The inside of the labyrinth is like a dimly lit cave. But maybe because it's the level for beginners, I don't see any adventurers here.
After I walk for about 100 meters, a blue slime crawls into the ground in front of me.
"Okay, here we go."
Slime is a spherical, basketball-sized monster. When it sees me, it starts to jump, and according to my knowledge from the games, that's the signal when it's going to attack.
"Okay, let's try this katana now."
I grip my Yamitsuki tightly and rush towards that slime.
"I have to aim for the core, right?"
Whooooosssshhhh!!!!!!
"Eek!!"
With just a single slash, the slime is defeated and turns into a lifeless gel.
"Okay, time to check something. "Status Open.""
When my stats appear in front of my eyes, I don't see what I've expected.
Motegi Sekino
Age: 21
Race: Human
Level 5
HP: ∞
MP: ∞
Strength: ∞
Durability: ∞
Speed: ∞
Agility: ∞
Intelligence: ∞
Charisma: ∞
Willpower: ∞
Perception: ∞
Luck: ∞
Elements:
Fire
Earth
Lightning
Wind
Water
Cosmic
Light
Dark
Skills:
[Appraisal]
[Language Comprehension]
[Storage]
[Copier]
[Resistance]
[Hygienics]
[Blacksmithing]
[Carpentry]
[Temporary Boost] ACTIVE
[Infertile]
[Tailoring]
[Milky Touch]
[Aftercare]
"Ah, I see..."
Well, maybe because I also activate my [Temporary Boost] skill, all my stats are at infinite and maybe as a result, I don't get hurt and I don't get the benefit of Yamitsuki's HP and MP absorption.
With that, I collect the gel, and continue my journey.
"Eek!!"
"Okay, that makes 20 now."
After I kill 20 slimes on the first floor, I see a very large door in front of me. When I stand in front of it, the door opens by itself, and I go inside. It's a huge space, so I think maybe I'm inside the boss area.
"Squeak... squeak..."
"Here you go. The Mega Slime..."
A large blue slime with the height around my knees appears in front of me. Of course, I activate my [Temporary Boost] skill again and easily defeat it with a single slash.
"Eek!!!!!"
Then, I see it drops something on the ground.
"A crystal?"
As usual, I activate my [Appraisal] skill to find out what it is.
[Magic Crystal] (Ultra-Rare Item)
Crystallized magical power.
"Whoa!"
**********
A magic crystal is an ultra-rare item that has a drop rate of less than 1%. It has more incomparable power than magic stones, so it has an extremely powerful effect when used as a material. Because of that, it can be worth at least one large gold coin, considering how valuable it is.
His rank might be able to rise two or three ranks instantly if the guild knew about that.
**********
"Maybe I should keep it for myself."
Once that crystal is secured in my dimensional inventory, I proceed to the second floor.
After a short walk, I find a skeleton, the reanimated corpse of the same height as me. It suddenly charges toward me with its hands in front.
"If I'm not mistaken, I have to crush its skull, right?"
"Grraahhh!!!"
Again, my [Temporary Boost] skill and Yamitsuki have done their job, attacking the skeleton in a very fast movement. My sword swing not only crushes its skull but also breaks all its bones into pieces. Then, I collect the bones and get going again.
After I defeat all the skeletons on the second floor, I reach the boss area. A Skeleton Lord, the second-floor boss who is 2.5 meters tall, is already waiting for me.
"Grawr!!!"
Whoosh!!!!!
"Grraarrhhh!!!"
With [Temporary Boost], I defeat it easily with a single slash. The Skeleton Lord drops another magic crystal, so I take it and store it inside my dimensional inventory. With the second floor completed, I proceed to the third floor.
"Higyagya..."
"The third floor is you, right?"
A goblin, a green-skinned monster with the height of a child and a rusty sword comes into me. From my game knowledge, the best way to kill a goblin is decapitating it.
"Take this!"
"Hiigiiihhh!!!"
As usual, I have no problems when I kill it, and the sword just drops from its hand, which I collect it.
And just like that, I keep slaying all the goblins on the third floor and manage to reach the boss area.
"Higyagya..."
"Higigi..."
"Wow...that's a lot. Just like Freddy said, he was surrounded by goblins, huh?"
The boss on the third floor is a Hobgoblin, a higher type of goblin with a bigger body. If goblins wear short pants, the Hobgoblin wears ripped leggings and leather armor with a copper sword in its hand. I also can see if it's standing behind a group of goblins.
"Okay, calm down. You can do this, Motegi."
I take a deep breath, holding my Yamitsuki tightly and charging towards them.
"Higaaahh!!!"
"Gigiiii!!!"
"You're the last one!"
"Hugah!!!"
I manage to defeat them in a short time. The goblins drop their swords, and the Hobgoblin drops another magic crystal. I look at all the monster items inside my dimensional inventory, and count them.
"Let's see. 20 slime gels, 20 skeleton bones, 29 goblin swords, and three magic crystals. But I only have to sell the gels, bones, and swords, right?"
