Chapter 43: Hachioji Dungeon

Having started my activities as a streamer, I just finished my third stream yesterday.

In the first stream, I collaborated with the famous streamer Asakawa-san to show the lower floors, and in the second, I revealed some of the deep floors that almost no one knows about. For the third stream, I decided to try something completely different, a chat stream which turned out to be surprisingly popular.

To be honest, I didn't really care whether my numbers grew or not, but after interacting with viewers as a streamer, I found it more enjoyable than expected... and now I want to engage with more people.

"And so… I'm thinking of increasing the frequency of my streams."

"…Do whatever you like, I guess?"

Asakawa-san seems a bit taken aback, maybe even a little exasperated, as she realizes just how into streaming I've gotten.

Though school is on summer break, I still meet with Asakawa-san regularly in cafes like this one since I'm her mentor. That said, this is actually our first meetup since the break started, as it hasn't even been a week.

"Recently, you've been bouncing between the mid and lower floors for training, right?"

"You… you sure know a lot."

"I watch your streams regularly, after all."

Since I've taken on the role of Asakawa-san's mentor, I make sure to keep an eye on how she's doing by watching her streams. This is something I've learned from my own experience of being left to fend for myself by my grandmother.

"Are you going to stream today too?"

"I'm… still deciding."

"But you said you'd increase the frequency…"

"Well, I have work today."

Apparently, there's been a persistent magical anomaly detected since yesterday with no clear source, so I've been called in as an EX to investigate. It could take until tomorrow or even longer.

"I'm heading to the Hachioji Dungeon."

"Hachioji, huh… I don't think I've ever been there."

"Really? It's not that dangerous, so I recommend it."

"When you recommend something, Tsu…"

Wait, she doesn't trust me? Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Is she still holding a grudge because I recommended the lower floors of the Shibuya Dungeon, saying they weren't that dangerous?

"What's the Hachioji Dungeon like?"

"It's a dungeon with no real appeal."

"…Huh?"

"It's not particularly dangerous, nor does it produce any valuable resources. It's perpetually empty, making it a great place to train without being noticed."

I think it's a dungeon not worth visiting unless you have a specific job there. There's really nothing of value there. Even the number of monsters is low, making it a poor source for magic stones. Honestly, it's just a featureless place. Sorry to anyone who lives in Hachioji, but the Hachioji Dungeon is seriously lacking in value.

"Still, it's curious that no one has ever made it to the lowest level."

"…Maybe that's just because there are so few people."

"Well, that's part of it."

To delve a bit deeper… maybe no one is truly interested in fully exploring the dungeon. The value of magic stones obtained from the mid floors is enough for a comfortable life, so most people don't bother pushing forward. Even in the deep floors of the Shibuya Dungeon, only EX explorers like me and a few S-rank explorers seriously aim to conquer them.

Most A-rank explorers are content with the lower and mid floors.

Dungeons, which once were complete mysteries to humanity, are becoming something familiar. It's easy to blame capitalism for this, but it's a rather troubling situation.

What if… just what if we continue to leave dungeons unconquered? What will happen to the monsters that continue to accumulate in the deep floors? If the theory that deep-floor monsters become stronger by preying on each other holds true… what if one of these endlessly powerful monsters emerges on the surface? Can we really guarantee that won't happen?

"Ugh… it's depressing."

"Wh-what's wrong all of a sudden?"

"It's nothing."

This has nothing to do with Asakawa-san right now.

Despite all my criticism, the Hachioji Dungeon is actually one of the dungeons I'd recommend for beginners.

"So, what floor are you dealing with?"

"They say it's in the mid floors, but the exact location is unclear."

"Okay. Let me know if you find out more… I'll be holed up there for about three days, even if nothing happens."

"Th-three days!?"

The number of people entering the dungeon is low, and the number of monsters appearing is about half that of the Shibuya Dungeon. Their strength is also questionable, making it hard to even call it the mid floors. The environment is simple, with well-paved roads and few obstacles blocking the view. Looking at it, I sometimes think dungeons might just be supernatural beings' way of killing time.

"Kochin."

I spread out the sleeping bag I brought and lie down on the floor of the 30th level, the midpoint of the mid floors.

The Shikigami I summoned is Kochin, one of the Twelve Heavenly Generals. It's a transparent snake with a body of magic power, possessing no physical form. Kochin is a special snake responsible for guarding the capital, but the Kochin I summon from the Twelve Heavenly Generals is a particularly powerful Shikigami specializing in barrier techniques.

As long as Kochin is summoned, no monsters can approach the area near where I'm lying down in my sleeping bag. While Kochin has no offensive abilities, its barrier techniques are so powerful that they more than make up for it.

The ongoing magical anomaly in the Hachioji Dungeon isn't something new. When magical anomalies occur, something unusual usually happens, but the timing is never clear. That's why I end up having to spend a lot of time like this.

The magical anomaly detected in the Hachioji Dungeon this time was measured at -7. When the magical anomaly's value increases, it usually indicates the appearance of monsters stronger than those appropriate for the level. However, when the value decreases, it typically means… a mass outbreak of monsters.

While this is still a hypothesis, it's generally believed that magic circulates within the dungeon, condensing into magic stones that serve as the core for monsters. According to this theory, a higher magic value would produce stronger monsters, while a lower magic value would result in a greater number of monsters.

There's also speculation that the circulating magic is absorbed from dead monsters or from the magic released by people who enter the dungeon, but this isn't certain. If the previous theory is correct, though, then collecting magic stones would gradually reduce the dungeon's magic power.

"…Hmm?"

While lost in thought, I noticed that within just a few hours, a considerable number of monsters had gathered outside the barrier created by Kochin. While this is a common sight in the Shibuya Dungeon, it's rare in the Hachioji Dungeon. The fact that there are so many monsters here must mean this really is a magical anomaly.

Just as I was thinking that, my phone rang.

'The dungeon's magic level is rapidly decreasing!'

"…It's about to start, isn't it?"

'Please be careful!'

If the magic level is dropping, it means a large number of monsters have been spawned somewhere. Even if there are a hundred or five hundred monsters in the mid floors of the Hachioji Dungeon, it doesn't make much difference to me.

"Raiju."

I'll crush them with overwhelming speed.