I pulled out my smartphone, pulled up a video file, and handed it over to Saori-chan.
Since we were in a public place, I had muted the audio.
"This is a video I recorded during one of my dungeon dives. Since it was shot inside, it might be a bit hard to see at times, but bear with me. It’s also a little graphic, so please don't force yourself to watch if it becomes too much, okay?"
"Dungeon footage? Then I definitely want to see it. I’m really interested."
The lighting was poor, so the picture wasn't exactly sharp, but it was enough to convey the atmosphere.
It was footage I’d shot on our third dive, once I’d finally gotten a handle on things. I’d used an action cam mounted to my helmet, specifically with the intent of showing Mika later.
"Big Brother, is this...?"
"It’s the one you’ve seen before, Mika."
"Is it really okay to show this to Saori-chan so suddenly? It’s pretty intense for a first-timer, isn't it?" Mika asked me with a look of genuine concern as she peeked at the screen.
She had already seen this compilation. It showed us entering through the gate, exploring the interior, fighting monsters, collecting drop items, and finally withdrawing. I’d edited the highlights into a short reel.
I had deliberately left the more visceral parts in, so the combat scenes were quite a splatter-fest.
"Well, I'll be here to support her."
"...I see."
Mika kept a worried eye on Saori-chan, who was staring at the screen with such intensity she looked like she was about to be sucked in. I sipped my coffee and watched her out of the corner of my eye as my mind drifted back to that third expedition.
We had stepped into the dungeon for our third delve. As we moved down the stone corridors, our equipment was slightly different than it had been on our first trip. Actually diving into the dungeon had revealed several flaws in our gear.
First off, the helmet lights. Seeking maximum visibility, I’d initially gone with an ultra-high-intensity type. In practice, however, the battery life was abysmal. While they were certainly bright, they were actually too bright. I’d had a bitter experience where I’d turned to speak to one of the others, and the beam had gone straight into their eyes, blinding them. Overall, those high-intensity headlamps were just impractical for dungeon work.
I’d swapped mine for a model with moderate brightness that could last for half a day, and I’d also mounted a lantern-style light to my backpack to illuminate a broader area. We’d also prepared handheld torches and chemical lights for throwing. These were the kinds of things you only learned through trial and error, but adding gear meant the expenses were piling up. This was all before I’d even finished cashing in the skill scroll...
The appraisal had finished at the beginning of the week, and the paperwork for the sale was done, but the money wouldn't hit my account until the end of the month. For now, I was still stuck in a bit of a financial pinch.
"Yuji, Hiiragi-san. We’re planning to go down to the third floor today. Everything good on your end?"
"Yeah, no problems here."
"I'm ready as well."
"Then let’s move out."
We hurried through the first floor, where monsters were rare, and took the spiral staircase down to the second floor. The scenery didn't change; the dimly lit stone passages, illuminated by flickering lamps, seemed to stretch on forever.
As we proceeded with caution, we reached a crossroads. While we were debating which way to go, we heard the faint sounds of combat—shouts and roars—coming from the right-hand passage.
"...What do you think? Should we go take a look for reference?"
"No, I think we should steer clear," I said, rejecting Yuji's suggestion.
If we accidentally stumbled upon an explorer group in the middle of a fight, it could easily turn into a dispute, and I didn't want the hassle. We decided to go either straight or left instead. Since we didn't have a specific destination, we all pointed in the direction we wanted to go; the vote was two-to-one for the left passage.
After about forty minutes of walking, we finally encountered a monster.
"Meow!"
"...A cat?"
"It’s a hellcat."
"...It's cute."
The monster caught in our lights was a calico cat about the size of a Shiba Inu. But looking at the way the light reflected in its glowing eyes, it was clear that it saw us as nothing but prey.
Honestly, Hiiragi-san... This thing is showing blatant hostility toward us. Calling it "cute" is a bit much.
"Daiki, don't use that thing... Here it comes."
Yuji gave a low warning just as the hellcat leaped at us. With his right hand, he drew a kodachi and struck the hellcat’s nose with the back of the blade, slamming it into the wall.
The hellcat tumbled, blood dripping from its mouth, but it managed to force itself back up on trembling legs. Yuji drew his second kodachi and settled into a natural stance.
"Yuji?"
"I’ll finish this one. Don't interfere."
"Are you sure?"
"I can't just keep finishing off defenseless monsters. I need real combat experience."
The hellcat lunged again. Yuji sidestepped the pounce and swung his left blade down toward its neck.
However, his aim was slightly off. Instead of the neck, the blade dug deep into the hellcat’s back. Blood sprayed from the wound, splattering the floor and walls. The hellcat collapsed into a growing pool of its own blood, writhing and groaning in agony.
I frowned and spoke to Yuji, who was still holding his stance, focused.
"...Shouldn't you put it out of its misery?"
"...Right."
Yuji cautiously approached the creature and drove his blade into its neck. The hellcat let out a short groan, convulsed once, and then went still.
Looking down at the carcass, Yuji muttered quietly.
"...It really is different."
"?"
"I meant to take the head off, but I hesitated for a split second. My hand slipped."
Yuji frowned with a look of regret as he pulled his kodachi free. He took paper towels and ethanol from his pack and began cleaning the blood off his weapons and armor.
