The weakest (self-proclaimed) salaryman suddenly finds himself treated like an S-rank adventurer!? ~Relaxed dungeon life - Episode 5

Pilgrim – Shiina Haru.

His steps were completely natural.

Her footsteps were light, and her stride was relaxed.

If I feel like it, I stop, look at the patterns on the wall, and when I find a pretty stone, I squat down.

He squints his eyes at the glowing pale blue moss growing by the roadside and smiles, saying, “This looks like it might have a soothing effect.”

The dangerous first floor, where traps and bosses are likely lurking…

Where adventurers normally risk their lives to tread, he walked as if it were a weekend hike.

“…Huh? It’s a bit bright?”

A soft light shone in at the end of the passage.

Yang narrowed his eyes and leaned forward slightly, naturally heading in that direction.

The passageway continued at a gentle slope, and the joints of the stones running along the wall looked like they had been artificially polished. The stones underfoot were also rounded, making it easy to walk on.

“Could this be the exit?”

“Yes, pilgrim. Up ahead is the portal to the surface, the so-called ‘Gate of Return.'”

The guide fairy Mirelia, who was sitting on his shoulder, spoke in a calm, yet somewhat nervous voice.

But Yang’s eyes lit up when he heard it.

“Yay! Looks like I can make it back in time today.”

“Eh, the Gate of Return… So, are we going to go there so quickly?! Pilgrim, do we not need to stop by the boss’s area or anything?!”

“Eh? What’s that? An attraction? It’s important not to push yourself too hard. The book said that it’s not good to try too hard when you’re tired.”

“I, I see… (The boss… he’s ignoring the boss!? Or rather, he’s already “defeated” it without even knowing it… is this person human!?)”

While Mirelia held her head in her hands, Yo stood in front of the “Gate of Return” as if nothing had happened.

There, an elliptical distortion of light floating in the air–

The fantastical transporter swayed back and forth, as if the water’s surface had risen and turned into a mirror.

“Wow… It’s beautiful…”

You couldn’t help but stare in awe and took a careless step forward.

And the next moment– the world was enveloped in light.

◆ ◆ ◆

“Whoa, it’s dazzling…!”

Passing through the blinding light, the sun’s view opened up.

It was near the entrance to that “back alley” — behind the station building.

A quiet passageway. In stark contrast to the stone scenery of the other world I had been in, this was the reality of an urban area, a mix of asphalt and steel beams.

“…He’s back, I guess?”

Yang looked around, a little confused.

There are not many people around, and no one passes by.

I glanced at my watch, and it read 11:45.

“Eh? …Eh?! It’s this time already?”

I quickly took out my smartphone. There were a few emails and chat notifications, but no urgent calls or anything like that. The signal was normal.

In other words, the flow of time wasn’t distorted.

What I felt was that the exploration within the dungeon was more intense than it was.

“…Yeah. Let’s go home and have some coffee.”

Yang muttered as he relaxed his shoulders and set off down his usual path.

◆ ◆ ◆

That afternoon.

Shiina Haru was sitting at his desk at home.

I opened my laptop and checked my remote meeting schedule while quietly watching the steam rising from my mug.

The wooden sword – the Orbal Wooden Sword – was leaning against a potted plant in the corner of the room.

The magic stone he picked up was placed on the desk as a paperweight and also served as a base for a coffee cup.

And the guide fairy Mirelia is–

It was just sitting on a small shelf next to my PC, in an “unactivated” state.

“…It felt like a dream.”

Yang muttered.

It was a monologue not spoken to anyone in particular, but simply dissolved into space.

The line between fantasy and reality is becoming blurred. But he doesn’t even care about that. That’s what he considers “normal.”

◆ ◆ ◆

Meanwhile–

The location now is the Japanese branch of the International Dungeon Observation Management Organization.

The image displayed on the large screen showed a recording of the “otherworldly vibrations” that had occurred in the basement of the Shinjuku South Exit a few hours earlier.

While several researchers stood there engaged in analysis and discussion, a person in charge was barking out instructions at the back of the room.

“-There’s no doubt about it. This individual… No, ‘this person’ clearly possesses an unknown power.”

“Is this the one recorded as a ‘Pilgrim of the Light’?”

“Yes. We cleared the first floor without any mistakes, combat, or unused skills. Furthermore, the total time, including the return journey, was approximately two hours and twenty-five minutes. That’s less than one-fifth of what it would normally take.”

“What skill are you using…?”

“I can’t confirm it. It’s an abnormal situation where there is no reaction at all. There is zero magical detection. Reflection analysis is also impossible. It’s like… that place is just a blank space.”

“…One more mystery has been added to the city labyrinth.”

The individual data displayed on the hologram was written as follows:

“Pilgrim No. 001”

■First floor: Completed

■Title: Healing Pilgrim

■ Registration status: Unconfirmed

■Magical power: Unmeasured

■Skill Judgment: –Blank–

“…I’m still just a first-time explorer, right?”

“Yes. However, if this person steps into the next level… it will likely upset the balance of the world.”

◆ ◆ ◆

At that time, the person in question was…

He placed the leftover bread from his morning on the table at home and placed his cup on top of the magic stone, muttering to himself leisurely.

“This stone is just right. It’s non-slip, shiny, and stylish. What kind of stone is it…?”

I bite into the bread and sip my coffee.

On the shelf next to it, Mirelia is sitting quietly like a fairy figurine.

–No restlessness, no tension, no fear.

There was only silence, peace, and a gentle atmosphere.

This was the very quiet daily life of a “world-class explorer.”