Chapter 2

As I stood at the classroom door, I took a deep breath and firmly gripped the secret letter from my mother.

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With cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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I walked the familiar route to school with Mika. Mika, who seemed somewhat excited due to the dungeon incident, but my heavy steps, burdened with a secret, showed no sign of improvement. Looking around, the few people on the street were either checking the dungeon information on their phones or discussing the government broadcast this morning with their acquaintances. There was nothing to lift my gloomy mood.

After a while, as we approached a crossroads where our paths to school diverged, I parted ways with Mika.

"See you, big brother! You don't look so good, but try your best at school!"

"Yeah, you too, Mika."

Mika waved and ran off energetically, soon finding a friend and walking together. Yeah, she's always so energetic.

After watching Mika leave, I started walking the school route alone. As I got closer to school, more students in the same uniform appeared.

"Hey, Daisuke! Why the gloomy face this morning, man?"

"…Ah, it's Yuzi. Good morning."

"Good morning. So, what's up with you?"

The loud voice from behind belonged to Hirose Yuzi, a classmate and a friend I made in high school. He has a well-built body like an athlete, but despite appearances, he's a pure homeroom club member. His family runs a martial arts dojo, and he helps with the instruction.

"Well, it's the morning TV broadcast…"

"Oh, that thing!"

"Even when they suddenly mention a dungeon, I first checked the calendar to make sure the date was right."

"Yeah, I get it. I was so shocked when I saw it that my mind went blank for a moment."

It seems Yuzi had a similar reaction, nodding in agreement.

"But, I don't think we'll suddenly get involved with the dungeon, so there's no need to look so gloomy, right?"

"Well, that's true, but Mika…"

I couldn't tell him about the dungeon in my desk drawer, so I used Mika as an excuse.

"Mika?"

"After hearing the broadcast, Mika had a gleam in her eye, saying she wanted to go to the dungeon."

"Ah…"

Yuzi's face twisted, as if he understood something. Yeah, that makes sense.

"Probably, she's thinking of the dungeon like a game or a manga. In reality, it's supposed to be quite dangerous, right?"

"Right. The broadcast said there are monsters and traps inside the dungeon. If an amateur goes there out of curiosity, they'll probably die."

"True. Even professional hunters die during hunts every year. Someone who has never hunted before would be no match for the monsters and would be killed instantly."

"Right. You should make sure to tell Mika that."

Given that Yuzi, who is also a martial artist, agreed without argument, it's clear that entering the dungeon casually is dangerous.

"But, there will probably be fools who will enter the dungeon out of baseless confidence. I need to warn Mika again."

"Of course."

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We arrived at school while chatting. When we got to the classroom, many classmates were already there, loudly discussing the dungeon. I listened to their conversations, but most of them were about where the dungeon is located or how they want to enter it. There was almost no talk about the dangers of the dungeon.

"Hey, Yuzi. Did the government make a mistake with the broadcast? They should have emphasized the dangers of the dungeon more, don't you think?"

"Yeah, looking at this scene, I can't help but agree."

"I understand the excitement over the sudden fantasy element, but these guys are completely lacking a sense of crisis."

I'm really worried about these guys' minds. The dungeon is like a piece of unexplored territory from the Amazon suddenly appearing in our country. We don't know what kind of animals or diseases might be there. Before getting excited, they should feel a sense of crisis.

"Hey, you guys also think the dungeon is dangerous?"

"…Suzu-san."

Suzuhara Yuzu, a classmate with long black hair and frameless glasses, was standing in front of the back door of the classroom. We don't talk much, but what's she here for?

"Everyone's been like this since this morning. I understand their interest in the dungeon, but they seem to be equating the real dungeon with something from a game or manga. I wish they would think about why the Self-Defense Forces, not the police, are sealing off the dungeon."

Suzu-san was looking at the excited classmates with a sigh. I understand her feelings.

"Well, I think everyone will calm down eventually…"

"I hope so."

"Anyway, let's just observe for now."

We nodded in agreement and took our seats. While listening to the chatter around us, I took out my textbooks and put them in my desk. After finishing, I looked at the clock and, with some time to spare, took out my smartphone to continue gathering information.

Accessing a large bulletin board site, I saw multiple threads related to the dungeon. Hmm… what's this?

