06 - First Dive Into the Dungeon

Dungeon.

A gateway to another world that suddenly appeared in the early Taisho era.

Since radio waves and light cannot travel between the inside and outside, the boundary surface of the entrance is completely black. Spatially, it is different. It is a different space altogether.

When it was first discovered, people feared it for various reasons, thinking it might be hell, a portal for demons, or something that needed to be hidden from the world. However, once it was found that the magic stones dropped by defeated monsters could be used as an energy source, the country mobilized its armed forces to conquer the dungeon, disregarding the ongoing war.

Initially, they used bayonets as their main weapons to delve deeper into the dungeon. But eventually, the number of monsters that were difficult to kill with guns increased, and the military suffered tremendous losses, halting their progress beyond a certain level.

Despite these setbacks, the country's leadership couldn't give up on the valuable energy resources from magic stones and other unknown materials. The government led research and development efforts for dungeon conquest.

Not only the military, but also civilians—later known as adventurers—were widely recruited, trained, and leveled up. To facilitate this, the government established laws, educational institutions (which later became Adventurer's Academy), and administrative reforms. They created the Ministry of Dungeons and resumed their attacks, involving many people.

Fortunately, there is only one dungeon in Japan, allowing the country to secure energy resources without interference from other nations.

Fortunately, Japan secured its energy resources without being targeted by other countries. The magic stones produced in the dungeon significantly improved Japan's energy situation, reducing its dependence on foreign sources. Several world-class magic stone energy companies emerged, transforming Japan into an energy-exporting country and contributing greatly to its economic growth.

So far, so good for Japan and the world!

However, 15 years ago, a private company in France announced they had succeeded in creating an artificial magical field, albeit temporarily.

Originally, physical enhancements were confined to dungeons and a 150-meter radius around their entrances. With this invention, physical enhancements could now occur everywhere, regardless of location. This ushered the world into a new era, for better or worse.

Imagine a world full of superhumans who can withstand bullets, shatter huge rocks with a single swing of their swords, and run 100 meters in seconds.

While the artificial magical field was profitable for agriculture, construction, and other economic sectors, it was inevitably misused by terrorists, politicians, and religious groups. This misuse culminated in the assassination of the President of the United States.

Despite the presence of numerous armed bodyguards, the shocking image of the president being cut down by a lone terrorist with a sword sent shockwaves around the world.

Countries and organizations, taking note of this, began hiring adventurers for large sums of money, deploying them in inter-state conflicts. These adventurers were also used for espionage, sabotage, and assassination, drastically altering the nature of war and diplomacy. Around this time, mercenary organizations started to dominate politics and religion, severely impacting national security.

The magical fields and dungeons are strictly controlled by the United Nations to prevent their misuse. However, many crimes are still committed by adventurers, possibly using undiscovered dungeons. The response to these crimes has been slow.

The adventurer's manual mentioned: "These are the events of the last decade."

It's been like this for the past ten years. I did some quick research at home, but I didn't realize that even the President of the United States had been affected by the magic field.

In the game, I should have remembered this was the game's worldview and simply enjoyed adventuring with the heroine while diving into dungeons.

'Man, I wish I could have just focused on dungeon diving and enjoying the heroine's adventures.'

The event character, who later triggers local wars and espionage, is in class E. If you work with her and clear the events that arise, you can gain a huge advantage in dungeon conquest. But, honestly, I don't want to get involved.

I was starting to feel a bit down, but I didn't want to dwell on it. I'll just focus on diving into the dungeon and doing my best.

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The dungeon entrance is located on the first floor of the Adventurer's School building, which spans 10 underground floors and 18 above ground.

The school building houses middle school, high school, and university divisions; the first and second floors are designated for middle school use, the third to fifth floors for high school, and the upper floors for the Adventurer's College, research facilities, and private companies.

Back in my original world, the dungeon entrance would have been nestled at the base of a small mountain. However, here, to maximize the magic field's potential, half of that mountain was excavated, and a massive structure now surrounds the dungeon entrance. It's a testament to the nation's fervor for harnessing dungeon resources.

To enter the dungeon, adventurers must pass through the hall outside the Adventurer's Guild and scan their adventurer's card or a specific terminal device at gates resembling those found in train stations. In my case, I simply used the wearable device issued to me at school.

The halls outside the guild are bustling with adventurers, as tens of thousands of people pass through each day.

"But there are so many flashy individuals here..."

While some wear modest leather light armor, others sport gleaming, meticulously polished metal armor, brightly colored robes and cloaks, and a few even carry oversized weapons. Despite the modern setting of this world, the scene around me feels straight out of a fantasy realm. Perhaps it's only a novice like me who stands out, clad in a jersey and clutching a baseball bat. Or maybe that's just my perception.

Passing through the gate, I approached the dungeon entrance, joining the slow-moving queue. The entrance itself is immense, spanning 10 meters in both width and height. Its surface is an uncanny, absolute blackness that absorbs all light. Stepping inside, a strange, slippery sensation enveloped me, unlike anything I'd ever experienced in the game, causing me to instinctively hold my breath.

After passing through the boundary, I entered a hall approximately 100 meters square. At one end, several communication facilities connected to the outside world via thick wires were visible. Although radio waves couldn't penetrate the area, wired communication seemed operational, evidenced by bundles of cables running from outside into the dungeon entrance. These cables likely facilitated the use of terminals within the dungeon.