Because I have completed the first three floors, I decide to end the labyrinth quest for today. Then, I see a strange magic circle close to me.
"What is that?"
I walk towards the circle and in a blink of an eye, I'm transferred to the outside of the labyrinth.
"Oh...it's outside! I get it, it's a teleportation circle!"
That teleportation circle really helps me because I can get out immediately and save time. With the sun almost set, I return to the guild to report my quest and sell the monster's items.
"Ah, you're back. How is your labyrinth quest?"
"Yeah, I finished the first three floors thanks to your tips."
"Hahaha... as a former adventurer, there's nothing wrong with helping others."
Yeah, I'm not surprised when he says that he was an adventurer. When we first met, I already thought that he must be a strong person.
"So, did you get the items?"
"Oh, yeah. Here you go."
"Thank you, wait a second..."
After I take all the monster items from my dimensional inventory, he counts the amount for a while and returns with a tray of coins.
"Okay, so you got 20 slime gels, 20 skeleton bones, and 29 goblin swords. Each item has the same price, 1 large bronze coin. So that's 6 silver and 9 large bronze coins in total."
"Thank you."
I take those coins and put them in my pocket.
"And since you're promoted to F rank, do you want to go through the promotion procedures?"
"Yes, please."
"Okay, can I have your card?"
"Here."
"Thank you, wait a second."
**********
The conditions for going up from G rank to F rank are to break through the labyrinth's beginner area. If an adventurer fails to achieve it, they can't be promoted.
In the past, when newbies registered as adventurers, the lowest rank was F rank, and they were treated the same as adventurers with little experience. Because newbies would often try to make money quickly by taking on reckless challenges, many of them died. To prevent this from happening again, a new rank, the G rank, was created.
This new rank restricted them from taking difficult quests. If they want to take those quests, they must be promoted to F rank first, and there are certain conditions to be cleared for promotion. Thanks to this new rule, deaths among newbie adventurers are almost completely gone.
**********
"Here's your card."
"Thank you."
When I take my card, the red stamp remains, but the letter 'G' has changed into 'F'.
"Well, congratulations on your first adventure, soap guy!"
"Thank you, Freddy! See you!"
After I finish my business there, I return home.
BACK AT MOTEGI'S RENTED PROPERTY
At home, I begin to prepare for my store's opening tomorrow.
"But before that, "Status Open.""
Once my status appears in front of my eyes, I check how much I've leveled up. Because back at the labyrinth, that jackpot "ching-ching" sound and pop-up "level up!" notification screen combo kept coming at me, and I didn't have time to open it.
Motegi Sekino
Age: 21
Race: Human
Level 9
HP: 4500/4500
MP: 4500/4500
Strength: 1700
Durability: 1700
Speed: 1700
Agility: 1700
Intelligence: 1700
Charisma: 1700
Willpower: 1700
Perception: 1700
Luck: 250
Elements:
Fire
Earth
Lightning
Wind
Water
Cosmic
Light
Dark
Skills:
[Appraisal]
[Language Comprehension]
[Storage]
[Copier]
[Resistance]
[Hygienics]
[Blacksmithing]
[Carpentry]
[Temporary Boost]
[Infertile]
[Tailoring]
[Milky Touch]
[Aftercare]
"Level 9? Amazing!"
As I thought, the labyrinth is really the best place to get stronger. Not only just leveling up or status upgrades, but I can also get more battle experience. Maybe next time, I should try using magic or not relying on my [Temporary Boost] too much.
"Okay, let's stock up now, shall we?"
Then, I activate my [Storage] skill and take out some of the materials for toiletries, putting them on the floor. But before I proceed to make them, I hear footsteps from my door.
"I'm home..."
"Ah, welcome back, Yomogi."
My door is opened, and a familiar figure steps inside, which is Yomogi, fresh from the labyrinth.
"Did you get the flower?"
"Not yet…"
"I see…"
Of course. A rare item with a 5% drop rate isn't that easy to get. That must be very hard for her, especially since she's been doing it alone every year. And yet, she's still trying to get it by herself again.
Just wait, Yomogi.
I'll be strong enough soon, and we'll get that flower together.
So until then… please, wait for me.
"What are you doing right now, Motegi-chan?"
"I'm preparing for the store opening tomorrow. Gotta make sure I have enough stock."
Then, I can see her ears perk up and her tail swish, undeniably curious.
"Can I watch?"
"Sure, come here."
She kneels on the floor beside me, and with that, I take the soap ingredients. Once I place my hands above them, I silently activate my [Hygienics] skill and imagine what I want.
"Watch this, Yomogi."
In a blink of an eye, the materials shimmer, vanish, and are instantly replaced by a bar of soap. And just like that, her jaw drops.
"Eehhh?! That's how you make soap?! Just like that?!"
She keeps staring at the bar, like it has appeared through forbidden magic or something.
"That's… incredible, Motegi-chan…"
"Want to see something even better?"
And my question makes her eyes sparkle and her head nod excitedly.
"Yes!"
With that, I get to work again. This time, I laid out different sets of ingredients to make shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, and sanitizer all at once. And of course, I place some potion bottles and cloth squares nearby for their packaging. Then, I raise my hands again and do the same thing.