* *Discussion about the dungeon, Pt.15*

* *Dungeon discovered! I'm going in! Pt.3*

* *Dungeon is dangerous! Immediate evacuation required! Pt.2*

It seems some fools have already gone in. Why did they go in when they were told not to…?

I skimmed through the thread titles and found one that caught my attention.

* *How to defeat monsters: Slime edition*

It was a very specific topic. There were only a few dozen posts, but I decided to read it. Most of the posts were about how to defeat the weakest monster, with many suggesting it was a waste of time. Some suggested squishing or throwing a rock at the slime.

However, there was one interesting opinion.

"Since it's a slimy creature, maybe sprinkling salt would work… Like a slug."

But… it sounds like a wild idea, but it might have some merit. The slime in my drawer was a watery, slimy substance. Yeah, I'll try it just in case.

After browsing the bulletin board for a while, the bell signaling the start of class rang, and the teacher entered the classroom. I quickly put my phone in my pocket and straightened up.

"Hey, you guys! Get to your seats quickly, we're starting homeroom!"

The teacher's stern voice made the classmates, who were chatting about the dungeon, quickly return to their seats. After confirming everyone was seated, the teacher cleared his throat and began.

"I'm sure you all know, but as the emergency government broadcast this morning stated, a dungeon has appeared. It's such an unbelievable thing that it's hard to believe, but there's no reason for the government to broadcast something like this as a prank, so it's best to treat it as real."

The teacher sighed, looking tired. Yeah, a normal adult would react like that.

"Also, there will be a school assembly in the 6th period today. Of course, it's about the dungeon."

"Have you found out anything about the dungeon!?"

"No, we haven't."

"…Eh…"

The teacher's response was met with a chorus of disappointed voices from the class.

"Well, what can we do? The information we have isn't much different from what you have. But, we've been instructed to warn you not to do anything foolish."

Hey, this teacher is being pretty blunt. Is that okay?

"Anyway, just remember there's a school assembly. That's all."

The teacher said that and quickly left the classroom. The students, who were still buzzing about the dungeon, didn't cause a big commotion, as the first period was about to start.

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In the end, the school assembly yielded nothing. The teachers only warned us not to enter the dungeon and to call the police if we found one. It seemed to be just a formality for the education board.

However, during the time between the assembly and now, stories of people who ignored the government's warning and entered the dungeon had spread online, and the dungeon fever had somewhat cooled down. Still, there were those who refused to give up on exploring the dungeon.

"Ha…"

"What's wrong, Daisuke? Why the sigh?"

"Nothing, it's nothing."

After school, going home means facing the dungeon in my desk drawer. Thinking about it, I couldn't help but sigh. Why do I have to deal with this?

"Alright, I'll go this far. Be careful on your way home, okay?"

"Sure, see you tomorrow."

At the fork in the road, Yuzi waved and left. I walked home alone, stopping at a nearby supermarket to buy a bag of salt on sale for about 100 yen. I wasn't sure if it would work on the slime, but it was worth a try.

"I'm home…"

No response. My father is usually late due to work, but it's unusual for my mother not to be home. Maybe she went shopping? Oh well.

I walked to my room, which seemed to be leaking miasma, with my school bag and the plastic bag. I regretted not getting purifying salt from a shrine, but I opened the door and went in.

"…Looking at it like this, it doesn't seem any different from usual."

My room looked completely normal, and it was hard to believe a dangerous area had appeared.

I placed my school bag and the plastic bag on the desk and opened the drawer.

"…It's still there."

My wish was in vain. When I opened the drawer, the dungeon was still there, with the slime sitting in the center of the room below, stretching and contracting its slimy body.

However, considering it hadn't moved much since this morning, it might be that the monster can't leave the dungeon.

"Well, it's worth a try, so…"

I took the bag of salt from the plastic bag and cut a corner with scissors from my desk. Aiming at the slime, I tilted the bag and poured the salt into the dungeon.

As soon as the salt touched the slime, it had an immediate effect. The slime writhed and shrank, and when its volume was less than half its original size, the black sphere in its center shattered and the slime disintegrated into particles of light.

"…It works, salt. Is the slime related to slugs?"

I was stunned by the unexpected effect of the salt and stared at the empty dungeon for a while.

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If you could leave a comment, it would really boost my motivation. Thank you.