Chapter 3: Dungeon Busters, Inc. Moves

Chapter 3: Dungeon Busters, Inc. Moves

[A certain country in South Gamerica — ?????]

“AHYEEEEEEE!” a skinny man cried in an unsettling screech as he brandished his sword. The grotesque monster he was facing disappeared into a puff of smoke, but was shortly replaced by more that lunged at him in attack. The man seemed so deranged that a third party might have had trouble telling which side was the true monster. During a brief moment of respite, the man turned to his side and pissed on the stone wall. The young girl looking on from behind clapped her hands. After hundreds of thousands of battles, the man had finally broken free from his human shackles.

“Congratulations. You’ve reached Rank C.”

“Hee hee hee hee! This means I can finally kill ’em all, right? I can’t wait to find out how well I do against modern weapons, hee hee!”

The man returned to the Safety Zone on Floor 1 and, with all his equipment still materialized, began climbing the long flight of stairs that led upwards.

＊ ＊ ＊

Most slum quarters were ruled by organized crime groups that controlled the distribution of drugs, squeezed protection fees from prostitutes, bought police officers off with bribes, and used violence to suppress the powerless citizenry. The more corrupt the area, the more power these violent gangs held. If left unchecked, they could become so powerful as to shake the very country they were a part of.

This very phenomenon had taken place in this country located in South Gamerica. Half of the capital had devolved into a slum, and the people feared the gangs that ruled the streets more than the government’s rule of law.

Today, however, the power structure here was entirely overwritten. And by a single man, at that.

“Wh-What is with you, ma— ARGH!”

A man who looked every bit like a villain was suddenly cleaved from his left shoulder to his right waist, falling into a puddle of his own blood. His cry caused his fellow gang members to rush out of the building. However, these were men who were used to only cornering weak, helpless citizens. The sight of the gaunt, revenant-like assailant with a sword in hand left them completely dumbfounded.

“Hya hya hya! You’re all packing, right? I see the bulges! Go on. Use them!”

The gangsters all drew their guns and pulled the triggers in unison. The crack of gunshots filled the air. The next moment, however, screams pierced the cacophony and fountains of blood sprayed everywhere. One by one, the arms holding guns were cut off by the apparition that disappeared and reappeared repeatedly like a ghost.

“Y-You monsteeerrrrr!”

The last man fired again and again but to no avail. His assailant, who was merely several steps away, easily dodged every bullet by curving his upper body with unbelievable speed. More and more bullets were fired, but he either evaded them or sliced them with his sword as if he were a character in a movie.

Soon enough, the gun started making a different sound. It was out of bullets. The gangster dropped his weapon and raised both his hands, trembling like a leaf. Seeing this, the other man’s face broke into a wide grin and he closed in.

He placed a hand on his prey’s shoulder and drew his face close to speak directly into his ear. “Now... Tell me. Where is your boss?”

The gunman clenched his eyes tightly with fear as a hoarse scream squeezed through his throat. He was scared to death. Then he thought he felt something wrapping around his neck. Everything went black after that.

◇ ◇ ◇

[The Kantei — Ezoe Kazuhiko]

The Prime Minister’s Award is given to “honor those who had contributed to the country and/or society with remarkable achievements.” The incumbent prime minister would publicly present the award—at times, together with a monetary gift—to the recipient individual or group, examples of which include the first-ever seven-title-holder of the Japanese board games of go and shogi. Aside from this, the prime minister is also invested with the authority to bestow the People’s Honor Award. As professional athletes were not eligible for receiving the Prime Minister’s Award, the People’s Honor Award was set up slightly later on to recognize a wider range of achievements, its creation prompted by the feat of a certain baseball player breaking the world home-run record. In terms of relative prestige, the People’s Honor Award was held in higher regard than the Prime Minister’s Award.

“The recipient of the award is Dungeon Busters, Inc. Your organization has, in achieving the world’s first-ever dungeon clear, displayed an indomitable spirit and proven to the world that humanity does possess the strength and potential to triumph over the enigmatic dungeons. Against the backdrop of fear that has seized our world in the wake of the Dungeon Outbreak Phenomenon, this remarkable deed bestows the entire human race with hope for the future. In acknowledgment of this laudable accomplishment, I hereby confer upon you the Prime Minister’s Award. Reiwa 2, January 19. Prime Minister Urabe Seiichirou.”

Flashes of light and the sound of shutters going off filled the room in equal measure. The Prime Minister’s Award was given out to roughly two people each year, so this wasn’t a particularly unusual occasion. However, the draw of the word “dungeon” was such that there were more than double the usual number of journalists present, with some of them representing broadcasters and newspapers from Woori and Gamerica.

After we exchanged inoffensive small talk about the dungeons for a little while, I jumped into what I was really here for. “Prime Minister, may I ask for a bit of your time please? There is a matter that I wish to consult with you on.”

The ninety-eighth prime minister of Japan was taller than I had expected. In fact, he was almost as tall as I was myself. My first impression of him was that of an affable gentleman in his sixties, but I reminded myself that this was the man who was shouldering the lives and property of all one hundred twenty million Japanese citizens and that he held the fate of the entire world in his hands. Without his help, clearing the remaining 665 dungeons was going to be an absolute impossibility.

“It looks like a matter that would be difficult to discuss in front of the media. Very well.”

Prime Minister Urabe sent his secretary a look, who nodded in acknowledgment and proceeded to inform the journalists that all further coverage was prohibited. Many voiced their protests but more than half obediently complied, indicating that they had likely been informed of this arrangement beforehand.

It’s finally time for the part that actually matters.

＊ ＊ ＊

“So this is the world’s first-ever dungeon? It looks like an ordinary room.”

Right after Akira, Mutsuo, and I stepped into a separate room with the prime minister back in the Kantei, I was able to teleport our entire group over to Abyss immediately, thanks to the groundwork laid out by Director General Ishihara. However, the prime minister was not alone; with his identity being what it was, I was also obliged to bring along two of his SPs.

“My men have a duty of confidentiality. Anything that you say, outside of any clear indication of criminal intent, will remain in this room. So, what is it that you wanted to consult me on?” Urabe asked, settling down onto the sofa I had gestured him towards.

I materialized Akane, instructed her to make us tea, then sat across from the prime minister of Japan. Akira and Mutsuo leaned against a wall.

“Mr. Prime Minister, I believe Director General Ishihara must have already told you this, but the dungeons will continue appearing in thirty-six-day intervals until June 24 of this year. By the end, there will be a total of 666 dungeons, with this one, Abyss, being one of them. At that time, the dungeons will be in a state called ‘Full Activation,’ and the countdown will begin.”

“By which you are referring to the number that was displayed on the Dungeon Core that you found on the lowest floor of Sapporo Dungeon, I take it? And you are saying that number will begin decreasing?”

“Yes, sir. The number that was displayed equates to exactly ten years in aboveground time. If nothing is done, monsters will begin spilling out from every single dungeon on Earth at the end of that time and plunge our planet into destruction.”

“We have already announced the presence of the ‘Monster Stampede’ field on the Dungeon Core window to the world at large. The issue is the countdown. Do you believe this to be something we ought to announce as well?”

“I would recommend keeping it under wraps, if it is possible to do so. At the very least, until the locations of all 666 dungeons have been confirmed and ways of reaching all of them have been plotted out. I’m sure you understand why.”

Urabe went quiet for a little while, then nodded. When he took a sip of Akane’s tea, he made a soft exclamation in slight astonishment. During that time, I placed the two other LR cards in front of him.

“There are apparently a total of 108 of these in existence. The place where they appear is entirely random. Sometimes the Dungeon System may grant one as a reward for an accomplishment; I’ve been told that they might also just drop out of the blue for no reason whatsoever. I believe these cards to be an important key for stopping the Monster Stampede. The cooperation of other countries will be crucial towards gathering as many of these as possible. The diplomatic power to reach them lies solely with the Cabinet.”

“Talks at the UN’s IDAO preparatory committee are largely coming to a close. Thanks to your successful dungeon clear, we’ve gained quite a lot of influence on this stage. As a general rule, dungeon adventurers will not be allowed into the dungeons of other countries. However, an application system will likely be instituted in order to allow adventurers to apply for an exception for a fixed period of time with the sole intended purpose of clearing a dungeon. This policy is likely going to be ratified. That said, we are seeing objections from a certain minority, namely, the Kingdom of Ko, the Republic of Woori, and the United States of Gamerica.”

Wait a minute—I’d understand if it were Ko and Sina objecting; why is Gamerica on that list too? Is this also one of the effects from the return to the Monroe Doctrine that President Howard announced?

“Ko would be one thing. To think that even Gamerica would be against it... What is the reaction from the EU’s member states?”

“They are all in agreement, as are all ASEAN members. Ko and Woori claim to be in the middle of talks about cooperation and therefore are rejecting interference from all other countries. Gamerica’s stance is likely based on worries about the decline of their influence as a global leader after the dungeons are gone. They can’t afford to request foreign aid in clearing their dungeons after having withdrawn all their overseas troops for that very purpose.”

“After the dungeons are gone... I can only hope that such a day comes to pass. I’m sorry, but I really must ask. Sina is in agreement?”

“Many seem to misunderstand, but Sina is an extremely realistic and pragmatic country. Remember, this is the country that gave rise to the famous Sun Tzu. Unlike half a century ago, the concepts of communism for the sake of peace and equality no longer drive the nation’s policies. In a way, this is a state that is more capitalistic than even Japan. Sina is trustworthy as long as there is clear mutual benefit involved. At the very least, that is how I see them.”

I was somewhat surprised to hear Prime Minister Urabe’s rather high evaluation of our mainland neighbor. He did have a point, however; Sina was indeed a country that prioritized profit. Profit was the motivation behind their territorial dispute with Japan and their rare earth embargo. As soon as the cost outweighed the benefit, they would revoke similar policies without a moment’s delay. They had maintained their anti-Japan stance throughout the years because it was beneficial to do so. From this perspective, it could be said that Sina was easier to deal with than the country on the southern half of the Korian Peninsula.

“In that case, after we finish clearing all the dungeons within Japan, we will prioritize the ones in Sina, southeast Asia, and the EU sphere. Once they see the benefits enjoyed by other countries with cleared dungeons, Gamerica might change their tune.”

“We have already received requests for cooperation from Formosa, Filipines, Namviet, and Muangtai regarding the establishment of their own dungeon adventurer initiatives. As soon as the headquarters for IDAO is fully set up, it should promptly begin establishing branches in ASEAN countries that should help smooth the cooperation process.”

“That is wonderful news. The world is moving quite a lot faster than I had dared hope. At this rate, we just might be able to stop the Monster Stampede. No, we will stop it, come what may.”

Thanks to Japan being a role model, the chaos caused by the Dungeon Outbreak Phenomenon was remarkably more subdued than what it could have been. I nodded in satisfaction as Urabe seemed to study me.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Shishibone Dungeon — Urabe Seiichirou]

Back when the dungeon adventurer initiative was being formulated, the topic of “the danger posed by adventurers” had immediately come up as a fierce talking point. There had even been voices that had clamored for the admission of civilians to be put on hold until we knew for sure just how strong humans could get from spending time in the dungeons. I, however, had chosen to believe in the general innate goodness of our citizens. I’d made the case that mandating fingerprint registration and limiting applications to those without priors would be enough to suppress the probability of there being criminal adventurers, then had pushed the policy through.

As I looked at the man before my eyes, I thought back to something that he had said before. “Dungeon Busters places heavy emphasis on motivation. Whose sake do you fight for? Anyone who stands in the dungeons with only a self-serving reason wouldn’t last long.”

There was little doubt that the achievements of Dungeon Busters, Inc. were great contributions to not only Japan but also the world at large. However, I felt a certain wariness towards this man. From what I could tell, the clearing of the dungeons took priority over absolutely everything else in his mind. Anyone or anything that stood between him and that goal—be it individuals, organizations, or even countries—would be eliminated without prejudice. He was not doing this for Japan’s sake or the world’s sake. I suspected that there was something else driving him.

The rest of the members of Dungeon Busters did seem to be fighting for the sake of their loved ones or to save the world. But what about Ezoe? I felt as if he were clearing dungeons for the sake of clearing dungeons.

This was why, after sharing details of the international scene with him, I asked, “Why do you feel so convicted to do this, Ezoe-san? It may be true that you are the person who triggered the phenomenon. However, it was an entirely unpredictable occurrence, one that you hardly deserved all the fault for. It seems to me that you are making it your personal responsibility to clear all the dungeons in the world. What is it that is making you take all this onto your own shoulders?”

It was far too late for cheap answers like money or fame to suffice. Depending on his answer, I thought I would have to reconsider our—the government’s—stance towards Dungeon Busters, Inc.

Ezoe responded to me in a way that I had not expected—he opened the black window called a “Status window” and showed it to me. “Mr. Prime Minister, this is my Status. Please take a look.”

Name: Ezoe Kazuhiko

Title: First Contacter, Species Limit Breaker, First Buster

Rank: C

Possession Limit: 0 / ∞

Skills: Card Gacha, Recovery Magic (Lvl. 5), Inducement (Lvl. 5), Teleportation, ______, ______

It was my first time seeing one of these so-called Status windows in person. I see. This does look like the interface of a video game. However, I could not understand what Ezoe was getting at.

“Sir, what I am most curious about is this ‘Title’ field. Why does it exist? I believe that currently, the only people who possess titles are Shishido Akira and myself. However, there is something that is clearly different between the two of us, and that is the very first title in my list, ‘First Contacter.’”

It does say that on his list. But what about it?

“I feel like there is something unique about this title. The other titles are likely obtainable by other people, or at least some version of them is. But not so for this one. It removes my card possession limit, enabling me to carry an infinite number of cards on me while in the dungeons. Furthermore, not only did it expand my skill slots to six, it even allows me to choose what skills I want when I rank up. The bonuses bestowed along with this title are distinctly far greater than those of other titles.”

“And you believe there is a reason behind this?”

Not being an adventurer myself, I could not fully grasp the scale of what Ezoe meant by “distinctly far greater.” I could only take him at his word; if he said it was significant, then it was significant.

The man before me nodded in response to my prompt. “I described the 108 Stars of Destiny as a key earlier. However, I am of the mind that there is another key: the person who possesses the First Contacter title. In other words, I myself am yet another crucial key within the scope of the Dungeon System. That is the conclusion I arrived at. There’s no other way to explain the disproportionately favorable treatment that came with this title.”

I understood his reasoning, and as far as I could tell, he wasn’t lying. However, that wasn’t the answer I wanted. What I wanted was to hear his own personal sentiments. Title or no title, resisting the dungeon meant fighting day in and day out and that was a soul-crushing thing. Any normal human would have gone mad going through what he had gone through. What was it that kept him going? What was it that he was relying on for support? So I asked him this. I would never forget the face that he made then—it was the smile of a child.

“I want to know. What is it that I have encountered? What is it that I have turned into? What kind of existence is it that designed the Dungeon System? I continue delving into the dungeons because I believe that one day I will find answers. At my very core, what moves me and what supports me is curiosity. It’s the burning desire to unravel the unknown and to learn what I did not know yesterday.”

