Living in a Dungeon in Modern Japan! An Overpowered Life with a Useless Skill - Episode 11

Episode 11

I stared at the 100 yen coin I had earned and found myself lost in thought.

Even though the Special Attack skill was said to be a dud, I had just experienced firsthand how effective it could be.

This 100 yen was earned in just a few seconds thanks to that skill. Considering the time spent, it might be more profitable than working a temp job.

Of course, I understood that time would also be spent just searching for Slimes. So it wouldn’t always work out that way. But I had heard that during off-peak seasons, things didn’t get too crowded.

A more immediate issue had also arisen.

Now that I had gained magic power, I was required to vacate my current residence within three months.

While having magic power opened many more job opportunities than when I had none, the salary I could earn from companies that would actually hire someone like me wasn’t particularly high.

The special demand for magic users certainly had an effect. But considering most citizens had magic power, it merely leveled the playing field.

Taking that into account, I began thinking it might be worth trying dungeon exploring a few times.

I had some savings, even if not much. So I could afford to test it out.

If I was going to do this, the next step was deciding *which* dungeon to enter.

With that decided, and knowing I had few people I could consult, I immediately made a phone call.

“Hello? There’s something I’d like to talk about.”

The person on the other end sounded surprised. But they told me to come over since they were still inside the facility.

I informed the nearby receptionist that I’d be stepping out and headed toward the intended destination.

Since the person I was looking for was still in the same place as before, I arrived without issue.

When I entered the room, the person—Hiyori—was still sitting in a chair. She was holding a tablet. She was just like when I last saw her.

“I didn’t think I’d hear from you again today. So, you want to talk about becoming an explorer, right?”

“Like I said on the phone earlier, I wanted to ask what happens if I decide to become one.”

“I see. I thought I explained your unique skill without hiding anything, but… you’re really thinking of becoming an explorer, huh?”

“I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I want to try it out.”

“Haha, I like that mindset. And since I might’ve nudged you that way, I’ll take some responsibility and teach you what I can.”

From there, she gave me a brief but informative lecture.

One piece of good news was that if I became an explorer, I’d be provided housing, just like when I had no magic power.

Since the country needed explorers to extract resources from dungeons, they offered generous support.

In Japan especially, the number of explorers was low compared to other countries.

Part of that was because Japan was so prosperous that there wasn’t much need to become an explorer. But culturally, Japanese people tended to avoid harming others—even monsters—so the idea of killing was distasteful.

Considering population ratios, Japan had very few explorers.

While I would need to show a certain level of results, at least one worry about becoming an explorer was now resolved.

The remaining issue was income.

“As for income—if you just keep defeating Slimes using your anti-Slime skill, I think you could take down about 50 per day in 8 hours. That would be around 5,000 yen daily.”

Five thousand yen a day, plus housing support and perks… Not great, but tolerable.

The income was undeniably low. But the housing subsidy and explorer privileges made a big difference.

I’d be exempt from various taxes, receive achievement-based rewards, and get discounts at dungeon-affiliated facilities.

As long as I kept diving into dungeons, I could probably maintain my current standard of living. That was my rough estimate.

Noticing me calculating on my phone, Hiyori said:

“You’re surprisingly responsible for someone your age. Even keeping a household budget?”

“Well, since I’m living off government aid, I can’t afford to waste money. I keep track properly. Though, honestly, living because of the support feels a bit complicated.”

“Nah, I think you should take whatever support is offered. Especially for explorers—you’re basically risking your life. There are still one or two people a year who suffer serious injuries from Slimes.”

“Yeah… putting your life on the line, huh… When you put it that way, it does make me feel a bit better. Thanks.”

Now that I knew it wouldn’t significantly affect my daily life, and having received confirmation from a professional, I decided:

I would try diving into the dungeon a few times to see if this lifestyle was really viable.

“Excuse me, I’d like to start exploring as early as tomorrow. Is there a place to stay around here?”

“Whoa, you’re diving in as soon as tomorrow? That’s some serious motivation,”

She said, sounding surprised.

“Well, I’m unemployed and have nothing else to do. And they say you should strike while the iron’s hot. Honestly, if I could, I’d go in today.”

It was already past 4 PM.

“Well, I think you should at least rest today. There is a place you can stay, but… hmm…”

She thought for a bit. She then fiddled with her tablet.

“I’ve scheduled a follow-up test for you tomorrow. So how about staying in our facility for the next few days?”

“Really? That’s okay!?”

“Of course. I’ll register it as lodging for testing purposes and book your exam for first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Are you sure that’s allowed?”

“You’re one of the rare awakeners who went from zero magic power to having some. Getting more data from you helps us too—let’s just say that’s the reason.”

I stood and bowed deeply to Hiyori in gratitude.

“Thank you so much for everything!”

“No need to bow like that. I want the data too, after all.”

Thanks to Hiyori’s kindness, I’d now be able to stay near this dungeon and keep exploring for a while.

Once Hiyori finished her work, she said she’d guide me to the facility.

Until then, I decided to return to the meeting room for a bit.