After finishing his conversation with the staff member, Suzuka held his Explorer License over the security door and entered. Walking a short distance down the passage, he emerged into an open area.
The space was quite vast, with a domed ceiling that created a sense of openness. The walls were constructed using a generous amount of magic steel produced from the dungeon itself, a robust design meant to prepare for the unlikely event of a Dungeon Break.
In the center of this domed room, the entrance to the dungeon loomed ominously.
Suzuka paused, struck by the strangeness of the dungeon gate, when he noticed a commotion behind him. It seemed the party that had been after him had opened the security door.
There was no point in standing still. Suzuka moved his halted feet forward and slipped through the pitch-black dungeon entrance, which rippled like the surface of water.
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After a sensation like passing through a thin membrane, his previously dark field of vision changed completely. He squinted involuntarily at the sudden brightness, but his heart was immediately captivated by the sight before him.
So this is a dungeon...!
Although he had memories of coming here once before, the impression was entirely different seeing it in person compared to just remembering it.
A vast grassland spread out as far as the eye could see. While there was a moderate slope, it was mostly flat terrain, not quite rolling hills. There were scattered groves of trees, but overall the visibility was wide open. Looking at the grass stretching out below, not all of it was the same. Some grass reached knee height, while other patches were as short as a manicured lawn. Raising his gaze, he saw the sky spreading out overhead, with fluffy clouds drifting gracefully by. The breeze brushed his cheek, and with each breath came a verdant scent. Though it was early summer at the end of June, the air felt as pleasant as spring. There were no high-rise buildings or utility poles to block the sky. It was a world where one could wholeheartedly experience the phrase wide open spaces.
Suzuka was moved. What a beautiful landscape, he thought. When one hears the word dungeon, an image of caves comes to mind. The word dungeon itself originally means an underground prison cell. Suzuka had assumed that exploring a dungeon meant venturing into such a dank, dark cave.
Of course, he had memories of coming to the dungeon, and he had seen photos and videos in the information he researched yesterday. But he now felt the truth of the saying that seeing is believing, and it was as if he could hear the sound of all his manga-based preconceptions crumbling away.
Well, the people behind me will probably be coming through soon. I should get moving.
Looking around, he could see distant specks that seemed to be something moving. Suzuka took out his bat, held it ready, and began walking toward them.
The size of a dungeon varies by stratum, but it is said that the First Stratum where Suzuka currently stood was roughly the size of Tokyo's twenty-three wards. The entrance location varies by stratum, and the entrance to this First Stratum was situated slightly to the lower right of the stratum's center. The area is divided into concentric circles centered on the dungeon entrance. The innermost circle, Zone 1, is home to the stratum's weakest monsters. The outermost area is Zone 5, where monster levels are highest.
Lucky! A single Drunken Sheep! That's a good start.
What had been a speck now took on clear shape as he drew closer, and there was the Drunken Sheep he sought.
The Drunken Sheep was a sheep wrapped in soft-looking wool, with spiral horns curling from its head. True to its name, Drunken, its face, which should normally be white, was flushed red as if feverish. Its unsteady, staggering gait was exactly that of a drunkard.
When the distance to the Drunken Sheep was under one hundred meters, Suzuka set down his backpack. After taking a couple of practice swings, he looked around once more to confirm there were no other monsters nearby.
There aren't any obstacles to hide behind, which makes scouting easy. That's helpful.
The Drunken Sheep's only attack pattern is a charge. Its horns seem to function as protection for its face, as it does not use them offensively. Because its sole attack is a straightforward charge, it is famously considered a beginner-friendly monster. However, if Suzuka, at Level 1, were to take a hit head-on, it would likely break his ribs. The fluffy wool also looked like it would absorb the impact of a metal bat, suggesting a poor match with Suzuka's current equipment.
As the distance to the Drunken Sheep narrowed, information about it appeared in Suzuka's vision.
Drunken Sheep: Level 2
It was not that Suzuka possessed an Appraisal skill; rather, the names and levels of dungeon monsters are displayed like this naturally. This, too, is said to be part of the dungeon's blessing, and it is quite convenient.
