Chapter 3: The First Dungeon
The following morning.
I arrived at the company for my first day of work, and Kyōka-san handed me the tactical suit, which served as the company uniform.
She had already prepared one in my size by the time I arrived.
It had a rubber-like texture, and when I took it, it felt surprisingly heavy, as if it were filled with water.
"It’s made with a three-layer structure, with shock-absorbing material in between. It can even stop bullets, it’s quite impressive."
"Wow, that’s amazing."
"It also has a feature that significantly boosts muscle strength through electrical stimulation. Plus, it has temperature control, oxygen supply, and even emergency artificial respiration..."
Kyōka-san continued to explain the various features.
It was truly a high-tech suit, offering everything one could need.
But with all these features, it must have cost quite a bit...
As I thought about the price, Kyōka-san seemed to sense my unease and added.
"By the way, this suit costs five million yen, so please try not to damage it."
"Five million!?"
"Yes, so please be careful with it."
Oh no, my hands are starting to shake.
A five-million-yen suit—there’s no way I’ll ever wear anything like that again in my life.
Even high-end brand clothing doesn’t cost that much.
As I stood there, feeling nervous, Kyōka-san chuckled softly.
"You don’t have to be so nervous. As long as you’re careful within reason, it should be fine."
"Y-yes."
"There’s a changing room in the back, so please change there. Let me know when you’re done."
I went into the changing room and quickly slipped into the tactical suit, not wanting to keep Kyōka-san from waiting.
After zipping it up, I pressed a switch on the sleeve.
Immediately, the air was released, and the suit snugly fitted my body.
As expected from a five-million-yen suit, it felt incredibly comfortable.
It was stretchy, so no matter how much I moved, it wouldn’t get in the way.
It seemed the muscle-strengthening feature was also working perfectly, as I felt significantly lighter than usual.
"Now then... let’s enhance it."
Since I’d be using it for a long time and it cost so much, it would be a problem if it tore easily.
I placed my finger on the chest area and, while channeling magic, drew ancient runes.
It was an enchantment spell that I excelled at in my past life.
The more characters you carve, the more effective the enchantment becomes, but I decided to go with just three characters for now.
With that, the suit’s defensive capabilities would surely improve.
I’m pretty sure it could survive being stomped on by a dragon.
"President, I’m done changing."
"Good, then come this way."
As I left the changing room, I noticed that there were now more people in the office.
A woman in her early twenties, wearing a tactical suit.
She had a sharp, cool beauty, with slanted eyes that gave off a calm, collected vibe.
Her long hair was tied back, and she had an air of someone who seemed quite capable.
"Nice to meet you. I’m Kurosuki Naya."
She gave a small bow after introducing herself.
Kyōka-san immediately followed up with a smile.
"Kurosuki-san is one of the top Slayers at our company! For a while, you'll be doing training with her!"
"Understood. Nice to meet you, Kurosuki-senpai!"
"Just call me Naya."
Naya-san, formerly known as Kurosuki, said in a somewhat shy voice.
She seems like the type to be a bit shy around others.
"Today, we’re heading to the Sakuramachi Management Dungeon. Follow me."
"Yes!"
"Good luck!"
Kyōka-san waved her hand enthusiastically as we left.
I returned her gesture with a small bow, then followed Naya-san out of the office.
Outside, in the company’s parking space, there was a large hoverbike parked.
Wow, it looks incredibly cool!!
The metallic black design really appeals to the male sense of style.
...Could this be Naya-san’s?
As I thought that, Naya-san confidently hopped into the cockpit-like seat.
"Get on."
Following her lead, I climbed into the seat, clinging to her.
Immediately, I heard the low hum of the motor as it started.
The massive downward-facing fans, replacing the front and rear wheels, began spinning, and with the wind, the bike lifted off the ground.
Then, it glided smoothly across the road.
"Hold on tight."
"Yes!"
And so, I was on my way to my first dungeon with Naya-san...
––〇●〇––
"We’re here."
"Is this the place?"
After about twenty minutes of speeding through the city on the hoverbike, we arrived at an open area, like a park, surrounded by buildings.
