Chapter 8

When May arrived, after school on that day, Aoki came to my house with a cardboard box. Inside were a large number of D-cans. It seemed that this was only half of them.

"D-cans are light, but they take up a lot of space. I'll bring the rest tomorrow," Aoki said.

"Thanks. The video of opening a D-can has already gotten 300,000 views."

"Pretty impressive, right? Videos of D-cans opening are really rare. I was asked to thank you from Kyo-san as well."

"About me—"

"I know. I didn't say anything. But about the share—"

"Really, it's fine. It's a gift for your qualification and job."

More importantly, the D-cans.

I buy quite a few individually, but mostly they are sold in small quantities. It's a hassle to buy them unless they are sold in bulk. I'm impressed that Kyo-san's office managed to gather 100 of them.

After Aoki left, I carefully examined the D-cans. Five of them seemed to open immediately, and twenty more could be opened with some effort. I decided to open the ones that could be opened immediately using various methods.

The first one.

The method was to bake it over a direct flame for ten minutes. Since using a gas stove was scary, I tied it with a string and hung it over a lit candle. Even a candle flame is a direct flame. While preparing to open the other D-cans, this one opened. I took out the contents.

...Oh, is this a gemstone?

It looks like a red ruby. It might be valuable, but dungeon-produced gems can sometimes be undervalued because they are considered artificial.

I did a detailed appraisal again.

【Flame Stone: A stone that can change the attribute of weapons or armor when attached】

It's not just a gemstone?

I searched the internet.

The buyback price at the store... 3.2 million!?

Wow, a super rare one.

Next.

I opened the second can.

The method was to sprinkle sugar and leave it for ten minutes. It felt like I was cooking.

Inside was—this was a large number of candy balls.

Maybe it's a skill learning candy?

【Dungeon Drop: Delicious candy. The taste varies by color】

A more detailed appraisal showed the calories and nutrients.

It was a genuine drop.

I regained my composure and opened the third can.

This was the easiest one.

It opens if you open two D-cans in the same room.

So, it opened immediately after the second one.

The contents were candy balls.

Is this a skill learning candy again?

I appraised it to check.

【Dungeon Drop: Delicious candy. The taste varies by color】

It was a miss.

Just more candy balls.

I checked more closely.

【Skill Ball: Licking it allows you to learn a skill. Never bite it. It is disguised and only appraises as a Dungeon Drop】

—!?

It's disguised.

I was surprised.

It might have been appraised as a Dungeon Drop at the appraisal office before. People who think it's just candy and bite it won't learn the skill. Properly licking it is important.

Maybe!?

I turned the second can upside down and appraised each one individually.

They were all just candy balls...

I licked the skill ball while opening the fourth can.

The method was the most complex so far.

I had to chant a spell.

There were meaningful words like "sacred ground," "Izumo," and "please," as well as words that made sense but had no connection, like "participation" and "free." There were also words that didn't make sense, like "ichiyu" and "udes."

I didn't understand, but I recited the words I had noted down without biting the skill ball.

"Sacred ground, participation, free

Free, participation, free

Ichiyu, udes, free

Izumo, good, please, please"

Honestly, I had no idea what it meant.

The detailed appraisal said this would open it.

And it really did.

This is easy to open for me, but without a detailed appraisal, it would be impossible.

The contents were rings?

There were two.

Simple rings.

【Ring of Growth: Increases experience points by 1.2 times. One size fits all. Part of the Growth series】

Another amazing item.

And there are two of them.

Right! I'll get them appraised and give them to Milk as a birthday gift with a certificate.

For the last one, I went to a home center.

I bought and set up the items.

It was a kamidana (Shinto altar) (2,417 yen).

When I placed the D-can on it, it started to glow.

It said it would open if placed on a kamidana, which sounds mystical.

I wonder what's inside.

"Is this!?"

Oh no.

I almost bit the skill ball again.

※ ※ ※

May 2.

I was watching a video with Aoki.

It was a video of a mysterious dungeon that appeared in Manhattan, New York.

It was a recorded stream, not a live one.

A party of seven, led by a man with a golden armor and sword, entered the dungeon.

The leader was the famous dungeon explorer Jack, a well-known dungeon streamer ranked 5th in the world for earnings.

He was surprised.

I read the subtitles since I don't understand English.

"What the heck. A Black Toad appeared on the first floor. This is a level 50 enemy."

"An enemy like this on the first floor? What a brutal dungeon."

A Black Toad is a frog with a deadly poison, very fast, and can steal weapons with its tongue and use them to attack.

However, Jack charged in alone.

He easily cut off the approaching tongue and sliced the Black Toad in half in the next instant.

He's strong.

This is what top-tier players look like.

The details of the battle were only clear in slow motion replay.

If it had been a live stream, who knows what would have happened.

