Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Enemy Search, Trap Detect, and TrapDismantle

Translator/Editor: Mana

Early morning. Jin and I were walking through the forest to the north of the town of Puriff.

Though I called it a forest, it couldnt really be treated as such. This forest gave off a different atmosphere to the forests of Changs, my hometown, or the forests near Broad, where I started adventuring. This forest at the foot of the mountain was nothing like the forests Ive experienced until now. There were rocky plateaus and the entire ground gently sloped towards the mountain, making it hard to walk.

Jin found a rocky plateau with little vegetation and stopped. Following his lead, I also stopped.

I was thinking of teaching you Enemy Search this morning, but first How much do you know about Enemy Search, Note?

Just that its an art that thief and assassin related jobs can use to track the position of monsters

Thats basically it. To be exact, its an art that can track not only monsters, but humans and other living things too.

Is that so I never knew.

Well thats how it usually goes. Generally speaking, monsters with a strong presence are easy to sense, while living things with no harmful intent are harder to sense. Only those with a high level Enemy Search can track those kinds of living things, so its easy to create misunderstandings from that

I see

It wasnt everyday that I had the chance to hear this kind of expertise, so I was very grateful he explained it to me. As I was nodding my head in interest at Jins words

So Note, I want you to raise your Enemy Search level until you can sense anything and everything.

Eh?! Isnt that a bit

Impossible

I stopped myself from the verge of finishing my complaint. That was a bad habit of mine

Dont say that You can do it if you practice. For now, Note, lets try using Enemy Search!

Even if you tell me to try use Enemy Search I dont know how I would appreciate it if you could show me an example.

Thats true. My Enemy Search is already activated though.

Really? I hadnt noticed at all

Enemy Search is a technique that extends your perceptions of other presences. Thats why there isnt any particular motion or shout required.

But even if you tell me to extend my perceptions

For example, there are times where you think that grass over there just made an unnatural rustling noise, right? That much is enough in the beginning, for Enemy Search. As long as you gradually sharpen your senses.

I wonder if theres any trick to it

No matter how carefully I examined the surroundings, I couldnt sense any monsters at all. I didnt seem to be making any progress in locating a presence, so I helplessly turned to Jin to ask for tips.

Tips, huh Lets see, the most important factor of Enemy Search would be

Would be?

Intuition?

Was Jin possibly

Are you the type thats bad at teaching others?

Jin could only scratch his chin troubledly at my blunt remark.

After lunch. Jin, Erin, and I stood before the dungeon entrance. The morning

Enemy Search practice had finished, and the afternoon Trap Detect practice was about to start.

For the record, I never figured out how to sense monster presences in the morning practice.

According to Jin, it was difficult to grasp the first step of Enemy Search, but once you figured out how to sense properly, the rest would come easily. He consoled me, saying that no one learned the technique in a day, so I didnt need to worry.

Erm are we going into the dungeon?

Thats right. Trap Detect is a similar art to Enemy Search, so well be using similar practice methods to learn it. Note, I want you to sense the traps within the dungeon to learn Trap Detect.

The same feeling as Enemy Search To be honest, I dont think Ill learn anything from that method

Well, itd be easier to pick up than Enemy Search.

Why?

Because youll actually be caught in the traps.

Hah?

No no, Ill die!If Im caught in a dungeon trap Ill die!

Sorry, I said it badly. Youll be caught in a trap, but it wont be the ones created by the dungeon. Well have you get caught in one of the traps Erin and I will scatter all over the first floor.

Apparently, there were no dungeon-generated traps on the first floor. So the plan was for Jin and Erin to spam their traps in an isolated corner so that I could practice sensing them.

There was no danger to my life, but the traps were designed to deal damage so that my body would naturally fear them after being caught several times. Eventually, I would be able to detect the location of the traps.

It was a practice based on the assumption Id get caught several times

We entered the dungeon as we discussed things, and eventually arrived at the isolated corner with the traps. At this point in time, I couldnt feel the slightest presence of any traps. Were there really any here?

So from here on I just have to walk while watching for traps, ri

As soon as I tried to confirm with Jin, the ground under my feet lit up.

