We started exploring the second level - we called it that for convenience because we went down the hill - and other than a slight feeling of unease that we wouldn't be able to return, there were no problems.

　We had a normal bed to sleep in, good food, magic to keep us clean, and moderate exercise.

　There was one complaint about the lack of sunlight, but it was tolerable.

　I wouldn't say it was stress-free, but considering the other adventurers, it was a luxury.

　At the very least, it's much better than working a day job and living in the same inn where Tommy was staying in the first place.

　He was still training in space-time magic with Yuki, but he wasn't in too much of a hurry at the moment.

　If all the paths were dead ends, I would be mentally trapped, but it seems like there are still a lot of areas to explore.

　Besides, according to my knowledge of dungeons so far, there is no such thing as a dungeon that is too unreasonable.

　In this case, there are other passages, or you can return to the dungeon if you meet certain conditions, or something like that.

　In a sense, dungeons are fair, though the reason is not well understood.

　There are some questions as to why they are designed that way, but we live in a world where gods exist and there is magic. We have to accept it as such.

　From our point of view, we are grateful.


　Well, we were in no hurry and proceeded to explore carefully, but there was not much change in the dungeon even after entering the second level.

　The only thing that had changed was that there were no more undead, but the giant bats and other enemies were still there.

　The enemies are still the same. They are all weak to us, and there is no change.

　However, the fact that there are enemies that give you meat is an advantage in a way. When the time comes, you can eat them and survive.

　On the other hand, it would have been a disaster if there were only undead. I don't want to eat rotting human flesh and bones even if I'm starving to death.


　It was on the twelfth day of his search that he noticed a change.

"Hey, Toya, your relatives are here.
"Who's my relative?

　This is the first new enemy reaction I've found in a while.

　I waited for them as they approached rather quickly, but they were a pack of wolves - or should I say a pack? --It was a pack.

　A group of five wolves, led by a slightly larger one, were running towards us, but as soon as they were within range of the light that Natsuki had flashed slightly ahead of them, they relaxed their legs as if in alarm.

　The sound of footsteps was very slight, and its body hair was black. His body is lost in the darkness of the dungeon.

　If it hadn't been for [Spotting enemy], I wouldn't have noticed it until I was very close.

　With its movement speed, it is quite a troublesome enemy.

　Immediately check its status with the 【Scanning】 skill.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
　Race: Howling Wolf
　Status: Healthy
　Skills: [Bite] [Claw Strike] [Roar
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"These guys have the [Roar] skill...

　Gah!

　Before I could finish, one of the Howling Wolves let out a roar.
　Before I could say anything else, one of the Howling Wolves let out a roar that stopped our movement for a moment.

　Gwaah!

　Toya immediately shouts in return, and the Howling Wolves are visibly frightened.

We're related after all!
No!

　The voice that Toya shouted in response was probably [Roar].

　This skill of frightening the opponent is not popular among us, and we don't usually use it.

　It doesn't affect us as allies, but it's simply too loud when used near us.

　Especially in a dungeon like this, it is very noisy.

　But the main reason why we don't use it much is not because it's unpopular with us, but because it might attract demons if we shout in the forest.

　Even if you can kill the enemy in front of you a little easier, it's not worth it if they keep coming after you.

　If you want to gain experience, that's one thing, but if you want to cut down a famous tree, it's just a hindrance.

They're coming!

　Even though they were frightened, they probably didn't have the option of retreating because they were demons.

　Five of them started running at the same time, with the first two heading straight for Toya and Natsuki. And the other three...

"What?

　A near-vertical wall. The three Howling Wolves run as if they were attached to the wall.

　The aim is to flank the ......2 people!

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

　It would be easier for each of us to take on one of them at a time.

　I immediately stepped forward and blocked the Howling Wolf from moving towards Natsuki.

　Ignore Toya.
　He has a shield, so he shouldn't be a problem.

　I was a little surprised by its quick movements and somewhat tricky use of the wall, but it's only a wolf.

　Normally, the [Roar] skill might be troublesome, but as long as Toya can counter it, it doesn't matter much to us.

　The two that came at us from the front were quickly cut down, and the three that tried to attack us from the sides were killed by us, unable to do anything after they had blocked one blow.


It was a new enemy, but it was no problem, right?　We didn't have time to do anything about it.

We didn't have time to mess with them, unless they took us by surprise.

The magic stones are 1,800 rares, so that's their level.

　It seems that Toya took out one of the demon stones and tried to appraise it.
　In terms of the value of the demon stone, it is less than a zombie, so its simple strength is probably not that great.

　Compared to the other demons that appear in this area, it's a fair bet.
　The only condition is that you have to be able to deal with surprise attacks.

　If it sneaks up on you and stops your movement with a [Roar], it will be dangerous.

　At the very least, it would be difficult for an adventurer of the level of the woodcutter's guard in Rafan.

But I've never used it before, is [Roar] more useful than I thought?



　The Howling Wolf's [roar] stopped my movement for a moment.

　However, in a battle, that moment could mean the difference between life and death.

　As for the Howling Wolf, it can probably be countered if you are prepared, but if it is used unexpectedly in a critical moment, it may be fatal.

　And the reverse is also true.

