Kasper stood in front of the weapons, thinking for a moment.
"So, you're telling me that I need to choose a sword because the main weapon used by the owner of this body is a sword?"
A complex expression crossed his face. He had never practiced any sport in his life or used any weapon...
Hmm... Wait a moment, maybe I practiced archery before?
Perhaps it was five or six years ago, back in high school. At that time, he was required to play a sport, and among the different options, he chose archery.
Of course, he chose archery because he was obsessed with Robin Hood stories at the time. Robin was a brave knight who stole from corrupt nobles to feed the poor, and he had exceptional skill in shooting and throwing arrows.
Kasper loved the legend of Robin Hood and wanted to try out the sport... but after just two weeks of practicing archery, he was kicked out of the club because his archery skills were terrible.
So, he obediently returned to playing football, and since then, he swore he would never try a new sport again.
"A man shouldn't break his oath, right?"
So, yes, he obediently planned to return to the dormitory and stay in bed until the other students came back from the dungeon raid. After all, you can't kill monsters with just an old football, right?!
---
Ding!
The status screen appeared out of nowhere again.
"Status"
Name: Kasper Allen
Rank: ???
Strength: ???
Speed: ???
Agility: ???
Endurance: ???
Intelligence: ???
Health: 8/10
Luck: ???
Mana Capacity: ???
Magic: ???
Swordsmanship Art Level: ???
[Error detected. Please wait...]
[Reloading...]
"..."
[Please wait...]
"WHAT THE HECK?! Did it crash?!"
He hadn't even used it, yet it was already malfunctioning!
[Loading...]
[Reloading user settings...]
"..."
He stood there silently.
[Reload complete.]
[Displaying user status.]
"Status"
Name: Kasper Allen
Rank: F-
Strength: G
Speed: F+
Agility: F-
Endurance: G-
Intelligence: F
Health: 7/10
Luck: G-
Mana Capacity: E
Magic: 6
Swordsmanship Art Level: 5
---
[Swordsmanship Understanding: At this level, the user cannot grasp swordsmanship techniques. When the user progresses to the next level, concepts previously difficult to comprehend will become clearer.]
---
"WHAT THE HECK?! Why did my stats suddenly change?!"
Looking at the downgraded stats compared to before, Kasper couldn't help but curse out loud.
"Could it be that this stupid status screen realized its user changed?!"
"I mean, I get why the swordsmanship level reset—I know nothing about swordsmanship—but why did everything else change? It's the same body!!"
"And what do you mean my luck is G-? For your information, I don't even believe in luck, but that doesn't mean you can insult my amazing fortune!"
The only thing that gave him any comfort was his F+ speed stat.
"At least if something goes wrong, I can run away quickly, hahaha..."
Bang!
"YOU LITTLE PUNK!! Haven't you chosen your weapon yet?!"
Kasper heard the sound of doors slamming open. Turning around, he saw the instructor storming in, breathing heavily, his face red and veins bulging with anger.
Kasper forced a nervous smile as he grabbed the nearest bow and dashed out of the hall.
"Sorry, sir! The bow got stuck, and I couldn't pull it out! Hehehe..."
At that moment, he desperately hoped his speed stat would help him escape from the monster in human form chasing after him.
---
Kasper swallowed nervously. He now stood face-to-face with the most dangerous person in this world—the man who nearly drove humanity to extinction! Harold Wellington, the villain of the story.
Harold's cold gaze made Kasper feel as though his soul had left his body. It was truly terrifying! While the rest of the team also looked at him with anger, blaming him for delaying the dungeon raid, Harold's glare was the most chilling and furious.
Kasper avoided direct eye contact. One look into Harold's blood-red eyes was enough to make his whole body tremble.
Of course, Kasper could guess why Harold was angry.
"I've separated you from Dain, right?"
Before Kasper's arrival, all the teams had been finalized. But his late and unexpected appearance forced a reshuffle. Kasper guessed that Dain had been on Harold's team, but now, thanks to him, Dain was reassigned elsewhere.
Clap. Clap.
The instructor's sharp voice interrupted Kasper's thoughts.
"The last team, enter the gate."
The "gate" referred to the Teleportation Gate. Everyone knew what it was, so no need to explain.
Standing in front of the gates were two mages who Kasper assumed were responsible for activating them. He didn't pay them much attention.
Now, Kasper stood on a strange circular platform with his teammates. As they positioned themselves, the instructor signaled the mages to begin. They nodded and started channeling mana into the gates.
"Man, these gates look just like the ones from sci-fi movies..."
Those were Kasper's last words before he lost all his senses as the teleportation began.
---
When Kasper regained his senses, dizziness and a pounding headache forced him to close his eyes for a few moments.
"...!"
When he opened them again, he was stunned.
"Wow..."
He whispered under his breath.
The scene before him was what one could only describe as paradise.
Green hills, refreshing breezes, tall trees, and lush forests. Everything around them was vibrant and alive. The most striking feature was the crystal-clear blue river, sparkling under the sunlight as it divided the plains into two halves.
If not for the monsters, Kasper would've said he wanted to live in this place forever.
"...!?"
But it seemed no one was going to wait for him to admire the scenery. His teammates had already split into groups and begun exploring the dungeon.
Kasper looked back and forth between the scattered members.
"Wait, I thought they said we had to work together?!"
He was torn. Should he follow the three members who had formed their own group, or should he stick with Harold, who seemed content working alone?
Gripping his bow tightly, Kasper made his decision: he would follow Harold.
Yes, he had brought a bow instead of a sword, even though the body's original owner used a sword. Why?
Because Kasper wasn't the body's original owner! He knew nothing about swordsmanship or dueling.
His only choice was to rely on the bow, the one weapon he could barely use. Sure, his archery skills were awful, but at least he knew the basics!
After all, Kasper was confident he could kill any monster as long as it was within five meters.
"Tsk. I know that's pathetic, but it's still better than facing them in close combat without knowing a thing about swordplay."
---
When Harold suddenly stopped and turned to glare at him, Kasper froze.
"What do you want?" Harold asked coldly.
Kasper's brow twitched slightly at the harsh tone but remained silent for a moment before replying.
"Umm... If you don't mind, I'd like to form a team with you."
Harold stared at him, as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
"Hah! You want to team up with me? Who said I'd work with someone as weak as you?"
Harold's mocking words annoyed Kasper, igniting his anger.
"Excuse me? Weak?!"
"Fine, I admit I'm weak, but you don't have to say it out loud! That hurts my delicate feelings!"
"But we have to form teams and cooperate if we want enough points to pass," Kasper said, forcing a strained smile and a trembling voice to mask his irritation.
Harold smirked, his expression filled with disdain. "It doesn't matter. I can kill enough monsters to make up for the teamwork points."
Kasper was about to snap back when...
Swoosh!
A faint sting grazed his left cheek as a cold wind swept past him.
At that moment, an ominous killing intent spread through the area.
"Oh my, how unfortunate. It seems I missed!"
A cheerful voice rang out, and both Kasper and Harold turned toward its source.
A man in a black robe and hood stood there, his face obscured, pointing a bow directly at them.
"Well, hello there! Did you find me so soon? Shall we begin the hunt?"
"Dammit," Kasper cursed loudly.