"Good heavens... what is this?"
"Sensei! Hey, Sensei! I can't see anything, so tell me what happened already!"
"Ah, no... my apologies. It seems the matter has been settled."
"Really!? So, how did it go? Is Leveling Junkie Bro still alive?"
"Yes, he survived. Leveling Junkie Bro is the victor."
"Heh! Not bad at all!"
"However, young Oishi has died... It truly is a pity. He had awakened to the high-tier version of the Fusion Absorption skill. Had he grown further, he would have become quite interesting. Humans aren't normally supposed to be able to acquire Fusion Absorption at all. He was a very rare specimen..."
"Hmm. Who was Oishi again?"
"...Our collaborator, the one who deployed the Metal Slimes. He was the one fighting Leveling Junkie Bro."
"Oh, right."
"...Well, there is no sense in mourning the dead. Let us compose ourselves. As planned, we shall make contact with Leveling Junkie Bro."
"Nice! So, how was he? What’s the deal with him?"
"Yes, he really is extraordinary. I performed an Appraisal, and first of all, the sheer number of titles he possesses is staggering. Having that many is simply not normal. Furthermore, the nature of the titles he has acquired is immense. The ones that caught my eye were Battle Junkie, Swordmaster, Awakened One, and... Hero."
"A Hero!? Seriously!?"
"Yes, he was using Brave Heart as well, so there is no mistake. And then... he also possessed the Pleasure Killer title."
"Kyahaha! That’s so wild! Seriously, that’s hysterical!"
"It is difficult to believe he still maintains his sanity. He possesses multiple high-rank titles on top of a mid-rank title, and their natures are fundamentally contradictory to that of a Hero. Pleasure Killer in particular is dangerous. Normally, his spirit would have shattered, leaving him a total vegetable... yet he seems perfectly fine."
"What’s with that? Leveling Junkie Bro is way too interesting!"
"Moreover, Oishi had eventually reached Level 110, while Leveling Junkie Bro was only Level 54. Under these conditions, there should not have been even a one percent chance of him winning..."
"Wait, what!? There was that much of a level gap!? Seriously, how did he even win!?"
"Well, one factor was likely that Oishi leveled up far too rapidly. While it seems he allocated all of his Status Points, he had Skill Points left over. Most likely, there were very few skills he was actually eligible to acquire."
"Ah, so you mean he didn't meet the requirements to unlock them?"
"Precisely. Even so, his stats had exceeded the human limit, so he was by no means weak. In fact, he was on the verge of defeating Leveling Junkie Bro at one point."
"And he got turned around from there? Did the guy let his guard down?"
"No. Actually, at first, Leveling Junkie Bro’s Pleasure Killer and Lust Murder titles appeared to be sealed... but once those seals were released, the tide turned instantly. He won quite easily after that. Most likely, the only thing he lacked to defeat Oishi previously was raw attack power."
"Hmm, that’s also pretty crazy. You’re saying if his attacks had been landing, he could have won without Lust Murder?"
"Indeed. As expected of someone with so many titles, he seems to have an excellent lineup of skills."
"Damn, that gives me the chills. Wait, what’s with the seal? I didn't know you could do that."
"I have never heard of such a thing either. If it is indeed possible, the only one I can imagine capable of it is the Master."
"No way! Does that mean he’s already met the Master!? Has Leveling Junkie Bro made it all the way to Floor 30!?"
"That shouldn't be the case... but there might be some kind of connection between them."
"If that's the case, wouldn't it be dangerous for us to contact Leveling Junkie Bro?"
"I wonder. If you follow that logic, then contacting any of the Master's collaborators would be dangerous. I think it is likely a needless worry. In the first place, we ourselves are collaborators of the Master."
"Well, now that you put it that way, I guess that's true."
"At any rate... he defeated an opponent at Level 110. While I am not sure how he would fare against multiple foes, there is no doubt that even as he is now, he can win against the monsters on Floor 30. As I thought, let us use Leveling Junkie Bro to reach the Master. He seems to be our fastest route."
"Roger that!...So, what now? Should I go give Leveling Junkie Bro some 'hands-on' support?"
"No, I will handle this one. Japan is my territory, after all."
"Boo! No fair!"
"Hehe."
●◯●
An endless white void stretched out in every direction.
In one corner of that mysterious space sat a man in white upon a white throne.
The man had white hair, gold eyes, and deep dark circles—the entity calling himself the Dungeon Master addressed the man before him.
"—Good work on clearing Floor 40, Obito."
"Yeah."
"With this, I can expand the Managed Area up to Floor 40....Do you think you can clear Floor 41 and below?"
"Small fry aren't a problem. I don't know about the Domain Bosses or Floor Bosses."
"I see. Being able to assert that even the monsters there are no problem... you truly are reliable. I'm impressed."
The person the Dungeon Master was talking to was Obito Imiki—the man the public referred to as the Headshot Yakuza.
Obito did not change his expression in the slightest, even when praised by the Dungeon Master. Since that was his usual demeanor, the Dungeon Master didn't pay it any mind.
"So... I was thinking of giving you some kind of reward for your distinguished service. Is there anything you want? As long as my resources allow it, I'll make anything for you."
"...The Hidden Area."
"Hmm?"
"Are you moving the Hidden Area to Floor 40?"
"Yes, that's the plan."
"Wait a little longer."
"I don't particularly mind, but... why?"
"Takeo is coming."
In an instant, the Dungeon Master scowled.
"That brat... if I recall, he hasn't even cleared Floor 10 yet. I don't mind postponing the relocation, but I can't put it off for too long. I've already lifted the communication restrictions up to Floor 30. I want to avoid the Hidden Area becoming public knowledge at any cost."
"Two months. That's all I need."
"...You sure seem to care about that brat a lot."
"...Takeo was weak."
"What are you talking about?"
"But he'll become strong this time."
"..."
"It's not a bad deal for you either. He's like a child of your system."
"............Well, I'll admit he is an example of a successful specimen."
The Master affirmed it with a face that looked as though he had been forced to swallow bitter medicine.
Takeo Samejima—that boy's growth was shattering the Master's expectations in a sheer upward trajectory. To have acquired the Awakened One title at this stage and to have mastered Asceticism to that extent was unexpected even for the Dungeon Master.
Skills and titles were divided into two types: those that occurred naturally and those created by the Dungeon Master.
Awakened One was the latter—a special title and skill prepared by the Dungeon Master for the purpose of achieving a "complete dungeon conquest," or more precisely, for the purpose of nurturing "pieces" to that end.
Takeo Samejima's Skill Seed was not particularly powerful, which was a cause for concern. Unlike Obito, he wouldn't be able to grow strong in one giant leap by receiving the blessings of a powerful Skill Seed. However, the title and skill of Awakened One had been prepared specifically to compensate for that difference in innate talent. The same could be said for his other titles and title skills to varying degrees.
If that were the case, there was indeed a possibility that Takeo would reach a special position among the "collaborators"—a status rivaling even Obito.
Furthermore, if he weren't such a person, the Dungeon Master wouldn't have bothered to keep information about him in his head. Even setting aside Obito’s strange concern for him, there was no doubt that Takeo was already a being worthy of the Dungeon Master's attention.
"—Fine. I'll wait two months. Tell that brat to clear it quickly in the meantime."
"Yeah."
"I'll be making use of that brat too."
"I see."
Obito nodded, and as if the conversation were over, he activated a spell.
Teleportation magic.
Obito's figure vanished from the white void.