No, it's not that easy, you know.　It's not so easy to use [Roar] in close combat. If you use it at the start of a battle, it's fine, but the more you shout, the more your breathing gets disturbed. Maybe it's like how you guys use magic while fighting?

"I see. That might be difficult.

　It's not just about shouting, but also about some kind of pool of magic power (?). It's not just shouting.

　Even with magic, it is quite difficult to use it while moving your body flamboyantly.

　If it were easy, I'd be fighting with a spear and attacking with the Fire Arrow.

But it's worthwhile to have some stiffness at the beginning of the battle.

Hmm, yeah. ......

And the fact that it's only useful in a few situations doesn't change that.

　Yes, we may have to put up with the noise, but the problem of attracting demons is the same.

　In the beginning, when we were hunting Task Boar, there were not many demons around, so we didn't have many problems.

　Even the Weipu Bear, a powerful enemy back then, was classified as an animal. They don't go out of their way to attack people.

　On the other hand, demons, as if attacking people was their purpose in life, would come closer to people.

The other problem is where to train them. No matter how big our yard is, it would disturb the neighbors if we did it there.

Dog noises can be a problem for the neighbors.

That's not a dog!

Yeah, they're more annoying than dogs.

　To Toya's protest, Yuki nodded her head and said something terrible.

　But the fact is, it's more annoying than a dog's bark. It's not a skill that can cause psychological damage. It is a skill that can cause mental damage.

　If you hear such a voice early in the morning, you might want to file a complaint or two.

Well, let's leave it to Toya to decide what to do. But no training in the yard. I want to get along with my neighbors.

We're buying a house.
Yeah, yeah. It's not easy to move.
...... Okay. I'll think about it.

　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who can't deny what Haruka and the others have said.

　　　　I'm not sure what to do.

　We had been exploring for another 10 days and had encountered several new enemies, but they were all not very challenging.

　Inevitably, the value of magic stones was low, and we earned little money per day.

　The mapping is going well, and we've already drawn as many as the first layer, but we haven't found any treasure chests, so there are no bonuses.

　We were getting a little bored with the exploration, because the enemies were weak and we couldn't expect much in the way of experience.

We were getting a little tired of exploring. "But from a game perspective, this dungeon is unbalanced.

　It was while we were collecting the Ripper Bees scattered in the corridor that Toya started to say this.

　A ripper bee is a bee monster about 50 centimeters long, with a magic stone of about 800 rares, but its translucent wings can be sold for a reasonable price, making it a slightly more efficient monster in this dungeon.

　It flies in flocks, so you can hunt many of them at once, but it has poisonous needles, so it's not as easy as you might think.

　However, the poisonous stinger can't penetrate even a glove made of Dahl's Bear leather, so from our point of view, it's not too much of a threat as long as we're somewhat careful.

"Balance, what?

　Yuki stopped collecting and nodded her head, apparently not understanding the meaning of Toya's words.

I'm not sure what you mean by "balance".　In games, it's usually the other way around, right?

That's true. It's not simply a matter of level. It's not a simple matter of converting levels, but it's not possible in a game to explore a forest with strong enemies and then enter a dungeon where the enemies are suddenly weaker.

"That's because it's not a game.

　There's no point in balancing a game, and no one does.

　I dare say it's God, but he's probably not involved in any of that ...... stuff, right?

I'm sure you've heard of it. It's territorial, isn't it?

"Dungeons are basically independent. It seems that demons can come out of dungeons, but not the other way around.

　I'm still reading the book, but according to Natsuki, who has read all of "What is a Dungeon", demons can live in ordinary caves, but there have been no confirmed cases of demons living in the surrounding area living in dungeons.

　On the other hand, there are cases of demons overflowing the dungeon, which would be a good nuisance for the demons living in the area.

　The reason why this is so is not known, but it can be used to determine whether something that looks like a cave is a dungeon or not.

　In other words, if there is a demon that is obviously weak when it enters the cave, then it is likely to be a dungeon.

　Of course, there is also the possibility that the demons in the area simply don't like to roost in caves, so we can't say for sure.

I see. Well, it's a shame that you're not making enough money, but with the way you're trapped, it's probably for the best.

　He then sighed in annoyance and continued with his words with effort.

But my biggest complaint is that the Howling Wolves aren't even remotely cute!　And there are no baby wolves!

...... No, what did you expect from a demon?

What did you expect from a demon? I've come to a different world and I'm not enjoying it one bit!

Well, the only demons that are docile are dead demons. Of course, wild animals are also very cautious.

　And Toya is not so perverse as to pet a dead wolf.

Ideal and Reality: ....... Should I have requested the tamer skill? ......



I don't know how you feel about that. ....... I'm not sure what to make of that.

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.

　In addition to the demons that will attack you without exception when you meet them, even task boars, vipe-bears, and brown-eyed bears, which are classified as animals, will not take to you easily.

　In a sense, Dahl's Bear was a giant fluffy thing, but there was no way she could enjoy it with life and death at stake.

　If Toya wanted to enjoy her fluff to the fullest...

If Toya wanted to fully enjoy his fluff, he would have to raise his level so high that he wouldn't be hurt by bites and scratches.

That's the only way. ......

　I'm not sure what to make of that.

　But even if you do get to touch it, it's not quite the fluff you want.

　It's not like he's pining for me.

　Perhaps the best way to enjoy fluffiness is to get a big dog in the original world.