000-020 · 008-ch7

Chapter 7: Near Miss at the Yakiniku Restaurant

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Apparently it takes about a week to arrange everything, and since they also got me a hotel room I can stay at until then, I decided to wander around on the surface while waiting for the right timing to gather materials and items from the lower layers through deep layer District 1 for payment.

Since it's a shop that buys dungeon-produced materials and items, apparently it's more convenient to pay with items. Also, deep layer items are apparently quite rare even in District 1, so they should fetch a pretty good price.

(Still, things are pretty lively, huh.)

While browsing the internet on the smartphone they'd lent me, Amamiya Kanata's stream from the other day and its clipped videos were boasting incredible view counts, still updating even now. Message boards and SNS were like a festival too. Major guilds were even requesting information about "the person who helped Amamiya Kanata (meaning me)."

(Good thing I hid my face.)

Since coming to the surface, I'd constantly been diverting recognition from my surroundings using magic, but that kind of thing could be repelled by high-level explorers or opponents with magic resistance skills.

So now, in addition to that magic, I had bandages wrapped around my face. Underneath, I'd applied chemicals to make my skin look inflamed, so even if someone saw me now, they probably wouldn't recognize me as me.

Unless there's someone with a "skill to identify individuals."

(Well, probably not.)

Where I'm headed now is a pretty famous yakiniku restaurant in the city. Since I finally made it to the surface, I figured I'd eat all sorts of delicious things.

---

"Welcome."

"I have a reservation under Toogasa."

When I said that, the staff glanced slightly at the bandages on my face before guiding me to a private room. I might look suspicious, but since explorers often wear eccentric outfits, I wasn't refused.

I'd hardly ever been to places like this before, but fortunately there was something like a menu, so I picked various meats from there and ordered 5 servings each plus white rice.

(Ah, and raw eggs? Let's get some yukhoe.)

I had the mindset of eating things I can't eat in the dungeon while I have the chance. Especially raw eggs—with their expiration date issues, they're difficult to bring along, so I want to eat plenty before diving back in.

(Well, there are some, though... even if there are, they're fertilized eggs.)

I grilled the meat that arrived and first dipped it in yakiniku sauce before eating.

(Ahh... delicious.)

Next I shoveled in white rice and put meat in my mouth again.

Yakiniku sauce is amazing... I'm glad I asked the shop owner for "unopened ones with long shelf life."

As a bit of trivia, explorers generally have big appetites. This isn't because becoming an explorer requires being physically fit or athletically gifted men—it's because the body evolves as a result of diving into dungeons as an explorer.

Explorers have levels as a clear concept, like in RPGs, and this value manifests when ordinary people first enter a dungeon. Then this value rises through combat and such in dungeons.

As a result, the body becomes activated. You could say it changes or is changing into something suited for dungeon exploration. This activated body demonstrates higher physical abilities than ordinary people in exchange for requiring more energy than when they were ordinary people, so explorers generally become big eaters—especially those who eat a lot and veteran explorers end up eating about 3 times what ordinary people eat as a matter of course.

I'm no exception to this, so at places like this I can savor meat to my heart's content. Ahh, blessed is the stomach that can eat as much as it likes...

Then.

Mixed in with the sound of grilling meat, I heard voices of guests being guided to the neighboring private room.

(They haven't caught up to explorers in this area yet, I guess.)

Here's the thing. Walking monsters—from each individual footstep, I can grasp what kind of monster it is, roughly how big it is, where it is, what the distance is, and whether it's in an alert state. I have to do that or I can't survive.

So, with just the soundproofing of a yakiniku restaurant's private room, it pierces right through.

『Well then, a toast to Kana-chan's recovery—cheers!』

『『『Cheeers』』』

(...No way.)

At the toast call from the neighboring private room, I nearly spat out the rice I was eating.

(I thought it sounded familiar, but Amamiya Kanata's there.)

