Akatsuki Translations

“【Status Open】” -Kiriyama

A screen appears in front of Kiriyama-san. The status information is displayed, but it’s visible only to Kiriyama-san. From my perspective, I only see the back, which looks like a board of light.

“Can I take a look?” -Rokujou

There are some who say showing an uncustomized status is akin to exposing oneself. Normally, it wouldn’t be permitted, but Kiriyama-san nods easily.

“Of course. You’ll show me yours later, right?” -Kiriyama

“Understood.” -Rokujou

It feels like we are being told to expose ourselves to each other, and I’m a bit nervous inside.

Name: Kiriyama Misuzu

Race: Human

Level: 1 → 2

Job: Explorer

Title: Rookie

HP: 8 → 12

MP: 0 → 9

SP: 0 → 11

Strength: 9 → 13

Agility: 9 → 13

Defense: 9 → 14

Dexterity: 11 → 15

Magic Power: 0 → 12

Intelligence: 12 → 14

Charm: 40 → 43

Gacha Luck: 1

Equipment: Bronze grade 【Aristo】 (Barrier value 100)

Magic: None

Skills: None

“Huh? No magic or skills listed.” -Rokujou

And wow, her charm is high.

Kiriyama is about five times more beautiful than my original self. I believe 10 is average, over 20 is one in ten people, considered somewhat cute. Over 30 is one in a thousand, universally recognized as beautiful.

Over 40 is one in a hundred thousand, akin to celebrity-level beauty. Over 50 is one in a million, on par with beauty pageant winners. Those with charm over 60 can even succeed in the West, like top models.

Over 70, and you’re considered beautiful even among those top models. If you’re an explorer, it’s like being reborn as a high-level explorer.

Every explorer apparently experiences a change in appearance up to level 10, with the final appearance at level 10 increasing by 9 to 18. However, there are rare cases, almost like bugs, where charm keeps increasing. It’s said that dungeons favor such individuals.

“Is something wrong? I heard it’s rare to evolve at level 2.” -Kiriyama

“No, it’s not that.” -Rokujou

“What is it then? Show me your status.” -Kiriyama

“Ah, okay.” -Rokujou

As instructed, I opened my status screen. After Kiriyama showed hers, I couldn’t refuse to show mine.

“What’s this? It’s completely different. The magic and skill appear first. Moreover, isn’t the increase relatively extreme? Why is that? Is it the difference between men and women?” -Kiriyama

“No, I don’t think that’s the case. It seems that in dungeons, there’s no real status difference between men and women.” -Rokujou

Indeed, there is a gender difference at the starting point, but the increase in level is the same for both men and women. It is said that as the level increases, the initial status difference becomes negligible.

“So why then?” -Kiriyama

“It probably depends on the situation. Kiriyama-sa-“ -Rokujou

“‘Mi-su-zu.’” -Kiriyama

“Mi, Misuzu wasn’t on the verge of death and was safety-conscious, so she didn’t fight the Goblin Archer. That’s why the results are different.” -Rokujou

“Speaking of which, Yuuta said he was on the brink of death at first. If you’re close to dying, the difference is more than expected. With this much difference, focusing solely on safety measures has its pros and cons.” -Kiriyama

“That’s true. If you only focus on safety and level up, even at the same level, the status could be about double.” -Rokujou

“But if you die, that’s it. It’s tough, isn’t it? Both of us have reached level 2, so how about reducing their numbers to three with a gun and then the two of us taking on those three all at once?” -Kiriyama

“Are you sure? It’s dangerous.” -Rokujou

Initially, the plan was for Kiriyama-san to reach level 2, reduce the enemies to two with a gun, and then the two would defeat them. Increasing from two to three increases the danger level. I thought it might be too cautious, but if we’re careless, we could genuinely die, so it felt just right.

“Okay. Yuuta, you want to exce… aim for level 1000, right?” -Kiriyama

“Of course.” -Rokujou

“I really admire Foreign. Even though he’s Japanese, he’s third in the world. Or rather, there’s hardly any level difference between 1st and 12th place, so he’s essentially the strongest in the world. He’s also in the 12 Heroes Conference. Being in that conference means an individual has the influence of a developed country.” -Kiriyama

Dungeons have only been around for five years. Yet, the world has changed dramatically in those years. Even Japan, with no major mistakes regarding dungeons, has seen many changes in its government. Several times, foreign explorers have tried to invade.

Each time, the Self-Defense Forces lost.

