ParodyGirl

  The system's message made me quite excited. "A preetal? But what kind of metal? Iron? Mithril?"

  Following the system's prompt, a map appeared.

  It was the map of the dungeon's sed floor.

  On the map, several red points were marked. One was very close to me, less than 10 meters away. "Is this where the system detected the metal?"

  I sloroached the loarked on the map. As I got closer, a new system message popped up.

  [Do you wish to extract Orichalcum x3?]

  "Oh? Is it really Orichalcum?" If I remember correctly, it's quite difficult te with this.

  I selected "yes."

  When I did, three pieetal emerged from the dungeon floor. All three had a yellow hue resembling gold. When I picked up one of the ores, it disappeared, and a system message appeared.

  [Orichalcum has been added to your iory]

  [Points +5]

  "I earn points for colleg ores? That's even more reason to keep expl the dungeon."

  I picked up the other two Orichalcum and earned 10 points. Afterward, I opehe so-called iory.

  A menu simir to the iory from "New World" appeared. Inside were three pieces of Orichalcum. I tried taking o of the iory, and it materialized without issues.

  "I don't know if I fe with these metals, but it's worth testing ter."

  I opehe map again to searore metals.

  "Holy, I care more about the points thaals. As a member of the Hephaestus Familia, I get these if I want. Unless uals start appearials that do in this world. Alright, where should I head ?"

  I moved toward the red point. However, two adventurers appeared just as I was about to extract two more Orichalcum ores.

  "Hey, what are you doing? Did you lose something?"

  "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just taking a break."

  "Be careful. We spotted a rge group of monsters nearby. We're leaving; we don't want to take any risks."

  "Thanks for the warning."

  The two men walked past me and disappeared. Ohey were gone, I crouched aracted the two metals from the ground. After st them in my iory, I reopehe map.

  The map was y. There were no more red dots on the map.

  "Did the ability deactivate? Does it use magic or something?"

  That's when I started to notie odd sounds.

  Footsteps! Footsteps! Footsteps!

  The sound grew louder and louder. A rge group of people—or monsters—was rushing in my dire.

  I drew my sword from its sheath, and several red points reappeared on the map. These points were closing in rapidly.

  [Defeat all the monsters!]

  A rge group of monsters stood before me in a matter of seds. I couldn't think clearly, so I began running to put some distaween us and figure out what to do.

  I kept running, gng back over my shoulder.

  For some reason, the dungeon's corridors began narrowing.

  The monsters tinued chasing me.

  Goblins and Kobolds.

  Realizing that running wouldn't help, I turned around and swung my sword. "Fmes!" Fire burst forth from my bde, surging toward the horde of monsters. The o the front buro death.

  The scorched monsters fell, and those behind them trampled over their bodies without hesitation.

  They didn't care.

  Tsk!

  I clicked my tongue and tinued swinging my sword.

  My movements were heavy, far from agile. As I swung with all my strength, I mao sever the arms of a few monsters and kill some of them.

  Their numbers started to dwindle.

  I turned and began running again. Thankfully, my endurance was high.

  "If I use the sword's magiore time, I might pass out. Having low magic power really sucks."

  After running for some time and creating enough distance, I prepared to face them again. "How many are left? Twenty? Twenty monsters isn't too bad; I hahis. That reward better be worth it."

  The monsters closed in quickly, and I took a deep breath.

  I couldn't let them surround me. I had to keep attag areating, just like before. Little by little, I could hahis.

  Ssh~~

  Ssh~~

  Ssh~~

  I kept swinging my sword. The sound of monster flesh being sliced filled my ears. Blood spttered over me as their numbers steadily dwindled.

  After several long minutes, only one Kobold remaianding.

  The others had vaurning into metals. Most of them transformed into Mithril.

  The lone Kobold looked terrified. I approached him slowly, step by step. He stood still, realizing there was no point iing. L his head, he waited for his end.

  When my sword pierced his neck, his body turned into particles of light, and a piece of Orichalcum dropped to the ground.

  [You have sin all the monsters!]

  [Rewards: Mithril x21, Orichalcum x12]

  [Points: +30]

  All the metals the monsters "dropped" were added to my iory. The dungeon walls then began to shift away from me. The corridor returo its inal size.

  Soon after, I heard voices.

  "Hey, did you see that guy? He was running like crazy, like he was in a fight. Do you think he's gone mad?"

  "It's better not to talk to him."

  '?'

  ####

  After resting for a few minutes, I thought about what the other adventurers had said earlier.

  "He was running like crazy like he was in a fight…" That's what he said. I uand now. "The system created all of that. But didn't those two adventurers I entered mention seeing a group of monsters?"

  That's when I started hearing more footsteps.

  Anroup of monsters appeared.

  This time, it was a smaller group, no more than 12 monsters. They were all goblins. "So this is the group those two adventurers saw. That massive horde earlier—it was all an illusioed by the system."

  But was it an illusion? It felt like I could've died!

  "Well, whatever."

  I felt a bit tired, but I didn't back down from fighting the group of monsters before me. Feeling fident, I charged at the goblins and started swinging my sword.

  The monsters were killed quickly.

  Ohey were dead, I picked up their magic stones, stuffing my pockets with them.

  "Unfortunately, I 't store magic stones in my iory."

  But what should I do now? Should I keep gathering ores, or should I leave the dungeon? Maybe going down to the 3rd floor is a good idea. "I think I make it to the 4th floor without much trouble, but beyond that, things will get a bit harder."

  I'm still level one, so I'm pretty weak.

  "What do I o do to reach level two? Holy, I have no idea."

  I even thought about asking the system for help, but I don't want to bee too depe on it.

  The system already makes the f process way too easy. Suppose it starts helping me level up, too. In that case, I'll bee one of those protagonists who rely on the system for everything and 't do anything indepely.

  And that's never a good idea.

  When the system disappears, they bee useless.

  "I o get better at f because the system might vanish iure. I don't trust some mysterious god who suddenly gave me this system."

  I decided to stay on the sed floor of the dungeon for a while longer.

  As I searched for more ores, I tinued killing any monsters I entered.

  After a few hours, I finally left the dungeon.

  I gathered a rge amount of Mithril and Orichalcum, but I didn't find any other metals. I thought I'd find some iron or something simir, but I only got these two types of ores.

  I'm not pining, though, sihril and Orichalcum are good. At least in New World, they were high-level materials.

  With my sword dirty and feeling exhausted, I headed home.

  When I walked through the house's front door, I came across some members of the Familia. They g me and smiled before walking past and leaving. I'm unsure if it was a mog smile, but it irritated me slightly.

  I went straight to my room.

  Wheered, Hephaestus wasn't there.

  I took a hot bath, and as soon as I left the bathroom, Hephaestus ehe room. She g the dirty sword in the er and my filthy clothes."You were in the dungeon?" she asked, surprised.

  ParodyGirl