Akatsuki Translations

“Drink this.” -Nagumo

Nagumo-san offered me a potion bottle. I wish he’d stop appearing beside me out of nowhere; it’s bad for my heart.

“A potion… But I don’t have the money…” -Rokujou

“Are you an idiot? Just drink it. You’ll die.” -Nagumo

This potion likely costs more than I can afford. Unlike the potion I bought from the dungeon shop, this one glows faintly. Isn’t this worth like 10 million? But if I don’t drink it, I’ll surely die.

I nodded slightly and gulped down the potion. A light shone from my abdomen, the arrow was expelled on its own, and the wound began to close.

“Ha, ha,” -Rokujou

I’ve been out of breath for a while now. Not only is my body tired, but my heart is even more exhausted. Will I have to keep doing this?

“What will you do? Quit?” -Nagumo

As if reading my mind, Nagumo asked again.

“I-I won’t quit!” -Rokujou

But I immediately responded. If I’m just going to flee shamelessly, I’d rather die.

“That’s what I thought. Here, eat this.” -Nagumo

Nagumo took out a chocolate snack from his item box’s black void. It’s an almond chocolate sold everywhere.

“I have some food with me.” -Rokujou

I had some onigiri in my backpack that I could eat immediately. I can’t keep relying on him. I have to manage with what I have.

“Dumbass. It’s fine for today. Here, eat. Unless you don’t like chocolate? I love it.” -Nagumo

“I like it too though.” -Rokujou

“Well, then it’s settled. You can start being stubborn tomorrow.” -Nagumo

I gratefully accepted it. The almond chocolate was delicious and somewhat calmed my heart. Although goblins were nearby, Nagumo sat down on the grassland and patted the spot beside him, beckoning me to sit.

“It’s harder than you thought, isn’t it?” -Nagumo

My stomach still felt somewhat sore as I sat, holding my abdomen.

“To be honest, I underestimated it. I thought with a gun, everything would be a breeze. I want to punch my past self.” -Rokujou

“Well, it’s true that having a gun makes it easier. If you can level up with a gun, then you should use it for level grinding on the first floor. But we can’t do that. Honestly, it’s pretty tough.” -Nagumo

Nagumo took an almond chocolate from the box I had and put it in his mouth. The sound of him crunching the almond made it sound delicious.

“The tougher it is, the bigger the reward. I heard the level-ups are particularly incredible.” -Rokujou

“That’s right. When you reach level 10 or so, you can easily defeat opponents with guns. Your intelligence and memory improve, and you won’t forget what you’ve learned. And there are other benefits as you level up.” -Nagumo

“Like what?” -Rokujou

“Women will come to you without you doing anything.” -Nagumo

“Is that… true? It’s not some kind of illusion?” -Rokujou

I’ve always been the bullied type, not particularly good-looking, and never popular with girls. Aside from my younger sister, Imari, I’ve hardly ever spoken to a girl. Far from being popular, I’m often scorned, so the idea of being attractive is unimaginable.

“You’ll be surprised at first. Women who never gave you a second look will come to you on their own. They’ll even be eager to be with you. As you reach higher levels, even adults will treat you differently.” -Nagumo

“Adults?” -Rokujou

“Yeah. Clearly older and more arrogant men will bow down to you. Honestly, it was disorienting at first. I thought of myself as the same person, but to others, I was completely different. I still don’t quite understand it.” -Nagumo

“It sounds like it could make one distrustful of others.” -Rokujou

“Exactly. At first, the adults and women around me seemed very ugly. I’d take beautiful women, use them, and discard them to relieve my frustration. Even when they begged me not to leave, I found them annoying.” -Nagumo

“That’s terrible.” -Rokujou

“Heh, well, that’s until that damn old hag fucked me up.” -Nagumo

“There’s an old hag who can beat up Nagumo?”

I can’t even fathom how strong he is. Still, since he can reincarnate, he should be within the top 1000 of the world’s strongest rankings.

“It was terrifying. She said, ‘Looks like you need a bit of discipline,’ then she chopped off my dick. Thanks to that, I was without one until I got my hands on an Elixir.” -Nagumo

“Yikes.” -Rokujou

Just hearing about it sent chills down my spine.

It seemed like remembering the incident made Nagumo-san shiver with fear too. In the dungeon, there’s no distinction like “because she’s a woman, she’s strong” or “she’s weak.” Among high-level explorers, there’s no gender superiority; there are plenty of women who are stronger than men.

“I don’t want to have my member chopped off by some old hag, so I’m definitely not going to mess around with women.” -Rokujou

“But if you try it, it’s fun~ women feel amazing~.” -Nagumo

“Don’t suggest weird things!” -Rokujou

Nagumo-san, grinning broadly, looked childlike.

