Chapter 19: Finding My First Dungeon

Kensei was feeding the fishes in the koi pond. This last month had truly surprised him. The surprise had more to do with his adopted grandson than anything else. He never complained, he never slacked off and everyday he trained till he dropped.

But the fascinating thing was that he would be ready to go again the next day. His recuperating ability was abnormal. Everyday he watched his grandson push himself. He trained his chakra and Kensei could feel it increase by a small margin everyday.

He felt pride. He wanted to teach Daichi everything he knew. All the skills and techniques he learned throughout his career, he wanted to pass on to the boy. From the first time he met him till now he studied Daichi. And he understood one fact.

Daichi was a free bird. Sooner or later he would leave to see the world. Over the last month Daichi would ask him about the world beyond the village. The places he went. The people he met.

Kensei was an adventurer in his heart but his duty shackled him to the village. He loved the village but if he was given a chance to do it all again he would make several different decisions. When Daichi spoke to him he could sense his desire to explore and see the world.

He was going to let the boy have that shot. The one he never had. He sensed Daichi coming his way.

"I see you're done for the day." Kensei said smiling.

"Yeah." After a few moments of silence Daichi spoke.

"This is the last day of the month. So tell me Gramps. Are you impressed.?" He asked even though he knew his progress was being watched by his grandpa everyday.

Kensei turned around. He looked at Daichi with a calm gaze. After a few moments of silence he answered.

"Yes. I've been watching you every day for the last month and I'm convinced. You've far exceeded my expectations. You're talent is beyond many. And only a few could match your drive to improve."

Kensei had a wide grin on his face. "If you keep training at the current rate then by the time you join the academy next year I have no doubt you'll be at the top amongst your peers. Starting the day after tomorrow we'll start training for real. And I'll teach you the standard academy Taijutsu and if you can then a couple of Ninjutsu as well."

[Current Quest - 'Get ahead of your peers' Updated.]

Daichi ignored the notification box that appeared. "Wait. Why the day after tomorrow?" Daichi was a bit confused but he figured the old man might have some plans.

"Because you need to learn to take a break every once in a while. I've told this before Daichi, you have to stop once in a while and relax. Training yourself every hour of every day won't help you. In fact, if you keep going like this, soon it'll hinder your growth rather than help. Take a moment to enjoy the simple things in life. Tomorrow we're taking the whole day off and going sightseeing."

When he heard this Daichi took a deep breath and exhaled a few seconds later and recalled the last month. 'The old man's right. I've been so caught up in training I didn't even think about anything else. And if I keep this up for long I'll burn out.' Daichi thought about what to do to recharge and recover as it were.

"It seems you got my point. Good. One of the best ways to keep ourselves sane and have a clear strong focus is to have a hobby. We all need one. Especially those in our profession. A hobby will help us relax, clear the mind and give us a new perspective when we need it." Kensei advised him.

"Alright. I understand. I'll think of something." Daichi replied.

"It's almost sundown. Let's get inside." Kensei walked into the house. Daichi took one look at the setting sun and went inside. He got cleaned up and was at the table eating some food.

He thought about what Kensei said. 'I already have a garden but that's mostly because of the quest. What else do I really want to do? Something I could enjoy and not stress over...Hmm. I've always enjoyed cooking…Trying out new recipes and tasting exotic dishes. It seems my love for that carried over to this life.'

'What else? I've always wanted to paint. The vibrant colors of all the comics I've read in my past life enthralled me. I've always wanted to draw like that. But I couldn't do it. Or to be more precise I never gave it a shot after I failed a couple times. Now that I have the gamer ability I could definitely use it for that as well. Alright. Guess that's decided.'

Putting the chopsticks down and swallowing the last bite of food, Daichi said. "I've decided to make cooking and painting as my hobby. I want to try out dishes I've never tasted and in time maybe create some great art work."

Kensei nodded. "Those are excellent choices. You already have a cookbook don't you. Then why don't we get some painting equipment tomorrow." He said smiling.

"Where are we going?" Daichi was curious about the little outing.

"Wherever the road takes us. You've been cooped up here for a month, rarely leaving for anything else than to buy groceries, it's about time you got some fresh air." The old man said.

"Yeah. Guess you're right." After they finished the food Daichi did the dishes and returned.

"We leave at 8am. So get ready before then. Go get some sleep, kid."

"Goodnight Gramps."

"G'Night Kid."

Both of them retired to their rooms and fell asleep soon after.

The next morning Daichi woke up at 6 am sharp. Nowadays he doesn't even need an alarm clock. He stretched his muscles and meditated for sometime and then got ready. He went downstairs and saw his grandfather was dressed for the trip as well.

Both of them walked outside. Their first destination was Shi Fang's restaurant. They walked a bit slow, comfortably enjoying the morning air and the warmth of the sun. They reached the restaurant and sat down. Kensei ordered the typical breakfast dishes. Some time later Shi Fang arrived with their food. On a large tray there were several small dishes.

'Observe'.

