A cloudless, brilliant blue summer sky stretched overhead. From the trees lining the park, the cicadas chirped with an almost deafening intensity, and the sun beat down with enough force to scorch the skin. But right now, we were burning with a fire of our own—as if to declare that such trifles were no obstacle for us.
Why? Well...
"Alright, guys! It’s the end-of-summer-vacation BBQ bash! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
During summer break, the five of us—high school classmates—had formed a team and dived into dungeon exploration. We’d ended up earning a staggering amount of money, and this BBQ was a celebratory send-off to the season. Man, long holidays really are the best. During the school year, we can’t spend nearly as much time grinding in the dungeon as we did this time.
Thanks to that, we each walked away with nearly three hundred thousand yen in pure profit for the summer. And that wasn't for the whole team—that was per person.
"Man, explorers really can rake it in when they’ve got the time to dive in earnest!"
"Haha, true. Usually, we’ve got school, so we’re stuck with short dives except on the weekends."
"Still, making this much after just a month... aren't we actually pretty incredible?"
"I guess. Though part of it was just luck, since those magic items sold for such a high price this time."
"They say luck is a skill, right? That makes it a testament to our abilities!"
We chatted excitedly about our haul while clutching our juices. During the school year, our dives were inevitably inefficient—we always had to hold back and think about the next day. But over summer break, every day was like a weekend. Eight hours of exploration a day... that’s just a pipe dream when school is in session.
We weren’t quite at the level where we could handle a dungeon stay yet, but thanks to this trip, our levels had risen enough that it was finally on the horizon. Once we can handle overnight stays, our earnings will really skyrocket.
"Yeah, well, we definitely have some talent, but we can't get cocky. I've seen plenty of people who thought too much of themselves and got wrecked in fights they couldn't win."
"Ah, for sure. There were those guys who told us not to interfere, only to end up crying for help. We saved them, but man..."
"Watching that was a real wake-up call. It’s good to have confidence, but overconfidence is a death trap."
Remembering the pathetic sight of an explorer team around our age who had perfectly tripped every flag—meeting the exact kind of stereotypical development and ending you'd expect—we shared self-deprecating laughs and nodded, vowing never to become like them.
Come to think of it, we saved those guys, but did they ever make it back safely?
"Well, putting that aside, there were definitely a ton of people in there during summer break."
An unpleasant, unverifiable premonition flickered in my mind, but I gave my head a light shake to clear it. I tried to pivot the conversation. I hadn't asked for their names or team name back then, so there was no way to check now. I’ll just have to assume they made it back to the surface in one piece.
"Yeah, I felt that too. I swear there were twice as many people as usual."
"It's summer vacation, so students like us must have flooded the place."
"Probably. Plus, a lot of first-years have birthdays over the summer, so the number of newcomers probably spiked."
As we placed meat and vegetables onto the grill, our brows furrowed slightly. We looked a bit bitter thinking about how crowded the dungeon had been. I remembered a time in the past—well, only about six months ago—when entry restrictions were imposed due to overcrowding. The congestion this time wasn't quite that bad, but I felt like they should probably implement some limits when the population is likely to spike, like during the summer.
Sure, earnings might decrease because of restrictions, but they decrease just as much when the floors are overcrowded anyway.
"Oh, it's ready. Dig in!"
The meat sizzling on the mesh looked perfect, and we happily reached out with our chopsticks. Since we’d made a killing this summer, we’d splurged on some high-quality Wagyu. It cost about nine hundred yen per hundred grams, but considering our profits, it was a drop in the bucket... I think. I have to be careful not to get carried away and blow everything just because my wallet is heavy.
We dipped the grilled cuts into the sauce and bit into the juice-dripping morsels.
"Oh, man, this is incredible! As expected of Wagyu!"
"It’s definitely worth the price compared to the cheap stuff!"
"The meat is so tender and flavorful!"
"Hard work in the dungeon really paid off..."
"So good, so good."
As we stuffed ourselves with the cooked meat, we kept laying more on the mesh. We’d prepared quite a sum, but at this pace, we’d be done in no time. We ate in a trance for a while, hardly speaking as we filled our stomachs. And for the record, we were eating our vegetables too, not just the beef.
Once we were full enough to regain our composure, we resumed our talk. This time, it was about our future strategy.
"By the way, what should we do about exploration once the term starts? Go back to the old schedule?"
"By 'old,' you mean just a bit after school on weekdays and going hard on Saturdays and Sundays?"
"Once summer is over, we won't have time for the kind of dives we’ve been doing."
"We have to factor in rest days to recover from fatigue, too. We can't keep up this pace forever."
"Going to school or the dungeon while exhausted is asking for trouble..."
"Even so..."
We shared a brief glance and, as if we’d rehearsed it, let out a collective sigh.
"Our earnings are going to plummet."
While picking at the remaining food, we agonized over the problem. Once you've had a taste of real money, returning to the status quo feels almost physically painful. Before summer break, even in a good month, our net profit was barely a hundred thousand yen. Having held such a visibly different sum of cash, we couldn't help but feel that we had the ability to keep earning at that level.
If the amount we’d earned this summer had been only double our usual, we might have been able to make peace with it. But it was nearly triple. The feeling of "what a waste" was impossible to suppress. After a moment of silence, I voiced a suggestion.
"Should we try doing weekend dungeon stays? If we dive deeper, we can get drop items with better exchange rates. Plus, staying down longer increases our chances of finding rare stuff..."
......
For a split second, everyone looked like they wanted to jump on the idea, but they quickly reconsidered. Their expressions clouded over as they averted their eyes. The risks of a dungeon stay must have occurred to them; I’d hesitated to even bring it up for the same reasons.