Level 2, huh. I would have preferred Level 1 for my first... Well, time to do my best.
The levels of Drunken Sheep range from 1 to 3. If it were Level 3, the maximum, the wise choice would be to avoid it, but Level 2 seemed doable... probably. Maybe.
At low levels, the difference between levels is significant. This is because stat growth upon leveling up follows an additive formula. For instance, if Strength is 4 at Level 1 and the increase per level is 2, then the strength of a Level 3 is simply double that of Level 1. Conversely, between Level 51 and Level 53, Strength might be 104 and 108, making the impact of a few levels much smaller.
In reality, the increase is not quite this simple, and for Suzuka at Level 1, searching for a Level 1 Drunken Sheep would be the safer bet... yet he resolved to take on the challenge.
At a distance where appraisal became possible, the Drunken Sheep also noticed Suzuka's presence. Its barking, meant as a threat, combined with its red face, made it look less drunk and more enraged.
Dodge the charge... Dodge the charge...
Muttering his strategy to himself, Suzuka lowered his stance, preparing for the Drunken Sheep's attack. The two faced off, staring each other down. The Drunken Sheep made the first move.
It was surprisingly fast. He had underestimated it, thinking a sheep couldn't be that quick. This thing's going as fast as a moped.
The distance between them rapidly disappeared. Dodging too early would be pointless. He needed to draw it in close enough that it couldn't change direction, not necessarily as close as a matador, but near enough.
Now!!
He leaped aside as if doing a lateral shuffle. Suzuka tumbled to the ground from his own momentum but managed to evade the Drunken Sheep's attack. He quickly scrambled to his feet and, in turn, closed in on the Drunken Sheep as it passed by.
When the Drunken Sheep misses its charge, it slams on the brakes and attempts to turn around for another attack. However, Suzuka was faster in closing the distance.
Hah!!
Suzuka swung the metal bat with all his might. The side of the Drunken Sheep's face was protected by its spiral horns, but he didn't care if he hit them and swung through with a horizontal slash.
Crunch.
There was an unpleasant sound and a sickening feedback he had never felt when hitting a baseball. By luck, Suzuka's bat had avoided the horns and struck the protruding snout directly. Because the Drunken Sheep had raised its head right after turning, Suzuka had managed to catch its snout.
Thanks to swinging the metal bat with full force, the creature's muzzle was crushed, scattering blood and flesh. Yet, unfazed, as if running on adrenaline, the Drunken Sheep showed no sign of pain and immediately attempted another charge. But there was almost no distance between Suzuka and the Drunken Sheep. At such close range, it could not build up speed, making this charge far less intimidating than the first. The Drunken Sheep becomes more threatening the greater the distance. The key strategy was to suppress fear and fight at point-blank range.
Careful not to trip, Suzuka dodged the charge and swung his bat again, aiming for the Drunken Sheep's rear as it passed. He gave it a serious whack on the backside, but protected by its wool, the hit felt like it did little damage.
Bwaaahhh!
The Drunken Sheep turned back again, barking and spraying saliva, and charged once more with no run-up. Suzuka somehow dodged and this time brought the bat down vertically, aiming to break its spine. Contrary to its soft, wool-covered appearance, a hard sensation traveled up the bat, leaving his hands numb and tingling.
But he couldn't let go of the bat. The Drunken Sheep turned and charged again and again. Suzuka, fighting to keep his feet from tangling, dodged and struck repeatedly, aiming for the head or back. Facing a Drunken Sheep that still showed no sign of faltering, he began to panic, uncertain if his attacks were having any effect. Yet, since all he could do was keep swinging, Suzuka desperately continued to dodge and strike.
The frenzied struggle likely continued for five minutes. The life-or-death battle between the two was finally ended by a single overhead swing from Suzuka. After a sensation like crushing its spine, the Drunken Sheep staggered and collapsed, transforming into black smoke. The smoke did not dissipate but quietly flowed into Suzuka.