chapter_0172

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
172

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
172

The adventurers at the guild
did cast glances my way, but none of them dared to approach.

This was likely because the
two people guarding me were incredibly intimidating.

According to Grandpa, Karl was
apparently even emitting a murderous aura directed at the
adventurers, making it impossible for them to come near.

“Is there really such a
thing as a murderous aura?”

Listening with one ear to
Grandpa boasting about his past feats of dominating battlefields with
mere presence, I made my way to the reception desk.

“Welcome to the Menestail
Guild.”

The person there was a man
with shoulders broad enough to fill the desk.

His face was covered with
numerous scars and looked very fierce, definitely enough to leave
anyone timid speechless.

But I was okay.

Having seen many tough faces
in the Allen Family, I was used to it. Besides, I had seen this
receptionist’s face often enough to feel a sense of familiarity
rather than fear.

He was the same receptionist I
always saw whenever I visited the Menestail Guild from the game. His
scary demeanour didn’t bother me; instead, I felt a bit of warmth.

“What brings you here?”

‘Well…’

“I’ll be entering that
sloppy Menestail Dungeon. Give me a pass. Muscleman.”

The receptionist awkwardly
smiled at my bold words.

Just as in the game, he was a
kind person despite his tough appearance, serving as a restraining
force against adventurers. Much like the receptionists in other
cities, he was a nice guy.

“Are all three of you
planning to enter?”

‘Yes.’

“Can’t you tell just by
looking?”

“I see. Since it seems like
this is your first visit, I’ll need to explain a few things first.”

The receptionist began
explaining the details about the Menestail Guild.

How to accept requests, how to
sell loot, the taxes incurred when conquering dungeons, and various
other matters to be aware of when attempting a dungeon.

Having heard this spiel dozens
of times before, I barely paid attention to his explanations.

“Now, for the pass issuance
process. May I have your names, please?”

“I’m Karl.”

“I’m Alsatine.”

‘I’m Lucy Allen.’

“Lucy Allen. Remember that
well, muscleman. A commoner like you rarely gets to see such a noble
face.”

The receptionist, who had
maintained a business-like expression when hearing the previous two
names, visibly wavered upon hearing mine.

“Um, are you by any chance
Lady Lucy Allen of the Allen Family from the Soladin Kingdom?”

‘That’s correct.’

“Wow, you knew? Not bad for
a sloppy muscleman.”

The cracks that formed on the
receptionist’s face the moment I nodded quickly spread across his
entire face.

It was quite refreshing to see
someone who looked capable of wrestling an orc drenched in cold
sweat.

I remember seeing the knights
of the Allen Family react similarly when I first started sparring
with Karl.

‘I really didn’t want to
know that.’

I had a hunch when Alsatine
brought me a report before; there were quite a few instances where
Lucy had been rude to nobles from other countries, and my suspicions
were confirmed.

Ugh, this damn reputation! I’m
so tired of seeing people cower the moment they hear the name Lucy
Allen, no matter where I go!

The receptionist, who had
clearly heard many stories about Lucy, processed our certificate
issuance with a brisk and precise manner.

“If you visit the guild
tomorrow morning, you should be able to receive your certificate.”

Thanks to this, we were able
to get the certificate issued much faster than I had anticipated.

Regardless of the process, as
long as the result is good, I guess that’s all that matters.

By the time we finished the
certificate issuance and left the Adventurer’s Guild, the sun had
already set and night was upon us.

As expected of a city bustling
with rugged adventurers, the streets were noisy as we passed through.
We eventually arrived in front of a shabby-looking inn.

Karl looked troubled. Although
he didn’t say anything because it was my choice, it was clear he had
a lot to say.

He was probably thinking; We
can’t let the lady stay in a place like this!

He’s always so concerned about
such things.

Ignoring him, I entered the
inn.

The owner had a disinterested
look about him.

Unlike typical innkeepers who
would warmly welcome guests, he merely gave a slight nod.

Even as I stood at the
counter, he simply stared blankly at me, as if sociability had been
washed out of him.

But the moment I took out the
Raven’s Seal from my pocket, his expression changed.

Color returned to his ashen
face.

“Oh, you’re a guest of the
Newman Family. My apologies.”

In cities that thrive around
large dungeons, many things converge—people, goods, and rumours
alike.

That’s why the Newman Family,
which operates in the underworld, establishes branches in almost
every city with a major dungeon.

This place is one such
location.

“Are you three guests
staying together? And for how long?”

“Even if it’s long, just
two weeks.”

“I understand. I’ll show you
to your room right away.”

With those words, a woman
emerged from a room behind the counter.

She greeted us politely and
asked us to follow her.

She didn’t take us to the
second floor, where the ordinary rooms were.

Rather, she led us to a hidden
room beyond a storage area filled with dust and miscellaneous items.

Contrary to the shabby
exterior of the building, the hidden room was as elegantly furnished
as any noble’s mansion.

This was our accommodation for
the duration of our Menestail Dungeon expedition.

This is why I made sure to get
the Raven’s Seal! It’s really useful!

