Chapter XXXIV - Girls Night (part 1)

We spent hours inside the dungeon, but somehow we enjoyed it. 

The enemies are just easy. Or was it just us being too powerful?

This was a Purple ranked dungeon after all. If anything, we are just a little overqualified. But even after killing the undead for hours, they still kept on coming. If this is like a game, it's like they have a high spawn rate or something. 

"How was it that we killed at least hundreds, but there are still tons of them?"

Hod said while freezing seven skeletons in one strike.

"I'm not sure. Maybe the dungeon has a high spawn rate."

I answered while burning a bunch more skeletons to his left.

Now I just realized, skeletons aren't supposed to be easily burnable. But all my magic used explosions instead of just simply burning.

That's why the skeletons are killed easily. I guess my use of fire magic is pretty good.

After a few seconds, another wave of skeletons came into the room. At least there's sixteen of them. One of them had a slingshot. It fired a single stone towards Hod.

PTUNG!!

"Arggh, Bastard!"

Oh dear, Hod is pissed.

"Eh, you're bleeding."

Hod ignored me and gritted his teeth. He immediately launched a powerful ice magic towards the group of skeletons that just came in, while I healed his head. Every single skeleton got destroyed thanks to his burst of ice spikes.

"Let's call it a day."

"What?"

Hod turned his head against me, looking disappointed. But, I just shook my head at him.

"We have been here for hours. They have served their purpose as our target practice, but we can't go on forever."

Hod looked down, then nodded. I guess he still wants to fight more skeletons after getting hit in the head.

We left the dungeon afterwards with 9 pouches of crystals. How long have we been in there? Four hours? Three?

No matter how long, in the end I always got the same outcome. The fatigue from fighting.

Even with nearly abnormal magic points growth, I can still get easily tired. Though the tiredness is only in my head, sometimes It slipped through and degraded my moves a little bit. I'm guessing it's all just my emotions.

We went back to Algar so we could get a carriage back to Mazino. After waiting for around ten minutes, the carriage that leads back to the kingdom finally arrives. The two of us along with one other person entered the carriage, and our trip back to the kingdom began right away.

"Today was... Quite the grind."

Hod started the conversation while looking at the road behind us. No matter what carriage we rode, Hod always sat at the door so he could look at the view behind the carriage. As usual, I sat across from him.

"Yep."

I studied at the small pouch filled with magic crystal in my hand as I opened it. I lifted a single crystal up to see.

"I wonder how much these costs."

"Not only were these crystals the easiest thing to loot, the skeletons are also quite weak. It's actually one of the best places to get money."

He isn't wrong. Compared to other monsters or beasts, the skeletons seemed to be the most profitable because of how easy it is to loot them. But unlike beasts, the skeletons drop only these crystals, whereas beasts can be looted from their limbs, claws or other loot-able body parts.

Even if it's not that pricey, these skeletons are easier to farm. The rate of owning the loot is faster with skeletons.

"We should come back there, sometimes."

"Agreed. Let's bring everyone else."

"... I meant as a training."

I explained to him how the skeletons could prove a good target for training, while we kept on trying new things to throw at them. Hod nodded to that idea. Because having learned magic doesn't mean we can only use one form of magic. We can use any form that we know, but we surely have to try it first.

When we arrived at Mazino, me and Hod went to the Office to collect the money. Klane was surprised that Hod was with me, because she registered the mission with only my name. Hod said it was fine, that he only wants the split for selling these crystals.

Klane was even more surprised that we brought back nine pouches of magic crystals.

"You guys know that these things are quite pricey, right?"

"Huh? Why are they expensive?"

I asked Klane with a surprised face, and she lifted a single crystal while explaining.

"Magic crystals are a type of crystals that are capable of utilizing magic. Many mages have tampered with this crystal for ages. For example, the magic testing devices. All was made out of these crystals."

"I see. Then, why?"

"... You may haven't heard, but the advancements of these devices keep on continuing to move forward. There was a huge havoc in the magic academy at Xyphon where the students found a massive development in magic tools."

Magic tools... development?

Now that's interesting. Magic tech, huh? It looks like something I can take a glimpse at. Of course, that's for another time.

"Okay... So, how much will we get from the crystals, then?"

"Quite nicely, I dare say."

She put down a paper right in front of me and Hod, and she started counting the numbers by herself. Once she was done writing, she flipped the paper and showed us the result.

"What...?"

"That's..."

Both me and Hod just looked at each other in surprise and confusion.