And when they did, the ” Guardian Shield of the Nation・The Angel, Foreign ” stepped in. This country is protected by the Guardian Shield. At some point, everyone began to think that way. A single individual was defending the nation from invasions.

In other countries as well, military forces often lose to explorers, and every country has come to recognize the importance of these explorers.

Above all, explorers who obtain rare dungeon items have economic power. They are both feared and admired. That’s what being an explorer meant.

“It’s amazing how someone so small can be so strong.” -Kiriyama

“I also like 『Tanaka the Demon』.” -Rokujou

“The epitome of a corporate slave, a star among salarymen. There are rumors that his annual income exceeds 10 billion yen, yet he hasn’t quit his job. Ah, I wish an angel would appear for my reincarnation.” -Kiriyama

“I’d prefer a demon. Tanaka the Demon is so cool.” -Rokujou

“The content is essential for that.” -Kiriyama

It is currently believed that reincarnations start at levels 500 and 1000.

What lies beyond is unknown. And the harsher the conditions under which one levels up, the better the reincarnation is said to be. However, reincarnation is not always good.

The prime example is that there is only one reincarnation option. If one does not like their only post-reincarnation self and chooses not to reincarnate, they cannot exceed level 500.

“I think the way you live and fight as an explorer improves your reincarnation.” -Kiriyama

“I feel the same, but we can’t afford to die.” -Rokujou

“I know. That’s why Yuuta will protect me so I won’t die, and I will protect Yuuta so he won’t die.” -Kiriyama

“Even then, what if one of us dies?” -Rokujou

“I won’t stop, no matter what. So Yuuta, you can’t die. Understand?” -Kiriyama

“I understand.” -Rokujou

I knew it, but Kiriyama-san’s answer was different from Imari’s.

“――Sorry about this. Even though they’re things Yuuta received, I seem to be the one using both.” -Kiriyama

After taking a break, Kiriyama spoke again.

Kiriyama also uses a cross-spear. Since the spear has a longer range, just with that, Kiriyama is in a much safer situation than me. Moreover, even after leveling up, Kiriyama has been wearing the necklace.

“You don’t need to worry about it. Once we reach level 3, we might switch roles. Besides…M-Misuzu and I are in this together.” -Rokujou

I still refer to her as Kiriyama-san in my heart, but when I call out, it’s Misuzu. I still feel shy, and just calling her name makes my heart race.

“Yeah, Yuuta. Alright, shall we go?” -Kiriyama

“Yes, let’s.” -Rokujou

Both of them took out the heavy equipment they had in their backpacks.

We put on body armor, helmets, and wore sturdy military uniforms with a camouflage pattern.

I even equipped a polycarbonate shield. Two handguns were tucked into holsters on each side. A Katana was sheathed at the waist for close combat.

With the heavy equipment, their clothes felt damp and sweaty. But, thanks to leveling up, their stamina was significantly different from level 1. They didn’t feel exhausted from the heat, and even with various things in the backpack, it didn’t feel that heavy.

“Leveling up is really amazing. I thought my stats were weak compared to Yuuta’s, but look.” -Kiriyama

*Bang*

While talking, Kiriyama fired a handgun with one hand. The bullet hit a goblin about 50 meters away in the torso. After firing two more shots in quick succession, it was dead.

There were four goblins in total.

With one dead, the other three, who hadn’t noticed us, turned our way.

“Yagya!?” “Gya?” “Gyaa!”

Having confirmed that there were two humans, a man and a woman, they began to run towards us with great momentum.

Goblins attack humans on sight. Kiriyama-san, who had just shown off by shooting with one hand, calmly held the cross-spear with both hands.

“My aim is more stable with one hand now. I never thought the day would come when even I as a woman could shoot with one hand.” -Kiriyama

“I want to confirm, we’re starting with that one, right?” -Rokujou

The one Kiriyama shot down was a goblin archer.

All three of the remaining ones held katanas. No matter how armed, the sight of three goblins wielding katanas and charging simultaneously would have been terrifying before. Yet, there was no fear now.

“Yes, we’ll kill the archer first, but no more than that. If it’s just melee weapons, Yuuta and I can definitely win.” -Kiriyama

“Got it. Let’s go!” -Rokujou

I kicked off the ground.

Even with the equipment on, my body accelerated rapidly. The difference in my dash power was noticeable. Just one level up made a huge difference. It’s said that the average human status is 10.