“Since there aren’t any
other guests at the moment, please use the space at your leisure. If
you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me. I’ll prepare
everything you need to the best of my ability.”

The woman employed by the
Newman Family asked us to call her Nicki.

Of course, it was a
meaningless request. Have you ever seen someone called by their name
with [Mesugaki] skill?

Nicki’s name was renamed to
Gloomy by the [Mesugaki] skill.

“…Gloomy, then?”

‘I’m sorry! But I can’t help
it! Please understand!’

“Yeah. You look gloomy, so
Gloomy it is. It suits you perfectly. You like it too, don’t you?”

“…Yes. Of course.”

After that trivial issue
passed, nothing significant happened.

At most, I asked Nicki to find
a water-attribute mage for me.

Because right now, there’s
nothing else I can do.

If this were a game, I would
be running around accepting various minor quests for maximum
efficiency, but I can’t even do that now.

Who would ask a cocky kid, who
always attached words like sloppy, trash, idiot, or bastard to every
sentence, for a favour?

I was rejected at the Academy
too, so it’s likely the same here.

Anyway, it’s not like there’s
a quest I absolutely have to complete, so I’ll just rest today.

I won’t do any practice mode
or anything. I’ll just sleep soundly.

I had just lain down on the
bed, planning to sleep until morning, when Grandpa’s voice echoed.

‘Grandpa. What are you
talking about? We’re tackling the dungeon tomorrow! I need to rest!’

The nagging and obstinate
Grandpa refused to budge on his stance.

And so, half willingly and
half reluctantly, I was dragged into Practice Mode and had to train
intensely all night.

The Menestail Dungeon’s
theme is a volcano.

To put it simply, imagine a
dungeon built beneath a blazing volcano.

Since this is the concept, the
various monsters and gimmicks within the dungeon are also related to
the volcano’s theme.

For instance, the high
temperature inside the dungeon causes burn damage over time if you
enter unprepared.

All the monsters inside are
related to fire.

There are countless traps
involving lava, fire, and rocks.

In the game, these gimmicks
merely served to increase the dungeon’s difficulty, but experiencing
them in reality is entirely different.

Inside the Menestail Dungeon,
it already feels like a sauna.

When I first entered, I was
shocked by the heat radiating against my skin.

And this area we’re exploring
is just the entrance of the Menestail Dungeon.

Considering that this dungeon
has a total of 80 floors, the deeper you go, the higher the
temperature rises. The deepest parts truly deserve to be called hell
on earth.

Of course, I had anticipated
this in advance.

With such extreme heat that it
continuously saps your stamina, it was obvious how dreadful it would
be.

The moment I entered the
dungeon, I verified that my prediction was correct. I took out the
prepared item from the Dimensional Pocket Alsatine had given me.

[Eternal Winter Magic Stone]

[A magic stone rarely found in
the northern mountains, which are perpetually covered in snow. It
retains the terrible cold of the northern region.]

As explained by the
[Appraisal] Skill, this magic stone holds a Cold Aura.

Originally, it is used to
enchant weapons or as a material for magic scrolls. But this magic
stone has an additional effect.

It disperses its Cold Aura
around itself, lowering the surrounding temperature!

“Lady Allen, if you use
that now…”

More often than its original
use, this magic stone, commonly referred to as the Air Conditioner
Gem among players, proved its effectiveness even now that the game
has become reality.

The moment I took out the
necklace made from the magic stone and placed it around my neck, a
cold aura emanated from it.

Wow… It’s so cold…

No, actually, it’s a bit too
cold!

Feeling that I might freeze to
death at this rate, I hastily took off the necklace.

What is this? No, there should
be a limit to how cold it gets. This is absurd!

I asked for an air
conditioner, not to be thrown into a freezer to freeze to death!
Seeing me glaring at Alsatine in protest for his ill-prepared item,
he gave an awkward smile.

“I prepared the item as you
requested, Lady Allen.”

‘But this is just too
effective!’

“Sloppy information seller.
Can you not even meet the client’s requests properly? This is too
much. Do you intend to remain an incompetent trash forever?”

“Well, the Eternal Winter
Magic Stone is always like this…”

So, is this yet another
consequence of the game becoming reality?

In the game, it only nullified
the dungeon’s penalty, but now, the true meaning of the northern
region’s dreadful cold is realised?!

What nonsense. I can’t use
this necklace like this!

“As I heard while acquiring
the necklace, it seems you can use it without much penalty after the
20th floor of the Menestail Dungeon.”

‘So what about before that?’

“Hey, you incompetent,
sloppy information seller. What about before the 20th floor?”

“Isn’t this much bearable?
From what I know, everyone just manages until they reach the 20th
floor.”

Is he seriously saying that?!

Endure this horrible heat?!

And in full armour, no less?!

“Little girl, can I have the
clothes you’re wearing today later? Preferably unwashed.”

‘Shut up, please.’

“Perverted Fox, shut up. I’m
getting irritated.”

Given the circumstances,
there’s only one solution.

Speedrun.

I’ll complete today’s target
as quickly as possible and escape this hellish furnace.

Please support the series on
NovelUpdates

Read Here
for premium chapters