This feeling…
If Rhodes had to describe it, it was as though a brief period of training had been enough for his body to memorize the movements completely.
So completely that he couldn’t forget them even if he tried.
What was causing it?
He had no idea.
For now, however, he had something more important to worry about.
He needed to survive his first battle without ending up dragged into a goblin cave!
“…”
Rhodes held his shortsword in a reverse grip with his right hand, keeping his bracer-clad left arm in front of his chest.
Thanks to Takemikazuchi’s training yesterday, he felt more curiosity than panic at his first encounter with monsters.
As the goblins approached, he lowered his center of gravity.
Maintaining his balance, he stepped sharply forward into a lunge and seized the initiative.
Even after becoming an adventurer, his physical abilities were still within the range of an ordinary person.
Yet the goblin’s movements seemed remarkably slow.
Closing the distance, Rhodes raised his right hand and swept the blade horizontally.
His target was the monster’s vulnerable neck.
The sharp weapon forged by Hephaistos Familia passed through the goblin’s flesh as easily as a knife through tofu.
Steel flashed.
The monster’s head came cleanly off.
Shhk!
The goblin didn’t even have time to scream.
The instant its head was severed, its stunted body crumbled into gray dust.
A tiny magic stone struck the ground with a clear clink.
Beside it lay a mottled goblin fang.
According to Hestia’s explanation last night, these drops were the main rewards adventurers obtained in the Dungeon.
They could be exchanged for money at the Guild.
“Why does it feel… even weaker than I expected?”
“…”
The second goblin lunged at him from ahead and to the side, swinging its wooden club.
Rhodes didn’t hesitate.
He engaged it immediately.
As it turned out, provided this wasn’t one of those particularly grim goblin stories, such low-level monsters seemed easy enough to dispatch even when armed.
Yes.
At the very least, fighting on the uppermost floors wasn’t nearly as difficult as he had imagined.
“Then today…”
“I’ll stick to the first floor and try to collect as much loot as I can.”
“When I head back to Orario this evening, I’ll stop by the Guild and ask for information.”
With his plan decided, Rhodes moved on.
Of course, he didn’t let his guard down simply because the goblins were no more impressive than stray dogs.
One careless mistake could still get him killed.
And there was no guarantee he would get another chance to start over!
His cautious approach served him well.
The exploration proceeded without trouble, and he could dispatch most of the goblins he encountered quite quickly.
But as he continued fighting, he began to suspect that there was more going on than he had initially thought.
It was exactly like yesterday’s training in Orario.
The same thing happening twice was difficult to dismiss as a coincidence.
“Why do I get the feeling…”
“There’s something unusual about this body?”
To put it in game terms, it was almost as though he had a Stamina bar.
Until it dropped to a certain point, he simply didn’t feel tired.
From a biological perspective, that made no sense at all.
Still, it was a good thing.
Perhaps it was a bonus that had come with his journey to another world—a modest cheat ability, even if it wasn’t especially powerful.
The possibility immediately improved his mood.
At least he wouldn’t be left drawing his sword and looking around without the faintest idea what to do.
“Let’s keep exploring…”
Hephaistos’s weapon shop branch.
The price of borrowing the weapons and armor had been made perfectly clear last night.
Hestia would have to work in the shop as a clerk every day.
But if a little more effort on her part made things easier for Rhodes, it was worth it.
Suddenly, the responsibility on her shoulders felt rather heavy.
Yet that very sense of responsibility filled her with motivation.
Naturally, she couldn’t avoid feeling nervous.
He was a novice adventurer.
Her Familia’s very first member.
After only a single day of basic combat training, he had gone into the Dungeon alone.
“It should…”
“It should go well, right?”
Sitting at the counter, Hestia propped her face in both hands and watched the adventurers passing outside.
There was no hiding the worry in her eyes.
It left her thoroughly distracted from her work.
And no, this wasn’t an excuse she had invented to slack off.
She was genuinely worried about Rhodes.
As evening approached, the previously quiet Adventurers’ Way began to fill with people.
Every time she lifted her head, she looked as though she were straining to spot someone who still hadn’t appeared.
“Oh, forget it…”
“You can finish work here for today.
You clearly aren’t going to be able to concentrate.”
Hephaistos, who had noticed her behavior long ago, shook her head helplessly.
She could understand how Hestia felt.
Her friend truly regarded her Familia’s members as children of her own.
“Really?”
“Heh.”
The red-haired goddess’s smile did not reach her eyes.
“If you keep this up over the next few days, I’ll start docking your wages.”
“…”
But no sooner had Hephaistos finished speaking than Hestia tore out of the weapon shop in her slippers.
She hadn’t even waited to answer. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Hmm…
For some reason, the sight reminded Hephaistos of a wife waiting so anxiously for her husband’s safe return that she might turn to stone on the spot.
“She’s hopeless.”
…
After leaving the weapon shop, Hestia had only one destination in mind.
Central Park.
She would wait there for Rhodes to return.
It was evening, and large numbers of adventurers were emerging from the Dungeon.
Because of her height, Hestia had to stand on tiptoe and peer from side to side.
At last, she spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
Rhodes.
He was all in one piece.
Apart from the weariness in his eyes, he seemed unharmed.
The weight hanging over her heart finally lifted.
Remembering that a little affectionate contact could ease his fatigue, Hestia paid no attention to the looks from the adventurers around them.
Once again, she rushed forward and threw her arms around him.
“You’re back!”
Hestia looped her arms around Rhodes’s neck and tilted her face up, smiling brilliantly.
“Did everything go well today?”
“Of course.”
“I didn’t venture onto any other floors.
I wanted to stay safe, so I focused on getting used to the Dungeon and the pace of exploration.”
“Good!”
After all, he was her Familia’s one and only member.
Rather than charging ahead recklessly, she much preferred that Rhodes prioritize his safety.
There was nothing wrong with being cautious.
But when Hestia looked up and noticed the translucent Hero Nurturing Project panel above his head, she could no longer remain composed.
…
[Character: Rhodes][Level: Lv.
1]
[Mood: 55/100 ↑ — Calm][Stamina: 3/100 ↓ — Worn Out][Health: 98/100 — Excellent]
[Rhodes has benefited greatly from today’s Dungeon exploration.
His basic abilities and innate potential have both increased slightly.]
…
“?!”
“There really is a pro here!”
….
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….
I also have many more novels in my collection that you might be interested in I upload ten novels a day, with 3 to 4 chapters per title depending on the length.
If you’re following a particular series, please wait your turn a little If there’s a particular novel you’re enjoying on Patron, please give it a ‘like’ so I know to focus on it