Chapter 99: Power Leveling

Having left the village, we arrived at the eastern dungeon.

“Village Chief, don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Ah, Rado, you too. I’ll leave everyone in your care while I’m away.”

“Leave it to us. We’ll make sure to train ourselves properly as well.”

With the responsibilities entrusted to Rado, I extended the barrier and continued our journey northward. This is where we part ways with the dungeon exploration party.

In this world, the main water sources are rivers flowing from the Great Mountain Range. Even here in the Eastern Forest, there should be rivers flowing from the Great Mountain Range towards the sea. Our first objective is to search for those rivers.

To sustain life, securing a stable water source is essential. From drinking water to the development of civilization through agriculture and industry, it becomes a crucial factor.

If there are people living in this area of the East, it is reasonable to assume that their habitat would be near a river.

“For now, let’s head north all day today. We won’t ignore any orcs that come our way; we’ll defeat them properly.”

“I can fly ahead and scout from above.”

“Of course, that’s also in the plan. But let’s observe the situation for a few days before doing that. We don’t want to carelessly step out of the barrier and get attacked by some unknown monster.”

“Our village chief is truly cautious.”

“Let’s take it slow and steady. There’s no need to rush.”

Even if orcs rampage in the Beastmen Territory, it won’t have much impact on the village. We should approach this expedition with a mindset of “finding something new is a profit.”

With that in mind, the seven of us slowly continued north, checking our surroundings.

◇◇◇

After walking for about three hours, there haven’t been any significant changes. Occasionally, we encounter ordinary orcs among the monsters. There are no signs of human presence, and we haven’t found any rivers yet.

The only notable change is that the spacing between the trees in the forest has slightly increased. However, it’s not a dramatic change; it’s more like “they seem a bit more spaced out.”

“Everyone, let’s take a break for lunch.”

The sun has risen quite a bit, so I use “Supply Transfer” to send meals from the village.

“Man, Village Chief-sama is something else. We can eat freshly made meals anytime.”

“It’s really appreciated. For us with little camping experience, having this makes a huge difference.”

“We can also feel connected to the village, providing a sense of security like no other.”

“Tsubaki-san, you even included fish dishes for Sakura and me. I’m happy.”

Grateful for the meals from the village, we quickly eat some light snacks and then resume our journey after getting ready.

We’re progressing smoothly in the afternoon… but in the end, the first day of exploration ended without any remarkable discoveries.

We finished preparing the camp and are currently gathered around a campfire, chatting. The sounds of “crackle, crackle” resonate as we enjoy our warm meals.

“We didn’t harvest anything on the first day. Well, it wouldn’t be that easy, I guess.”

“We covered approximately 20 km today, I suppose. At this rate, we might finish earlier than planned.”

“We just kept moving without any discoveries.”

Thanks to leveling up, I don’t get tired even after walking all day. With seven of us, someone is always talking, so there’s little mental fatigue. We can enjoy delicious meals, so there’s no stress either.

“Still, the ‘Collection’ ability is truly amazing. Throughout the day, my body has been continuously changing as if I’m a completely different person… It’s a strange sensation.”

Merinard speaks with emotion. In fact, just before we left today, I passed on the ‘Collection’ ability to him.

Merinard had been working in the city all this time, and he entered the dungeon relatively recently, so he was the lowest level among us. Normally, it wouldn’t be easy to transfer this ability to just anyone. However, his loyalty had already reached the maximum of 99, and he held a trusted position. So I decided to let him level up at least to the point of “not being beaten by orcs.”

“How much did Merinard’s level increase in the end?”

“Guess what! An astonishing 25 levels! I was originally level 17, but now I’m level 42!”

“Even though it was a 50% tax rate, that’s an incredible increase.”

“He’s getting half the experience points from the monsters we and the dungeon party defeated. But it’s great for you, Merinard-san!”

“There don’t seem to be any side effects from power leveling, and it’s for the benefit of the village to have a stronger spatial storage user!”

