Chapter 14 Just a Country Bumpkin Who Walked in Through the Front Gates

I walked through the streets; my mind was spinning from everything I'd just learned. Every step I took was a reminder of how wrong I'd been about everything.

I still can't believe it. B-rank artifacts. He said they were B-rank artifacts. All of it. Sword, tunic, pants, boots. All of it. She gave me a good gear. And I insisted that she gave me junk. I guess she did tell me. She told me it was a nice wooden sword and I didn't believe her. I thought she was mocking me, just making fun of me.

I stopped walking, leaning against a wall, realization hit me.

I'm such a fool. I could have checked. I could have used Appraisal on them. I have Appraisal. I've had it this whole time. I could have seen what they were, what they could do, how valuable they were. But I didn't. I just assumed. I assumed she was lying. I assumed she was cruel. 

I pulled up my stat window, focusing on the wooden sword.

Appraisal!

Item: Ancient Woodsteel Sword
Rank: B
Enchantments: +10 Sharpness

Yeah, it's real. It's as old man in the shop said.

I tried the tunic.

Item: Enchanted Cloth Tunic
Rank: B
Enchantments: Acid Resistance, Fire Resistance
Special Properties: Lightweight, Self-Repairing

I tried the pants. The boots. Each time, the same result. B-rank. Enchanted. 

She gave me all of this. She gave me a good gear and I didn't believe her. Why? Why didn't I believe her? Why didn't I use Appraisal sooner?

I shook my head. I knew why. I was too angry. Too desperate. Too focused on survival to think clearly. I had been drowning in my own fear, and I had missed everything she was trying to tell me.

I have nine skill points now. I could waste them. I could put them into Appraisal, make it stronger, see more. But I need to get stronger. I need fifty points to upgrade to Sword Saint. If I manage that, I'll have a fighting chance. I can't afford to waste points. Not now. Not when I'm so close. I need to hold onto them. I need to be smart about this.

I pushed off the wall and kept walking.

Wait!

I stopped again.

That knight! Did he say he was with Knight Order? Guild master was talking about them. He said if the Knight Order found out about Fiona's slaves, there would be trouble.

If I start talking to them, if I tell them what she's done, they could take me away from her. They could help me. But before I do that, I need more information. I can't just go off on that alone.

I spotted a food stall nearby, a simple cart with a few stools and a smiling woman behind the counter. I walked over and got myself a snack. It was cheap, and it gave me an excuse to linger.

"Excuse me, miss. I'm new in town. Just a country bumpkin who came in through the front gates a few days ago. I was wondering, do you know much about the Knight Order? Any way I could join them?"

 "Oh! Welcome to town, young man! Well, I don't know too much about them, to be honest. They're on direct command from the king, you see. I believe you need to come from the noble side to join them. They are mostly responsible for bringing in and looking after the otherworlders. You know, we get them once in a while. They just show up out of nowhere, confused, lost... dangerous."

She paused, eyeing me curiously.

 "Maybe you seen one? You should report it, you know. In some cases, people get rewards for tipping the knights."

 "Oh no, no. I was just wondering. I saw knight earlier, he looked like a cool guy, that's all. Thanks for the snack. I'll be on my way."

I walked away with my heart pounding.

Damn. I need to be careful. They pay money to people for information on us. On otherworlders. They take us in and take care of us? Like some kind of shelter? I don't know what they'd do to me. I don't know if they'd help me or hurt me. I don't know anything.

And if Fiona learns I've been sniffing around, asking questions, she'll use her commands to restrict me. She'll clamp down on my freedom even more. I can't risk it. Not yet. Not until I know more. I need to be smart about this. I need to be patient.

---

I pushed open the door to Fiona's house. She was sitting on the couch, book open in her lap. The morning light streamed through the window, catching the gold in her hair. She looked peaceful, calm, beautiful. Her eyes were focused on the pages, and she had the faintest hint of a smile on her lips.

For a split second, I forgot everything. The lies. The collar. The dungeon. The fear. All of it faded away, and I just saw her, a beautiful girl reading a book in the morning sun.

And then her eyes slowly lifted from the pages, meeting mine, crashing me down back to reality.

"Welcome back, Kuzu-kun. Did you get everything we needed?"

"I... Yeah. I got everything."

 "Good. You did well. We can leave, then. Dungeon is waiting and your levels won't go up by themselves."

---

It has been more than four hours since we entered the dungeon. I sat by the campfire, looking into the flames. The orange light danced across my face, casting shadows that stretched into the darkness of the dungeon. The air was cool and damp, carrying the faint smell of stone and the scent of monsters.

