The first light of dawn was just beginning to break as I approached the modest kitchen of my home. I greeted Rosalia with a cheerful smile.
"Good morning, Rosalia."
She looked up from her morning preparations, her eyes softening at the sight of me. "Oh, good morning, dear. You're up early today… The sun hasn't even risen yet. Let me guess… are you going for your morning jog again?"
I chuckled. "Yes, Rosalia. You really know me well!"
Her smile widened. "Well, you do make it a point to jog every morning. You cover half the city, don't you?"
I nodded enthusiastically. "That's right! And today, I'm also heading to the Guild desk to pick up a new quest."
Rosalia's expression turned thoughtful. "You've accumulated quite a few rewards from your recent quests. What are you planning to do with all that gold?"
My face brightened with gratitude. "I want to donate it to the orphanage, and to you as well. It's my way of thanking you for taking me in and giving me a new family. I'm really grateful, Rosalia."
Her eyes glistened with warmth. "Oh, my dear… you're such a kind child. Just make sure to stay safe out there."
I gave a reassuring nod. "Yes! I'm heading out now."
Before I left, I took a moment to mentally review my status:
[STATUS] Level: 65 Name: Kazu Gonomiya Age: 12 Job Class: God
Passive Skills:
Divine Knowledge
Infinite Mana
Maximized Self-Healing
Active Skills:
Blink
Explosive Blink
Bloodlust
Magic Spells:
Fire Pierce
Fire Spirit Flare
Unique Skills:
Exploration (Level 79)
Assassin (Level 75)
Cooking (Level 8)
After jogging the entire morning until the sun finally came up, I made my way into the city. Inside the bustling Adventurer's Guild, I approached the reception desk where Missy was working.
"Ahh… Good morning, Missy! I'd like to take a quest."
Missy looked up from her paperwork with a bright smile. "Good morning, Kazu. I assume you're interested in an S-Rank quest? Perfect timing, we have a special request for S-Rank adventurers today. Would you like to see it?"
She handed me a heavy parchment, and I read it carefully. "Find the Sacred Magic Scroll on Dungeon Floor 35. It was left there by my child, an A-Rank Adventurer, in a corner of that place. This item is very important to us, so a substantial reward will be given to anyone who completes this Quest."
I looked up, tilting my head. "Missy… what exactly is a dungeon?"
Her eyes twinkled as she explained. "A dungeon is a massive, subterranean labyrinth filled with various aggressive creatures. You can find incredibly rare items down there, like this necklace I'm wearing. It holds a powerful magical presence that activates only when I'm near death. It was a gift from my father…"
My curiosity grew. "Oh… is it dangerous inside?"
Missy hesitated for a moment. "Some say it's a death trap, while others think it's just a test of endurance. It mostly depends on your luck and preparation."
My resolve strengthened. "I'll take the quest, Missy!"
Her expression softened as she blushed slightly. "Alright, Kazu… Good luck with your quest. Be careful out there…"
On my way out the door, I practically bumped right into Kazike, who was just arriving in his heavy armor.
"Hey!!! KAZU!! Got a quest today?"
I greeted him with a nod. "Yes, Kazike…"
His eyes lit up with excitement. "Want me to join you on that quest?"
I considered it for a moment. It would be nice to have someone who knows their way around. "That's fine… but we should inform Missy first."
Kazike raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? That receptionist? Okay..."
As we turned back toward the desk, I couldn't help but feel a strange curiosity. I looked up thoughtfully. "Kazike, why does Missy seem so youthful?" I whispered.
Kazike snorted. "Oh, it's because she's an elf. She looks like she's fourteen years old, but she's actually four hundred years old…"
My eyes widened in shock. "Four hundred years old?! Is that really how it is for elves? Well… okay, Kazike…"
Kazike elbowed me and teased with a wide grin. "Do you like her? Already having feelings for an older woman at such a young age! HAYYY!..."
I blushed fiercely and stammered. "No, not really! I just see her as an older sister…"
Kazike laughed loudly. "Really? You're something else!" He tapped me affectionately on the head.
When we reached the desk, Kazike leaned over the counter and called out with a massive grin. "OY!! MISSY!!! Kazu has a crush on you!"
Missy's face immediately turned bright red. "Y-You, Kazike!" she stammered, blushing furiously. "What are you saying… Kazu is still just a child!"
I felt my own face flush with intense embarrassment. "Kazike… you're making a scene in the Guild…"
Kazike just chuckled. "Oh right, by the way, Missy! Kazu didn't know you were an elf… but I've enlightened him. Also… I'll be accompanying Kazu on his quest. That's okay, right? It's safer for him."
