The Dungeon Seeker

Chapter 8 - Dragon Species▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ (Part 1)

The best way to describe is probably, it’s image is similar to a highschool’s entrance exam in modern Japan.

Chairs and tables aligned, and an examiner observing from a platform a level higher.

Seeing the woman with a flax-hair color sitting there with a composed look, Junpei let out a sigh.

「To think that she’s an S-Rank adventurer, on top of that, she’s the examiner-sama……」

Thinking that she’s just a simple receptionist, frankly, he had looked down on her, and he answered her without any care.

After all, she has a lot of suspicions regarding Junpei……, and thinking up to that, he scratched his head.

If he cannot obtain an advanced job within the time limit of half a year, he would die inside the labyrinth with certainty due to the lack of status.

“I want to finish it with only trying once, not wasting any time, but someone troublesome is having a lookout for me. Well, I can change my appearance using【Mimicry】, and of course, I am using a fake name, so I think that if I can pass this place……”

ーーleaving that on the side……

“These guys, each of them are quite quirky”, Junpei thought while looking around.

Most of them are either men with frightening looks or women that release an aura that shows they’re not so simple.

One could see that each of them are a master of their own way.

Originally, this exam, it was prepared for rookies that have S-Rank or A-Rank skills, a special advance placement exam.

However, it’s not like it is full of skillful people that have a bright future waiting for them, there are also ex-criminals that hide their identities, or guys who had injuries in their knees taking the challenge once again.

“And other than that……”, Junpei looked around once again, and smiled while rolling his eyes.

ーーhost-like black suits and blonde hair wearing ear pierce.

“No matter how you look at him, he’s someone teleported here……and, he doesn’t even hide it.

When I took a look at his clothes using【Appraisal Eyes】, his whole body is covered with high-class branded goods made in Japan. It’s like he’s actually a host in a downtown area before he came in this world.

It’s too bad that【Appraisal Eyes】doesn’t have measurement results. He’s either an idiot that wants to stand out, or he has complete confidence in himself……tch, if I could just see his status……”

And, after that, Junpei looked at a red-haired girl around 10 years old.

The men around her are having spontaneous laughter because of her young face, but Junpei couldn’t feel like laughing at all.

When he appraised her equipmentsーー

ーーit cannot be appraised, the results were full of errors.

“Why the heck is something as troublesome as this is in here……”

And when Junpei was worrying about that, the woman with a flax hair color started explaining with her bewitching voice.

「Well then〜, it’s time, so, I’m thinking of starting the exam〜. My name is Judy……I’m an S-Rank adventurer, I guess you know me with my name Annihilator Princess Judy?」

As expected of an S-Rank adventurer, her name is somewhat famous.

Some of the adventurers became noisy.

「And so〜」, she continued with a light tone.

「Everyone, I will make you kill each other.」

Junpei placed his hand on the handgun on his waist, the black suited man whistled, and the red-haired girl sighed with boredom, took some sweets from her bag and smiled.

After that a second later, half of the other adventurers reacted by standing up or holding their own weapons.

The remaining half couldn’t keep up with the situation and were left behind with open mouths.

「No, no, it’s just a joke, just a joke okay〜? You shouldn’t take it seriously okay? Really, these rookies, they’re so honest and cute……」

*Perori*, Judy moistens her lips.

This woman that is famous for being a rookie crusher seems to have noticed Junpei, the black suited man, and the red-haired girl just with their reactions now.

She took a deep look at the three, and happily made her eyes into slits.

She seems to be thinking of something like ‘how should I play with these rookies……’.

“Leaving that on the side……”, *Pachiri*, she snapped her finger.

After she did that, the sliding door in the front part of the entrance exam hall opened, and a man that seems to be a servant entered. The man came to Judy’s seat on top of the platform and placed a tool wrapped with paper.

Judy tore those paper wrappings without care, and happily laughed.

「And so, the first exam isーーthis!」

The thing that was shown was a small glass bowl.

Judy threw something inside that bowl.

*Clink, Clink* (Chinchirorin〜), it sounded. Looking close to it, there was a diceーーthe dice rolled inside the glass bowl.

「……what do you mean by that?」

Judy answered the question of the man in the front line of the hall with a composed look.

「You will throw the dice, if the result is one, you’ve passed. What do you think, is very simple right?」

The man stood without saying anything, and went up on the platform where Judy is standing on.

And, he took the dice and rolled it inside the bowl.

ーー*Clink, Clink*

The dice rolled together with the sound effects.

The resultーー2.

Judy smiled pleasantly, and said.

「Oh, too bad. If you’re willing, let’s get along again next year okay♪」

The disqualified man flared up to Judy who winked and showed her tongue.

「There’s no way that I can accept this……?」

「Ara? I’d get troubled if you don’t?」

「I’m called Iron Arm Nash. This might be bragging, but no one in Izamas Village doesn’t know my name……I became I legend for winning a fist fight with an orc when I was 12 yo?」

Hearing that, Judy made an expression that she was as if looking at a disobedient child, and snorted.

「Your bragging story, it’s only on a village’s level……huh. Well〜, a child like you boy has exceeded being cute, you’re just unpleasant you know?」

Judy took the man’s right palm with her left palm.

After she closed their hands with entwined fingers, she mischievously smiled.

「So, you were proud of your strength huh?」

It doesn’t look that she’s placing some decent power. However, the man’s expression became blue.

