A few days ago…
"Is it really okay, Mom, Dad…?"
"Ask your heart, sweetie."
"Well… I want to, but Mom, Dad…"
"Hmm, it's alright, dear. Mom gets it. You're a full-fledged adventurer now, not a little kid anymore!"
"Dad's got your back too, Tris. You're 12 already! Show us what a Rank F adventurer can do! You've got a party, right? When you're ready to set out, just prep well and go for it."
"Okay!"
"When you head out, just make it back for dinner, alright?"
"…I'm not sure I'll be back in time…"
"Mom probably means whenever you return from a dungeon, come have dinner with us, Tris."
"Pfft, exactly what Dad said, sweetie!"
"Okay, Mom, Dad!"
…
Day 423 in this world
Sure, the opening scene with parents who lost a child to a dungeon letting their daughter follow her heart was all heartwarming and tear-jerking…
But on the forest path from Seracity to a safe, low-risk dungeon at the foot of the mountains, about 3 kilometers away…
"Huff, huff… wheeze!"
"Ugh, so slow, you newbie! Hurry up! We're only at this easy dungeon near the city because of you! If this was our usual dungeon, you'd be toast!"
"S-Sorry… huff, huff!"
"C'mon, Nerim, don't be so hard on Tris. It's her first dungeon dive with the party, isn't it?"
"Like Waan said, we all struggled our first time. Plus, Tris is carrying our stuff! Give her a break."
"Ugh… fine, Waan, Rejeen. I'm just a bit annoyed. I'm in heavy armor and still faster than her…"
Nerim, a 13-year-old Hard Guard (LV.27, SLV.21), the shortest and fiercest-looking girl in the group with a long bob and a flat chest, clad in bulky wooden armor and wielding the cheapest wooden spear from the shop, grumbled loudly in her shrill, ear-piercing voice as she led the way.
Waan, a 13-year-old Snarer (LV.26, SLV.21), the tallest with a kind demeanor and braided hair, carrying ropes, knives, and a slingshot strapped to her body, spoke gently to calm Nerim down.
Rejeen, a 13-year-old White Mage (LV.28, SLV.22), who looked more mature like an older sister despite her youthful face, held the cheapest wooden staff in town. She backed Waan up, making Nerim shrink a bit when she didn't take her side.
"Sorry, everyone… I'll try to keep up… huff!"
Tris (me) apologized sincerely, feeling oddly embarrassed. I haven't revealed their levels to them since they didn't ask.
Tris's physical strength and skills aren't exactly cut out for volunteering as the party's pack mule… but I took the role anyway because I misunderstood my own skills. (Never really tested these skills seriously, even in my fake bodies. Guess I got too used to Item Box and overlooked basic skills, huh, folks?)
[Status]
Name: Tris
Gender: Female
Age: 12
LV.41 SLV.29
Stats
Str: 53
Vit: 20
Wis: 40
Mag: 5
Agi: 110
Dex: 100
HP: 700/700
MP: 250/250
Class: Strider
Skills (5)
[Hawk's Eye] 3
[Wolf's Nose] 3
[Focus] 2
[Stealth] 3
Strider Skills
[Arm Speed Boost] 1
[Leg Speed Boost] 1
[Counter] 1
[Tireless Movement] 2
(This Tireless Movement skill? Supposed to make moving less exhausting, but it doesn't help when you're lugging gear! And look at Tris, switching classes only to get the basic free skills… Arm Speed Boost and Leg Speed Boost? Why split them? Why not just a single Speed Boost and roll for something else? Sure, they boost more than a general speed skill, but still… I'll need to spend points to learn new skills…)
[Status]
Along the way, tons of other adventurers were heading to the same dungeon. Even though I know what kind of place it is and what's waiting… in Tris mode, I've gotta play it like a normal person.
Real talk? With my EXP grinding know-how, farming wolves near Serathul village for 8 hours a day would net more EXP and cash since it's less crowded. But for folks who don't know the tricks, a dungeon's probably the best bet.
"Huff… huff, huff!"
Hurry up already, please! We've been walking for almost an hour… I'm tempted to cheat a little. No, no! Normal mode, normal mode!
Hmm… maybe I could mess with the environment a bit? Yeah, give these girls a push. Make it so, after balancing out the EXP and loot from wolf farming, Tris breaks even but boosts the others instead…
Sounds good!
Oh, hi there, dear readers! Tris here~~ Bet you all missed me, right? …Ugh, let's switch back to me controlling Tris. That was too awkward to say.
The adventures of an ordinary village girl in another world! For now, I'll share Tris's journey during this sailing period, alongside other heroes. Come join the fun with Tris's party: Nerim, Waan, and Rejeen!
End of Chapter 48
Tris's Party: Nerim, Waan, and Rejeen