Ch.3

Looking upward to see Coach Ryoza's wide smile looking back down on me.

Coach Ryoza loudly clapped her hands, creating a loud impact that caught everyone's attention once again.

"Alright! Now that everyone has found their partner, follow me to the underground speed-train. We'll be heading toward the city center, D Kuiki. Once there, you'll all acquire your Delving license. Try not to lose it. Upon delving to the first floor, you'll spread out and practice cooperation."

After acquiring our licenses and descending to the first floor, the class quickly split up. Soon, it was only me and Coach Ryoza left near the stairs.

Feeling a bit disappointed that nobody wanted to partner with me, Coach took notice and slapped my back.

"Don't be sad. I'm confident you'll grow faster than the rest since your partner is me. C'mon, let's go find some slimes or goblins. I'll even let you decide how strict you want me to be."

My mood improved significantly, seeing how Coach treated me like a human being.

'No more feeling sorry for myself. My second chance starts now!'

"Coach, I want to stand at the top. Please help me get there. I don't care how strict you have to be—just help me get there."

Hearing my request, Coach burst into laughter, her grin stretching wide before the atmosphere suddenly turned serious.

"No matter how strict I am, huh? You sure you can handle that?"

Disregarding all sense of reason, I didn't hesitate and nodded. I strongly believed I'd regret it later if I didn't.

I should've thought it through.

After getting my confirmation, Coach Ryoza started walking. I followed behind her without concern.

We descended to the second floor.

Upon entering, we continued walking to a more isolated spot, farther away from the exit. The air grew colder, and the dim light from the dungeon crystals cast long shadows on the walls. The faint sound of dripping water echoed in the distance, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

After walking for some time, Coach Ryoza turned around to face me.

"Before I start, are you serious about doing this? About reaching the top?"

I noticed she wasn't using her usual carefree tone. Instead, her voice was sharp, her glare piercing, as if testing my resolve.

'Scary.'

"Yes, ma'am."

Hearing my response, Coach grinned.

"Let's get started."

Coach Ryoza took out a small vial filled with a deep red substance. She shook it violently before smashing it onto the floor. The liquid splattered, emitting a faint, metallic smell that made my nose wrinkle.

Curious, I asked, "What did you just smash?"

Coach Ryoza didn't answer. Instead, she walked toward the wall, sat with her back against it, and looked at me.

"Get ready. After five minutes, the lure will wear off. That's when we'll call it a day. Good luck."

Suddenly, I heard loud screeching and felt vibrations as something approached. The sound grew louder, echoing through the corridor like a wave of chaos.

'Oh, no.'

Not long after, a small group of goblins appeared. Their beady eyes glowed in the dim light, and their jagged teeth were bared as they charged at me.

I stood my ground and waited for the closest goblin to step within range before swinging my sword. The first strike was too heavy, and it drained my energy almost immediately. My arms trembled as I pulled the sword back, already feeling the strain.

After the first goblin fell, two more charged at me from the left and right.

Luckily, they weren't that fast. I stepped back, causing them to collide with each other. The impact left them staggered on the ground, giving me a clear opening to strike.

Looking at them closely, I noticed their eyes were bloodshot, their movements erratic and aggressive. They were smaller than I expected, but their claws looked sharp enough to tear through flesh.

Quickly, I finished them off before they could regain their footing. My arms trembled as I lifted the sword and brought it down on both goblins, my muscles screaming in protest.

Despite only killing three, I was already heaving from exhaustion. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my heart pounded in my chest like a drum.

'Don't give up yet. It's only been 26 seconds.'

Without much time to rest, two more goblins appeared. They were faster this time, their movements more coordinated. One lunged at me while the other circled around, trying to flank me.

'These five minutes are going to be the longest five minutes of my new life.'

For the remainder of the time, I struggled immensely, cutting, stabbing, slicing, and dodging. I focused more on dodging than attacking, but it left me with countless cuts and bruises. My shirt was torn in several places, and I could feel warm blood trickling down my arms and legs.

When the five minutes were finally up, I collapsed, clutching my chest as a tight pain pulsed with every heartbeat. My vision blurred, and my legs felt like they were made of lead.

Struggling to stand, I noticed one goblin running toward me. But as I tried to move my arms, they refused to budge, my muscles completely spent.

