Ordinary Person × Modern Dungeon × Summer Vacation Life = Rise to Success!? 〜A Private Dungeon Was Made at the Remains of a Secret Base From Childhood〜 - Episode 25: Visiting the Shrine

Episode 25: Visiting the Shrine

The day after the exam, I came to the private dungeon.

Originally, I had promised to play with Otama-chan today. So I wasn’t in the mood to go bug catching alone for fun.

Besides, I had already gathered a lot of bugs in the days leading up to the Explorer Exam. And most of all, I had even caught a rarity 5-star caterpillar. So my level had gone up quite a bit.

“Maybe I’ll just relax in the shade today…”

I moved to the riverside, spread out the hammock I had bought from Eayon’s Outdoor Corner, and tied it to a nearby tree.

The murmuring of the river was pleasant.

“Alright then… Status, open.”

Swaying in the hammock, I displayed my status.

Name: Natsume Koichi

Level: 29

Experience: 701/2831

HP: 281

MP: 112

Attack: 119 (Bonus +18)

Defense: 100 (Bonus +13)

Speed: 167 (Bonus +17)

Wisdom: 78 (Bonus +2)

Skills: [Child’s Heart], [Enhanced Item Drop], [Water Resistance (Small)], [Sleep Immunity], [Water Walking], [Slash Boost (Small)], [Butterfly Dance], [Alertness]

Special Ability: Magical Creature Encyclopedia, Swarm Attack, Magical Creature Capture Net (Lv.1), Bug Sumo (Stag Beetle), Support, Wormhole

…Yeah.

“I’ve gotten pretty strong.”

Thanks to my level increasing, my stat values had also gone up.

In addition, before the Explorer Exam, I had caught around ten minor new species. So I had also been quietly getting bonus stat points from the capture bonuses.

As for skills, the spatial transfer skill “Wormhole” still stood out the most.

If I could’ve met Otama-chan today, I was thinking of showing her this ability and getting her opinion.

But it doesn’t look like our schedules will match anytime soon.

“The Explorer Association seems to have it tough too…”

…Even so, to be lying in a hammock worrying about someone else—I’ve come a long way.

Just the other day, I was working day and night.

It’s only been about a month since I quit working. Yet, it feels like a distant past.

I also passed the Explorer Exam safely. Everything’s going smoothly.

All of it is thanks to this private dungeon.

“If there were a god of the dungeon, I’d even make an offering.”

Truly self-serving of me.

Back in middle school, when I took the National Dungeon Aptitude Test and was told I had no notable talents, I cursed god and screamed, “There’s no god or Buddha!”

“I really was blessed with luck…”

As I thought that, I suddenly remembered.

“…There *was* a dungeon god.”

Inside this dungeon, there was a shrine.

To me, the big tree on the shrine grounds was more important than the shrine itself. So I hadn’t really paid it much attention.

“Since I’m here, I might as well go.”

To report my success in passing the Explorer Exam, and to express my gratitude.

………….And maybe check if there are any beetles or stag beetles on the big tree.

☆★☆

“Oh!”

After passing through the torii gate and heading to the big tree first, I found a white rhinoceros beetle.

“Talk about lucky!”

This too must be the power of faith.

I immediately reached out my hand.

*Poof!*

Name: White Rhinoceros Beetle

Rarity: ★★

Capture Skill: ??? (Condition: Capture 3 types of rhinoceros beetles), Attack +5 (First-time Bonus)

Capture EXP: 400

Drop Item: Magic Stone (Large)

“Alright.”

That makes two types of rhinoceros beetles I’ve caught.

Just a little more until I can get the skill from capturing three types.

“Okay then, time to give my thanks properly.”

I stood in front of the shrine and straightened my posture.

Then, two bows, two claps, and one bow.

“Thanks to you, I was able to pass the Explorer Exam safely. Please continue to watch over me…”

That should do it.

I felt refreshed. I figured I’d walk a lap of the beetle and stag beetle patrol route.

If I’m lucky, I might even catch one more beetle species today.

—Just as I thought that and started to leave the shrine.