I burst into laughter. So that’s what it was! Now it all makes sense. And if the fire in him is that of a thirst to know, then indeed, no one could ever extinguish it. This man... This man is a true adventurer.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Shishibone Dungeon — Ezoe Kazuhiko]

My talk with Prime Minister Urabe went a lot better than I had expected. I really ought to give Ishihara thanks for laying all the groundwork. Urabe never brought up the topic of what Abyss was dropping, merely commending me with a “Good luck with the dungeon clearing” as we parted. With that out of the way, it was time to focus on reaching Rank B, or else we might not be able to clear Abyss within the remaining five months allotted to us.

“Ho ho ho! Stay sharp; there’s more coming!”

Currently, Akira, Akane, Emily, and I were fighting goblin soldiers on Floor 4 of Abyss. Shifu Liu, who had climbed to Rank C in the blink of an eye, was giving us advice while helping out here and there.

“Listen well. When your opponents are fighting as a team, the worst thing you can do is rush in without a plan. Who is going to draw how many of them? Who is going to deliver the finishing blow on each enemy? The team leader has to discern the answers to these questions instantaneously and give out the appropriate orders. Think about how you fight.”

There were the four of us against groups of six goblin soldiers. We began each engagement with me slamming a shield, which I’d gotten through the gacha, into the goblin soldiers to break their formation and disrupt their teamwork. Then Akira, Akane, and Emily finished off the monsters in turn—when fighting one on one, those of my party were far stronger than goblin soldiers.

“As a tank, your job isn’t to kill the enemy, but to separate them. Goblin soldiers are Rank C, but their fighting style is simplistic. They possess Sword Mastery, but conversely, that also means they only know how to use a sword. Your team’s arsenal includes martial arts for close-range, the spear for mid-range, and kunai for long-range. So use that advantage. Chain your attacks together. And, just as you would for a chess or a shogi problem, crush the enemy one by one.”

The goblin soldiers consistently showed up in teams of six, likely affected by Liu Fengguang’s “Disciple Cultivation” skill. At first, it took us more than five minutes to finish off a team, but we continued improving that time. We were both learning how to better use our strengthened bodies—well, Akira and I were—and how to fight together as a team.

Name: Leather Shield

Rarity: Uncommon

Description: Sturdy shield made of layers of tanned monster leather. Requires oiling after use.

“This is serving me quite well for a UC item. Depending on how I use it, it’s more than making up for its lower rarity.”

I parried an incoming sword with my shield and pushed it away in the same motion. Without much significant resistance, the goblin soldier flew all the way to crash against the far wall. However, there was no way that a Rank C monster would die from something of that level. What I was doing was buying time. Another sword came down on me from behind, but I smoothly deflected it with my shovel, swept the goblin soldier’s legs from under it, then sent it flying back with my shield too. As long as I wasn’t worried about actually doing damage, I could easily handle two or three opponents at the same time. It was the job of the other three behind me to ensure that they died. My job was to open the enemy’s ranks to make it easy for them to do so.

“Hmm?”

Around when we’d managed to get the time for killing a group of six goblin soldiers down to four minutes, I noticed something was different. Right after I slammed one such monster against the wall, as I had been doing repeatedly for a while, it promptly turned to smoke. I had experienced this shift before. By this time, we had spent 2,400 hours in the dungeons, killed more than 100,000 monsters, and gathered more than 3,000 cards. I thought I had finally reached Rank B, but it turns out I was still short.

“Ho! You’ve finally reached ‘upper end of C.’ Let’s head back first so that you can put on more of those weights that you like so much. A hundred kilograms should do.”

“I’ve done this kind of training before to develop my trunk and core muscles, but...isn’t the number getting a bit too ridiculous?” Akira murmured.

Following the example of a certain hermit from a famous manga, I had also started custom-ordering weights. What I’d ordered specifically was a cylindrical bag made of tarpaulin material that measured 80 cm long and 30 cm wide and was filled with 30 L of water. In addition, I also put on 7 kg on each leg, 3 kg on each arm, a 30 kg vest, and 20 kg around my waist. All together, I had exactly 100 kg on my person. If my body tilted just a little, I immediately felt like I would lose my balance.

“You should reach Rank B when you become capable of fighting the goblin soldiers easily even while wearing all this,” Shifu Liu declared. “For now, maintain constant focus on your center of gravity. The moment you overreach, the water will pull you off balance and leave you wide open to attack.”

It’s true that this is heavy. However, this is probably only barely enough to get me to Rank B. The time needed to rank up is starting to take significantly longer. I’m sure it will only get worse going from B to A, then from A to S.

“Akira, you will be wearing exactly what Ezoe currently has on soon enough. Prepare yourself.” Shifu Liu laughed in his distinctive booming voice, stroking his white beard.

＊ ＊ ＊

Although it was true that we were on a tight schedule, our minds wouldn’t be able to take it if we only pushed ourselves to work. This was the same for myself as well. In light of how those in the main office in Otemachi operated on a flexible five-day work week—as in, they could take any two days off each week, not necessarily the weekend—I thought it a good idea to give the delving group a much-needed respite as well.

“So that’s why you all have this Saturday and Sunday to yourselves. Good work, everyone.”

With that, Akira disappeared to have a date with some girl he knew in Mizue, Mari went to go shopping with her mother and see a movie with friends, and Mutsuo headed home to work on a figurine. Even the new members all seemed to have their own plans for enjoying the time off.

“Which leaves...me. What should I do?”

I seemed to remember occupying my time with quite a few pastimes before the emergence of the dungeons. However, I now had more money than I could spend but no idea what to do with it. If I wanted to read books or watch movies, I could do so down in Abyss to much greater efficiency. Considering how it was January, I couldn’t just go to Shinozaki Park and take an afternoon nap either.

“When I suddenly have time on my hands, I realize I don’t really have anything to do...”

In the end, I just went back into Abyss to review our current status on the whiteboard and plot out our direction going forward. I couldn’t help but to laugh a little in self-mockery. You’ve forgotten how to have fun, Kazuhiko.

“So, things that will need managing are the following: 1) the progress of each dungeon’s clearing; 2) the recruiting of new adventurers; 3) the running of Dungeon Busters, Inc.; 4) advising government policies; 5) confirming the locations of every dungeon around the world...”

My marker flowed smoothly over the whiteboard. In order to meet the deadline of clearing Abyss by June 24, the date of Full Activation, I myself will have to have reached Rank A at least, preferably Rank S if possible. And in order to reach Rank S, I would need to be Rank A by the end of May at the latest.

“There should be another wave of dungeons emerging on January 29. In the end, I predict there will be eleven or twelve within Japan. We will need to investigate all of them concurrently—not only to determine the difficulty of clearing them, but also how appropriate they are for hosting Dungeon Bootcamps.”

I had drawn out a tree diagram on the whiteboard. Under “1) Progress of each dungeon’s clearing,” I drew bubbles labeled “Rank up” and “Investigation of each dungeon.” The second bubble on the first tier, “2) recruiting new adventurers,” was going to be closely linked to the Bootcamp as well, and quite possibly might involve the transferring of JSDF members. I myself was fine with it, but obviously this was a matter that I would need to consult Director General Ishihara on. In light of this, I drew bubbles underneath this one labeled “Expanding the Bootcamp,” “Referrals from members,” and “Transferring from JSDF.”

I stared at “3) Running of DB” and crossed my arms, groaning a little. “I’ve thought this before, but consulting a company as an outside contractor and actually managing a company myself are two entirely different things. Hmm... I can’t please everyone, and I’ll need to think of everything within the grand scheme of things. It will also be important to convey everything to the employees in a transparent manner...”

Dungeon Busters, Inc. was a company with a very clear mission and vision. Thanks to this, we could set up rather clear and specific mid- and long-term goals. What we needed, therefore, was clarification of the strategies, policies, operations, and personnel that would be necessary for realizing those goals. Maybe we can do a simplistic Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model analysis.

“To establish an optimized organizational structure, we will need appropriate policies. To develop the employees and facilitate smooth in-company communication, we should also be careful in setting up systems for personnel evaluation and task management. It would be nigh impossible for me to handle all this by myself. If only I had a chief operating officer...”

I did have contacts who were former department heads of human resources and corporate planning, and even General Manager Mukai was doing a rather splendid job keeping everything running so far. However, I wasn’t sure I could entrust the position of COO to any of them. The only person within my circle who I knew was truly fit for the job was Director General Ishihara.

“Seems like I’ve hit a dead end. Guess it’s time I gave it a bit of a rest. Let’s get back and grab a bite to eat.”

I scanned the whiteboard, printed it, then returned above ground. Just as I was enjoying a smoke, my smartphone buzzed. It was a message. The sender turned out to be the Dungeon Adventurer Administrative Bureau. A grim look came over my face as I read through it.

<The Command Chief of Gamerica’s US Dungeon Command has requested an interview with you regarding “the starting dungeon.” Kindly provide several available dates and times at your earliest convenience.>

Other countries are finally catching onto the existence of Abyss and my true identity, huh.

I took a deep drag, then expelled all the smoke back out in a long, sustained exhale.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Airspace Above the Pacific Ocean]

The Boeing C-32A is a transport plane that, at times, serves as Air Force One to transport the president and other important leaders of the United States of Gamerica. And today, one of the six C-32A’s in existence had just taken off from Joint Base Andrews, a military base located in the state of Maryland.

“Why’d we have to fly in a military plane? It would’ve been faster to just buy a ticket to Haneda Airport. You know how far it is from Yokota Air Base to Ichigaya in Tokyo?”

“Although you were an outside hire, Guildmaster, your effective rank is that of a major general. As this is an official diplomatic visit, we cannot have you using anything other than proper military transport. Furthermore, this is one of the very few planes where we would not have to worry about information leakage.”

Finding himself at a loss for a comeback, Command Chief Isaac Roland of the US Dungeon Command irritatedly ran his hand through his silver hair a few times before picking up the documents before him in resignation.

“The aim for this trip we’re taking to Japan is to draw out whatever information we can from the man Kazuhiko Ezoe. According to my deductions, he is deeply involved with the Dungeon Outbreak Phenomenon. It is generally believed that the phenomenon began on July 30 in Japanese Standard Time, but I suspect that there was already another dungeon within Japan by then. He is very likely the person who discovered it.”

“It still sounds like a bit of a stretch to me. I agree that Ezoe’s proactiveness and sense of responsibility does seem to hint at something, but I’m not sure that’s enough to base such a large speculation on.”

“Hey, if I’m wrong, then I’m wrong. He is still the world’s first-ever Buster. A talk with him would still be worth the time. As things currently stand, the earliest we can expect him in Gamerica would be more than a year away. That is more than enough time for Japan to pull so far ahead of us that we won’t ever be able to catch back up.”

Isaac’s ominous-sounding declaration elicited a somewhat despondent nod from his secretary, Rebecca. Currently, Japan was far ahead of the rest of the world in regards to their handling of the dungeons. And yet, instead of capitalizing on that advantage, it remained proactive in sharing what information it learned. In contrast, Gamerica had closed its doors, fully intending on “managing somehow” on its own. Isaac couldn’t do anything about the direction that President Howard had decided on, but as the one installed to head the country’s anti-dungeon efforts, he was understandably rather disgruntled about the circumstances that he had to work with.

“However, Guildmaster, will Japan really give us the information you want for free? Even if you manage to meet Mr. Ezoe, will he really honestly admit to being the first man to discover the dungeons?”

“He probably won’t. But the thing about being the first one to discover the dungeons is just my ticket in. My suspicion is that the Japanese government is still hiding something. The reason why they released information about the LR cards, the Dungeon Core, and other information that would normally be kept under wraps most likely means they know something much worse. Now that’s what I really want to know.”

“It’s not like he’ll just tell us if we ask him, right? Do we have a bargaining chip of our own?”

“I’ll give him what he wants most right now,” Isaac replied confidently.

When she heard what it was, Rebecca’s face turned white as a sheet. What Isaac was planning on offering was nothing short of top secret intelligence.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Ministry of Defense — Ezoe Kazuhiko]

On January 28, I found myself within the building of the Ministry of Defense in Ichigaya, looking over information on the command chief of the USDC. It had supposedly been in English, but someone in the ministry had translated it into Japanese. Director General Ishihara was sitting across from me, her legs crossed.

“The job of the command chief of USDC is to devise the administrative policies that Gamerica will be adopting to deal with the dungeons. All in all, it sounds really similar to what I do. And as you can tell from his profile, he has a pretty interesting past.”

“It’s true that if I had to describe him in one word, it would be ‘genius.’ Within the confines of being an academic, that is.”

“Oh? That’s a surprisingly low evaluation.”

“Just like how there are very few economics professors who go on to create successful start-up companies, being able to teach something does not mean being skilled at putting that very thing into practice. In all likelihood, it is the same with this Isaac character. I cannot imagine him being able to use effective negotiation techniques. If I were him, I wouldn’t have put something so blatant as ‘the starting dungeon’ in the original message. Just saying ‘I want your advice’ would have been enough to get me to make time for him, but he failed to catch on. In other words, he’s likely quite inexperienced in dealing with people. Just watch—he’s most likely going to try pushing through with reasoning alone during today’s meeting.”

“But that reasoning is still quite formidable, is it not? We are talking about the world’s supposed top genius scientist. His ability to think logically is likely off the charts. Don’t let your guard down.”

I simply shrugged my shoulders in response. During my time within the corporate world, I had met countless people with brilliant minds. However, not all of them had necessarily been good at their job. Business was not something that could be “done well” in isolation. At the very bare minimum, a client—in other words, a second party—was needed. As such, it could be said that the ability to deal with people was the most important skill when doing business. And within my experience, having a sharp mind did not naturally correlate to being good at building up personal relations.

“If I am to liken him to a computer, I would say that he had incredible hardware but a faulty operating system. Communication is all about the OS’s ability to be compatible, something that is usually lacking in the OS of a genius. That said, I’m also looking forward to this meeting quite a bit. It’ll be my first time ever meeting someone with such a brilliant mind.”

＊ ＊ ＊

I finally came face-to-face with Command Chief Isaac Roland inside one of the reception rooms within the Ministry of Defense. He looked younger than I had expected. He was supposedly in his mid-twenties, but his appearance was that of a teenager. Despite being unofficial, this was still a meeting between countries, and yet, he wasn’t even wearing a tie. Does he think that just wearing a suit jacket is enough?

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ezoe Kazuhiko of Dungeon Busters,” I said towards our translator.

To my surprise, however, Isaac Roland responded directly himself. “Ah, I can speak Japanese just fine. I’m Isaac Roland of the USDC. Being able to meet the famous Ezoe-san from Dungeon Busters is an honor.”

He even sounds fluent. I remember his dossier mentioning him being proficient with multiple languages, but Japanese wasn’t on the list.

“Your Japanese is quite good. Have you perhaps lived in Japan before?”

“Oh, no, I picked it up reading light novels at the end of last year when I got interested in the dungeons. I read through more than a hundred volumes of modern low fantasy series that depicted dungeons appearing in our world, worlds with dungeons in them, and dungeons appearing in people’s homes. Things like that.”

“I see. How helpful did you find them?”

“They were great for learning the language itself, but not much help in terms of realistic policies that we could actually apply. Many of them were based on a leveling up system; many focused merely on a few developed countries despite there supposedly being dungeons all over the world; many failed to depict the reaction of the various religious powers despite the supernatural nature of the phenomenon, or otherwise depicted rather unrealistic imaginings of the effects of the dungeons on the world. Why would a high school student enter a dungeon in the first place? That very premise seems misplaced. The stories depicted teenage protagonists killing monsters and gathering resources as if it were any other part-time job, but this is normally something that any reasonable parent would stop their child from doing, right?”

