Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: The Wobbly Aspiring Adventurer
On the first day of registering as an adventurer, I managed to earn over 1.5 million yen by diving into a dungeon.
It seems the Level 49 power I obtained is quite amazing.
Even in the lower layers, I can hunt prey with ease.
Well, I must not let my guard down, and I have no intention of pushing myself too hard.
Since I made a fortune, today's work is over.
I came to an inn that costs 5,000 yen per night, but it's absolutely nothing.
There isn't even a bed; it's just a box with four walls of exposed mortar.
"Man... this is 5,000 yen?"
But the online reviews seem good, so the others must be even worse.
If you want to stay somewhere nice, it means you have to join a guild or pay money.
If you join a guild, you can use their lodging facilities, and apparently, there are baths too.
I see... but in exchange, they take a cut of your earnings, right?
If you want comfort and don't want to take risks, joining a guild might be an option.
Well, a normal person might get discouraged in such a room with nothing, but I'm different.
After all, I have an Item Box.
I took out an air mattress and a blanket and laid them on the bare mortar floor.
With an air mattress, I can sleep anywhere.
Since I can store it inflated, the Item Box is really convenient.
Also, there is a lock, but I'm worried about the security, so I'll summon some sandbags and place them by the door.
This way, no one will burst in suddenly.
I haven't heard that the security is that bad, though.
"If a fire breaks out here, it would be bad..."
In fact, there have been several major fires in the Special District.
If a fire starts in such a crowded, messy place, it's understandable.
I get why Oba-chan says "Don't use fire."
Although, Oba-chan herself smokes, though.
Well, I'm hungry, so I'll eat.
I took out boiled sweet potatoes and curry stewed in a large pot from the Item Box.
I put the potatoes in disposable paper bowls and poured the curry over them.
Potato curry.
Both rice and potatoes are carbohydrates, so they're pretty much the same, right?
It tastes good normally.
If I wanted to eat meat, I could buy it outside, but that's probably monster meat, isn't it?
As for the taste, not many bad things are written about it, so it seems edible, but I still have some resistance.
Maybe I'll get used to it eventually.
While I was eating, it got dark outside.
I must have been in the dungeon for quite a long time.
"No... wait..."
The space inside the dungeon is warped... does that mean time flows differently there too?
Let me Google that.
I took out the chemical light I had put in my pocket, and it was still glowing.
It should last as long as I'm awake.
Since everyone in Japan is saving electricity, people's lives have returned to the past.
Meaning, wake up at sunrise and sleep at sunset.
Well, sleeping at sunset is a bit early, so most people are probably still awake.
Still, the city doesn't become a sleepless city like in the past, and the entertainment district is quiet.
Neon lights are also being asked to refrain from use.
I could turn it on, but I'd get beaten up by society for "in this day and age!"
For the same reason, the ball-tossing games that used to be in front of train stations have completely disappeared.
No one could have dreamed the world would end up like this.
Oops, more importantly, I need to gather information on my smartphone.
It's great that the internet is connected, but the high charging cost is a drawback.
I wonder if there's any way to secure power somehow?
Wind power?
No, since I have the stamina and power, I could turn a generator by hand?
That's one way, but then I'd get hungry and spend money on food.
Would it be faster to just pay the 3,000 yen for 10 minutes of charging?
"I'm in trouble..."
There are bulletin boards for adventurers and dungeons, so I tried asking a question there.
It's like a thread for dungeon beginners.
"I dived in for the first time today. There were children inside, is that an open secret?"
"Oh yeah, they exist."
"Well, don't worry. Sometimes the world doesn't run on pretty words."
"I see, I guess so. I was surprised to have my prey taken, so I'll be careful next time."
"That was a disaster from the first day."
"It's a common dungeon occurrence."
So, everyone knows there are children inside.
"Is the meat sold at the stalls monster meat?"
"100% yes."
"It's not bad, well, you'll get used to it."
"There's Orcs and Harpies, which have really delicious meat, but that kind is expensive."
So that's how it is?
"Goblins smell terrible, but can that meat be eaten too?"
"Oh, goblins are no good."
"You can only throw away everything except that part."
"Seriously? What part?"
"Well, whatever, I'll take it out of the Item Box and throw it in the dungeon."
