Chapter 9

It's late.

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I sat in front of my PC, researching the changes in the social situation since the appearance of the dungeon through online news and other sources.

It has already been a month since the government broadcast. The world, while being perplexed by the unknown entity called the dungeon, has been repeatedly trying and failing to deal with it. However, there is no way to have a perfect countermeasure.

"Hmm, it feels like we have a long and difficult road ahead."

The destruction of overseas investigation teams was the beginning, and the investigation teams from various countries that entered the dungeon to conduct surveys continued to be annihilated. The reason was that the firearms carried by the guards of the investigation teams were ineffective. While firearms were effective against the monsters that appeared on the 1st and 2nd floors, they gradually became ineffective.

A typical example was the slime. The bullets fired by the guards were embedded in the surface of the slime and did not reach the core, resulting in a counterattack. Only a few survivors returned as the team was annihilated.

"If it's slime, it can be defeated just by sprinkling salt... The investigation teams were probably delayed in their response because they were trapped by the preconception that they could be defeated with firearms. Or perhaps the slime had a physical immunity or physical reduction skill?"

In response to this, the second wave of investigation teams brought flamethrowers to deal with the slime, but using them in the closed space of the dungeon was risky. As a result of burning the slime until it was destroyed, many investigators fainted due to oxygen deprivation. Currently, the mainstream method is to freeze the slime with a small amount of liquid nitrogen and then crush the core. It's a high-cost and risky method, but it's a lot of hard work.

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"And, as expected, it's come to this."

I sighed as I read the next news article.

The government had restricted civilians from entering unconfirmed dungeons, but it was only natural that some people ignored the warnings and were defeated by monsters. In the Diet, the opposition parties are making a fuss and criticizing the ruling party, claiming that the government is responsible for the deaths of civilians who entered the dungeon. Is there no other agenda? While it may not be wrong to question the government's responsibility if civilians died after entering a dungeon that the government had closed off, what about the case where the deceased civilians intentionally ignored the obligation to report the unconfirmed dungeon to the authorities and entered it on their own? After much debate, the conclusion will probably be that it is the individual's responsibility.

"Even so, it won't come to the point of demanding that the dungeon be buried and completely sealed off."

After all, even though there have been casualties, defeating the monsters in the dungeon yields items. These items range from weapons like swords and shields, to minerals, recovery potions, and various skill scrolls that grant different abilities. The countries that have collected these items have embarked on dungeon exploration. The benefits of unknown mineral materials and biological materials from monsters, as well as recovery potions with astonishing healing properties, are immeasurable. Moreover, the enormous profits that accompany them are highly anticipated. Most importantly, the various skills that can be obtained from skill scrolls cannot be overlooked.

"Magic... It is indeed an alluring word."

Using a skill scroll allows the user to obtain a skill for which they have aptitude. Realizing this, countries became eager to acquire skill scrolls and other dungeon drop items. However, countries that sent their own military forces into the dungeon to explore it using a human wave tactic repeatedly failed, resulting in numerous casualties.

"Typically, our country, which was slow to move due to political issues, avoided the initial damage, analyzed the information from the failed countries, and is now smoothly progressing in dungeon exploration. There are quite a few game-minded officials in the bureaucracy."

In the face of the failures of other countries, Japan gathered domestic game creators and science fiction writers to form a verification committee to investigate the newly appeared dungeon. After several days of discussion, they reached a certain conclusion: firearms are not effective in the dungeon. The reason given was the change in the equipment of the Self-Defense Forces members who entered the dungeon for investigation. Scientific analysis of the equipment of the Self-Defense Forces members who defeated monsters revealed that the strength of their clothing and body armor had slightly improved. The committee members conducted a physical ability test on the Self-Defense Forces members and confirmed that their abilities had slightly improved. From this, the committee speculated that defeating monsters in the dungeon would level up both the person and their equipment. This theory was verified through a verification dive. Based on the verified theory, it was speculated that while the firearms themselves were strengthened, the bullets, which are consumables, were not affected.