“Well, these are works of fiction. Being so realistic would detract from the entertaining factor, wouldn’t it? They’re palatable because they portray a more forgiving version of reality. Ahem, talk of light novels aside, I see now that you are indeed quite fluent in Japanese, so I will take you up on your offer and continue this meeting in Japanese. The lady beside you...”

“Oh, she’s my secretary. She doesn’t know Japanese, but don’t worry about it. I’ll translate the recording for her myself afterwards.”

I nodded. Looks like he’s the kind to talk a lot and do it really fast, as so many other geniuses do. And he did not check our faces for social cues even once, simply going on and on by himself. I wouldn’t go so far as to say “how Gamerican,” but at the very least, he wouldn’t do well in a Japanese corporate setting.

“So, let’s get down to business. The reason why I came to Japan, Ezoe-san, is because I wanted to strike a deal with you.”

“A deal, you say?”

“That’s right. I’m offering to exchange the information that we at the USDC possess for the information that the Japanese Ministry of Defense possesses.”

“That sounds like you don’t need me here, then.”

“Ah, but I do, don’t I? What we’re talking about is deeply tied to your personal information. Ezoe-san, my deduction leads me to believe that you are the reason behind the Dungeon Outbreak Phenomenon. Somewhere in Japan, on June 24 of last year, you came upon the very first dungeon and entered it. It might have been somewhat of a force majeure event, but it was your actions that triggered the activation of the Dungeon System. At that time, you were granted a mission. Probably something along the lines of ‘clear all the dungeons.’ In order to fulfill this mission, you were bestowed information regarding the dungeons. What do you think? Am I close?”

“That’s a rather interesting story you’re telling. However, even if it is as you deduced, did you think I would admit it? To you, someone who’s representing another country?”

“Probably not. But I don’t really need you to. As I said earlier, I’m here to strike a deal. I believe that when you see what information I have to offer, you will definitely respond in kind.”

“Bold claim. Incidentally, what is it that Gamerica wants to know?”

“The three pieces of information that the Japanese government is still hiding from the rest of the world. One, how long the Dungeon Outbreak Phenomenon is expected to last. Two, how many dungeons there will be by the end. Three, how long we have until the Monster Stampede. You, and the Japanese government by extension, know the answer to these three questions. I’m sure of it.”

“Ha ha ha! And what makes you so sure?”

“The speed at which you were taking action. What you have achieved within half a year of July 30, the date of the ‘first’ wave of dungeons, is nothing short of incredible. Japan already has a civilian adventurer initiative up and running—heck, you’ve even cleared a dungeon!—while Gamerica and the EU are still deliberating our own policies. And you were the driving force behind all that. You founded Dungeon Busters, Inc., gathered allies, brought the possibility of the Monster Stampede to light, and proved that it was indeed possible to clear the dungeons. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Japan is currently several years ahead of the rest of the world. The reason why you are rushing so much is because time is limited. You know the number of dungeons that will need clearing and the amount of time allotted to do so. There’s no other way to explain your rush.”

I shot a look at Director General Ishihara, who was sitting next to me. She nodded, then addressed the talkative genius.

“Even if we do possess this information and we pass it to you, what will you do with it? Announce it to the world?”

“As if! Even our limelight-hungry president isn’t that stupid. No, no, we will be keeping that information to ourselves at USDC for a while yet. It’s just that we need these answers in order to decide what policies to formulate and adopt, with the most important being the one about how much time we have left. If it’s a hundred years in the future, great. But judging from Ezoe-san’s actions, it’s not that far off, is it? It could be twenty—no, maybe only ten years away even. This is something that we need to know in order to protect our own citizens.”

“Isn’t your side fully capable of protecting your citizens without such information?” Ishihara asked, sarcastic. “That’s what you withdrew all your overseas forces for, right?”

Isaac merely shrugged his shoulders. Instead of responding to her sarcasm, he looked at me. “The information that we at the USDC have to offer for this deal is something that I’m sure you really want.”

“You’ve said that before. Surprise me.”

Isaac gestured to his secretary, who took out a document written in English. “To put it simply, I’m offering you intel on the location of every dungeon around the world. Very few know this, but every dungeon generates a small electromagnetic pulse and disturbs the local gravitational field. Our reconnaissance satellites have coverage over the entire planet, and we’ve accurately pinpointed every such instance that’s occurred over the past few months. In the same vein, we are the only country on Earth that has the resources to guarantee the continued provision of such information. So this is the deal I’m offering: the location of all dungeons that have appeared and will appear in exchange for the answers to the three questions I posed just now. Especially the last one.”

To be honest, Isaac definitely had me at this moment. What he was offering was something that I would be willing to pay any amount of money for—it was more than equal in worth to the information we held. Dancing in the palm of Gamerica’s hand irked me a little, but this would be an exchange that would benefit both sides. He’s got himself a deal. Look, even Ishihara’s smiling and nodding.

“I see. We would gain intel on the location of the target dungeons, and you would gain the intel you need to set appropriate dungeon countermeasure policies. It does sound like a win-win deal.”

The tension in the air dissipated after Ishihara’s words. However, just when it seemed like the deal was going to be sealed, the expression of the woman next to me underwent an abrupt change as she crossed her legs and took on the demeanor of a queen.

In a cold voice, she said, in English, “However, we refuse. Don’t underestimate us. How much information has Japan provided to the world for free so far? You learned your information sitting in a comfortable office staring at your monitor. We learned our information from our people risking their lives. One man even lost an arm. And you say that they are equal? Don’t make me laugh. Intel on the dungeons’ locations is something that should be provided to the UN for free!”

As it was in English, I had no idea what was being said. All I knew, however, was that Queen Ishihara’s sudden transformation had left Isaac with his jaw on the floor.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Ministry of Defense — Isaac Roland]

My negotiation strategy had been perfect. I’d started by talking about light novels—a topic that the Japanese were greatly familiar with. Then I’d shaken things up by throwing all my deductions at them at once. As a clincher, I’d clearly laid out how both sides stood to benefit from this exchange. Ezoe had looked like he was ready to accept the deal, but then the woman next to him had seemed to turn into a totally different person out of the blue. She’d belittled us, then had even gone so far as to declare what we had to offer “worthless”!

In slight alarm, I slipped back into English. “Mister Ezoe, this lady...”

However, Ezoe simply shrugged his shoulders and replied in a thick accent, “Ah, so-ri. Ai kyannot supeaku Engrishu.”

This indicated that the intellectual and rational Ezoe had stepped out of the ring, leaving me to persuade a woman who seemed determined to be irrational. C’mon, really? I don’t want to deal with someone having a hysterical fit. What’s she saying anyways? That we should sacrifice our bargaining chip for nothing? Just because they did so?

“Naturally, we are not against passing this information to the UN. But...”

“No buts or ifs. Japan has done our best to cooperate with other countries in dealing with the dungeons. We have provided so much information with nothing in return. If you want to negotiate with us, you should also cooperate with international efforts and provide information to the world. Currently, Gamerica is prioritizing only your own interests. Honestly speaking, we cannot trust you. Do President Howard and your secretary of defense know of this deal?”

“Ugh...”

I said that this information is top secret, didn’t I?! Of course they don’t. If it gets out that I tried to barter it away, my head would fly. I mean, I don’t care about getting fired. What I do care about is losing access to the necessary resources for continuing my research into the dungeons.

“We ask for two conditions: the intel on the location of the dungeons, and Gamerica’s support of the suggestions we make regarding the Adventurer HQ being established by the UN right now. Once the HQ is set up, then we will give you the information you are asking for. I’m telling you, approaching Prime Minister Urabe will not help you. With the US-Japan Security Treaty effectively broken off, Japan has no obligation to do what Gamerica says.”

Like hell President Howard will say yes to that! He’s the kind of person who thinks “what’s yours is mine and what’s mine is mine.” If we don’t elect a Democratic president open to the idea of international cooperation later this year, it would mean five consecutive years of the Howard Doctrine. If that happens, we’ll fall far behind in terms of dungeon policy, which means my research would also get delayed.

“It’s true that we want the information that you are offering, but we don’t need it right now,” the woman continued. “We are already in contact with the ASEAN and EU countries, and we also have our own intel. The value of the information offered on both sides of this deal is not the same, so we cannot accept. We wish Gamerica all the best. When you change your stance, we can talk again.”

And then the meeting was adjourned. Aren’t the Japanese supposed to be a people of compromise and cooperation? How can she be so vehement in her refusal?!

For the first time in my life, I experienced the feeling of defeat.

＊ ＊ ＊

“Well, that went horribly. I’d thought Ezoe the key person to talk to, but boy was I wrong. Looks like when it comes to dungeon policies, she’s the key person—Yukie Ishihara.”

I couldn’t help but grumble a little in the car as we made our way back to Yokota Air Base from the Ministry of Defense. When I mentally revealed what had been said during the meeting, the conclusion I arrived at was that Ishihara really had been illogical and emotional. If they really prioritized the clearing of the dungeons as much as they claimed, they should have accepted my offer.

“Japanese bureaucrats are excellent,” Rebecca replied. “We’ve just never been on the receiving end of them at their most vicious so far because they were prioritizing our diplomatic relations. Clearly, President Howard’s speech at the beginning of the year is already taking its toll. Japan might be beginning to part with us in regards to their national security.”

“And we can’t really complain about it either—not when we’re the one who broke the treaty in the first place.” I sighed. “Seriously, that president of ours. Gamerica First is good and all, but can’t he think a bit more before speaking?”

“President Howard wants anyone who is interested in Gamerica’s market to listen to him. Once the issue of global energy inequality is resolved by the magic stones, Japan just might take Gamerica’s place as world leader.”

“The shift is already occurring. It’s a problem, but not one which we can do anything about, I suppose. For now, Ezoe and Ishihara’s reactions have proved that there is a specific deadline for the Monster Stampede. Let’s develop our policies around that fact.”

Let’s set it as twenty—no, let’s say ten years. There are currently seventeen dungeons within the US. A reasonable assumption would be to expect that number to double—so, thirty-four in total—with ten years to clear them all. Let’s work with those numbers in mind. What? Report to the defense secretary? I’m sure Rebecca will do a good job of it.

Shucks. I really wanted to see the Dungeon Core for myself!

◇ ◇ ◇

[Ministry of Defense — Ezoe Kazuhiko]

As the conversation had shifted to English halfway through, I didn’t understand what had been said. The result, however, was clearly a breakdown in negotiations. We failed to gain the intel on the location of the dungeons, and the other side failed to gain our information. In game theory terms, it was the prisoner’s dilemma.

“It didn’t work out?” I asked. “Pretty drastic choice, don’t you think?”

Ishihara snorted. “I didn’t like his attitude from the get-go. Acting all smug like ‘I know your secret’ and pretending to be a big shot for learning Japanese through reading light novels. An impertinent brat; that’s what he was. He’s ten years too young to be negotiating with me.”

“However, we really do need the intel on the dungeon locations...”

“Don’t worry about it—Gamerica will be the first to fold. In the meantime, you go around clearing the dungeons in the countries willing to cooperate. After you do, Japanese firms can expand into their markets and set up joint ventures within the hydrogen energy generation industry, working towards equalizing access to energy. Of the seven billion people in the world, we will make 6.6 billion of them our allies. Ten years from now, Gamerica will be pushed off the throne of leader of the world and reduced to being a mere first world country.”

“Do... Do you have a grudge against Gamerica or something?” I asked, somewhat curious about the personal inflection in Ishihara’s tone.

She grimaced, then turned to look out the window. “I probably shouldn’t say this, being on the career track at the Ministry of Justice and all, but... That country really pisses me off! Year after year, they push us to buy their stupidly expensive fighter jets! And those louts who don’t understand a single thing about conserving energy—they even keep their air conditioners running throughout the three months they’re off!—come asking us for reimbursement for their sky-high ‘garrison operating expenses’! ‘Country of justice’?! Have they already forgotten the Great Tokyo Air Raid and the two nuclear bombs they dropped on us?! Even today, they’re still sending their armies everywhere, stirring up wars and committing war crimes like it’s nothing! And what do they do after completely messing up the place? They go right back home, taking no responsibility whatsoever! If there were a way to restrict it to Gamerica alone, I would actually want the Monster Stampede to occur!”

“I... I see...”

Ishihara’s outburst almost had me saluting and going “Yes, ma’am!” Clearly she had been bottling up quite a lot of emotions regarding Gamerica. Or is this due to the hormonal imbalance from menopause?

After continuing to disparage Gamerica a while longer, Ishihara suddenly seemed to come back to her senses. She exhaled, then turned around with a smile. “Well, as you can see, I can keep going for quite a while. However, Gamerica is still one of Japan’s important allies. We acknowledge them as a valuable partner, both in terms of our economies and national security. The Ministry of Defense strongly values the relationship we share with Gamerica.”

Uh, who’re you saying that to?

＊ ＊ ＊

On January 29, the world saw the emergence of a fresh wave of dungeons, one of which was indeed located within Japan. Contrary to my expectations, however, it was not in a major city.

“Early this morning, a new dungeon appeared in the parking lot of the head offices of Hokusei Bank within the Korinbo district of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. Our local correspondent, Shigeta, is currently on scene. Shigeta-san—”

This was when I turned the TV off. Honestly, I had not expected the Dungeon System to choose Kanazawa, a Kyoto-lookalike with a population of only four hundred thousand. The area around the newly-established Shinkansen station was seeing a certain amount of growth, but this was a city that was otherwise a whole hour away by bus from the closest access to the outside world, Komatsu Airport. Even now, it was considered part of a rather isolated economic bloc, and a large part of its market was composed of long-standing generational businesses. I had been to this city a few times before.

“So it’s Kanazawa after Yokohama, huh. Then I’ve got to visit Katamachi, and I definitely must drop by Number 8 Gyoza Restaurant.”

I would have a large platter of gyoza at Number 8 Gyoza Restaurant for lunch, oden at the famous Miyuki for dinner, drinks at the beer garden at ollo building afterwards, karaoke somewhere close, then a few bowls of dashi chazuke at the specialist store Shinano—a place where you yell “Yafuu” at the owner chef for everything—to end the night. Yep, sounds like a plan.

“Though of course, my main goal is the dungeon,” I reminded myself as I flipped through my planner.

The research branch of the Ministry of Defense really wanted to look into the Dungeon Core in Sapporo Dungeon, and I was the only one who could operate it. In other words, I had to escort them to the lowest floor. Not that I minded, of course. Rather, I thought it a good opportunity. After finishing up in Sapporo, let’s go down to Sendai, then circle around to Kanazawa.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Sapporo Dungeon — Kurita Hideki]

I, Kurita Hideki, was one of the researchers within the Dungeon Technology Research Center, an organization that had been newly established under the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA). Our job ranged from studying the dungeons themselves—such as by modeling their internal structures—to reverse-engineering the products they produced—such as the magic stones, cards, and potions—in the hopes of discovering as-yet unknown technologies. In short, we were so-called “dungeon researchers.”

