Chapter 10 – The First Dungeon

Ŕҽａ​đ оո Ка​т​ＲｅαđіɴｇḈɑ​ϝｅ

Late evening. Players and NPCs, that finished their tasks, gathered at the inn.

It’s a time to cool their heated bodies with alcohol and replenish their stamina with meat.

The charm and joy of alcohol are one of the few pleasure’s players can enjoy in this world. In a place without computers or smartphones, who could refuse a drink that makes you feel better the more you consume?

On top of that, no matter how much you drink, there’s no hangover, and it doesn’t harm your health. It’s only natural that players would become enamored with alcohol.

Isolin and I were also sitting at a small table, sipping wine with a roasted pork belly in front of us. Of course, we weren’t here just to drink, so we didn’t overdo it.

The inn was filled with the rich smell of grapes. The scent of wine masked the sweat and blood-stained odors of the players.

The smell of alcohol was so strong it could make your head spin, but no one pointed it out.

Drinking makes you feel good. When people are tipsy, their tongues loosen. Drunk players tend to spill more information than usual.

That was why Isolin and I had come to the inn late in the evening.

-Why not go again tomorrow?

-Yeah, sounds good. I was planning to keep going until the boss drops that greatsword.

-Hey! That’s mine!

-What? You haven’t even seen the dungeon entrance yet? Pack your bags and come out tomorrow morning. I’ll just…

-Leaving home, riding the train~

-Is there a limit to how many times you can enter the dungeon? It’s not like it resets every time, right?

-Hmm. I heard a rumor that it resets automatically every three hours…

-Someone carry this guy! He’s passed out!

Simple conversations, shouts, songs, and the clinking of glasses and dishes created a cacophony of noise. Amidst the dissonance, Isolin and I sought the small bits of information hidden within.

Sip— Sip—

I held a large wine glass in both hands, sipping continuously. From what I’d gathered over a long time, no one was arguing about the dungeon’s difficulty itself.

Most conversations revolved around the dungeon’s rewards—specifically, the dropped items.

From various pieces of armor to accessories unavailable in shops. There were even rumors that a few parties had obtained the massive greatsword the dungeon boss wielded.

The general information gathering was done. Now it was time to move around and collect detailed strategies. After exchanging glances with Isolin, I headed toward a table where other players were seated.

There weren’t many tables worth targeting. I focused on those with high-level players wearing unique-looking gear.

Isolin and I found a suitable spot and sat down.

“Huh…?”

As Isolin and I sat down next to him, a man with a flushed face, chugging beer, tilted his head in confusion. His eyes were unfocused, his shoulders slumped, and his mouth slightly open, drool mixed with alcohol dripping down.

He was clearly too drunk to think straight.

Not just him. The other party members at the table were in a similar state. Some had even passed out, their heads resting on the table.

“Who are you…?”

A slow, slurred voice came from the man. I smiled slightly and pulled out a large bottle of wine, offering it to him.

“Care for another drink?”

“Oh, oh…?”

The man didn’t refuse the drink I offered. His glass, previously filled with beer, was now brimming with red wine.

“Hmm, have we met before…?”

He seemed puzzled by my sudden friendliness. I tilted my head and smiled at him.

“You know, we partied together once, remember?”

“Ah, did we…?”

“It’s understandable if you don’t remember. It was a while ago.”

“Hmm, maybe…”

Of course, I had never partied with this man before. It was a small lie, but the man, too drunk to think straight, just nodded blankly.

Having played countless RPGs, I’d often found myself talking to drunk uncles. Who would’ve thought those skills would come in handy now?

I dug up old memories and began subtly complimenting the man. His gear, his level, even his appearance.

Who could dislike a small girl smiling softly and treating them kindly? The man quickly loosened up and started spilling information.

“So, have you been to the dungeon?”

“Ah, yeah, I’ve been. You wanted to hear about the dungeon?”

“Yeah. Kind of. I heard it’s pretty tough.”

“Who said that? That the dungeon’s tough? Pfft…”

“But isn’t it dangerous?”

“Hmm. If you don’t let your guard down, there’s no real danger. The first dungeon in an RPG can’t be that hard, right?”

“I see… So no one’s died, then?”

“Ah, well…”

“Was there someone?”

The man silently chugged his wine. By the time he finished the bottle, he finally spoke.

“I think there was. No, definitely. There were some level 8 guys just sitting blankly in front of the dungeon entrance.”

“Don’t tell me one of their party members…”

“Seeing as there were four of them sitting there, yeah. One of them died.”

“So it is dangerous…”

“Ah, I told you it’s not dangerous! It’s just that their levels were too low.”

“So, if your level’s high enough, it’s fine?”

“If you’ve got your head on straight… Yeah, it’s fine. Everyone’s above level 10, with gear and new skills to match.”

“What about the elite monsters? Were there any with special abilities?”

“No big deal. Just pull them one by one and take them down. Keep doing that until you reach the boss, and the dungeon clears itself.”

“So you’re saying to pull them.”

“Ah, yeah. Pulling. You seem older than you look, huh? Kids these days don’t even know what pulling is… Wait, how old are you…?”

It seemed like it was time to move to another table. I placed a new bottle of wine on the man’s table and got up with Isolin.

After that, Isolin and I moved around to several tables. Among the information spilled by many mouths, the common threads were true. Anything that sounded like exaggerated bragging was false. I sorted the collected information into useful and unreliable.

“Hey, Supreme…”

“Ah. Yeah?”

While scribbling in a small notebook, Isolin called out to me. Turning my head slightly, I saw the girl with a flushed face, seemingly drunk, looking at me.

Her soft cheeks looked even softer, making me want to poke them.

“Hey… how old are you?”

“I…”

I swallowed the age that naturally came to mind. As long as I was living in this world in the body of a small girl named Supreme, there was no need to reveal my real age.

So I took a deep breath.

Role-Playing Game. This world follows the basic framework of an RPG. I had long since abandoned the thought of returning to the original world from the moment this game became reality. Therefore, I needed to establish a new identity according to this world’s rules.

“I’m 12 years old.”

“Ah…?”

“12 years old. Supreme. That’s the setting.”

“Ah, ah… I see…”

The small, cute priestess Supreme is 12 years old. I hadn’t thought through all the details yet, but if I said so, then it was so.

This world is a role-playing game. A game that became reality.

So I asked.

“How old are you, Isolin?”

“I, I…”

Which would Isolin choose? The small girl she had become? Or the person who had been sitting behind a computer screen?

Confusion filled the small girl’s eyes. Like someone facing a question they’d never considered before.

“Do you need help?”

“Help…?”

If it was hard, I could help. Isolin, like Supreme, is a 12-year-old girl. A genius mage who entered the Mage Tower at a young age, hailed as the future of the Tower…

Now I fleshed out the skeleton of this setting.

It was fine if her origins were a secret. Those with exceptional talent at a young age usually came from extraordinary bloodlines.

“Ah, no. I think I’ll be fine without help. Let’s just get ready for the dungeon.”

“Hmm. Alright.”

If she didn’t want it, there was nothing I could do. Regretfully, I clicked my tongue and left the inn with Isolin.

Clop-clop—

The slight buzz from the alcohol quickly faded as the cold night air hit us outside the inn. By the time our flushed cheeks returned to normal, Isolin and I had reached the village entrance.

“Ah, you’re here. Ready for the dungeon?”

“I brought potions.”

Waiting for us at the city entrance were Zeblin, Palm Tree, and an archer user named “Sky Shrimp.”

After a quick briefing, we left the city. Walking under the faint moonlight, the dungeon entrance we’d only heard about slowly came into view.

Vrslop_translator