It had been three weeks since I joined, and today I was going down to the dungeon. Of course, another senior would be accompanying me.
Falna gives the most excelia when you kill monsters, so to level up, going down the dungeon is essential.
Weapons... I didn't know how to properly use swords or spears, so I should just bring a blunt weapon.
Let's see... the one I made last time... ah!
I grabbed that thing I had left standing in a corner of my assigned room.
"Now, let's go do some baton work!"
Yes, what I had made as my personal weapon was a "baton".
It's not a club, it's a "baton".
But if there's one difference from the rest of the world, it's the weight.
Normally, they're made hollow with a single iron plate rolled into a round shape for a club, but since I came here and my strength has increased anyway—even at Lv1, you can exert several times the strength of an ordinary person, and on top of that, I'm a blacksmith known for good strength—I made it entirely out of solid iron. Roughly 30–40 kg?
Oh dear, senpai must be waiting.
Let's go, goblins! [The only good goblin is a dead goblin!]
...
...
...
"Now, recite the three things to be careful about before entering the dungeon."
"First, only go down to floors you can handle.
Second, if it seems dangerous, run away.
Third, when in the dungeon with a superior, unless it's a life-threatening order, always follow the superior's words."
"Right, right. If you just follow those three, you won't die in the dungeon. There are more than a few adventurers who died because they went down and challenged themselves recklessly. And when a superior speaks, there's a reason for it, and at least they've been in the dungeon longer than you, right?"
The one teaching me the dungeon safety rules in front of me was a Pallum senior whose height I doubted reached my chest, Bilbo.
...Someone who carried a ring and went looking for a dragon came to mind, but it was definitely not him.
His hair was brown and his face somehow resembled Watson, but he was absolutely not that person!
"I have a skill where my sword glows brightly when monsters are nearby, so no need to worry about sudden ambushes."
...It seemed like the fairy sword from novels appeared as a skill, but absolutely not!
"I'm in your care today, senpai."
"Right, right. Today we'll go down to the third floor at most. Beyond that... well, when you feel like it? Anyway, up to the fifth floor is the appropriate zone for Lv1. But are you sure with that weapon? It's long for a club and thin for a baton?"
"Despite appearances, it's a weapon I made myself, and in the region I lived, it was the weapon always used in gang fights. A blunt weapon with history and tradition!"
"...From what I've seen, those who attach such modifiers tend to not have anything proper."
"...Ahem, shall we go now?"
...Honestly, even I thought it was a cheap line.
That aside, this was the first baton I made, but it seemed quite well-made. I think I'll keep using it.
"Smith, monsters are approaching. From the brightness of the light... about three, I guess."
Surprised by senpai's words, I looked and saw that the short sword Bilbo senpai was holding was emitting a faint blue light.
"Three first-floor monsters—if you take them one by one, you should be able to handle them alone. They'll probably come from the left, so wait."
My heart was pounding. For the first time in my life, I was about to wield violence against a living creature. I was going to kill a living being with a beating heart and flowing blood.
As the sound of my heart grew louder, my vision narrowed and I felt cold sweat flowing. With my vision narrowed, all my other senses became more acute.
My ears caught the sound of monsters approaching that I wouldn't have heard otherwise.
My nose picked up a stench flowing from somewhere, probably from the monsters.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Here they come, here they come, here they come!
My vision had narrowed, but I focused all my other senses on where the monsters were coming from.
And as soon as the monster's head—probably a goblin's head—appeared beyond the wall, I put all my strength into my legs and rushed out.
With a speed I had never felt before, I instantly closed in on the goblin. With both hands, I swung the baton I was holding from lower right, from below, upwards!
For a moment, everything felt slow.
The goblin's pupils, looking panicked, and me reflected in those eyes.
The 40kg lump of iron struck the goblin's right arm diagonally with terrifying speed, delivering a chilling sensation of bones breaking and flesh crushing. As the goblin was sent flying, my slowed thoughts returned to normal.
A shriek echoed.
Hearing the scream, I turned. Another goblin was charging from behind. What it was holding in its hand... a dagger? Was it a fallen adventurer's keepsake?
The distance was enough and my reach was longer, so I swung down—struck!
I mimicked a kendo scene I had seen vaguely in my previous life.
My feet in a stance, the weapon in my hands straight, stepping forward, I brought it down!
A sickening crunch.
With the chilling sensation of crushing the skull, the goblin fell.
Turning my head away from the sight of the shattered head and brain matter flowing out, I looked for the remaining one. He said there were three...?
"Hey, you finished?"
Senpai must have taken care of it.
"For a first experience, you did well. Nervous guys either freeze up from tension and can't move, or explode with tension and go berserk. Looks like you're the latter."
As the tension eased, my narrowed vision began to return.
The goblin I hit first was slumped against the wall, one was in front of me with its head smashed, and the last one had its head cut off behind Bilbo senpai.
Confirming that all the monsters were dead, the tension drained from my entire body and I slumped to the ground.
"Haha... I guess I'm an [adventurer] now too?"
"Yeah, you're an [adventurer] now. Can you get up?"
Steadying my trembling legs, I stood up. If I can't even stand here, I'll never be able to walk forward.
I have to walk bravely.
I have to advance like the horn of a rhinoceros.
"I'm fine. If I can't get up from this, I should throw away my hammer."
"Really? That's good then. I'll show you how to extract magic stones, so come here. You know that when you take out the magic stone, the monster's body turns to ash and disappears, right? Usually, the magic stone is here..."
As Bilbo senpai cut near the chest with a dagger and pulled out a purple gem, the goblin's body turned to ash and disappeared.
"If you cut near the heart, it almost always comes out. If you hire a supporter, you probably won't have to do much, but if you go solo, you must know this."
Senpai said that and approached the goblin slumped against the wall.
"Let's see... since it didn't turn to ash, it seems the magic stone wasn't affected much. Be careful when using blunt weapons as your main. If you accidentally hit near the magic stone, all your hard work disappears without a trace."
Senpai skillfully extracted the magic stone from this goblin too, and it turned to ash and disappeared.
"You try with that goblin. Remember where it is?"
"Yes."
Carefully picking up the dagger the goblin had dropped, I stabbed it into the chest and pulled.
An unfamiliar sensation of cutting through skin and flesh that I had never experienced before came through. Suppressing the nausea rising, I reached in and pulled out the magic stone, and the body turned to ash and disappeared... leaving the blood on my hand.
"Why does the body disappear but the blood on my hand doesn't...?"
"Hmm... the gods say, 'The dungeon is dungeony, what do you expect from the dungeon? Dungeon.' Don't bother thinking too hard about it. I was curious about that too when I was young, but now I just accept it."
"...Is that so."
"Now you've got a feel for killing monsters, right? Full speed ahead!"
That day, I kept going down from the first to the third floor, killing goblins, kobolds, dungeon lizards, and more. Luckily, from the middle, I wasn't in a hyper-tense state going berserk, so I hunted more rationally, but...
"You seem to have run out of stamina, and we should head back soon."
"Huff... huff..."
"Hmm... I pushed you too hard."
That day's income was 3000 valis. Considering that novice adventurers usually make 2000 valis a day, you can tell how hard I was pushed...
...Save me.