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 muffled female voice reaches my ears, "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 kind of look like twins. I've caught a few patrons and even myself staring at her absentmindedly, but did she notice our stares? She's just a bright spirit, and 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. If I think this world is like a novel, 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 theirs 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 quickly 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 kind of nice.

After eating, I go to the Crafter's Corner. Walking around town is rather tiring, but I'm not a sedentary person, it's just that 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.

The armor is quite flexible and well-padded, so I feel snug and safe in it. I do have to moisturize then oil it so that it doesn't dry and harden, but the cost of doing that is nothing in comparison to how much more I'd have to pay for metal armor.

I notice that good padding is quite expensive, and all of the stronger ones come from monster fur. It seems that cotton is rather flimsy in comparison to monster-based textiles, but it's still more expensive due to a variety of reasons.

There are more expensive pieces of leather armor I could've bought, 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 old 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], and they give me two spells each, [Appraise] or [Appraisal Eyes]. The former is the more commonly used one since it's cheaper, 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 the usual black screen of the "system" after I stare at it for a few seconds, though the spell 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 piece of 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, iron shield iron painted entirely in black. I'll use it 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. It's a bit pricey, but I can't skimp on my safety. I also see a few, much more "fashionable" versions of the same equipment I'm buying, but they cost a lot more, of course.

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 that can be used as toilet paper, but it seems like even children are trained to learn [Conjuring Magic] and [Light Magic] level 1, which give them the spells [Conjure Water] and [Clean], respectively, so they can 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.

The potions all come in glass flasks, so I can't carry them in the pockets of my armor. Because of that, the merchant advises me to buy a few metal flasks so that they can survive melee combat. It wouldn't be funny if I passed out and died due to poison because I couldn't focus enough to pull an antidote out of my "Items," so I get three of these "battle potions."

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 at the ground and not on myself if I don't want to pass out from the smell.

Talking about smell, there's an anti-scent powder that's commonly used by explorers since a lot of monsters hunt humanoids using scent. It's basically a magical deodorant since it removes any smell. There's a magic tool version, but the powder is very cheap, so I can save some money until I'm more comfortable with my income.

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 a map of only the ten first floors of Royd's Kerfuffle. I don't plan on going to the eleventh floor anytime soon.

The stone and crystals are 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 already 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 weight of the contents of your [Item Box], so I don't want to 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 human pack mules.

I don't want to 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 in it my silver coins, copper coins, and some things like the sleeping bag and some food.

I walk to the west gate, the same one that I first 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], but at least I don't have to pay for anything because of my adventurer ID.

I take a look at his crystal tablet and notice that at least they can't see the number of coins that I have.

I assume customs are just 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 walk out of town and see a line of multiple wagons with groups of people in between, all waiting to enter the town, and by their worn armor and weapons, they seem to be mostly adventurers. It looks 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: 2+1 | Parry: 0+1]

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

['Magical']

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

[Electric Magic: 1+0 | Nature Magic: 5+0 | Blessing Magic: 10+0]

['Miscellaneous']

['Nothing']

--

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

--

Though the Enhanced skill drains my mental energy, I can still enjoy the sights as I follow the cobbled road west. To my right, there are the farms, endless fields of green that wave with the wind; and to my left, there's the Sea of Trees, an ominous wall of huge trees where dangerous monsters lurk within.

I recognize that most plantations are of beans. The plants are short sprouts with uncountable bean pods hanging from them, the short height of the plantations giving me an unimpeded view until deep within the farmlands.

I recognize water wheels near the edge of my vision, so there must be a river that runs close to the town. I also can't see any sheep from the small amount of livestock in my view, so maybe they're deeper in because this area is more dangerous due to 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 at the bottom of the mountains there's a valley with quite a few dungeons, so I might go there one day.

On the side of the Sea of Trees, the trees are so tall that I can't even see what's beyond them. 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 out there.

After a long walk, the road turns north, which means I'm close to my destination, then a few minutes later, a small forest starts to peek above the farms as I come for the final approach. The trees surrounding the dungeon's entrance grow very fast, so this area is a source of cheap lumber.

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 faintly, 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: 4+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. Since [Parry] already has a good overlap with [Sword Use], I chose [Dodge] and [Block] to give me more options.

With that, there's only one choice here, I step inside the black door, and I suddenly find myself standing in an eerie black void as even the door that I came from is now gone. Curiously I can see my own body though I can't find where the light comes from.

Suddenly, a small, black window appears in front of me as if I opened my "Menu." It has only two lines of writing on it: "1st floor" and "Exit." I touch "1st floor."

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 long second, the ground reappears under me, then the darkness is lifted instantly.

I'm now in an empty room made out of gray square tiles with black seams. There are two exits out of this room, one ahead of me that takes me to an unremarkable corridor, and one behind me, the same ominous black door that I came from.

Every few tiles, there's a small gem that glows faintly, illuminating the dungeon with a weak light. 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 around here. The first are the goblins, which carry a variety of conjured weapons that disappear when the monster dies. The goblins are so weak that even a greenhorn like me can take them down in a duel.

Though it's annoying that the goblins' weapons equipment disappears, finding loot in a dungeon is actually rather rare as most of the items inside them are fakes created by the dungeon.

Anyway, 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 where I'm going. 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. But the size of this floor actually surprises me, it's about half as large as 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, though it's possible to be corned in them if one's not careful.