Chapter 4, Tokyo Dungeon, 2nd Floor

Translator: Lizz

 

The next day, Masato was on the 2nd floor of the Tokyo Dungeon.

 

It lay beyond a clumsy dirt staircase descending from the 1st floor, in an area thick with trees. At first glance, it didn’t look any different.

 

However, the strength of the monsters appearing there was another matter. Goblins now attacked in parties, and there were dangerous carnivorous monsters like green wolves that blended into the scenery.

 

The deeper you went, the denser the magic became, and as a result the monsters grew stronger in proportion. These changes in monsters followed the dungeon’s own unique rules. Of course, stronger monsters also meant you could obtain higher‑quality magic stones, so the risks came with worthwhile rewards.

 

In a place where people normally wouldn’t enter alone, Masato was watching the goblins from atop a tree.

 

Below him were three goblins. The two in front carried one‑handed swords, and the one in the back held a bow. They seemed to be searching for prey, walking slowly while keeping an eye on their surroundings.

 

“I can do this.”

 

His voice was hoarse, his throat dry with tension.

 

It was only natural. Normally, you’d form a party of at least three people to fight here, yet he was about to take them on solo. It wasn’t as if he enjoyed being a loner; he simply couldn’t find anyone willing to explore with him.

 

All his friends from school had naturally gone on to university, and by the time they were past twenty, they had stopped keeping in touch altogether. That was one reason. He could try recruiting online, but people who approached brand‑new explorers often carried serious problems of their own, making it far too risky. And of course, he didn’t want to put his precious younger brothers in danger, so in the end he chose to go solo.

 

“And besides… I want to level up quickly.”

 

—Level.

 

It referred to storing the magic released when defeating monsters within one’s body, and then overcoming a trial that caused one’s physical abilities to improve dramatically. Sometimes past experiences manifested as skills, making it the only chance to obtain a skill without using a skill card.

 

Magic accumulated simply by defeating monsters. It took time, but was easy to fulfill. The trial was the difficult part. Even if he beat a goblin to death like the explorer he saw yesterday, it would never be judged as having overcome the trial.

 

A battle where you risk your life, standing side by side with danger.

 

Only by triumphing over that could one be deemed to have passed the trial.

 

For Masato, who aimed to become a professional, leveling up was a goal he absolutely had to achieve.

 

“Let’s not rush. Wait a little longer.”

 

The two goblins in front passed beneath Masato. A few steps behind them, the goblin with the bow came directly under him. When it took one, two more steps forward—

 

“Now!”

 

He whispered softly and leapt from the tree branch. He rolled as he landed, dispersing the impact. The bow‑wielding goblin sensed something was wrong and turned around, just in time for Masato to drive the large knives in both his hands into its head and throat. It collapsed without even having the chance to scream.

 

“Gugagaga!!”

 

“Gugyagya!!”

 

The sound of the body hitting the ground alerted the remaining two goblins. They raised their one‑handed swords and let out threatening cries.

 

“Good. Let’s fight head‑on. I’ll kill you, and I’ll get even stronger.”

 

He lightly licked his lips, then dashed forward in a low, falling-like stance.

 

He narrowly dodged the swords the two goblins swung down at him, slipped behind them, and spun around. His knife pierced the medulla. He felt the hard resistance of bone for an instant before the blade pushed through, its tip emerging from the goblin’s throat.

 

Before it collapsed, he kicked its back and sent it crashing into the last remaining goblin.

 

“Gya-gya!?”

 

He could have attacked while it was nearly crushed by its companion, but Masato deliberately held back. He believed that if he kept avoiding direct confrontations, he wouldn’t be able to overcome the trial when the time came.

 

Enraged by the death of its comrades, the goblin charged at Masato. There was no technique in its movements, just wild, childlike swings slashing at him without control. Masato continued to evade them with minimal movement, unafraid. He had openings to counterattack, but he did nothing.

 

“That’s it? Is that your best?”

