May 28th.
On that day, the world was shaken to its core once again.
New dungeons, which had never existed before, began manifesting across the globe.
Confusion gripped every nation in an instant. However, the number of new arrivals was lower than during the initial emergence, and the world already possessed the necessary protocols for blockading and managing these anomalies.
Perhaps because of this, the panic within various governments was relatively contained.
Their response was remarkably smooth, as if they had anticipated the arrival of these new dungeons well in advance. Immediately following the reports, entrances were swiftly locked down by military forces and police organizations across the planet.
In contrast, the internet was a storm of chaos, panic, and manic excitement.
—The number of dungeons is increasing.
While many had predicted this outcome, the reality of it brought a profound sense of impending doom.
The entity calling himself the Dungeon Master had already prophesied that monsters would eventually overflow. An increase in dungeons meant a direct increase in the danger of a Stampede—the term adopted online for monsters flooding the surface—and an expansion of the regions likely to suffer casualties.
Doomsday theorists shouted about the end of the world, filling the pessimistic with dread. Conversely, a certain segment of the population treated the situation like a grand festival.
Amidst the turmoil, before the day had even ended, Japanese television stations—which had already been running emergency alerts—simultaneously cut to a new breaking report.
Announcers, who had been somberly reading reports of the new dungeons, suddenly widened their eyes as staff members whispered into their earpieces. Their expressions shifted into something terrifyingly grave.
"We have just received an update. It appears the entity calling himself the Dungeon Master has issued a new statement. We have the footage now; please, look for yourselves."
The screen flickered.
A void of pure white, housing a white throne. Seated upon it was a man with sickly, pale skin and white garments. He had long white hair, golden eyes, and heavy dark circles that made him look perpetually exhausted—the Dungeon Master.
He spoke.
"You are likely aware by now, but I have brought forth new dungeons today."
Though the language was completely foreign, his voice reached the viewers as a mysterious resonance that they instinctively understood.
"The total number is one hundred and twenty-eight. For the most part, they are identical to the dungeons you have encountered thus far. I invite you all to experience them to your heart's content. However... I have prepared one special dungeon this time."
"It is located in Japan. Specifically, the city of Sendai."
"In this dungeon, the strength of the monsters is not static. They grow more powerful by preying on other species, and the victors expand their domination area. Furthermore, unlike other dungeons, the monsters on Floor 1 are not restricted to the strength of a Level 1 creature."
"The spawning rate in this dungeon also operates on a different scale."
"If left unattended, they will begin a full-scale invasion of the surface in approximately one month. However, even before that, they may dispatch scouting parties to gather intelligence. This could occur at any moment—possibly even right now."
"Naturally, monsters cannot survive long on the surface where magic essence is thin. Low-level monsters from shallow floors, like those in other dungeons, would vanish in less than an hour."
"However, with a few exceptions, the monsters in this Sendai dungeon start at Level 30 equivalent even on the first floor. By the time they begin their invasion, they will be Level 50 equivalent at minimum."
"At that level, they will not vanish immediately upon reaching the surface. Though their abilities will be somewhat diminished, a single one will be a nightmare to put down with portable firearms. It will take days, perhaps weeks, for them to naturally dissipate."
"As you know, humans who have gained levels and skills—the explorers—are also essentially powerless on the surface. Without the ability to use their skills, explorers would be slaughtered by monsters of this caliber."
"In short... the area surrounding this dungeon is facing total devastation."
"But I am nothing if not fair. I shall give you a chance. Let us play a game."
"There is no need for complexity. In your tongue, I suppose we shall call it a 'Territory Battle'."
"Chosen explorers will delve into this dungeon and reclaim the monsters' domination areas. Within each area lies a core—let us call it a dungeon core. You must destroy it."
"Once a core is destroyed, you must install a specific item in its place. That territory will then belong to humanity."
"Let us set the goal at Floor 10. If you destroy the dungeon cores and install the items up to the tenth floor, you should be able to prevent the monsters from overflowing for the foreseeable future."
"As for the items to be installed, I shall present them to the Japanese government shortly."
"Note that simply slaying the monsters inside can delay the invasion."
"However, the monsters on the lower floors will continue to grow stronger over time, so I would not recommend simply trying to stall."
"On the flip side, installing the items will weaken the monsters on the uncleared floors. The more items you place, the more their power will wither."
"So, ten floors. Clear Floor 10 and install ten items, and the risk of a surface invasion will be drastically reduced."
"If you can clear up to Floor 10, you win. If you cannot, I win."
"Now, ladies and gentlemen of humanity... do your best to entertain me."
"I look forward to your struggle."
The video cut off.
The screen returned to the studio, where the announcer began reciting more detailed information. Emergency specials were hastily organized, and panels of experts began debating the implications.
