Chapter 1

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 1

Chapter Title: The Squandered Three Years

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People who read a lot of comics, watch a lot of anime, or devour novels— or even those who don't read much—often find themselves fantasizing.

A different world from Earth!

A world filled with other ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠races, swords and magic, and pure romance.

They wonder what it would be like if they existed in such a world. To fulfill that romance even a little, they play games across all sorts of genres.

Of course, those indulging in such fantasies always imagine themselves shining gloriously: unleashing barrages of magic, slicing monsters in half with a swing of the sword, surrounded by a harem of beauties...

"Ian, finish organizing the herb warehouse before you clock out, write up the full inventory list, and then you're free to go."

"Got it, Priest."

...not as a lowly laborer like this.

Do I harbor fantasies about other worlds from time to time?

I've ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠written 6,800-character epic reviews for certain games or novels. I've shelled out for every chapter of a novel with zero views (it wasn't fun). I've challenged games boasting hardcore difficulty, downloaded bizarre mods from who-knows-where and installed them.

Mostly just messing around, of course. But through it all, I've imagined getting dropped into the worlds of those novels or games.

And then one day, I came to my senses in another world. It was a fantasy world with magic and other races—great so far.

Learning that 'Labyrinths' existed in this world made me worry it might be dark fantasy territory.

And when I went to the temple for policies aimed at transferred otherworlders like me—getting my skills appraised—I even dreamed of going otherworlder rampage mode.

That hope shattered the moment I checked my skill. No matter how I looked at it, this bland ability was miles away from the flashy skills I'd dreamed of.

Still, I tried to think positively. 'Sensory Block,' huh... If it could block others' sight or my own pain, it might even be a cheat skill!

Running that happy circuit in my head, I fearlessly bought a cheap sword and leather armor to test the skill and charged into the Labyrinth.

At that point, I was still brimming with hope. I'd heard the first floor was easy. Maybe the bizarre phenomenon of being transferred to another world had me out of my mind. No, definitely. Treating the world like a game was why I headed into the Labyrinth.

"Gaaah! Fuck! Fuck!"

Goblins. Dwarf goblins from the first floor of the Labyrinth at that. I got utterly wrecked by them, and all my illusions shattered.

Hunting one or two alone felt great. But when two flanked me in a narrow alley, trapping me, I was doomed. I somehow took down the goblins, but not before their daggers carved me up. Bleeding profusely, I fled the Labyrinth.

"[Sensory Block]! [Sensory Block]!"

The skill I trusted betrayed me too. Even testing it on myself and screaming the name until my throat was raw, the pain from wounds all over my body didn't fade.

Finally grasping reality and knowing my place, I pawned my last sword for medical bills and got a job at an otherworld clinic to make money. Not as a healer or priest—just begging the clinic where I got treated to hire me for odd jobs.

And now, three years in.

My skill remained unchanged.

"Phew... finished before sunset!"

After sorting the herb warehouse, compiling the inventory, and handing it to the cleric, I had more time left than expected. Three years on the job had clearly made me proficient.

"Ian, once you're done, come to the injection room for a bit."

"Yes, Priest."

Following the Priest's call, I set down the inventory list and headed to the injection room. Inside were a boy who looked about five and what seemed to be his parents.

"I don't wanna get a shot! You said we'd go get Org Fry!"

...Does 'I'll buy you tonkatsu' exist in this otherworld too? Three years at the clinic, and this is the first time I've seen parents bribe a kid like that. Not tonkatsu, but Org Fry? It tastes like pork, sure.

"Ian. Same as always."

"Ah, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right."

As the Priest approached the kid with a syringe in hand, the boy yelled in terror.

"No shots! Mom and Dad lied to me! You're all con artists in cahoots!"

...Not scared, just pissed?

"This shot doesn't hurt at all."

"Liar! The needle's made from a Big Hornet's stinger! It pierces adventurer skin—how could it not hurt?!"

Wow, he's knowledgeable. Took me over a year here to learn what those needles are made of. Ah, not the time. I eyed the kid defying the Priest and activated my one and only skill.

Feeling the skill take effect successfully, I signaled the Priest beside me. He caught on, distracted the kid's gaze, and smoothly jabbed the syringe into his arm.

"There! Shot's done!"