Ah, this is bad

The next thing I knew, I was flying through the air in a huge blast of wind.

Three hours later.

I suddenly stopped on the path I was walking straight down.

Then proceeded while hugging the right side wall, as if avoiding the middle of the path.

Tch. I could hear the sound of Erin clicking her tongue.

Why are you unhappy that I avoided it properly?

I spent so long creating that Electric Zap Zap from Hell Trap. Its boring if you dont get caught

That naming sense is terrible, oi!

Incidentally, amongst the other traps Erin made there was a Panic! Slip and Stick Zone and The Rolling Boulder Everyone Wants to Try Once, which were particularly horrible.

Fine! The next trap will be extra special!

Next to the high-spirited Erin, Jin looked rather weary. He had an expression on his face that seemed to be apologising for Erins enthusiasm at having people caught in her traps. It was thanks to that enthusiasm that I was all the more determined to master Trap Detect quickly, so I wasnt that mad

Cautiously, I stretched my consciousness around the corner, finding a trap with a suspicious white object there. Right in the middle of the path. Thinking myself mistaken, I rubbed at my eyes and slowly approached it. I found myself not mistaken.

The white object left there was

Why are there panties here?!

No matter how you looked at it, they were panties. Those panties were clearly used from their appearance, and a little childish

Ah, the owners name was written along the band of the waist. Neme Theyre definitely Nemes

When I directed my gaze towards Erin diagonally behind me, she proudly said, Well? This is the Sexy Panties Zap Zap Trap!

It was the worst trap. The idea itself was the lowest of the low It was probably just a trap that shocked you if you tried to pick the panties up. There was no way Id fall for a trap that obvious. Really

Why are they Nemes panties, anyway? Isnt it usually bad to use other peoples panties for things like thi

No, it wasnt like I was asking out of my desire to see Erins pantiesher face was totally my type, though her personality left something to be desiredover Nemes childish panties. Really!

Its too embarrassing to use my own panties!

Why didnt you just buy some panties to use?

Ah Erin covered her hand over her mouth, as if the thought never crossed her mind. Behind her, Jin held his head in his hand.

For the time being, I stepped towards the right side wall in order to avoid the panties, when it suddenly lit up

Eh, even though I avoided the panties?!

A thunderbolt hit me hard enough to make my entire vision go white.

Youre too distracted by the panties Erin said with a sigh.

It seemed like correct answer was to walk through the middle of the path. The trap was designed to activate on the walls if I was too distracted by the panties to use Trap Detect.

Do you understand what I was trying to teach you there?

If youre going to be distracted by panties, go for the panties?

No! If you focus too hard on something else, youll miss things you would normally pick up on!

I see, you look like an airhead but youre actually thinking, Erin!

That airhead comment was unnecessary!

Though we were joking around like this, what Erin said was true. I should engrave it into my heart.

When I later brought this up with Jin in a serious conversation, he replied, I think Erins just an airhead.

After that, I grasped the feel of Trap Detect despite getting caught in numerous more traps, and we returned to the party house.

On the way back, I practised Trap Dismantle. Because it wasnt good to leave the traps Jin and Erin created just lying there, Jin showed me an example of Trap Dismantle and I attempted to copy him as we returned.

I failed to dismantle most of the traps, activating them and hurting my hands instead

Because I was dirty from all the traps, they let me bathe first. After my bath, I was refreshed and just in time for dinner. Erins voice echoed through the house.

When I arrived in the living room, everyone had gathered.

For some reason, Neme was suspiciously glancing around. Seeing that, Force called out to her. Whats wrong, Neme?

Its embarrassing to say but a pair of Nemes underwear is missing Does anyone know where it is?

It was probably Note who took it, Force replied instantly. What the hell, theres no way I would

Ah! I unintentionally raised my voice. Neme looked my way.

That was definitely the panties in Erins trap! Come to think of it, we left it in the dungeon and came home without it!

I looked at Erin, and it seemed like she realised the same thing. She glanced around nervously.

Five minutes later. In order to clear my name as the prime suspect of the panties, I confessed everything, to Erin and Jins anger.

Wasnt Erin the one at fault? Jin and I argued, but were promptly dismissed.