[Asa Gohan]

[A traditional breakfast centered around a bowl of rice and accompanied by several small dishes. The rice used in this dish is white rice, steamed and served in a decorative bowl. Surrounded by Miso soup, grilled fish, pickled vegetable salads, natto. It acts as a starchy, nutritious, counterbalance for the tang, richness, and complexity of the accompanying dishes. Although there are several dishes, they are light, comfortable for the palate and easy to digest. A delicious morning breakfast created by Shi Fang. Eating the entire food restores 53 HP and 36 CP.]

'Wow. This is impressive. The hp and cp restoration are over 3 times that of the rainbow dumplings. They look and smell so delicious… Time to dig in.'

"Thank you for the meal."

Daichi and Kensei took the chopsticks and ate slowly, enjoying each dish and savoring their taste. After about 20 minutes they were done. They chatted for a while with owner Shi and then left the restaurant.

"So where are we going next Gramps?"

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"Have you seen Kikyō castle?" Kensei asked.

"No."

"Then that will be our next stop."

Both of them walked through the increasingly crowded streets. They reached Kikyō castle shortly. Kensei explained the history of the castle during their walk. A castle built during the first Hokage's period.

When they reached the place Daichi was amazed. In front of him stood a giant castle with blue tiles and two fishes with light yellow green color adorning the rooftop. Daichi used the observe skill.

'Observe.'

[Kikyō Castle]

[An old castle built during the first Hokage's reign located in the eastern part of Konoha. It features two large ornamental tiles(shibi) set on both ends of the roof. The shibi is shaped like shachihoko. A mythical animal with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp. This castle once used to host dignitaries that came to the village. ]

This was what Daichi's 'observe' showed him. Suddenly a new notification box appeared.

[You have found a Key Dungeon. Retrieving the key to the dungeon… Key to this dungeon has been placed in the inventory.]

Daichi was surprised. He didn't expect this at all… He opened his inventory page. In there he saw a black key with exotic patterns all over it. He wanted to take it out and observe it but he suppressed the urge and decided he would do it in the confines of his room. Kensei was reminiscing about the history of the castle and didn't notice Daichi's reactions.

They left and went to different places around Konoha. Kensei even took him to the park so Daichi can interact with other children his age. But Daichi wasn't interested. Daichi was a bit envious at first, watching the kids play without a care in the world. But that emotion soon left him. He didn't bother with the effort to make friends. He figured he would make some during his time in the academy.

When it was noon Kensei took him to the Ichiraku Ramen store where they had their lunch. They spent the rest of the day visiting various places. Kensei showed Daichi where some of the clans were located. Then on their way back they bought some beginners painting supplies. By evening both of them returned home.

Daichi was in his room looking at the dungeon Key he took out from his inventory. They key was black in color.

'Observe.'

[Kikyō Castle dungeon Key.]

[With this key the player can enter the dungeon in the Kikyō castle. This key can transport the player to its corresponding dungeon from anywhere.]

There was no more information. Daichi knew there had to be something more. He had an idea. He was going to use 'observe' on the castle one more time.

The next day Daichi woke up and went to the castle. He stood near it and used 'observe' again.

[You have found a key dungeon.]

[Key dungeon: Also called the Instant Dungeon. This is a one time use dungeon. The player can only enter the dungeon if he has the corresponding key. It can be activated from anywhere. Once activated the player cannot leave the dungeon without defeating the boss. There is no time limit to this dungeon. When the dungeon is complete it will return the player within 10 seconds of when he entered the dungeon in real world time. Whatever happens in the dungeon will not affect the real world.]

Daichi used 'observe' on the key again.

[Kikyō Castle Dungeon Key.]

[With this key the player can enter the dungeon in the Kikyō castle. This key can transport the player to its corresponding dungeon from anywhere.]

[The color of the key shows the difficulty of the dungeon. Keys are divided into 5 colors based on the difficulty.]

[Black keys - Opponents will be at least 30 levels above the player. Will meet certain death.]

[Red keys - Opponents will be between 15 - 30 levels above the player. Extremely difficult dungeon.]

[Yellow keys - Opponents will be between 5 - 15 levels above the player. Difficult dungeon.]

[White keys - Opponents will have a Level gap of (+5 or -5) levels.]

[Green keys - Opponents will be 5 levels less than the player. Easy dungeon.]

Daichi read through every word carefully. He felt like he now had an understanding of this dungeon.

'This is a black key. So that means my enemies here will certainly be at least level 36 and higher. Since there doesn't seem to be any time limit, I can use this key when I'm good and ready.

He decided to use the key when he passed Level 30. 'I need to find other dungeons. I'm sure there are many hidden in various locations. Looks like I'll have to explore the village some more... But that will have to wait. Right now my priority should be to finish the quest for the academy. Once I'm done with that I'll look into this.'

Daichi made the decision and left. Starting today Kensei was personally going to train him. He was ready.

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Author's Note…

My usual update days are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. But when there is a chapter with excessive stats and skill info dump, I release another bonus chapter that week. This is such a chapter. I did it last week too. Posted 5 chapters in one week to compensate for the stats info. I will keep doing this in the future when there are lots of stats and skills written in a single chapter.

Now as usual, If you enjoy my story and want to read ahead, then check out my P.a.T.R.E.0.N page. I've uploaded up to 26 additional chapters there.

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