"There’s a world of difference in the mindset between striking a defenseless monster and cutting one that’s actively trying to kill you. I thought I’d gotten used to killing them, but that was just the experience of butchery. I don't think it counts as combat experience. You two should probably get some real experience fighting them before we go any deeper."
"Is it really that different?"
"Yeah. Daiki, you've killed a horn rabbit before, so you probably get it. But Hiiragi-san, you should definitely try it too."
"...I understand."
Yuji put the bloody towels into a plastic bag and stowed them in his pack. The hellcat eventually vanished into the floor, but unfortunately, it didn't leave a drop item. For all that blood, coming away with zero income was a disappointing result.
We continued our search through the second floor, getting into a few more skirmishes along the way, until we finally reached the spiral staircase to the third floor. After a quick look at the others to confirm, we descended.
"The interior really doesn't change, does it?"
"I guess that's just how it is. Though maybe it'll look different if we go deeper?"
"Like those terrain effects you see in games? Like a fire floor or an ice floor?"
That was a common trope in dungeon games, but I really hoped it didn't apply to reality. I didn't want to imagine fighting monsters while also trying to survive a desert or the Arctic. Unlike a game, wearing heavy heat-resistant or cold-resistant gear would make us bulky and slow. Fighting in that state would be a nightmare.
I checked my watch while keeping an eye on our surroundings. We’d already been inside for three hours. We agreed to limit our exploration of the third floor to one hour before turning back. After thirty minutes of wandering, we finally ran into a monster. Based on what we’d seen on the second floor, it seemed that monsters near the entrance were usually hunted down immediately by other explorers. You had to go quite far in before you'd find anything.
We defeated two more monsters, and then, with our scheduled time up, we turned back. It took another three hours to reach the surface. We cleaned our blood-stained gear, and I finally turned off the action cam.
When the twenty-minute video ended, Saori-chan quietly handed the phone back to me. Her face was noticeably pale.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"...Yes. I'm fine."
She replied in a small voice, her hand over her mouth. Mika gently handed her a glass of water. Saori-chan took it, downed half of it in one gulp, and let out a long breath.
"I guess showing you that footage so suddenly was a bit much. Did the blood make you feel sick?"
"...A little."
"Well, it’s a lot to take in if you aren't used to it. It took me a while, too."
"Big Brother! If you knew that, you shouldn't have shown her something like that out of the blue!"
Mika scolded me while gently rubbing Saori-chan's back. But Saori-chan shook her head and defended me.
"Mika-chan, I’m the one who asked to see it. Don't blame your brother."
"But still..."
"He warned me that I didn't have to watch. I just underestimated it. I thought I'd be fine because I like horror movies, but I was naive."
"Saori-chan..."
Since Saori-chan insisted it was her fault, Mika couldn't say anything more, though she still shot me a reproachful look. Once Saori-chan finished her water, I got up to go get her a refill. From the water station, I could see Mika talking to her with a worried expression.
I suppose it was hard for her to vent while I was sitting right there. I took my time getting the water, and by the time I returned, Saori-chan's color had returned.
"Well, Saori-chan. As you can see from that video, that’s what it’s really like inside."
"...Yes."
"There’s more to it than just the dungeon itself—there are things about the explorers, too. But what do you want to do? I can keep talking if you want, but you don't have to force yourself. You can choose not to hear any more, or we can save it for another day."
"Saori-chan, I think you've had enough for today. You look better, but you're still a little pale. You can hear the rest of the stories anytime."
"Mika-chan... Yeah. Daiki-san, would it be okay if we talked more another day?"
"Of course. But remember, you don't have to listen if it's too much."
"It’s true that some of it is hard to hear, but I really want to know. I’m curious about the difference between the stories I see in the news and the reality you're describing."
Her face was still a bit white, but her eyes were full of determination.
"Besides, Mika-chan is listening to your stories, right? Then I should, too."
"...Saori-chan?"
"You've been acting different lately, Mika-chan. Until recently, we were always talking about dungeons together, but then you started acting like you were keeping your distance. I was worried. It was because of what your brother told you, wasn't it?"
"...Is that right?" I asked, looking at Mika.
Mika looked genuinely surprised as she stared at her friend. Saori-chan gave her a small smile.
"I was wondering what was going on, but now I finally understand. If you've been hearing things like this, it must be hard to just gossip about dungeons with us."
"Saori-chan..."
It seemed my stories had affected Mika more than I’d realized.
According to Saori-chan, Mika had been feeling a bit out of place in her friend group lately. Whenever the topic of dungeons came up, she just couldn't engage the way she used to. I’d told her those things for her own sake, but now I felt a pang of guilt.
"If I want to keep being on the same page as Mika-chan, I need to hear your stories too. So please, Daiki-san, tell me more next time."
"Sure. I will."
Mika really does have a good friend, I thought as I watched them talk.
Once Saori-chan was feeling better, we settled the bill and headed to a karaoke box. I'd checked ahead and found one nearby that was open even on New Year's Day. After a couple of hours of singing, I dropped Saori-chan off at her house. Mika and I finally made it home, bringing our long New Year’s outing to an end.