"In reality, those who defeat monsters in the dungeon are given a concept called level and an invisible powered suit (IPS). But... without a certain analytical skill, it can't be understood to that extent."

I realized this thanks to my appraisal skill, but the verification committee did not. The IPS is a kind of force field that covers the subject's body. Its performance improves as the level increases, and at high levels, it can exert powers that defy common sense, such as incredible durability and disproportionate strength. By integrating various applications called skills obtained from skill scrolls into the IPS, it can exert superhuman powers as long as the EP allows. The HP in terms of status represents the durability of the IPS, and EP is the energy required to activate skills. When HP is depleted, the IPS stops functioning, and the subject is exposed without any assist functions until it is revived. When EP is depleted, the skills run out of energy, and the IPS becomes just a sturdy armor.

"Well, there are other things, but if you don't know, you can somehow manage, right?"

As a result, the elite of the Self-Defense Forces are now challenging the dungeon with close-range weapons such as ultra-hard alloy Japanese swords and short swords. It seems to be working well, so maybe there's still some samurai blood left in the Japanese?

"Currently, Japan is leading the way in dungeon exploration, running solo."

It seems that Japan has already explored up to the 20th floor without any casualties, though there have been injuries. As a result, the Japanese government is said to possess a large number of rare items and skill scrolls. Recovery potions and skill scrolls with high effects are being prioritized for the Self-Defense Forces members who are diving into the dungeon, prioritizing human life over profit, which is a typical Japanese response. Of course, the surplus is being confiscated by the government, and research is being conducted to reproduce the items, both by the government and the private sector. While it may be difficult to reproduce the items themselves in a short period, the new technologies and technological accumulation gained through the research process are expected to contribute to the development of various fields, as part of a national project.

"Still, it's rare for the Japanese government to make a quick decision, treating the unexplained aspects as they are."

I was impressed by the government's quick decision. A special law related to the dungeon was passed and immediately announced and implemented. It usually takes years of bickering, but maybe they were spurred on by the dungeon exploration efforts of other countries? Well, for now, it's a wait-and-see approach.

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"Given this trend, it will eventually be pressured by public opinion to open the dungeon to the general public..."

Opening another news article, it was written that a large number of civilians in many countries are already calling themselves explorers and diving into the dungeon. These self-proclaimed explorers are trading items obtained in the dungeon and making considerable profits. Unemployed people due to economic downturns, young people struggling to find jobs, and residents of impoverished areas are diving into the dungeon in large numbers. While governments are regulating entry into the dungeon, it seems that control is lacking.

"Japan will probably create a Dungeon Explorer Association or a Dungeon Exploration Foundation in some ministry or agency."

Our country's bureaucrats are well-versed in creating positions for themselves. They will probably say something like, "We need an organization to manage and safely explore the dungeon." Well, it's not entirely wrong, so I won't completely deny it. Besides, the more explorers there are, the more items obtained from the dungeon will increase.

"At this rate, it might be open to civilians within this fiscal year."

Another article suggests that such movements are already underway. The government will probably see it as a measure to address unemployment and as a revitalization of the economy through dungeon-related industries. There are also petition campaigns from the public demanding the opening of the dungeon. When the government yields to public opinion and legalizes civilians diving into the dungeon, it will probably be on a complete self-responsibility basis. A new high-risk, high-reward profession...

"I should warn Mika."

My sister, who still gets excited about the topic of the dungeon even after a month, might be the first to rush in if the dungeon is opened to the public.

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After checking the world's movements, I closed my PC, stood in front of the full-length mirror, and used my appraisal skill to check my status, which has become a daily routine.

