Akatsuki Translations

“Bleghhhhhhh…” -Kiriyama

Having taken the train to the Kofu Dungeon, and after shopping at the dungeon store, Kiriyama-san, who seemed to have somehow persuaded her parents, was in high spirits throughout. Once inside the dungeon, she vomited, wet herself, and had a runny nose. Her beauty was completely ruined.

“Are you okay?” -Rokujou

I called out to her, rubbing her back. Beside us lay the corpse of a goblin. The corpse had multiple gunshot wounds, and there were marks from where it had been stabbed with the cross-spear given by Nagumo-san. I was the one who shot the goblin with the gun.

The reason being, I had purchased a gun from Nagumo-san, which, he said, wouldn’t help me level up. If I were asked why I did such a thing, it was because I had heard about that gun from Nagumo-san and gave it some thought.

『After all, no matter how you look at it, it’s strange. In America, using handguns is normal, and other countries also generally permit the use of handguns inside dungeons. Yet, nowhere is it mentioned that using a handgun doesn’t let you level up. 』-Rokujou

『It’s impossible, right? 』-Kiriyama

As I continued to rub Kiriyama-san’s back, I recalled the conversation I had with her the day before.

『That’s what I thought. Nagumo-san has been entering the dungeon for the past five years. Five years ago, naturally, guns weren’t usable in Japan’s dungeons. They only became usable recently when a large stock from the U.S. military started circulating. 』-Rokujou

『Was it about three months ago? 』-Kiriyama

『Yes. So, Japan still doesn’t know much about handguns. Moreover, there’s a rumor that other countries, finding it odd how well Japan is doing in terms of dungeons, are intentionally withholding information. 』-Rokujou

『So, you think Nagumo-san misunderstood that even with a handgun, you can level up? 』-Kiriyama

『No, that part is probably true. The easier you defeat monsters, the harder it becomes to level up. For example, a goblin on the first floor won’t let you level up past level 3. At level 3, you can easily kill a goblin on the first floor. So, you won’t level up anymore. The same goes for handguns. 』-Rokujou

『So, Nagumo-san didn’t misunderstand anything? 』-Kiriyama

『No, I think Nagumo-san’s misunderstanding isn’t about that. I suspect he might have never seen a low-level explorer using a handgun properly. For instance, even if you shoot and kill a goblin with a handgun, you don’t have to kill all of them. You can leave one goblin alive when they’re in a group. 』-Rokujou

『Ah, I see! So you mean that you can defeat just that single goblin using a melee weapon.』-Kiriyama

When I told Kiriyama-san this, she was quite impressed.

In reality, for Kiriyama-san’s sake, I shot at a group of three goblins. However, I didn’t kill them on the spot; I just shot their legs. I did this primarily for Kiriyama-san to get used to killing goblins.

“Ugh, that was so disgraceful. I thought it’d be a bit better, but it was tougher than I imagined.” -Kiriyama

Kiriyama-san faced three goblins. She hesitated but managed to kill two of them with her spear. However, the remaining one was the problem. The goblin was still alive. And as long as it’s alive, it’s desperate not to be killed.

So, when Kiriyama-san hesitated to stab the goblin, it retaliated. The goblin, after witnessing the previous two of its kind getting killed, mustered all its strength and lunged at Kiriyama-san.

『Hey, that’s not something to be envious of, let go! 』-Kiriyama

Though Kiriyama-san had disarmed the goblin, the desperate creature clung to her. Moreover, goblins have a notorious tendency to indiscriminately attack females of other species.

It began to move as if trying to mate, like a dog. Kiriyama-san, who had been enduring a lot, was genuinely frightened.

She wet herself, her nose ran, and she even vomited. I would’ve helped her immediately, but because the goblin was so close to Kiriyama-san, it was too dangerous to use a gun or knife. By the time I managed to pry the goblin off her, a significant amount of time had passed.

“I get it, if that happened to me, I’d be terrified to death too.” -Rokujou

“But you didn’t vomit, did you?” -Kiriyama

Kiriyama-san blew her nose with the tissue I handed her, wiping away the tears that had formed.

“Well, true.”  -Rokujou

“Ugh, that was so embarrassing.” -Kiriyama

Kiriyama-san, who was not just the class’s idol but the idol of the entire grade, seemed oddly amused.

“Well, at least there’s no more embarrassment to be had in front of Yuuta. Hahaha, I even soiled my underwear.” -Kiriyama

I inadvertently glanced at Kiriyama-san’s lower half. No matter the dungeon, the conditions of each level are said to be almost the same. The first level of the Kofu dungeon, like the Ikebukuro dungeon, was a vast grassland with a savannah-like heat, and Kiriyama-san was in a tank top.

