Don’t you also want to be the greatest seeker?
I’ve been living for my job ever since I graduated from university, and I just happen to see a poster with that written on it in a corner of the Public Employment Security Office.
Come to think of it, I have never tried to be the best at anything. I never dreamed of being the greatest. I did my job properly, was happy with my stable life, and heard even from people my age that I look old for my age.
But the company went bankrupt, and as I find myself without anything I want to do, hobbies, or will to live, this phrase practically melts into me. Well then, this will be the starting point of my new life. From this day forward, my life’s goal will be to become the greatest seeker.
Storage old man (Shura) ~The weakest middle-aged man with the Storage skill unlocked the last boss tier ability Time Control~
Dungeons, is what we call them. It’s been over ten years since the gates connected somewhere else appeared all over the world.
Gates increased with each passing day, along with the dangerous beasts that live in dungeons. Armies all over the world found themselves overrun, and some places were taken from them.
There were also some who wanted the materials found within the dungeons, so new laws were established unprecedentedly fast, and the exploration of dungeons was open to citizens.
We now live in an age where the occupation known as seeker is on the rise.
But every new light casts a shadow. I, Zenjurou Oonuki (thirty-five), lost my job six months ago. The company I worked for prided itself on making products without relying on dungeons, wishing to keep itself stable, since no one knows how long the blessings of the dungeons will be available to us… But this company was swallowed by the times we live in, went bankrupt, and I lost my place as a corporate warrior.
Dungeons have been accepted. Old people and ideas who do not fit this age are disappearing. I followed the company’s ideas, and lived a life unrelated to dungeons both professionally and personally, but I admired seekers who made them their workplace, so it’s not that strange for them to be my next workplace too.
In any case, the path to becoming a seeker is settled. First, I need to pass a test approved by the country, and get myself a seeker license. Then I need to receive awakening surgery, so I’m apt to enter the world beyond the gates. This procedure turns people into a sort of cyborg.
It was once criticized by people who said the human body should not be tampered with in such a manner, but once raw footage of people using themselves as human shields in front of a gate being devoured by magic beasts was played on TV, public opinion shifted to those surgeries being a matter of personal responsibility.
Apparently the former director played it because he wanted to change the tide, because he lost a child to a dungeon disaster, but as a result, I’m out of a job.
People can’t subsist on ideals alone.
Getting back on track. Awakened seekers are stronger than regular humans, and depending on the person, can get special powers called skills. Even a guy in his mid thirties can become superhuman.
That’s why I thought. After over ten years of being eroded by the waves of society, now that I’m free of my shackles, I could do with some adventures. I could try to become the greatest seeker.
This is coming from someone who doesn’t know a thing about dungeons.
I’m aware of that, and I’m an underdog at this age. But I want to dream big, so I declare I will be the greatest seeker!
“Yes, we have the results. Mister Oonuki, you have awakened to an F rank Storage skill.”
“Ah, yes.”
“This is the Storage skill. It is one of the skills a seeker would want. F rank means you can store about as much as a half a liter plastic bottle.”
“A plastic bottle. That’s… Not much, is it?”
“Yes. It is not. Also, you have bigger problems. Your Physical Strength, Aim, Agility, Stamina, and Intelligence are all F rank. To be honest, this is a first for me. An all F is not normal.”
“..”
“Are you listening, Mister Oonuki?”
“Yes, I am. Hum… This isn’t good, is it?”
“Yes. Not for a seeker. Physical abilities grow according to level, and the scale is displayed by the level. F means they grow at a rate of zero point zero one. So it is not as though you won’t grow, but your growth is not much better than a normal person’s.”
“So I’m not different from a common person…”
“Yes. Stats are seen as more important than skills for a stable seeker life, but… This is out of the question.”
And now that I have become a seeker, I…
“I’m not cut out to be a seeker, am I?”
“No, sadly.”
After taking my first step, the receptionist at the seeker association tells me I’m off the team.
———————————
【Next time】
The first step of a man entering a new world is accompanied by the dull sound of a reddish brown bell.
But hold your tears. Zenjurou Oonuki. This man is a modern day Shura, carrying out the deeds of demons with a smile of bodhisattva on his face. Silently but firmly, this man takes his first step.
And he will see a glimpse of the power he obtained.
