A week after we finished our power-leveling, we arrived at the station nearest the dungeon first thing in the morning, carrying our gear. Crowds of people, young and old, had gathered in front of the small, weathered station building. It was a sea of people as far as the eye could see—the result of every single passenger on the train disembarking at once.
One look at their gear told me they were all here for the same reason we were.
"Whoa, look at all these people."
"Roughly... a hundred or so? Even for the early morning, it’s pretty packed," Yuji noted.
"It’s Sunday, so maybe they’re treating it like a morning fishing trip or early-morning baseball practice?" Hiiragi-san suggested.
Curious about their strength, I decided to run an Appraisal Analysis on the crowd. The results flickered through my mind: 5... 5... 7... 2... 4... 3... 9...
I only checked a few people who looked like regulars, but not a single explorer had reached double digits yet.
"Huh? They’re lower than I thought..."
I tilted my head at the unexpected results. Dungeons had been open to civilians for over a month now. And yet, their levels were still this low?
While I was puzzled by the lack of progress, I kept my thoughts to myself. We continued chatting about the crowd while taking in the surroundings.
A brand-new convenience store sat near the station, and several other establishments, like family restaurants, were currently under construction.
"I saw it from the train window, too, but development is really moving fast for such a rural area," I remarked.
"It’s a dungeon boom," Yuji said. "Everyone's trying to make a buck off the explorers."
"That makes sense," Hiiragi-san added. "Dungeons usually appear in remote areas, so there’s plenty of land available for new shops. When people gather, money follows."
I found myself agreeing with them.
Come to think of it, I’d heard on the news that local economies were being revitalized. Dungeons were creating jobs in rural areas, helping to disperse the population that had been concentrated in the cities and getting the economy moving again.
In fact, many construction vehicles were moving in and out of areas that used to be rice paddies. Buildings that looked like apartments or condominiums were already going up.
"At this rate, some of these people are probably thinking about moving here permanently."
"Probably. If you can earn a stable living as an explorer, it's more convenient to live right next to the dungeon," Yuji replied.
"True. It takes us nearly an hour to get here. If I were planning to dive into the dungeon every day, I’d definitely move closer," Hiiragi-san noted.
"Good point."
If the income became stable, relocating or changing careers would be a viable option. There was a train line, so you could still get to the city without a car, and the signs indicated that large-scale retail stores were planned for the area.
A sudden stir went through the crowd.
"Hm? Oh, looks like the shuttle buses are here," Yuji said, using his height to see over the crowd.
"Three of them just pulled up."
"Can everyone fit?"
"...If they pack them in, maybe?" Yuji answered with uncertainty.
I understood his hesitation. They were large buses, so they might fit the people, but everyone was lugging heavy equipment. There was a limit to how much you could cram inside.
"Shouldn't we just wait for the second wave? I believe it takes thirty minutes to get to the dungeon site even by direct bus," Hiiragi-san suggested, her face twisting with distaste as she watched the crowd surge toward the vehicles.
I couldn't blame her. No one wanted to be on a jam-packed bus for half an hour. According to the timetable, the next bus was scheduled for fifteen minutes later, so there was no real rush.
"I’m fine with that. It's not like we're in a hurry," Yuji agreed.
With Yuji’s approval, we moved away from the surge of people. From a distance, we watched as the explorers squeezed through the doors one after another. It reminded me of the morning commute rush in the city, and I felt certain we’d made the right choice to wait.
"They're really giving it their all."
"Yeah. The next bus is only a few minutes away, too."
"They'll be exhausted before they even set foot in the dungeon at that rate."
"True. Oh, looks like a few groups gave up and are taking taxis."
Seeing how crowded the buses were, several groups of explorers headed for the taxi stand instead. Perhaps anticipating the rush, numerous local sedans and private van-type taxis had gathered at the roundabout. It was a nice option for those with money to spare, but it wasn't a luxury students like us could afford.
In the end, the buses departed seven minutes after arriving, all three of them packed to the gills. Between that and the taxi groups, fewer than twenty people were left at the station.
"Those buses looked heavy."
"No kidding. The next one is coming soon; they should’ve just waited instead of forcing themselves on."
Watching the buses drive off with their suspensions visibly sagging, I felt a twinge of pity for the vehicles. Yuji glanced at his watch, his eyes full of sympathy for the people who had overloaded them.
We chatted casually for a bit until another bus arrived less than ten minutes later. We boarded, easily found seats, and set off for the dungeon.
The bus traveled through a narrow, heavily wooded forest road for about thirty minutes before we reached our destination. The forest in front of the dungeon entrance had been extensively cleared. In addition to the facility housing the dungeon itself, several other buildings and parking lots had been constructed.
When the bus reached the stop and the doors opened, we stepped out, all of us covering our mouths.
"...We finally made it."
"Seriously..."
"Ugh, I feel sick."
The forest road had been incredibly rough, and the bus had jolted relentlessly the entire way. We felt that bad even while sitting down; the thought of what it must have been like for the people in the jam-packed buses made my skin crawl.
The other passengers were in a similar state. The worst of them were pale-faced and looked ready to lose their breakfast at any second.
"Is this going to produce casualties before they even enter the dungeon?"
It was a scene of utter devastation. Near the public restrooms, I could see the miserable wrecks of explorers who had arrived on the earlier buses slumped over or sprawled out.
"Who knows? But they’ll probably be useless for half the day in that state," Yuji said, grimacing.
"I agree. I’d like to rest for a bit as well," Hiiragi-san added, holding her hand over her mouth.
