Reincarnated into a World Filled with Dungeons, But My Blessing Turned Out to Be the Most Challenging Dungeon

“Alright, let’s stay on guard.”

“Understood, Master.”

Hearing Eve’s voice, I steeled myself and looked ahead.

“So this is a Rank VII dungeon…”

A vast space stretched before me, with towering ceilings. The air was thick with a damp, musty scent.

For something called a dungeon, it was surprisingly open. It felt like a completely isolated world, akin to The World, with walls visible in the distance, enclosing this massive space.

Judging by what I could see, I estimated the floor to be about the size of a small village. If there was anyone else present, they would be able to see me just as clearly as I could see them.

“Ugh, something about this place feels off. The presence of this dungeon’s master gives me chills.”

Eve seemed to have an innate ability to sense the dungeon core upon entering. Normally, she would treat cores as nothing more than immature beings, but this time, there was an unmistakable tremor of fear in her voice.

“For now, let’s focus on mapping the area while we look for the teleporter to the lower floors.”

It was best not to push Eve too much right now. Confirming the grip on my twin short swords, I pressed forward.

—Grrrrrrrrr—

“Whoa, close one.”

A red-furred, medium-sized monster—a Hellhound—lunged at me. I nimbly dodged its attack, feeling an intense heat radiating from its fur as it passed by.

“Master, are you alright?”

Eve’s worried voice reached me as I scanned my surroundings.

A pack of Hellhounds had encircled me.

It seemed I had unknowingly been upwind, allowing them to pick up my scent and gather here.

Individually, a Hellhound was a B-rank monster, but since they always moved in packs, their collective threat level effectively reached A-rank.

“Tch, what a bunch of hotheaded beasts.”

Hellhounds’ fur constantly burned, and their heat was said to incinerate their prey. Sweat trickled down my cheek from the oppressive heat surrounding me.

They weren’t closing in just yet. Perhaps they were being cautious after seeing my earlier movement. Even standing still, the rising temperature was enough to sap my stamina—it seemed they intended to wear me down.

“If you won’t come to me, I’ll just go to you.”

I wasn’t kind enough to play along with their little waiting game.

—Grrrk!?—

The Hellhounds’ jaws gaped open wide. I could understand their shock.

“Hey, over here.”

I had vanished from the center of their encirclement in an instant.

—Grah!—

A Hellhound turned just in time to be cleaved in two by my blue short sword. The blade’s sharpness played a role, but it seemed my weapon’s affinity was particularly effective against them. At this level, I could take them down in a single strike.

—GAAAAAAAAHHH!—

A Hellhound let out a roar—it was likely their leader. It seemed to be signaling something, but it was irrelevant to me.

“You attacked first, so don’t think you can just run away now.”

Before they could react, I moved at high speed, cutting down one Hellhound after another.

“Alright. If they’re just B-rank, I can handle them.”

Considering this was a Rank VII dungeon, I had been extremely cautious. However, after achieving flawless victory without a single injury, I took the chance to cool down and collect the magic cores.

“Still, this first floor is surprisingly large.”

Several hours had passed since I began exploring.

I had covered a significant distance and fought multiple battles, yet I still hadn’t found the teleporter to the next floor.

“Master, you seem more at ease than I expected.”

“Well, none of the monsters are particularly fast. As long as I don’t get hit, it’s no problem.”

Apparently, my speed was quite high. I had even fought A-rank monsters like Cyclopes and Titans, but while their raw power was formidable, they were far too slow to pose a real threat.

That said, they weren’t easy to take down either.

Cyclopes and Titans had incredibly high defense, and my current short swords struggled to inflict fatal damage. As a result, I had to strike them over and over until they finally fell. If I was going to continue fighting at this level, I might need better weapons.

“Fufufu, thanks to that, we’ve gathered plenty of new magic cores! I was worried when you said we were entering a dungeon, but I always believe in you, Master.”

Eve’s mood had clearly improved, likely due to our massive haul. It was a bit amusing how transparent she was, but I didn’t dislike it.

Most of the time, she prioritized supporting me, but moments like this, when she let her emotions show, made her feel endearing.

“This is a rare chance. It’s not often you get to dive into a Rank VII dungeon solo.”

If an enemy was strong, I would simply adapt to the challenge. As long as I didn’t die instantly, I always had the option to retreat into The World. Besides, Rank VII dungeons were filled with things I sought.

“Master, I’ve made some sandwiches for you. Sending them now.”

After moving around for hours, my stomach was empty. Just as Eve said that, a basket and a flask appeared before me.

“I used Kaiser eggs and vegetables harvested from the Divine Fields. I also grilled and seasoned some market-bought meat that I had kept refrigerated.”

My mouth watered at the sight of the delicious-looking sandwiches.

Since Eve had access to my memories, she had used a recipe from a sandwich shop in my previous life as reference. The sandwiches looked appetizing, just like the ones I remembered.

“Mmm. This is really good.”

I gave her my honest praise, as the taste was even better than my past life’s memory.

“Ehehe, I’m happy when Master enjoys my cooking.”

Eve chuckled cheerfully, clearly pleased with my reaction.