In the distance, there stood a stone gate that looked out of place in the modern cityscape.
...That must be the entrance to the Sakuramachi Management Dungeon.
Surrounding the gate were white pillar-like devices that emitted a faint glow.
Next to them was a simple building that resembled a weather station, with machines that looked like radar equipment.
The contrast between the fantasy-like stone gate and the modern technological equipment felt almost like a clash between worlds.
"...This is amazing."
"Everyone says that when they see it for the first time."
A circular area surrounded by white pillars.
As soon as I stepped inside, a dense magical energy enveloped my entire body.
I never imagined I’d feel such a concentration of magic in Japan, a place so distant from magic.
Those pillar-like devices must be blocking the flow of magic, I guess?
I’ve never heard of any magic research being conducted in Japan, but it’s quite fascinating.
"...Are you nervous?"
"No, no! I’m fine!"
She must have thought I was nervous about my first job.
I quickly shook my head in denial, trying to reassure her.
Her tone may be blunt, but she seems like a very kind person at heart.
Reaching into her backpack, she tossed me a bottle.
"Sports drink. A must-have for dungeon exploration."
"Oh, thank you."
"Next time, you should bring your own."
With that, Naya-san started walking toward the gate.
In sync with that, the heavy stone door slowly began to open.
The door seems to be designed to open automatically when a person approaches.
Beyond the door, there was a swirling black mist, making it impossible to see through.
Is that... solidified magic?
It seems that the magical energy in the air is flowing from beyond the gate.
"Do you know what a dungeon is like, rookie?"
"Um, isn’t it a point where another universe overlaps? It’s like a different world inside the dungeon compared to here?"
"That’s right, it's literally a different world, not like Earth at all. Officially, it’s called a singularity formation area."
"...That sounds pretty cool."
"Yes."
Naya-san nodded nonchalantly, her expression still neutral.
However, there was a pure, almost childlike gleam in her eyes.
Naya-san might be cool, but she seems like the type who enjoys that kind of thing.
I can kind of relate, though, since in my past life I also gave long, formal names to the magic I developed.
...They were so long that the Magic Association told me to change them, and I reluctantly did so.
"Sakuramachi is a well-maintained management dungeon. But there are monsters. Do you know what’s the most important thing when fighting them?"
"Being able to approach without fear, right?"
Naya-san nodded in satisfaction at my answer.
Monsters aren’t entities from this world.
Because of that, they possess the ability to slip through almost any kind of attack.
When the dungeon first appeared in Tokyo, the reason the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and U.S. military forces were forced to retreat was because of this.
Nearly all long-range missile attacks and airstrikes were rendered ineffective.
However, this peculiar trait is obstructed when humans engage the monsters up close.
This phenomenon was accidentally discovered when a squad from the Self-Defense Forces failed to retreat and became isolated.
Scientifically, there are various speculations about this, like the observer effect in quantum mechanics...
…Honestly, I don’t really know much about this stuff either.
What is certain, though, is that monsters can only be attacked when humans approach and see them.
This is why, instead of modern long-range warfare using radar and heavy weaponry, close combat by Slayers has become the mainstream method of monster extermination.
"The closer you get to a monster, the weaker it becomes. But, of course, there's always the risk of retaliation, so be careful."
"Yes!"
"Alright, let’s go."
With that, Naya-san jumped into the gate.
I followed her, taking a step forward.
Suddenly, my vision went dark, and I felt a dizzying sensation.
Then, the next moment—
"…Wait, is this for real?"
What greeted my eyes was a completely unexpected scene.
"Why is there a Venolind landscape here?"
On the other side of the gate was a vast grassland.
And beyond it, I could clearly see the peaks towering through the clouds.
––Smoke Mountain.
It was the sacred mountain from the world of Venolind, where I had lived in my past life.
Famous for being a place where the dragon veins converge, I had spent about six months training there during my past life.
So, there's no way I could mistake it for another mountain.
"...What’s wrong?"
"Well... I had imagined dungeons to be more confined spaces. It’s surprising."
"Looks can be deceiving. The wide-open space is just an illusion. In reality, after you go a certain distance, there’s an invisible wall."
