TN: Please read my translations only on my website since I never give my permission to any site to host my translations. And if you like my translations, please support this site on Ko-fi and Patreon to read several chapters ahead!
Enjoy~
TL: ALT
Chapter 184 – Dungeon Date (Part 1)
After hearing Serika and Haitani-san’s depressing story, I went to Shinjuku Central Park with Serika.
There are two A-rank dungeons around Shinjuku Station.
Shinjuku Central Park Dungeon and Shinjuku Gyoen Dungeon.
If you go a little further south, you’ll find the Yoyogi Park Dungeon, and if you go to Shibuya, the Shibuya Hachiko-mae Dungeon is also an A-rank dungeon. [T/n: It literally means in front of Hachiko.]
By the way, the dungeon in front of the Moyai statue in Shibuya seems to be a B-rank dungeon.
Shibuya Station has been rebuilt to create more underground space, but unlike Shinjuku Station, it has not yet been turned into a dungeon.
Aside from such trivia about the Shinjuku area,
The reason I came to the guild room today was not only because of the story I just told you.
In fact, the story I just told you was just a side note.
The reason I came to the guild room was because there’s a welcoming party for the new member of the Paladin Knights tonight.
Huh? Who are we welcoming?
Of course, it’s me, right?
I’m not good at this kind of thing, so I tried to come up with various reasons to refuse, but I couldn’t justify the situation where we’re in the same guild but haven’t even met.
“I’m so nervous.”
I muttered to myself as I walked through Central Park,
“Are you still saying that? It’s okay. Everyone is a good person.”
Serika said cheerfully, but I couldn’t let my guard down.
Considering Serika’s personality, it wouldn’t be strange if half the people in the world were judged as “good people.”
From my perspective, with my complicated personality, I feel that the majority of people in the world would become my enemies if push came to shove.
In fact, at school and at work, when I think about what the people who seemed like “nice people” did to me…
They would say things like, “I’m going to test you to see if you’re suitable for Paladin Knights!” and then challenge me to a mock battle…”
“No way!”
“Or maybe something like, ‘So, you were the one who messed around with our representative,’ and then they will beat me up in a group…”
“No way!”
“Or maybe they all agreed beforehand to ignore me during the welcome party…”
“I told you, that’s not going to happen! And besides, that’s not a welcome party at all, is it?”
Serika tried to calm me down, but my negativity finally got to her.
“I chose these members, you know? I chose the people I thought were the best, and I’m proud of my choice. Are you questioning my judgment, Yuto?”
“N-no… That’s not it…”
But it is, isn’t it?
“Sorry, I just developed my chronic social anxiety disorder.”
When I looked at the clock in the park, it was just after 2:30.
“Hey, Yuto, this is the portal to the dungeon entrance.”
Serika pointed to Niagara Falls in the direction of our progress.
In the middle of the man-made waterfall that is the symbol of Shinjuku Central Park, there was a familiar black reflection floating on the water.
Tourists took commemorative photos with the black reflection.
After taking the photo, they looked down at their smartphones and tilted their heads, probably because the portal to the dungeon didn’t appear in the photo.
There are also several figures of people who look like explorers taking a break on the plaza in front of Niagara Falls.
“Okay, let’s conquer this quickly to ease the tension.”
“…No, it’s not a dungeon that can be conquered quickly with that kind of attitude.”
Serika looks at me reproachfully.
There’s still time between lunch and the welcome party.
Haitani-san says, “Why don’t you go on a date with Serika-san?” but even if I were suddenly asked, I can’t think of anywhere to go on a date.
First of all, the welcome party, an event that requires communication skills, is coming up, and if I go on a date with my new girlfriend before that, it’ll easily exceed my daily capacity.
I thought I’d like to spend some time relaxing somewhere quiet and empty, and then I had an idea.
There is a place that is quiet and empty where you can relax, isn’t there?
Yes, a dungeon.
Needless to say, Haitani-san looked at me with a stunned expression when I said, “I’m going to explore the dungeon for a bit.
But I think it’s a good idea.
Because now I’m…
“…Is it really true that you are okay with forming a party now, Yuto?”
Serika asks again when we enter the dungeon.
“Yes. It’s a bit complicated to explain in detail, but with the current setup with five jobs, even if I kill all the enemies, I won’t get any experience points.”
“…There are so many things I want to say, but I don’t feel like saying anything…”
I told Serika about the things I’ve experienced in the job world.