I thought taking a break was a good idea too. I didn't want to charge into the dungeon feeling like this.
"Agreed. Yuji?"
"Yeah, let’s take a breather first."
"Thank you."
With our opinions in sync, we moved away from the bus stop to a vending machine corner, bought some tea, and took a moment to recover. Most people seemed to be doing the same; only a small minority were heading straight into the dungeon without a break.
"Why are they in such a rush?" I asked, watching them scurry toward the entrance.
"Maybe that's why?" Yuji pointed toward a bulletin board.
Under a large heading that read "Buying Priority," a list with several photos was posted. A small crowd had gathered in front of it. Reactions were mixed; some looked at it with disinterest, while others froze at a certain item before sprinting off toward the dungeon.
I walked over to the board to get a better look while sipping my tea.
"Huh... quite a variety. Let’s see... one recovery potion for ten thousand yen?"
Something about the buying price felt off. The recovery potion shown in the photo was the lowest grade—something that could heal a light scratch in seconds. Was ten thousand yen really the right price? It felt low.
"What else is there...?"
I scanned the rest of the list, but there weren't many other high prices. Minerals like iron and gemstones were being bought at market rates. Even Core Crystals, which were an energy resource but dropped fairly often, were being bought cheaply.
However, magic items and skill scrolls—items with very low drop rates—were being bought for six or seven figures.
"Unless you're lucky or handling high volumes, it doesn’t look like the money is that great," I muttered.
"Looks like it."
Yuji and Hiiragi-san had come over to join me. Both of them were looking at the list with serious expressions.
"I can understand magic items and skill scrolls being expensive, but the buying prices for everything else are concerning," Hiiragi-san said.
She was right. Minerals like iron were going for less than a hundred yen per kilogram. If you were unlucky, you could risk your life all day and not even make ten thousand yen.
In my Drawer Dungeon, the drop ratio was roughly 50% nothing, 30% Core Crystals, and 20% minerals or other items, with magic items and skill scrolls being extremely rare.
"We didn’t come here for the money, so it’s fine for us. But for the people who are here to get rich, these prices must be pretty discouraging," I said.
"Definitely," Yuji agreed.
Yuji was here for combat experience, Hiiragi-san was looking for food ingredients, and I was... here out of habit, maybe? Since we weren't strictly here for the gold, we could accept these rates, but I wondered if people might eventually start rioting.
"I don’t know how they calculate the value for magic items, but for everything else, it’s based on market prices, so I guess it’s not technically 'wrong'..."
"There will certainly be people complaining about making so little while risking their lives," Hiiragi-san noted.
I could see that happening. There were always people like that.
"But there's nothing we can do about it, right? The Dungeon Association—or rather, the government—is the one setting the prices. It won’t change just because one or two people complain. You’d need a massive lawsuit or a petition with millions of signatures."
The two of them nodded silently.
"Yeah, the government won't move for anything less than that," Yuji said.
"True. It's not like they're technically overcharging or underpaying compared to market value," Hiiragi-san added. "If they say that's the cost of materials, there's no way to argue. Explorers are essentially just non-regular subcontractors for the Dungeon Association. Paid strictly by results."
When she put it like that, being an explorer sounded a lot less glamorous. I shook my head to clear the depressing thought away.
"Well, no point worrying about it now. We’ve rested enough, so shall we head in? Hiiragi-san, you look better. Are you okay?"
"Yes. The rest helped. I'm fine now."
Her color had returned to normal, so she didn’t seem to be forcing herself.
"Then let's go."
"Right."
"Understood."
We tossed our empty bottles into a bin and headed toward the prefabricated warehouse that served as the entrance.
We checked in at the warehouse entrance and received our locker keys. After parting with Hiiragi-san at the changing rooms, Yuji and I went into the men's section. In the room lined with metal lockers, we changed into our combat gear and equipped our armor and weapons.
I wore the black tracksuit I usually used as loungewear—it had leveled up with me—along with safety shoes and a white helmet equipped with an LED headlight. Yuji wore blue work clothes, safety shoes, and a matching white helmet. We each attached our weapons to our belts and put on the gear we’d bought at the Association’s official shop: assault gloves and relatively inexpensive reinforced plastic armor lined with impact-absorbing urethane. Finally, we shouldered our backpacks. After stowing our street clothes in the lockers, we left the changing room.
Five minutes later, Hiiragi-san emerged. She was dressed similarly to us, though she wore white work clothes and carried her spear. After a final equipment check, we finally moved toward the dungeon entrance.
The hall at the entrance was crowded with people waiting in neat rows. Most were like Yuji and me, carrying swords, or like Hiiragi-san with her spear, but some had brought shovels or even crowbars. I couldn't tell if they were being practical or just following a strange hobby.
In one corner of the warehouse, several explorers were doing warm-up exercises on cushioned mats. We joined them, thoroughly stretching to loosen our bodies, before joining the long line and taking the "End of Line" sign from the person in front of us.
After waiting our turn, it was finally time. Following the attendant's instructions, we held our permits against the reader at the gate. With an electronic beep, the gate opened. Once Yuji and Hiiragi-san had both passed through, we stood directly before the entrance to the dungeon.
I took a sharp breath and looked at the two beside me for a final confirmation.
"Everyone ready?"
"Yeah, ready when you are."
"Yes, I’m prepared."
Their voices were steady and firm. I’d worried they might be overwhelmed by the atmosphere, but it seemed I had nothing to fear.
"Then, let’s go!"
On my signal, we took our first step into the dungeon.