wound is deep enough. It's even less valuable than the Mandrake, but it's more dangerous.

These are the enemies on the first ten floors. They're horrible for making money, but I'm here only to acquire Experience and levels.

It's time to start exploring.

After locating myself on the map, I start walking around the labyrinth while keeping a close watch to it. It'd be very embarrassing to get myself lost in the first dungeon that I've entered. I also don't want to stumble upon one of the stairs to the next level, so I keep near the border of the maze. The size of this floor is actually surprising, it's about half the size of Rabanara.

The mazes in this dungeon are made of multiple corridors and small rooms, with most of them leading to dead ends with a monster waiting, but there's still plenty of paths that I can take to navigate the floor. Occasionally, there's a monster roaming the paths, but they generally don't enter a path that leads to a dead-end, so the dead ends are the most common safe spot for resting after killing the monster waiting there.

--

I detect a goblin with [Sense Presence]. There's no way for me to sneak behind it in these tight corridors, so I decide to face it from the front.

I hear its first footsteps, then it comes around the corner and I wrinkle my nose in disgust. The first thing I notice is that it's naked, and it's a male. He's a green ugly thing around one meter tall wielding a crude spear. He doesn't have any clothes or armor, so his genital is exposed, free to dangle about. I feel sick just looking at him.

Once he notices me, he immediately charges with his spear, but he shows no emotion.

There's no room for hesitation, I have to fight him, to kill him. My sword is shorter than his spear, so I decide to fight cautiously.

He seemingly doesn't know how to use his weapon as he thrusts and keeps moving closer to me, getting into range of my sword. I deflect with my shield, then I counter and the blade sinks into his chest with little resistance.

He drops his spear and tries to grab my sword. I kick him with the sole of my boot and send him backward towards the floor.

He falls on his back and immediately tries to grab his spear again, but it's too late. I chop downwards and my sword gets stuck midway through his skull.

He immediately goes limp, and the red dot in my [Sense Presence] fades away. It's dead.

I use my foot to dislodge my sword and brain matter drips out of the wound.

Fucking hell.

Now there's blood on my boots, but I'll just have to deal with it for now.

That was easy. This sword cuts cleaner than the previous one, so it's like a hot knife through butter. I'm also not so afraid of taking a hit after Toga taught me how to defend myself. The wonders of healing magic may be affecting how I think about wounds, though.

I'm feeling kind of hot with the leather mittens, cap, and pants, but considering how safe I feel, I can't complain.

I cut the ear as proof of extermination and wipe my blade on a piece of cloth. The reward is only five copper if there's no corpse, but I can't really appear with dozens of goblin corpses in my [Item Box]. Appearing with the Gray Berserker might have been a mistake in the first place, and I won't repeat that again so soon. Though, I think that Sonny and Gordon were so happy with the Berserker that they've ignored my strangeness.

In a few minutes, the dungeon will completely reabsorb the goblin corpse, so just leave it behind and move forward.

Another naked goblin appears, this one wielding a dagger. I kill it before it reaches me with a single chop to the head and move on. A second appears soon after, and this time it's a female with small breasts. She also wields a dagger, so I dispatch her with ease.