"There are risks, sure, but I think it’s something we can pull off."
"I mean, we probably could do it, but... man."
"Yeah... jumping straight into that is a big step."
"Th-that's right. And for a dungeon stay, there’s a whole list of gear we’d need to buy..."
"B-but it's true that if we're going to do it eventually, we should gain experience while our levels are high and our senses are sharp..."
Despite the wave of hesitation, there were voices of support. We currently had the financial leeway, and I felt that if we were going to start something new, now was the time. You just don't have the motivation to buy expensive new equipment unless your wallet is full.
I argued that we should start while we had the buffer. Then...
"T-true... if we're going to start, it's better to do it while we have the funds."
"I took a quick look at the shop before. Sleeping bags and tents were pretty pricey..."
"B-but we can afford them now, right? Investing in new gear before we blow the money on something stupid... well, isn't that a smart choice?"
"Y-yeah, you're right. Now is the time to get equipped..."
It seemed my persuasion worked, and the consensus shifted toward attempting a dungeon stay. In reality, if we wanted to see better results without dropping out of school to focus on exploration, dungeon stays were our only option. Since none of us were planning to quit school, we didn't have much of a choice. Unless we were satisfied with our old earnings... but I knew that ship had sailed.
After some more discussion, we reached a conclusion.
"So, for exploration after summer break, we'll start preparing for a dungeon stay... sound good?"
Agreed!
In response to my question, which was still tinged with a bit of nerves, everyone nodded with serious eyes. For the moment, we were unified.
With the heavy talk out of the way, a sense of relief brought back our appetite, and we went back to devouring the meat and vegetables.
As we were enjoying ourselves, I noticed a new group of BBQ-goers arrive. It was a group of seven around our age—two guys and five girls. And man, those girls were all cute. Dammit, why is our group nothing but guys? I was so envious.
While harboring those slightly petty feelings, I tried to enjoy the BBQ with my friends, though I couldn't help but steal occasional glances of pure jealousy at their group. Then...
"Looks like those guys over there are explorers too."
"Yeah, and way more experienced than us, apparently. I can hear them talking about what they eat during dungeon stays."
"I can't hear everything, but it definitely sounds like that's the topic."
It was bad manners, but I eavesdropped while pretending not to care. Apparently, three of them—two guys and one girl—were the senior explorers, and they were answering questions from the four juniors. Just from what I could pick up, I could tell that staying in the dungeon was no walk in the park.
However, since this was gold for us as we aimed for our first stay, I was trying to think of a way to strike up a conversation and hear their stories, when...
"Hm? Something smells incredible..."
"You're right..."
Sniffing the air, I noticed a savory, rich aroma drifting our way. What on earth was that? It was a scent that instantly made my stomach growl. We completely ignored the Wagyu on our grill, which was still sizzling beautifully, and searched for the source....Is it coming from over there?!
Once I spotted it, I realized the smell was coming from those senior explorers I’d been hoping to talk to.
"...Hey, they said that's minotaur meat."
"So minotaur meat smells that good? I mean, look at their faces. I want to try it so bad..."
Seeing the four junior girls happily devouring the mino, I couldn't help but swallow my spit. I stared at them with longing, envious eyes. I wondered if they’d let me have just one bite if I asked? We stopped eating our own food and just watched them eat the minotaur meat like we were possessed.
Of course, while we were distracted, our own meat and vegetables on the grill turned into charcoal. Sorry about that.
"Now they’ve got ramen..."
After the tyrannical storm known as marbled minotaur meat had passed, the feast we’d considered a "luxurious BBQ" just thirty minutes ago suddenly felt cheap and dull. Compared to that, I mean...
And as if to completely ignore the feelings of everyone else in the park, they brought out ramen next. Ramen at a BBQ? part of me wondered, but the will to actually care had already vanished.
"That looks so good..."
"Yeah, it really does."
They called it "spicy-delicious ramen," and they all finished it off with huge smiles, not even bothered by the heat. We could only watch with listless eyes and weak smiles. We’d already been knocked out by the marbled minotaur meat, but this felt like a follow-up strike while we were down.
On the way home... maybe I'll stop for ramen.
"Melon... and that definitely isn't the cheap supermarket kind."
"Yeah, that’s a gift-wrapped one from a specialty shop, isn't it? It’s got that gold sticker on it like they're trying to flex..."
Explorers get all sorts of physical enhancements from leveling up, but I’ve never resented my improved eyesight and hearing more than I did today. If my senses were normal, I wouldn't have seen the details or heard the conversation, and I wouldn't have had to suffer this much.
Finally, as if they’d dealt the finishing blow, we watched them eat the melon with dead eyes while we choked down the burnt remains of our own food. This was supposed to be a fun celebration...
Leaving the park, the five of us trudged home with heavy steps. I don't think we've walked with such leaden feet since the time we came back from a dive with zero loot. Why did we have to go home feeling like we’d suffered a crushing defeat after just having a BBQ? Well, I knew exactly why.
After walking in silence for a long time, someone muttered in a small but firm voice.
"We’re going to make that dungeon stay a success. Absolutely. Then we’re going to get some marbled minotaur meat, invite some girls, and have a BBQ right in front of everyone..."
I wasn't sure who said it, but the words echoed in the hearts of all five of us. Without a word, we stopped, huddled up with our arms around each other's shoulders, and looked at one another with eyes full of resolve.
And then...
"We’re definitely going to make it a success!"
As we shouted our resolve, our hearts became one in a way we had never experienced in any dungeon. At that moment, I was certain we could pull it off.
Oh, by the way, the five of us did stop at a ramen shop on the way home. I ordered the soy sauce ramen, but for some reason, it just tasted like salt... I wonder why?