"Weapons dropped by goblins smell too, but can they be sold after washing?"
"They can be sold, but cheap."
"Really, goblins are useless."
"If there's a woman in the party, they attack like crazy, so it's troublesome."
"Seriously, the worst."
They are hated a lot.
"So, isn't there any benefit to running away instead of fighting?"
"Oh, you don't know? Goblin testicles sell for a high price."
"Huh? Really? You're not trying to trick me?"
"No, no, seriously. Powerful aphrodisiacs, pharmaceutical companies want them."
"Orc testicles are expensive too."
"Seriously? Do I have to cut off those smelly testicles?"
"Hmm, cut them off or throw them away... is this the adventurer's trial?"
It seems extortion and assault inside dungeons are common too.
If you're killed, saying "I was attacked by monsters" leaves no evidence.
Dungeons seem to be places like that.
If you're worried, you were recommended to join a proper guild.
It seems guilds do act as a deterrent.
"Is there a time difference between inside and outside the dungeon?"
"Yeah, it seems so."
"People camping inside the dungeon seem to have their sense of time completely messed up."
"Sometimes they wake up with day and night reversed without realizing it."
Time really does flow differently.
I hope I don't become Urashima Taro.
The only thing to do here is my smartphone, but the battery is precious... I'll sleep early.
"Oh, right."
I took the video of the Harpy, so I'll try uploading it to a video site.
Actually, I have my own video channel where I upload videos of rural life, but I think it's better to make a separate one.
If something goes wrong and my home is identified, it would be troublesome.
In such a rural area, there are few houses, so I could be identified quickly.
I created a new account on the video site, did some simple video editing, and uploaded it.
Editing just meant connecting the videos, though.
Oh, right... the Harpy's chest is showing, does this count as sensitive content?
It is a monster, though...
Well, for now, I'll publish it and add a mosaic if I get a warning.
A smartphone can handle that much.
If it's a rare monster video, it might be monetizable.
The best would be to film inside the dungeon, but...
It seems electronic devices don't work at all inside.
Still, when I searched the video site, I found a few videos.
Amazingly... someone brought an 8mm film camera into the dungeon.
Silver plate cameras work, so 8mm film can be shot...
Analog is weak to high sensitivity, and there's no bright lighting inside the dungeon.
No image stabilization either.
You get attacked if you get close.
The uploaded videos were also hard to tell what was in them.
Since motors can't be used inside the dungeon, it must be a hand-cranked camera or a spring-driven one.
"Right..."
For serious video editing, I'd want a PC instead of a smartphone... I really need to solve the electricity problem somehow.
I Googled the adventurer bulletin board, and everyone seems to be struggling with power issues.
There seems to be a hotel for advanced users in the Special District where electricity is unlimited.
How much would accommodation cost at such a place?
"Ah, right..."
What if I store a car battery in the Item Box, stay at the hotel for one night, and charge it all there?
If I have a DCDC converter, I can use USB too.
I immediately Googled the nightly rate... it seems to be 50,000 yen.
It's expensive, but good food is served, and it seems to solve the electricity problem.
It might be nice once in a while.
If things go well like today, I can earn quite a bit.
Alright, the battery it is.
By the way... I also need a bicycle.
Buying things here is expensive, so I'll go out of the Special District to shop.
--The day after I first dived into the dungeon.
Since I had an air mattress, the sleeping comfort was good as expected.
I took out bread and canned coffee from the Item Box for breakfast.
I bought a large amount of food supplies at local supermarkets.
Canned coffee and drinks are bought in boxes.
I turned on my smartphone and checked the adventurer bulletin board.
"Oh... the guild that tried to extort potions from me in the dungeon is being burned online."
I didn't write anything, so it's probably people who came to support me who wrote it.
"I see... it seems the security in the Special District is being maintained by pressure from the internet and such."
Businesses might refuse to buy from guilds with bad reputations.
Anyway, that guild's SNS has a post admitting the facts and apologizing, but it's like "it was an emergency request..."
Well, that seems to be burning up even more.
It's not just that; it says the man carrying the live Harpy was the trigger.
That's me.
It's written things like "There was an old man selling live Harpies to businesses, was it him lol."
