arc4 · 068-ch68

Episode 68: Beating Someone to It

December 24th. While the world was swept up in Christmas fever, Suzuka was swaying on a train. His destination: the deep-layer dungeon in central Tokyo. Commonly known as the Dungeon of Trials.

Winter break at Suzuka's middle school starts tomorrow, so today was a half-day. Tokyo Dungeon is within commuting distance from home, but it takes an hour by train. His plan was to arrive on-site after finishing lunch, stay at a hotel today, and start dungeon attacks tomorrow morning.

(But still, to think I'm allowed to sleep over in the dungeon for a whole week—Mom's really gotten lenient lately. I feel like ever since Sugō's level-up finished and I got permission to sleep over in the dungeon, she's recognized my independence.)

Winter break lasts nearly two weeks, but this expedition is only for one week. When he told his mother he'd be exploring the dungeon with overnight stays during winter break, she gave her permission on the condition that he return on New Year's Day. Since they need to visit his grandparents' house during the first three days of the New Year, he can only expedition for the first week of winter break. Still, being able to do as much as possible is the best part.

Tokyo Dungeon is located right next to the Imperial Palace, so the destination is Tokyo Station. Tokyo Station is directly accessible via the Chuo Line, which makes for convenient transportation.

After an hour of train swaying, they arrived at Tokyo Station. It's a long haul of a week, but his luggage is just the backpack and crossbody bag he bought recently. Having repeatedly slept over in the dungeon, his packing had become quite refined. He wasn't carrying the bulky firewood he used to bring around anymore.

"For now, let's head to the hotel and drop off our luggage."

Once you get off at Tokyo Station and exit the ticket gate toward the Marunouchi side, the hotel is right nearby. He rented a hotel between the station and the dungeon. Between it being Christmas Eve and having such a good location, the hotel price was quite high.

"Yeah. I guess it lives up to the price. It's so nice it's almost intimidating."

The lounge was a magnificent, brilliantly luxurious floor where the word "luxury" fit perfectly, yet it possessed a wonderfully harmonious calmness. Each hotel staff member was thoroughly trained, and you could feel their professional pride. The attached restaurant also carried the air of a high-class establishment, one that seemed appropriate for formal introductions between partners for arranged marriages or wedding meetings.

"No wonder it's expensive. This is seriously a luxury hotel here."

Heaving a sigh, he placed his bag in a generously sized room that should be the cheapest option. He planned to sleep over in the dungeon starting tomorrow, so he'd only be staying at the hotel today. The earnings from District 4 are brutal enough that even if it's expensive, it's fine—that's what he told himself when making the reservation, but for a middle schooler staying alone, it's practically a waste-of-money class hotel.

"Then again, being a kid means I can probably get away with standing out a bit."

It seemed like the kind of hotel that might enforce a dress code, so just walking around the hotel made him feel self-conscious. But Suzuka couldn't see his own appearance objectively. Thanks to his stats, Suzuka's face had become national-treasure class, so he could wear any outfit and pull it off perfectly, making everyone around him accept that whatever he was wearing right now was the proper dress code.

And faced with Suzuka's overwhelming appearance, most humans, especially Japanese people, would treat him with respect. Someone with such refined appearance is an explorer of extremely high rank, and even though Suzuka is still young, his future is essentially guaranteed.

Even as explorers' status declines due to recent crimes by their kind, Japan still holds strong reverence for first-rank and special-rank explorers. The Japanese people are grateful to the top explorers who secured Japan's post-war position, risked their lives to boost national power, and serve as a deterrent against neighboring countries.

Therefore, even though Suzuka is still a child and stays at a luxury hotel or walks around in casual clothes, neither the staff nor the other guests give him strange looks. What exists there is gratitude, and respect for the fact that at such a young age, he throws himself into dungeons and achieves results.

But Suzuka hasn't cultivated that kind of mindset yet. It's only been about half a year since he time-leaped to this world. Aside from dungeons, it's the same as his previous world, so he's extra sensitive to changes caused by dungeons and lacking in common sense.

