Chapter 1, I’ll Give You a Discount if You Buy Now

Translator: Lizz

 

“You’re fired, you scum!”

 

I, Ryuga Kagetora, was sent flying. I was kicked hard and launched right out the front entrance of the company.

 

“Uwaaaah!?”

 

To make things worse, I tumbled down a small staircase.

 

“Don’t ever show that filthy mug of yours around my company again! Pui!”

 

The middle-aged, well-dressed man even spit at me. He is the president of the Explorer Streamer Agency, which I belonged to until just moments ago.

 

It hurts rolling down the stairs, but staying there felt too pathetic, so I clutch my stomach and start trudging away.

 

I have no destination. I’ve just been fired out of the blue, and all I can think is, ‘What am I even supposed to do now?’

 

◇

 

How did it come to this? Well, I guess I should start by explaining how it all happened.

 

I’m 22 years old now. I somehow managed to graduate from a not-so-famous regional university, and started working at a streamer agency this April. And… I got fired this April too.

 

The job was basically livestreaming dungeon runs. I didn’t have any experience, but they took me in somehow.

 

Man, my parents were totally against it. Even my older brother, who works as a public servant, was furious.

 

Dungeon streaming is a huge global trend these days. Since dungeons first started appearing in the U.S. about fifteen years ago, they’ve been popping up here and there all over the world. Naturally, Japan got them too.

 

So yeah, livestreaming dungeon raids has become a massive global craze.

 

But for older folks like my parents, or serious types like my brother, they see it as just a passing fad – no stability, no future.

 

Maybe they’re not wrong. Still, I’ve always been kind of a trend-chaser, so it didn’t feel wrong to jump into something that’s popular.

 

That’s why I went ahead with the job despite their objections. And yet, here I am, fired in under a month.

 

I started out just carrying stuff for more experienced streamers. No one complained, and I thought I was doing everything I was supposed to.

 

Then about a week after I joined, I finished helping with a dungeon stream and got back to the office… And there was the President, glaring at me the moment he saw my face.

 

“You’ve been here a week and still haven’t made any impact. Can’t you do something flashier? Try diving into the lower levels solo next time.”

 

“What!? No way, I can’t handle that alone!”

 

“You’re level 4, right? You’ve got no presence at all. Fine, then do some office work. Here, get this data organized by the end of today.”

 

“Whoa!”

 

Thud! A mountain of paper was slammed down on the desk. I wanted to complain, something like ‘Are we seriously not digital in this day and age?’, but of course I couldn’t. I just pulled long hours and somehow got it done.

 

Days like that went on and on, but I really was trying my best. The President just kept throwing unreasonable demands at me. Still, I told myself to hang in there and keep pushing through, until it happened.

 

“Hey, you. I heard you sexually harassed one of the female streamers.”

 

“What!? I didn’t do anything. What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

 

“No, you definitely did do something. Our Ai said you were always looking at her with creepy eyes, during streams and even off-camera. She said it made her extremely uncomfortable. Just what is your deal, huh?”

 

“Huh!? No no, I swear, I didn’t do anything like that.”

 

Ai is the top earner at the agency. Apparently, she had quite the reputation as a female streamer, and when she transferred in from another agency, she was treated like royalty.

 

I swear I never stared at her like that. I mean, even if I did, just hypothetically, would that really count as harassment?

 

I tried desperately to explain all that, but the President wouldn’t listen to a word I said.

 

Honestly, this President is kind of a mystery too. He shows up and gets involved in situations where he really has no business being, which just makes it harder for us employees to do our jobs.

 

After days of that nonsense, I ended up getting fired.

 

◇

 

And with that, my tragic flashback comes to an end.

 

“What am I supposed to do now…”

 

Maybe I really did do something wrong. I was trying to reflect on everything as I headed home, but I got so caught up in my thoughts that I ended up walking down a different path than usual.

 

“Huh? Where… is this?”

 

Before I knew it, I was standing on a completely unfamiliar street. I had wandered off the main road and found myself aimlessly strolling through a narrow lane lined with small buildings.

 

“Hm?”

 

Then I noticed it: a small dungeon shop, nestled between a bookstore and a pastry shop.

 

A dungeon shop is a place where you can buy all kinds of gear for dungeon exploration, and lately, they’ve been popping up more and more around town.

 

The one I stumble upon has a weird name, ‘Another World’ or something like that, and the exterior looks kind of like a castle.

 

Through the windows, I see streaming drones and broadcasting equipment on display, so I figure it must be a dungeon shop, somehow.

 

It’s got quirky vibes, but I’m intrigued, so I decide to go inside.

 

The moment I walk through the touch-activated automatic doors, I’m hit with this nostalgic atmosphere, kind of like an old-school candy store.

 

Except instead of candy or snacks, the shelves are packed with swords, shields, and streaming gear. There’s a certain intimidating vibe to it all.

 

Honestly, up until I got hired, I hadn’t really watched much dungeon streaming, let alone tried exploring one myself.

 

Still, I thought it seemed kind of fun, but just when I felt ready to give it my all, I got fired. So now, seeing all this gear, these weapons and armor, feels kind of sad.

 

“Haah…”

 

I let out a sigh without thinking. It’s getting a little too depressing. Maybe I should just leave without buying anything. That’s what I’m thinking when—

 

“Hm?”

 

A pair of dungeon-streaming goggles, quietly displayed at the very back of the shop, starts to glow.

 

Curious, I picked them up. The goggles are surprisingly thin, and for some reason there’s even a forehead band attached on top.

 

“So you can stream video with something like this, huh?”

 

Streaming tech has gotten insanely advanced these days. There’s all kinds of gear out there now that looks way too flimsy to work, but totally does.

 

“Oh my, now that’s unusual.”

 

Someone calls out to me. Turning around, I see a smiling old lady wearing an apron.

 

“For those goggles to light up like that…”

 

“Uh? Y-yeah…”

 

“I’ll give you a discount if you buy them now. Why not take this opportunity?”

 

“Uh, um…”

 

She may not look it, but the old lady is a total pro when it comes to sales talk. The moment she realizes I’m interested in dungeon streaming, she launches into an enthusiastic rundown of all the benefits.

 

She also shows just the right amount of interest in what I say, flatters skillfully, and knows exactly how to listen.

 

Before I know it, I’m totally fired up, and end up buying the goggles for a pretty steep price.

 

Aah, I’m such a sucker.

 

Once I get home and snap back to reality, I start feeling kinda down about it, but for some reason, I just can’t bring myself to throw these goggles away.

 

“Maybe I’ll just give them a quick try.”

 

I’d thought about reselling them as used gear, but since I’ve got them, I might as well power them on at least once.