Episode 34

“…..!?”  

My fist slammed into the goblin’s face, sending its body flying as it turned to mist and vanished.  

After defeating the goblin, I collected a magic stone and some materials that dropped.  

…..I fought well.  

It was my first battle… and probably my first level-up.  

I felt a slight sense of emotion as I realized I was able to fight just like in the game while picking up the dropped materials.  

Glancing at Kirisaki, I saw she had already finished her battle.  

Though I caught a glimpse of her in my peripheral vision, she was already quite strong. Though not as much as in the main game.  

“Yeah, it was just right for warming up.”  

“…True.”  

“By the way, Takigawa, you had some good moves.”  

“Thanks. You were impressive as well, Kirisaki.”  

“I have no problem with opponents like this. For now, let’s move deeper and level you up quickly, Takigawa.”  

…..Her eyes were fixed on me completely.  

It seemed she wanted to fight me now that I had become stronger.  

I did want to level up. But if I leveled up too much, I would have to fight Kirisaki next.  

As I pondered this, we moved deeper into the dungeon, and the presence of Kyoei intensified.  

In the darkness, shadowy figures like black mist were staring at us.  

There were three of them.  

Noticing us, the Kyoei transformed into goblins and charged at us.  

“Kirisaki… what should we do this time?”  

“Go ahead and defeat the three. I’ll give you the experience points, Takigawa.”  

“…..Understood.”  

I gathered magical power into my Black Gloves and prepared to meet the goblins with a firm fist.  

…If there are multiple enemies, it’s best to prepare some magic.  

Dodging the attacking goblin, I released lightning magic at one of them.  

The lightning shot from my hand, piercing through the goblin and sending it flying.  

…One hit.  

Well, that’s to be expected for an opponent like this.  

As I thought this, another goblin leapt at me. So I conjured an ice wall at my feet.  

“Jaa!?”  

With a scream, the goblin staggered….. It must have crashed headfirst into the wall.  

I altered the ice wall and fired an ice arrow.  

It pierced through the staggering goblin, causing it to dissolve into mist as well.  

One left!  

I dodged the attack from the last goblin that emerged from the side of the ice wall and poured magical power into my boots.  

…With a fist-style attack, I could also use foot techniques.  

By accumulating magical power in my boots, I could strike as well.  

Kicking off the ground, I swung my leg at the goblin that was turning back toward me.  

“…Gah!?”  

The moment the accumulated magical power in my boots hit the goblin, a shockwave exploded like an explosion.  

…Another one hit.  

I had been training my magical power thoroughly, so I didn’t experience any depletion at all.  

“…..That’s powerful.”  

I felt pleased that everything was progressing just as I had simulated in my mind.  

In a slightly playful tone, I asked Kirisaki,  

“Hehe, impressive, right?”  

“…I think it’s impressive. Honestly… I wasn’t that strong from the beginning. I couldn’t fight like that with a combination of magic like you did earlier.”  

…Well, that’s probably a personality issue.  

Kirisaki enjoys the sensation of cutting enemies with a sword…  

The way she looked at me was full of excitement.  

I was just confirming my fighting style, but I had completely become her target.  

Thanks to having fought several times, the bracelet I wore on my right wrist, a misanga, emitted a faint light.  

The Hard Misanga I purchased not only provided status boosts upon leveling up. It also had the effect of absorbing a certain amount of magical power based on the damage dealt.  

Since it absorbs magical power from the damage I inflict, it’s an essential piece of equipment for long battles using fist techniques.  

Well, I currently have enough magical power to rival Kirisaki thanks to my training. But having more magical power is never a bad thing.  

As I absorbed the magical power stored in the misanga into my body, I turned my gaze to Kirisaki.  

“For now, it seems fine… should we split up?”  

“Split up?”  

“Yeah. I plan to level up on the first or second layer. You probably want to go a bit deeper, right?”  

She had been restless for a while now.  

It almost felt like sound effects were about to appear around her.  

“I was told by Michael-sama to watch over your growth, Takigawa… is it okay for me to go?”  

“Yeah, go ahead.”  

“Then… I’m off…!”  

After I replied, she joyfully dashed off like a puppy that had just been thrown a ball.  

Of course, it’s dangerous to be alone… but I also know that if she’s nearby, there’s a chance the experience points will be divided.  

There’s no real need to rush to get stronger… but as a gamer, I don’t want to engage in unnecessary actions.  

If possible, I want to become strong as quickly as I can.  

…Hehe, even though I’m just a mob character, I need to do my best to aim for the strongest.  

Once the main game starts, I’ll be watching the protagonist like a stalker.  

I can’t afford to leisurely level up, so I want to get stronger while I can.  

Original Author’s Comment:

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