"Here we go!"
Just like before, all the ingredients shimmered and vanished, replaced by finished products. The white shampoo inside that large bottle, the clear sanitizer inside the smaller bottle, one cloth that holds a minty white toothpaste inside and is wrapped with twine, and a white deodorant paste with a similar packaging like toothpaste but smaller.
Yomogi tilts her head as she points at each of them.
"This one's shampoo. It's for cleaning your hair and removing your scalp. Use a small amount on your head, and rinse it with water."
"Wait, can it make my hair smells good too?"
"Of course! And you won't feel itchy anymore either."
"Amazing!"
She brings her nose close to the bottle, sniffing it. Her eyes light up, and I move to the next item.
"This one is toothpaste. It's for cleaning your teeth. Just scoop a little with your twigs or cloth, and scrub your teeth twice a day, once after you wake up and once before you go to sleep. Your mouth will be fresh and clean, and your teeth will stay strong."
"I see... That makes sense..."
Next, I pick up the next item.
"This one is deodorant. Just scoop out a bit with your finger and rub it under your armpits, and you'll be fresh all day, and there won't be bad smells on your body."
Then, Yomogi tilts her head.
"But, why? Isn't perfume enough?"
"Well, perfume is only for the body, not for the armpits. Deodorant specifically targets the odor from there."
"Oh…"
And when I pick up the next item, my explanation is cut short.
"This one is sanitizer..."
"Ah! This is from yesterday, isn't it? Protecting me from sickness, right?"
"Yes, you're right!"
She still remembers it, the moment when I wanted her to clean her hands before that carbonara lunch yesterday.
"Alright, let me show you one more thing."
I put my hands above all the toiletries I just made, and I silently activate my [Copier] skill. Then, they're duplicated into many right before Yomogi's eyes in an instant.
"Eh?! Ehhhh?! H-How is that possible?! They multiplied!"
She gasps and she's clearly stunned. In response, I only smile and wink at her.
"Secret. Keep it between us, okay?"
"Amazing…"
Then, she looks around the room, and I can see her eyes widen a little like she remembers something.
"Wait, you also said yesterday that you made all the furniture and utensils by yourself, right?"
Ah, yeah. I did say that.
"Yup, I made them the same way I made the toiletries. Wanna see that too?"
"Yes!"
With that, I activate my [Storage] skill and take out a piece of oak timber, a resin, some iron ore, and some charcoal from my dimensional inventory. I place them on the floor and raised my hands above as I begin with the [Carpentry] skill.
"Here you go!"
In a second, they've vanished and been replaced with a small, polished stool, right in front of her.
"Ehhh?!!"
Her reaction is the same again, jaw-dropping, and her eyes stare at it like it's a relic.
"Now, let's try something else."
This time, I proceed with the iron ore and the charcoal, raising my hands and activating my [Blacksmithing] skill.
And just like earlier, they're transformed into a sturdy, black cast-iron skillet. But this time, her reaction is different.
"Aaahh... so beautiful..."
She isn't shocked, and instead, she rubs the skillet's surface and moans softly, her amber eyes are shining. Then, she looks up at me and asks something with such enthusiasm.
"Motegi-chan, can you sell this skillet?"
"Actually… no. I don't plan to sell anything besides toiletries on my first day. I mean... I don't know if I can handle too many products at once."
Even though my reason makes sense, I somehow disappoint her.
"I see…"
She looks down and doesn't say anything at first, but then, she asks again in a timid voice.
"Umm… Motegi-chan, do you want to recruit me as your store clerk?"
"Huh?"
Well, that's unexpected.
"I mean… I live and eat in your house for free... so, I want to pay you back somehow… Please think about it."
"A store clerk, huh?"
I haven't thought about that, but now that she says it, it's somehow acceptable because of three reasons:
First, I think I don't need to fill all the empty shelves with toiletries. I can just stock a lot of them there, and somehow, I still have a space left, which I can utilize as a new section for kitchenware and tableware. As for the unused shelves, they can go into my dimensional inventory if I don't need them.
Second, if Yomogi helps me, she can handle those kitchenware and tableware sales, and that will let me focus on selling toiletries without getting overwhelmed.
Third... well, obviously, more things to sell meant more money to earn.
With that, I smile at her and nod.
"Okay, you're in. I'll count on your help from now on, Yomogi."
And instantly, her face is brightened. Her ears twitch and her tail wags, delighted by my answer.
"Yes, Motegi-chan!"
So with that, my store has its first clerk, and as her first duty, I want her to do something.
"Can you help me placing them on the shelves, Yomogi?"
"Of course!"
Then, she takes the toiletries and places them one by one on the shelves. As she does it, I make more kitchenware and tableware and duplicate them into many, then place them on the remaining shelves. For the final touch, I put the remaining shelves with my [Storage] skill.
Minutes later, the products are displayed beautifully on the shelves. I murmur to myself, but enthusiasm is firing up inside me.
"Yup, this is going to be going well, isn't it?"