May 5, Children’s Day.
Dad drove me to a hotel near the Ishibutai Kofun in Asuka Village, Takatori District, Nara Prefecture.
TN: Ishibutai = Stone Stage
The Ishibutai Kofun, where the buried remains of Soga no Umako—ancestor of Soga no Iname, who fell during the Taika Reforms—are interred, is a famous site that even elementary school students in Osaka have likely visited on field trips.
「Ah, Asuka! I’ve always wanted to go there. Apparently, they serve an ancient rice curry. It’s made with rice from ancient times.」
「Dad, you’re just using this as an excuse to indulge in Asuka’s gourmet delights. And no drinking, okay?」
「I won’t drink during the day. But it’s a shame your mother couldn’t join us.」
My mother had promised to help with the children’s festival organized by the homeowners association today.
Come autumn, we plan to visit Ishibutai again, as the higanbana (red spider lilies) bloom beautifully behind the kofun.
Staying at the hotel, however, is out of the question.
-0-
As the car rocked gently, I plugged in my earphones and watched a video on a streaming site.
It featured Hibiki-san exploring the second level of the Umeda Dungeon.
Hmm, all I see are a bunch of people defeating walking mushrooms or red slime.
Hibiki-san’s flashy techniques are interesting, but it seems their follower count isn’t growing much.
「Watching dungeon streams now? You never been interested in them before.」
Father remarked, glancing at me.
While I still research dungeon-related information on informational sites, I hadn’t considered watching dungeon streams until recently.
「Aoki recommended it; he’s involved in editing for those streams.」
「Are you planning to become a dungeon streamer someday? With a luck stat of 100, you’d definitely stand out.」
「I haven’t thought about it. Besides, envy would be the downside.」
「Envy won’t matter if you become strong enough. Aim for level 80, and no one will complain.」
「Level 80? That’s not something I can achieve quickly.」
「Taira could do it. After all, your PD is like a room from ‘Spirit and Time’, you know?」
「Spirit and time… ehto, what’s that?」
「You don’t know!? It’s from ‘Dr〇gon Ball’!」
「Oh, you mean the Kamehameha wave. I’ve seen that meme on social media, but I’ve never read it.」
「You’ve never read it!?」
Is it surprising?
When I was born, the manga series had already concluded.
「You, there. Dad’s smartphone has all the e-book volumes. Read them. They’re exhilarating. Look!」
「Huh? I’m watching a video right now.」
「Those trivial videos won’t benefit you as much.」
I initially doubted it, but watching Hibiki-san’s video of hunting walking mushrooms flashily changed my mind.
Since I’m getting a ride in the car, I decided to comply.
Even considering the traffic, it won’t take more than three hours, so reading them all seems impossible.
-0-
In conclusion—absolutely fascinating.
Although the Spirit and Time Room hasn’t appeared in the first ten volumes yet.
Also, the protagonist is still a child.
「Speaking of recommendations, how come you don’t get car sick?」
「It seems my inner ear balance improved after leveling up. I’m confident I won’t get sick even on a ship tossed by raging waves.」
「There’s a famous scholar who said that as your level increases, you become less susceptible to alcohol too. But Dad’s fine with staying at a low level. Well then, we’re almost there.」
「Huh? Already? Was the road clear?」
「Don’t be silly. We got caught in traffic multiple times. It’s the last day of Golden Week, after all.」
I hadn’t noticed at all.
When I checked the car’s clock, it was already eleven in the morning, even though we’d left at eight.
-0-
The car stopped in front of the Oshino Resort Hotel.
As I stepped out, an attendant approached.
When I introduced myself as Makino Milk’s friend, the message seemed to get across, and the attendant took over parking the car from Dad. I left items like my smartphone, which couldn’t enter the dungeon, at the hotel.
Outside the Oshino Resort Hotel grounds, signs protesting ‘No to Oshino Hotel Construction’ were scattered about.
「Isn’t the Oshino Group unpopular?」
「Definitely. For those who opened shops catering to dungeon explorers, it’s a real nuisance. After all, this place used to attract 1.5 million visitors annually, all here for the dungeon. Now, it’s just hotel guests and regular tourists. Still, the parent company is none other than GDC Group.」
「GDC Group, the American dungeon maker, right? And Oshino Resort is under their umbrella?」
TN: Don’t ask me how they make dungeons. It’s written on engrish so….
GDC Group
The formal name stands for General Dungeon Company—is the leading enterprise in the dungeon-related industry. Even my backpack and sleeping bag are products of the GDC Group.
The chairman, King Campbell, is renowned not only as the world’s rank 1 dungeon explorer but also for his undisclosed exchange value. Considering that the fourth-ranked Indian explorer has already surpassed 200 billion D, it’s certain that King’s personal exchange value exceeds 10 trillion D.
However, the GDC Group is infamous for its dark rumors.
Allegations range from connections with the mafia and government corruption to weaponizing dungeon artifacts for arms deals.
