"My Sewer Master title is almost within reach."
Another day, another sewer exploration from morning till night.
Since I've been coming here daily, I've gotten a pretty good grasp of the layout. I also carve markings on the walls at corners with a dagger—A-1, A-2, and so on.
"Slimes and rats don't really help me level up. I mean, it's nice that they never run out, but still."
My stats remain unchanged as usual.
Well, if you keep doing the same thing every day, you won't grow much, right? I mean, my level will go up eventually, and my stats will increase at some point.
Lately, I've been thinking that I might need to experience something a bit more intense.
In games, there's that classic strategy of grinding at the start to make the later stages easier.
But this is real life. No shortcuts here.
"Man, I could go for some sushi right now. Not that I'll be getting any anytime soon."
I don't even know if rice or vinegar exists in this world. Heck, I can't even read the local language properly.
The only reason I can communicate is thanks to Raymond's memories.
But reading? I can only understand a little. I need to find someone to teach me.
"Beam."
A ray of light shoots from my fingertips.
Lately, I've been obsessed with this spell. It's fast, efficient, and perfect for taking down rats. My magic reserves are decent for its size, but against rats, this is the best option.
For slimes, I use a tiny Dark Ball to conserve magic. Magic conservation is important.
"Huh? Blood?"
While skinning a rat—something I've finally gotten used to—I notice bloodstains a short distance away.
It's hard to see in the dim light, but the blood trail seems to indicate someone crawled through here.
"I've been exploring the sewers for a while, but this is a first."
It's not from a rat or some other creature—it's clearly human.
This place smells so awful that even the slum dwellers avoid it. Which means...
"This is trouble, isn't it?"
The smart move is to ignore it. I've been avoiding getting involved with people, especially the kids.
I sometimes run into adults, but we have a mutual agreement to stay out of each other's business.
And yet, for some reason, my feet start moving on their own.
Looking back, I'd say this decision was the right one, but at this moment, it's nothing but a mistake.
"Curiosity? Give me a break. I don't need this right now."
Muttering to myself, I follow the blood trail, eventually finding a woman lying on the ground, barely alive.
"This is definitely trouble. Her clothes are too fine for the slums, and she's ridiculously beautiful. If someone like this was in the slums, she'd be the talk of the town—or worse, kidnapped and sold into slavery."
And more importantly…
☆★☆★☆★
Name: Katarina
Age: 101
Race: Elf
Level: 48/456
HP: D/B
MP: C/EX
Attack: E/C
Defense: E/D
Agility: D/A
Intelligence: D/S
Dexterity: D/B
Blessing: Spirit Eye
Occupation: Commander
Attribute: None
☆★☆★☆★
"An elf, huh?"
Her stats are incredible. But that's not the main issue.
Right now, her race is what concerns me.
"Even Raymond, with his limited knowledge, knows this—elves rarely leave their homeland. And even if they do, they aren't allowed to until they've lived for at least a hundred years. They also tend to look down on other races."
And they're the most sought-after slaves.
Whenever an elf is put up for auction, they fetch insanely high prices.
I remember hearing about that from my drunken prostitute of a mother.
"But why is someone this strong on the verge of death? Ugh, thinking about it will only give me a headache."
Well, whatever. I'll heal her, then leave before she wakes up.
That should be enough.
I've already seen her, so the least I can do is heal her. But I cannot get involved any further.
"Damn it. I've avoided trouble for so long, so why did I walk straight into it today? Is this your fault, Raymond? Reflect on your actions, will you?"
Grumbling, I repeatedly cast Heal.
I used to lose a ton of magic with a single cast, but now I can use it much more efficiently. Just a single rank-up in my stats made a huge difference.
Which is exactly why I need to be cautious of this elf.
"All of her stats are above mine. If she wakes up and sees me nearby, she might attack me. Especially since elves supposedly look down on other races."
Hmm… her wounds are mostly healed now. Her breathing, which had been ragged, is now calm.
She'll wake up soon enough. If she gets attacked by slimes or rats, well, that's just bad luck.
"Alright, today's hunting trip is canceled! Time to retreat to my hideout!"
I thought about searching through her belongings, but I have no way to sell anything without getting caught.
It would probably sell for a good amount, but I don't have the right connections.
With that, I quickly left the sewers.
"Killing her would probably have given me a huge level boost."
But… I don't know. I don't think I can bring myself to kill someone who isn't a villain.
Not that I need to kill innocent people, anyway.
"Alright! On days like this, the best thing to do is sleep early. Tomorrow, I'll head to the sewers a bit earlier. That elf should be gone by then."
I tried practicing magic and doing some muscle training after returning, but I couldn't concentrate at all.
So I gave up and went to bed early.
Or rather, I abandoned thinking altogether.
And then the next morning…
"Ugh… huh? I actually slept for a long time. The sun's already up a little."
"Good morning."
"Mm. Good morni—WHAT!?"
I casually responded before jumping away in shock.
Standing in my hideout was the elf I had saved yesterday.
Huh? What? How did she find me? Should I run? No, no, that's impossible. What do I do?
As my mind spiraled into panic, I realized I was well and truly screwed.
"You know what? I'm going back to sleep."
This must be a dream.
Please, when I wake up, let this situation be resolved.
And if not, then just kill me in my sleep.
I really don't want to feel pain again.