Chapter 4

Yuri Kugimiya stood in the middle of a dungeon, taking a deep breath and firmly gripping the letter containing secrets that his mother had given him. However, the familiar scenery was nowhere to be found. It was strange, why was this happening, how did it come to this? With an expression that seemed to echo the unspoken question in his heart, Yuri stood there in a daze.

He found himself in a stone-built dungeon, the kind often seen in games and anime. He remembered that one of his middle school classmates was obsessed with a dungeon RPG. This classmate, one of the few female friends who supported Yuri's otaku nature without laughing, had once shouted at others, "What's wrong with loving what you love!" It was she who recommended the game to Yuri, saying, "The character designs are cute, I think even you would enjoy it!"

The game was called "Assault☆Dungeon Academy" series.

Incidentally,

"...Well, I shouldn't be escaping from reality, right...?"

Wearing his usual school uniform and carrying a simple, unadorned school bag—though the inside was filled with his favorite mascots and other items in a design that was both beautiful and cute, suitable for a boy—Yuri seemed to have been transported to this place while on his way home. As a high school boy deeply immersed in light novels and games, he quickly understood that he was in an unusual situation.

However,

"...In dungeons, monsters usually appear, right? I can't fight, though..."

Indeed, a strange, indescribable cry echoed from a distance. Despite this, he couldn't stay in one place, so Yuri started walking slowly. As he glanced at the wall out of curiosity, a peculiar screen suddenly appeared before his eyes, making him blink repeatedly.

It looked like a status menu often seen in online games. The semi-transparent screen seemed to belong there, right in front of Yuri. He tried to touch it, but couldn't. Instead, the screen responded as if he had clicked on it, revealing information.

-- Dungeon Name: Foreigner's Shell

Rank: D+

Material: Stone

Environmental Condition: Good

Dungeon Master: Present

...

...

Various pieces of information appeared, but Yuri skimmed through them quickly. He didn't understand what it all meant, but as an otaku who loved games and anime, he thought this information might be useful.

...Normally, if someone was suddenly transported to another world and awakened with mysterious abilities, they would be confused. However, Yuri remained calm. He had a somewhat natural and slightly offbeat personality. As an otaku, he was gentle and often dealt with hostility in a carefree manner. This trait, which his friends often teased him about, served him well in this moment.

In the information he had skimmed through, one item caught his attention. When he focused on it, it read:

-- Currently Exploring: Clan "Crimson Lynx"

A clan, he thought, was probably a team or party. While Yuri didn't play many online games, he had heard of them. This information indicated that there were people in the dungeon. They might not be human, but at least he could meet someone and get information. This was important to Yuri.

He didn't know where to go, but he started walking, holding his school bag in one hand. Yuri, who was small and slender, often mistaken for a middle school student, found this odd, especially since he had just turned 17. However, when he mentioned this to others, they just said, "No, it's normal. You look like a middle schooler," so he tried not to worry about it.

Continuing to walk towards the sound, Yuri peeked into a room and saw a group of about five people. The leader, a young man with a shaved head, was giving orders. A sword-wielding young man, a martial artist-like girl, a female archer, and a boy with a large bag slung over his waist. Could they be the Clan "Crimson Lynx"? Yuri thought.

Deciding to wait until the battle was over, he bowed and pressed himself against the wall to avoid being seen by the monsters. The group seemed quite strong and experienced in combat. They would probably finish off the monsters quickly, he thought, as he watched them.

Despite being suddenly transported to another world and finding himself in a dungeon with mysterious abilities, Yuri remained calm. In fact, he thought he was quite lucky. After all, he had found people in a place where he didn't know anything. In another world, there might be races that couldn't communicate with him. Finding people who seemed similar to him was a good sign.

...Yuri was generally a carefree and optimistic person.

Curious, he looked at his hands. Since looking at the wall had revealed information, he thought looking at himself might show his status. And it did; a strange screen appeared with a "boon" sound.