「Publicly, they maintain a respectable façade. As long as we don’t delve into their underworld, they’ll interact with us only on the surface. That’s what any parents would say.」
「I get what Dad means.」
Avoiding mummy hunting ensures I won’t become one myself. Observing the pyramids is sufficient; there’s no need to venture inside.
Perhaps it was the philosopher Nietzsche who said, ‘When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.’
Despite hearing those unsettling rumors, I still purchase GDC Group products.
As I walked a bit further, I spotted the shop my father had in mind.
「Taiga, care to join me for some Ancient Rice Curry?」
「Sure. Although I had Curry Mate earlier… I think.」
I barely remember eating since I was engrossed in reading Dragon Ball. If I get hungry, I’ll just lick a dungeon drop.
「Be careful. Once you exit the dungeon and retrieve your belongings at the hotel, give me a call.」
「I know. Besides, Milk and I can only go down one floor together, so there’s no need to worry.」
With that, I headed toward the dungeon—the Stone Stage Dungeon. Walking along Prefectural Route 15, I passed the Asuka Historical Park Ishibutai Area, beyond which lay the Ishibutai Kofun (surrounded by a fence, so the inner structure remained hidden) next to a grassy park.
However, something extraordinary was happening there. Security personnel encircled the entrance to the dungeon.
「Hey, it’s dangerous. Don’t get any closer.」
「What’s happening?」
「An Acid Slime appeared on the first floor of the dungeon.」
「Acid Slime?」
「Don’t tell me you’re unfamiliar with it. It’s a vicious slime even more dangerous than Poison Slimes. The dungeon entrance now has a powerful acid pool, making it impossible to enter. It’s equivalent to a level 50 monster.」
「――What!? My friend was inside. Is she okay?」
「What’s your friend’s name?」
「Makino Milk.」
I relayed this information, and he pulled out his smartphone (probably a hotel amenity) and tapped on it.
「Sorry, there’s no information available—」
「Let me through! Milk is inside! She’s still in there!」
A woman’s voice, desperate and tearful, reached my ears.
I recognized it—the voice of Milk’s mother, whom I’d met a few times before.
Milk was still inside.
The man must have known that too; his expression grew grim.
「We’ve already contacted the police and the Dungeon Management Bureau. Powerful explorers will arrive soon. For now, we don’t know what’s going on, so please leave this park!」
Soon? How soon are you talking about?
Even if they acted swiftly, it would take several tens of minutes for strong explorers to arrive.
Waiting wasn’t an option; Milk could be in danger.
I ran—not toward the dungeon, but toward the nearby Ishibutai Kofun.
Evacuation warnings likely applied there too.
-0-
No one was at the window or behind the fence.
Here, the fence concealed me from being seen by anyone. Although someone might see from a distance, they wouldn’t pay attention to this spot.
I created a PD and stepped inside.
「Danpon! An Acid Slime has appeared on the first floor of the Stone Stage Dungeon!」
「Wait! Is this the work of Danpol?」
「It seems so. Can you handle it? We need the Acid Slime eliminated to rescue the person inside.」
「Please wait. I’ll ask the other Danpons—wait! They said the Danpol responsible for it has been dealt with but, it seems they can’t exterminate the Acid Slime and the Bite Wolves it spawned. Danpon can create monsters, but we lack the power to defeat them.」
How can this be—there’s not just an Acid Slime, but also Bite Wolves?
Bite Wolves are level 30 creatures, faster than Acid Slimes and possessing superior sense of smell.
Even if you hide, they’ll find you.
「Is Milk safe?」
「What kind of person is she?」
「She’s a pink-haired girl with a ponytail, the same age as me.」
「――She’s safe! She’s on the third floor.」
The Danpon confirmed Milk’s safety after contacting its colleagues, but the third floor?
「She just entered the dungeon today! Even with safety margins, this is too much.」
「The safety margin function seems to have been compromised. The first floor is covered in Acid Slime solution, emitting toxic gas. So, she deliberately fled to the lower levels. Some people who were on the first floor managed to escape outside, but others didn’t make it.」
「So Milk made the right call. What about the instructor?」
Considering it was a beginner’s training session, there should have been veteran explorers present. What were they doing?
「We don’t know about the instructor. Below the fifth floor, several groups of strong explorers are present. However, due to interference, information to the dungeon broadcasting crystal has been blocked. It’ll take about an hour in their time to restore it. But here’s the issue—three Bite Wolves entered the third floor. We won’t make it in time.」
「I’m going to help!」
「It’s dangerous!」
「Would you abandon a friend? Tell me the detailed map of the third floor and Milk’s location!」
The entrance to the Stone Stage Dungeon is sealed by Acid Slime acid.
However, if I’m correct, part of my PD should connect to the Stone Stage Dungeon from this spot.
I’ll head to the third floor, meet Milk before the Bite Wolves do, and protect her until rescue arrives.
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