 

Masato taunted it. The goblin didn’t understand the words, but it sensed the mockery and raised its sword overhead, bringing it down in a wide, clumsy strike. Masato deflected the wide swing with the knife in his right hand, then drove the knife in his left hand into its throat.

 

The goblin’s eyes widened, its face twisted in resentment as it collapsed. A heavy thud echoed as it hit the ground. At the same time, magic seeped into Masato’s body, warming him. Looking deeper into the area, he saw the bow‑wielding goblin fading away.

 

Staying alert for any other monsters, he collected the magic stones. Unfortunately, there were no drop items like skill cards.

 

“If the ambush works, even three of them aren’t a problem.”

 

There were other rookies who could pull off something similar, but not everyone could. At level 1, Masato’s ability clearly placed him in the top 20%. Even so, it still wasn’t enough. He set off again, searching for more monsters.

 

He was greedy for strength, because he needed money to live, and because he wanted to stand on the same stage as his idol, Miyazawa Ai. The fact that strong explorers were popular also pushed Masato’s feelings forward.

 

If he didn’t cling to that drive, Masato, who risked his life just to earn his living expenses, would be overwhelmed with jealousy toward his former friends enjoying their rosy school lives, and he might even start regretting the path he had chosen.

 

After that, he continued to gain experience and store magic within his body by taking down a pack of five Green Wolves head‑on, assassinating goblins by grabbing them from behind, and trying out various combat methods.

 

“Today’s earnings come to 15,000 yen. The second floor really does pay better for the same amount of time.”

 

As evening fell, Masato wrapped up his exploration and headed home. When he reached the exit of the Tokyo Dungeon, he found a crowd so dense it blocked the way.

 

Many of the people there were dressed in ordinary clothes, not at all suited for dungeon exploration. Seeing men with cameras on their shoulders and women holding microphones, Masato assumed they were there to interview a famous explorer.

 

Was it Domyoji Hayato, the only Japanese explorer to reach level 4? Or Takanashi Yuu, who possessed a rare healing skill? Or perhaps Miyazawa Ai, the idol who was also an explorer? Entertaining these possibilities, he walked along the edge of the passage.

 

As he passed by, he glanced sideways at the interview target, and saw the three people he had guessed. Along with them were two men he didn’t recognize. It was a party of three men and two women.

 

“We hear you’re about to embark on a large‑scale campaign. How are you feeling going into it?”

 

The female reporter holding the microphone asked Domyoji Hayato, whose looks were refined enough to be mistaken for an idol.

 

“Our goal is to break through the fifteenth floor. Naturally, we expect a boss to appear, but we’ve assembled the strongest party for that very reason. There won’t be any problems. We’ll definitely clear the floor!!”

 

Powerful monsters known as bosses appeared every five floors. They waited in front of the staircase as if to block the way to the next level.

 

It was generally believed that a small group couldn’t defeat them, so dozens of people were often gathered to fight. Naturally, besides the five being interviewed, there were other explorers participating in the campaign. These five were simply answering as representatives.

 

“Huh, so reaching level 4 really is a big deal.”

 

He thought he’d said it quietly, but it was more than enough for Domyoji Hayato, with his heightened physical abilities, to hear.

 

“If you’ve got time to mutter snide comments from the sidelines, try fighting for your life and leveling up instead.”

 

“Ugh…”

 

Masato hadn’t meant it as sarcasm. He hurried to apologize, but when he noticed the accusing looks from the people surrounding the five, he froze.

 

An awkward silence passed, with no one speaking.

 

“That was going too far.”

 

Miyazawa Ai stepped in to smooth things over, bringing the moment to an end.

 

“Tch, fine. So, anyone else got questions?”

 

No one was paying attention to Masato anymore. By tomorrow, most of them wouldn’t even remember his face. Not only had he failed to make an impression on the woman he admired, she had ended up helping him instead. Despite having earned good money today, Masato’s heart felt even heavier than it had yesterday.