I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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[020] Dungeon Village Medaolinum
“We’ll discuss the details on the way.”
After hastily gathering my belongings and arriving outside the city wall, Malton immediately gestured toward the carriage behind us.
I climbed into the carriage without complaint and set down my backpack, whereupon he tossed out a light jest.
“It’s been a while. Has it only been a week? Word of your exploits has already reached the Guild. It must not have been easy for Skeleton to blend seamlessly into the human world—impressive work.”
“I’m glad to see you’re looking well. How’s the curse treating you?”
“There are some lingering aftereffects, but I’m managing fine. It should gradually improve with time. I owe you my thanks again.”
“No need to thank me. I’ll be squeezing you dry from here on out.”
Malton chuckled at my half-joking remark, then his expression shifted to something more serious.
“So, getting to the main point… a dungeon has been discovered in a village in this region. The problem is that its scale is absolutely absurd. They say it’s large enough to swallow an entire small kingdom whole. Have you heard about it?”
“Of course. I’ve heard it so many times my ears are about to fall off. By now, even the concubines of neighboring lords have probably heard about it.”
A week had passed since I completed the Resonance Stone Quest, and everywhere I went, people spoke of nothing else.
[Dungeon]
‘So it finally opened….’
A dungeon is like a crimson fruit blooming in the heart of the desert.
When adventurers greedily cast their lives into its gaping maw, merchants who catch the scent of blood and gold coins swarm like hyenas.
Soon, the vast wealth born from their spilled blood and desires will swell the coffers of the nearby city of Verastin.
But….
‘That’s only true in the beginning.’
There will come a time when the number of monsters exceeds what adventurers and knights can handle.
At that critical threshold, the overflowing monsters will pour forth onto the surface, laying waste to everything around them in a great flood.
This will be the first domino to push Belheim toward a world on the brink of annihilation.
Unaware of this truth, Malton nodded leisurely and spoke.
“Since you’re already informed, this conversation will move quickly. All the adventurers in Verastin have already flocked there. And as adventurers ourselves, we can hardly afford to miss such an opportunity, can we?”
“Of course not.”
Fortunately, knowing the future of this world as I do, I also know when to make my exit.
If I slip away before the great flood occurs, I can extract the best rewards and vanish.
A dungeon teeming with monsters is both a shortcut to rapid leveling and an opportunity to strike it rich.
But as Malton studied my complexion, he asked with concern.
“Hmm… your eyes look dark. Have you been losing sleep?”
“Yeah, I haven’t been resting much lately. I’ve been hunting through the nights….”
“Through the nights? You mean you were hunting at night? Outside the city wall?”
“Yeah, I think I spent about four days out there….”
“…May I ask what your level is?”
“Level? I just hit twenty-three. It was touch and go, but I managed somehow.”
“Twenty-three… when we first met, weren’t you in the single digits?”
“I was.”
Thanks to all those nights of hunting, I’d raised my level significantly, but I couldn’t simply rejoice.
A new Quest had appeared at some point.
｢[New Quest]: Assemble a trustworthy party and reach the dungeon.｣
｢Dungeons are perilous realms teeming with formidable monsters and treacherous traps! While extraordinarily dangerous, should you overcome the adversity and survive, you will experience rapid growth.｣
｢Quest Completion Reward: Permanently increase Strength by 2.｣
‘…Something feels off.’
I was planning to go anyway, and I’m grateful for the free stat boost, but I can’t shake this unsettling feeling.
Doesn’t it feel as though I’m being lured by sweet rewards only to be shoved into a fiery abyss where catastrophe awaits?
It’s absurd to harbor such doubts against a mere fragment of text in a status window, and yet…
I exhaled deeply and rested my head against the straw pillow as I spoke.
“Wake me if anything happens. I’m going to sleep.”
“Understood. You’ll be busy once we reach the Dungeon, so get proper rest. I’ll catch some sleep myself.”
Malton and I boarded the rattling carriage and headed toward Dungeon Village.
* * *
After two full days of travel by carriage, we arrived at the Village Near Dungeon, and the cacophony jolted my eyes open.
Half-awake, I peered through the wooden window and saw a throng of people so densely packed there was barely room to stand.
“How long has the Dungeon’s existence been public knowledge? How did it already attract this many people…?”
Warriors in full plate armor bustled about urgently, mages in pointed hats chanted suspicious incantations, merchants bellowed their wares at the top of their lungs….
Ferret messengers darted nimbly through the chaotic crowd, while Adventurers pitched tents haphazardly across the Grassland and settled in for the night.
“…It’s absolute chaos.”
“We still have a ways to go. Let’s hurry.”
After slipping a bribe to the gatekeeper and passing through the palisade into the Town, I spoke as I followed Malton’s back.
“So… I came along, but why did we enter the Town in the first place? The Dungeon is outside the Town, isn’t it?”
“Before we enter the Dungeon, there’s someone I need to meet. You understand that just the two of us aren’t enough to form a stable party, don’t you?”
“Well, I suppose…”
Since both Malton and I wield melee weapons and serve as frontline fighters, we have limitations in handling every situation.
