I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 10

Episode 10 

(Note: Special for this chapter, dialogues from the internet and TV are in 『….』. And dialogues through the telephone are in ‘….’)

I was dreaming. 

It was a memory from middle school—a time when people still had high expectations of me. 

Back then, I was hailed as an S-Rank Explorer, brimming with promise. 

Even in elementary school, I had been mentored by renowned explorers and received elite training to become one myself. 

Everyone believed I would grow to represent Japan on the world stage. 

When I started middle school, I finally gained access to dungeons. 

My first challenge was the local Kamino Town Dungeon. 

The world was eager to see how quickly the fastest S-Rank Explorer in history could conquer it. I, too, had high hopes for myself. 

On TV, they often said that first-time dungeon challenges usually take some time. 

Even Kiryu-san, who was a legend at the time, reportedly took about a month to clear his first dungeon. 

He kindly encouraged me, saying, “Don’t push yourself too hard.” 

Hearing that made me want to achieve at least the same level of success within a month. 

But reality wasn’t so kind. 

The moment I stepped into the first floor of the dungeon, I was met by monsters far stronger than what I had been warned about. 

To be honest, they were terrifying—far beyond what I had imagined. 

Even so, I couldn’t back down. 

Outside, countless reporters waited to interview me about my first battle. 

Retreating wasn’t an option. 

I convinced myself that my struggles were due to inexperience and pressed on relentlessly. 

Looking back now, this was where I made my first mistake. 

If only I had honestly admitted my fears, or reported how unexpectedly powerful the monsters were, the Association might have launched an investigation. 

But I was just a middle schooler back then, trying too hard to act like a cool and capable explorer. 

I put on a brave face and hid my weaknesses, recklessly pushing myself further. 

Yet no matter how hard I tried, progress was painfully slow. 

Balancing school and dungeon exploration left me with limited time to dedicate to clearing the floors. 

I gave up extracurricular activities, had no time to make friends, and couldn’t afford the luxury of playing games, reading manga, or watching TV or videos. 

Every single day, I focused solely on the dungeon. 

Despite facing the same challenges, Kiryu-san had managed to analyze his dungeon within a month, map out key stairways, and clear it during Golden Week. 

I had the same plan in mind, but I couldn’t keep up. 

Anxiety gnawed at me, swirling in my chest. 

And when a month passed without clearing even the early floors, public opinion began to shift. 

The fantasy of “Haruto Amakusa, the world’s strongest S-Rank Explorer”—a fantasy inflated by the media—started to crumble. It left me consumed by its weight. 

On TV, they said things like, 

『It’s understandable; Kiryu-san is just exceptionally talented』 

But inside, I was panicking. 

Even with another month of effort, I doubted I could advance much further. 

Meanwhile, school demanded my attention. I wasn’t good at studying, and juggling academics with dungeon exploration was exhausting. 

The situation worsened when the dungeon began to experience more frequent surges. 

Every time it happened, I had to leave school to deal with it. 

I was stuck in a vicious cycle: my studies suffered, my dungeon progress stalled, and I couldn’t join in on conversations about manga or games that my classmates enjoyed. 

They admired me, calling me *amazing*. But admiration didn’t lead to close friendships. 

I struggled to form deep bonds. And that loneliness weighed heavily on me. 

I wanted to quit. 

I wanted to escape from being an explorer. 

But I couldn’t let my mom worry about me, so I forced myself to keep going. 

I think she noticed, though. 

Balancing studies with dungeon exploration meant sacrificing one for the other. 

As a result, my progress slowed even further. 

By the end of summer vacation, I had managed to reach the 35th floor. 

Instead of praise, the Explorer’s Association expressed disappointment. 

Some even said bluntly, “Wait, you’re not done yet?” 

Despite knowing better, I couldn’t resist checking online opinions. 

I regretted it instantly. 