"Don't wanna ge... Huh? I didn't feel a thing?"

"Brown's too tough—Big Hornet stingers must just tickle."

"Whoa! Guess so! I'm gonna be a tank when I grow up!"

Leaving the two to their utterly Labyrinth-city conversation, I checked my skill window just in case, out of habit.

...Still Level 1.

Working at the clinic, I'd pondered ways to use the skill. In the Labyrinth, goblin dagger wounds resisted it no matter what.

Further experiments revealed it could block pain from something like a small needle prick. That's how I ended up helping the Priest occasionally, acting like human anesthetic in the injection room. That's its only use.

I even tried blocking kids' taste buds so they'd take bitter medicine. The skill seemed to activate, but the bitterness broke through. It can't even handle kids' meds.

Plus, it's treated as a status ailment, so anyone at average adult level resists it. It works on me, at least.

Conclusion: my skill is trash. I've used it steadily for three years, but no growth. Even blocking shot pain for kids it works on—still no level up.

"Good work. Go rest, Ian."

"Yes, Priest."

Closing the skill window, I left the clinic. I headed to the storage shed piled with junk, where a small straw bed waited in the corner for me to sleep on.

I'm always grateful to the Priest for the job and letting me crash in the shed.

"Ian! Come here quick—got a job!"

"Coming!"

Ah, damn baldy. Says rest, then calls right away... Better not say that. He's a good guy, but calling when I'm about to rest crosses the line.

"Huh? On her?"

In the treatment room I entered, there was the Priest and one woman. Her outfit screamed rogue.

Apparently, she'd caught a light curse in the Labyrinth: lowest-grade tickle curse. Weak tickling on the body; at lowest grade, it's barely more than tickling a callus.

"I can handle it, but we're out of holy water—gotta restock. Have her rest on the bed till then. Can't your skill block this level of tickling?"

"Sure, but you know my skill. Short duration, cancels if other stimuli hit. And she'll resist it."

Labyrinth adventurers have high status ailment resistance, after all.

"Talk details with her. I'm off for holy water."

"Priest?"

The Priest dumped her on me and left for holy water. Great guy, but loves work too much. If he didn't pile it on me...

"Um..."

"Yes?"

"You... Ian, right? Are you a priest too?"

"No, just... odd-job guy here."

"Then what's this favor the Priest mentioned?"

Realizing she'd been handed off, the woman turned to me, flustered.

I finally looked at her properly.

White bobbed hair, rogue-style clothes minimizing metal for stealth, a dagger tied to her waist with leather straps, catkin ears poking up, bright yellow pupils. Her body twitched slightly from the curse's discomfort. Fresh from the Labyrinth: hair disheveled, clothes muddy, face weary.

"Hello?"

"Ah, yes. The Priest meant my skill. It's like mild anesthesia. It'll suppress the curse's tickling till he gets back."

"Anesthesia skill... Handy for a clinic."

Technically Sensory Block, but whatever. No big difference, and I call it anesthesia anyway. Though it's worse than actual anesthetic.

"Lie on the bed? I'll test the skill."

"Sure, excuse me."

She climbed onto the bed (these crazy otherworlders wear shoes on beds). I focused on her and cast the skill. Curse on upper body, so target there...

Not expecting much... Average adult resistance nullifies it. No way it'd work on a Labyrinth adventurer, even a beginner-looking one...

"Oh? That unpleasant sensation just vanished. You're skilled!"

"Uh, really?"

Against expectations, the skill landed perfectly.

Hm... Beastkin have notoriously low status resistance, right? And another curse weakens resistance further...

'Even so, it worked?'

I'm stunned too.

"S-sorry, could I nap like this? Couldn't sleep properly in the Labyrinth because of this..."

"Uh, sure. Can't cure you till the Priest returns with holy water anyway."

Our Priest is great but low-rank, needs holy water for exorcism. That's why he runs this small clinic.

"Then... a bit..."

She really was exhausted and fell asleep fast.

...No guard up? In a clinic, sure, but sleeping defenseless under a status from a non-priest guy...

The Priest's good rep around here?

Anyway, I adjusted her position and pulled a blanket from under the bed to cover ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her.

"Mm..."

"...!"

Before her chest rubbed against my hand as she shifted.