Feeling cramped in such a luxury hotel, Suzuka somehow manages to leave his room and exit the hotel. Today's objective isn't staying at a hotel anyway. Before the main event tomorrow, he wants to do a preliminary survey of Tokyo Dungeon.

Since Suzuka has only been to Hachioji Dungeon, he wanted to see what dungeons in other regions and what Explorer Association buildings look like. He'll be exploring the dungeon starting tomorrow, but he plans to store the backpack containing his change of clothes in the Association's locker.

Suzuka's plan is basically to sleep over in the dungeon, return to the Association every two days to shower and change clothes, then immediately head back to the dungeon. This way he can leave his luggage in the locker, and he can refresh himself by taking a shower. Plus, he can restock supplies when he returns, so he wants to check out the convenience store inside the Association too.

("Sleeping in a reclining chair should be fine. With this plan, I can immerse myself in the dungeon for a whole week—definitely going to be satisfying.")

In high spirits, he heads toward Tokyo Dungeon. Since it's an expedition to a different place than usual, Suzuka's mood was elevated.

After walking a bit from the hotel, the surrounding atmosphere changed completely. Despite being prime Tokyo real estate, there's vast grassland with pine trees planted at regular intervals. It seems he's entered the Imperial Palace Outer Gardens.

"Kind of a solemn atmosphere. Makes me tense up."

Actually, Suzuka had never been to the Imperial Palace—this was his first time. Suzuka's image of central Tokyo was of a place with no spare space, with buildings cramped together. But here, land was used luxuriously like a spacious garden, giving the impression of being cut off from the outside world.

In this world too, the Imperial Palace seems to be a tourist attraction, and besides people who appeared to be explorers, there were many other tourists as well.

"Whoa! So this is Tokyo Dungeon. It's seriously cool!"

Unable to hold back his rising excitement, a giant wooden structure stood before Suzuka's eyes. About three stories tall. There's also the thought of whether it's really okay to build such a structure in front of the Imperial Palace Plaza, but since it also serves the role of suppressing damage from the dungeon, it's probably unavoidable.

The exterior resembled Nagano Station. Giant wooden pillars lined up horizontally to support the ceiling, with massive lanterns hanging from the pillars, giving off a Japanese atmosphere. The building, which used wood generously throughout, possessed a heavy quality and harmonized magnificently with this location.

Weaving through tourists taking photos of the Tokyo Dungeon building, he went inside. There was a floor map, so he checked it—half the building was allocated to the dungeon. The dungeon gate itself doesn't require that much space, but it's probably for countermeasures in case a dungeon break occurs. Hachioji Dungeon was also similarly enclosed.

"Ah, they've got lockers and baths here too. Guess I can sleep over in peace then."

Like Hachioji Dungeon, having a large bath in addition to showers is a big plus. Soaking in a bathtub probably relieves fatigue better, so I'll make use of it.

"Then where's the reference room... wait, it's kinda small."

In the reference room, besides literature about dungeons, you can check characteristics of Tokyo Dungeon and monsters that appear in each area. I thought it would be quite comprehensive since it's Tokyo Dungeon, but based on the map, it looks smaller than Hachioji Dungeon's.

"Now that I think about it, it's small for an Association. Compact feel."

Just as Suzuka felt, the Explorer Association attached to Tokyo Dungeon is a branch, and headquarters is in the business district a little further away. If they built the Association all together like Hachioji Dungeon, the building would inevitably become massive, so they're separated.

Since the dungeon gate appeared in front of the Imperial Palace and couldn't be moved, they had no choice but to build this management facility in this location within the Imperial Palace Outer Gardens. Since it's a building designed with minimum functions compactly, it's limited to equipment for explorers active here.

At the time, there were apparently voices saying they should only build a structure covering the dungeon gate, but the argument that they should show respect to explorers who hunt monsters inside to prevent dungeon breaks and bring back valuable items was stronger, and it settled into its current form.

Being small means less trouble searching around. The reference room also had materials about Tokyo Dungeon, so he could learn plenty about what he wanted to know.

"Hey, Futōfukutsu is back!"