"Oh dear, you're right, Rize. We should go back there, as much as we possibly can."

"I can buy a house in a few months."

We looked at the number that was written on the paper. 

For nine pouches full of crystals, we were able to obtain 1600 Jules. Split in two, we obtained 800 Jules each. That's way more than my normal income. I guess the higher the rank, the bigger the payment.

"If you two were thinking of going back to that skeleton cave, I suggest you bring more people."

Klane said from her desk before she waves us to leave so that other people in the line can advance. We moved a bit to the left, where we can talk without others listening in.

"She is right. We should call everyone else."

"Just our team though."

"That's what I meant."

Hod giggles at the 800 Jules he received. It's really weird how just a simple training session like that can give us 800 Jules from selling the mission products. It's a little more for me since it's a mission, hence there was an extra pay based on the level of the mission.

After receiving the money, we both separated again. Hod said he wanted to return to his diner, and I was left alone wondering about where I should go next.

There's still a few hours until sundown. Hopefully Valey and Cony won't mind me being a little late.

In that case... back to the books.

"Ah, you again??"

The old lady greeted me like usual, and I just smiled at her.

I took out the book I borrowed yesterday, and placed the books in front of her. The old lady then picked the books up using wind magic, and the book flew towards the bookshelves, back to its previous position.

"Very nice of me to return the books, right?"

"Yes, how pleasing."

"You're welcome!"

I walked to the back and went straight to the books about magic. I searched for the magic book about fire element and picked it up. I read the book after sitting at the table, in the middle of the library.

It's very funny how the library is always so quiet. I guess not many people think much about knowledge here.

The book of fire magic taught me everything I needed to know about fire magic, such as how to make the attack more powerful, or what kind of forms I could use. I should bring this book to train next time. It would have much more effect if I actually practiced it instead of just reading it.

After finishing the book, I also searched for some books for my new teammates too. Maybe it could prove useful for them to learn. I'm not sure about Barret or Cony's abilities, so for now I'll take a look at the books for ice magic.

At the end of the day, I read a few books about sword arts, ice magic, magic in general, and regarding skeletons.

The old lady was surprised that I'm going to borrow five books at once. But since I don't have any record for losing any of the books, she just coughed and allowed it. I thanked her for real this time.

The sun is already quite low by the time I came out, which made me surprised because I wasn't expecting the time to flow that quickly.

"What the... how long was I in the library?"

When we came back to the kingdom, it was only around an hour after the second bell. I guess I have been reading for a few hours?

Then, I realized from the thundering sounds, it wasn't because it's night time. It's actually cloudy. It's still around the afternoon, I guess.

Since coming to this world, I have only seen rain once. I guess I died in the wrong season. When the rain falls down, I already wore my waterproof robes to cover me from the rain.

I can still smell the stench of blood... I guess I didn't clean it up as well as I thought. I should get a new one, actually.

After that, I went back to the inn to change into my casual attire. After that, I will be heading to tonight's occasion... Girls night.

Oh dear, am I actually doing this?

This might be a good chance for me to learn about my new teammates better. But at the same time I don't want to go.

Why??

I mean, I am a guy. GUY.

I don't go to girls' night. I'm not a pervert... though, maybe a little, but I still don't feel that it is right for me.

I have acted girlish before when talking to other ladies, like with Klane or Keila. I wouldn't say I'm good at it, but it's good enough to fool them. But, to do it the entirety of a night with new people... I'm worried they might call me things.

Whatever god is watching me... I hope you don't think of me as a weirdo. However, I will try my best.

I slapped my back to the bed and covered my face with my hand from embarrassment and frustration.

Who put me in this body...? Why can't I just die like everyone else? Why do I have to be tested like this...?

Wait... nevermind.

I cursed myself for thinking I should have died. This second chance, even though it was terrible, being a girl and all, but it's a second chance. I can not let myself die, not until I find that black skeleton bastard and kill him. My biggest guess was that he is the God of Death that Galar mentioned, having a skeleton face and all.

I guess... I have to go on this girls night.

Maybe there is a way for me to endure it. Just... think of it more like a date than what it actually was. You have two girls with you, on a stroll, at night time. Yeah, yeah, think like that.

Dear me, will anyone notice that I'm not actually a woman? I think I might just take my life if someone actually does say something like that.

In the meantime, however... I guess it won't hurt to start pretending even more. It's never too early to try.

I kept on losing to my thoughts that I didn't realize I actually fell asleep... Oh boy.

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