NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5 - Vampire Cave
“This is your Adventurer’s Card.”
Upon arriving in the royal capital, I registered as an adventurer at the Adventurer’s Guild.
“Thank you.”
The receptionist handed me a card signifying my status as an adventurer.
[Name]: Deus
[Rank]: F
[Level]: 1
Naturally, my level was 1.
It was disheartening to think that all the progress I had made in my previous life was gone.
“Would you like to take on a quest right away? We have many available today!”
The receptionist gestured toward the bulletin board beside the counter.
The quests were divided by adventurer rank, from A to F, with requests posted under each category.
“Sure, I’ll give it a try.”
I planned to enjoy my life as an adventurer in this world.
To make that happen, I needed to earn money.
I only had 4,000 gold in my wallet.
At this rate, it would run out in just a few days.
Buying a Sphere was out of the question.
(I’ll pick the quest with the highest reward.)
Adventurers could only accept quests at their rank or lower.
For me, that meant F-rank quests only.
Even within F-rank, the difficulty and rewards varied.
This was reflected in the level listed on each quest, often referred to as the “appropriate level.”
F-rank quests ranged from level 1 to 14.
Naturally, I searched for a level 14 quest.
(There are plenty of quests, but most are low-level…)
Nearly all the quests were under level 10.
However, one quest stood out—a level 10 request.
[Description]: Routine Hunt
[Rank]: F
[Level]: 10
[Area]: Vampire Cave
[Reward]: 3,000 gold per magic stone collected
[Notes]: None
It was a regular dungeon hunt for monsters.
(I’ll take this one.)
Among F-rank monsters, vampires were relatively strong.
In terms of raw combat power, they ranked among the upper tiers, even compared to some E-rank creatures.
However, their weakness to light-based attacks meant even a child could defeat them with the right approach.
(I don’t have any light-based attacks at the moment, but this should still be easy.)
Since I needed money quickly, I accepted the quest as a solo mission.
That way, I wouldn’t have to split the reward with anyone.
“A vampire hunt for your first quest? That’s quite bold!”
“I’m just at that age where I like to push myself.”
“Preparation is crucial! Make sure you’re fully equipped before heading out!”
“Of course. I’ll pack this backpack to the brim before I go.”
Despite my words, I had no intention of preparing.
My backpack only contained a Sphere, but that was enough.
Time was of the essence, so I immediately set out for the Vampire Cave.
The Vampire Cave wasn’t far from the royal capital.
The entrance sloped gently downward, leading to an underground passage.
At the end of the slope, a vast, dungeon-like space awaited.
(It’s been a while since I’ve been here.)
The ceiling was about 15 meters high.
Massive rock formations rose up, creating branching paths.
Although dimly lit, a mysterious light source provided just enough visibility.
“There are signs of someone else here.”
Near the entrance, a pile of ash greeted me.
It seemed someone had been fighting here recently.
When monsters die, they turn into ash, which quickly disappears.
The presence of ash meant the battle had ended not long ago.
(I’ll move in a direction where I won’t run into other parties.)
Focusing on the remnants left in the area, I headed toward a path devoid of human traces.
“Hmm!”
As I walked aimlessly, a monster launched a surprise attack.
It was a vampire—a creature with a silhouette strikingly similar to a human.
It descended rapidly from the ceiling, aiming straight at me.
“A beginner might be caught off guard by this, but—”
I countered with a powerful upward swing of my Prism Gulliver sword.
The vampire was cleanly sliced in half.
“—it doesn’t work on me.”
The vampire vanished, leaving behind a magic stone, which I picked up and placed into my backpack.
(My mission today is to fill this backpack to the brim.)
I continued wandering through the dungeon.
The vampires attacked with varying tactics, but they were no match for me.
(The real problem isn’t the enemies, but this frail body of mine.)
My muscles weren’t strong enough to wield a longsword one-handed.
My stamina was quickly depleted.
Even at full sprint, my speed was laughable.
This experience underscored the importance of training.
“Grrr…”
“There’s still room in the backpack, but it’s getting too heavy to carry comfortably. I’ll call it a day.”
After stashing another magic stone into my backpack, I decided to wrap up the hunt.
Cursing my weak, useless body, I began heading toward the exit.
“Someone—please help!”
On my way out, I heard a voice calling from somewhere.
“Help! This is bad! I’m going to die! Somebody, help me!”
It was a man’s voice, though it didn’t sound particularly desperate.
“If you’ve got the energy to yell, why don’t you fight harder?! Come on!”
This time, it was a woman’s voice.
(I’ll just ignore them.)
That was my initial thought, but I quickly changed my mind.
(This is my second life. I should act differently than I did before.)
I decided to check out the situation.
The voices echoed through the dungeon, but it didn’t matter.
My hearing, as sharp as it was in my previous life, made pinpointing their location easy.
“Crap! We’re dead! This is the end for us!”
“That’s enough whining! Put your back into it and fight!”
When I arrived, I saw a man and a woman.
They both looked to be around my age.
The man, a black-haired lancer, was swinging his spear at the frontline.
He seemed terrified, his stance shaky.
The woman appeared to be a support mage.
Her long, golden hair stood out, and she wore a black robe with gold embellishments over a short dress.
Paired with black tights and brown boots, her outfit exuded a certain allure.
Since she wasn’t using any offensive magic, she was focused entirely on support.
Near them were two backpacks, likely belonging to the pair.
“I’m telling you, the number of enemies keeps increasing!”
“This isn’t good…”
Their situation was worse than I expected.
The lancer couldn’t keep up with the vampires, and more of them were gathering.
There were only three vampires at the moment, but reinforcements would keep coming.
It was only a matter of time before their party was overwhelmed.
(They’re clearly beginners. If I leave them, they’re as good as dead.)
Escaping from vampires isn’t easy.
Unless you’re enhanced with magic or wielding holy weapons, they’re faster than humans.
These two only had standard weapons, and their support magic wasn’t particularly strong.
“I’ll help you.”
I decided to join the fight.
I set my backpack down and stepped into the frontline.
“Oh! A savior has come! See? Yelling worked!”
“I can’t believe someone actually showed up… but is it just you?”
I smirked and slashed through the vampires in front of me in one sweeping motion.
“Don’t worry—I’ve got some skill.”