Her pants were stained with some unknown liquid from the goblin. And clearly, there was another wetness not from the goblin. I remembered the lady who was glared at by Nagumo-san yesterday. For Kiriyama-san’s sake, we should go change her clothes.

“Sorry, can you turn around?” -Kiriyama

“Huh?” -Rokujou

“I’m changing, so don’t look. Do you want to see?” -Kiriyama

“N-no!” -Rokujou

I wanted to, but I wouldn’t. I quickly turned away. After some rustling noises, she said, “You can look now.” When I turned back, Kiriyama-san had changed into leggings.

“Sigh, I never thought I’d be this weak. Thinking about it, Since I was wearing the necklace, I would have been alright anyways.” -Kiriyama

The necklace from Nagumo-san was around Kiriyama-san’s neck.

It was something I gave her. Initially, Kiriyama-san hesitated, but since our plan for the day was to level up Kiriyama-san to level 2, I explained my near-death experience and insisted she wear the necklace for extra protection.

“The genuine intent to kill from an opponent is scarier than one would imagine.” -Rokujou

Well, it’s more of an instinct than a murderous intent. Either way, it’s terrifying, especially for women.

“True. You don’t really get dungeons until you’re inside one.” -Kiriyama

Kiriyama-san seemed nonchalant, taking the whole experience as a learning opportunity rather than being traumatized.

“Aren’t you scared?” -Rokujou

“Well, I am scared. But I still like this kind of stuff. I definitely wouldn’t want to be attacked, but the good and bad are all results of my own choices. Whether I live or die is up to me. There’s something about that I really like. Yuuta, are you put off by a girl like me?” -Kiriyama

“No, I like that stuff too. It feels like living life to the fullest.” -Rokujou

“Yeah. Well then, let’s move on.” -Kiriyama

I’m happy that Kiriyama-san talks to me as an equal. When we went to the dungeon shop in Kofu Dungeon, we ended up buying everything we didn’t buy yesterday. We bought guns, body armor, helmets, and even camouflage clothing.

『Are you really buying all this with only 100,000 yen? 』-Cashier

The pretty cashier lady, just like the woman at the Ikebukuro Dungeon shop, asked us in surprise when we added a polycarbonate shield to our purchase.

『Is it impossible after all? Should we just take one gun and go into the dungeon? 』-Rokujou

『Yeah, let’s do that. It’s okay, we won’t die. 』 -Kiriyama

『Wait a minute, you two! I’ll try talking to my boss! 』-Cashier

Trusting Nagumo-san’s words, we went with that, and when we told the cashier that we only had 100,000 yen, she actually gave us a discount, making our purchase, which was worth 1,000,000 yen combined with Kiriyama-san’s, only 100,000 yen.

That’s why Kiriyama-san also bought the same equipment and packed it into a backpack to carry. But right now, we’re both in light clothing. I’m in a T-shirt and cargo pants.

As for Kiriyama-san, she’s only in a tank top and spats. We’re dressed so lightly because we don’t need heavy equipment right now, and simply because it’s hot. It’s so hot that wearing heavy gear would be exhausting.

“I’ve heard rumors, but the first floor is really hot, isn’t it?” -Kiriyama

“Yeah, it’s crazy. From the 1st to 5th floor, it’s almost the same in every dungeon, like the Earth’s savannah. The 1st floor retains the current weather and temperature. And each floor is said to be 100km in diameter, which is unbelievably vast.” -Rokujou

“Absolutely. They say Kofu is a low-level dungeon, but it still has up to 20 floors, right? If you combine the area of all floors from the 1st to the 20th, it’s larger than Greece. If the dungeons don’t disappear after they’re cleared, it could solve land and refugee issues instantly.” -Kiriyama

I took another look around the first floor of the Kofu Dungeon. The sight of zebras, hippos, and giraffes on the grasslands was almost identical to the Ikebukuro Dungeon. It felt so similar that it didn’t feel like we were in a different dungeon.

“Kiriyama-san, shall we try that again?” -Rokujou

I don’t have as many recovery methods as Nagumo-san, so I decided to play it safe until Kiriyama-san’s level increased.

Seeing Kiriyama-san nod, I looked for a group of goblins in the grassland and noticed them at a distance.

