Having successfully acquired the site for our training ground, we decided to get back to the dungeon exploration we’d been neglecting lately due to the unfamiliar task of property hunting. With summer break over, multi-day expeditions were out of the question, so we settled for a day exploration at our usual spot.
We arrived at the station nearest to the dungeon and stood waiting for the shuttle bus.
"This place is better than the urban dungeons, but the crowd has still grown significantly," Hiiragi-san remarked.
"True," I replied. "It’s been six months since the start of the school year, so a lot of first-years have had their birthdays by now. It feels like the number of student explorers surged right after summer break ended. The dungeon boom is still at a fever pitch, and the rush of people looking to strike it rich as explorers shows no signs of slowing down."
"You're right," Hiiragi-san said. "Even if they've heard scary stories about dungeons from the internet or senior explorers, the fantasy of magic and monsters is too much for them to resist. It’s only natural to want to experience it for yourself at least once. Only after that do people start deciding whether to stick with it or give up."
As we watched the long queue for the shuttle, I felt a wave of nostalgia for how quickly time had moved. Six months into the school year meant it was almost our one-year anniversary as explorers.
Looking back, we’d certainly packed a lot into a short time. It started with the private dungeon in my drawer, followed by training with Juzo-san and Genya-san, run-ins with malicious explorers and victims alike, pushing through to the deep floors, school events like Sports Day and the school festival, and finally, the construction of our own private training facility. A typical student explorer definitely wouldn't have such a dense range of experiences in a single year.
"I suppose it’s a good thing for the industry to be so active," Yuji chimed in. "Having so many newcomers means the existence of dungeons and explorers is truly permeating society. If an industry doesn't attract successors, the market eventually shrinks and disappears."
"Yeah," I agreed. "At this rate, the dungeon boom will likely last a while. If a solid foundation for the industry can be built in the meantime, it’ll become a sustainable market. Materials from the dungeons are being researched across various fields, and plenty of products have already been commercialized. I don't think they'll be dismissing dungeons as unnecessary anytime soon."
"Yes," Hiiragi-san added. "Even now, food-related materials are circulating widely in the general market. Then there’s the energy sector, where Core Crystal power generation is being marketed as the next generation of alternative energy. Unless some massive risk pops up, it’s unlikely to be abandoned. The more dungeons integrate into society, the harder it becomes to simply cut the cord."
She was right. Cutting it off would lead to economic catastrophe, mass unemployment, and the potential for civil unrest caused by jobless explorers. Unless there was a dire, universally accepted emergency, the people with vested interests wouldn't throw away their livelihood. Even if they phased it out rather than withdrawing immediately, it would be impossible until alternatives for dungeon-derived products were available. The deeper dungeons sank into the social fabric, the longer a transition would take—who knows how many years a total withdrawal would require?
As we chatted, an announcement signaled the shuttle's arrival. I looked toward the station roundabout and saw two buses pulling in together. During the summer, they’d run extras as a temporary measure, but it seemed the number of users had grown enough to make the increased service permanent.
"Well, the bus is here. Let’s board."
"Right."
"Yes."
The first bus filled up instantly, so we ended up standing on the second one for the ride to the dungeon.
When we reached the roundabout in front of the dungeon, we climbed off and stretched to work out the stiffness in our muscles. The bus hadn't been suffocating, but it was crowded enough that we couldn't really move. The other passengers were doing the same, everyone working out the kinks from the ride.
"The parking lot here is as massive as a major shopping mall," Yuji noted. "Maybe we should think about getting a car eventually. A wagon would let us haul long equipment or heavy gear without any trouble."
"Good point," I said. "Once we have our licenses, a private car would be a great way to get around. It looks like they have flat-rate parking for several days for people on long expeditions."
"We could use it for the development work at the other property, too," Hiiragi-san said. "Though that’s a conversation for nearly a year from now."
Across the roundabout, the vast parking lot carved out of the forest was nearly half-full. It was being used by corporate explorers and pro explorers; I even spotted a few campers, suggesting some people were living out of their vehicles while they explored.
Unfortunately, while our school didn't ban us from getting a driver's license, it strictly forbade students from driving while enrolled. If anyone was caught, they faced disciplinary action, including suspension. Apparently, one or two students got snagged every year.
"True," I said. "We stand out at school, for better or worse. If a fellow student happened to be here and saw us driving..."
"Even if it didn't lead to an immediate suspension, a summons for a severe warning would be unavoidable," Yuji noted. "The school can't exactly ignore a reported violation if it turns out to be true."