"Seriously?! Let's go see them!"

The voices of other customers reached Suzuka's ears as he was browsing the shop. Suddenly, the surroundings buzzed with excitement, and many people were exiting the store.

" Futōfukutsu, right? From the special-rank explorer guild. Let me check too."

Futōfukutsu is a special-rank explorer guild active in Tokyo Dungeon. Even though it's called a special-rank explorer guild, not all affiliated explorers are special-rank explorers. There are first-rank explorer parties, and there are probably those who stop at second-rank. Mostly, those who stop at second-rank often transfer to lower-rank explorer guilds.

A guild is an organization—company that has explorer parties. Besides the main attack force, which is the special-rank explorer party, there are others affiliated too. Just as there are no companies with only developers, current explorer guilds are composed of personnel with various roles: those who inspect and sort drop items, those who manage each party like a manager, those who handle clerical work, those who coordinate with other guilds, and so on.

The division of explorer guilds is clear: if a special-rank explorer belongs, it becomes a special-rank explorer guild, and if there are only third-rank explorers, it's a third-rank explorer guild. Even in a special-rank explorer guild, if the sole special-rank explorer retires, it stops being a special-rank explorer guild. Conversely, even if it's a large guild where all affiliated explorers are first-rank, if there's no special-rank explorer, it's a first-rank explorer guild.

Given that background, Futōfukutsu doesn't necessarily equal special-rank explorer, but there's a high possibility they're first-rank explorers. Hachioji Dungeon is a low-layer dungeon, so only up to third-rank explorers are active there.

What level are first-rank explorers? Just being able to see them would be worth it.

They really are a special-rank explorer guild. Almost all the tourists and explorers nearby were gathering toward the security gate.

Suzuka had pretty good vision thanks to status up, but unfortunately he couldn't see through people, so he was hopping around trying to catch a glimpse.

"Hey! That's the first-rank explorer Reiji!"

"Really!! Reiji-sama is super cool!!"

"Kaika-san is here too!! She's still too beautiful!!"

Everyone was getting excited, but Suzuka couldn't see well. He only caught a glimpse, but they were a gathering of beautiful men and women. Are they even human? That's how refined their faces are, and they have great figures too. On top of that, they're strong because of their good looks, so it's only natural they'd be popular.

So that's what a first-rank explorer looks like. They really are strong. Can't win against them.

The aura they exude is different. Not as a metaphor, but there was a fierce edge that felt like pressure.

I often see third-rank explorers at Hachioji Dungeon, but I don't think I can't win against them. I don't think there's that big of a gap in ability, and factually, in terms of stats, there probably isn't that much difference either.

But first-rank explorers—deserving of the title, I guess—have something that makes even the overconfident Suzuka think he can't win against them.

"Damn, can't see at all."

There are too many people in the way, so I can only see a little. I wanted to see their equipment too if I could.

"—You're strong."

Just as he was about to push through the crowd of people, he was addressed. But Suzuka couldn't turn around.

He was being addressed from directly behind, and from the direction of the voice, he knew it was directed at him. But he couldn't turn around.

Why.

Simple.

Because turning around was terrifying.

It was like being put in a cage with a hungry brown bear. There was a fear that a single movement would mean instant death.

Even Suzuka, who continues diving into dungeons alone, fears this existence. Pressure so overwhelming that first-rank explorers aren't even worth considering. It's not on the level of whether I can win or not—I can only imagine certain death.

"What's your name?"

He was asked, but words wouldn't come out. His throat tightened, and he couldn't even scream, let alone reply.

"Ah, I guess it's hard to talk like this. Let's see..."

He sensed the person behind him do something. But perhaps because it was too fast, or maybe because he didn't need to move his body, at the very least he couldn't perceive that he moved.

But the effect was dramatic.

Suddenly, the tension toward the person behind him vanished.

No, what is this. The pressure hasn't changed. The fear hasn't changed either. And yet, I myself felt like thinking about such things had become troublesome, like my thoughts stopped... what is this.