The first five floors had been manageable. Hard. Exhausting. But manageable. Monsters there were predictable, terrain familiar. I'd learned their patterns, their weaknesses, their skills. I'd cut through them with my wooden sword, and each kill had brought me closer to my goal.

But floor six was different.

Monsters here were smarter. Faster. Stronger. They didn't just attack, they planned. They didn't just charge, they circled. They didn't just fight, they hunted. And the experience gain was getting harder. Much harder.

I've been fighting for hours, and I'm only five percent away from the next level. Five percent. This is ridiculous. This is insane. This is—

"You look sad, Kuzu-kun."

I looked up. Fiona was sitting across the fire from me, her legs crossed, her eyes warm in the firelight. She had her book open in her lap, but she wasn't reading it. She was watching me.

"I'm not sad. I'm frustrated."

"Frustrated about what?"

 "The experience gain. I've been fighting for hours, and I've barely made any progress. I'm still five percent away from level eleven. It shouldn't be this hard."

"You're doing fine. Last time, it took you ten hours to reach floor five. Today, we're on floor six in half that time. You've improved. Dramatically. You're faster, stronger, more efficient. You are a true F-ranker now. Monsters on this floor are harder, but you're handling them better than I thought you would. You've made great progress, Kuzu-kun. Don't let the numbers discourage you."

Before I could answer, a roar echoed through the cavern. I was on my feet in an instant, my wooden sword in my hand.

"What was that? Something big coming."

I turned toward the source of the sound and I saw it. It emerged from a side tunnel, massive and hulking, its body covered in thick, matted fur. Its eyes glowed red, and its teeth were the size of my fingers. It was a beast, some kind of bear-like creature, but larger, more vicious, more terrifying.

What the hell is that thing! Appraisal!

Monster: Cave Ursa
Level: 18
HP: 850
ATK: 320
DEF: 70
SPD: 40
END: 150

Level 18!? The highest I've seen on this floor! This is going to be impossible! How the hell can I beat that thing! I'm only level 10!

The beast roared again, charging toward me. It left me no choice in the matter. My body reacted on instinct, ducking under a massive swinging claw. I rolled to the side, came up swinging, and carved a deep gash into its back. The beast howled in pain, spinning to face me, its eyes blazing with fury.

"Fiona! This thing is too strong for me! I need help! It will kill me! It's on another level compared to previous monsters! Help!"

"Oh, don't be silly, Kuzu-kun. You can do it! I believe in you, fight on!"

"Fiona! It's not the time to mess around, I need help here!"

"Oh, come on Kuzu-kun, what do you want me to do, I'm just a weak, level five wizard. I can't fight monsters. It's your job."

It was faster than I expected. It lunged, and I barely managed to dodge, feeling the wind of its claws brush past my face. I swung again, this time catching it across the chest. Black blood sprayed, and the beast stumbled. But it didn't fall. It kept coming.

We fought for a while, though it was probably only minutes. I was faster. It was stronger. Each of my hits landed, but it took more and more effort to bring it down. The beast was relentless, driven by rage and hunger, and I was starting to tire. But I couldn't stop. I couldn't afford to stop.

And finally, I found an opening. The beast lunged, overextending, and I slipped beneath its guard. My wooden sword carved upward, catching it under the jaw, piercing through the soft tissue and into its brain. The beast went still. Its body crashed to the ground and a window appeared in front of me.

You have reached Level 11!
HP: 689 > 747
ATTACK: 216 > 234
DEFENSE: 17 > 18
SPEED: 83 > 90
ENDURANCE: 17 > 18
MAGIC: 0 > 0
SKILL POINTS AVAILABLE: 9 → 10

Finally, God damn it! Finally.

Fiona was still sitting by the fire, watching me with that same warm, patient smile.

"Well done, Kuzu-kun. That was an elite monster, and you killed it."

"Yeah! No thanks to you!"

I looked at her. At her calm, unbothered expression. At the book in her lap. At the way she hadn't moved a muscle during the entire fight.

She could have helped. She could have made it easier. But she didn't. She let me fight. She let me do it all alone. And I bet her being level five is bullshit! I hate this bitch!

"I'm level 11 now, by the way."

"I know, and I am so proud of you. By tomorrow, we'll reach floor ten. Come on now, let's get down another floor."

---

Another day pass in the dungeon, I was level 16 now. It was another endless stretch of darkness, monsters, and the constant weight of exhaustion pressing down on my shoulders.