The goblin noticed my helplessness and pounced.

I braced for impact, but before it could reach me, a medium-sized rock slammed into its side, sending it flying.

Turning around, I saw Coach Ryoza smiling as she clapped her hands.

"Congrats, you've passed your first training. Let's head back up. I think you've reached your limit for the day, so go home and rest."

Realizing it was over, I felt a surge of pride at my accomplishment. Despite the pain and exhaustion, I had survived. That was something.

As we headed back to the exit stairs, Coach helped me walk, her strong arm supporting my weight. I noticed most of my classmates were struggling to fight off a single monster, their movements uncoordinated and clumsy. Some were arguing with their partners, while others looked on the verge of panic.

"Alright, you go ahead and head back home. I still have to help your classmates. Oh, and by the way, I'll create a personal training regimen for you by tomorrow. Stay safe."

Returning home was painful. Every step felt like a punishment, my body screaming in protest from the soreness and damaged muscles. The streets were quiet, the sun dipping below the horizon as I dragged myself toward my house.

I entered my home.

"I'm home!"

No response, even though I could hear everyone in the living room. The sound of their laughter grated on my nerves, a reminder of how disconnected I was from them.

Walking upstairs to my room, I finally noticed the sheer amount of trash and filth covering the floor. The light streaming through the window illuminated the mess, making it impossible to ignore. Empty food containers, crumpled papers, and dirty clothes were scattered everywhere. The trash bin in the corner was overflowing, filled with tissue paper and other debris.

'This is just disgusting. Why is this trash bin filled with tissue paper? Ugh, why does it have a heavy chlorine-like smell?'

Sitting down in the center of the room, I couldn't help but space out, overwhelmed by my living conditions. The room was a reflection of my life—messy, neglected, and forgotten.

'This sucks, and I'm gonna do something about it—tomorrow.'

The time was 5:35 PM.

'I have four hours before the sun goes down. I'll review the materials from class. One subject per hour until 9:50 PM.'

As I studied, I occasionally went to the kitchen for snacks. Each time, I heard my family laughing together, their voices a stark reminder of how disconnected I was from them. They didn't even notice I was there, let alone ask how my day had been.

'One step at a time.'

By morning, I left early, reading on the train and walking into class. I didn't see, but judging from the reaction of my classmates, I could tell I usually wasn't the type of guy to be studious.

"The piggy is reading?"

"I didn't know he could read."

"I bet he's reading manga behind that textbook."

As I sat down at my seat, looking up and seeing their side eyes, an idea came to mind.

"Good morning."

'There's a reason behind the sudden morning greeting. Surely, they'll leave me alone if I just greet them like a normal human being.'

Returning my focus back to reading, I listened in to their reaction.

"Did he just say 'Good morning'?"

"No way. Did he hit his head or something?"

"I bet he's possessed."

"Maybe he's planning something. Stay alert."

A male classmate walked toward me. He was taller than me, with a smug grin plastered across his face. His name was Kenta, and he had always been one of the loudest in mocking me.

"Hey, what are you reading, Piggy? Are you really reading, or are you just trying to look smart?"

I breathed in and out calmly before facing him.

"Hey, can I see your notes? I think I might have missed some of yesterday's materials. Is that cool with you?"

He became confused by the way I reacted.

"Did your head get hit around too much, or did you have too much fun playing in the mud?"

"I'm serious. If you don't want to share notes with me, that's fine, but don't waste your time and just say no. It's rude."

His face grew enraged as he grabbed me by the collar and pulled me in.

I quickly grabbed his wrist and applied pressure.

"Don't. I'm sorry about what I did to you and everyone else in the past. I want to be better, and I'll need everyone's help—even you."

He pushed me downward to the floor, knocking over my seat and textbook.

As I looked up, he spat on my face before angrily walking back to his seat.

Sitting back up and dusting myself off, I continued reading.

The murmurs started.

"He spat on him…"

"And he just took it?"

"No way… The old him would've thrown a tantrum."

"I was hoping to see the tantrum again."

Some could be heard laughing, enjoying the spectacle, while others were uncomfortable, knowing something about me is different from the usual me.

'One step at a time. One step at a time.'