Even though the threat remains completely unchanged, I can't spare thought to be on guard like before. My thoughts don't come together, like a string of tension snapped.

What did he do? What was done to me?

I don't know. That's why, seeking an answer, Suzuka carelessly turns around behind him. Even though just moments ago, he couldn't even move.

"Yeah, looks like it cut cleanly."

The person who said that was a creature of a different class. At the very least, they've probably deviated from the classification of human.

It's not on the level of winning or losing like before. While terrified at the thought of whether humans can reach this level, there was also a part of Suzuka rejoicing that people can become this strong.

"You really are strong. Not even level 100 yet, and you can measure the difference between us."

Measure my foot—all I can tell is that he's somewhere impossibly far ahead.

"Eh, Sword God-sama?"

"It's Sword God-sama..."

"It's Sword God-sama...!"

The people around also noticed this person and began buzzing. But unlike the cheers from before, it was a quiet murmur.

Perhaps due to the aura this person emits. Maybe they're being pressured like Suzuka. The explorer-like people were backing away like Suzuka, while the tourist-like people were quietly excited—perhaps people feel it differently.

Suzuka recognized the words of the quietly excited tourists. If you research Japanese explorers, he's definitely someone who would come up first.

Sword God.

One of the special-rank explorers, called a Transcendent. Since the highest rank for explorers is only special-rank, he's someone who fits within special-rank.

If you ask who the strongest Japanese explorer is, his name will always be mentioned. He's someone who makes it said that other countries can't attack Japan because the Sword God exists. He's one of the top powerhouses even in the world.

That's the Sword God Suzuka knows.

"And so, your name... I haven't introduced myself. I'm Tento. Guild master of Futōfukutsu."

The guild master of an explorer guild is basically a seat occupied by the strongest person in that guild. It's an explorer-like way of thinking where strength is most prized, and there's no better way to demonstrate ability than that.

The Sword God, or rather Tento, had a beautifully refined face that suggested high stats. With silver hair cut short and wearing a samurai-like kimono-style outfit. Since he seemed to wear Japanese clothes normally, there was no sense of incongruity—rather, it gave an impression of nobility.

Especially his eyes stood out. Sharp eyes that suggested coldness were red. He wasn't wearing color contacts. It's the kind of red that seems blood-stained—you can't look away from those eyes.

"And so, what's your name?"

"J-Jozenji."

He somehow managed to answer. The surroundings were buzzing, but Tento's voice came through strangely clearly.

"Jozenji, huh. It seems your party members aren't nearby."

Tento murmured as he lightly looked around. But Suzuka doesn't have party members to begin with, so even if he searches, they'll probably never appear.

"Have you decided which guild you'll join?"

"N-No, not yet."

"I see. Then I'd like you to include Futōfukutsu as a candidate. If you want to get stronger, come to us."

The pressure was so strong it felt like a threat, leaving Suzuka overwhelmed, but Tento wore a gentle, Buddha-like expression, as if he had attained enlightenment. If he suddenly turned into a demon mask after refusing this, that alone might kill Suzuka.

But the current Suzuka couldn't think properly, and could only speak his thoughts.

"Uh, I'll pass."

"I got rejected, huh. That's unfortunate."

He ended up refusing without thinking, but Tento didn't seem to particularly mind. Good. If I died from this, I'd be devastated.

"Tento-san~. We're going home~."

Is this what they call salvation? From beyond the crowd of people, what seemed to be other members of Futōfukutsu, explorers, were calling Tento.

"I got called. I don't know which guild you'll join, but if you manage to reach special-rank, please come to us once. I won't do anything bad to you."

"Hah."

He gave a limp reply, but please forgive him. His thoughts aren't coming together, and he can't answer well.

"Ah, right. If you're entering this dungeon and a trial visits... no, that's in poor taste. Never mind. Forget it."

Saying that, he shook his head and vanished before his eyes.

His eyes couldn't follow. His movement start, everything. Is that really a realm humanity can reach?

Based on the voice behind, Tento probably joined the other explorers. But Suzuka could only stand there blankly, staring at the spot where Tento had been until just now.