Please stop it.
I have a feeling I'm going to get involved in some trouble, but once I make money, I'm going back to my hometown.
Let's make money quickly.
It was a minor trouble, but a link to the Harpy video I uploaded on the bulletin board was posted.
I don't know if it's because of that, but the number of accesses is quite high, and the view counter has already exceeded 200,000.
"Seriously..."
It's trending a bit, and the number of channel subscribers has exceeded 100,000.
The connection with the recovering America is still alive, so there are many English comments.
Dungeon videos seem to be of interest on a global level.
Well, this video site is an American company.
It's good that the video is trending, but the comment section is a mess.
It seems to be the people from the guild that tried to extort potions from me.
They probably came via the link from the bulletin board.
It seems other adventurers scolded them for that... leading to a battle.
Sorry, I won't read the comments and will just leave them alone.
If access increases, it can be monetized.
Infamy beats anonymity.
Good or bad, I seem to have secured my fame, so I hope I can monetize it somehow...
For that, I need to make videos that attract viewers' interest...
Even if I understand that, it's hard to aim for it intentionally.
If it were easy, everyone would be rich.
To do that, I'm a bit short on supplies.
I'll go out of the Special District to shop for now.
There's also the battery plan I thought of yesterday.
I put on my backpack and checked out of the inn.
My weapons are stored in the Item Box.
"Did you sleep well?"
Oba-chan was grinning.
"Yes, I slept well. If there's an empty room, I think I'll use it again."
"I see... you're going to be a big shot. I'll keep you as a regular customer."
"If I become a big shot, I'll stay somewhere better, won't I?"
"That's true, haha."
She exhaled cigarette smoke.
Cigarettes these days cost about 2,000 yen a pack, yet she smokes so much.
Maybe she runs this inn to earn money for cigarettes.
When I left the inn, I checked the map on my smartphone and headed for the pier.
I'm going out of the Special District to shop.
When I got to the pier, surprisingly, there were many people.
It costs money to get supplies here, so they go out to shop... that's the feeling.
Everyone thinks the same thing.
Everyone wants to save money.
But when they start making money, some people get careless.
The people in the Special District are making money by doing business with those kinds of people.
Also, there are beginners who are like ducks carrying green onions on their backs.
I wonder how many beginners will remain.
From my experience yesterday, it seems quite tough.
If it's like that, wouldn't it be better to do farm work in the countryside where there's no danger to life?
At least, there's no worry about eating.
Well, people are creatures that seek a fortune.
I'm one of them, but if I hadn't accidentally obtained Level 49 power, I wouldn't have come to such a place.
--While thinking about shopping, I arrived at the pier.
I saw this when I came from Haneda Airport, and a new town has been built here targeting Special District customers.
There seem to be hotels and inns, so commuting daily from here is an option.
It will cost more in expenses... but which one to choose.
If I get exhausted every day, commuting by boat would become troublesome.
Besides, there are people camping inside the dungeon.
I feel like it's bad for the body if you don't get sunlight.
Looking at the shops... big supermarkets and home centers are not having sales.
They sell at fixed prices without discounts, so it would be difficult for individual shops to overcharge at that price.
Those kinds of people are all inside the Special District.
Looking around the town, there are many business hotels.
Are they for adventurers, or for people working inside the Special District?
Or maybe for tourists who like strange things.
For now, I'll buy food supplies.
If I have a large stock, I can sell them in the Special District or use them for barter.
I'll buy cassette gas too.
Although I can't use it inside the dungeon.
I'm buying a lot, but I can't show the Item Box.
I'll buy an appropriate amount of supplies, go outside, pretend to put them in my backpack, and store them in the Item Box.
It requires some technique, but I'll just repeat this a few times.
I can't help but think "Why am I doing this?"
Well, I'll just work hard for a few months until I make money.
I first thought of buying a car battery, but for my purpose, a lithium iron phosphate battery seems better.
I'll buy three of those.
It seems I need a dedicated charger, so I'll buy three of those too, along with a power strip and a DCDC converter.
If I can charge the battery this way, I can charge my smartphone from the USB port.
Since my only source of information is my smartphone, not being able to use it constantly is inconvenient.
Well, I can't use it in the dungeon anyway, so I turn it off.