Almost everything about the dungeons was an absolute marvel to those of us in the scientific community. The physical laws within them seemed to be entirely different from those of our world. Take time, for example. Even though time flowed 144 times faster within the dungeons, the space within had the same gravity as Earth. This was a clear contradiction to the general theory of relativity. The same was true of the Status windows. Everyone’s Status window was standardized with a black background and white text, but these did not seem to be projected by any physical source. It would have been a different matter if it were only visible to the person themselves. In actuality, however, it was visible to everyone else, and could even be picked up on camera. In other words, something was emitting light waves. However, our equipment failed to pick up on the presence of any unnatural substance. The phenomenon was so inexplicable that I heard quite a few scientists talk about looking into paranormal photography in search of hints.

And because the dungeons were so filled with things beyond our current understanding of science, everyone from Nobel Prize laureates to amateur hobbyists were all champing at the bit to have a go at the dungeons. A Gamerican university had launched “dungeon engineering” as a new major, and there were numerous colleges within Japan that had established research centers and were actively exchanging information with each other.

Then there was me, who was currently trembling with emotion as I stood before a black octahedron that looked like a giant diamond on the lowest floor of Sapporo Dungeon. This was a so-called Dungeon Core, and absolutely everything about it was a complete mystery. The moment I laid eyes on it, however, I could instinctively tell that it wasn’t something from our world. It was impossible to artificially create such a perfect octahedron using our current level of technological prowess.

The function of this object on Floor 7 of Sapporo Dungeon was, far as we could tell, to display the information regarding this dungeon. The information panel itself would appear no matter who touched it, so I shakily placed a hand on the cold yet softly glowing surface.

Dungeon No.: 103

Rank: D

Master: Ezoe Kazuhiko

Qty. of Floors: 007

Supplied DE: 717

Resource: Black Magic Crystal

Stampede: Off (45,441,973,440)

“What is this ‘Supplied DE’ field? And does the fact that there’s a field for the resource being generated mean that it’s possible to change it? When would the number indicated in the Stampede field begin moving?”

As the others in my team fiercely debated among themselves, I touched each field on the display one after the other. However, there was no reaction. Ezoe-san had mentioned that when he touched the Stampede field, he could toggle it between “On” and “Off.” In other words, the only person who could manipulate this display was the Buster who held administrative rights over the place.

“Ezoe-san, I’m afraid you’re the only person who can operate this screen. I’m sorry for the bother, but could I trouble you to touch the fields?”

Ezoe-san obliged, going down the list one by one. When he got to “Supplied DE,” a bluish white light emitted from the Status window to create what looked like a holographic projection.

“This...looks like the layout of the dungeon,” Ezoe-san murmured curiously, bringing his face closer to the hologram. When he touched the second floor from the bottom it flew out and expanded. Every small detail about the floor was visible, along with countless white dots moving all over within. Wondering if the white dots were monsters, I asked Ezoe-san to try touching one. When he did so, another screen popped up.

Name: Killer Bat

Title: None

Rank: D

Rarity: Uncommon

Skills: Flying (Lvl. 1), Bite (Lvl. 1), ______

Resource Qty.: F

Setting: Repopulate

“Some of these fields aren’t on the monster cards,” Ezoe-san exclaimed. “‘Resource Qty.’ likely refers to the magic stones, but what does ‘F’ mean in that context? And the word ‘Repopulate’ likely indicates that the ‘Setting’ field is referring to what would be called ‘spawning’ in games, right? The Guardian never respawned, though; does that mean it’s in a different class?”

Nothing happened when Ezoe-san touched “Name” and “Title,” but a secondary pop-up window appeared when he got to “Resource Qty.”, offering the options of “F,” “E,” and “D.” The “Setting” field also seemed to allow choosing between the two options of “Repopulate” and “Fixed.”

“Pretty intuitive. Interesting.”

Ezoe-san merely thought it “interesting,” but the word was solely inadequate for what I, as a researcher, felt at the moment. First of all, this holographic display was far beyond any projection technology that we humans had developed so far. There was no lens like we would expect from a projector, and there was no obvious source of light. This phenomenon itself already posed a huge number of questions. There was little doubt that our display technology would take an enormous leap forward the moment we managed to understand how this projection worked.

However, Ezoe-san did not seem to notice my excitement. Rather, he was quite occupied messing with the hologram. Shit, wait, what is he doi—

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

The holographic part of Floor 6 disappeared as the ground under our feet shook a little. Whereas the model had previously shown a total of seven floors, it now only had six.

“So the Dungeon Master can freely alter the internal structure of the dungeon. I see.”

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!

“But there’s no change to ‘Supplied DE.’ Should I try erasing all the floors aside from Floor 1 and Floor 7?”

“STOP RIGHT THEEEEEEERE! Ezoe-san, please don’t touch it anymore! What are you going to do if you accidentally erase the entire dungeon?! Please give us time to examine what just happened! I beg of you, please just stay put!”

Ezoe-san shrugged his shoulders, then dismissed the holographic display. Clearly, he had the authority to make quite a few changes at will. This in itself would also require studying. And so all of us set up camp on Floor 7, proceeding to study everything about the relief on the ceiling and the Dungeon Core itself as closely as possible.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Sapporo Dungeon — Ezoe Kazuhiko]

My personal view was that researchers and scholars were basically otaku. The definition of otaku was “someone with a consuming interest in something who becomes far more knowledgeable about it than the average person.” The researchers currently on Floor 7 with me were so thoroughly obsessed with analyzing the ceiling relief and the Dungeon Core that they were even forgoing sleep and food. They were practically “dungeon otaku” at this point.

“This is truly amazing! So it is possible to alter not only the structure of the dungeon, but even the places where the monsters appear and the quantity of what they drop! What’s more, it’s possible to alter the drops, with there being options other than magic stones! So this is the authority of a Dungeon Master. Does this mean it would be possible to change the gravity and speed of time as well? How about making dungeon floors spacious and illuminated by sunlight? Right, like a giant pasture!”

Uh, now you’re just asking too much.

That aside, we had indeed learned quite a few things during the past few days (dungeon time) spent down in Sapporo Dungeon’s lowest floor. Firstly, “Supplied DE” apparently referred to the energy that was flowing to this dungeon from another dimension. Sapporo Dungeon had up to seven floors, which meant it wasn’t possible to create an eighth floor. The researchers hypothesized that this was because there wasn’t enough energy being supplied to maintain more floors.

Next was “Resource Qty.” This apparently referred to the weight of the magic stones being dropped. The blue slimes on Floor 5 of Sapporo Dungeon dropped magic stones weighing four grams, which was lighter than those dropped by the evil flying squirrels on Floor 2 of Yokohama Dungeon. We attempted to change the “Resource Qty.” setting of the blue slimes to confirm this theory, but the system didn’t let us—it was locked at “F.” In all likelihood, this was also because of “Supplied DE.”

“Looks like it’d be safe to draw the conclusion that the settings of each dungeon are balanced so as to fully utilize the DE it is supplied with. How about we reduce Sapporo Dungeon to having only four floors, with Floor 1 having Rank F monsters, Floor 2 having Rank E monsters, Floor 3 having Rank D monsters, and keeping the Dungeon Core on Floor 4? That way, we could maximize the size of the magic stones—sorry, the official name is “magic crystals”—being dropped. If we do that, then this dungeon would be great for hosting the Bootcamp in.”

My suggestion, however, was put on hold with a “let’s try that another time” by the researchers, who also expressed great interest in the under-Rank F monsters that populated Floors 1 and 2 and could not be cardified. Suspecting that the un-cardifiable monsters could perhaps be brought above ground without relying on the Materialization skill, the researchers placed a few inside cages and tried to walk out of the dungeon. When they reached the Safety Zone on Floor 1, however, their subjects all turned into smoke.

What was more, there were apparently different kinds of magic crystals that could be generated—aside from black, there was also red, white, and a few other options. In other words, it was possible to change what was dropped in a dungeon. If black was for producing hydrogen, then the other colors just might be usable for producing some other resource. In order to pursue similar studies in the “principles of the dungeons,” it was decided that we would be keeping Sapporo Dungeon in its current state.

“Although it ended up slightly different from what the director general had in mind, it turns out it was the right call to not erase the place after all.”

After exiting the dungeon, I reported to Director General Ishihara straightaway through video call. Originally, she’d wanted to convert the dungeon into a location for hosting the Bootcamp as soon as the studies were over, but the researchers protested vehemently. In the end, Ishihara had no choice but to agree to leave this dungeon as-is. At least until the next dungeon was cleared, that was.

“Now that things have turned out this way, we need you to go clear another dungeon as quickly as possible. ATLA is saying that they want another dungeon to compare against.”

“That’s much easier said than done. We’re working on Yokohama at the moment, but do you want me to confirm Sendai’s rank first? I can fly to Sendai from New Chitose Airport tomorrow morning and take a look inside in the afternoon.”

“Oh? Knowing you, I thought you’d be heading straight to Sendai within the day.”

“I’m still human, all right? Not a dungeon clearing machine.”

“You don’t say. So, what are you eating tonight?”

“Sea urchin bowl and hairy crab— what the hell is with that face?! Anyways, I’m going to Sendai Dungeon tomorrow afternoon. Bye!”

I ended the call in a hurry. Goodness, she looked like I had killed her parents or something! But no matter. Tonight, I’ll be accompanied by the girl that I had that one-night stand with last time. We’ll be meeting up in front of the TV tower to head to the seafood izakaya Sugino—which is within walking distance from Odori Park—together. The plan is to eat sea urchin, salmon roe, and crab by the kilos. Oh, right, scallops and oysters are delicious this time of the year, so we definitely need to order some of those too. Then we’ll take a taxi to Susukino, hang out at a club for a while, then look for a place that’s famous for miso ramen—right, Ezokuma remains open till quite late. After that, we can enjoy ourselves back at the hotel until the sun rises. I’ll have more than enough time to enjoy the hotel’s soup curry for breakfast before heading over to New Chitose.

“Playing hard after finishing up a job and fully enjoying the local cuisine at the cities we clear dungeons at. Yep, I definitely want to make this a part of Dungeon Busters’s culture.”

When I arrived before the TV tower at the promised time, I found my slightly bustier-than-average date—just the way I liked it—already waiting for me.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Ishihara Yukie]

I honestly cannot tell if that man is there to clear a dungeon or to enjoy himself. Both, probably.

Being an adventurer was to constantly live on the tightrope between life and death. Although Sapporo Dungeon was supposedly the weakest rank, it was still too tall an order to ask Ezoe to escort the research team down to the lowest floor all by himself. As such, I had assigned five JSDF members who had reached Rank E as support. Sure enough, some of them did get injured. As it stood, our JSDF forces were incapable of clearing even the weakest dungeon by ourselves. We had no other recourse but to rely on civilian adventurers. That was just how things were.

I took out a notebook from one of my desk drawers. It was just what I used to get my thoughts in order, but in light of its contents, I still had to treat it as a top secret document. I once again put my pen to paper as I spoke my thoughts aloud.

“Does he really understand the implication behind the fact that only the Master of a dungeon can change the settings on the Dungeon Core?”

Allowing Dungeon Busters, Inc. to hold administrative rights over the dungeons was fine. As their aim was to prevent the Monster Stampede, they would toggle the Stampede field “Off” even without us having to ask it of them. However, the same could not be said for the rest of the world. It was true that only Dungeon Busters had succeeded in clearing a dungeon so far, but Gamerica and Sina could hardly be expected to just sit there twiddling their thumbs. It probably wouldn’t take a year before more Busters appeared in other countries. Can we really trust all of them to turn Stampede off?

“The IDAO will be ratified by 190 out of the world’s 193 countries. However, there’s no way to confirm whether a Buster has turned Stampede off in his or her dungeon without involving an impartial third party. We’ll need a whole other system for confirming dungeon clears.”

The main topic currently being debated at the UN was the mutual aid agreements between member countries within the context of dealing with the dungeons. A major concern that was being raised was how adventurers could apparently attain supernatural abilities thanks to Enhancement Element. On the off chance that any such person turned to crime, it might become extremely difficult for normal police to catch or suppress them. As a way to combat this, a centralized database of all adventurers, including their names, ranks, skills, and achievements, was going to be set up at the IDAO. Naturally, this information was not going to be available to the general public, but there was simply no other way to supervise usage of skills like Ezoe Kazuhiko’s Teleportation. The hope was that this consolidated database would help to serve as a deterrent against crime.

“That being said, we would have to rely on each country to gather their own adventurers’ information, so there’s no telling how reliable the database would actually turn out...”

Once a dungeon was cleared, what it dropped could be changed. For all anyone knew, if a dungeon in Central Gamerica was cleared by a criminal gang, it could be made to generate narcotics instead of magic stones. I held no illusions about this becoming an up-to-date database of every single dungeon in existence.

“The final number of 666 seems quite certain now, and the phenomenon should be ending in June this year. We would have to wait till then to work out an accurate map of where each and every dungeon is located. And I suppose this would be the best time to announce the ten-year deadline, right?”

I couldn’t help grinding my teeth a little as I recalled the meeting with Command Chief Isaac Roland the other day. It did not seem to have affected Gamerica’s stance in any way, seeing as how the withdrawal of their troops was still underway as of February. North of us was the Rushian Federation, and west of us was the Kingdom of Ko and the Oriental Republic of Sina—all of these were nations that we had to remain wary against. That said, our diplomatic relationship with Sina did seem to be shifting. As proof, the other side had abruptly stopped fussing about the Senkaku Islands, and I’d heard from contacts within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the amount of under-the-table communications coming in from Sina had suddenly exploded in quantity, with the large majority of them expressing a friendly attitude in a marked departure from the previous status quo.

“If we can actually resolve our disputes about territory and historical understanding, then the burden on the Maritime SDF and Air SDF would be drastically alleviated. In such a scenario, we wouldn’t need the remaining Gamerican forces either and could arrange for their gradual withdrawal as well. After that, we can say goodbye to ever allowing Gamerican troops step foot on Japanese soil again.”

The Urabe administration’s greatest goals were “constitutional amendment” and “independent self-defense.” Thanks to the Dungeon Outbreak Phenomenon, public support for both was rising. In all likelihood, the House of Representatives would be dissolved within the first half of the year and a referendum for the constitutional amendment would be called after the Tokyo Olympics.

“Regardless, it’s starting to look like we’re really going to need a Ministry of Dungeons. There’s just too much that the dungeons affect, ranging from national security to politics, economics, and even foreign policy. A single bureau within the Ministry of Defense sorely lacks the authority and resources needed to deal with so many things.”

I felt like Prime Minister Urabe also saw this need. In all likelihood, the new Ministry of Dungeons would be set up within the year, composed of the younger employees gathered from each of the various other existent ministries. And I would be the most equipped person to serve as administrative vice-minister by far when that happened.

“A year ago, I would have thrown both hands up in celebration, but...”

The Ministry of Dungeons, when established, would become responsible for the fate of not only Japan but of the entire world at large. The burden on the shoulders of the administrative vice-minister of such a ministry would be incredibly heavy. Just thinking about it was enough to elicit a heavy sigh from me.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture — Ezoe Kazuhiko]

Sendai Dungeon was located within Kokubuncho district of Aoba, Sendai. As it had appeared within the first-floor parking area of a building along the major Jozenji-dori Avenue, the entire building had to be sealed off. Its proximity to the heart of the city—with Kotodai Park, Sendai City Hall, Miyagi Prefectural Office, and so many other official facilities within walking distance—was causing a rather significant amount of unease among the local populace.