"Exactly," Hiiragi-san agreed. "There are bound to be students who don't like us, and if they reported a exaggerated version of the facts just for fun, things could get ugly. Since we’re not hurting for transportation right now, it’s best not to take the risk."
While I liked the idea of rolling up to the dungeon in my own car, it wasn't worth risking suspension. Since I didn't know every student's face, I wasn't about to chance it. It was a bit of a shame, though; a camper would have been incredibly useful as temporary housing during the training ground construction. Having mobile living facilities with basic amenities is a massive advantage when developing raw land.
"I guess the car will have to wait," I said. "Anyway, let's go handle the entry procedures. Looks like the people from our bus have already moved on."
"Right, let's go."
"Yes."
We left the now-quiet roundabout and headed toward the reception building. Right after a bus arrives, the desks get slammed, so waiting a few minutes usually saves us the stress of standing in a stagnant line.
Thanks to the additional windows, we cleared reception quickly. A few years ago, two busloads of people hitting the desks at once would have meant a thirty-minute wait. As the number of explorers increased, the support for dungeons—even in remote spots like this—had improved significantly.
"Alright, Hiiragi-san, we'll meet you in the waiting area once you've changed," I said.
"Understood. I'll be as quick as I can."
After parting ways with Hiiragi-san, Yuji and I headed into the locker room. It was quite crowded, mostly with student groups. They looked younger than us, likely part of the summer break debut group. They were easy to spot because their armor still didn't quite look right on them—their movements were stiff, like they hadn't yet learned how to move naturally while geared up.
"Alright, I'm set. Yuji, you done?"
"Give me a second... and, done."
We did a quick mutual equipment check. Forgetting something or having a loose strap can lead to a disaster in the dungeon, so we never skipped this step. Once we were satisfied, we left the locker room, passing the newcomers who were still chatting away even after they'd finished dressing.
"Looks like about half of them are the summer break debut group," Yuji remarked as we sat in the waiting area.
"Seems like it," I replied, scanning the room. There were a lot of groups who clearly weren't used to their gear yet. At this rate, the upper floors were going to be packed. If they debuted over the summer, they’d be considered promising rookies if they’d reached the 10th floor by now.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Hiiragi-san said, appearing a moment later.
"No problem, you were fast. Now that we’re all here, let's do some light warm-ups before we head in."
"Right."
"Yes."
Since we didn't have any private team business to discuss, we headed to the shared exercise space. While we could have just walked straight into the dungeon, taking the time to warm up helped prevent injuries and kept our movements sharp.
However, many people seemed to neglect these basic, unglamorous essentials. Most of the people in the shared space were mid-level explorer groups with some experience. There were almost no newcomers from the summer break crowd. They might have been using private rooms, but rookie explorers were usually too broke to pay extra for a room just to stretch.
"You'd think they'd remember doing warm-ups in P.E. class," I mused.
"Yeah," Yuji said. "Getting injured inside a dungeon is the worst... but I guess you don't really get it until you experience it once. Even if they know the theory, it doesn't feel real. The Dungeon Association even emphasizes it during the Explorer License Training."
"That’s true," Hiiragi-san said. "By the time you're a mid-level explorer, you've probably had at least one injury, so the lesson is etched into your bones. If spending a few minutes stretching can prevent that, there’s no reason not to do it. Besides, even though a recovery potion works fast, the cost is a major blow if you don't have a stable income yet."
Prices fluctuated, but even a beginner recovery potion cost 10,000 yen. With the market value of materials dropping due to increased supply, it was hard for a small group to earn 10,000 yen per person on the overcrowded upper floors. Between gear, consumables, and travel, using a potion was a massive hit to a rookie's wallet. For them, avoiding injury was an essential survival skill for their finances—though obviously, it was worse if they let an injury fester because they were too cheap to use a potion.
"Well, there's no sense worrying about others if we neglect our own routine," I said. "Let’s finish up and get moving. At this rate, it’ll take longer than usual just to reach the lower floors."
"Yeah, let's do it."
"Agreed."
We found a clear spot in the shared area and spent about ten minutes on a quick but thorough stretching routine. Once our bodies were properly warmed up, we headed to the building housing the entrance gate. We were immediately greeted by a massive, familiar crowd.
"Yep, just as I thought. A lot of people," I muttered.
"The lines are back to their old lengths," Yuji noted. "At least they have more gates now, so the line actually moves."
"Complaining won't get us inside," Hiiragi-san said. "Let’s just get in line."
Trying to ignore the overwhelming length of the queue, we took our places at the very back. I just hoped we could get inside soon.