For me, my strength is 16, and agility is 15. It’s said that an average 15-year-old, with just one level up, can break middle school records. My arm strength also increased dramatically, making it easy to swing a katana with one hand.

The goblins are small and nimble, but at level 2, their movements seem slow in comparison.

“As expected, my dynamic vision has improved. Sorry, goblins, but today I’ll be testing it out thoroughly!” -Rokujou

With a polycarbonate protective shield in front, I approached the goblins aggressively.

“Gi-gya-gya!?”, “Gya!”, “Gi-gi-gya!”

The goblins were wary of my swift movements.

Regardless, I thrust my polycarbonate shield at the goblins. It’s called a shield bash. A goblin that was brandishing a katana tried to strike me from above the shield, but I blocked its attack with the shield and blew it away.

The goblin’s body floated in the air before crashing down on the grassland.

“​【Double Strike】​!” -Rokujou

I shouted the name of the skill. My body accelerated even more. Though I intended to swing my katana just once, two traces were left behind, and the goblin was split into three parts.

“It’s basically magic.” -Rokujou

It’s amazing, I thought. But without a moment’s delay, another goblin attacked from the side. Still, I easily avoided it and glanced towards Kiriyama.

Dodging a goblin’s strike, I moved smoothly to the side. The evaded goblin stumbled, and Kiriyama swung her cross-spear at the goblin’s back. As for me,

“【​Rock bullet】​!” -Rokujou

This time, I used a newly learned magic spell.

A spinning stone bullet, about 10cm in length, appeared and spiraled forward. It was easier to aim than I expected, and it hit the goblin’s heart, leaving a hole larger than a bullet’s.

“It’s quite powerful.” -Kiriyama

Kiriyama slashed at the goblin she had struck once more. She seemed to have quickly grown accustomed to killing goblins and spoke nonchalantly.

“I tried using both, and they seem useful. But I’m running out of MP and SP.” -Rokujou

I can use Double Strike three more times, but if I cast Stone Bullet once more, my MP will be exhausted.

“People say magic and skills are too precious to use at first. I think it’s fine to use them when in danger. We had plenty of leeway after all.” -Kiriyama

“True.” -Rokujou

“Yuuta, it seems your magic is earth-based and your skills are offensive.” -Kiriyama

“I probably have the 【​Samurai Job】​. It’s said to be the most common for Japanese, and 【Double Strike】​ often appears as the first job skill.” -Rokujou

“Is that so~.I wonder what I’ll become.” -Kiriyama

Both magic and skills determine how one will grow. Other types of magic and skills will emerge, but usually, the first ones are the most powerful and fit the person best.

“It would be helpful if Misuzu could get healing magic.” -Rokujou

“I prefer fire or offensive types, but I hope healing appears soon. It’s said that it greatly increases survival rates.” -Kiriyama

“Nagumo-san said that reaching Level 2 would be more helpful than expected. My body moves better than I imagined.” -Rokujou

“That’s why, Yuuta, everyone wants to reach Level 2. That’s why they flock to the dungeons on New Year’s Day more than they do for the first shrine visit.” -Kiriyama

Dungeons are still increasing. They always appear on January 1st, and monsters are said to be weak at that time because they haven’t encountered humans and haven’t learned anything from them.

That’s why it was said that becoming Level 2 on January 1st was the easiest. Recently, many people try to enter dungeons at the beginning of the year, and it’s said that this day has the most deaths in dungeons.

“It’s too easy. Shall we go for four goblins?” -Rokujou

“Okay. I feel like I can handle that many. And about this—” -Kiriyama

“You’re using that?” -Rokujou

“Hehe, this won’t affect the experience points.” -Kiriyama

Kiriyama picked up the bow that the goblin archer she had just killed was holding. She then aimed it at a goblin about 200 meters away and released an arrow. It flew straight. I thought it would hit, but the arrow missed, flying over the group of goblins.

“You sure shot it far, didn’t you?” -Rokujou

“It’s okay. If they notice us because of this, they’ll approach from over there.” -Kiriyama

“They don’t seem to have noticed though.” -Rokujou

The goblin didn’t notice and was roasting some kind of meat.

I think it’s probably a zebra. They were roasting it whole.

“I’ll hit it next time!” -Kiriyama

Kiriyama-san, having taken the quiver, drew another arrow, pulling it back with a force that seemed uncharacteristic of a woman’s slender arm, and released it. A sharp whistling sound was heard. But it missed again.

This time, the arrow stuck in the ground just in front of the goblin, which finally noticed us. There’s a group of five of them. Since the arrows don’t seem to be hitting, I prepared my handgun to thin them out.