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[Bad News] Dungeon Master-san gives Japan special treatment for some reason Part 1 [Stop it already!]
129 Anonymous Japanese Apparently that special dungeon only appeared in Japan (；∀；)
130 Anonymous Japanese Is the Dungeon Master-san biased toward Japan or something?
131 Anonymous Japanese We don't want that kind of bias!
132 Anonymous Japanese The fact that he went out of his way to use the phrase "Territory Battle" in Japanese is hilarious lol
133 Anonymous Japanese [Good News] Dungeon Master-san speaks Japanese lol
134 Anonymous Japanese We don't know if he speaks it. Maybe he just happened to know that one phrase.
135 Anonymous Japanese That's too much of a coincidence lmaoo
136 Anonymous Japanese I wouldn't be surprised if he could speak every language on Earth. Probably has some convenient skill for it.
137 Anonymous Japanese He's trying so hard to act like a death game mastermind with his "let's play a game" and "entertain me" lines, but he looked so worn out it's funny lol. He doesn't look like the hedonistic type at all. His lines and his face are a total mismatch lol.
138 Anonymous Japanese He really is just a black-hearted middle manager... I'm telling you, there's a True Dungeon Master pulling the strings behind him.
139 Anonymous Japanese lolol
140 Anonymous Japanese Damn, I'm actually starting to feel for the guy lol.
141 Anonymous Japanese But seriously, that Sendai dungeon is no joke. The monsters are Level 30 equivalent at minimum?
142 Anonymous Sendai Resident Why did it have to be Sendai... Checking in as a local.
143 Anonymous Japanese >142, Stay strong, brother.
144 Anonymous Japanese >142, Good luck! Also, what does Level 30 "equivalent" even mean? Just give us the exact levels, Mr. Dungeon Master.
145 Anonymous Japanese It was a weird way to phrase it. Level 30 equivalent, Level 50 equivalent...
146 Anonymous Japanese Probably because their levels keep rising on their own?
147 Anonymous Japanese >146, Ah, that makes sense.
148 Anonymous Japanese Monsters over Level 30... that's Floor 10 territory in a normal dungeon. And if they're going to keep leveling up, is that even a fight for anyone besides the top Special Crisis Case Explorers? What are we supposed to do?
149 Anonymous Japanese Daily reminder that Headshot Yakuza or Denshiro-sensei would clear this in their sleep.
150 Anonymous Japanese Problem is, neither Headshot Yakuza nor Denshiro-sensei are in Japan right now.
151 Anonymous Japanese Wait, what!? Why!?
152 Anonymous Japanese You didn't know? High-level Special Crisis Case Explorers are often sent overseas on cooperation requests. They handle dungeon terrorism or hunt down special variants that spawn in other countries. Apparently, smaller nations can't deal with high-level threats because they don't have enough strong explorers.
153 Anonymous Japanese This thing spawned at the worst possible time.
154 Anonymous Japanese What is the Japanese government even doing!?
155 Anonymous Japanese I'm not saying we shouldn't help other countries, but we need Headshot Yakuza and Denshiro-sensei here!
156 Anonymous Japanese Think about national defense! National defense!!
157 Anonymous Japanese Wait! We still have Hero-kun, don't we!?
158 Anonymous Japanese Exactly! Not just him, but what about Saint Bellwood-sama, the Sage, the Naked Professor, or Kurage-chan? Any of those high-tier explorers could...!!
159 Anonymous Sendai Resident True. Okay, I'm a bit more relieved now.
160 Anonymous Japanese The Hero and Bellwood-sama are overseas too.
161 Anonymous Japanese What is the government DOING!?
162 Anonymous Japanese National defense! I said think about national defense!!
163 Anonymous Sendai Resident We're doomed. Despair has set in.
164 Anonymous Japanese It's too early to give up! The Sage, the Professor, and Kurage-chan are still in the country, right? And we have a month! Headshot Yakuza or Hero-kun might be back by then!
165 Anonymous Japanese But didn't he say scouts would come out immediately? If those scouts are Level 30, aren't we screwed? No matter how strong the Sage or the Professor are, they're just normal people on the surface...
166 Anonymous Japanese Level 30+ monsters... Depending on the debuff from the thin magic essence, normal guns probably won't even scratch them, right?
167 Anonymous Japanese Maybe missiles?
168 Anonymous Japanese Could the Self-Defense Forces really launch missiles inside a Japanese city? I mean, if it comes down to it, they might not have a choice, but still...
169 Anonymous Japanese The Self-Defense Forces have the entrance surrounded, but if even one gets past the perimeter, it's going to be a bloodbath.
170 Anonymous Sendai Resident I don't care who does it, just please clear this dungeon...