ch1-ch20 · 003-ch3

Chapter 3: The Special Skill [Gate]

The training session wrapped up just after 11 AM.

I made my way back from the surface-level Adventurer's Association branch to the first floor of the dungeon.

And now I'm walking toward the "Gate" that leads to the second floor.

The first floor of the Chiba Dungeon is a grassland area.

Since it's daytime, the sun's visible, but apparently it turns to night following the outside world's cycle.

Even the lunar phases match, though the constellations in the night sky are completely different from Earth's.

The 'Gate' you use to enter a dungeon from the surface is called a "Dungeon Gate," but the inter-floor 'Gates' are typically named after the floor they connect to.

Since I'm heading from the first floor to the second, what I'm looking for now would be called the "Second Floor Gate."

This is easy to confuse with my skill [Gate], so from here on out I'll use "Dungeon Gate," "Second Floor Gate," and "Skill Gate" to keep things clear.

(Though, I haven't actually used the "Skill Gate" yet...)

Anyway, the main reason I'm searching for the Second Floor Gate before testing out my "Skill Gate" on the first floor is to avoid prying eyes.

Hayashi-san did tell me not to let anyone know about my Special Skill.

The Chiba Dungeon is one of Japan's most sparsely populated dungeons, but the first floor still has various Adventurer's Association facilities, dungeon-related company offices (weapons shops and such), and even Self-Defense Force installations—so there's a fair amount of foot traffic.

But the second floor has no one.

The reason it's so underpopulated is that you can take a single train ride to the Tokyo Dungeon where the Association's headquarters is located, so most people just register as adventurers there.

The headquarters' first floor is way more developed—there are shops run by production-class adventurers, department stores, and apparently some major international weapons manufacturers have even moved in recently...

With so many adventurers gathering there every day, you can form a party right away just by joining one of the impromptu recruitment boards.

"More people means more safety. Fewer people means more danger. So it becomes even more deserted. A negative spiral..."

Hayashi-san had said this with distant eyes.

She seems genuinely worried about how underpopulated the Chiba Dungeon is.

"Found the 'Second Floor Gate.'"

I walked along the maintained path for about fifteen minutes. Since it was a single straight road, "discovered" might be overstating it—"arrived" is more accurate.

Only the first floor has paved roads leading directly to the Second Floor Gate.

Before me stood what looked like a spatial rift... the "Second Floor Gate."

Like the Dungeon Gate, it's about two meters tall with a distorted diamond-like shape, roughly one meter wide at its widest point.

The surface is black, so you can't see the second floor on the other side.

When I touched it with my finger, there was a brief sensation of contact at first, but then it was like touching empty air—no resistance at all.

When my face passed through, my vision went pitch black for a moment before returning to normal.

Just like when I entered the dungeon from the surface.

"So this is the second floor. The main difference from the first floor is the trees scattered around, I guess. Doesn't seem like anyone's here, but I'll test it behind a tree just to be safe."

Apparently, monsters do spawn here, so I rented a weapon.

It's a proper spear.

I declared I'd borrow one since Hayashi-san recommended it so strongly.

But this was perfect communication.

Hayashi-san responded with a beaming smile.

When she said monsters appear here, she meant that deeper floors have tons of monsters, so the second floor has the lowest spawn rate.

Apparently, they barely show up—it's more trouble to find them.

"That tree's shadow looks good."

I picked a thick tree near the gate and positioned myself where I couldn't be seen from the "First Floor Gate."

This way, even if someone comes out from the First Floor Gate, I'll be fine.

I checked my surroundings—no signs of anyone.

Looks good.

Let's start the testing.

I held out my right hand...

"[Gate]"

A spatial rift appeared before my right hand.

Looks like it activated.

By the way, verbal activation isn't necessary for skills.

It seems you can activate them just by chanting in your mind.

"Kinda big, isn't it?"

The "Skill Gate" that appeared was rectangular.

About two meters tall and one meter wide.

Compared to the diamond-shaped Dungeon Gate and Second Floor Gate, it seems to have roughly twice the area.

"Looks like a door... wait, it's solid. Why?"

I pressed my finger against the black surface, but it felt like a thick concrete wall.

Even when I pushed harder, it didn't budge.

Is there something on the other side of this "Skill Gate"?

"Ah, there's nothing!"

Well, obviously.

The Dungeon Gate on the surface connects to the dungeon's Dungeon Gate.

The Second Floor Gate on the first floor connects to the First Floor Gate on the second floor.

So right now, there's nothing on the other side of this "Skill Gate"... it's not connected anywhere.

"I see, I see. ...So? What do I do now?"

Since it's not connected, it doesn't work.

"...Then I just need to connect it, right?"

Will another one appear?

I extended my left hand to the left side of the currently active "Skill Gate."

"[Gate]"

Verbal activation isn't necessary for skills. (Second time.)

Just like before, a spatial rift—well, since it's rectangular, it's more like a door—appeared.

A second door.

The first door hasn't disappeared either.

Trembling slightly, I touched the newly created "Skill Gate" with my left finger.

It slipped through without any resistance.

"Whoa!"

I was surprised to see a finger growing out of the right "Skill Gate."

When I wiggled my finger around, the finger growing from the right "Skill Gate" wiggled too.

Definitely my finger.

"Oooh, it worked."

I pushed my left arm all the way through and tried sticking my head in too.

My vision went dark for a moment, and when it brightened again, my perspective had switched—I was looking out from the right "Skill Gate."

I could see the right half of my body and legs sticking out of the left "Skill Gate."

"What the heck. Creepy."

What would happen if I grabbed my own foot right now?

What would happen if I deactivated the skill in this state?

The thought made me a little scared, so I finished passing completely through the "Skill Gate."

"Phew..."

I entered through the left "Skill Gate" and emerged from the right "Skill Gate."

"So this is my Special Skill, huh... It's literally a Gate."

It said [Gate] in my skill list, but it really was a Gate.