The following morning, Yamamoto had gone down to have breakfast, and then he met Kenneth at the little common room.
The sun was probably just beginning to rise at that moment, and Kenneth actually was alone, unlike expected. The expression on his face told Yamamoto everything he needed to know even before Kenneth said anything.
'Poor guy, they must have bailed on him.' He thought to himself with a sigh.
Realizing Yamamoto's presence, Kenneth stretched and drew out a seat for him. "The others didn't show," Kenneth said, frustration evident in his voice. He couldn't help it as he ran a hand through his hair, a tangible air of embarrassment washing over him, which Yamamoto easily noticed.
"I waited at the meeting spot for over an hour. They just… didn't come. I think they abandoned the plan." He said.
Yamamoto didn't say anything and just took the seat first, kind of thinking about how he should approach the situation. He could either console the young man, or…
"M-maybe its just, probably for the best." Kenneth forced through again, trying to difuse whatever was building up in Yamamoto, or at least that was how he saw it, especially since Yamamoto had given no response earlier. "Word came through late yesterday about a new dungeon that appeared near Millhaven, close to the borders, and its higher level with better loot for sure. They say everyone's rushing there. That's how it is with adventurers sometimes, you know? They follow the money, not commitments."
Listening to everything, Yamamoto couldn't even blame Kenneth, 'poor guy, he even has to come all the way here to look for low level beginner dungeons to raid. Must be really rough.' Yamamoto sighed internally with sentiment.
"So it's just us?" Yamamoto asked, instead.
Kenneth nodded. "Yes… I understand if you want to back out, since a two man party isn't quite ideal for the Whispering Caves. But if you consider it, we'll be splitting the loot between two, so the payout would be better."
Yamamoto sighed, more in pity than anything, "I'm still in." He said.
Immediately, Kenneth's face lit up as a relieved smile spread over it. "Thank you, really. I promise, you won't regret it." He said, a full smile on his face now as he stretched a hand towards Yamamoto.
'A handshake, huh? Good to know this is still customary here.'
Once they had something to eat, Yamamoto waited for Kenneth to fully prepare, and within an hour they set out, following a clear path that led northeast of Salt Fish Town and into the forests. It wasn't long before they went offroad, wandering through the forest. The journey took most of the morning, with Kenneth keeping up a steady stream of conversation, sharing stories, combat experience, etc. Yamamoto mostly reacted rather than actual participation, and he preferred it like that.
Whenever Kenneth would ask about him, Yamamoto would answer carefully and briefly, maintaining the idea that he was a relatively new adventurer. Thankfully, Kenneth hadn't asked about his origin, if not, he was ready with a solid lie to tell.
When they had walked for a long time and midday was fast approaching, they finally reached their destination and appeared before the dungeon that had brought them that far.
It's entrance was etched into the base of a rocky hillside, with distant voices echoing from within as though speaking lostly to them.
In the game it was spooky for sure, but perhaps the knowledge of it not being real numbed things. In reality, it was truly scary.
Kenneth noticed how Yamamoto reacted and laughed a bit, tapping him on the shoulder a few times. "That's why they call it the Whispering Cave," he said. "The wind through the tunnels creates sounds that almost sound like actual speech. You'd think the monsters inside would be ghosts or something, haha." Kenneth laughed it off.
'He has no idea, does he?' Yamamoto thought to himself. This guy actually spoke as though ghosts couldn't be monsters.
Either way, Yamamoto was well aware of the fact that this dungeon had no ghost monsters or ethereal monsters. Nevertheless, with everything that had happened since he came to this world, he wouldn't be surprised that this wasn't just sfx.
As they approached the entrance, a pop-up appeared before Yamamoto, which Kenneth seemed totally oblivious to.
..
[Whispering Cave]
Clear Condition: Eliminate all Enemies
Time Limit: None
Exit Restriction: Cannot leave until clear condition is met
Rewards:
+Mystery Chest
+20 Gold!
Enter Dungeon? [Yes] [No]
..
Yamamoto found himself unable to cross into the cave past a certain point until he accepted yes. It sure was a bit weird since Kenneth didn't seem to have any such challenge.
"You selected yes so fast." He said, probing.
"Pardon?"
"Never mind." He said. It was clear it was only him.
They entered together, Kenneth in front with his shield raised, Yamamoto slightly behind and to the side with his sword drawn, both ready for anything.
They had discussed tactics already, and while Kenneth had suggested a more defensive tactic, Yamamoto was not buying it, and suggested one leaning towards aggressive attack. Though Kenneth wasn't sure at first, Yamamoto managed to convince him. He still wasn't completely sure, which was why they were starting out with him in front and Yamamoto behind, rather than Yamamoto's formation of he himself being forward and Kenneth tailing behind.
After walking for a while without any action, the first monster appeared out of nowhere, emerging directly in front of them out of a pool of water.
The monster looked like something a mad scientist produced after trying to combine a snake and a lizard, some kind of unsettling chimera perhaps. It stretched around 6 feet and had a serpentile body covered with smooth looking scales. Its four stumpy legs barely seemed functional, and from the looks of its tail, it could definitely deliver a powerful tail whip attack.
"It has appeared!" Kenneth shouted, raising his shield proper and backing away a bit, just as planned.
To his greatest surprise however, Yamamoto charged forward, almost whipping past him. In only a few second, he watched in bewilderment as Yamamoto bounced off the wall and shot his blade into the monster's head with strong force, causing his blade to pass through its skull completely and even sinking a few centimetres into the ground.
[Killed Saltwater Creeper Level 10]
[+130 exp!]
In a matter of seconds, the monster was as dad as it could be, and Kenneth could not believe what he was seeing.
"H-hey… are you really lower than me in level? This doesn't even make any sense at all…"
Yamamoto simply shrugged it off without answering. "Better keep up, so that you can take care of anyone I miss."