Well, thinking about it, if you're celebrating a friend's safety with friends, I guess this timing makes sense.

It had been 6 days since I left her at the dungeon entrance. From there she probably underwent health checkups and such, but since her wounds had healed, her hospitalization was probably only a day or two. Then they'd check if any unknown medicines were used—

(Ah, this is definitely getting me curious.)

Not enough to stop eating, but since I could hear the neighboring conversation without even trying, I naturally ended up listening while eating. I did think eavesdropping was probably not okay, but since it might relate to my future, I'll consider it legitimate intelligence gathering.

『Man, it really is great that you're safe, Kana-chan. I thought my heart was gonna stop, seriously.』

『We were all glued to the monitors after hearing from the manager. It was tough stopping Luna and Rin from charging into the dungeon.』

『A-ahaha, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused then...』

『Don't say sorry! I'm just really glad you're safe.』

『...It would be lonely if my friend disappeared.』

From the conversation content, it seems Amamiya Kanata has recovered and today is their first reunion, and they came here to eat while catching up on everything.

『That said, a Unique Monster, huh. It really is dangerous.』

『Seriously. Showing up in the upper layers when it's at least lower layer level.』

『Looking back, I went in a direction where people usually never go because I needed it for streaming. That's probably why it didn't trigger the detection of people with detection skills.』

『Hmm? But Kanata-chan, you have detection skills, right?』

『That's the thing. I was using them at the time so I noticed it appeared... but I didn't notice until right before it appeared for some reason.』

『...You couldn't tell right before?』

『Maybe that's it.』

『Right now it's like once every 2 months or not even, so we don't really know.』

『It's like a disaster. Truly.』

Unique Monsters. Currently confirmed monsters in the upper and middle layers—with their characteristics, in all currently confirmed cases, they possess strength equivalent to monsters two layers below. Basically, they're monster species similar to those confirmed in that area, but for example, a Unique Monster wolf would have features like being far larger and faster than normal wolves, with sharper claws and fangs, keener senses, and guard hairs that prevent ordinary blades from penetrating.

Combined with stampedes that occur below the lower layers, they're disasters feared by explorers who dive into dungeons. That said, both are infrequent and at regular intervals, so while they're watched for, they haven't resulted in explorers keeping their distance.

『So, what happened to that Unique Monster that hurt Kana-chan in the end? Did someone defeat it somewhere?』

『Apparently it disappeared. With this occurrence, it seems almost confirmed that Unique Monsters undergo natural disappearance.』

『What, it disappeared? What a nuisance, showing up then vanishing.』

『...Better than a stampede.』

『Noah.』

『...Sorry.』

『Ah, it's totally fine, I don't mind at all! I do think it's better than a stampede too.』

Stampedes are, essentially, phenomena where monsters from lower layers and deep layers surge across layer boundaries and flow back up to upper layers. Normally monsters don't try to leave the floor where they spawned, but during stampedes it's different. And unlike Unique Monsters which spawn as individuals or extremely small numbers, these usually involve at least 100 or more, making them truly disaster-like compared to the accidental nature of Unique Monsters.

『What, I thought you'd be scared but you're surprisingly okay.』

『Eh? Me?』

『Obviously. You nearly died, right? I thought maybe you'd get so scared you couldn't explore anymore.』

『Akane, that's rather insensitive.』

『What, she seems completely normal to me.』

『She might be deeply hurt in her heart. Since it's a delicate matter, we amateurs shouldn't touch on that direction so casually.』

『W-wah! Sorry, um, sorry!? I'm okay! My wounds healed!』

(...They're having a rough time.)

I ordered more meat and rice while listening. Rather than that kind of small talk, I wish they'd talk about what's being discussed regarding me.