“It’s been a while since we’ve gone dungeon delving with just the two of us, Kazuhiko-sama.”

When I reached the Safety Zone on Floor 1 of Sendai Dungeon, the first thing I did was materialize Akane. There were no JSDF members with me this time because of the monster that we would be facing.

“Floor 1 is supposedly occupied by two-headed dogs strong enough to have bitten off a JSDF member’s finger. Based on this fact alone, I’m thinking that this dungeon is higher ranked than Yokohama Dungeon. Worst case, it could even be more difficult than Abyss.”

“A dog with two heads sounds like the Rank E monster lebludor. It is not particularly strong, but still enough of a threat to Rank F humans. Please do not let your guard down either, Kazuhiko-sama.”

With that, the two of us walked straight in. We could hear growling almost immediately. Akane stepped in front of me protectively as I tightened my grip on my shovel. Soon enough, a dog with two heads came into view at the far end of the passage before us. Its size was roughly that of a shiba inu.

“Our welcoming party’s here.”

“Kazuhiko-sama, allow me.”

The disturbing-looking dog lunged towards us. Akane reached towards her back for her new weapon, then her body seemed to flicker for a split second. The next moment, the dog—still in midair—split apart into countless pieces and turned into smoke.

Name: Kurogasumi

Rarity: Super Rare

Description: A ninja sword crafted by a dwarven craftsman. Made of adamantite, which makes it unbreakable. Grants the wielder a boost to speed and slashing damage.

“This weapon feels so very natural in my hand. Thanks to this, I believe we will be able to make quite a bit of progress even with just the two of us, Kazuhiko-sama.”

“That may be so, but it bothers me somewhat that Floor 1 is occupied by Rank E monsters. We would have no problems dealing with them, but this is too dangerous to serve as a venue for the Dungeon Bootcamp. These dogs seem more dangerous than even the goblins back at Abyss. Could it be that this is a Rank S dungeon like the one in Osaka?”

To my surprise, Akane shook her head, then replied, “In all likelihood, this is a Rank B dungeon.”

“Rank B! That would make it lower than Abyss. What makes you say so?”

“Rank A and Rank S dungeons all possess unique names, with the one you discovered being ‘Abyss.’ The first time someone steps into a Rank A dungeon, the Dungeon System will inform them of the dungeon’s unique name. When we entered this place, however, there was no such announcement.”

“Hold on. Then what about Osaka Dungeon? Both police officers and JSDF members have entered it before, but I’ve heard no such mention. And now, no one’s going in because the bureau has sealed it, but...”

“Many things are different for Rank S dungeons. I suspect that Osaka Dungeon does not have a Safety Zone in the first place. You might have to confirm that for yourself, however.”

I could not help but click my tongue in irritation at myself. All this time, I had just accepted the theory of Osaka Dungeon being a Rank S dungeon as fact and had been putting it on the back burner. Therefore, I had almost no information on it whatsoever, as the possibility of a Rank S dungeon being different from the others had never even occurred to me.

“That’s a problem I’m going to need to address ASAP. Which reminds me, I haven’t even watched the footage of the inside of Osaka Dungeon. Wait, is there footage? After the JSDF squad went in and took a few photos, they never let anyone back in, if I recall.”

Clearing the seven Rank S dungeons was going to be crucial if we were to prevent the Monster Stampede ten years from now. There was no telling how many Rank S had appeared already. If all of them were without Safety Zones, however, then they shouldn’t be too hard to identify.

“Once I get back, I’ll need to take a closer look at all the information we have on Osaka Dungeon. If need be, I’ll go pay it a visit in person. If it is possible to tell a Rank S dungeon apart with just one look, then we should definitely issue a warning to the rest of the world.”

In any case, my current focus is on Sendai Dungeon. Once we get to Floor 3, we should have a pretty good idea on the dungeon’s rank. After that, I’ll have my fill of beef tongue at Kokubuncho, then materialize Akane in the hotel for a “great time” while looking down at the nightscape of Sendai.

The two of us struck off towards Floor 2, my heart beating in expectation of the enjoyment that was to come.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Yokohama Dungeon — Shishido Akira]

We were currently busy power-leveling within Yokohama Dungeon. It was basically a rehashing of what Aniki had done for me, but I wasn’t as unhi— diligent as he was, so we kept at it for only half of each aboveground day. Even so, that meant two whole weeks inside the dungeons at a time, which was still quite exhausting in both the physical and mental sense.

“Ugh, the magic attacks are such a bother! Yosshii, incoming!” Amane-chan cried.

Yosshii grunted “Mm!” in acknowledgment, bracing himself.

The monsters on Floor 3 of Yokohama Dungeon looked like cute fennec foxes at first glance. However, the rock pellets that they shot at the speed of actual bullets were anything but cute. I myself could see the attacks and dodge them with ease, but I could hardly expect the same from the two members who were still Rank E.

“Ho ho ho! Don’t think. Feel. Listen for the whistling sound made by the bullets. Look sharp. It’s shooting another round!”

Rinko-chan, who had reached Rank D, barely managed to dodge the incoming attacks and thrust Ruyi Bang forward. To her frustration, the fennec fox generated a small sandstorm around itself, obscuring its form. The metallic clank of her staff striking bare floor rang out.

Name: Devil Vulpes

Title: None

Rank: D

Rarity: Uncommon

Skills: Stone Bullet (Lvl. 3), Sand Wall (Lvl. 1), ______

“Looks like the common theme of the monsters in Yokohama Dungeon is ‘fluffiness.’ If Maririn caught sight of this card, she would definitely want it as a pet.”

“Akira-san! This is no time to be talking about—”

I looked up at Hisato’s shout and, realizing that he hadn’t noticed the bullet shooting right towards his face, reached out to catch it. My physical prowess, dynamic vision, and reflexes had all surpassed human limits by this point.

“Calm down, all right? Calm down and keep an eye on the timing of the attacks. It’s not as if the monsters are machine guns, right? There’s a certain interval between each shot. Hide behind Yosshii’s back right before they shoot the next one, then leap out and finish off the monster right after. Go on. Try it now.”

Within the past few days, Rinko-chan and Yosshii had both reached Rank D, whereas Amane-chan and Hisato had both reached Rank E. All in all, this was pretty good progress. Of course, if it had been Aniki leading them, things would have been quicker for sure, but I suspected that it would have shattered them. Honestly, I think I’m probably the only person who can actually keep up with the pace he sets at the get-go.

Right after the latest Stone Bullet was shot, Rinko-chan immediately leaped out. She ran on the wall to land right in front of the fennec fox, with her staff hidden behind her back. While still in midair, she spun around all of a sudden and thrust out her weapon.

“Kusakabe-style Staff Arts, Night Rain!”

The fennec fox, having been caught off guard, had no time to protect itself with magic. As soon as its forehead was pierced through, it turned into smoke. That’s a pretty interesting move. Even I might not have been able to dodge it if I was seeing it for the first time. But now that I’ve seen it, it won’t ever work on me though!

Name: Kusakabe Rinko

Title: None

Rank: D

Possession Limit: 5 / 26

Skills: Card Gacha, Staff Mastery (Lvl. 4), Evasion (Lvl. 3)

“Ho ho ho! It’s your turn next, Amane. But still, it really is rare to see someone with the Whip Mastery skill. Do you have prior experience in handling the whip?”

“Of course I haven’t! This skill is just... Is the Dungeon System trying to spite me?!”

Amane-chan, the former policewoman, had gained the Whip Mastery skill when she’d reached Rank E. Normally, the skill bestowed by the System was affected by what the person was already familiar with. That can only mean she’s been cracking the whip for quite a while, right?

Name: Kirihara Amane

Title: None

Rank: E

Possession Limit: 0 / 29

Skills: Card Gacha, Whip Mastery (Lvl. 2), ______

A resounding crack! reverberated throughout the passage as a painful-looking slash appeared on a fennec fox’s torso. I could not explain why, but for some reason, even the sound of a whip seemed painful. The monster looked up at us with tears in its cute, button eyes, crooning weakly even as it disappeared into a puff of smoke. Hisato involuntarily rubbed his arms a few times, his face pale. I feel the same way you do, man.

Name: Training Whip of Love

Rarity: Rare

Description: Can only be used by females. Attack power is average, but increases the rate of card drops by 20%. When used against human males...

I’m so curious about the rest of that item’s description! But I don’t want to be hit. It’s a bit late now, but thinking about it again, Aniki would probably have sealed it if he had been present when it came out, right? But wow, Amane-chan’s really talented at wielding that whip.

“What? You want me to use it on you?” Amane-chan growled, glaring at me.

That look really suits her too. But this is no time to be impressed. Our next opponent’s here.

“Incoming!” Yosshii shouted as he braced with his shield once more.

Yep, looks like it’ll only be a few more days until everyone is equally Rank D. But that’s where things get a lot tougher, so I should probably ask Aniki to step in again for a while. I’m sure he’ll be able to get them to Rank C in a week, which means 144 weeks back to back in dungeon time. They’ll probably have about ten close shaves with death each, but they should be able to barely keep up by now, right? Well, as they say, everything’s an experience.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Sendai Dungeon — Ezoe Kazuhiko]

The monsters occupying Floor 2 of Sendai Dungeon turned out to be bipedal dog-like creatures named kobolds. I had held out a little bit of hope that they were Rank E, but Akane confirmed them to be Rank D. Although they only possessed one skill—Sword Mastery—they were quite fast on their feet. They were likely the one-rank-higher version of the kind of monster that had been found on Floor 1 of Osaka Dungeon. Not a particularly formidable enemy, but that’s no reason to let my guard down.

“Though I can see how they would pose a threat to a normal person encountering them for the first time.”

The weight of the magic stones they dropped was six grams. There is no time like the present, as the saying went, so I decided to go ahead and fight them for four hours straight. Considering how the large majority of dungeons were going to fall under either the Rank B or Rank C category, the sheer quantity naturally meant that there would be Rank B places that were all the way up there close to Rank A in difficulty.

“Kazuhiko-sama, if we find Rank C monsters occupying Floor 3, then we will know that this dungeon is a Rank B verging on Rank A.”

“Why do I feel like we’re really going to encounter Rank C monsters because you just put it into words?”

And so we descended to Floor 3. Upon making a little headway, a clump of black flames shot towards us from our left. Both of us immediately leaped backwards to evade the attack and turned to look at our assailant. It turned out to be a dog-like monster with its pitch-black fur standing on end in a way that made the creature look alight with black flames.

“It’s a hellhound! It’s Rank C!”

“I knew it! Akane, we’re retreating. Grab my hand! There’s no need to force ourselves here.”

The black monster rushed towards us at incredible speed before lunging forward, brandishing razor-sharp claws. Before the glinting nails landed on us, however, we were already back on Floor 1. I collapsed to the stone floor on one knee, breathing heavily.

“That was close. So it’s confirmed. Sendai Dungeon is an upper Rank B. A Rank B+, if you will.”

“I’m so sorry, Kazuhiko-sama. All because I said something unnecessary...”

“No, no, that’s not related. I don’t actually believe in jinxes. Jinxes are merely a concept devised by those who want something to blame their failure on when things don’t go well because they didn’t properly gather information beforehand and work out a thorough plan of action. So this is not your fault. This dungeon was Rank B+ from the start. What’s more, this served as a good warning. Now we know how stark the difference in strength is between a Rank D and a Rank C monster. We must get every member of Dungeon Busters to Rank B as a minimum requirement. Now I know this for sure.”

In spite of my efforts at consolation, however, Akane still looked dejected. So I gave her butt a rub. Surprise filled her face, but soon gave way to delight. We’re all alone here, so, let’s go all the way.

＊ ＊ ＊

“I see. So Sendai Dungeon is not suitable for hosting the Bootcamp program.”

“It’s not entirely out of the question, but the risk is quite high. Conversely, it might be perfect for busters looking for a place to train themselves. Floors 1 and 2 would be just right for adventurers up to Rank D.”

The building with the parking lot where the entrance to Sendai Dungeon had appeared had been appropriated for JSDF use in its entirety. I was currently in one of the rooms, reporting to Director General Ishihara. I probably won’t be able to talk with her casually like this anymore after she becomes the administrative vice-minister of the new Ministry of Dungeons, will I?

The screen showed Ishihara adopting a thoughtful expression. She was most likely thinking about what to do with this dungeon that had appeared within Tohoku’s largest entertainment district.

“The next wave of dungeon emergences will be March 6, right? Will it be possible to clear all the dungeons that have appeared so far by then?”

“That would be tough. If it’s just Yokohama Dungeon, then maybe. Sendai Dungeon, however, is very close to being Rank A. It will be too dangerous to attempt clearing that place with anything less than three Rank A adventurers. And even I will probably need a month to get that high.”

Ishihara nodded, seemingly having made up her mind. “This is an official request to Dungeon Busters, Inc. Clear Yokohama Dungeon by March 6. After that, investigate Floor 1 of Osaka Dungeon together with a JSDF force composed of members from the Special Forces Group stationed in Camp Narashino.”

The most elite unit of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Special Forces Group (SFGp for short), very rarely made appearances in public. Rumors had them pegged as being as effective as the US’s Green Berets, but there was no way to confirm or disprove this, as everything about their training was top secret. If it were true, however, it would be reasonable to assume that they were all Rank E.

“I haven’t seen Kanazawa for myself yet, but we now know that the monsters on Floor 1 of Osaka Dungeon are Rank E. What’s more, they’re equipped with weapons. Even members of the SFGp can die if they let down their guard.”

“I can bet that once the SFGp commander, Colonel Fujihayashi, hears that, he’ll start watering at the mouth, calling it ‘real-life practice.’ I heard that he barged his way into the offices of the higher ups raising a ruckus saying ‘how can we call ourselves the JSDF’s most elite force when all we’re doing is training while a forty-year-old civilian is out there actually fighting!’ Now that the Monster Stampede has practically been acknowledged as a real, impending threat, the JSDF won’t be able to just sit back anymore. They’ll be steadily incorporating the dungeons into their training soon enough.”

“That is reassuring to hear. That said, leave some for us civilian adventurers, yeah? In any case, I’m heading over to Kanazawa now. Please contact Camp Kanazawa for me.”

When the screen went dark, I got up and stretched. The scouting of Sendai Dungeon was officially completed. I had entered in the afternoon, and it had taken less than ten aboveground minutes. My itinerary involved going to eat beef tongue after this, but there was still a bit of time. This was the perfect chance to show Akane a bit of our world, but I couldn’t very well take her around in her kunoichi outfit. And that was where the concierge service tied to the platinum card I’d gotten under Dungeon Busters, Inc.’s name came in handy. This same card was quite popular with many other sole proprietors who frequently needed to make business trips or eat with clients.

When I called the number, the other side picked up almost immediately.

＊ ＊ ＊

I materialized Akane within a shopping mall with plenty of boutiques outside of Sendai Station and told her to pick something out for herself. When she came out in her new outfit, however, I thought I would faint. Either my fashion sense was off or Akane’s preferences were off-kilter, and I strongly suspected it was the latter.