We’d be defenseless against ranged attacks, and if flying monsters appeared, we’d have nothing to do but watch helplessly.
I’d been hoping myself that we’d have a party member skilled in ranged combat…
“Fortunately, I’ve already secured a suitable talent beforehand.”
“Oh, now that’s promising.”
As a veteran, Malton has excellent connections.
Moving through the Town without hesitation, Malton stopped in front of a dilapidated Tavern.
As I pushed through the swing doors, the air thrummed with hearty laughter, frothing beer, and the aroma of roasting meat from tables packed shoulder to shoulder.
Past the creaking wooden floorboards and the flickering shadows cast by the fireplace, Malton came to a halt before one Adventurer.
“It’s been a while, Radi.”
“…It has been a while, Malton.”
When the person sitting alone at the bar responded, I couldn’t help but be startled.
The voice flowing from beneath the hood sounded so youthful it hadn’t even reached the depths of adolescence.
Though the crimson robes covering their entire body made it impossible to discern their true appearance, their frame was far too small to be considered an adult.
‘A Boy…?’
Of course, in this world, age cannot be judged by appearance alone.
There are mages who have lived for centuries, and the elf beside me is an incredibly long-lived species.
Yet the worn and frayed robes, tattered boots, and visibly patched backpack all unmistakably proclaimed the equipment of a novice.
‘He really does look like a child… His level is probably only in the early thirties at best?’
Had Malton mistaken someone else for this person? Or was this merely an acquaintance who happened to be sitting here?
Yet despite such doubts, the Boy exchanged pleasantries with Malton naturally before turning to look at me and asking.
“…So, who exactly is this man?”
Beyond the youthful, delicate face visible beneath the hood, the Boy’s deep blue eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence.
Beneath that gaze lay an unspoken question: ‘Is he someone I can trust?’
Malton chuckled and glanced at me sideways before speaking.
“I haven’t known him long myself. But I can vouch that he’s not a bad person. He even lifted my curse, after all.”
“So his character seems decent… but what about his abilities?”
“His abilities? He does cause the occasional unexpected situation, but he’s quite capable. He’ll develop further in time.”
“Hmm… Is that so? If Malton speaks so highly of him, I’m rather intrigued. What’s his rank? E like mine, or perhaps D?”
“Well, that’s….”
At Malton’s glance, I silently withdrew my Adventurer’s Badge from my pocket and showed it to him.
The Boy flinched upon seeing the F-rank wooden token symbolizing a greenhorn, but that was nothing compared to the shock that would follow.
“Wh-what is this…! There’s only one completion stamp! No boss-hunting experience at all…!”
The Boy stared at me with his mouth agape.
｢Adventurer Radi examines you with a bewildered gaze!｣
｢In Belheim, a weak ally is merely dead weight. Your [Chaos] skill increases your strength by 1.｣
｢Radi turns to look at Malton with a pitiful expression.｣
The Boy pulled Malton aside and whispered urgently to him.
“Surely you’re not serious? I can’t believe Malton would make such a mistake….”
“Hmm… No, I’m not. His abilities are certain. I witnessed them myself.”
“Then is this a false registration? Did he forge his level with the Temple records… or is he a criminal laundering his identity?”
“Don’t worry. He’s not that sort of person.”
Malton laughed heartily and lightened the mood.
“In any case, I vouch for both his identity and his abilities. And we’re planning to tackle the Dungeon with just the three of us initially. What do you all think?”
“….”
The Boy regarded me with obvious reluctance.
I too find this proposal unsatisfying.
A Dungeon is a merciless place.
Monsters attack without warning, and when supplies run dry, you must fend for yourself.
Often you endure bloody battles that stretch day and night without sleep, and you may have to fight for your life against Adventurers turned ruthless by desperation.
Yet I question whether I can trust my back to a Boy who appears so fragile.
Moreover, I’m pressed for time due to my main Quest—I must reach level thirty within the deadline.
But the problem is….
‘Given my position, it’s difficult to raise objections actively….’
No matter how I was once a top ranker, I’m now merely a novice.
My completion list contains only one entry, and I’ve been an Adventurer for merely a week.
With my current stats and track record, it would be difficult to find a satisfactory party.
From the start, I had no choice in the matter.
I had secretly hoped the Boy would reject the proposal first, but instead he rubbed his temples as if troubled, then sighed and spoke.
“…I understand. I owe Malton a debt of gratitude, after all. But this is only a temporary party! We’ll enter the Dungeon just once, and if it doesn’t work out, I’m leaving immediately!”
“That’s more than enough. So we’ve successfully formed a party then… How about a drink, Radi?”
“I can’t. I’m busy. Malton said he’d bring a reliable warrior, but now I’m forming a party with a beginner, so I have a lot to prepare—medicinal herbs, bandages, emergency magic scrolls, recovery potions, everything.”
The Boy glanced over at me, then delivered a blunt rebuke.
“It’s free alcohol I’m buying. You’re really not going to drink?”
“…In that case, I’ll have some.”
He immediately changed his attitude and sat down.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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