But of course, she can’t really imagine that I somehow wandered into a parallel world with a different system.
“I think I also need to show Serika my current abilities before the welcome party.”
That is why I came to the Shinjuku Central Park Dungeon with Serika.
As I said before, the Shinjuku Central Park Dungeon is an A-rank dungeon.
The monster level range is from 550 to 620, so it’s a middle-class dungeon among A-rank dungeons.
Perhaps reflecting the size of the park, the first floor is quite large, but there are only five floors in total.
The monsters that appear are mainly kobolds, orcs, and lizardmen. You could say it’s an orthodox lineup.
What makes it different, however, is that each monster has a variety of subspecies, and sometimes, elite species are mixed in with the subspecies.
For the average explorer, this is a dungeon that will simply challenge your basic skills.
Because of its proximity to the Explorers’ Guild headquarters, it is often used by A-rank Explorers forming a party for the first time to test their coordination with each other.
“Oh, look, there’s a group of Lizardmen, and there’s an elite one.”
Serika said, pointing into the depths of the dungeon.
“The elite one looks female. I wonder if we should call it a lizard person?”
Even though there are male and female forms, monsters don’t mate and reproduce.
Monsters are something that dungeons create, and they don’t reproduce naturally like creatures on the surface.
I don’t know about the world Haruka-san and Clovis came from, though.
I wonder if the dungeon decided to create female-shaped monsters in Shinjuku, a district where large companies with many female employees are concentrated.
I can’t help but feel that these are elite female managers who have worked hard to bring together their male colleagues who are older than them.
“You wouldn’t say it’s difficult to deal with because it’s female, would you?”
“No way.”
Considering that this is modern Japan, it seems odd that so many explorers don’t feel any aversion to defeating―or even “killing”―monsters.
Monsters are born evil, and there is no way to ever get along with them.
Even so, humans tend to project their own personalities onto things that take human form.
If you think about it that way, you should feel a little more resistance to defeating humanoid monsters.
It seems that some people are uncomfortable with that.
I’m a little like that myself.
The mini-slimes I created as my henchmen seem cute, but I have no problem fighting the slimes that appear as enemies.
I suspect that the reason I’ve been able to continue exploring the dungeon is not because my conscience has been dulled by fighting―but because my senses themselves have been deceived.
To begin with, the fact that dungeons even exist is strange, but when I point it out, it’s as if I’m the one who’s strange.
I guess that’s just part of the crazy modern common sense that says explorers are the ones who go into dungeons and fight monsters.
“Are you sure you can handle yourself? A pack of elites is pretty tough.”
“I’m used to dealing with enemies that work together.”
Starting with the Hobbits in the Hikarigaoka Park Dungeon, I’ve fought the Red Capes and Red Cap Goblins in the job world, and finally, all three of the “Saber Saber” team, except for the other me.
There’s no way that this lizard person squad will be able to coordinate their attacks any better than they did back then.
No, even if they were able to coordinate, it wouldn’t really mean anything.
Because,
“――Superior Inferno.”
I cautiously approach, kill my presence, and then cast a long incantation, activating the Demon King’s wide area destruction magic.
I have the S-rank Usurper’s ability to hide my presence.
Monsters at this level won’t notice me at first.
By the way, Serika is taking care of the mini slime I brought with me (Lachesis).
Lachesis also has Covert and Stealth, but at her level, she might still be noticed by the monsters in A-rank dungeons.
Serika is surprised by the crimson flames that fill the area ahead of us,
“Whoa!?”
She exclaims.
The swarm of Lizardmen has vanished without a trace of ash.
The floor, walls, and even the ceiling of the dungeon were half melted to a light brown color.
It is well known that the floor and walls of a dungeon cannot be damaged.
Just from the fact that the floor and walls of this dungeon have melted, one can tell how incredibly powerful the Demon King’s magic abilities are.
“Well, it’s something like that.”
“…It’s even more incredible than I heard.”
Serika greeted me with a half-stiff face when I returned.
As she handed me Lachesis, whom she had been cuddling, she said,
“It looks like I won’t be able to do anything…”
“Then why don’t we take turns?”
“…So there’s no way to fight together? That’s okay…”
As if that was an easy promise to make, Serika quickly defeated the next group of orcs she encountered.
This is the first time I’ve seen Serika actually fight… she’s strong.
At least, she’s probably stronger than I was in the job world before I linked with the other me, right?
If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read several chapters ahead!