NOVEL NEXT The Strongest Solo Gamer with Terrible Social Skills Reincarnates as a Hated NPC in a VRMMO Chapter 21
21: Initial Exploration
When I came to, I was standing on the second floor of ABYSS. My consciousness was uninterrupted. The scenery changed in an instant, enveloped in light. I experienced the phenomenon of transfer for the first time, and the afterglow was incredible. I took a deep breath and observed my surroundings.
The second floor of ABYSS resembled a traditional dungeon. The stone walls had a four-meter-high ceiling, and the rectangular corridors were lit by candles on the walls. The ceiling, which seemed to touch the sky, was a stark contrast to the first floor. The scenery changed drastically with each floor, a characteristic of ABYSS.
From here on, similar scenery would continue for over ten floors. In other words, the nature of the dungeon changed every ten floors. We would progress to the next stage after clearing the floor boss.
“There’s no one around.”
The floor transfer occurs randomly every few minutes. That’s why I transferred last. I didn’t want any unnecessary noise during my initial exploration in this world.
――I’m a bit worried about “Mihonmatsu PT”, though.
Those guys were in disarray just before the transfer. It’s not impossible that they got separated from their party due to the time difference.
But maybe I don’t need to worry on the second floor?
The monsters that appear are just slimes and goblins, easy prey even for beginners.
What I need to be careful about is the third floor. The tutorial is almost over, and the beginner-killing werewolf will appear. If I get too confident on the second floor, I’ll likely have an accident.
If we form a solid party and each member fulfills their role, we won’t struggle. Probably, the developers wanted us to realize the importance of party roles on the third floor. Most people might think it’s okay, but from what I saw before the transfer, “Sakaki PT” might be in trouble.
“I’m just worrying about others, and it’s pointless.”
I muttered, starting my exploration. For some reason, I tend to talk to myself when I’m alone. Am I the only one?
My initial exploration ended in an hour. I set a timer on my magic crystal terminal and walked through the dungeon. It was an empty space, but my heart was racing with excitement.
Experiencing ABYSS exploration in real-time is indeed thrilling.
That’s what I thought at the time.
Three goblins appeared from around the corner of the corridor.
Oh no!
It’s even more pathetic than I thought!!
The green-skinned, half-naked goblin, about knee-high, has a stick-like thin body and arms, with a club that looks heavier than its own body. Its belly is bulging, so it might be using that to balance itself. As soon as it sees me, it bares its teeth and tries to intimidate me. If I try to run, it’ll relentlessly chase after me. Weak physique, but high aggression – that’s the characteristic of a goblin.
This is my first battle in this world.
I’m thrilled as I draw my rapier.
The enemy’s vigilance is nonexistent due to my sudden draw. That’s why they’re called small fry monsters. I target one of them that’s carelessly approaching, and strike with my rapier.
“Whoa!”
…Not a bad feeling. It’s a critical hit, I suppose. As I look down at the goblin with a hole in its forehead, crumbling to the ground, I wipe the blood splatter off my sword and let it fall to the ground.
“Ha!”
The goblins finally show some agitation, but it’s too late. With my half-body stance, I close in on them, conscious of my basic combo, the standing weak thrust, from the Legacy game. There’s no opening in my consecutive thrusts.
After finishing off one in front, I take down the remaining one behind with a returning slash. The goblins, with holes in their foreheads, transform their bodies into small magic crystals as they die.
“First victory, nice…!”
It’s not that I’m happy about defeating the goblin. What’s delightful is that my theory, which I’ve been thinking about, has been proven correct.
The goblins’ movements are exactly the same as those in the Legacy game sense. In other words, they’re familiar movements to me. It’s easy to predict their patterns.
To counter them, I use the same movements my avatar did in the Legacy game sense. If I’m fighting the same enemies with the same movements as in the game, my victory is guaranteed.
In essence, I’m invincible.
“This is getting fun!”
My laughter echoes in the labyrinth.
But…
This isn’t the time for that. There are two things I need to confirm.
First, experience point management.
I think the cursed ring’s effect suppresses the amount of experience points gained to zero, but this is based on game knowledge. Since I haven’t actually identified the type of curse, it’s better to be cautious with experience point calculations.
Next, I need to confirm the goblin’s magic crystal.
It’s strange that their small bodies transform into even smaller magic crystals, about the size of a 1-yen coin, upon death.
With three magic crystals in hand, I activate the portal’s wallet app and tap the “Charge” item. …Now, I’m ready.
As I bring the acquired magic crystals close to the terminal, they’re sucked into the vortex and disappear from my hand. The added mileage is 300. In other words, one goblin is worth 100 points. Since I spent all my points at the shop, my current balance is 300MP.
I need to make some money urgently…
I’ll try to earn enough for tomorrow’s lunch.