Frieren: Attribute Hero

Shane had two things to do right now.

First: he needed to pay the inn bill.

Second: he needed to go slay a dragon.

Considering his slight tendency to procrastinate—always leaving the troublesome things for last—

He decided to go kill the dragon first.

…Just kidding.

How could he possibly kill a dragon?

Still, paying for the room really was a pain. Wasn't there something like an "adventurer-friendly inn"? The kind with free drinks and catgirl waitresses?

Sigh.

Pushing open the wooden door, the noise from downstairs immediately washed over him.

Shane made his way down the stairs.

The rich aroma of honey-roasted meat mixed with potato stew filled the air, instantly stirring his appetite.

"Hey, adventurer kid, you finally came down."

The innkeeper leaned against the bar, casually brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at Shane with a soft, almost melting gaze.

Her eyes were full of admiration.

She had never realized before that such a handsome young man could exist.

Just look at that black hair—smooth as velvet with golden sheen—those deep eyes, sharp features, and skin as pale and delicate as ivory.

Aside from being a bit thin, he was practically perfect.

But that was fine. Her cooking was quite good; she'd have him filled out and sturdy in no time.

"Care for some hot milk and bread?"

"Thank you, ma'am. You're the kindest lady I've ever met."

Shane accepted the tray with a polite smile.

The innkeeper burst into delighted laughter at the compliment, her chest swaying dramatically, drawing plenty of glances from the surrounding patrons.

Feeling several jealous stares boring into his back, Shane downed the warm milk in one go, grabbed the bread, and quickly stepped out of the inn.

It wasn't that he was afraid of trouble.

It was just that the innkeeper's husband was a two-meter-tall butcher. He had no intention of ruining their marriage.

The sun was bright as he walked along the path.

Merchant carts creaked over the sandstone road, women carried baskets as they browsed goods on wooden stalls, and the rhythmic clang of hammer on metal echoed from the blacksmith's shop.

It was a completely different kind of life from his past world.

Shane walked through it slowly, nibbling on his bread as he headed toward the center of town.

Before long, a bronze statue came into view.

It depicted the party that had defeated the Demon King.

The proud Hero raising his sword—Himmel.

The dwarf warrior in a helmet—Eisen.

The tall, smiling priest—Heiter.

And… the twin-tailed elf girl who looked completely out of the loop—Frieren.

Flowers surrounded the statue, and a few children ran around nearby, playing hero and demon king.

Shane stepped past them and stopped in front of the statue.

From a corporate slave to an adventurer, he had adapted quickly.

Maybe men just weren't meant to be restrained. He had long grown tired of that stagnant, lifeless routine. Walking through another world like this—it was intoxicating.

Swords and magic. Adventure and glory.

What man wouldn't love that?

But constantly living with the fear of being cannon fodder any day now wasn't exactly healthy.

So aside from finding ways to grow stronger, he decided to secure some backup—find someone strong to rely on.

No shame in that. A man could stand to lean on others a bit.

Unfortunately, having only watched the anime, he didn't know the finer details of the story. He vaguely remembered that there was a twenty-year gap after the Hero's death where nothing much was shown. During that time, Frieren was probably wandering somewhere unknown—impossible to track down.

"Let's see… in about a year, Frieren will appear in the Holy Capital of Strahl to visit Heiter. By then…"

Shane calculated the distance.

Head north, cross the Neck Mountains, enter the Central Lands, then follow the Golden Trade Route straight to the Holy Capital.

"First things first," he murmured, his gaze drifting past the statue toward the fields beyond the town gates. "I need to earn some travel money."

…

[Ghost Bastion]

A low-level dungeon located north of the town.

Seventy years ago, during the era of the Demon King's subjugation, it had already been cleared by adventurers.

There were no monsters inside.

Aside from a few rookie adventurers who came to experience the atmosphere of a dungeon, almost no one set foot in it—making it an excellent place to scavenge for junk.

According to the innkeeper, there was a kind of "glowing mushroom" growing inside—an ingredient used for cocktails. Drinking it supposedly let you see the goddess, making it quite popular.

If he could gather some, both his room fee and travel expenses would be covered.

Shane made up his mind and pulled out the pouch at his waist.

Clink.

Two copper coins dropped into his palm.

Not enough for dried meat, but enough for a few pieces of black bread.

A few minutes later, he stepped out of the bakery with a small backpack slung over his shoulders.

Not only had he bought enough hard bread for two days, but the kind-hearted owner had also stuffed a small handful of dried gooseberries into his bag.

Sigh.

This face of his was just too well-received.

…

The entrance to Ghost Bastion lay beneath a hillside. A wide opening twice the height of a man. Even under the midday sun, the dark hole looked eerie and damp.

Shane took a deep breath and stepped inside.

It was quiet.

Only the occasional chirping of crickets and the damp smell of earth lingered in the air.

He traced the stone wall with his hand, moving carefully. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the interior of the cave gradually came into view.

A natural mine.

Fragments of unknown ores were embedded in the walls, along with scattered pits and rubble left behind from past excavation attempts—likely from a merchant guild that had once surveyed the area and found nothing of value.

He continued deeper. The tunnel began sloping downward.

After about half an hour, faintly glowing minerals appeared sporadically along the walls—soft blue, quite beautiful. Shane tried prying one loose, but it wouldn't budge.

"Shame. Something this pretty would definitely sell well to noble ladies."

Soon, he arrived at a space that could almost be called a "room."

Trash littered the ground.

Broken arrows, rusted axes, and all sorts of miscellaneous junk.

Shane crouched down and began inspecting them one by one.

Gray attribute.

Gray attribute.

White attribute.

…

After sorting and using Attribute Reforging, he managed to create a somewhat useful new attribute.

[Soften (Green/Uncommon)]: Makes anything a bit softer. Just a little.

Shane casually applied it to a piece of black bread.

He squeezed it.

…Yep. Definitely softer.

"Ahhh—so scary—"

Suddenly—

A long, muffled scream echoed from deep within the cave.

Caught completely off guard, Shane flinched.

He quickly drew the sword at his waist, raising it with both hands as he cautiously searched for the source of the sound.

What the hell?!

Wasn't this dungeon supposed to be cleared of monsters?

Could the Adventurers' Guild be any less reliable?!

"So scary— it's so dark —"

The voice came again.

Long, drawn out, and muffled—as if coming through something—but he was certain it was a girl's voice...

For a brief moment, Shane almost turned and ran.

But the courage of an adventurer—and a strange flicker of excitement deep in his chest—kept him rooted in place.

For the past three years, he had always trailed behind other parties, scavenging leftovers. He had rarely faced any real danger.

Now, he was both afraid… and thrilled.

"Alright… first time. Being nervous is normal."

"Take it slow. Stay calm."

Muttering encouragement to himself, Shane tightened his grip on his sword and advanced deeper through the narrow tunnel.

After a short distance, the passage suddenly opened up.

The sight before him made him freeze.

"A Mimic?!"