Oh right... I want a bicycle, but where should I put it in the Item Box after buying it...
For small items, I can pretend to put them in my backpack, but not for a bicycle.
I wish there was a place where no one would notice, but everywhere is full of people.
Taking it into the dungeon and putting it away where no one is there... that would be best.
--And so, I bought a bicycle.
Since there are many bumpy roads inside the dungeon, I chose a mountain bike.
I heard that a friend of mine once tried to attach a carrier to this kind of bicycle, but was told "This is not the kind of bicycle for that," and opposed.
Most people here probably buy it with the assumption of using it in the dungeon.
They didn't oppose when I asked to attach a carrier later.
As I walked through the town pushing the bicycle I bought, I was spoken to.
"Niwa-san!"
"Eh?!"
I turned around, and it was the young man I was with when I came.
"Um, Mochizuki-san, right?"
"Yes!"
"Did you enter the dungeon too? How was it?"
"Well, I was struggling with slimes... I'm thinking of joining a guild to learn how to defeat monsters."
So even at Level 1, you struggle with slimes.
"Still, you got your status, right?"
"Yes, I got it, but... I didn't have any magic."
Getting status means you could register officially.
"I found out I could do reasonably well, so I decided to go solo."
"W-wow, that's amazing~"
"Haha, even though I look like this, I'm an old man who has faced brown bears in the Testing Land of the North."
"Really?"
"Well, yes."
We talked a little, and he seemed fine without injuries, which is a relief.
We exchanged contact information and parted ways.
I wonder... will such an ordinary young man be ground down in the dungeon and become depressed?
I found a battery-powered fluorescent light at a stall and got it.
The price was normal.
I brought rechargeable batteries, but the main power source is hard to get easily...
I miss my hometown where they did micro-hydro power generation in the river...
Buying a wave power generation device individually.
But if I float it around on my own, I'll probably get caught.
There was someone who built a floating island and a house, but I think it was no good.
I finished shopping and decided to return to the Special District.
--When I returned to the Special District, I looked for a place where I could avoid people.
I found a narrow gap between shabby buildings.
Peeking inside, it was pitch black and no one was there.
I put the bicycle in first and stored it in the Item Box.
"..."
There might be a secret shop where you pass through gaps like this.
After putting the bicycle in the Item Box, I went out and headed towards the dungeon entrance.
Today, too, there were many adventurers and merchants at the hole entrance.
I could see people doing some kind of interview.
Maybe media relations?
I don't like those kinds of people, so I ignored them.
Just like yesterday, there were people looking for party members.
Among them, I noticed an old man.
He was a grandfather, his steps were unsteady, and he didn't look like an adventurer at all.
Even if he stumbled around like that, he couldn't fight if he encountered a monster.
--As I was thinking that, the old man was surrounded by a gangster-style adventurer who looked very much like a thug.
"Hey, hey, this isn't a place for grandpas to come to?"
"Shut up! Move! You brats!"
"Oh, oh, what a lively grandpa! Hahaha!"
Young people were surrounding the wobbly old man and bullying him.
No one was helping him... what a terrible sight.
Well, certainly... there is some truth to what the young people are saying...
There might be some circumstances, but I think it's impossible to be an adventurer at that age.
I couldn't stand it, so I took the Sand Iron Bat from my backpack and flashed it to the side.
One of the men bothering the old man fell on his butt right there.
"Hey, cut it out. What are you doing to an old man?"
Surprised by the sudden surprise attack, the thugs turned around.
Their surprised faces... I recognize them...
These guys are the thugs who bothered me when I registered as an adventurer.
"Huh?! What's with you?"
The men came towards me.
"What, did you forget me already?"
"...Ah!" "You bastard!" "That time!"
They were supposed to be shouting in front of the government office and suffering from a concussion, but they seem to have recovered properly.
Did they use a potion or something?
There seem to be magic that can heal, so maybe they used that.
Even with modern medicine, sequelae can remain, so considering that, the power of the dungeon is not to be underestimated.
"What, you remember clearly. Do you want to get beaten up again?"
I swung the bat with incredible speed.
"D-damn! I'll remember this! W-wait!"
The thugs held the man who had fallen on his butt on both sides, spat out moldy-sounding parting words, and hurriedly left.