She giggled. “Now Kazuhiko-sama’s eyes and the eyes of every man on the street will be on me.”

What she had selected was, by all appearances, the kind of dress normally only worn by girls in cabaret clubs. And it was a very sexy one, at that—her entire back, as well as both of her arms from the shoulder down, was completely bare. As the material was quite elastic, it stuck to her very closely, clearly revealing her stunning body line and all ninety-nine centimeters of her voluptuous breasts. What’s more, there was a large leg slit that rose almost to her side flank that exposed everything from her porcelain-white thighs to her hip bone.

“Akane, your underwear...?”

“I’m not wearing any, of course.”

I brought a hand to my forehead and tilted my head upwards. Personally speaking, I loved it. This outfit did an incredible job drawing out and accentuating all of Akane’s charm. It was winter now, but a warm coat would allay any worries of being cold. However, I shuddered to imagine what everyone else on the streets would think of me if I were to bring her walking along Kokubuncho, Sendai’s entertainment district, in such an outfit. What the hell was the concierge thinking introducing me to a shop like this?!

I sighed. “This dress is extremely attractive. We’ll buy it. However, I can’t have you walking outside looking like this.”

Thankfully, the female employee—who had been staring at Akane with enraptured eyes—turned out to be someone with some common sense. When I asked, she quickly picked out something more reasonable for women in their twenties. Akane seemed a bit huffy about it, but I ignored her. I’ll be having you wear it a lot when we get back to the hotel.

＊ ＊ ＊

When mentioning Sendai, many people would immediately think of beef tongue. This was not wrong, of course, but whenever I wanted to eat beef tongue in Sendai, I would never go to a restaurant that specialized in it. One reason was because the majority of them served beef tongue imported from the States or from Australis; another reason was because a lot of them had become franchised and opened up branches back home in Tokyo. Therefore, I made sure to go to a place that would serve actual Sendai beef when eating beef tongue in Sendai.

“It’s all thanks to you that I can see and enjoy the peaceful aboveground world for myself, Kazuhiko-sama.”

A slight distance down Miyagino-dori Avenue from Sendai Station was a grilled meat restaurant called Dateichi that specialized in Sendai beef. As I had booked our seats beforehand, there was already a prepared portion of beef that had been allotted to us. We stepped in to find a few other tables already occupied by other customers. When Akane took off her coat, she gathered the eyes of every man in the room. Every step she took, her prominent breasts jiggled noticeably.

After settling down in our private room, we ordered, alongside sake, five servings of the premium assorted rare cuts platter that cost more than ten thousand yen and one kilogram of the famous melt-in-your-mouth Hanasaki Toro beef tongue. Never holding back on spending on food was part of the company culture at Dungeon Busters, Inc.

“This restaurant also has a very extensive stock of the various kinds of Japanese sake made within the Miyagi Prefecture. Eat and drink to your heart’s content, Akane. We have all night to enjoy ourselves, then I’ll be heading to Kanazawa first thing tomorrow,” I told Akane while filling her sake cup from a bottle of junmai daiginjo-shu priced higher than thirty thousand yen, the most expensive label on the menu.

Once I was done scouting out Kanazawa Dungeon, I would be returning to Tokyo and working towards reaching Rank B. As soon as Akira and I were both Rank B, and the four new members were Rank C, we would be clearing both Yokohama Dungeon and Funabashi Dungeon in quick succession.

“Don’t forget to pay attention to Mari-san as well,” Akane chided gently. “Emily is with her, but she might still be feeling quite lonely.”

“Thanks for the reminder. The initiative for licensing apprentice adventurers aged sixteen and above is still being debated at the Diet. I’ve been summoned as a speaker, but I’m not holding out hope of it passing before the re-election of the House of Representatives. So instead, I’ll find time to gather everyone in Dungeon Busters, including Mari, the back office staff, and the new members, for a company party. Ginou in Mizue should be perfect. Let’s rent it out and eat blowfish.”

Our company was a gathering of adventurers. After fighting with our lives on the line, we would celebrate being alive by throwing large, rowdy feasts. Eventually, we might have members who’d get wounded or, knock on wood, die. This was exactly why this kind of occasion was important.

We’ll clear Yokohama Dungeon within the month, then have the party afterward.

I put a piece of beef tongue sushi into my mouth and washed it down with cold sake.

◇ ◇ ◇

[United Nations — International Dungeon Adventurer Organization Preparatory Committee]

The G7 summit held at Nagoya last year in August had ended with a joint declaration advocating for international cooperation in regards to dealing with the dungeons. In response, the International Dungeon Adventurer Organization Preparatory Committee had been set up in the United Nations in September, and was composed of the cumulative sixty-one member countries of the UN Security Council and the UN Economic and Social Council. Furthermore, other member-nations of the UN were also allowed to speak if they wished, as the issue of the dungeons was a worldwide concern.

“We will now vote on the establishment of the IDAO,” announced the Dannish representative who was serving as president of the committee. No dungeons had appeared in Danmark as of yet, so the idea was that he could be trusted to conduct the proceedings in a neutral manner. All members of the preparatory committee were unanimous in their agreement for establishing the IDAO, but there was now a split between an overwhelming majority and a vocal minority in regards to the specific details that would be involved. Major points of contention included the compulsion to share dungeon locations, the setting up of a centralized database of adventurer information, the system that enabled adventurers to apply for clearing another country’s dungeons, and the protocol for how dungeons were to be handled after being cleared.

The Kingdom of Ko was fiercely opposed to the system for applying to clear other countries’ dungeons. If this clause was passed, it would force Ko to accept foreign adventurers, and Ko feared that this would affect its domestic power structure.

The United States of Gamerica was fiercely opposed to sharing dungeon locations and to the issue of ownership of cleared dungeons. The only country that possessed a satellite network extensive enough to determine the locations of the dungeons was Gamerica, which meant that this clause would require it to basically give out valuable information with no return. At the same time, the military-industrial complex back home was lobbying extremely hard for private ownership of the dungeons, which was clearly not going to be possible if the right to buy and purchase dungeon resources was going to be in the hands of an external international authority.

The Republic of Woori originally had no reason to oppose anything, but strangely enough, they were still in opposition. For some reason, the inexplicable narrative of “because Japan is currently far ahead in dealing with its dungeons, Woori’s national interest will be greatly harmed if this international accord gets passed” was spreading like wildfire back home. The Japanese government hadn’t the faintest idea why this was happening.

“Without further ado, those who are in favor, please raise your hands.”

The large majority of countries present raised their hands. Of course they did. Although there was no telling when the Monster Stampede would be taking place—as the Japanese government was keeping that information a secret—there seemed little doubt that it would happen sooner or later, and current international security policies were woefully inadequate for dealing with such a catastrophe. The only country with actual achievements to show in this matter, Japan, was proactively sharing information and providing support for other countries’ efforts in establishing their own civilian adventurer initiatives. There was no reason to say no.

“This is absolutely unacceptable! Gamerica refuses to acknowledge this vote! Count us out of the IDAO!”

“Same for our kingdom. We vehemently refuse entry to adventurers from other countries, especially countries with a history of war crimes! We will resolve the issue of the dungeons within our borders by ourselves.”

“Woori also refuses to accept this vote. The dungeons on the Korian Peninsula will be cleared by the Korians. This issue is nothing before the combined brilliance of our people.”

The representatives of the three countries stormed out of the hall. However, none of those who remained gave them more than a passing glance, as this had been expected beforehand. After the vote was over, many countries without dungeons flocked around Japan and Sina. Although the dungeons were currently highly dangerous existences, they promised to deliver incredible benefits and profit when cleared. It was only natural for countries without access to the new dungeon resources—such as magic stones—to pursue a connection with countries that seemed likely to have them in surplus.

“We have already succeeded in implementing a cyclical hydrogen energy power plant. It will take until the end of the year before we have a large-scale model up and running, but mass production of small-scale ones for powering isolated cities has already begun. The Republic of Belau agreed to be a test case in exchange for us providing the technology free of charge. If the results are promising, we will be more than willing to assist with installing the same in your country,” the Japanese representative said to the representative of Finlanti.

Despite its large size, the Scandinavian country of Finlanti was a minor power with a population of only 5.5 million. As it mainly relied on nuclear energy, it was struggling with the issue of processing nuclear waste. Small countries such as Belau and Finlanti were starting to truly pin their hopes on the technology for small-scale hydrogen energy plants.

After talking with quite a few representatives in turn, the representative of Sina approached the representative of Japan. This was something that the latter had also hoped for. It seemed like sheer inevitability for the country with the most advanced handling of the dungeons to join hands with the country with the most number of dungeons.

“The vote’s passage was all thanks to your country’s support. We thank you.”

“The dungeons are a huge problem for us as well. Much might have happened between our two countries in the past, but we believe that cooperating on the issue of the dungeons is something that will benefit us both greatly. Official notice will come through the appropriate channels at a later date, but President Zhou has expressed an intention to pay Japan a visit. It is our hope that we can join hands over this mutual challenge and develop our relationship in a positive direction.”

After saying this, the representatives of two powerhouses in the Far East nodded in concert and exchanged a firm handshake.

◇ ◇ ◇

[The Pentagon — Isaac Roland]

When I received the news in my office at the Pentagon, I sighed heavily. A team of Rank D commandos had reached the lowest floor of Las Vegas Dungeon, but then got wiped out while fighting the last boss. I had strongly opposed the operation, but idiots higher up who had felt pressured seeing Japan’s success had circumvented my authority and given the order anyway.

“So, what are our casualties?”

“Six men. Unfortunately, we still have no information regarding the Guardian that they faced.”

“It just might be the same as the one in Sapporo Dungeon, but I wouldn’t count on it. See to it that everyone gets the memo that reaching Rank D as an adventurer means jack shit. Trying to clear a dungeon being that weak is the same as committing suicide. The difference between Rank D and Rank C is as vast as the difference between little league and major league.”

Instead of setting up an initiative for civilian adventurers, Gamerica had decided to make adventurers out of selected volunteers from its military forces. The reason for this was the issue of ownership. Unlike Japan, this was a multiethnic country with a litigious society. If civilians were allowed to own the dungeons and someone was to become injured in one, the owner could be sued for it. Above all, there just might be lowlifes who would attempt to negotiate with the federal government in exchange for turning the Stampede field off.

“I’m so jealous of Japan. They’ve got Dungeon Busters to do the clearing so the other adventurers can just be miners and earn money. On the off chance someone gets hurt, they can just wave the ‘personal responsibility’ flag, and that would be the end of the story. In that country, you don’t see morons getting fat from eating hamburgers suing restaurants for making the hamburgers too delicious. The general ethical integrity of their society is so much higher.”

If I were the president, I would invite Dungeon Busters, Inc. to set up a branch office here in the States, have them consult on the setting up of our own adventurer initiative, and request that they clear all the dungeons in the country. The administrative rights of the dungeons might end up in their hands, but depending on how negotiations turned out, there would be a fair chance we could get them to, say, cede the rights to the magic stones. Their aim was to turn the Stampede field off in the dungeons, after all, and not to rake in profit. Just handing them US$10 billion ahead of time and going “Take care of it, thanks” would be so much easier and so much more efficient.

“Speaking of which, it’s pretty weird how none of our troops have reached Rank C despite all the Rank Ds we have now,” Rebecca commented. “I wonder why.”

I sighed again. “This is probably the difference between those who are merely accepting orders and those who are self-motivated. In all likelihood, reaching Rank C requires hardship that goes far beyond the realm of common sense. For all we know, it might mean killing hundreds of thousands of monsters nonstop down underground.”

“That’s a bit much for an order, isn’t it...?”

“Everything about the dungeons is far too fucking much. Trying to clear them while still concerned with human limits like working hours and hazard pay is just not going to work. It’s starting to seem like going mad is a basic requirement of becoming a Buster.”

I understood all these things as facts, but putting them into practice was proving nigh impossible. Honestly speaking, I was starting to get the feeling that staying in the position of command chief wasn’t going to help me make much more progress in my research. I really want to go to Japan and study the Dungeon Core in Sapporo Dungeon.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Ezoe Kazuhiko]

Upon clearing their first dungeon, all Busters would gain the ability to materialize cards above ground. This was an incredibly powerful ability, but it had a large flaw—although there was no limit on the number of cards that could be materialized, there was a limit on the duration of materialization. Items such as potions and weapons had no such time limits, but character cards and monster cards could only be maintained for one rotation of the planet—in other words, one day. After the materialization was dispelled, there would be a “cooldown time” equal in length to how long the materialization had been. However, for each successive dungeon cleared, the duration for maintaining materialization would be doubled—so, two days for clearing two dungeons, four days for clearing three dungeons, eight days for clearing four dungeons, and so forth—and the duration of the cooldown would be halved in direct inverse proportion. For example, someone who’d cleared ten dungeons could keep a card materialized for more than a whole year.

The morning after I’d finished scouting out Sendai Dungeon, Akane woke up cuddled next to me and then reluctantly returned to her card form. The amount of time that she had remained above ground had been roughly sixteen hours, which meant I would not be able to call her out again within the day. I put her card away while inwardly resolving to show her around Kanazawa some other day in the future.

I got out of bed myself around 7:30 a.m., took a shower, then went downstairs to devour pretty much everything on offer at the hotel’s breakfast buffet. Around 9:30 a.m., I got onto the Shinkansen at Sendai Station. Of course, I could have flown, but considering how I would still have to take an hour-long journey to reach the city proper from Komatsu Airport, taking the rail just seemed so much easier. After changing to the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line at Omiya, it was a direct journey to Kanazawa Station. I arrived at around 1:00 p.m. without any mishaps.

The skies above the Hokuriku region in the winter could be summed up in one word: dark. This was something that was probably quite hard for someone who’s only ever lived on the Pacific side to imagine, as the sky was drastically different. And it was exactly this cold winter sky that I stepped out into as I got off my train at Kanazawa. I had only a single business-use overnight carry-on bag in hand as the rest of my luggage was stored inside a Magic Pouch.

There were numerous hotels, villas, holiday houses, and other accommodations for travelers scattered throughout Kanazawa. The one that I personally preferred, however, was a certain airline-franchised hotel located close to the station. At ¥25,000 per night for a double room, the place was on the more economic end, and yet the overall quality of the rooms was high and the staff was well trained.

There was still a bit of time before my check-in, so I took a taxi to head somewhere else beforehand. It soon came into view as we proceeded down the national highway in the direction of the national university while keeping Omicho and Kenroku-en Garden on our right. Whenever it was the weekend, this giant building—it was literally as big as a traditional Japanese inn—would see entire flocks of visitors. Having to wait more than an hour to secure one of the private rooms on the second floor was pretty much a given.

There wasn’t a single resident of Kanazawa who did not know the name “Number 8 Gyoza Restaurant.” And I, for my part, absolutely refused to acknowledge someone who had never visited this restaurant to have “visited Kanazawa.” This was the restaurant serving gyoza—Japanese dumplings—that had held the taste buds of the entire city captive for years on end.

The first floor was set up with only counter seats surrounding the frying area—sort of like a hibachi restaurant in the West, only expanded to the scale of the entire room. Back in the day, there had been no waiters or waitresses, and newly-arrived customers just grabbed whatever seat was open or lined up behind eating customers who seemed like they were finishing up soon. Now, however, the restaurant had seats for those waiting. During the lunch hour, the entire floor was so filled with commotion and activity that it was practically a battlefield. Thankfully, though, it was now around 1:30 p.m., and a lot of the rush had let up.