『No, but are you really okay? I know I lacked delicacy, but I'm seriously worried, you know?』

『That's right. If you have even a little... like having nightmares, please tell us. We'll do what we can.』

『...I'll lend you Fu-tan.』

『I'd honestly be happy if you lend me Fukasaku. Thanks, Noah. Akane and Erica too, thanks. But really, I'm not having nightmares at the moment. Somehow, that whole incident feels like a dream... or rather, what happened after had too much impact...』

『『Ahh』』

Why? I should have been super kind to her. Or did dungeon cuisine not suit the palate of a popular idol-like streamer?

Even if the impact of talking about beyond the deep layer or beyond the deepest layer was big, is there really that much to be surprised about when I didn't reveal any substantial information?

『In the end, I couldn't even properly thank them.』

『Pfft, that guy left an injured person out in the cold, right? What an outrageous guy.』

(Yeah, that's exactly right. Ah, this is delicious, it melts in your mouth...)

『He probably specified a date to avoid being surrounded on the surface. We didn't do it because of our verbal promise, but apparently other guilds were preparing to surround him. Who would have thought that if his story is true, he could escape from below the deep layer in just 3 days.』

『I see...』

『...Movement-type skill? Maybe a Unique Skill?』

『He said he rode on the monster's back, but monsters that fast shouldn't have been found yet.』

『What the heck, another 100 floors below the deep layer? That can't be true. Do you know how hard we've been working to explore?』

『Certainly that's suspicious too... but currently there's no way to confirm it.』

『Just catch that guy and make him talk. Simple as that.』

『...It's difficult.』

『Huh? Why? I have tracking-type skills too.』

Ugh, there's someone who seems awfully aggressive... I know not everyone can think carefully and act while considering their opponent's thoughts, but I'm bad with these kinds of short-tempered people. Here I've made a verbal promise with their group on stream to "not cause unnecessary trouble," yet this makes me want to take short-tempered actions myself.

『Hey, Kana-chan. Don't you have anything that guy originally had? Fingerprints or something would be good.』

『Hmm, like Noah said, I don't think it's okay to use skills outside the dungeon.』

『Long as you don't get caught it's fine. Besides, everyone does this much.』

Oh, this is starting to feel like it's going to become troublesome. Maybe I should leave money on the table and escape.

As I was thinking that, Ms. Amamiya's dignified voice shook the air of the neighboring room.

『Besides, that person helped me without asking for any reward. I don't want to cause trouble for someone like that.』

At those words, the air in the neighboring room fell silent. Especially the girl with the Kansai dialect who'd been trying to find me fell completely silent.

『...You're right. I'm curious, but it's not like we should cause trouble based on our convenience.』

『...Probably a good person.』

『Ununu...』

With backup from the other two, it seems the Kansai dialect girl is considering it too. Or rather, I was surprised that Ms. Amamiya was defending my opinion so earnestly. I'd thought she was a straightforward, kind girl, but she's also sincere.

『...I get it. But as an explorer, I personally want to talk to them too. So I'll keep calling out on streams. I'll tell the listeners not to forcefully search or cause trouble, but gathering information inside the dungeon should be fine.』

『That seems reasonable. In any case, even if we don't move, others are already moving. It's unfortunate for him, but information coming in without us initiating is unavoidable.』

『You two...』

A loophole! A big loophole! Or rather, I meant it more as a mindset than strict rules binding them, so honestly I saw this coming.

Actually, you know. Honestly, since I haven't interacted with people for 10 years, I'd been basing everything on my old self's stance, but thinking about it, back then I was seriously misanthropic... I really hated dealing with people. Thinking about it now, I don't hate it that much.

That said, if I suddenly go full open, I'll probably get swarmed and things will get crazy, so moderation is tricky. Honestly, I feel like I'd be okay talking to anyone except the Kansai dialect girl and the military-style one. Those two are a bit... rough for first communication.

"Thank you for the meal."

Whew. Still, I ate my fill. It wasn't super high-end, but with the quantity alone the bill must have been crazy, but materials from the lower layer depths and deep layers sell for insane prices. Next I want to eat sushi. The non-rotating kind would be my first time.