「……ugya……! My hand……it’s breaking……stop……please……please stop!!」

“Hmph”, Judy spat out and released his hand.

「And so, let’s play again next year if you’re willing okay♪ Ah〜, also……I don’t mind if those guys who doesn’t like way of examination voice it out okay? It’s just……this time, I was kind to child boy, but after him……you should get ready to lose some limbs……okay?」

“Then, once again”, Judy looked around, and pointed at Junpei.

「You’re next. Come now〜, I’ll be nice with you so come up here」

Junpei went up the platform and took the dice.

And, he threw it.

ーー*Clink, Clink*

The dice rolled inside the glass bowl, and stopped.

The result, 6.

Judy made a sad expression, and said this.

「Ara, too bad huh? Come again next year♪」

Junpei who was taken aback was petrified in his place, then glared at Judy.

「……ara, are you not convinced?」

「That’s right……」

「Oh, too bad. It doesn’t matter if you’re convinced or not. But……I’m was a little expecting on you……but, it’s the end here. Come again next year okay♪」

He was urged to leave, but Junpei still wouldn’t move.

「I have a question……if I kick your ass, do I pass the exam?」

Judy answered with a fearless smile.

「I’ll make you pass not just to B-Rank, I can make you an A-Rank?」

After thinking of something for a while, *Kokuri*, Junpei nodded.

「I don’t like this way of doing things though……」

Judy had sparkling eyes to Junpei’s unexpected attitude.

「You really want to do it……? You’re prepared to lose some of your limbs? Oh really, you make me so, stimulated……I don’t hate such reckless boys. But even so, I spent some time on that small fry earlier……so if you’re planning to be forceful, can you leave it for last?」

「It would be nice……if I did it earlier though?」

「I’m telling you that I’ll be your opponent, so……don’t be such in a hurry」

「Ahh, I got it」

「Well, I’ll at least guarantee your life……but if you really insist……you’d really lose some of your parts though」

「It means, even if I make ‘you’ lose some of your limbs……you can’t complain, right?」

Judy’s eyes sparkled to Junpei who wouldn’t change the color of his face at all, to Junpei who was rather, completely confident.

「Ahh〜, I got wet. Sorry, little boy〜……I might not be able to guarantee your life……I wonder with what kind of voice you will cry?」

Judy’s body trembles with thrills. However, she immediately regained herself, and after she slapped her own head with her right hand, she ordered Junpei with a voice that is pretending to be calm.

「And so, for the meantime, you should go to the side. I’ll do an exhibition match with you later……」

And after that, the participants rolled the dice one after the other. The trend of the ones that passed and the ones that were disqualified was not distinct looking from the side.

As a result, within the 50 of them, 30 have passed.

The black suited man and the red-haired girl, just like Junpei……they also failed the first test.

Judy looked at those who have failed, tilted her head to dissatisfaction.

And Junpei who was looking at that Judy suddenly held his breath.

「30 within the 50……30 of them rolled 1? ……tch!……it was like that, huh……」

Junpei who have reached a certain conclusion walked to Judy, and opened his mouth.

「Excuse me, but, let me roll the dice again」

Judy grinned, and *Kokuri*, she nodded.

「You finally get it? Well……you mean, there’s no other way right?」

「…………」

When Junpei once again rolled the dice, the dice stopped at 1 without even rolling inside the glass bowl.

「Dice or whatever……isn’t this just a damn status gauge」

“Tehe〜”, Judy knocked her head with a fist, she acted derisively.

「That’s right. If your status were measured with equal or more than of that of a B-Rank adventurer, the dice would stop at 1 even if you don’t want it. And if it’s below that, it would be any number other than that」

Judy who took out a metal plate from her waist checked Junpei’s status that is shown in there.

「Even so……you made it that your status is just barely B-Rank huh……. as I’ve thought……you can change your status?」

As a fact, Junpei disguised his own status at around C-Rank when he first rolled the dice, but he didn’t mention that and said this frankly.

「Who cares, you idiot……I mean, if you’re talking about faking the status, there’s two remaining……they’re probably going to ask to roll the dice you know?」

After saying just that, Junpei returned to his own seat.

And just like he has said, the black suited guy asked Judy.

「I’m very sorry〜, but……can I also, roll the dice again?」(TL: blonde guy actually speaks in kansai-ben, but I don’t have enough skill to translate that)

“Yes, it’s okay”, Judy nodded.

The result, just like at Junpei’s time, the dice stopped at 1 without even rolling.

And Judy who checked the black suited manーーHarada’s status was petrified.

「……cannot be……measured? Status that exceeds the measuring limit……? No way……t-this, it should only be possible if the machine is broken……but, that’s probably……not the case……」

Grinning, Harada returned to his own seat.

And lastly, the red-haired girl stood up.

「Excuse me? Can you let me roll the dice too? I hate futile killing after all……well, if you insist that you want to die……I don’t mind if you refuse……」(TL: fyi, dragon-chan ends her sentence with -jya or calls herself ‘warawa’ just like the loli princess in outbreak company)

Judy who hasn’t regained herself from the shock done by Harada’s status nodded absentmindedly.

And the instant the girl threw the dice, *Bon*, an explosion was heard.

「The dice……exploded?」

The red-haired girl asked Judy with a troubled expression.

「Holding back, it’s very hard……」

Picking up a piece of the dice that exploded, the girl gave it to Judy.

「Can you make it that……I passed?」

Judy answered with an absentminded expression.

「Ye……yes……」