Chapter 5

After the fight, we relied on the map to return to the checkpoint and had decided to rest there. No monster would come near where a small spring wells up. There are places like this in every dungeon.

“Thank you. Thank you.”

The girl bows her head towards me repeatedly as she thanked me.

The poison arrow that struck her disappeared as soon as the goblin was defeated, and it looks like she’s fully recovered with her own recovery magic. I reply while waving my hand, motioning for her to stop.

“It’s ok. Adventurers should help their own when they can,”

“Yes. Uhm, but you still saved my life. Ah, call me Kokoru. I’m a priestess.”

“The name’s Alvin. As you can see, I’m a swordsman,”

Then and there, I cautiously ask about something I’ve been curious about.

“But, why is a priestess alone in this place? Could it be that…?”

“Eh? Ah no! It’s not like my party was wiped out or anything… I came here alone from the beginning. I went in solo.”

“Ah is that so? That’s good then,”

I let out a breath of relief. It’s not uncommon for adventurers to lose their lives in a dungeon. There isn’t any physical effect, no matter what kind of attack a monster does. There’s pain and shock and you might get hurt if you fall over, but besides that, you’d just reduce your HP.

But that’s just it… If your HP reaches 0. You die.

The dead can’t be revived with any healing magic or item.

It was an iron-clad rule for adventurers here in the dungeon.

I then continue speaking.

“That’s a relief. I was sure of it since you were a lone person as a healer.”

“Ahaha…”

“But… Did you really come out here solo?”

I look at Kokoru.

She wore accessories fit for a clerical class, has light blue hair hanging down and an innocent face that incites a desire to protect her.

“Uh-huh…”

She is a priestess on all accounts.

There were branching paths like Paladins and Battle Monks. But I have a hard time believing that the girl in front of me is of a combat class.

And it even comes to me as a surprise that she dived this deep in the dungeon in one piece.

It was bad manners asking others how they go about their own adventuring, but I still can’t help but ask.

“It might not be my business to ask this but… Isn’t that reckless? I’ve never heard of a priest soloing. This isn’t even the lower strata, but the middle one…”

“Ahaha… I wish I could have come with someone else too but… I couldn’t find anyone willing to party up with me,”

“As a priest?”

I raise an eyebrow.

Generally speaking, a healer type class is an essential part of a party. Lack thereof means a spike in “Accident” rate. Even with a low level, I’m sure that there’s a suitable party for her out there.

“Hehe. Well, actually I… No, I guess it would be quicker to show you…”

Saying so, Kokoru opens her own stats… and closes in beside me to show it.

Since we haven’t formed a party, she can’t show her stats if she doesn’t do it just like this, but… this is quite a sudden shock. To begin with, people don’t show their stats to others unless you’re very close friends. Even party members don’t get the entire picture.

“W-what are…”

“Please look at this.”

Regardless of what I have to say, Kokoru turns her status screen to show me. And then when I see it… My eyes are agape in shock.

“L-Level 80!?”

It was a number that defies logic.

I haven’t even heard of it, even as a rumor. Even if I continue diving into the depths of the dungeon solo for the rest of my days, I might not even reach that high. But… the girl in front of me is probably younger than me and with a non-combat class like a priest to boot.

I can’t wrap my head around it.

“Ahaha, how embarrassing”

“N-no… it’s more like… your parameters are amazing… Could it be you didn’t even need my help? Why did you scream at goblins of that caliber?”

“Err, I was surprised to see so many of them coming out of nowhere. But it’s still true that I was saved by you. I’m not very good at fighting after all, so…”

Although, she was still on Level 80.

Even as a solo priest, a layer of this degree is child’s play.

“Uhmm… Not there, can I have you take a look at the skills instead, please?”

At her words, I drop my gaze downwards to the skills section.

I was once again surprised.

There was a lot, eleven to be exact.

My seven was plenty enough, but her eleven surpasses it by a wide margin.

Looking at the contents… There were things like “Enhanced Healing Magic”, ”MP Buff: Large”,

“Protection (Favor)” lined up. They were all skills suitable for a Priest.

However… Down at very bottom of the list.

The last skill’s name caught my eye.

It’s a skill I’ve never heard of.

Is this…

“I… actually possess a Minus Skill.”

—Kokoru says in shame.

It was like getting an answer key to my questions.

“My Minus Skill is called the “Usurper of Severed Heads”