The hall also featured a rest area and a store, both densely packed with adventurers. Every seat was taken, and the atmosphere was bustling. Despite the crowded conditions, I considered stepping outside for a break, but decided against it, unsure of what might be best.

Proceeding onward, we followed a straight path with no branches, flowing along with the crowd of adventurers.

Inside, the environment resembled a vast cave, with a flat ground but rugged ceilings and sides reminiscent of a large coal mine. Surprisingly, the area was well-lit despite the absence of visible light sources. The walls themselves didn't emit light, yet a diffuse illumination seemed to emanate evenly across them.

As we advanced deeper, there were no monsters in sight. However, the moment one appeared, nearby adventurers swiftly moved in to dispatch it. The sheer number of people made combat challenging, so I pressed onward in search of a less congested area.

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It took about an hour to cover the two kilometers from the entrance. I deliberately veered off the main path leading to the second floor and sought out a less crowded area. There were several forks in the road along the way, but the academy's terminal, equipped with GPS and an automatic mapping function, ensured we wouldn't get lost in the shallow levels.

This dungeon's internal structure mirrored the game exactly, making future dives easier to plan and navigate.

However, there was a significant miscalculation: the sheer number of people. I hadn't expected it to take an hour just to get here. Navigating through such crowds each time would be a hassle. As I pondered how to adjust my future dungeon plans while walking slowly, a black mist appeared in front of me. It was a sign that a monster was about to materialize.

The haze vanished, revealing a pale blue blob of slime about 20 centimeters in size.

Monsters typically remain still for a few seconds after appearing. Taking advantage of this, I swung the bat down on the stationary slime, which shattered like crushed jelly.

Within ten seconds, the slime fragments evaporated into a haze, leaving behind a magic stone the size of a pinky fingernail. A stone this small could be sold for about ten yen—not very lucrative, but given the number of people here, it was expected.

In the game, slimes are level 1 monsters, and since I'm also level 1, I gain full experience points from them. Killing monsters below your level results in reduced experience, while defeating higher-level monsters grants a bonus. If the real world follows the game's mechanics, that is.

To reach level 2, I'd need to defeat over 100 level 1 monsters. I had hoped to level up quickly, but with the crowded conditions, it seemed this would take longer than anticipated.

"I guess there's a slime spawn a little further in..."

In the northeast corner of the first floor, there's a small room where three slimes merge into one large special creature, known as the "Slime Spawn." This special slime grants ten times the experience of a normal slime, and because it's a level 2 monster, there's an additional experience bonus. This makes it a prime target for early leveling.

After another 30 minutes of walking, I approached the Slime Spawn. The area was less crowded, so the slimes were more plentiful and not instantly killed.

Slimes are passive monsters that won't attack unless provoked. I needed to lightly hit them with my bat to draw their [Despise]¹ to gather them.

"Hey~! Hey~! Come at me blue balls!"

As planned, I collected the [Despise]¹ of three slimes and ran into the slime spawn...

'Oh! Oh! They're merging! It seems like these three is a bad slimes!'

The slimes, initially a light blue, transformed into a deeper blue as they merged. The combined slime moved a bit faster and was now an active monster that attacked aggressively upon recognizing an enemy. While a normal slime weighed around two to three kilograms, the combined slime was nearly ten kilograms, making it twice as large. If one of these slimes were to bounce at high speeds and hit your stomach, the pain would be excruciating. Luckily, my stats are good enough to tank some attack!

I watched the combined slime's attack patterns cautiously. Its movements were monotonous, just like in the game, jumping straight at me. I anticipated its movements, dodging as if avoiding a ball, and simultaneously swung my bat. Hitting the core of a normal slime would kill it in one hit, but with the combined slime, it took two or more hits. Still, it wasn't too difficult. My goal for the day was to reach level 2.

I took breaks and continued hunting in the slime room for several hours. I occasionally walked around the area but didn't encounter any other adventurers hunting the combined slime. Despite being an easy and popular level 2 monster, it seemed not many knew about this spot.

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"Oh, I got a drop. Lucky!"

It was a one star item, Slime Ring, a dull, reddish-bronze ring with a +3 VIT effect. While it only offered a temporary boost to vitality, it was a valuable find for a beginner. The ring was larger than my finger, but since it was a magic item, it adjusted its size to fit me perfectly when I equipped it.

I continued hunting the combined slimes, taking down about ten in total before finally leveling up. At first, a wave of heat surged through my body, making me feel sick, but it soon subsided, leaving me feeling lighter and more agile. My status had definitely improved, though I'd need to visit the Adventurer's Guild appraisal office or the hidden room store on the 10th floor to check the exact changes. Once appraised, the updated status would appear on my device. It's best not to draw attention with sudden level-ups, but being at level 2 or 3 wouldn't raise any eyebrows.

"Leveling up gives you a sense of invincible. It's addictive, but it's already this late."

I checked the time on my device and saw it was around seven o'clock at night. My body nis now sore, and my legs felt tired. It was time to call it a night and head home.

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[Despise]¹

Hostility from monsters. Monsters give priority to players with high hate, so in boss battles, you need to be careful to manage your hate so that your rearguard doesn't get targeted.