Chapter 3, Report Of The First Exploration

Translator: Lizz

 

There was a parking lot for explorers near the Tokyo Dungeon. After receiving the payment for the magic stones, Masato tossed his protective gear and knives into the back seat of his minivan. When he got into the driver’s seat, he opened a can of coffee before starting the engine.

 

*Pshh.*

 

A pleasant sound came out. He took a gulp, placed the can in the built‑in drink holder, then reclined his seat and closed his eyes.

 

He recalled the events inside the dungeon.

 

“Exploration and combat were no issues, and I even had room to spare. I watched explorers of the same level fight, but I didn’t think I was inferior. If anything, being able to fight solo meant I was strong, right? It was a good start.”

 

Contrary to his words, Masato’s expression stayed grim. He had obtained seven magic stones. They converted to 7,000 yen. If he kept going for thirty days straight, it would become 210,000 yen, but it was obvious he would get injured quickly if he pushed himself like that. And not to mention that it wasn’t enough to support two high school students.

 

A year from now, his second brother Haru’s university entrance exams would come up. The small inheritance their parents had left was being used to pay off loans, so he couldn’t rely on it. His younger brothers’ part‑time wages went straight to their pocket money, so all living expenses and education costs rested on Masato’s shoulders.

 

“If I push myself too hard and get injured so badly I can’t go deeper to explore, it’s pointless. But I also can’t afford to stand still here for long, huh. What a brutally difficult life.”

 

He wanted Haru and Rekka to go to university. Even if the two of them didn’t particularly want to go. Masato didn’t want them to suffer the same hardships he had as a high‑school graduate.

 

That was why he had spent so much time preparing thoroughly. There was no doubt that the path of Masato’s life would be stained with sweat and blood. But he didn’t regret choosing it, so despite everything he carried, his heart remained clear.

 

“What I have to do doesn’t change. Explore the dungeon, fight, kill, and take.”

 

He raised his seat and started the engine. After taking another sip of coffee, he headed off toward home.

 

◆◆◆

 

“I’m home.”

 

When Masato returned, his two younger brothers were studying in the living room. They couldn’t afford cram school, so they bought reference books and studied at home. A thick study guide, one that didn’t match Rekka’s appearance at all, was spread open on the table.

 

“You’re just checking the answers now, right?”

 

Seeing Haru holding a red pen and looking at Rekka’s notebook, Masato guessed he was grading it.

 

“Looks like a good stopping point. How about we eat?”

 

He lifted the plastic grocery bags hanging from both hands.

 

One held boxed meals, the other held ingredients like carrots and meat.

 

“Sure! What kind of bento is it today?”

 

“Yakiniku. I splurged to celebrate finishing my first exploration safely, so let’s eat. Clean up the table.”

 

Each bento cost 1,000 yen. After subtracting 3,000 from today’s earnings, he had 4,000 left. Considering tomorrow’s breakfast and lunch costs, the profit was basically zero. His first dungeon‑exploration income vanished into food. A harsh outcome, to say the least.

 

Scolding Rekka, who insisted he had ‘cleaned up’ by committing the outrageous act of putting the reference books from the table onto the floor, Masato lined up the microwaved bentos and poured well‑chilled tea into their glasses.

 

“I’m starving!”

 

“Let’s eat.”

 

His two younger brothers started eating first, and Masato joined them a little later.

 

After a short while, Haru, eyes full of anticipation, spoke up.

 

“Nii-san, tell us what you thought about today.”

 

“Don’t hold back! We were being good and studying, you know!”

 

Rekka, sitting beside him, had the same look in his eyes. Like a dog told to wait with its favorite treat right in front of it. If he had a tail, it would’ve been wagging wildly.

 

“I only explored the first floor today. I fought goblins, but the fights were easy. Five of them even surrounded me, but they were weak enough that I could win without trouble. The earnings were a bit low, but that’ll naturally improve once I get to the second and third floors.”

 

“Oh? Then it wasn’t challenging enough for nii-san?”

 

“Looking back, I think I overprepared. Against goblins, an iron pipe is more than enough. Weapons and armor made from dungeon iron could’ve waited until later. Sorry, if I’d entered the dungeon a little earlier, maybe we could’ve been living more comfortably by now.”

 

The large knife Masato used and the protectors, everything was made from metal mined in the dungeon. Commonly called dungeon iron, it contained a large amount of magical energy. It was stronger and more resistant to rust than ordinary iron. Naturally, it was expensive. He had dipped into their parents’ inheritance to buy them as an investment.

 

Because of all that, he felt a bit of regret for having gear that was excessive for earning money on the 1st floor.

 

“No, no! You’re going deeper tomorrow, right?”

 

“Of course. There are way too many rivals on the first floor. You barely get any chances to fight monsters.”

 

Exploring dungeons was already recognized as a legitimate profession. The stability and sustainability of the income had been proven. It was especially popular as a side job. The 1st floor was packed with weekend-only part‑time explorers and students who had just gotten their licenses and treated dungeon exploration like a casual part‑time gig.

 

While students were going ‘Woo‑hoo!’ and high‑fiving each other, Masato quietly continued his work alone. There were more people than monsters. There was no way to earn money efficiently in a place like that.

 

“Then your choice was totally right, aniki. We’re learning swordsmanship too, and we plan to become explorers when we’re adults, so teach us everything you can.”

 

Haru nodded silently in agreement.

 

For the two of them, Masato was someone who opened the path ahead and guided them forward. That was why even though he made many mistakes, they saw that as natural; he was doing things they’d never done before. In fact, they knew that because he had those experiences, they themselves could grow more efficiently.

 

There was no one here twisted enough to blame the person who had essentially become a guinea pig.

 

“Yeah. I guess I was feeling a bit down because I didn’t earn much.”

 

“You really didn’t make that much?”

 

“Seven thousand yen. There were too many people, so I spent most of the time just walking. Tons of carefree types everywhere. I finally understood what that guy meant when he said one day on the first floor is enough. Starting tomorrow, I’m heading to the second floor. The goblin types increase, but the difficulty doesn’t change much.”

 

The Tokyo Dungeon went downward, connected by stairways. Strangely enough, the lower floors were also forests with artificial sunlight, just like the first.

 

However, enemies like goblin fighters with one‑handed swords and goblin archers with bows appeared in lower floors, with increasing variety. Some even moved as teams, making it far from the easy hunting ground Masato described.

 

“Well, if it’s you, aniki, you’ll be fine.”

 

“I believe in you, nii-san. Do your best.”

 

They weren’t underestimating the danger of fighting monsters, but neither of them could picture their brother losing. That confidence came from trust built up day after day.