Surprise! I've Transmigrated Again

"Man, how'd we end up like this?

"We've got gear and some crazy powers, but we still couldn't nail that quest..."

"What the heck went wrong?!"

In Axel's newbie town, Adam, Aqua, and Kazuma were sprawled out on Main Street, soaked to the bone and sticky as glue. Their eyes were as dead as doornails, staring up at the sky like they'd just seen their dreams go up in smoke.

"Sky-gazing blues~"

"Boo-hoo~ sniff Boo-hoo~" Aqua was bawling her eyes out.

Poor thing felt like the universe had it out for her. Some goddess she was - no heavenly vibe whatsoever. Instead, she'd been tossed around like a ragdoll by the town's weakest baddies.

Kazuma was inching away, trying to act like he didn't know these weirdos. Adam wanted to bolt too, but Aqua had him in a death grip. Folks walking by were giving them looks that screamed "What's wrong with these losers?"

Eh, whatever.

Like they say, 'If you don't cringe at yourself, others will cringe for you.'

Talk about looking on the bright side, huh?

"Come on, Aqua, dry those tears." Adam said, offering a hand to the blubbering goddess, "Let's get cleaned up and wash away this mess. We can't have you looking disheveled — it's completely ruining your divine image. Once we're presentable, we'll figure out why our team's such a disaster."

"Mhm…" Aqua sniffled, finally calming down.

The trio booked it to the public baths for a much-needed scrub-down.

Now, about how they ended up in this sorry state - it all started yesterday when they were shopping for equipment...

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"Guys, we've got ξ100,000 to play with as newbie adventurers. But here's the deal - we gotta be smart about our equipment." Adam said, tossing the money pouch like a hot potato, "It's all about making the right choices, you know?"

"Huh? What do you mean by 'right choices'?"

"Yeah, I'm lost. What are you getting at?"

Aqua and Kazuma scratched their heads, looking totally confused.

"Listen, if we splurge on basic beginner equipment, sure, we'll look the part. But when it's time to upgrade, we'll be flat broke. We need to think long-term here."

It's similar to Japanese RPGs, where characters level up and battle monsters. The protagonist, a hero destined to defeat the Demon King, starts weak. As they journey, their level increases, skills strengthen, and equipment improves.

You wouldn't expect the hero to face the Demon King with a wooden stick, would you? At the very least, they'd need a holy sword!

If the ξ100,000 were their own money, it wouldn't be an issue. They could save up for better equipment before reaching higher levels.

This creates a cycle: earn money, invest in equipment, earn more money, invest in better equipment — and so on.

But here's the kicker:

This cash isn't theirs to burn — they're borrowing it from Wiz.

So, picture this: they grind like crazy, level up, and finally save enough for some gear. But wait! They gotta use that hard-earned dough to pay back her instead.

This would leave a glaring hole in their equipment progression.

You might wonder, "What about the upcoming 'Cabbage Harvest Season Campaign'?"

Sure, the harvest season would bring in a hefty chunk of change.

But that's just robbing Peter to pay Paul, using tomorrow's paycheck to cover today's bills — kicking the can down the road.

At the end of the day, they'd still be on the hook for their current expenses.

What if they used the money more strategically, investing in fewer low-level items and instead acquiring one or two high-quality pieces of equipment? Wouldn't that be more cost-effective?

This approach could allow them to bypass the current tier and aim directly for the next level of gear.

Surely everyone grasps the concept that one big leap forward paves the way for more rapid progress?

However!

Here's where the real challenge emerges!

All three were novice adventurers. To build teamwork, they chose a quest that all newbie adventurers must do.

— Subjugating Giant Toads.

Giant Toads, or Giant Frogs, are the lowest-level monsters that frequently prey on livestock in farmlands. According to the receptionist, "fully equipped" beginners could easily defeat these creatures.

With Adam's ξ40,000 katana at his waist, Kazuma holding a ξ30,000 bow and a ξ20,000 short dagger, how could they not defeat mere beginner village monsters?

By the way, Aqua was holding a ξ5,000 staff.

She didn't really need it, being a divine being and all, but she threw a fit when she saw the guys with their shiny new toys. So, Adam had to cave and get her one too. What a drama queen!

The staff? Nothing special. Just a pretty stick, really. But hey, it made her happy, so whatever.

ξ5,000… what a pain!

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The trio confidently set out from the beginner village to the plains. There, they spotted three Giant Toads looming on the grassland — a mere 200 meters away.

Adam gripped his katana and said to the other two: "Aqua, give me a blessing enhancement. I'll go attract and contain the monster group, while Satou-kun uses his longbow to take them down one by one."

"Alright!!"

"Piece of cake, leave it to me!"

Then, Aqua cast a blessing enhancement spell on him, who kicked off the ground at high speed, charging straight towards the three giant toads.

Adam's role was clear: act as bait to attract the monsters' attention, creating opportunities for Kazuma to kill them.

Among the three, he had the best physical abilities, making him the most suitable choice for bait.

Also, he had no plans to attack with his sword; he carried it purely as a precaution. He knew he lacked any skills, and swinging the blade would amount to nothing more than wild flailing — a surefire way to put himself in harm's way.

So, he just needed to focus on running! The blessings Aqua cast were all enhancement spells for Agility and Endurance.

"Satou-kun, now's your chance!"

As he lured the monsters and drew their aggro, the three Giant Toads lined up in a row behind him, presenting the perfect opening and timing for an attack.

"Oh, watch this!"

Kazuma's eyes focused, the bowstring in his hands fully drawn and taut, then he released the arrow.

Whoosh!

The arrow zoomed towards the Giant Toad behind Adam, and then... it totally whiffed!

Wait, what? It missed?!

Did he seriously just botch that?!

"What are you doing, you useless Kazuma!"

"Uh... oops?"

Aqua burst into curses, while he stood dumbfounded. How could he have missed? Shouldn't he have carried the team and become the MVP?

"Ah, I see now. I don't know how to use a bow~"

Kazuma, still a Level 1 「Adventurer」, hadn't learned any archery skills yet. Naturally, he couldn't hit a target at such a long distance.

Even Adam had forgotten this point!

It's over!

He wasn't made of iron either. Gradually losing stamina, he was swallowed whole by the Giant Toad that caught up to him.

"Adam, I'm coming to save you! Damn it, God Blow!"

Seeing him get swallowed, Aqua immediately ran over from afar. Her hand glowing with radiant light, she punched the Giant Toad's belly, causing waves of flesh to ripple.

She failed to penetrate the enemy's armor! Strike-type skills have no effect on them!

"...C-Come to think of it, toads are actually quite cute…" A sense of déjà vu flashed before her eyes, and then Aqua was swallowed too.

"Carter-senpai!!! Aqua!!!"

As the last hope, Kazuma quickly ran over to save the world. Since the bow didn't work, he'd use the short dagger instead!

"Ooooh! Take this!"

After that, he was swallowed by the remaining Giant Toad.

Three toads chilling, each with a snack inside.

Total party wipe!

It was only then, inside the Giant Toad's mouth, that Adam realized what the adventurers' guild receptionist had truly meant by "fully equipped."

— Giant Toads, it turns out, have an aversion to adventurers clad in metal armor.

"Ah, die already!"

In the end, Adam wielded his high-quality katana from inside the Giant Toad, slashing open its chest and belly to escape. He then swiftly dispatched the other two that had swallowed Aqua and Kazuma, freeing his companions.

Luckily, Giant Toads remain motionless during digestion — had they been mobile, the situation would have been far more dire.

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