I see, so this is a dungeon, not actually Venolind.
But still, why does it look so much like a real place?
Could it be that there’s some kind of connection between Japan and Venolind?
At least, I don’t know anything about it yet...
As someone who had the title of "Sage," I was confident in my knowledge.
If it were my past self, I would have definitely been intrigued by such an interesting topic about connections with other worlds.
"Here it comes."
While I was thinking about this, a large wild dog suddenly jumped out from the grass.
Hmm, this is a monster I haven’t seen in Venolind.
It had a grayish, almost collarless fur coat, and its limbs were horribly thin.
However, its dull, glowing eyes radiated a strong, murderous intent.
"A Greyhound. It doesn’t have much stamina, but it’s fast, so be careful."
"Just like it looks."
I quickly gathered my magic into my palm and prepared a spell.
Since we were in a grassy area, wind magic would be a good choice to prevent it from spreading.
I made that decision in an instant and quickly began casting the spell.
"<Wind Shot>!"
The wind howled, and the blast shot out like a bullet.
A dull explosion followed shortly after.
The gust of wind hit the creature’s emaciated belly, creating a gaping hole.
"Yowwwl!?"
An unexpectedly pitiful cry for a monster.
After that, the Greyhound fell still, unmoving.
It only took one hit from a low-level spell, so it doesn’t seem to be all that tough.
Even by Venolind standards, it’s not much.
"...I’m surprised."
Meanwhile, Naya-san, who had been watching my hunt, looked genuinely astonished.
She immediately approached me, comparing the Greyhound’s carcass with my hand.
"I’ve never seen a beginner take down something with one hit."
"Ahaha... I’ve got power, at least."
Naya-san, instead of being impressed, wore a somewhat skeptical expression.
Wind Shot may be a low-level wind spell back in Venolind, but maybe it's actually pretty powerful here on Earth.
It’s hard to adjust the power to just the right level.
"...Um, Naya-senpai, could you show me how you fight?"
"Got it."
She nodded lightly and then cracked her knuckles as if to psych herself up.
...Come to think of it, she isn’t carrying any weapons.
Could she be planning to fight bare-handed?
As I was a little surprised, I heard a low growl coming from the grass.
It was probably one of the Greyhound’s companions.
It seemed to be cautiously watching us, behaving more cautiously than a starving beast would normally act.
"There are three of them."
"You can tell?"
"Y-yeah. Well..."
"Got it."
As I nodded, Naya-san stepped forward toward the pack.
––Thud!
A strange heavy sound came from the ground.
It was the sound of something massive moving, as if a giant was walking.
At the same time, Naya-san’s skin, which had been pale as snow, began to shine with a silver gleam.
"<Iron Maiden>"
Her lips trembled slightly as she spoke the name of what seemed to be her <Idea>.
At that moment, the Hounds all lunged at once, charging toward Naya-san’s body, aiming for her unprotected head and neck.
How tricky—aiming for the areas not covered by the tactical suit.
––What will she do!?
I held my breath and watched, but to my surprise, Naya-san didn’t move at all.
At this rate, the Hounds' claws would reach her face in no time—wait, what?
"What’s happening!?"
The moment the Hound’s claws hit Naya-san’s cheek, a sharp, screeching metallic sound echoed through the air.
At the same time, sparks flew, and the claws shattered with surprising ease.
What the heck just happened?
Could it be that she’s also able to use enchantment magic?
While I was stunned, Naya-san calmly crushed the Hound’s head with her bare hands.
––Thud!
Her punch, which seemed almost too powerful for a woman’s slender arm, slammed the Hound’s body into the ground with tremendous force.
"...This is how I fight."
In just a few dozen seconds, the pack of Hounds was wiped out.
Despite the Hounds' claws hitting her face, Naya-san hadn’t sustained even a scratch.
What kind of ability is this?
It looks like some form of body enhancement magic, but it's strange for there to be a metallic sound when her body is struck.
"Did your body turn into steel?"
"That's right, you caught on quickly."
Naya-san nodded in satisfaction at my response.
She then proceeded to explain the details of her ability.
