Chapter 4: Chapter 2 -The Day in the Life of an Explorer- 1-1

I woke up in the morning.

Then, I brushed my teeth.

Later, I ate breakfast.

While basking in the sunlight, I did my usual routine. It was an ordinary morning.

But starting from this point, it gets different.

I removed my tattered clothes and changed into second-hand clothes. Then, I proceeded to check the condition of my sword, which had a white hilt and a black scabbard. Afterward, I also checked my wakizashi. The short sword was also sheathed in a black sheath and had a white hilt.

Thus, I unsheath my sword. Despite not yet being polished, the white blade shone brilliantly, almost as if transparent. The wakizashi also had a very beautiful luster that didn't pale in comparison.

Today, my weapons were also in great shape. I could fight any demons at any time!

—Maybe, probably.

My only concern was for them to be mistaken as a pair of ornamental swords.

I looked back on my battles and reflected on all my failures.

I shouldn't dwell on past mistakes. Otherwise, it'd be immature of me.

Afterward, I attached both swords to my belt and wore a hoodie. I had inserted the minimum tools necessary for exploration in my backpack.

Upon opening the house door, I said, "I'm going." Then, I went to the parking lot.

"It's freezing outside."

Even the thick hoodie wasn't enough to keep me warm.

But such was the life of an otherworldly explorer.

Sorry, I lied. Wait, who am I apologizing to?

Despite going to fight demons in an unknown environment, I was, clad in a hoodie, jeans, and a pair of running shoes...

...I couldn't help but remember the shopkeeper's words during our first meeting.

"Hey, hey, what's with your equipment? Or perhaps, did you forget to equip them? Well, you have to, alright? Instead of merely lugging them around..."

Well, of course. I think the same, too.

But the problem was, I had nothing to equip.

I didn't have a single piece of equipment. I hadn't even received enough money to buy a cypress stick from the king like some RPG hero.

For that reason, I have to do my best...

...But as it is, it's impossible for me to have decent equipment.

How do the other fledglings develop and move on to the next stage? Was it because of our difference in purpose?

Without friends, I could neither use the iFun contact on my phone nor the Otherworld Explorer app...

Not to mention, the site also didn't provide any explanations as to how to manage money, explore, handle weapons, and dismantle the demons.

As a result, there was no one for me to ask.

—Then, should I just ask the shopkeeper?

But I'd feel guilty. After all, the guy seemed busy.

It was difficult for me to believe that I had dreamed of fighting alongside my comrades just the other day. I imagined that we would be fighting in glittering armors and using various weapons—such as a great sword, a bow, a spear, or even a shield.

Alright, let's stop wishing for a team member...

In the end, I still had no one.

Even if I tried to join a party, it'd be futile since no one would welcome me.

It is what it is.

After getting into the car, around 40 minutes had passed. I stopped at the usual parking lot. Then, as I was about to cross the street to the Familima, someone called me.

"You're the person who came to the store yesterday, right?"

A man stood in front of me. Judging from his appearance, he was probably in his early twenties. He had a tousled haircut, keen eyes, and was taller than me.

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He was around 180 cm in height. I had to admit, though—nice style. The man wore a crisp suit with a nameplate on his chest that read 'Familia Market clerk, Sakura Kyosuke.'

I answered, "Oh, huh...? O, okay...?"

The man was suspicious.

No offense, but his unpolished communication skill was totally obvious.

The man then spoke.

"...Uhm." After hesitating a bit, he finally said. "Good night." And went inside the store.

"Good night...?"

The morning sun pierced my eyes, making me a little dizzy. The day was still bright.

I wonder if it was some kind of pep talk.

If that was the case, then I was happy. But I was still unsure as to whether or not he was being sarcastic.

I mean, who'd randomly walk up to someone and say 'good night'?

Besides, I didn't remember 'good night' being synonymous with 'good morning.' Perhaps, the lack of communication could distort even one's own common sense and concepts.

From there, I went to the entrance of the Grand Palace Otherworld. I held my explorer ID to the touch panel in front of the sturdy door.

As the heavy door opened, I took a deep breath.

"Today, I'll make money!"

Damp air. A cave full of darkness. As I felt the change in my surroundings, I trudged on the rugged path littered with rocks. I made my way through the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors.

While the upper levels were quite large, the difficulty level was low.

Therefore, many hunted demons as a thrill-seeking activity.

In addition to that, the number of explorers would increase around 8 o'clock.

In other words, the 1st to 3rd floors were too crowded for me to earn a living. Besides, Aranea would rarely, if ever, appear on those floors.

However, in the upper levels of the Grand Palace Otherworld, Aranea was the only hostile demons that appeared. For that reason, the upper levels were a very convenient place to earn enough money to better equip yourself as an explorer. Since the rewards were mostly shells, obtaining something that could be sold for a high price was easy.

Of course, I'm not here just for the money, but also to learn!

I'd say that as a way to cope...

More importantly, the risk of death was almost zero.

I walked silently while seeing people teaming up and fighting Aranea as I passed by.

'Solitude is freedom; therefore, walk in silence.' Said Haruhito.

The words I chanted in my mind in a hard-boiled manner sounded kind of sad. The gradually decreasing number of pedestrians on the path was also heartbreaking. It was as if we were going our separate ways.

Afterward, the road became steep. The Aranea also started to appear in a group.

I descended the cobblestone stairs leading from the third to the fourth level. I didn't feel any change, perhaps because I had already visited that level.

"Alright, let's make money again today!"

I walked along the previously-mapped road. Mapping itself was an easy task. By the way, the compass was rendered unusable in the otherworld.

Therefore, I filled a blank piece of paper with lines and landmarks to mark the paths I had taken. That was how I made a simple map.

Once, I came to the Grand Palace Otherworld with a compass, but after crossing the hierarchy, the direction became a jumbled mess. I couldn't tell which was right and which was left. As such, it was useless.

It was a common occurrence in the otherworld.

In addition, iFun, a mobile device, couldn't be used. As such, getting in touch with anyone, even in an emergency, was impossible.

I heard that people of the same level could talk with each other if they were using a radio or some other device transmitting and receiving radio waves on the spot. However, those with different levels were unable to do the same.

It'd be nice for me to have an ability that'd allow me to talk to someone. But that information was unnecessary right now.

After walking for some time while chanting some lone wolf mantras to myself, I heard a strange sound of footsteps. The footsteps didn't belong to humans.

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