“…Huh?”

I noticed the small offering box in front of the shrine was faintly glowing.

Dimly, like moonlight.

“What is this…?”

I touched it, but it wasn’t hot or cold.

Something was happening. But there were no other changes in the surroundings.

Only the offering box was faintly glowing.

“Is it asking for something…? Hm?”

When I looked at my explorer pouch, I noticed the same kind of faint glow.

I opened the pouch and checked inside.

“Ah…”

The spearhead dropped by the Goblin General during the exam was glowing.

“I forgot to take out the drop item from yesterday…”

When I looked it up after the exam, it seemed that this spearhead was made from a metal called “dungeon steel”.

It’s a fairly common drop item in normal dungeons and widely used as a material for explorer equipment.

If I sold it, it might go for around 20,000 to 30,000 yen.

“…Let’s try offering it.”

Dungeon steel weapons are pricey. But you can buy them at most explorer shops.

Even if nothing happens, it’s not a loss I can’t recover from.

I took out the spearhead and moved my hand over the offering box.

Then—

“Dungeon God, please accept this.”

*Clank, clank…*

I let go of my fingers and dropped the spearhead into the offering box.

The glow of the offering box quietly faded away.

“…………”

*Meen, meen-meen-meen…*

The sounds of cicadas rained down around me.

The same scenery as always.

Nothing seemed to be changing.

“…Did I mess up?”

I had hoped it would transform into a new bug or something.

At this rate, it felt like a wasted offering.

Well, maybe that’s just how shrines are supposed to work…

I started thinking blasphemous thoughts like, “I wonder if dungeon steel sticks to magnets?” and “Would a sticky trap be better?”

Then, after a while—

“Hm…?”

The offering box started glowing again.

No, not the offering box itself.

A white ball of light was rising from inside the offering box.

“What is that…?”

Like a soul, the glowing orb floated and swayed through the air.

It headed toward the big tree behind the shrine.

“…Alright.”

I followed it from behind.

I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I figured it wouldn’t be anything bad.

The orb bumped into the trunk of the big tree and then quietly got absorbed into it.

“…………”

I waited and watched, vaguely hopeful.

Then—

“Ah…”

The base of the tree, between two thick roots, began to glow white.

After the light shone for a while, it quietly faded away.

—In its place was a hole, like a rabbit burrow.

“What is this…?”

I stuck my hand in, but hit the bottom immediately.

Of course, there was nothing inside.

I waited a bit longer. But it didn’t seem like anything else would happen.

“Was it all for nothing…?”

Even as I said that, I had a faint feeling.

I remembered the entrance to the Ōta Dungeon.

Maybe—

Just maybe, this dungeon is trying to grow.

Maybe it’s trying to absorb magic essence from other dungeons and create a second floor.

It could be just my imagination, but that’s what it felt like.

“I wonder if it would react if I bought materials from a shop and offered those?”

Or maybe it only accepts materials I’ve gone through trouble to obtain myself.

With those thoughts in mind, I walked off toward the beetle and stag beetle patrol route.

I’m looking forward to the next time I go to Ōta Dungeon with Otama-chan.

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[Supplement: Magical Creatures Caught Before the Explorer Exam]

Only catalog number and capture skill listed.

All rarity is 0.

Magic stones are either [Small] or [Tiny].

11 – Black Dragonfly – Speed +2 (First-time Bonus)

12 – Green Ladybug – None

37 – Laid-back Snail – Defense +1 (First-time Bonus)

40 – Light Rain Frog – None

64 – Red-spotted Tiger Beetle – Defense +2 (First-time Bonus)

83 – Tsukutsuku Magic Cicada – [Alertness]

→ Prevents ambushes from enemy monsters.

→ More cautious than other cicadas, seemed a bit harder to catch.

85 – Snow White Butterfly – Wisdom +1 (First-time Bonus)

86 – Pink Butterfly – Wisdom +1 (First-time Bonus)

130 – Slimey Dojo (Loach) – None

131 – Brook Crab – Defense +1 (First-time Bonus)