“Wait! Give me one more chance!” -Kiriyama

“This isn’t a game.” -Rokujou

“Just one more time!” -Kiriyama

“Fine… If you miss again, I’ll shoot.” -Rokujou

“It’s okay, I’ll hit the next one! Cheeeeeeeest!” -Kiriyama

She drew the bowstring tightly, and the arrow was released with great force. The arrow flew in almost a straight line. If it hits, it’s undoubtedly as powerful as a gunshot. The goblin had come quite close. The arrow pierced one goblin’s leg.

“Look! Yuuta!” -Kiriyama

“You really hit it.” -Rokujou

“Hehe, there’s no negative experience points like when using a gun if the arrow hits, so it’s amazing, right?” -Kiriyama

“Yeah, it’s amazing.” -Rokujou

Seeing this, I started running.

“Misuzu, let’s stop with the bow. If we defeat them too easily, our level-up will get a negative evaluation!” -Rokujou

“Ah, that’s unfair! Wait a bit!” -Kiriyama

Seeing me start to run, Kiriyama-san also began without much delay. One goblin was lagging due to its injury, but the remaining four were still coming at us. Taking on four at once by myself is a bit too much, so I made a wide detour to the right.

This shows the goblins aren’t very smart. They don’t think of isolating and attacking individually. One was lured and headed towards me. But the remaining three went after Kiriyama-san.

“Three are going after Kiriyama-san…” -Rokujou

“Woah, woah, three is too much for me alone, Yuuta!” -Kiriyama

“Don’t panic, Kiriyama-san! If it gets too tough, use the gun!” -Rokujou

“No, no, I think I’ll be okay! I have the necklace you lent me!” -Kiriyama

She was a very competitive girl. She was swarmed by three goblins at once and dodged the first one’s attack. However, without a break, the second and third goblins attacked simultaneously, slashing at her. Kiriyama-san relied on the necklace, neglecting her defense. She took hits from two simultaneous attacks.

“Kiriyama-san!” -Rokujou

“I’m okay!” -Kiriyama

A sharp, metallic sound rang out.

The necklace can completely block any lethal attacks. Kiriyama-san repelled the goblins with her cross spear. The two that had been right in front of her were sent flying. But goblins recover quickly.

“What the!?” -Kiriyama

Moreover, the first one, which had dodged the attack, mercilessly slashed up from between Kiriyama-san’s legs.

Unable to avoid it completely, the blade made contact. The necklace protected her, but she was shaken by the sensation of the blade slashing up. Just as she was momentarily distracted, the other two goblins, having regained their stance, slashed at her again. Just a moment’s distraction and she was hit by two simultaneous slashes.

Once again, and yet again, she was attacked relentlessly, the fact that the necklace was protecting her ignored. Another one got up and…

“Misuzu, you’re taking too many direct hits! At this rate, the barrier from the necklace will break! Dodge it!” -Rokujou

“I, I know!” -Kiriyama

Once her rhythm was disrupted, she was hit by a series of attacks. Although she wore body armor, she didn’t wear a helmet because of the necklace. If her head were to be split by a blade, she would die. The armor doesn’t cover parts like the arms and legs. I panicked and couldn’t effectively deal with the first enemy. I feared Kiriyama-san might die.

“I don’t care about experience points right now!” -Rokujou

I quickly drew my pistol from its holster and fired.

“Kiriyama-san, shoot! Kill it with the gun!” -Rokujou

“I, I got it!” -Kiriyama

I quickly shot and killed the goblin I was facing, firing three rounds to ensure it wouldn’t get up, and then ran towards Kiriyama-san. She was also about to shoot the goblin, so I circled around to avoid getting hit.

*Bang, bang, bang*

Kiriyama somehow managed to take down one of them. However, the second and third were too close. The necklace doesn’t block non-lethal attacks. If knocked down, a struggle ensues. Goblins are monsters driven by lust. They drool and latch on, biting through the armor.

“Yahyah!” “Yaaahyaaah!”

Another goblin lunged at Kiriyama.

“N, nooooooo!” -Kiriyama

“Calm down!” -Rokujou

For the first time, I saw a more feminine side to Kiriyama-san. I kicked the goblin attacking Kiriyama-san, then pulled off the one clinging tightly to her and threw it to the ground. Yet it tried to latch onto her again.