"My <Idea>, Iron Maiden, allows me to convert my entire body into metal. This greatly boosts both my offensive and defensive abilities, but it also makes my body much heavier, so I have to be careful about my footing."
"Wow..."
That’s quite an interesting ability.
Her ability seems to have applications in both offense and defense.
But still, for a Slayer's power, which is said to sometimes surpass modern weaponry, isn’t this a bit underwhelming?
As I was thinking this, Naya-san seemed to read my thoughts, and with a slightly irritated look on her face, she spoke.
"Did you just think I was weak for a second?"
"N-no, I didn’t mean that..."
"I knew it. Come with me."
So, with Naya-san in a slightly tense mood, I was led to the edge of the grassland.
It was a gentle slope, scattered with large rocks.
Naya-san placed her hand on one of them, a rock about the size of a car, and said casually.
"Step back a bit."
"Wait, no way..."
Seeing the surprise on my face, Naya-san took a few steps back and then positioned her fist at her waist.
She took a deep breath and then—
"Haa!!"
A deafening roar echoed through the air.
At the same time, her fist drove into the rock face, instantly causing countless cracks to appear.
Soon, the large rock crumbled with a loud rumble.
That’s pretty impressive. It looks like she’s producing the power of a high-level magic, almost.
How is this working, exactly?
"This is my Tenfold Punch."
"How do you do that?"
"When my fist makes contact, I turn my entire arm into lead. The density of lead is about ten times that of the human body, so the power increases by ten times."
"Wow...!"
That’s a very clever use of her ability.
Increasing attack power by ten times is something that even magic has a hard time achieving.
Come to think of it, with Naya-san's ability, she could probably destroy that mannequin too.
Her power probably exceeds the spell I used.
"With your ability, wouldn’t the mannequin’s score go up to about a thousand?"
"That mannequin?"
"The one we used during the entrance exam."
"It’s probably around that. But this... is because I've trained my ability to the point where I’ve broken through a wall."
"Wall?"
"Yeah. With an <Idea>, if you use it enough, it can grow rapidly. When it reaches that level, it’s called breaking through a wall."
I see, so <Ideas> are pretty deep, huh.
I wonder if Naya-san’s ability could grow even more if she continues using it.
It would be strong if she could transform her entire body into something like diamond, not just metal.
...Though it might seem a bit too flashy for her, considering her image.
"...By the way, what would you think if someone could break this rock right after awakening their <Idea>?"
"That person wouldn’t exist."
"What if there was?"
"Probably an alien or someone from another world?"
Naya-san tilted her head slightly and muttered.
Yeah, she’s probably joking, but she’s actually very close to the mark.
Since I’m someone from another world in my past life, I could probably shatter it into pieces...
While I sweated coldly on the inside, the training proceeded smoothly.
––〇●〇––
"Wow! Bringing back so many magic stones during training, that’s impressive!"
That evening.
When we returned to the company, we immediately showed off the results of our day’s hunt.
Seeing the pile of magic stones spread out on the table, Kyōka-san’s eyes widened in surprise.
By the end of the day, we had taken down about thirty Greyhounds.
"These are all small-sized, though."
"But still, this amount is amazing! Just wait a moment!"
Kyōka-san quickly fetched a scale from the back and began placing the magic stones onto it.
Then, using something like a laser pointer, she checked the stones' glow.
"Given the purity and weight of these... after deductions, it comes to about 73,000 yen."
"Seventy-three thousand!? "
That's more than double my entire savings. We managed to earn that much in just one day, even though it was between the two of us.
At this rate, how much could we make in a month...!?
I’d heard that some people can make over 3 million yen in commissions, and with this pace, it seems like that amount could really be possible.
However, Naya-san seemed a little dissatisfied.
"Hm, it’s a bit low considering the amount."
"Recently, the market for small magic stones has increased, and their value has dropped."
"I see. In that case, just split it evenly between you and me."
"Oh, I’m fine with taking less! It’s all thanks to you, Naya-senpai!"
When all was said and done, Naya-san had taken down more than I had.
She had spent a lot of time teaching me efficient hunting techniques and other strategies.
If Naya-san and I were to split it evenly, there’s no way I could accept that.