But seeing someone live so freely was enviable. And I realized I was now free too. At the very least, I was free from the suffocating restraints of that school. That’s why, even after nearly getting killed, I felt good.

“This is kind of fun.” -Rokujou

“Alright, let’s move on.” -Nagumo

Nagumo-san took a slightly longer than ten-minute break, but when it was time to switch gears, he was all business.

He stood up, brushed off the grass from his rear, and vanished from sight again. A goblin died a few hundred meters away. The remaining goblin had a bow.

“Another Goblin Archer, huh? This means ‘get used to dodging‘ right? But I don’t feel like I can dodge the arrows at all.” -Rokujou

Dodging arrows is something seen in anime or period dramas, but I, who am no expert or anything, can’t do that.

The strong sunlight made the arrows hard to see. Plus, they fly at high speed, making it challenging to visually track them once they’re released.

So, if I think that an arrow has been shot, I will move away from that spot to another location. If there’s enough distance, I can awkwardly dodge it this way.

But when it’s close, this method is too slow. I’ll inevitably get hit once or twice.

“Ugh…” -Rokujou

“Don’t make that face or that sound…” -Nagumo

The goblin, with a spear thrust into its belly, made a pitiable noise, realizing its imminent death.

An arrow or two could be blocked by my necklace. But if hit repeatedly, the durability of the necklace will be exceeded, and the arrows will pierce me.

Due to not wanting to test that assumption out, I quickly approach and spear the Goblin Archer. Thanks to the necklace, even if a goblin has a bow and arrow, I can easily defeat it.

“Even if it’s easy, it doesn’t make me happy.” -Rokujou

I pulled the spear out of the goblin’s belly.

The goblin’s dying face, looking resentfully at me, evoked an indescribable guilt. I don’t think I’ll be able to get used to this.

Still, I felt a sense of accomplishment being engrossed in something, unlike in school where I had no passion. It was then.

【Notification: Level Up】

“A voice? A woman?” -Rokujou

【You have defeated 10 goblins and have reached Level 2. 】

A voice echoed in my head, announcing the level-up.

“Level up?” -Rokujou

I inadvertently let out a voice. Is this what leveling up feels like? As the voice echoed in my head, my body shone brightly, emitting a strange glow.

Then my body suddenly became hot. Once it cooled down, the glow disappeared, and strangely enough, I felt more muscular.

Energy surged through me. I felt like I could lift something very heavy right now, and indeed, the backpack and cross spear I was carrying felt incredibly light.

“Ah, you leveled up? It’s quite surprising the first time, isn’t it?” -Nagumo

Nagumo-san approached and spoke to me.

“Did I really level up? I’ve only defeated 10 goblins so far, and you helped me.” -Rokujou

The experience needed to level up can vary greatly depending on the situation.

For instance, if a rich person hires an explorer to weaken a goblin to the brink of death and only delivers the final blow, no matter how many goblins they defeat this way, they won’t level up.

This concept is similar to how it is with guns, but unlike guns, this fact is widely known and even taught in 3^rd year middle school classes. So, I was worried that leveling up with Nagumo-san’s assistance, even in a one-on-one situation, might not be possible.

“Just because I’m helping doesn’t mean it’s easy.” -Nagumo

“It was challenging, but…” -Rokujou

The most daunting thing in a dungeon is genuinely dying or getting an incurable injury. However, thanks to Nagumo-san, I wasn’t too concerned about that. Especially after receiving a potion, I felt like I was relying on his kindness.

“Well, be happy you leveled up. Check your status. You know how, right?” -Nagumo

“It’s 【”​Status Open”】, right?” -Rokujou

As I said those words, a screen appeared before my eyes, displaying my status in a language I could understand.

Name: Rokujou Yuuta

Race: Human

Level: 1→2

Job: Explorer

Title: Rookie

HP: 10→15

MP: 0→10

SP: 0→13

Strength: 11→16

Agility: 10→15

Defense: 10→15

Dexterity: 10→13

Magic Power: 0→12

Intelligence: 10→14

Charm: 8→16

Gacha Luck: 5

Equipment: Bronze-grade​【Aristo[1]】(Barrier value 100)

Magic: Stone-grade​ 【Rock Bullet】(MP4)

Skill: Stone-grade​ 【Double Strike】​(SP3)

“This is a Status… Seeing it for the first time is somewhat moving.” -Rokujou

How to view dungeon statuses is part of compulsory middle school education.

It’s also used as an ID card, and unless someone really dislikes dungeons, most adults want at least this status. They typically enter a dungeon and immediately exit just to get it.

After all, with this status, one can display age or address if desired, and customization is possible. This means one can show only the data they want others to see. However, even high-level explorers can’t fake the display, making it the most trusted form of identification.

