My goodness. Most of my savings went into repairs for the window and veranda. And now that the landlord knows I’m unemployed, he has a bad image of me and wants me to move out.
I need to start earning a steady income as a seeker, or I’ll be in trouble.
And so, I go to the shopping mall tailored for seekers called Dungeon Town, and buy the beginner’s set.
The set contains a foldable spear, and an edged weapon that’s more like a dull nata knife. There’s a full-body protective suit that’s like tights, and is good against edged weapons and impacts. Also, a backpack that can be fastened to the body tight, so it doesn’t get in the way during combat, and provides defense. And other stuff that should be useful to seekers… In total, it costs fifty thousand yen, tax included.
It seems expensive, but it’s cheaper than buying everything separately. And it’s made by the famous exploration goods brand Mizumo, which has a good policy regarding defective products.
The receptionist lady tried to stop me, but my intentions are mostly unchanged. I want to be the greatest seeker. I won’t give up that dream.
That said, what I want now is money. Cash. Money isn’t everything, but I can’t live a peaceful life without it. Warmth in the pocket breeds generosity.
I’m ready, so I want to try out a dungeon.
It goes without saying that I don’t want to do anything dangerous, but dungeons always come with a certain danger, so I can’t be too careful.
I’m going to a dungeon on the edge of Saitama, that’s said to be used by beginners. It’s called Yoshikawa Gate.
Incidentally, there are labyrinth gates, but the places beyond them are typically underground caves that exist somewhere outside of Earth.
There are restrictions regarding where people can go, and no one really knows if the dungeons are actually underground. All we know is that there’s never been a public case of seekers reaching the surface.
In any case, it’s finally time. There’s something like a sturdy pre-fab building around Yoshikawa Gate, so it’s impossible to sneak in.
Most gates can be closed by destroying the gate crystal that exists in the dungeon somewhere, but ones deemed valuable are kept open to collect resources. This Yoshikawa Gate is one of the resource dungeons open to the people.
‘Please present your seeker device.’
“Here you go.”
‘Confirmed. Thank you. Make sure your seeker device’s camera is on. Recording protects the rights and gains of a seeker.’
Seekers use their seeker devices as bodycams, and are obligated to keep them recording. The footage is used in case of an accident or trouble between seekers, and the devices are protected in a way that prevents false testimony. This makes them valuable evidence in court.
They also log any time seekers come within a certain distance of each other, so if someone breaks another’s device, that can also be easily tracked.
Also, upon return, seekers present their footage to an AI that can analyze it quickly, collect information from within the dungeon, assess collected materials and the degree of contributions, and depending on what happened, pay out an information fee.
Because of all this, there is practically no crime in dungeons. Seekers typically don’t commit crimes, so there is actually more trouble in the outside world.
It sounds weird to say, but this tight surveillance means public order might actually be better in dungeons.
‘Keep your safety in mind, and have a wonderful seeker life.’
I pass through the gate that has two gatling guns in a crossfire position in front of it, and finally enter the dungeon.
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【Next time】
It’s a land of fantasy. A crystal cave. Zenjurou will dig his fangs into it. A place that invites death. A game where life itself is the chips.
And an angry roar will echo through his land.