The usual class routine continued until I met Coach Ryoza again.

The class resumed as usual while me and Coach returned back to the second floor.

As yesterday, Coach lured in many mobs while I endured five minutes.

Sore, tired, and light-headed, the training came to a close.

I lay on the floor, desperately trying to control my breathing.

Looking up, Coach was standing on top with a small packet of papers, which she promptly dropped onto my face.

"That's your guide for the long road ahead of you. I can't always be with you to train. I made sure to discuss things regarding dieting, eating, food, tips, and even cheap gyms. Now go home."

Feeling grateful, I wanted to thank her, but I was too tired to utter a word.

Walking home, I wondered how much longer I could endure the pain until my body could handle it without issues.

Walking inside my house, I noticed my mother was at the entrance.

"I'm home."

She did not respond back but instead glared at me with disdain.

I tried lighting up the atmosphere.

"What's for dinner? Actually, I was wondering if you could prepare these dishes for me—"

"I'm not cooking anything for you after what you've put me and the family through! You want to eat something? Then go buy the ingredients and cook it yourself!"

She tossed some money my way, hitting my face.

Although all she threw at me were bills, for some odd reason, I still felt pain.

As I bent down to pick up the scattered currencies, my mother walked off furiously, mumbling something.

Walking back to my room, I failed to notice tears running down my face.

'One change at a time. One change at a… time.'

I spent the rest of the day reading and studying my notes, even reading the next materials in advance.

As I sat down and wrote my notes quietly, the light flickered over me. It was then that I noticed I actually enjoyed studying.

'Was it always this calming? Why didn't I do this in my previous life? Had I put in the effort, would my life have been better?'

I shook my head to ignore the thoughts and focus on studying.

That night, I couldn't sleep.

'I need a goal. The way things are now is just not good enough. I need something reasonable but challenging—but what?'

[HP: 10 MP: 0 STR: 1 AGI: 1 INT: 1 PER: 1 LCK: 0]

Checking my stats, a goal came to mind.

"I need to be more active in fixing my image. I'll try and see if I can do some community work around the area."

The next day, I asked Ms. Fukushima if there was anything I could help with within or around the school.

"For who? You? No, now go away."

I tried asking Coach Ryoza next.

"Hmmm, I do need some help at an orphanage. You up for it?"

Without hesitation, I agreed to the opportunity.

Walking home, I stopped by a market and grabbed some newspapers.

Looking through the newspapers, I took note of the public job postings.

Cut and Clean: Haul corpses and busted gear from Floors 1-3. No combat, just guts. Steal loot, get blacklisted. Pay: 500 yen/hr. Email: Cut&Clean@dungeon.com

Mob Baiter, Urgent: Drag mobs to drop zones. Likely to bleed. Pay: 700 yen/hr. Email: j.jub@dungeon.com

"If the orphanage goes to shit, then I'll Mob Bait."

The next day, I met up with Coach again. I started asking the specifics about the orphanage job, but no matter how many times I asked, she wouldn't tell me.

"It'll be worth your time, so don't worry. Here's my number. I'll contact you tomorrow morning. Just so you know, you'll be working with me all day."

"Fine by me, Coach."

On the day of the job, I was pushed to my limit. The orphanage was in worse shape than I imagined. The walls were crumbling, the roof leaked, and the kids looked like they hadn't eaten properly in days.

Due to my face my first meeting with them wasn't smooth as they scream in terror, Luckily, they mellow out overtime as I chatted with them.

Coach handed me a shovel and pointed to the backyard. "We're fixing that garden. Those kids need fresh food, and we're gonna make sure they get it."

I nodded and got to work. The sun was brutal, and my muscles screamed with every movement, but I kept going. The kids watched from a distance, their eyes wide with curiosity.

By the end of the day, the garden was taking shape. The kids gathered around, their faces lighting up as they saw the progress.

One of them tugged at my sleeve. "Mister, are you coming back tomorrow?"

I looked down at the kid, his face smudged with dirt but his smile genuine and warm. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was making a difference.

"Yeah," I said, ruffling his hair. "I'll be back."

As I walked home, exhausted but satisfied, I realized something. This day gave me a sense of purpose, a sensation I never felt before until now. With a smile I lay in bed,

'One step at a time.'