“Give me a serving of white gyoza, pork broth gyoza, and an assorted pickled vegetable platter please.”

Honestly, I really wanted to order a beer too, but as I would be going dungeon delving afterwards, I held myself back. I held off on the rice this first round to allow myself to fully enjoy the gyoza itself. I picked up the bottle of rayu chili oil closest to me and transferred a whole spoonful—making sure to really get to the chili powder at the bottom—to my sauce plate, then added the perfect amount of soy sauce and vinegar. The first piece of freshly fried gyoza—which was as big as a manju!—went into the sauce, then into my mouth. The unique texture of the dish and the fragrance of the five-spice powder assaulted my senses almost immediately. There was no stopping after that. I was familiar with quite a few other dishes famed for their addictiveness, such as Tokyo’s jiro ramen and Osaka’s Indiran curry, but this was still definitely at the top of that list.

After finishing off fifteen pieces in record time, I put in the order for more gyoza, properly pairing it with rice this time. After packing everything away in my stomach, I walked out of the restaurant a very happy man. Then I came to a realization.

Oh, I forgot to call for a taxi...

＊ ＊ ＊

The Korinbo branch of Hokusei Bank was located alongside Hyakumangoku-dori Avenue, the artery running through the city of Kanazawa. After getting out of my taxi on the opposite side of the road, I looked up at the multi-story parking deck that had been closed off in its entirety. The entire first floor was covered with tarp, with even the pedestrian walkway out front being sealed off.

Without further ado, I presented my dungeon adventurer license card and walked inside. The entrance to the dungeon was located close to the exit gate on the first floor and was currently surrounded by fences. The Korinbo branch itself had been shut down, with the 2nd Battalion of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force 14th Infantry Regiment having set up base in the space. After exchanging greetings with the commander of the battalion, Major Sudo, I was introduced to a man wearing a suit which seemed quite conspicuous against the sea of camo uniforms.

“Ezoe-san, this is Director Yamagishi of the Kanazawa Transportation Policy Division.”

Once we were done with the customary business card exchange, Director Yamagishi immediately cut to the chase. “Ezoe-san, please erase this dungeon.”

“Getting right into it, I see. Of course, clearing dungeons is Dungeon Busters’s mission, so we will naturally do the same here. However, I am here today in a surveying capacity. Without knowing the details of what’s inside, I’m afraid I can’t really promise exactly when we will clear—”

Director Yamagishi shook his head. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I want to make sure that you heard me clearly. Please actually erase this dungeon. Please make it disappear. Hyakumangoku-dori Avenue is the artery of Kanazawa. Just closing the sidewalk is already an incredible inconvenience to the residents. Not only that, but the JSDF setting up a base so close to this major thoroughfare is tarnishing our city’s value as a tourist destination.”

“The current policy of the Dungeon Adventurer Administrative Bureau is to leave dungeons as they are, however. And there are definite merits to doing so. For example, after this dungeon is cleared, researchers from Tokyo will be arriving in numbers. Furthermore, if this location is determined fit for hosting the Dungeon Bootcamp, it will become a draw for participants from all three prefectures of the Hokuriku area.”

“However, on the off chance that the monsters ever break out—”

“We will be clearing it to ensure that the monsters don’t ever break out. I fully understand where you’re coming from. This dungeon is located on Hyakumangoku-dori Avenue—in fact, it’s located within the Korinbo district. Naturally, this makes the residents of the city feel uneasy and affects traffic. However, I can at least say with some certainty that the sidewalk would be reopened once the dungeon is cleared. As for this building... I’m afraid there will be no choice but to have Hokusei Bank sell it.”

Seeing Director Yamagishi looking dejected, I tried my best to adopt a bright voice in an effort to console him. “I just finished evaluating Sendai Dungeon yesterday. That place seems like it will require quite a bit of time, which means it’s very possible that we might be focusing our efforts on Kanazawa first. And if Kanazawa Dungeon turns out to have appropriately powerful monsters, then it could be used as a location for the Bootcamp program quite soon. May I suggest that you attempt to think of this as an opportunity in disguise?”

After leaving those words behind, I descended into the dungeon.

＊ ＊ ＊

“Akane, this is the dungeon in Kanazawa. We’re here to determine its rank.”

“Yes, Kazuhiko-sama.”

As soon as I reached the Safety Zone on Floor 1 of Kanazawa Dungeon, I summoned Akane. Although there was still a cooldown before I could materialize her again above ground, there was no such restriction down here. We slowly pushed open the large double doors, listening carefully for the voice of the Dungeon System. The fact that it did not inform us of a nickname for the dungeon indicated that this place was Rank B at the highest.

“That is a naam python, which is a Rank F monster. Its bite will cause a short bout of paralysis, but otherwise, this monster does not pose that much of a threat.”

The creature that was slithering towards us on the ground looked like a normal rock python, albeit a rather large one. Its length was around two meters and its girth wider than two human arms put side-by-side. When it got close enough, it raised its head and lunged with its mouth open wide.

Slap.

I slammed the flat of my shovel against the fist-sized head, completely crushing it. The monster then turned to smoke.

“So weak. It’s Rank F all right.”

“It does possess the strength to break some bones if it manages to wrap itself around you, but as you just saw, it’s not particularly fast. You can also deal with it by severing its head.”

Akane swung her ninja sword in demonstration and sent a head flying. In terms of danger, these are equal to the rabbits in Yokohama Dungeon. So that would make this place a Rank C dungeon, maybe?

We proceeded to kill a hundred naam pythons and calculated the average weight of the magic stones they dropped. Final result: around three grams.

“Let’s move on to Floor 2. If the monsters down there turn out to be Rank E, then we can be almost sure that this dungeon is Rank C.”

As expected, we found ourselves facing the Rank E poison alligator. These one-meter-long monsters were, as their name suggested, alligators that were poisonous.

“Their thick skin protects them from blunt attacks dealt by Rank F fighters. The way to fight them will be to aim for their eyes or to stab their torsos, but...looks like you don’t have to worry about any of that, Kazuhiko-sama.”

My Super Rare weapon, Cosmic Zantetsuken, easily split the entire monster in half. The magic stone dropped weighed four grams. Some women might have an aversion to the reptilian monsters in this dungeon, but it’s still a step up from the centipedes in Funabashi Dungeon, right?

“Their strength is also just right. Kanazawa Dungeon is suitable for hosting the Bootcamp. The JSDF would be more than capable of dealing with the snakes on Floor 1, and Rank E adventurers who have obtained a weapon from the gacha should do quite well here on Floor 2. This actually makes it a blessing that this dungeon is located in Korinbo. All right, it’s time to see what Floor 3 has in store for us.”

After defeating three hundred alligators, we descended another floor. Almost right off the bat, we found a reptile with a shell and four legs blocking our way—it was, of course, a turtle. A gigantic one, at that. The diameter of its shell easily reached three meters.

“This is a poison turtle. It’s a slow-moving monster that’s normally quite docile, but its tough shell protects it from most attacks, and the power of its beak is more than enough to easily sever someone’s arm. What’s more, if you ignore it and simply try to pass by...”

When Akane approached one side of the turtle as if to walk past, it abruptly started spinning horizontally, splaying its short legs outwards in an effort at mowing her down. She casually sliced off the creature’s limbs before returning to my side.

“As you can see, they attack anyone who attempts to simply slip past. The way to defeat them is to purposely provoke them into spinning so as to attack their exposed limbs or to destroy their shells with overwhelming force.”

“In other words, these are turtles that just crave attention? How hard are their shells? Let’s see whether it can stand up to Cosmic Zantetsuken, the legendary sword said to be capable of cutting anything in this world!”

I leaped up into the air and brought my weapon straight down. As a result, the entire monster—shell and all—was bisected down the middle.

“Once again, I’ve cut a worthless object...”

“Are you doing an impression of something, Kazuhiko-sama?” Akane asked with a truly puzzled face.

Immediately growing embarrassed, I decided to ignore her and weigh the magic stone dropped by the monster. It came out to around five grams, indicating that the monster was Rank D.

“Isn’t it a bit weak for being Rank D? Ah, never mind. I only thought dealing with them was easy because I was using Cosmic Zantetsuken.”

“At the moment, your strength is on the verge of reaching Rank B. Mere poison turtles are far beneath giving you any trouble. However, any normal person would find themselves entirely helpless before one.”

There was no way to bring modern weapons into the dungeons. Once this monster decided to hide inside its shell, there would be almost no way for an adventurer specializing in striking attacks to deal damage to it. Even if said adventurer possessed a Common sword, taking advantage of that whirling attack would require a very discerning eye. With all that in mind, I suppose it does make sense that this monster is considered Rank D.

“Do you wish to take a look at Floor 4 as well, Kazuhiko-sama?”

“Hmm, we might as well. I am somewhat curious what the Rank C monster here is like. Back in Abyss, we get goblin soldiers attacking in a group. What does this place have in store?”

And so we descended to Floor 4. After pushing forward for a while, we heard heavy footsteps approaching. It was a lone enemy. Soon enough, it turned the corner ten meters ahead of us and revealed itself.

“It’s an elder orc! It is Rank C. It moves around by itself, but otherwise is a monster specializing in close-quarters combat who doesn’t have any noteworthy weaknesses!”

The elder orc held a wooden shield in its left hand, a broad saber in its right hand, and wore a chestplate that, judging by the dull glint, was of metallic make. Most importantly, its behavior seemed markedly different from that of all other monsters that we had encountered so far. Instead of rushing towards us, it remained standing in place several meters away, not even lifting its weapon. The impression I received was that it was inviting me to a duel.

Even while thinking myself stupid for doing so, I decided to rise to its provocation and ordered Akane to stand down. The fact that the monster and I were both alone meant that we would be doing this mano a mano. So I put Zantetsuken away in exchange for my shovel. In all likelihood, my opponent’s weapon wasn’t SR; it would be unfair, therefore, for me to hold onto that advantage.

With a slightly alarmed expression, Akane said, “Kazuhiko-sama, please don’t joke aro—”

“Sorry,” I interrupted. “I am a man. And as a man, I have to accept this challenge head-on.”

The fact that this monster was Rank C meant that it definitely possessed a skill or two and therefore was not an opponent that I could overwhelm with sheer difference in rank. I would need to really think and use all the techniques at my disposal.

When I stepped forward, the orc before me also slowly lumbered forward. We stopped roughly two meters apart from each other. Although I was facing a monster, I felt more like I was walking into a fighting ring. It was a very bizarre experience.

“Give us the starting signal please, Akane.”

After a heavy sigh, my companion conceded. “All right. Ready... Fight!”

The moment Akane clapped her hands, the orc rushed forward with Shield Bash, aiming to slam me up into the air. I sidestepped to the left, but found the point of the orc’s saber staring directly at me from up high, already in the middle of plunging down. Of course, I had also seen this coming. I thrust the edge of my shovel upwards before my opponent’s right arm could accelerate anymore in its descent.

“Hah!”

As intended, I managed to land my shovel onto the orc’s elbow joint. It cut in deep, all the way to bone. The descending saber nicked a bit of skin off the left side of my head, but in exchange, the monster had lost the use of an arm. It dropped its weapon and roared.

“MUBOOAAAAHHHH!”

“An opening!”

“No, Kazuhiko-sama!”

I leaped up to smash my shovel into the orc’s face. However, Akane screamed at that moment. At the same time, the monster’s eyes glinted.

“BUFOOOOHHHHH!”

The orc, which had been down on one knee and clutching its right arm, suddenly delivered another Shield Bash. Its wooden shield shot up and dug deep into my chest armor. I slammed heavily against the ceiling, then fell to the ground.

“KAZUHIKO-SAMA!”

“Oof!”

The wound I’d just suffered had been deep enough to damage even my internal organs. The crouching and the arm-clutching had been a lure. There was no way that a Rank C warrior would lose his will to fight after losing a measly arm. This was apparently the same with monsters. I managed to stand up somehow, knees quivering. My opponent took the time to throw away the shield in its left hand to free it for picking up the saber instead.

“Akane, don’t interfere.”

“But... Understood.”

Akane seemed about to step in, so I shot her a look. Then I approached the orc. The next exchange was surely going to be our last. I was at a disadvantage for having the shorter reach, but I still chose to stick with the shovel. I knew full well that it was the foolish choice, but this was my first time fighting one-on-one with a Rank C monster in close quarters. I had a feeling that winning here would lead to significant personal growth.

The orc raised the saber in its left hand up high, indicating its intention to unleash a terrible downward strike. I gripped my shovel with both hands. Everything was going to hinge on whether I could dodge the incoming attack.

“BUUUOOOOHHHHH!”

“RRRRAAAAHHHHH!”

The instant I charged forward, the saber came rushing down, accompanied by the orc’s deafening roar. I instantly braked and leaped backwards. The ridiculously powerful and extraordinarily fast strike cut through my Steel Body Armor and slashed me from my right shoulder to my left flank. However, the saber only got skin and a bit of muscle thanks to my earlier backstep. The instant my feet made contact with the ground, I pushed off with my left leg to resume trying to get in close. My opponent, having read this, utilized the rebound of its weapon hitting the floor to quickly bring it back up. To its surprise, it found me stepping on the back of the blade with my right foot. The momentum from the lift brought me all the way up to the orc’s face. When I brought my shovel down, I thought I saw a smile of acknowledgment from a worthy opponent for a fraction of a second.

“Phew, it’s over.”

“You took it too far, Kazuhiko-sama! One wrong step and you would have been dead!”

I chugged one High Potion to heal the organ damage I had suffered and poured another on my wounds. Because I hadn’t lost any limbs this time, there was no need to use an Extra Potion. Unlike my practice matches with Liu Fengguang and Akira, this was an actual kill-or-be-killed battle. Even I was impressed at how I’d managed to stay alive.

“Everything involving Rank C is beyond human limits. Experiencing similarly life-threatening battles in the five or six digits is probably the only way to reach Rank A, right? In that light, this dungeon is great. It’s perfect for training. You know what? I think I will stay here to work towards Rank B.”

“Kazuhiko-sama, isn’t the purpose of this visit to scout out the dungeon?”

“The scouting is over. Kanazawa Dungeon is Rank C, has solitary monsters, and is perfect for both magic stone gathering and hosting the Bootcamp. At the same time, it is also perfect for training towards Rank B. I’ve got my weights with me, and now I know that I’m capable of killing elder orcs by myself. Stay with me, Akane. This dungeon is where I will become a Rank B adventurer.”

This is also in line with our short-term goal of clearing Yokohama Dungeon. Oh, right. Should I invite Akira? I’m sure that we’ll both rank up if we each fight ten thousand elder orcs down here.

＊ ＊ ＊

“And that’s why I’ll be staying here for several days.”

“Now hold on a moment! That sounds like so much fun! You can’t hog it all to yourself, Aniki!”

After reporting the results of what I learned about Kanazawa Dungeon to Ishihara, I told Akira about my plans to stay here for the time being. As expected, he latched onto the story immediately and insisted on coming with me.

“Amane-chan and Hisato-kun reached Rank D just today. I really want to do some fighting of my own again!”

“Then do you want to come over? I can pick you up right now with Teleport. Where are you?”

