The first day in the Dungeon had been a brutal lesson in humility and danger. But for Hikigaya Hachiman, it had also been proof of concept: he could survive. He could earn Valis. He could progress. And so, with the grim determination that was quickly becoming his trademark, he established a routine. Wake up on the cold floor of the abandoned house (usually having to disentangle himself from a sleeping Aqua), ignore her morning complaints about comfort and food, grab his projected sword, and head to the Dungeon. The entire day would be dedicated to hunting on the upper floors, followed by a stop at the Guild to exchange magic stones, and finally, returning to the "base" for a simple meal and a well-deserved rest before repeating it all the next day. It was a relentless but necessary cycle.
During that first week, Hachiman focused his efforts on the initial four floors of the Dungeon. He started in the familiar bluish corridors of floors 1 and 2, applying the phantom knowledge absorbed from the rusty sword against the ubiquitous Goblins and Kobolds. His movements, though still far from polished, lost some of their initial clumsiness, and he learned to better read these basic creatures, using the terrain to his advantage with increasing efficiency. By mid-week, feeling slightly more confident and needing greater gains, he began cautiously venturing onto floors 3 and 4. There, the environment changed subtly, perhaps a bit darker or with more treacherous corridors. Goblins and Kobolds were still numerous, representing the constant, basic threat of these levels, but starting from the second floor, and with increasing frequency on the third and fourth, a new adversary emerged to complicate matters: the Dungeon Lizard. These reptilian creatures were noticeably faster and more agile than Goblins, and their scales offered greater protection, requiring more precise strikes or mana-reinforced blows from his projected sword to penetrate effectively. Facing them, especially when they appeared alongside Goblins or Kobolds, significantly raised the danger level and demanded constant tactical adaptation. Each descent became an even greater calculated risk, forcing him to fight smarter, use ambushes more often, and know when it was time to strategically retreat. Each day, he risked a little more, knowing that danger was the price of strengthening.
His unique abilities were his constant companions on this solitary journey. The Skill 'A Loner's Protection' was always on his mind, a mantra focused on self-preservation that seemed to subtly accelerate his excelia gains, especially in defensive attributes and his own capacity for learning under pressure. He didn't feel overwhelming strength, but rather a growing resilience, an ability to keep going even when injured or exhausted. His Trace On was used extensively. The sword he projected on the first day wasn't indestructible; constant use wore it down, and sometimes it broke during stronger blocks, forcing him to spend his precious and still limited mana to project a replacement mid-combat or during brief pauses. More importantly, he began experimenting with the other aspect of Trace On: reinforcement. By concentrating his mana, he could temporarily 'reinforce' the blade of his projected sword, making it tougher and capable of cutting through harder monsters like the Dungeon Lizards. In moments of desperation, he even tried briefly reinforcing parts of his own body – a forearm to block a blow, the sole of his boot for a quick boost – but the mana cost was prohibitive for prolonged use, largely explaining the rapid increase in his Magic stat compared to others. Occasionally, when he found a promising discarded piece of equipment, he still used Trace On to absorb any residual knowledge or experience he could.
Life outside the Dungeon also saw small but significant changes. Interactions with Aqua remained a test of his patience, but her complaints lessened somewhat as Hachiman used part of the earned Valis to make the hovel slightly less miserable. Buying a cheap mattress (but infinitely better than the floor) was the first priority. Then, using his newly discovered Blacksmith skills (and perhaps a bit of Trace On to understand how to fit pieces together), he improvised a rudimentary cooking area with a functional wood-burning stove he cleaned and repaired, along with acquiring basic pots and utensils. He also bought non-perishable food – grains, dried vegetables, salted meat – creating a small makeshift pantry so they wouldn't have to spend their meager earnings eating out every day. Aqua, though still dreaming of luxuries, visibly appreciated being able to have hot food prepared "at home" and a soft place to sleep. She did her part by updating Hachiman's status almost every night, usually commenting on how dirty he was or how slow his progress was (despite the numbers saying otherwise). His trips to the Guild became routine; Misha, at the counter, would nod to him with efficient professionalism, exchanging his magic stones for Valis and occasionally offering quick advice about the floors he was exploring or the importance of getting basic armor.
At the end of the week, exhausted but whole, Hachiman made his final exchange of magic stones at the Guild. Carefully counting the Valis, he reached his initial goal: 26,000 Valis. It was the amount that, in his memory from his other life, had been mentioned as a decent daily income for a group of five Level 1 adventurers. For him, it took an entire week of solitary, risky effort to achieve this sum. It was a reminder of how far he still was from "normal," but it was also a significant amount that could make a difference.
That night, back in the now slightly more habitable hovel, he asked Aqua for the final update of the week. The blue light shone on his back, revealing the fruit of seven days of hard work.
Hikigaya Hachiman Level: 1 (Initial Status of the Week / Post Day 1: Str:12, End:15, Dex:8, Agi:10, Mag:25)
Strength: H-148 (Gain of 136) Endurance: H-165 (Gain of 150) Dexterity: H-130 (Gain of 122) Agility: H-142 (Gain of 132) Magic: G-255 (Gain of 230)
Magic:
[Unlimited Blade Works] (Hidden) Skill:
[A Loner's Protection] (Hidden) Development Ability:
[Blacksmith: I]
Hachiman analyzed the numbers. 'All basic stats increased between 120 and 150 points compared to the start of the week... Endurance and Strength leading slightly, probably due to direct combat and absorbed injuries. Dexterity and Agility rising more slowly, my lack of natural talent is still a factor.' He looked at the Magic stat. 'H-255. A gain of 230 points just this week. The constant use of Projection and, especially, Reinforcement, is raising this at an absurd rate. If it continues like this, my Magic will far surpass my other attributes.' The Blacksmith Development Ability was still there, at the initial Rank I, unchanged for now.
It was solid, tangible progress. He had transformed effort and risk into real power, etched into his soul by the Falna. The 26,000 Valis in his pouch were the material proof of it. But he was still Level 1. Strong for a beginner, perhaps, especially in Magic, but still fundamentally weak in the grand scheme of Orario and the Dungeon.
'One week,' he thought, feeling the weight of accumulated fatigue. 'Seven days of constant struggle just to reach this point. The road ahead is still ridiculously long.' But, for the first time since arriving in this world, he felt he had the tools and the direction to travel that road. Tomorrow would be another day, another descent into the Dungeon, another chance to get a little stronger.