“Can I try shooting next?”  -Kiriyama

“Shouldn’t we both do it? It was a bit dangerous earlier.” -Rokujou

The 9mm gun that Kiriyama-san has is a SIG M17. It was unthinkable for middle schoolers in Japan to shoot guns a while ago, but now it’s not so rare for a 15-year-old to shoot. There are many videos online.

The effective range of a handgun is about 50m. If you want to hit for sure, you need to get closer. Earlier, I approached the goblins from about 30m and shot, but they ran at a considerable speed, with the last one getting very close.

“That’s true. Let’s do it together.” -Kiriyama

Goblins are everywhere in the grassland, but they don’t seem to have good eyesight. They don’t react to humans unless they’re within about 100m. We’re relatively safe until we get closer.

But once we get within 100m, we approach from their blind spot, making sure not to be seen. Once we get within shooting range, I grip the gun with both hands and get ready, cocking the gun.

I aimed at the three goblins moving through the dot sight. I held my breath smoothly,

*Bang Bang Bang*

*Bang Bang Bang*

There was no flashy noise, just a dry sound.

I fired three shots at each goblin’s legs, and the casings rolled on the ground. By the time the goblins noticed me, two of them could barely move. One tried to run towards me, but Kiriyama-san quickly shot it down.

“Wow~, I hit them!” -Kiriyama

“Yeah, let’s finish them off.” -Rokujou

“G-got it.” -Kiriyama

Unpleasant memories from earlier came flooding back, making Kiriyama-san’s face tense. Still, she knew she had to handle situations like this.

“Brace yourself and make sure you don’t drop the spear.” -Rokujou

“O-okay.” -Kiriyama

She first aimed the spear at the goblin, and Kiriyama-san thrust it forward. She made sure to watch until the goblin’s life was extinguished, never taking her eyes off the other two injured goblins. Earlier, she had been so focused on finishing off a goblin that she’d lost her advantage.

“Gyagya!”

Again, the last goblin tried to get up.

But on closer inspection, it was wobbling. Without any panic, Kiriyama-san calmly knocked it down with the shaft of the spear. The goblin, now lying on the grassland, let out a weak

“gya, gya…”

The last goblin’s life light dimmed without any real resistance.

“Ugh, this is more emotional than I thought it’d be.” -Kiriyama

“I get it. It feels like we’re doing something really wrong.” -Rokujou

“Yet we’re still having fun. Both Yuuta and I are truly sinful.” -Kiriyama

“Totally. Next time, we’ll leave one without any damage.” -Rokujou

“Understood.” -Kiriyama

Perhaps she had gotten used to it, but Kiriyama-san didn’t vomit or leak anything. She steadily defeated the goblins. However, she didn’t face goblin archers until she reached level 2. If there was an opponent with a bow, she killed them with her handgun before getting close.

“There we go.” -Kiriyama

Thanks to the necklace, Kiriyama-san wasn’t afraid to approach the goblins. So, as she got used to it, she wasn’t hesitant, and even the tenth goblin was taken down smoothly.

“Ah, it seems like I leveled up. Whose voice is that? It sounds like a woman’s voice, but is it the same for Yuuta?” -Kiriyama

It seems that a voice announcing the level-up echoed in Kiriyama-san’s head.

“Probably.” -Rokujou

As a sign of leveling up, her body started to glow pale blue.

Kiriyama-san, who originally had a well-toned body and was so beautiful it was almost too much, became even more toned due to the level-up. The parts that should be toned tightened further, and the parts that should stand out did. I thought her face couldn’t get any prettier, but it did.

“So, even if our body shape changes, we don’t just become all muscular.” -Kiriyama

“Of course. If that were the case, imagine how muscular a level 100 person would need to be.” -Rokujou

When you level up, you become stronger.

However, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll gain muscles. It’s said that the transformation is based on your own body, getting closer to an ideal. For example, a chubby person will lose weight as they level up. Conversely, if someone is too thin, they’ll gain weight.

It’s obvious, but one doesn’t gain infinite muscles with every level up. After reaching a certain stage, one’s body, based on its foundation, will achieve its ideal. From there, the appearance no longer changes.

“You leveled up more easily than me. I almost died once.” -Rokujou

“Haha, well, with all the preparations done up to this point, it wasn’t that bad. I was honestly nervous, but I wasn’t too scared because Yuuta was with me.” -Kiriyama

When the light settled, Kiriyama-san became even more beautiful. She was already beautiful, so now it’s almost scary.

“Kiriyama-san, let’s check your status.” -Rokujou

At Kiriyama-san’s words, while feeling happy, I became curious about her status.