『He’s barely making any progress.』 

『What a waste of talent. He should just die.』 

『He’s nowhere near Kiryu’s level.』

Words like these pierced my heart every day. 

I was weak. I had to try harder. It was all my fault. 

Anxiety, pain, sadness, and anger with no outlet—despite it all, I had no choice but to keep moving forward. 

Not everyone criticized me back then. 

The people in my hometown and at school still supported me. 

Among them, Miyoshi-san stood out. He defended me even in media interviews by saying, “The difficulty of this dungeon fluctuates daily, making it especially challenging.” 

But as time passed, even those who stood by me began facing backlash. 

Commentators on TV dismissed the idea of significant differences in dungeon difficulty. And the Explorer’s Association conducted only routine inspections, leaving the real situation unaddressed. 

As Miyoshi-san said, the dungeon was unpredictable. It was like a living entity. 

Some days, formidable enemies appeared on the first floor; other days, it felt no different from ordinary dungeons or was inexplicably easy. 

There was no discernible pattern. Whenever visitors from outside came to observe, the dungeon always seemed weaker—by sheer bad luck. 

It felt like the Kamino Town Dungeon was targeting me, mocking me. 

This only fueled the criticism I faced. 

What solidified my downward spiral was a single comment from Kiryu-san: 

『I think it’s due to a lack of effort. Honestly, it’s disappointing.』 

Those words, broadcasted on TV, accelerated the wave of public disdain against me. 

After that, I became a regular topic of ridicule on TV shows. 

Important people on TV, influential figures in the explorer community—they all seemed to think it was acceptable to mock me. 

The public followed suit, believing I was someone they could freely deride. 

I started receiving invitations to appear on these programs. 

At first, I declined; I was too overwhelmed to even consider participating. 

But then I saw what they said about me on one of the shows I didn’t attend: 

『Apparently, Amakusa-san couldn’t make it today. Even though he’s not doing anything else.』 

I had become a joke, and people laughed at my expense. 

When I finally decided to appear, hoping to escape their mockery, I was greeted with sarcasm: 

『Oh, you have time to be here?』 

No matter what I did, I was laughed at. 

Mocked, ridiculed, treated like a punching bag—I became everyone’s plaything. 

Even so, I continued to dive into the dungeon every single day, risking my life in battle. 

When I finally reached the 100th floor, I thought, “Maybe now they’ll acknowledge me.” 

But the moment I discovered the 101st floor, everything crumbled again. 

The Association didn’t believe my report. 

At some point, though, I stopped caring. 

The noise around me ceased to matter. 

By the time I realized it, nothing could shake my heart anymore. 

And that’s how I became the person I am today. 

—

“Ugh, this is the worst…” 

I let out a small sigh, staring at the mirror in my room. 

The usual cheerful Haruto Amakusa wasn’t there. 

…….Just a guy who looked utterly drained. 

I usually avoid showing this kind of face to keep people from worrying about me. 

But the dream I’d just had left me feeling a bit down. 

Even though it was still the middle of the night, my phone was ringing. 

It was a call from a local explorer doing night patrols. 

I’d gotten into the habit of answering after just one ring. 

There was a time when I didn’t pick up quickly enough, and someone got hurt. 

Before answering, I took a deep breath to lift my mood. 

Normally, I could switch back to the carefree Haruto Amakusa as soon as I woke up. 

But the dream had brought back memories of my lowest point. 

I stood in front of the mirror and forced a smile. 

A smile that hid any trace of weakness. 

Bit by bit, my usual rhythm returned. 

…After all, I’m an *S-Rank Explorer*. 

“Hello! What’s up?” 

I made sure my voice was bright, sensing the caller felt bad about disturbing me at this hour. 

‘S-Sorry, Amakusa-kun! A monster with three magic stones just showed up—’ 

“Ah, got it! I wasn’t sleeping anyway. I’ll head over now!” 

‘Sorry, and thank you!’ 

And so, once again, I set off to suppress a dungeon surge.