“In the changing room at Yokohama Dungeon. I was just about to head home.”

“Perfect. Let’s grab dinner at Kanazawa.”

“Whoa!”

I appeared abruptly in Yokohama Dungeon with my phone still pressed to my ear. Akira was right in front of me, sitting on a bench.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Kanazawa Dungeon — Shishido Akira]

Generally speaking, Aniki was an intellectual and logical person. He hated waste and very rarely forced matters. If I said I wanted to do something, in most cases, he would understand. However, when it came to the dungeons, all that logicality would fly right out the window. His ideas and ability to take action would take on an almost crazed tinge, and he would ask the most far-out things of me.

“Ho ho ho! This is a good place. The monsters on this floor are perfect opponents for polishing each of your individual fighting styles!”

After picking me up at Yokohama Dungeon, Aniki had immediately Teleported to Abyss and met back up with Maririn. He’d sent her home, asked her for Emily, Myu, and Purin’s cards, then headed for Kanazawa. Without resting, he’d dove right into the dungeon. I had originally intended on taking a breather first, but that idea left my mind the moment I’d seen an armed orc appear before me. Shifu Liu was practically bursting with delight.

“The three-meter-tall orc gets a saber and a shield while I’m completely unarmed? Any normal person would consider it an insane matchup!”

In spite of what I was saying, however, there was a certain emotion bubbling up inside of me. This is it. This feeling is why I became an adventurer.

I gritted my teeth as the corners of my mouth rose in a grin. I took a step towards the orc approaching me. After reading the area of control of its falling saber, I chose to unleash a low kick that made the monster’s knee give way. This threw its guard wide open, making it very easy for me to grab the hand wielding the sword, lock it, and snap it all at once. In the same motion, I drove an elbow strike into the creature’s face and, as it opened its mouth to roar, I circled around to grab its head and snap its neck.

“Hmm, a combination of techniques from karate, jujutsu, and muay thai. Akira, your talent really does shine. You will eventually reach Rank B if you keep it up. On the other hand, Ezoe, you will have to just keep fighting with one foot away from death while burdening your body to its limits.”

“I don’t need to be the strongest in the world. However, I do need to keep standing on the front line. And in order to do so, I need to rank up.”

As Aniki said, I had already surpassed him in fighting strength. The foundation we’d each started from was simply too far apart—there was me, whose entire life had been involved with martial arts since birth, and there was him, who had spent the previous forty years of his life having zero contact with any kind of fighting. Even so, I could never consider myself to be beyond him. I was great at fighting, but I had no idea how to set a vision, get everyone else on board, and steer an entire group. This was the difference between a warrior, who could only command his own fighting, and a general, who could command the fighting of a multitude.

“Akira, my turn next. Shifu Liu, please give me your guidance. And I’m sure Akira is already tired from the full day he’s had before coming over, so we’ll be calling it a day after we kill a hundred more elder orcs.”

“Very well, then I shall call more over! The first one’s just turned the corner. Make sure to not over-rely on your weapon. Fight normally with your sword and shield.”

I calmed my breathing while watching Aniki dive into his fight. A hundred, huh? It’s true that I’d spent quite a long while at Yokohama Dungeon, so I guess that sounds about right. Wait a minute... Did he mean a hundred each?!

◇ ◇ ◇

[Shishibone Dungeon — Kinouchi Mari]

Half a year had passed since I began working part-time at Kazu-san’s company. Although I had been a bit bewildered at the start, I was now quite used to fighting against monsters. Emily-chan, Myu-chan, and Purin-chan were all with me, so I wasn’t lonely. As always, today was a day of facing the skeleton knights while casting the Cleaning spell on myself.

“Kyuu, kyuu!”

Purin-chan was circling around close to the ceiling while keeping thirty balls of fire suspended in the air. When a group of skeleton knights clanked their way close, Purin-chan unleashed all its fireballs at once, reducing all the enemies to smoke.

“Myuu!”

At the same time, Myu-chan was fighting the ones who had approached from behind. It zipped around at incredible speeds, leaping off of the walls and ceiling as much as the ground, dealing a barrage of blows that reduced the skeletons on this side to smoke just as quickly. I wasn’t really doing anything myself, aside from walking around wearing weights.

“Say, isn’t it kind of boring just doing the same thing? Myu and Purin have both reached Rank C, so, wanna try Floor 4?” Emily-chan asked out of the blue.

“But Kazu-san said not to,” I replied in surprise. “He said to stay within the first three floors while I’m still in high school.”

“Pssh, it’ll be fine! You have three Rank Cs with you—me, Myu, and Purin! Floor 4 is occupied by goblin soldiers; as long as we’re careful not to get surrounded, we can fight them just as easily!”

“Really? But...”

“You’re starting to get bored yourself too, aren’t you? Don’t you want to make things a little bit more exciting?”

The thing was, just as Emily-chan pointed out, the repetitiveness was starting to get to me a little. The scenery never changed, and we were just fighting the same opponents over and over. Maybe we can just check it out?

“Well... Let’s take a small peek.”

Since we were in agreement, we descended to Floor 4. As for how that turned out...

“Myu-chan!”

“Myuu!”

We found the goblin soldiers entirely different from any opponents we had faced so far. When Purin-chan shot fireballs from above, the six goblins put their shields together and blocked them all. Myu-chan managed to get behind their shields by kicking off of the walls, but then was sliced by a sword and got a bit hurt.

“How dare you?!” Emily-chan cried as a crackling noise emanated from her hands and what looked like lightning struck the goblin soldiers. As a result, all of them fell to the ground, unable to move beyond just twitching. Only then could Purin-chan and Myu-chan move in and finish them off.

“Emily-chan, on second thought, let’s go back. The goblins are so strong, and Myu-chan’s already gotten hurt. We can’t do this by ourselves.”

“Mmm... Was it really too early? But I feel like if we only...”

Just as Emily-chan took one step forward, many goblin soldiers suddenly appeared from the T-intersection up ahead. There were more than ten of them!

“Uh-oh! Mari, close your eyes! Flash!”

My friend set off a blinding flash of light that stopped the goblins in their tracks. In the meantime, our group hurried back up the stairs to Floor 3.

“Did anything out of the ordinary happen today?” Kazu-san asked when I was clocking out for the day.

I shook my head as I handed him the Lazybone’s Bag that I had been wearing, sans the Goblin Soldier Card and ¥5,000 bill that had appeared inside after our brief excursion.

I’ll break the bill down into ¥500 coins and add it to the total amount I turn in at the end of my next shift. Then, when I’m officially allowed to enter Floor 4, I’ll properly apologize and return the card.

“All right. Good work today, Mari. Just a heads up, but Akira and I will be cooping up in Kanazawa Dungeon for a while. You also have end-of-term exams coming up next month, right? Take the time off to study. In the meanwhile, I’ll be bringing Emily, Myu, and Purin with me.”

“Ah, okay. Please stay safe.”

“Don’t worry, Mari! I’ll come back super strong, and then we’ll wipe the floor with those goblin soldiers together!”

Kazu-san’s hand froze for a moment at those words, but Emily-chan did not seem to notice it. He then carried on as normal, filling out the part-time shift schedule and sending me home. He was apparently going to head straight to Kanazawa Dungeon right afterwards. But before he did, he dropped an off-hand comment that pricked my heart.

“Staying on Floor 3 all this time’s pretty boring, right? I’ll show you around Kanazawa next time.”

Ugh, he caught on.

◇ ◇ ◇

[Shishibone Dungeon — Ezoe Kazuhiko]

“Well then, Emily. If you aren’t honest with me, then it’s straight to another round of spanking. Did you or did you not, take Mari to Floor 4 against my instructions?”

“Ugh... B-But it was getting really boring just fighting the same enemy! And Myu and Purin and I had all reached Rank C! We can make it on Floor 4!”

“Well, how did it turn out?”

“M-Myu got hurt a little.”

I merely nodded in response to Emily dejectedly hanging her head. Emily herself must have also been getting bored. Making sure to keep things engaging for employees is part of the duties of someone in a managerial position as well.

“Floor 4 of Abyss is different from other dungeons. It is occupied by goblins with the intelligence to fight together with teamwork. This is a whole other level compared to other Rank C monsters. I’m sure you’ve noticed this already, but Purin’s fire attacks don’t really work for keeping enemies at bay. That’s the job of a tank with high physical defense. I do hope to have Mari lead her own team in the future, so I suppose I should start thinking about assigning her a proper tank.”

“Are...you not angry with me?” Emily asked timidly.

It was true that Emily was at fault for disobeying my orders. However, I was also at fault for having created an environment that had made her want to disobey my orders.

“I’ll forgive you this time. It is also partly my responsibility for having let things get boring for you two. I’ll be having you two alternate between Abyss and Kanazawa Dungeon going forward. As for Yokohama Dungeon... That’s probably the one place I should never take Mari, I feel.”

With that out of the way, we resumed fighting on Floor 4 of Kanazawa Dungeon. We started off taking, on average, 4 minutes finishing off an orc. That worked out to 15 orcs in an hour, or 100 orcs in 7 hours.

“Let’s aim to get the time of each encounter down under 3 minutes. Then we will be racking up 20 kills in an hour; if we keep that up for 12 hours, it’ll be 240 kills total. With Akira and I taking turns fighting, we’ll both reach a total of 10,000 fights in 80 dungeon days. Factoring in time for showering and everything else, that will come to a total of around 3 aboveground days. If needed, we can increase the weights we’re wearing and might even take on multiple opponents at once.”

“Ho ho ho! That’s...absolutely insane,” murmured Shifu Liu as he stroked his white beard.

I looked around to see Akira, Akane, Emily, Myu, and Purin—literally everyone other than me—nodding in seeming agreement. Is it really? We need to do this to clear the dungeons though. The easygoing salarymen who take days off just because they wake up thinking “Ugh, I don’t want to go to work today” would never be able to meet their sales quotas. They’d get a D on their regular evaluation for having a poor working attitude. This is the same thing.

＊ ＊ ＊

“The card drop rate for elder orcs is around 3%, it seems. So we can expect around three hundred cards for each ten thousand we fight. That should be enough to test the gacha as well. All right, let’s fight ten times each in a row to pick up on whatever we can regarding the fighting. Shifu Liu, please watch us and instruct us on how to improve along the way.”

So without further ado, we began the process of “experimenting, analysis, and improvement” against the elder orcs. As could be expected, I had a lot more to work on when compared to Akira. Although I did my best to keep the various pointers in mind, I still wasn’t improving much. Guess this is where the difference in talent is showing.

By the end of the first day, Akane had reached Rank B.

Name: Akane

Title: Glamorous Kunoichi

Rank: B

Rarity: Legend Rare

Skills: Ninjutsu (Lvl. 1), Enemy Detection (Lvl. 8), Sex Technique (Lvl. 8)

“Your Kunai Mastery’s changed to Ninjutsu. What does that do?”

“It enables me to use all skills considered ninjutsu, such as making clones and breathing flames. Please think of it as an upgrade from Kunai Mastery.”

“I see. So each skill only goes to Lvl. 9, at which point it converts into an advanced alternative. Is this the same for humans, Shifu Liu?”

“Depends on many factors. Take Shield Bash, for example. It’s true that just repeating it would be enough to raise its level. However, the job of a tank also involves many other things, such as picking up on danger while pushing forward and discerning opportunities to get in attacks of his or her own. How much the user has worked on other unspoken things surrounding a skill would also affect what happens.”

“Understood. That sounds like something we should be mindful about while developing Dungeon Busters’s training policy. In short, the more varied the experiences, the better. Right? It’s the same for training up businessmen. All right, let’s call it a wrap for today. I’ve already booked a hotel, so we’ll be spending the night above ground. Starting tomorrow, we will be spending all three days in a row down here aiming to reach Rank B.”

This was how our very first day of this push to Rank B ended.

＊ ＊ ＊

Katamachi of Kanazawa was considered the largest entertainment district within the three prefectures that composed the Hokuriku area—Ishikawa Prefecture, Toyama Prefecture, and Fukui Prefecture. Anyone who heads towards Sai River from Korinbo would eventually find themselves at the pedestrian scramble that served as the heart of the Katamachi area. Located close to that scramble was a restaurant that I personally rated extremely highly, Oden Izakaya Miyuki. It used to be a place filled with local regulars, but after the new Shinkansen station opened and word of this place spread online, it was now so popular among tourists that one would have to make a reservation to eat here. The previous local regulars are probably none too happy about it, I imagine.

“This is delicious. I never imagined that oden could taste this good!” Akira exclaimed.

Sashimi and teriyaki made of yellowtail from Himi and Kaga vegetables both went extremely well with Japanese sake made in Ishikawa Prefecture. This restaurant had counter seats, table seats, and seats on a raised tatami-floored seating area. As we’d booked in advance, our party was ushered to a table at the back of the raised seating area when we walked in. Several customers who were already there seemed to have recognized us, but none of them bothered us. The store owner also treated us like any other guests, which we were quite grateful for.

“The monsters on Floor 3 of Yokohama have the appearance of fennec foxes. They’re Rank D and shoot small stone pellets from far away. I thought them the perfect opponent for the four new members.”

Akira reported how things had gone at Yokohama Dungeon as we enjoyed our food. In turn, I told him about what I’d learned about the dungeons at Sapporo, Sendai, and Kanazawa. He became really interested when hearing that Sendai was even tougher than Yokohama.

“After we clear Yokohama, we’ll do Kanazawa, then Funabashi. But I suspect that doing all that still won’t be enough to push us to Rank A. The hope is that Sendai will do the honors for us in that regard.”

However, as there were other customers around within earshot, we couldn’t go into much detail. Therefore, our conversation naturally shifted to talking about the situation in other countries.

“I was contacted by someone I know from Woori the other day. He’s a taekwondo practitioner who decided to become a dungeon adventurer. And he invited me to go over to serve as an instructor on their side.”

“And how’re you supposed to do that? Gamerica, Woori, and Ko all refused to be part of the IDAO. As such, foreign adventurers won’t be able to enter dungeons in Woori, and even their licenses as adventurers won’t be acknowledged. In light of the current Japan-Woori diplomatic relationship, I can’t imagine the Bureau allowing you to travel over in the first place.”

“I know, right? I told the guy to go through the proper channels and make the request through the Bureau. I just thought I’d give you a heads up anyways.”

“Good call. Thank you. I’ll also bring this up with the director general. There’s a lot going on within that country right now. I heard that their third dungeon appeared in Busan during the wave on January 30. They seem to have completely copied our dungeon adventurer initiative as-is, but honestly, I’m not sure how well it will go for them.”

Due to a difference in historical understanding and territorial disputes, the diplomatic relationship between Japan and Woori was quite complicated. This relationship was currently at an all-time low, not helped much by President Jae-in’s extremely pro-Korian stance. My policy was to leave politics to politicians, but as an adventurer, I also considered Woori quite low on my list of priorities. If I had the time and resources to spend on a non-IDAO country, then it made more sense to do so for Formosa instead.

“By the way, Aniki, what are we doing after this?”

“Katamachi pretty much has everything you would want by way of entertainment. Do you have anything particular in mind?”

“Hmm... It’s my first time in Kanazawa, so I’ll leave it up to you.”

I nodded, then called up the beer garden at the top of the nearby ollo building.