After allocating the Skill Points I’d been sitting on, I decided to call it a day. I was at my physical limit.
When I stepped onto the teleportation circle in front of the stairs on Floor 2, the number "1" flickered into my mind. I selected it, and after a brief, weightless sensation, I found myself standing on the teleportation circle in front of the Floor 1 stairs.
With the black obelisk nearby and several Explorers resting in the vicinity, there was no mistaking it—I was back on the first floor.
Actually, seeing everyone resting reminded me of something.
"Oh right, my HP is still down... I should probably take a break here."
The thing is, HP and MP don't actually recover on the surface.
Well, to be more precise, I’ve heard they do recover a tiny amount up there—something like five percent every twenty-four hours.
Inside a dungeon, however, both HP and MP will fully recover in about two hours just by resting, even without using potions. Because of this, Explorers exhausted from combat often gather to rest in the plaza surrounding the Floor 1 teleportation circle until they’re back at full strength.
As a result, even in the unpopular Shinjuku Dungeon, there are almost always people here at any given hour.
Following the example of the other Explorers, I moved to the edge of the room and sat down against the wall.
I pulled out my phone to kill time while I waited for my recovery—but then...
"Um, excuse me."
"Yes?"
Someone spoke to me immediately, and I looked up from my screen.
Standing there was a young man who looked a bit older than me.
His face was familiar. After a quick search of my memory, it clicked. He was the Bourgeois Guy who had been peeking around a corridor corner yesterday when I let out that ecstatic scream during my first level-up. A high-end drone camera was hovering at his side.
"Oh, you're the guy from yesterday."
The man looked shocked. "Wait... you actually remember me?"
"Yeah, I remember."
I nodded at the bewildered man, gesturing for him to continue.
"Did you need something?"
"O-Oh, right. Well, you see..."
As it turned out, he was a DungeonTuber. I probably don't need to explain, but a DungeonTuber is someone who broadcasts their dungeon explorations on platforms like DungeonTube.
He wanted to know if I would appear on his channel for a short interview.
"I don't particularly mind, but why me?"
It was a genuine question.
"Well, to be honest... please don't be angry, but..."
The man began to explain with an awkward, guilty expression.
Apparently, the moment I screamed yesterday had been captured perfectly on his stream. For reasons beyond my comprehension, that footage had gone viral. Because of that, his channel had been flooded with comments from viewers demanding he interview "yesterday's madman" (referring to me). To meet those expectations, he had been staked out in front of the Floor 1 teleportation circle all day long.
"I'm truly sorry. I filmed you without your permission..."
The man bowed his head deeply in apology.
"No, it's fine. We're in a dungeon, after all."
If this had happened on the surface, it might have been an issue, but portrait rights are treated as an exception inside dungeons.
There was a legal precedent for this; a similar lawsuit concerning portrait rights had once been dragged all the way to the Supreme Court, where the plaintiff eventually lost.
The ruling stated that in a dangerous dungeon, where filming with legally mandated cameras is required and real-time streaming is the norm, it is functionally impossible to ensure that bystanders aren't caught on camera.
Besides, portrait rights are a pretty flimsy concept these days anyway. Even on TV, they’re constantly broadcasting shots of pedestrians and random people without getting their consent.
So, even if I tried to sue, I’d just be throwing money away on legal fees. Not that I had any intention of doing so.
"I’m glad you feel that way," the man said, looking incredibly relieved. He seemed like a good person.
"So, about the interview? I'm down."
"Really?! Thank you so much!!"
Listening to his story, it dawned on me that the reason I’d acquired my Title was likely because I’d appeared on his stream.
Apparently, while he was a rookie as a DungeonTuber, he had originally been a YooTuber and had brought a significant audience over from his previous channel.
Without that boost, I never would have gone viral, and I certainly wouldn't have earned the Title.
Even though I hadn't asked for it, his stream had led to me getting a very useful skill. I figured helping him out was the least I could do as a thank-you.
Plus, by answering his questions, I could show the world that I wasn't some lunatic, but just a perfectly normal, pleasant young man.
And so, I sat for an interview in the plaza in front of the Floor 1 stairs.
During the filming, the other Explorers resting in the plaza were definitely watching us. It occurred to me that maybe this guy was a more famous streamer than I’d realized.
Still, I managed to talk without getting too nervous.
By the time I’d finished answering his questions and the filming wrapped up, my HP had almost entirely recovered. I said my goodbyes to the Bourgeois Guy and headed home.
For the record, here’s what I made today:
Level 1 Slime Magic Stone: 200 yen × 3 = 600 yen Level 2 Slime Magic Stone: 300 yen × 15 = 4,500 yen Level 3 Slime Magic Stone: 400 yen × 5 = 2,000 yen Level 1 Goblin Magic Stone: 500 yen × 6 = 3,000 yen Level 2 Goblin Magic Stone: 750 yen × 50 = 37,500 yen Level 3 Goblin Magic Stone: 1,000 yen × 23 = 23,000 yen
The total came to 70,600 yen, which left me with 63,392 yen after withholding tax was deducted.
Honestly, I was stunned.
I was only on Floor 2, and I was making this much... Is being an Explorer actually a gold mine?
What was with all those posts online saying beginners can't make a living?
Oh, and the reason I only sold Magic Stones today wasn't that nothing else dropped. I actually got five Goblin Clubs and two Goblin Loincloths.
However, currently, those drops have no real use. While they are purchased for research purposes, the going rate is a measly 50 yen for a club and 100 yen for a loincloth. They’re dirt cheap and bulky, so I just dumped them on the floor.
On the other hand, while Slime Magic Stones are worth less, Slimes can drop Slime Jelly, Slime Cores, and Beginner Heal Potions.
Slime Jelly is used in cosmetics and sells for 500 yen each.
Slime Cores are apparently used as materials for the Alchemy skill and sell for 1,000 yen each.
As for the Beginner Heal Potion, it's an incredibly rare drop, but a single one can go for 30,000 yen.
The difference in drop quality is another reason why Goblins aren't very popular.
The common consensus is that Goblins don't pay... but since you can make a decent chunk of change just from the Magic Stones, I’d say they're actually pretty great. (In my humble opinion.)
Still, even though I killed over twenty Slimes today, not a single one dropped a thing...
Maybe I’m just unlucky?