c1-c20 · 001-ch1
【Book Publication】Aftermath of the Great Labyrinth: The Dungeon Cleaner Uncle Is Too Strong, For Some Reason Mistaken for a Legendary Assassin
By Ninka Kani
- The Uncle Doesn't Know About "Streaming"
Episode 1: An Ordinary Rescue
Dungeons hold dreams.
If you defeat monsters, you can obtain powerful materials that can't be reproduced with surface-world items, and ingredients so delicious they don't seem to belong to this world. Magic devices obtained from treasure chests, along with the magic stones and gems that can be mined, are traded at prices high enough to change your life.
Stories of people becoming millionaires overnight aren't rare at all.
But on the other hand, there's also an unavoidable reality.
Not all parts of monsters become materials. Common bones and tough meat don't have much value even if sold, and just get in the way if kept around. For explorers, these troublesome parts are naturally left behind in the dungeon.
If unusable parts are left alone, they decay and rot, transforming into dungeon irregularities.
"Irregularities" might sound cool, but they're basically just trash. Accumulated garbage has negative effects like changing the dungeon's ecosystem. If left alone, it becomes a life-threatening problem for everyone involved with the dungeon.
Before such problems occur, I remove the dungeon's garbage and maintain internal hygiene. That's my job as a cleaner.
Despite being hard work with low pay, it's unglamorous and inconspicuous, but I take pride in it being an essential job.
"Hoo... Is that all?"
Just as I finished cleaning up the pile of Sand Wolf corpses in front of me, Maika-chan's voice came through my incam.
『Shibasaki-san, good work!』
"Yeah, you too, Maika-chan."
I glanced at my wristwatch. The current time is 16:45. The work I was requested to handle should be finished with these Sand Wolf corpses. Alright, with this, I should be able to get off work on time today. At this moment, even this space surrounded by this rugged rock face feels like a stylish and wonderful cave. Getting off work on time is amazing!
"Since I can get off early today, maybe I should eat out for dinner for the first time in a while. The Spice Ramen from Raimei-ken, or no, that new yakiniku place that opened nearby recently sounds good too..."
『Umm, Shibasaki-san.』
"Hmm-hmm-hmm♪ What is it, Maika-chan?"
『There's an additional request from the Dungeon Management Bureau! They say there are two unprocessed corpses on the 28th floor central area and two on the 29th floor snowy area!』
"...Yes."
My faint hope was easily crushed by those few words. My current location is near the entrance to the 25th floor. Having to go to the designated locations and do the work means overtime is definitely confirmed today...
『D-Don't worry, Shibasaki-san! You've got this in the bag!』
"I suppose so... Alright!"
I swallow back a sigh that's about to escape and force my heavy body to move. The dungeon cleaning business is extremely and constantly short-staffed. Here, in the Shinjuku Dungeon, while many explorers delve inside, the reality is that I'm almost entirely handling the dungeon cleaning by myself as a one-man operation.
In other words, there's no replacement. As long as there's work, I can't take time off even if I want to.
...There's no point worrying about a problem that can't be solved immediately, so I switch my thinking and start running toward the entrance to the 26th floor.
"Haaah, if only this would get featured on TV or something and suddenly become popular, the manpower problem would be solved too."
『Saying such a fantasy story won't help, will it?』
"I wonder? From this uncle's perspective, I think it's a pretty good idea."
『Shibasaki-san! I've told you before! Don't call yourself an uncle!』
"But this uncle is already turning 45 this year, you know?"
『Don't say that!!』
"...Yes."
『That's right! If you want to promote the cleaning business, Shibasaki-san, why don't you try streaming?』
"Streaming...?"
Just as I reached the 26th floor after running through the 25th floor in about a minute, Maika-chan's voice through the incam suddenly became loud. I'm bewildered by the unfamiliar term, but Maika-chan continues without minding me.
『That's right! I've been thinking this for a while now! Your work scene would definitely be great for streaming!』
"Umm, Maika-chan."