“You being dumb saved me!” -Kiriyama

I drew my blade and delivered the finishing blow to the goblin. I also killed the kicked goblin and made sure to behead the one Kiriyama-san had shot. I could still hear goblin voices, and looking over, I saw it was one Kiriyama-san had shot with an arrow. I finished off the distant goblin as well.

Finally, I could catch my breath. I was drenched in cold sweat. I went back to Kiriyama-san.

“Kiriyama-san… I mean, Misuzu, are you okay? We managed.” -Rokujou

“… …” -Kiriyama

As I checked our surroundings and returned, Kiriyama-san had tears in her eyes and looked pale. I handed her a pocket tissue. She blew her nose and wiped her tears. Her pants were a bit wet, but I pretended not to notice. They’d dry eventually.

“Yuuta, I was so scared.” -Kiriyama

She fixed her appearance and clung to me, showing her vulnerability. Our body armor clinked against each other.

“I thought you died, Misuzu. I was terrified.” -Rokujou

“I’m so useless.” -Kiriyama

Kiriyama-san’s face was close, she hugged me tightly, speaking from a very close distance.

“It’s okay. I’ll protect you when you’re in danger, and when I’m in danger,”  -Rokujou

“I’ll protect you.” -Kiriyama

Kiriyama-san continued, looking at me.

“Right?” -Kiriyama

“Yeah.” -Rokujou

“I got a bit carried away. Sorry. I realized again that what I was doing was dangerous.” -Kiriyama

“But I’m glad we were together.” -Rokujou

“Yes, I’m really glad Yuuta was there. If I had been alone in that situation, I might have either died or become a plaything for the goblins. Ugh, so disgusting. I shudder at the thought that my first time could have been with a goblin.” -Kiriyama

This made me understand more deeply why Nagumo-san had told me to find a companion. I would have made the same kind of careless mistake. And if I had been alone, it would have been over right there.

“I didn’t expect three goblins to come at us.” -Kiriyama

“Sorry. That was partly my fault too. I assumed that if we didn’t approach from the front and circled around, the remaining four goblins would split into two groups of two. But the reality was completely different.” -Rokujou

“Goblins really do love women.” -Kiriyama

While they show intelligence by doing things like roasting zebras and eating them, goblins prioritize their instincts. From now on, we have to consider that when making decisions.

“Only one came at me, a man with higher status, while the rest swarmed around the woman. I won’t take that action again. I’m really sorry.” -Rokujou

“No, it’s my fault. When the three of them approached, you told me to use the gun, but I was thinking about experience points and didn’t use it. In reality, I was terrified when the three of them surrounded me.” -Kiriyama

“Shall we go back to the dungeon shop and take a break?” -Rokujou

Kiriyama-san seems quite shaken up. And she probably wants to change her pants.

Furthermore, as Kunimaru said in his video, “After getting through a dangerous situation, make sure to take a sufficient break.” It seems that excitement can impair one’s ability to make calm decisions.

“That’s fine. I want to reach level 3 today.” -Kiriyama

“There’s no need to rush, right? Didn’t you say that D-ranks spend the entire first term just to reach level 2?” -Rokujou

“Don’t compare us to them. That’s just playing around. Besides, my parents didn’t agree with me, so I came here without telling them. They’re probably calling my house right now because I’m not at school, and they must be extremely worried.” -Kiriyama

“You did that?” -Rokujou

Well, I’m no one to talk. Even with such parents, they wouldn’t agree if I said I wanted to enter the dungeon at 15. It’s even more so for Kiriyama-san.

“They always oppose and never listen. But I think it’ll be a different story if I reach level 3 today.” -Kiriyama

“Are you sure?” -Rokujou

Both Kiriyama-san and I are 15 years old. You can’t keep doing something your parents strongly oppose. While leveling up might provide you with more physical and economic power, it can severely damage the relationship with your parents.

“If they think dungeons easily level you up, they really won’t let me come.” -Kiriyama

Isn’t that the opposite? Even if it’s an exaggeration that D-ranks spend a term to reach level 2, they still level up cautiously. If I were a parent worried about my child, I’d be even more concerned if my child leveled up rapidly.

“I understand. But wait. Let’s take a 10-minute break until the necklace’s barrier recovers, and I’ll read the check items.” -Rokujou

Still, she didn’t stop.

Kiriyama-san wants to keep entering the dungeon, and I want to continue with her. And I don’t know when my parents might forcefully stop me. The quickest way to prevent that is to level up.

Ironically, the more my parents oppose the dungeon, the more I feel the need to level up.