It seems they understood they couldn't beat me.
Even so, getting bothered by thugs is a standard event in fantasy, but I never thought I'd be the one to experience it.
Oops, more importantly, I need to worry about the old man.
"Hey, old man, are you okay?"
"I... I thank you for saving me..."
Well, there are old men in the countryside who can't thank you straightforwardly.
I'm used to dealing with old men.
"There might be some circumstances, but it's impossible to be an adventurer with that body."
"Leave me alone!"
"Now, now, let's hear the circumstances a bit."
"..."
The old man pressed his lips into a straight line and said nothing.
"Here."
He squatted down and opened his mouth.
"...For my granddaughter..."
According to the old man, his granddaughter has an incurable disease.
"Eh? So, what were you planning to do by diving into the dungeon?"
"I heard there's a medicine inside that can cure any injury or illness..."
"Oh, I have heard such stories..."
In fact, there were stories like treating cancer patients inside the dungeon.
"Is your granddaughter in danger?"
"Yes..."
"If it's a disease that can be cured by surgery, there are various methods like crowdfunding for surgery fees on the internet?"
"I heard surgery is difficult..."
He answered while looking down.
"I see..."
Then he probably thought he would somehow manage it in the dungeon.
Even so, it's too reckless.
"Let me search on the internet... I don't want to say this, but it's impossible for you to go into the dungeon with that body."
"...I know."
Even if he knows, he probably wants to do something for his cute granddaughter; that's the heart of an old man.
"What about other family members?"
"Besides my granddaughters, there is no one."
"I see."
Even relatives, everyone is struggling these days.
For now, I took out my smartphone and Googled the recovery medicine (potion) the old man mentioned.
I had seen rumors about this on the internet, but I hadn't investigated in detail.
If I had a serious illness or a major injury, I might have searched...
I checked the overseas internet just in case.
While fishing through articles using a translation tool, the word and image for "Gold Elixir" hit.
A small bottle and a golden liquid inside.
"Huh? This is..."
I had a sense of familiarity with that bottle.
Could it be... the small bottle I picked up in the backyard?
The way it sparkles inside is exactly the same.
I took off my backpack, pretended to take something out, and took out the small bottle I had obtained before from the Item Box.
"Old man... maybe this small bottle is that Gold Elixir?"
I showed him the internet image and the small bottle I took out side by side.
"R-really?!"
"No, no, there's only this article on the internet. Whether it's true or not..."
"If that's true, give it to me! I'll do anything! Look at this!"
The old man suddenly prostrated himself.
If he did that, he'd stand out a lot.
Everyone around is paying attention.
"Now, now, old man, wait a minute, you're rushing too much... Ah, right, maybe we should just try it."
"Try it?"
The old man lifted his face.
"If it really is that Gold Elixir, even a single drop should have amazing healing power, right?"
"Yes..."
I took out a knife and injured my left hand.
"Ouch!"
A throbbing pain like being set on fire rushed over my hand.
I put down the knife, opened the cap of the small bottle, and put a drop on my finger.
I tried rubbing it into the wound.
The particles contained in the golden liquid seemed to dance like a microscopic dance.
The light gently danced around the wound, and its ripples gradually wrapped around the wound.
From there, glowing lines spread gradually, and finally, even the scar disappeared.
"Wow~ amazing!"
--I was surprised, but it seems the people watching around were surprised too.
"Huh?! What was that just now?!" "It's not a normal recovery potion, right?" "First time seeing this!"
The surroundings were buzzing, but I'll ignore them.
"Old man, this..."
"G-give that to me!"
The old man clung to me.
"Wait a minute, old man, calm down!"
"If you need money, I'll prepare it somehow! You can cut up my body! Take whatever you want!"
"No, no, I don't need your body..."
If it were the body of the Bon Kyu Bon sister, I wouldn't hesitate to take it.
"Please! Please!!"
"Old man, I said calm down!"
I pulled him off.
"Uuu..."
The old man put his hands on the ground and was crying.
He must be in a desperate situation.
Stop it... stories like this work on an old man like me.
"For now, we have to see your granddaughter..."
I can't say that this is acting.
If this is acting, he's Oscar-level.