May 7th.
On this day, Hinata-san and I had been in Minato Ward—specifically, Odaiba—since morning.
Our destination was 1-10-1 Daiba, Minato Ward: Daiba Park.
It was a square park built on the waters of Tokyo Bay, connected to Odaiba Marine Park and situated right next to the Rainbow Bridge. Originally, it wasn't intended to be a park at all; it was the site of the No. 3 Battery, constructed for national defense following the arrival of the Black Ships. The grounds once housed gunpowder magazines, batteries, and barracks.
Before the dungeons appeared, it had been a public park, but since a dungeon had manifested almost exactly in its center, an association branch had been constructed over the entrance, covering it completely.
Hinata-san and I stepped into the branch office, weaving through the crowd of people bustling in and out.
The interior featured a lobby that resembled a city hall, much like the Shinjuku Branch. However, it felt considerably more spacious than the subterranean Shinjuku facility.
That made sense. This was the Slime Dungeon—often called Sladan—and since only slimes appeared up to Floor 10, it was an incredibly popular spot for beginners. The sheer number of explorers diving here daily was on a completely different scale compared to the Shinjuku Dungeon. If the facility were any smaller, the infrastructure would likely collapse under the pressure.
"Wow, there are so many people."
The vast lobby was packed with explorers and a large number of people who appeared to be association staff.
Hinata-san's eyes were wide with surprise, and I felt exactly the same. To have so many rivals—rather, explorers—deployed at once suggested that the special variant Metasla was an exceptionally troublesome monster. Furthermore, as I scanned the crowd...
"Hinata-san, look. I don't see a single beginner. Every person here is likely a Special Crisis Case Explorer."
"Eh? Ah, you're right...!"
Every explorer within sight carried themselves with an air of absolute confidence and strength. Honestly, one look at their equipment made it obvious they weren't novices.
"Just a quick glance reveals some truly prominent figures..."
"Is that so? I'm not really well-versed in other explorers," Hinata-san admitted.
Since she was curious, I decided to give her a brief rundown of the more famous explorers gathered in the lobby.
"Well... for example, that man over there is known as Giant Papa."
I gestured toward a man who stood out even among this crowd due to his massive stature.
"He’s an incredible person who quit his corporate job despite being a father of five and found massive success as an explorer. He's considered a beacon of hope for all the salarymen dreaming of escaping their corporate lives. While he’s a devoted father at home, his reputation in the dungeon comes from his over-two-meter height, using his reach to deliver powerful blows that crush monsters. He’s extremely popular with corporate drones who suffer power harassment, especially since he refers to monsters as 'bosses' during his streams."
"I see... wait, what?"
"And that man over there is Cheetah Mask. He always wears that cheetah mask, so his real face is a mystery. He’s a justice-loving explorer who hates evil. He possesses incredible explosive speed and is one of the rare explorers capable of taking on multiple opponents alone, though they say his lack of stamina is his one fatal flaw."
"I see..."
"And take a look at that female explorer over there. The one with the face paint."
"The one standing by the wall?"
"Exactly. That’s Ajari Kong. She has a unique background, having gone from being a nun and a professional wrestler to a dungeon explorer. Contrary to her fearsome looks, she’s known for taking great care of her juniors. She’s passionate about nurturing the next generation and is rumored to have a vast number of disciples. The title of Ajari isn't just for show."
"...Hey, Takeo-kun. Are there a lot of former pro-wrestlers among explorers?"
"No? Not particularly."
Why the sudden question, Hinata-san?
It was then, as I turned back toward her, that a muscular giant of a man with an aura as solid as a boulder entered my peripheral vision.
I caught my breath.
"—!? Is that...!?"
"What's wrong?"
"Hinata-san, look! It’s Arnold Oishi!"
"Um... sorry. I don't know who that is."
"Arnold Oishi is considered the top explorer of the Slime Dungeon. Rumor has it he’s on the verge of clearing Floor 10. I heard he fought the Metasla that appeared here the day before yesterday and suffered a serious injury that was supposed to take three months to heal... he must have used high-tier magic or potions to recover. The fact that he’s here means he’s come for a rematch against the Metasla! We can't afford to take it slow!"
"Ah... right. I see..."
I couldn't believe such a legendary lineup was assembled here. If I didn't hurry, someone was going to steal my precious Metasla-kun.
Filled with a sense of urgency, I continued to scan the lobby when I noticed a young girl mixed in among the crowd of explorers and staff.
"Oh? Takeo-kun, Urara-san is here."
"You're right..."
No, she wasn't a young girl. She was an adult woman who simply looked like one—Urara Kongoji-san.
As I watched her, she must have noticed our gaze. She had been busily explaining something to another group of explorers, but she glanced toward us, looked away, and then—
"!!?"