Missy, still heavily blushing, nodded quickly. "Oh, yes… Just make sure to stamp your guild seal on his quest paper… Like this…"
Missy handed my quest parchment to Kazike so he could mark it with his name, ensuring the Guild knew we would share the reward.
"Alright then! We're off, Missy!" Kazike announced, waving as we turned to leave.
The Dungeon
I stood at the gaping entrance of the stone dungeon, my eyes locked on the glowing teleportation circle carved deeply into the floor. The soft blue light from the circle cast eerie shadows across the cavern walls, giving the ancient symbols an otherworldly glow.
"Kazike, is this the dungeon entrance?"
He nodded, adjusting the grip on his greatsword. "Yes, this is the main gate. I've reached the 16th floor before, but the enemies down there were getting too strong for me to solo, so I didn't continue."
I looked apprehensive. "What if I haven't tried a dungeon before… Will I have to start all the way from Floor 1?"
"No problem," Kazike reassured me, pulling a glowing, crystalline rune from his pouch. "As long as you have this item, you can teleport directly to the last magic circle you've personally activated. It's called a Depth Teleportation Stone."
"You can harvest these from rare monsters inside the dungeon, like the Demon Rabbit," he explained. "But you can only use a stone once, so you have to make sure you carry spares before you return to the surface."
My face lit up with understanding. "Oh, okay! I'm learning so much from you, Kazike."
He waved off the praise with a laugh. "Ah, it's nothing, Kazu! You're way stronger than me anyway." He stepped onto the glowing circle. "Alright, to bring you with me to the 16th floor, you'll need to share a bit of your mana with me to connect our auras. This method works for all types of teleportation spells when you want to bring a passenger along."
"Okay, Kazike," I said, reaching out and transferring a surge of my infinite energy into him. "I'm sharing some mana now."
Kazike winced slightly, his eyes widening. "Ouch! That is quite a lot of mana, kid… But it's fine. Let's go! Hold on tight… Depth Teleportation!"
A blinding flash of light engulfed us. When I opened my eyes, we were deep within the bowels of the dungeon. I gasped in sheer amazement as I took in the breathtaking sights.
"Wow, Kazike! It's beautiful down here… I thought dungeons were supposed to be dark and terrifying."
Kazike smiled, though his eyes remained sharp as they scanned the perimeter. "It can be scary, Kazu. We're currently standing at the checkpoint of the 16th floor, so it's still relatively safe. There's a Magic Barrier here that keeps the harmful creatures out."
I admired the massive, glowing crystals that jutted out from the dungeon walls, illuminating the safe zone. "It's so beautiful. Can we collect these crystals?"
Kazike shook his head. "You can, but it requires a very high Mining skill to properly extract them from the rock without shattering them."
"Understood. Let's head down to Floor 35 then."
Kazike's tone turned deadly serious. "We need to be extremely careful, Kazu. Prepare yourself. We're leaving the Barrier now."
I steeled my nerves. "Got it, Kazike!"
As we stepped past the glowing boundary of the safe zone, a frigid gust of wind swept over us, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. My senses instantly began to tingle.
[Notification: Exploration skill reached Level 80. Enhance now? Yes/No] Yes. [A new skill upgraded: Dash II has evolved into Blink. Can be cast at will.] [New skill learned from Blink Skill: Explosive Blink. Cooldown: 0] [New skill upgraded from Kill Intent to Murderous Intent Detection (MAX Level)]
I felt a sudden, massive surge of power and newfound awareness flood my system.
So many new skills… My Exploration hitting level 80 has made me faster, and my senses are impossibly sharp. I can feel a suffocating, strong murderous intent lurking all around us in the dark… It's frightening, but I'll face it head-on. I need to get stronger.
Kazike noticed the sudden shift in my demeanor and my fierce determination. "That's the spirit, Kazu! Keep your courage up! You're different from other kids. I'm proud of you for holding your own at such a young age. Let's continue. If you spot anything unusual, let me know."
I nodded firmly. "Okay, Kazike."
Kazike drew his sword, his expression grim. "On this specific floor, we usually encounter vampires. They often hide in the dark corners on the ceiling…" He looked around warily. "Stay close to me."
Feeling a potent mix of excitement and nervous adrenaline, I tightened my grip and readied my mana. "Understood, Kazike. I'm ready."
As we delved deeper into the darkness of the dungeon, the atmosphere grew suffocatingly heavy, and the shadows seemed to close in around us. The true test of my skills was just beginning.