Chapter 1

Marriage is the grave of life—

There’s a saying like that, but I think it’s a bit different.

"Getting a job is truly the grave of life..."

I, Makoto Tanaka, a salaryman, muttered to myself while looking at the email detailing today’s work tasks.

The quotas listed there were far from something that could be completed within regular working hours. Another overtime day for sure... I sighed deeply.

"Five Ogres, four Basilisks, and three S-grade Tyrant Dragons... I don’t think I’ll make the last train today."

Each of them is a troublesome monster.

Even if I dive into the dungeon now and hurry, it will probably be past midnight.

I took this job of slaying monsters ten years ago, when I was just fifteen.

"It still feels like a dream sometimes."

Ten years ago, mysterious structures called 'dungeons' suddenly appeared all over the world. They were filled with unknown creatures and over-technological weapons.

People became 'explorers' and delved into the dungeons to find treasures.

Those who entered the dungeons were endowed with special powers, becoming dozens of times stronger than ordinary people. Of course, not everyone; I happened to awaken to such power, whether it was good luck or bad.

Exploring dungeons is a matter of life and death, but it seems that streaming the process on a video-sharing site called DTube has become popular.

By the way, I’ve never done it. I’ve lived my life solely focused on work, so I don’t even understand how one can make money from it. It’s at times like these that I realize I’m getting old...

"Well, shall I dive into the dungeon right away... and before that,"

I took out a small spherical device from my pocket and activated it.

It floated gently near me.

This is a small drone. It records video and automatically sends it to the company. With the right settings, it can even stream directly to video sites, but I only use it to report my quotas to the company.

I took out my smartphone and adjusted the drone’s settings.

"Let’s see, select the company’s server... ugh."

I suddenly felt dizzy and swayed on the spot.

Come to think of it, I only got two hours of sleep today.

I haven’t been home for two weeks. When was the last time I had a good night’s sleep?

"What am I doing...?"

The company I work for is a subcontractor for the government.

It sounds prestigious, but it’s just doing the troublesome work that even the government doesn’t want to handle. Our company is always piled high with difficult tasks.

If I keep this up, I’ll die from overwork... I know that, but I’m too busy to even think about quitting. Today, as usual, I’ll dive into the dungeon with a deadpan face.

"My vision is blurring... let’s see, the settings should be... okay, I think."

After finishing the drone’s settings, I equipped my sword and stepped into the dungeon.

This time, I’m diving into the 'Shibuya Underground Dungeon,' one of the largest dungeons in the city. It’s one of the biggest dungeons in the country, and today’s mission is in its depths.

"—I am now beginning my work.”

I straightened my tie and entered the dungeon.

At that moment, I had no idea.

That this dungeon dive today would drastically change my life—

◇ ◇ ◇

"Huh? What’s this stream?"

"The title says it’s for company records, but didn’t you make a mistake in the settings?"

"Looks like he didn’t even realize he was streaming. He’s not checking the comments either."

"Besides, this is the Shibuya Dungeon, right? Is it really okay for him to dive so deep alone?"

"This is a suicide stream, isn’t it?"

"You need at least three people to survive in a large dungeon."

"Also, only three people are watching, that’s low lol."

"Well, this channel doesn’t usually stream, so it can’t be helped."

"Is this the Black Dog Guild’s channel? Is this suited salaryman a member of the guild?"

"He’s not listed on the official guild member list."

"Also, the quota for today is written in the description, but that’s not something one person can handle, right lol?"

"True lol, I think it’s a typo, but if it’s real, the Black Dog Guild is way too black lol."

"Black as in black humor, but that’s loud lol."

"This is kind of interesting. Should I tell the people on the bulletin board?"

"I feel like I’ve seen this guy before. Where was it?"

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