“Can I take a look?” -Nagumo

“Oh, sure. Please go ahead.” -Rokujou

Normally, viewing an uncensored status would be a breach of etiquette.

But in my case, being only level 2, there’s nothing to hide. And if I had to hide something, it would be the equipment I got from Nagumo-san. Hiding that from him would be foolish.

“Hmm, hmm. Your gacha luck is insane. Level 2 and getting a 5? That’s the first time I’ve seen that.” -Nagumo

“Yeah, I’ve always had good luck with lotteries for some reason.” -Rokujou

“Really? I’m jealous; I started with a 2. The rest is average. Oh, you got magic and a skill? It’s lucky to get both.” -Nagumo

‘Gacha luck’ refers to the probability of getting a hit when drawing a gacha. The higher the number, the better the gacha luck. Most people start with a 3.

For some reason, even though I was bullied so much in school, I always drew the ‘excellent luck’ fortune during New Year’s, and I often got legendary characters in gacha games.

“How’s this ‘Stone Bullet’ and ‘Double Strike’? They’re famous, but are they practical?” -Rokujou

“With your magic power, ‘Stone Bullet’ has about the same power as the 9mm bullets you were considering, but only within a 10m range. ‘Double Strike’, whether with a spear or sword, lets you make two strikes with a single swing. If it hits, it’ll likely kill a goblin instantly. You did manage to stab a goblin properly once, so maybe that’s why you acquired it?” -Nagumo

“Does that kind of thing matter?” -Rokujou

“It does, quite a bit. You probably got ‘Stone Bullet’ because you’re still hung up on guns. And when you almost die, like when fighting monsters, it becomes easier to acquire skills or magic during level ups. But intentionally putting yourself in life-threatening situations won’t work.” -Nagumo

“Almost died?” -Rokujou

Did that really happen? I tilted my head in confusion.

“Idiot. If I hadn’t been there, you would’ve been killed by the archer’s arrow.” -Nagumo

“Oh, right, that did happen.” -Rokujou

I didn’t feel the danger since I was saved so easily. But thinking about it, it was really close. If Nangumo-san hadn’t given me that expensive potion, I would’ve definitely died.

“Um, about the payment for the potion… Could I maybe pay you later?”  -Rokujou

“Are you an idiot? Like I said when I gave you the spear and necklace, I don’t charge for what I give. Just accept it gratefully. Here, take this.” -Nagumo

Saying that, Nangumo-san took out a potion from his item box. It was glowing blue and looked expensive.

“N-no, I can’t! We were taught in school that this isn’t allowed!” -Rokujou

In dungeons, if you’re on the brink of death and nearby adventurers save you, you must pay them, no matter what.

It’s considered basic manners among adventurers.

There are no rules in dungeons, so you could get away without paying, but if you do and they kill you, it’s your own fault. We were repeatedly taught this in school.

“I don’t care about that. I give what I want to who I want. I kind of like you, so I’m giving it to you. That’s all there is to it. Just take it.” -Nagumo

“But I can’t.” -Rokujou

“Then what will you do if you die without it? Will you regret not taking this potion? And will you make me regret not giving it to you?” -Nagumo

“…” -Rokujou

This isn’t right. I can’t rely on him this much. But the struggle with just a goblin was this intense. I don’t know how many more life-threatening situations I’ll face in the future. Once I’m dead, it’s over.

“I’ll pay you for the spear and necklace someday.” -Rokujou

“If I say I’ll do it, I’ll do it. If you come to pay me, I’ll knock that head of yours clean off.” -Nagumo

“That would be a problem. If Nagumo-san knocks it off, I’ll lose my head. Please don’t knock my head off when I come to pay.” -Rokujou

“Heh. More stubborn than I thought. Well, whatever. Since you’ve leveled up, next you’ll face two goblins at once. It’s completely different from before, so brace yourself.” -Nagumo

Now I’ll be up against two goblins simultaneously. It’s challenging, but since I’ve learned magic and skills, I’m also eager to try them out.

Considering the potions, necklaces, and everything, I’m deep in debt, but for now, I’ve decided not to think about it.

“…Tch, what a hassle.” -Nagumo

“A hassle? …What are you looking at?” -Rokujou

Nagumo-san looked towards the distant grassland, clicking his tongue with an annoyed expression.

“What is it? Some troublesome goblin gunner?” -Rokujou

“You probably can’t see them. Some other humans have entered. Those are probably those Hazumi guys. Why are they on the first floor?… Doesn’t look like they entered by mistake.” -Nagumo

“Isn’t it normal for other humans to enter?” -Rokujou

A dungeon isn’t exclusive to one person. Yet, Nagumo-san’s face started to show signs of anxiety. Did someone incredibly powerful enter? I also looked towards the distant grassland.