When the Black Toad fell, only a red stone remained.

"It's not a D-coin. It dropped a magic stone."

"Does a Black Toad drop a magic stone?"

"It shouldn't. Maybe the monsters in this dungeon drop magic stones instead of D-coins."

The dungeon seemed normal except for the strong monsters and the lack of D-coins.

Even though the monsters are strong, it seems Jack can handle them.

After exploring the first floor, they decided to return.

"Hey, a group of Death Rats is coming this way."

"Battle is a hassle. Let's retreat."

Death Rats are troublesome enemies that call for reinforcements during battles and multiply.

They might be used for experience by high-level explorers, but Jack probably thought the experience wasn't worth it.

They decided to leave without fighting.

That was supposed to be the end.

"Hey, everyone. The new dungeon is very dangerous. Low-level explorers will definitely die if they enter."

"Hey, look at that! The Death Rats are coming out of the dungeon."

"No way!"

The battle between Jack and the Death Rats on the surface began.

Something strange happened.

Normally, the increased stats from leveling up don't work outside the dungeon.

However, Jack and his party fought as if they were still inside the dungeon.

The phenomenon, as if the dungeon's domain had expanded to the surface, caused a frenzy in the comments on the video site.

The battle ended with Jack's victory, but one of the security guards near the entrance was seriously injured and taken to the hospital.

Monsters coming out of the dungeon and stats working outside the dungeon were both unexpected.

This time, Jack was nearby, so he could handle it, but what if high-level explorers weren't around when the monsters came out?

Could the police handle them with their handguns?

"Trouble," Aoki muttered.

Monsters coming out on the surface.

After that day, the area around the summit of Mount Fuji was declared off-limits.

※ ※ ※

May 3, Constitution Memorial Day.

The government announced that it would hold a press conference tonight about the dungeon that appeared on Mount Fuji.

Not just the Japanese government, but all UN member states would hold simultaneous press conferences, so it was definitely not a trivial matter.

That morning, I went to the Expo Park Dungeon.

The Expo Park is next to a large shopping mall with an aquarium and amusement facilities, so it was very crowded on this holiday.

The Expo Park Dungeon is behind the Tower of the Sun, also known as the Sun Dungeon.

Naturally, there was a long line for the dungeon.

But I'm level 20.

At level 20, you can explore from the third floor to the fifth floor.

And there are fewer people.

Once you reach this level, there is no time limit.

However, the entrance fee is quite high.

It costs 10,000 yen, and if you stay for more than 5 hours, you are charged 2,000 yen per hour.

As usual, I set up a PD nearby.

Dangpon, who is usually busy with the recent events at Mount Fuji, wanted to meet and talk to me directly.

"Sir, this is the line for those level 20 and above."

"I'm over level 20."

"Excuse me. Please wait a moment."

The staff member was a bit surprised when I submitted my certificate.

I guess I look my age.

There probably aren't many 18-year-olds at level 20.

"Thank you for waiting. This is the third floor. There are currently 31 people inside. At level 20, you can explore up to the fifth floor, and you can go one floor lower for every 5 levels you gain. If you stay for more than 5 hours, you will be charged 2,000 yen per hour. Additionally, staying in the dungeon for more than 24 hours without prior application is prohibited. If you stay for more than 24 hours, a search team will be dispatched, and the costs will be charged separately, and legal measures such as a ban on entering the dungeon may be taken. Please sign here if there are no issues."

I signed the agreement.

On the first floor, people were still sitting and waiting for monsters to appear, just like before.

The monsters were still slimes.

On the second floor, there were green slimes, green worms (large caterpillar-like monsters), and kobolds.

I followed the staff's guidance to the third floor.

"You can check the time by the bell that rings inside the dungeon, but please note that you cannot hear the bell below the tenth floor."

The staff member left.

And my first proper dungeon exploration began.

Now, the skill I learned from the skill ball.

It was overkill against goblins, but how about here?

I'll try it in a real battle.

The daily fantasy ranking has risen to 9th place.

This is thanks to everyone's support, favorites, and ★ ratings.

～Introduction to Osaka 1～

Expo Park is a large park located on the site of the Osaka Expo in the Showa era.

There is no dungeon, of course.

The Natural and Cultural Garden and Japanese Garden are paid attractions, but the park itself is free to enter.

You can see the Tower of the Sun up close, but you need to make a reservation the day before to enter.

(Please note that the park is closed on Wednesdays, and some free areas are also closed on those days.)

Next to the park is EXPOCITY, one of the largest integrated facilities in Japan.

It offers more than just shopping, with an experiential aquarium, a fusion of animal observation and art, the tallest Ferris wheel in Japan, and a variety show-like experiential sports facility, VS PARK.

If you visit Osaka, be sure to stop by.

(This information is accurate as of May 6, 2024. For more details, please visit the official website.)