She did a violent double-take.
"T-Takeo-kun and Mashiro-chan!? What are you two doing here!?"
Looking flustered, Urara-san came pitter-pattering over to us like a small child. At her loud exclamation, the surrounding explorers turned to see what the commotion was about.
"That's..."
"I've seen those faces somewhere."
"Wait, isn't that Leveling Junkie Bro!?"
"Leveling Junkie Bro!? For real!?"
"It's true! It's the real Leveling Junkie Bro!"
"Whoa, what a hunk...!"
"And the girl next to him is Hinata-chan!"
"Real-life Hinata-chan! She’s so cute!"
"Damn... she’s stacked."
"So cute. I want to date her..."
"I want to go a few rounds with him myself... with Leveling Junkie Bro."
"...Eh?"
The lobby suddenly began to buzz.
Based on the murmurs I overheard, it was clear that they knew who Hinata-san and I were. To be recognized even by explorers worthy of the Special Crisis Case team meant we had truly become famous. Also, for some reason, I felt a sudden chill down my spine, but it was probably just my imagination.
"Um, the association didn't issue a subjugation request for the special variant to you two, did they!?"
Urara-san looked up at us with wondering eyes, much like a curious child.
As she said, for some reason, we hadn't been officially requested for this Metasla hunt. But that didn't matter.
"Now, now, don't be so formal, Urara-san."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"When so many people are in trouble, did you really think we could just stand by and watch?"
"T-Takeo-kun...!"
Urara-san’s eyes sparkled with moved emotion as she looked up at me.
"I have to admit, setting aside Mashiro-chan, I’m surprised you have such a strong sense of justice, Takeo-kun!"
Wait, what was that supposed to mean?
"B-But still! Takeo-kun, your skill build is basically specialized for Goblins! The special variant that appeared this time isn't just fast and annoying—it's incredibly strong! It’s far too dangerous, which is why we didn't send a request to you two!"
Urara-san insisted that we should go home.
As Special Crisis Case Explorers, we are required to submit our status information to the association, so our designated officer, Urara-san, had a grasp of our capabilities. However, that information wasn't in real-time; it was based on reports submitted at the end of every month.
I had submitted my information twice last month—once upon registration and once at the end—but I had to say that data was already ancient history.
"Urara-san, just how old is the information you're looking at? I've already overcome that weakness."
"What!? No, really? It’s only been a week since you submitted your last status report!"
"When a man has been away for three days, one must look at him with fresh eyes. Well, in this case, that applies to Hinata-san too."
We had already reached a level of strength that was on a different dimension compared to where we were at the end of the month... though saying that might be a bit of an exaggeration. Besides—
"The level restriction for entry is 29 and under, right? Anyone level 30 or higher should be free to enter."
"Mmmgh...! Well, that's true, but...!"
Currently, the Slime Dungeon was restricted for anyone level 29 and below. However, anyone above that level was permitted to enter at their own risk. In other words, Urara-san had no authority to stop us.
She seemed to realize this. After agonizing over it for a few moments, she let out a long, heavy sigh and spoke with an air of resignation.
"Fine... but the association can't officially issue a request to you, okay?"
"Yes, that's fine."
This meant that even if we defeated the Metasla, we wouldn't receive the official association reward. That didn't bother me. While the rewards for Special Crisis Case requests were high, they were negligible compared to the current income Hinata-san and I were generating.
"Also, please don't overdo it! That special variant is strong enough to have repelled explorers who are already clearing Floor 10. Even if it were a goblin, I couldn't guarantee that you and Mashiro-chan would win. Truly, if you think you can't win, run away with everything you've got! Understood!?"
"Roger that!"
"I understand, Urara-san."
Hinata-san and I nodded, feeling a bit of warmth at Urara-san's attempt to give us sisterly warnings.
It seemed they had been waiting for the conversation to reach a natural conclusion, because the group of explorers Urara-san had been speaking with earlier now approached us.
"Hey! Junkie-niki-kun! Meeting in a place like this must be fate!"
"Hi, Takeo-kun, Hinata-san. It's been a while."
It was Mayurin-san and her group. Her entire party was here: the handsome swordsman Ikegami-san, along with Tamaki-san, Ashitaba-san, and Hondo-san.
"It’s been a while, Mayurin-san, Ikegami-san, Tamaki-san, Ashitaba-san, Hondo-san."
"Ikegami-san, Tamaki-san, Ashitaba-san, Hondo-san, it's been a long time."
When I greeted them, Hinata-san followed suit, calling each person by name. She seemed to skip one person's name, but I chose to believe it wasn't intentional.
"Oh...!"
For some reason, Tamaki-san and the others let out voices of deep impression.
"What's wrong?" I asked, tilting my head.
