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 3: The Eternal Summer Vacation Space, and Reunion

Episode 3: The Eternal Summer Vacation Space, and Reunion

When I turned the doorknob, *Kiiii!*—with a creaking sound, the iron door slowly opened.

I couldn’t suppress my curiosity and stepped into the shimmering purple gate beyond the door.

And then—

“Huh…!?”

Inside the gate, a rural landscape spread out before me.

An unpaved road stretching through the rice fields.

A big cumulus cloud in the blue sky.

A green forest spreading out in the distance.

And the chirping of cicadas—aburazemi and minminzemi—echoing all around.

It was the end of February outside. But inside the dungeon, it was clearly summer.

I had heard that the inside of the gate was a mysterious space, but this much…?

“Man, it’s hot!!”

I took off my coat.

Even so, it was hot.

Temperature-wise, it felt like somewhere between 25 and 30°C.

…Well, it’s safe to say this is a dungeon now.

But within the visible area, there were no signs of monsters like Goblins or Kobolds.

It was far removed from the typical image of a dungeon, like stone-walled labyrinths or dark caves.

—Just to be safe, I’ll check.

“Status, open!”

When I said that, a semi-transparent message window appeared in midair.

Name: Natsume Koichi

Level: 1

Experience: 0/10

HP: 10

MP: 0

Attack: 1

Defense: 1

Speed: 1

Wisdom: 1

Skill: [Child’s Heart]

Special Ability: None

…Yep, that confirms it.

The status window only appears inside dungeons.

I got a little teary-eyed looking at “Special Ability: None.” But it can’t be helped.

I already knew without being told… Ugh…

“Oh, are you trying to comfort me…?”

Through my tear-blurred vision, countless dragonflies approached.

They looked like shiokara dragonflies. But the blue seemed more intense.

“There, there…”

I stretched out my index finger, and one dragonfly landed on it. It was resting its wings.

“You cute little guy.”

With my other hand, I gently grabbed its wings.

I caught it easily. The dragonfly buzzed *jijijiji!* right in front of my face.

“It’s just a normal dragonfly…”

No fangs or anything—didn’t seem dangerous.

As I was thinking that—

“Whoa!”

With a *boing!* sound, the dragonfly vanished. And in its place, a small stone was left in my hand.

This is…

“A magic stone…”

A gem like an amethyst that can be retrieved from the body after defeating Goblins and such.

It was about the size of a tablet pill. But it was definitely the real thing.

“So the dragonfly was a monster… Maybe I shouldn’t have touched it.”

And then—

[Achievement Unlocked — “Within a dungeon, a person with the skill [Child’s Heart] captured a magical creature.” Special Ability ‘Magical Creature Encyclopedia’ is now available.]

As that voice echoed in my head, there was a *boing!* sound effect like a cartoon explosion. A book then came floating up at chest height.

It flipped its pages on its own and stopped midway.

Encyclopedia No. 10/251

Name: Shiokara Magic Dragonfly

Rarity: 0

Capture Skill: None

Capture EXP: 1 (0.1 if player level 3 or higher)

Drop Item: Magic Stone (Tiny), ???

Description: A dragonfly living on dungeon levels that mimic outdoor areas. Those without the [Child’s Heart] skill perceive it as part of the scenery (cannot attack or capture). It has no means of attack.

“I see…”

So it’s an encyclopedia of captured creatures. And apparently, I gained experience just by catching that dragonfly.

If I can level up without having to defeat Goblins or anything, maybe even I can get stronger.

I’d like to test and organize a lot more things, but………

“This really isn’t good…”

It didn’t seem right to continue diving into a dungeon without a license. So for now, I decided to leave the gate.

“…Cold.”

Outside the gate, it was the chilly February sky again.

My mood dropped for no reason.

I put my coat back on and tried to mentally summarize what I had learned:

• • Inside the door was definitely a dungeon.

• •  Not sure if seasons exist in dungeons, but it had summer scenery and climate.

• • No dangerous monsters like goblins or kobolds were within sight from the entrance.

• • On the other hand, a magic stone came out of the dragonfly I caught, so it may count as a monster.

—And the most important thing:

• • With the [Child’s Heart] skill, it seems I can catch the dragonflies. If the same goes for cicadas and other bugs, then I might be able to earn small change and level up just by catching insects.

Hmm, this is starting to sound kind of fun.

A magic stone from a dragonfly probably only sells for a few dozen yen. But other bugs might drop slightly bigger stones.

That said, I haven’t taken the explorer training course. And I should probably report this dungeon’s appearance to the government or someone.

First… yeah.

If I remember right, the city hall has a department in charge of dungeons. They even take consultations about dungeon-related issues.

I took out my phone, got permission from my parents—the landowners—and called city hall.

“Hello, my name is Natsume. It seems a dungeon has appeared on private property…”

☆★☆

An hour and a half later.

Three cars were parked at the base of the mountain.

“Hello, Natsume-san, correct? I’m Tanaka from the City Hall’s Dungeon Exploration Support Division.”

A woman in her 30s showed me her name badge as she introduced herself.

“Ah, yes. I’m Natsume.”

I don’t normally deal with the government. So I felt a little nervous.

“Thank you for contacting us today. From here, representatives from the city, the prefectural office, and the Explorer Association will conduct an on-site investigation. Depending on the danger level and the rank of items that can be harvested, the government may purchase your land entirely. So please be aware.”

“Y-Yes.”

This turned out to be a bigger deal than I thought.

“That said, large-scale dungeons like that have only ever been found in urban areas. So the chances are low…”

Next, a man around 40 handed me his business card.

“I’m Sato from the Prefectural Government’s Dungeon Management Division. If this dungeon is deemed to be nationally significant, procedures will go through the prefecture. So we’ll be working with you. Pleased to meet you.”

“I-I’m Natsume. Nice to meet you too.”

I had thrown away all my old business cards after retiring. So I just took theirs.

Then, Tanaka-san from City Hall spoke up.

“And here are the two members of the Explorer Association who will assist in today’s investigation. They’re both women. But they’ve reached the 10th floor of the Ota Dungeon. Depending on the situation, they may engage the monsters inside. So please understand.”

“I’m Yamada, rear guard for the Explorer Association. Thank you for having us today.”

And then—

The other one hid behind Yamada-san. She was too embarrassed to show her face.

“Come on, greet him properly!”

“B-But…”

“That’s rude! What’s going on? You’re not usually like this…!”

“…?”

It looked like the two of them were battling over position.

Eventually, the other woman was pulled forward.

Blushing and looking up at me from beneath her bangs, she glanced my way.

“I’m Omoi…gawa Tamaki from the Explorer Association. D-Do you remember me, Kou-chan?”

“Otama-chan…?”

She was the Otama-chan I used to catch bugs with when we were little.