“Oh, I can see a bit. Is that… a person?” -Rokujou

And then, from the mirage rising from the grassland, I could see the figure of an explorer. But it was too distant to tell if it was a human or a goblin.

“Is there something problematic about those people?” -Rokujou

“They’re called Hazumi. Originally, they were college club friends, a group of four. They supposedly became explorers after quitting their jobs. Even after becoming explorers, they didn’t get any better looking.” -Nagumo

“Not at all?” -Rokujou

“Yeah, so they’re a bit sulky… They don’t have the best reputation.” -Nagumo

“You know a lot about people with bad reputations.” -Rokujou

“I have a bad feeling about this. Why are they on the first floor when there aren’t that many goblins around? What are they doing?” -Nagumo

I strained my eyes to get a better look. Still, it was too far to make out what they were doing. I could only see figures that looked like humans moving around.

“Ugh. Saw something unpleasant. They’re planning to kill inside the dungeon?” -Nagumo

“K-kill!? What? Is it something that terrifying?” -Rokujou

“At a time like this, there’s no good reason for someone with no business to be here on the first floor. Get closer to me. I’ll apply perception obstruction on you. As for me, even if I’m found, I won’t be killed.” -Nagumo

In a hurry, I huddled close to Nagumo-san. As Nagumo-san muttered 【camouflage, 】 I felt as though my own presence had become tenuous.

“W-Will you not help?”  -Rokujou

“Help what?” -Nagumo

“Well, those people, they’re trying to commit murder, right?” -Rokujou

I could see that one of the humans had been knocked to the ground. Were they really going to kill him? I felt overwhelmed with anxiety and urgency.

Yet, Nagumo-san remained motionless.

He watched with an increasingly irritated expression. I couldn’t help, and I looked at Nagumo-san, but he showed no signs of moving. Was he not as strong as I thought? Or were the other people much stronger?

If that was the case, we should get away from here quickly. But he didn’t move.

“Ah.” -Nagumo

While we were waiting, the figures disappeared. It seemed they had left the dungeon.

“They really did it. Poor thing.” -Nagumo

Suddenly, Nagumo-san grabbed my hand, and the next moment, a woman, bleeding profusely, lay before us. Did he teleport? Can he actually teleport? No, more importantly, the woman was in a severe condition.

“She’s completely dead. If she had been alive, I could’ve helped… Damn it.” -Nagumo

Nagumo-san was checking if she was still alive.

“Why did it come to this…” -Nagumo

“Why didn’t you save her?” -Rokujou

“Well, I could’ve easily saved her if I wanted to… but the going-ons of the dungeon are complicated. It’d be troublesome if they came back. Let’s head home for today.” -Nagumo

Nagumo-san grabbed my hand. In the next moment, my vision blurred, and I felt dizzy. I realized that I was standing on a different kind of floor.

When my vision cleared, I found myself in a room with very lavish furniture and decor.

“Wh… where is this?” -Rokujou

“My room. Would you understand if I say it’s above the Ikebukuro Dungeon Shop?” -Nagumo

“Ah, yes.” -Rokujou

I surveyed the room. A woman lay on the grand, opulent king-sized bed.

“Wai-” -Rokujou

She lay there, entirely undressed, on the luxurious king-sized bed. Her alluring silhouette peeked from beneath the disheveled sheets, causing me to hastily avert my gaze.

The room was adorned with expensive-looking paintings. Plush carpets covered the floor of the spacious thirty-tatami room, where I took a seat on the sofa beside Nagumo-san.

“That last encounter was unusually intense. Dungeons sometimes have situations like that, so when you’re weak, it’s best to pretend you didn’t see it. Once you become stronger, you can consider helping or whatever.” -Nagumo

“Does that sort of thing happen often?” -Rokujou

If it did, it would certainly take a toll on one’s psyche.

“It happens quite a bit. I’ve lent a hand a few times myself. The thing is, laws don’t apply inside the dungeon. So, even if you help, dealing with the aftermath is a real pain. You might end up pursued by the culprits later, but you can’t report them to the police, and being the aggressor, you can’t exactly kill them.”  -Nagumo

“…” -Rokujou

“Well, don’t dwell on it too much. Anyway, if you try to help when you’re weak, you’re guaranteed to end up six feet under. Oh, and you’re pretty covered in blood. Go take a bath.” -Nagumo

At Nagumo-san’s suggestion, I examined my own body. My own red blood was smeared with the green blood of goblins. Having witnessed a scene where one human killed another just moments ago, my bloodstained body now felt grotesque and unsettling.

TL Note(s)

[1] Aristo – The raw uses アリスト. Apparently, this is a word that comes from Greek and means “the best.” If that’s not the word the author was trying to use, I have no clue what this is referring to.