“Merinard-san has always been working for the village. I think it’s only fair for him to have these benefits!”

“…I’m truly grateful to all of you. To be completely honest, I’m trembling with joy at how endlessly I’m being strengthened.”

It’s not power he obtained through his own abilities, and Merinard himself understands that perfectly well. Nevertheless, as an adventurer whose dream has come true, he seemed genuinely happy about this fact.

“Starting from tomorrow, we’ll lower the tax rate, but for now, hold onto it as it is. Let’s strengthen you for the 15th floor boss battle.”

“Village Chief, thank you. I won’t have an opportunity like this again, so I’ll gladly accept it without hesitation.”

“Yeah, I want you to keep playing an active role in the city too. If your level goes up, I can entrust more tasks to you without worry.”

“Even if I have to risk my life… I know the Village Chief dislikes hearing that. I’ll continue to dedicate myself to the village while keeping myself alive.”

In reality, both the existence of Merry Trading Company and Merinard’s skills are incredibly valuable. We can’t afford for him to die easily, and there are no downsides to strengthening him. Since he’s also positive about it, we decided to continue for a while longer.

As we talked, the surroundings gradually darkened, and we spent the night taking turns on guard duty. We were lucky, or maybe the monsters were sleeping at night, but we weren’t attacked during the night, and time passed quietly.

◇◇◇

Day 215 of Life in Another World

On the second morning, after having a warm breakfast prepared by the village, we quickly tidied up and resumed our exploration. While defeating orcs that occasionally approached the barrier, we made steady progress, and finally, we had our first discovery.

About 30 km away from the Eastern Dungeon, we found the eagerly awaited river.

The size of the river was almost the same as the one near the village. It didn’t meander much and had a gentle flow, making it seem easily usable by people.

“We finally found it. What should we do? Go upstream or downstream?”

“Yeah, let’s first go upstream.”

From here, it’s about 5 km to the Western Great Mountain Range. On the other hand, we have no idea how far the eastern side, downstream, continues. It would be best to investigate up to the Great Mountain Range first, and if there’s nothing, then proceed eastward along the river.

Since everyone agreed, I immediately extended the barrier towards the west. I expanded it to encompass the river, ensuring a clear view of our progress. In this state, we can easily spot any buildings or signs.

With the trees around us now hidden by the barrier, we walked along the riverside. However, without any notable signs, we eventually reached a point where we could see the rocky surface of the Great Mountain Range.

The cliff is still so high that we can’t see the top even if we look up. There’s nothing particularly different around it, and we couldn’t find any artifacts or objects that suggest human habitation.

With no other option, we decided to turn back and prepare for camping at our original location.

“Haaa, it was another disappointment today.”

“Come on, Village Chief, it’s only the second day. It’s too early to get discouraged.”

“That’s right. If it were that easy to find something, the previous exploration teams would have discovered it already.”

“True, but in stories and all… they quickly find something important and then pinpoint the cause, you know, like ‘popon’.”

“What? That would never happen…”

“Village Chief, could it be that you’re already getting bored on the second day?”

“I’m not bored, but… maybe this kind of thing isn’t my forte.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you acting like a sulking child? This kind of unknown adventure isn’t something you can handle right away. As for me, I’ve been excited since yesterday, and I’m still excited.”

“I’m having a lot of fun too!”

“Yeah, me too!”

Even when I went to the dungeon for the first time, it was the same. At first, I’d be excited, but after a while, I’d suddenly lose interest.

“Phew, sorry for dampening the mood… As Touya said, it’s only the second day. We might find something tomorrow. I’ll reset my feelings and take on the search again.”

“Indeed… When in the village, the Village Chief is a reliable figure, but when outside, he becomes like this.”

“Well, there’s no perfect person who can handle everything. Showing this side of yourself is also a charm, I suppose.”

To ruin the atmosphere and make everyone provide reassurance… I should reset my feelings and approach the search properly from tomorrow onwards.

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