『I think your combat technique isn't inferior to Linebird's, or rather, you're better! Well, since you don't have the appeal, you can't sell it like an idol like Negomin...』
Her passionate talk echoes loudly in my right ear where the incam is attached, but there are too many unfamiliar words, so they all go out through my left side. Line? Nego... huh?
"Um, can I talk for a moment?"
『What? Ask me anything! I'll teach you everything you don't understand, like streaming equipment or monetization!』
"Sorry, but what is 'streaming' in the first place?"
『Eeeeeeeh! Shibasaki-san, I can't believe you! Starting from there!?』
Maika-chan looks as surprised as if she'd just discovered an alien, and I start to feel like I'm the one without common sense for being surprised by her, but Maika-chan's trends and fads are an everyday occurrence, so I try not to worry about it too much.
Just the other day, she suddenly said she wanted to get a cat along with some mysterious song, and that was quite an ordeal. I'd appreciate it if she gets tired of this one quickly.
『Anyway! What streaming is...』
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
That happened just as I reached the 27th floor. At the very moment Maika-chan was about to explain in detail what "streaming" is, I heard a woman's scream from afar.
When I recognized it, I started running without hesitation toward the direction it came from.
I gripped the deck brush I brought as cleaning equipment and turned up the volume on my incam.
"Maika-chan!"
『There's no distress signal! Magic reaction detected! Straight ahead, 50m in front!』
『Roger! Can you identify the estimated monster?』
『Umm, we're on the 27th floor now... Eh, but this reaction is...!』
Maika-chan, who usually answers quickly, seemed to hesitate a little. From her reaction, I could make a rough guess at the monster that had appeared.
Small, no... that's not it. Large, probably a monster from above the 27th floor.
My guess was right. What entered my vision when I rushed to the spot where the scream came from was something that shouldn't be on the 27th floor.
In the dimly lit dungeon, its skin glows bright red, its bulging muscles that could easily crush rocks, and atop its massive body, two sizes larger than a human, grew the symbolic two horns.
『It-It's a Blood Ogre!』
"Yeah, I just confirmed that."
Blood Ogres are fairly common monsters in the Shinjuku Dungeon. But this one should only appear in the deeper floors. That is, from the 40th floor onward.
This 27th floor is still the middle layer. Did it escape from the deep floors? Or has something changed in the dungeon's ecosystem...
Just as I was caught in that thought for a moment, a faint voice came from deeper inside.
"He-help me...!"
The owner of the voice was a young girl. She was slumped down, having lost her strength right in front of the Blood Ogre. And the Blood Ogre mercilessly swung its fist down at her.
What am I doing! Saving lives comes first.
I leaped between the girl and the Blood Ogre, and slammed my deck brush with all my might against the descending fist.
Goon!
"...Huh? A brush?"
The Blood Ogre's fist was deflected and flew through the air, and the impact caused its body to lose balance too.
Not missing that opening, I jumped up to the head of the staggering Blood Ogre, poured magic into my deck brush, and swung with all my might toward the core in the Blood Ogre's head.
Gaan!
The Blood Ogre, whose head burst open from the force, slowly fell backward, unable to resist gravity.
"No way. One hit...?"
"Are you okay? Can you stand?"
I called out to the girl who was still not standing up. But she still seemed somewhat dazed.
No wonder, encountering a monster from ten floors above in a place like this. Anyone would be like that.
Just as I was about to reach out my hand to her, a squishy sound came from the Blood Ogre, which should have been dead.
『Shibasaki-san! That one's a zombie! It's not dead yet!』
At the same time, Maika-chan shouted that from the other side of the incam. The Blood Ogre, whose head had burst open, stood up and faced us as if nothing had happened.
I took up a fighting stance again. However, more deeply concentrated than before.
"Seriously... You, did you bring a life cord?"
"Sorry, my hands are..."
The girl desperately tried to move her hands, but they didn't even twitch. She looked at me with a tearful, apologetic face.
This is, well, pretty serious.
"Well then, no choice. First, let's take care of that guy."