Name: Kugano Daiki

Age: 15

Gender: Male

Occupation: Student

Level: 38

Skills: Appraisal II [A] 4/10, Telekinesis II [A] 1/10, Spatial Storage [P] 8/10, EP Recovery Boost [P] 5/10

HP: 385/385

EP: 93/195

In the end, I did not report the existence of the dungeon to the authorities. This is because I saw the news of the evacuation chaos on the first day of the government broadcast. An evacuation order was issued within a 300-meter radius of the dungeon that appeared near the city, causing thousands of evacuees and paralyzing the transportation network. Moreover, the nearby residents are still forced to live in evacuation. My house is almost in the center of a new residential area, so if I reported it, it would be a big problem.

If it were something that could not be handled by an individual, I would have immediately reported it to the authorities, but fortunately, I can handle it on my own. Over the past month, I have hunted nearly 5,000 slimes, which has significantly increased my level. It seems that the dungeon that appeared in my desk drawer only spawns slimes. While the EXP yield is low, I can consider it a good deal since I can level up safely without taking much risk.

Just a quick check, but the number of people who have died in the dungeon over the past month is said to exceed 10,000 worldwide. Compared to that, the routine work of defeating slimes with salt, picking up dropped items with telekinesis, and storing them in spatial storage is a luxury.

"But, I didn't expect to use over 100 kg of salt..."

I glanced at the 25 kg bag of salt, with the mouth open, placed in the corner of the room. I bought it in bulk from an online store for 1,000 yen per bag, which was quite cheap. The results of the test showed that about one tablespoon of salt is enough to defeat a slime, making it very cost-effective. It costs less than 1 yen to defeat one.

"Still, the initial investment was quite a hit on my wallet. I managed to get by with the money from the dropped items."

Actually, a few thousand yen is a significant expense for a high school student. I used my New Year's money to buy the salt, but I didn't have enough for additional purchases.

However, this problem was solved by some of the dropped items. Among the items that appeared after defeating the slimes, there were decorative items made of precious metals. I sold a simple gold ring from among them at a nearby recycling shop. Thanks to a reputable shop that buys according to the gold market price, I ended up with tens of thousands of yen in cash.

But, it's not a method that can be used repeatedly. A high school student regularly selling precious metals. Once might be fine, but if repeated, it could lead to being suspected of theft. I need to think of other ways to make money, or I will eventually face a financial crisis.

"If I can officially sell the items, it would be easier."

My spatial storage... something like a blue tanuki's pocket... is filled with items obtained from defeating slimes. Skill scrolls, recovery potions, rare minerals, and biological materials. There are many items that would sell out immediately if put on the market.

"Since I have several duplicate passive skill scrolls, they might fetch a good price..."

There are two types of skill scrolls: active and passive. Active skills use EP each time they are used, while passive skills consume EP constantly. This can be quite a drain.

If you open skill scrolls without knowing what they contain and end up with too many passive skills, you can end up using all your EP without doing anything. There have been reports of this happening.

For example, an explorer who had acquired many skills and was leading the way in dungeon exploration used a dropped skill scroll as usual one day, but suddenly lost their strength and was killed by a monster. The cause was that the EP resources were being consumed by passive skills. It seems that there are few or no people with appraisal or identification skills, and the concept of status is not widespread, leading to this tragedy.

"Thanks to the appraisal skill, I can identify the contents of skill scrolls without opening them, which is very helpful."

Thanks to this, I can carefully consider which skills to acquire before opening the skill scrolls. The passive skill I acquired, spatial storage, is convenient but consumes 100 EP constantly, which is a high-cost skill. It consumes half of the EP I can obtain at my current level. Generally, passive skills tend to be high-cost, and it is difficult to acquire multiple passive skills.

Among the skill scrolls I obtained from a large golden slime, there was an absolute defense skill that consumes over 300 EP. If I acquired such a skill, my EP would be constantly depleted, and my IPS would not function properly. I don't want to think about how long a person in just a hard armor could survive in the deeper levels of the dungeon.

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I plan to release several chapters during the holiday.