She’s someone who should have been making magic stones in higher-level dungeons, after all.
But Naya-san shook her head in refusal.
"Half and half is fine. There wasn’t much for me to teach you, anyway."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Not only were you good at monster hunting, but your tactics were pretty seasoned too."
She said that while giving me a meaningful look.
Ah, well, I did spend a long time as an adventurer in my past life…
It seems that the habits from that time still stuck with me.
Well, if a complete beginner suddenly acted like an experienced veteran, I’d be surprised too.
"Ahaha... Actually, my parents were Slayers."
That wasn’t a lie.
My father was a Slayer, just like my mother.
Unfortunately, he passed away in an accident, leaving my family to face hardship.
Though, since he passed away shortly after Nami was born, I don’t remember much about him.
"So, you received some special training?"
"Yes. I tried to become a Slayer at this age due to certain circumstances."
"I see, that makes sense."
Perhaps Kyōka-san decided it was no use dwelling on it.
She spoke in a casual tone, and Naya-san nodded, though she still wore a slightly serious expression.
Although Naya-san didn’t seem fully convinced, she gave off the vibe that she would follow the president’s lead for now.
"...By the way, what about your portion, Sakuragaku-kun?"
"What do you mean? The commission for the month will be paid later, right?"
"We can do that, but we can also give you today’s payment on the spot."
It seemed like Kyōka-san, sensing that I didn’t have much flexibility with my finances, was offering to pay my commission for today right away.
Oh, this is incredibly helpful...!
I was getting close to my limit with just eating bean sprouts every day.
"Then, I’ll take it, please!"
"Certainly. It’s 36,500 yen."
Kyōka-san retrieved cash from the safe in the back.
Alright, with this, I’ll be able to buy something nice for Nami to bring home today...!
My excitement couldn’t be contained, and as I was about to leave, Kyōka-san said with a smile.
"If you continue being a Slayer, you can steadily earn around this much. So make sure to work hard!"
"Yes!"
"Make sure you don’t be late tomorrow! We have more training!"
With that, I bowed to Kyōka-san and Naya-san, then headed home with my first paycheck in hand.
––〇●〇––
"I'm home!"
"Welcome back! That was quick!"
As soon as I opened the door, Nami ran up to me.
Since it was my first day, she must have been worried about me.
I proudly showed her a big package.
"I got my paycheck today, so I bought a souvenir."
"Really!?"
"Yeah. Let’s eat it right away!"
Excited, Nami hurried me as I placed the package on the table.
When I unwrapped it, a large wooden sushi box appeared.
On the brown wrapping paper, the word "Premium" was written in bold brush strokes.
"Is this sushi!?"
"Yeah. I told you before, let’s have something delicious to celebrate, right? So I bought it."
When I opened the box, a colorful array of sushi toppings immediately caught my eye.
It had been years since I’d seen anything other than a basic sushi roll.
Both Nami and I loved sushi, but we had been in such a tight spot that we couldn't even afford discounted supermarket sushi.
Eating such high-quality sushi felt like it could be a first for us.
"Can I eat the toro, Onii-chan!?"
"Sure, but make sure to wipe your hands properly before you eat."
"Okay!"
Nami quickly wiped her hands with the paper napkin that came with the sushi box.
Then, she hastily shoved the toro into her mouth at lightning speed.
In her rush, she even forgot to dip it in soy sauce.
"Ugh...!"
With a blissful expression, her eyes grew heavy as she savored the taste.
They say when you eat something truly delicious, you become speechless, and that was exactly the case here.
She slowly closed her eyes and occasionally let out a contented sigh, completely immersed in the world of the wonderful flavor.
Watching her enjoy the sushi was so contagious that it almost felt like I could taste it too.
"I’ll give you some of mine, so take your time eating."
"...Thank you!! I love you, Onii-chan!!"
"Alright, when my next paycheck comes in, I’ll take you to Jōjōen."
(T/N: Jōjōen (叙々苑) is a well-known chain of high-end yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) restaurants in Japan.)
"Wow!!"
"Hahaha, just leave it to your Onii-chan!"
And so, that evening, the two of us, siblings, relished a rare moment of happiness.