It had been a week since Ren had moved into the Blue Pharmacy.
Not only had he learnt a lot about the dungeons, he had also learnt some combat skills and even acquired a lot of knowledge about potions.
Despite Naaza's dislike for him, she was a great teacher. She was even impressed by how quickly Ren soaked up everything.
Ren had been focused during this time. A week was enough time for him to realise why the old man had forced him to leave.
A newfound determination had filled him since. There would be a day when he returned with honour.
"Ren, have you packed?"
"Yes."
Today was a special occasion. Ren would be heading into the dungeon for the first time. He was a little excited, but also a little scared. Despite this being what he had been working towards, he didn't think he could kill another living creature.
Ren shook his head as he headed downstairs. Naaza had been waiting for him. Although she was scared of monsters, she could kill them from a distance.
Miach looked at the two of them with worry. He knew how much trauma Naaza had. He could only hope that nothing unexpected would happen.
"Make sure you both come back safe."
"Yes, Miach-sama."
"Alright, go on out. I'll be waiting for the good news."
The two left the pharmacy and walked in silence, something Ren had gotten used to.
They quickly arrived at the Orario's center. Ren still found himself in awe of Babel. He had spent many nights just looking at the tower, and now he would finally dive into the dungeon.
Ren and Naaza stood in a line to enter the dungeon. He could feel Naaza tensing up as they got closer to the dungeon.
"Will you be fine?"
"Yes."
Naaza knew that Ren knew a weird amount of information about the people in Orario. She didn't find it strange when he asked about her condition.
It didn't take long before they got into the dungeon.
Ren looked up to see a beautiful painting resembling the sky. He was a little mesmerised. A tap from Naaza got him moving again. The spiral stairs heading to the first floor were illuminated by blue lights that appeared regularly.
They arrived in a large hallway. ReN felt Naaza slow down and looked back in confusion. "This is the Beginning Road. From here on out I'll stay back here to watch over you."
Ren nodded. He believed there was more to this than she had said.
Ren finally ran into a monster. A dog headed monster with grey fur appeared in his path.
"A kobold."
He unsheathed the sword he had been carrying. It was a longsword, costing him 50,000 valis. This was a quarter of the money the old man had given him.
As he gripped his sword, the monster took notice of him. His heart began to race, both in fear and excitement.
The kobold lunged at him. Ren's instincts kicked in as he narrowly avoided the kobold's claws.
He quickly swung his blade, striking the kobold's flank. The kobold howled as it began to bleed.
Ragged breaths escaped Ren's mouth.
'I can do it.'
Ren realized he could kill the kobold. A burst of adrenalin hit as he clashed with the monster once more.
Ren finally spotted an opening and slashed the neck of the kobold. Blood sprayed on him as the monster vanished into nothingness, leaving nothing but a nail behind as proof of its existence.
Ren stood still, his chest heaving. The adrenalin left him as he began to vomit.
"Are you okay?"
Naaza rubbed his back as he continued vomiting. He finally stopped and wiped the side of his mouth.
"I'm fine."
Ren picked up the nail. This was what he had taken a life for.
"Let's go."
Ren walked forward with a newfound determination. The blood he spilt today would serve as a testament to the path he had chosen.
Ren spent the rest of the day clearing the first floor. The first four flours only had goblins and kobolds. Ren killed the monsters with increasing efficiency.
Naaza followed behind Ren with visible shock. She couldn't believe the growth Ren was showing. He could now kill the monsters without spilling a drop of blood on his clothes.
"We should get going."
Naaza pulled Ren out of his trance. He had been killing monsters in a daze.
"Alright."
Ren knew better than to stay here late. They hadn't planned for an overnight stay.
They quickly left the dungeon. They headed to the guild where they were greeted by a pink haired girl with pink eyes.
"Welcome. How can I help you?"
"We're here to exchange drop items for valis."
"I see, please pass your items."
Ren handed over a bag filled with kobold nails, goblin fangs and some magic stones.
"Give me a second."
As Misha counted their spoils, Ren looked around the guild. It was always weird seeing these areas in real life. After a while, Misha came back with a bag of coins.
"Your drops are worth 6450 valis."
Ren grabbed the bag with a smile. This was the result of a hard day's work.
"How does your first paycheck feel?"
"It feels good."