-- Name: Yuri Kugimiya

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Age: 17

Occupation: Seeker

Condition: Healthy

Level: 1

HP: 20

Strength: 10

Speed: 10

Skill: 10

Defense: 10

Luck: ∞

Skills: [Divine Eye] Level ∞

[Cooking] Level 50

[Sewing] Level 50

[Alchemy] Level 50

[Smithing] Level 50

Equipment: School Uniform (Blessing of the Gods ∞)

"...Hmm, something seems off..."

Even though Yuri usually didn't worry about details, there were several things he wanted to point out. His low stats were fine, as he was just a regular high school boy. He expected to be weak in this world. However, his occupation and skills were problematic. Also, his luck value was strange.

First, his occupation. What was a Seeker? He should have been a student, right? Or did this world not have students? Or was it because he wasn't part of a school organization in this world? What did a Seeker do, and what abilities did they have? He didn't understand.

Moreover, his skills were also confusing. The [Divine Eye] at the top was a mystery, and its level was ∞. It wasn't even a number. It wasn't maxed out or capped. What did ∞ mean? Yuri wondered.

He stared at the [Divine Eye] skill, hoping to get more detailed information. His intuition was correct. As a modern otaku familiar with subcultures, he was quick to understand.

-- [Divine Eye]

The highest-level appraisal skill.

It has the ability to see through all truths and discern all events. A skill granted by the gods, impossible to acquire after birth. Those who possess this skill are called Seekers, the highest-level appraisers.

"...Hmm, it's a cheat, isn't it?"

Yuri muttered to himself. He didn't know the full extent of the appraisal skill's power, but he understood that in exploration games, having an appraisal skill could significantly affect the difficulty. From the description, it seemed that this skill was highly ranked in this world.

Additionally, he realized that his mysterious occupation was due to this skill. He decided to check the Seeker entry as well. Knowing oneself was important, the first step in understanding the world. Probably.

-- Seeker

The highest-level appraisal occupation.

Possessors of the [Divine Eye] skill, capable of appraising all events. Due to their ability to discern the truth, they are also skilled in creating various items. Many Seekers also have sub-occupations such as alchemists and smiths.

Before Seekers, all lies are meaningless. In ancient times, they were revered as divine agents. However, due to the rarity of those granted the [Divine Eye] skill, Seekers are currently unconfirmed.

"...Ah, this is bad."

Yuri understood the reality. The moment he grasped his occupation and skills, he realized that he couldn't let important people know. In many light novels, if one's occupation was revealed, they might be given a troublesome position by important people. He didn't want that.

What Yuri wanted was a peaceful and harmonious world where he could enjoy his otaku interests. Ideally, he wanted to live in a world with adorable fairies, beautiful elves, and healing-type beast people. ...As a boy of his age, he had no ulterior motives. He wanted to be friends with them, go shopping together, and enjoy their company, like a girl would. Truly, he was an otaku.

"Okay, if someone asks, I'll say I'm an appraiser. A beginner."

He might also say that he wandered into this world, but he had a feeling that it would lead to trouble. Whether being summoned or wandering into this world was common in this world would determine his future. For now, he decided to introduce himself as an appraiser when he met the "Crimson Lynx."

Regaining his composure, he looked at his other skills. Cooking, sewing, and other very otaku-like skills were listed. He noticed that their levels were surprisingly high. How could his personal level be 1, but his skill levels be 50? It was incomprehensible.

Was this what they called a "cheat" in isekai stories? However, Yuri didn't want that. He had no desire to be a hero in another world, create a harem with beautiful girls, or become strong enough to defeat a demon king. All he wanted was to enjoy beautiful and cute things.

To Yuri, his seemingly overpowered status felt unnecessary.

Maybe it was the kindness of the gods who threw him into this world. But if so, he wished they had made it less noticeable. Being the only one with an extinct-level occupation was not a happy thought. And being expected to do something he had no intention of doing was even worse.

For now, the most important thing was whether he could be accepted by the group after introducing himself as a suspicious person.

The protagonist has a cheat, but will probably not use it much.

That's the kind of character he is.

Looking forward to your comments and feedback.