Tamaki-san answered with misty eyes. "No... it's just, we only introduced ourselves once before. I’m impressed you remembered all our names. Setting aside Mayuri and Teruya, you even remembered ours..."
"...Ah, well, remembering people's names is only natural!" I replied with a smile.
To be clear—that was a lie. I didn't have the confidence to remember the names of people I don't see regularly after just one introduction. The only reason I knew their names was that I had watched Mayurin-san's channel several times. I actually knew who they were before we ever met.
"Takeo-kun... you're a good guy!"
"Heh, well...!"
I was genuinely flattered.
"The truth is... compared to Mayuri and Teruya, the three of us have pretty thin character presence. People often struggle to remember our names."
"That's right. So, seeing you get our names right actually made us pretty happy."
"...I’m moved," Hondo-san added.
Tamaki-san, Ashitaba-san, and Hondo-san spoke in sequence. Looking at them, Tamaki-san was massive, Ashitaba-san was an androgynous beauty who seemed like he’d be popular with older women, and Hondo-san was a taciturn, handsome man. I didn't think their presence was "thin," but I suppose compared to Mayurin-san or an overwhelming hottie like Ikegami-san, it was a relative thing.
"You guys really have it rough...!"
"You understand us, Takeo-kun!"
"Junkie-niki-kun! Forget about these guys, come hunt the Metasla with me!"
"Mayuri, you brat! What do you mean 'forget about us'!" Tamaki-san roared with a pained expression. He really did have it rough.
Meanwhile, I felt a heavy, silent pressure emanating from the person next to me, so I decided to give Mayurin-san a proper answer.
"Sorry, Mayurin-san, but we're going to be the ones to hunt the Metasla."
The moment I said it, Mayurin-san’s eyes flared with a competitive light.
"Heh, hmmm...? So you're saying you want to challenge us?"
I didn't exactly mean it that way, but it was a settled fact that I wasn't letting anyone else have that Metasla. In that sense, it wasn't an exaggeration to say we were competing.
"Well... I guess that’s how it turns out."
"Nice!" Mayurin-san laughed, looking genuinely entertained. "A lovey-dovey dungeon date with Junkie-niki-kun sounds great, but a competition sounds fun too! Let's set a penalty game."
"Eh? A penalty game?"
"Yeah! The loser becomes the winner's slave! You have to do whatever the winner says!"
Wait, isn't that a bit too heavy!? You can't just say "slave" with a bright smile like that!
I instinctively looked at Ikegami-san, silently pleading for him to do something. This time, unlike our previous encounter, he actually nodded.
"Mayuri, you can't set a penalty that literally violates the law!"
"Fine, then Teruya and the others don't have to participate. It'll just be between me and Junkie-niki-kun."
"Hmm... well, if it's just you two."
Hey, Mr. Handsome! What do you mean "if it's just you two"!? Why are you okay with this!?
"No, Mayurin-san, a 'slave' is definitely out of the question..."
"Ehhh? No good?"
"No good."
"Hmm, then if I win, Junkie-niki-kun has to go on a one-day date with me."
A date?...In other words, she probably wanted to use the "date" as an excuse to make me pay for all sorts of things. I nodded without thinking too hard about it.
"Understood. If I win... well, I can't think of anything right now, so I'll decide when it happens."
"Nihihi, sounds good!"
"However, if someone other than us hunts the Metasla, the bet is off."
"Deal!"
And so, the side-wager was set. It was just a little entertainment to go along with the Metasla hunt.
"Alright! I thought this was going to be a boring request, but now I’m fired up! Come on! What are you doing, Teruya? Hurry up and get ready, we're heading in!"
With that, Mayurin-san took the lead and sprinted toward the back of the lobby, likely heading for the changing rooms.
"Mayuri! Sigh... Takeo-kun, Hinata-san, sorry for the chaos. It looks like our leader is motivated, so we're heading out. Officer Kongoji, we're going."
"Yes, please be careful, everyone!"
Ikegami-san and the others followed after Mayuri with weary sighs.
"Takeo-kun, please be really, really careful! Contact me immediately if anything happens! I’ll be here at the Minato Branch all day!"
"I understand. I'll call if we need anything."
As Urara-san hurried off toward the back offices, it was time for us to move. We couldn't afford a late start.
"Alright, Hinata-san, let's get ready—"
"............"
I turned around, and the words died in my throat.
Hinata-san was smiling. It was a gentle, kind smile that seemed to radiate pure benevolence. And yet, for some reason, the sense of intimidation coming from her was overwhelming.
"Takeo-kun."
"Ah, yes?"
"You absolutely, positively cannot lose. Understand?"
"Y-Yes! O-Of course!!"
She and Mayurin-san really didn't get along. I had no idea she hated losing to her that much...