When I returned from exploring the dungeon to save the world, I found out that my lover had been stolen, and I was blamed for the failed expedition. Enraged, I quit Japan's strongest party—only for them to self-destruct on their own. - Chapter 29

Japan Dungeon Association Headquarters (President Kamiya)

“The unit dispatched by the World Dungeon Association has been wiped out. We were monitoring the communication, and according to the reports, they were annihilated by a radiant orc.”

“This is a headache…”

Mikawa, who was reporting to me, looked visibly exhausted.

Just the other day, we had been dealing with the indictment of the former president, Kazuno, the dismissal of his loyalists, and the organizational restructuring that followed.

And just when things had started to settle down, Koichi Okita encountered something that could turn the world upside down—a monster capable of communication.

As if that wasn’t shocking enough, the boss of the Pacific Dungeon’s 100th floor suddenly teleported to Tokyo.

This was no longer just a dungeon event—it was essentially a terrorist attack by monsters.

It was a completely different situation from a stampede, where monsters spill out from dungeon entrances.

Now, we had proof that monsters could theoretically appear anywhere in the world.

Until now, our strategy had been to regularly cull monsters inside dungeons while preparing defensive measures in case of stampedes.

But if monsters can teleport freely, that strategy becomes meaningless.

Unless we continuously eliminate every single dungeon boss worldwide, the threat will never be eradicated.

Of course, since this has never happened before, it’s likely a rare case—or at least, I hope so.

But we have no guarantees.

For all we know, that radiant orc could suddenly appear right here in this very room.

“We have no choice but to continue our investigation… What has President Lievert said?”

“He intends to send another unit.”

“I see… Japan would like to cooperate, but there’s the issue of pride. The explorers from the Pacific and Arctic dungeons take great pride in their experience. There’s also lingering resentment toward D7. How is that being handled?”

“They have requested Koichi Okita’s assistance.”

“Understood. I’ll contact him.”

At least we were making progress. It came at the cost of the previous unit’s annihilation, but the past cannot be undone.

All we can do is move forward.

Keeping in mind the background, circumstances, and necessary precautions, I reached out to Koichi Okita.

The new team sent for the investigation consisted of five elite explorers. None of them were from D7, meaning they had honed their skills in non-D7 dungeons.

Lievert must have done some convincing because, upon arrival, they immediately requested Koichi Okita’s cooperation.

However, their expressions were far from welcoming.

Beneath their words lurked hints of anger and jealousy.

This could be a problem…

Fortunately, Koichi Okita seemed to understand the situation and handled the conversation with composure.

Thanks to that, the meeting ended with only a few snide remarks and sarcastic comments.

It was a good thing Okita didn’t speak English.

If he had understood their rude remarks toward Haruka, there might have been five bodies lying on the floor.

Since forming a cohesive team on such short notice was impossible, they decided to travel through the dungeon as two separate parties, maintaining a slight distance between them.

Nice call, Natsuki. He wouldn’t react even if I exaggerated my praise, but I silently applauded him in my mind.

□ Tokyo Dungeon (Koichi Okita)

Man, it’s nothing but pigs in here…

Orcs over there, orcs over here. It’s like a giant pigsty—except it’s not cramped, it’s a vast open field. More like a ranch.

Naturally, I cut down every orc I see.

I make sure to collect every piece of orc meat that drops.

It’s surprisingly delicious.

The unit dispatched by the World Dungeon Association is quite strong.

Even after passing the 60th, 80th, and 90th floors, they’re still holding their own.

Meanwhile, the orcs keep getting bigger, tougher, and more colorful.

Seriously, what the hell is a Rainbow Shining Orc?

Never seen one before.

And why the hell does it only use hand-to-hand combat? Makes no sense.

Still, it’s powerful. Incredibly strong, both in raw strength and speed.

But that’s all.

It’s just strong—not a real threat.

There’s no way I’d ever lose to something like this, so we continue progressing smoothly.

The only real issue?

The way the World Dungeon Association’s unit kept leering at Haruka whenever she cast buffs on me.

They even muttered some nasty slang.

I let out a surge of magical energy to intimidate them.

Even the orcs shrank back in fear.

That should shut them up.

After that, I lost any reason to slow down for them.

So I simply said, “Keep up.”

Then I picked up the pace.

They were caught off guard at first, but once we passed the 96th floor and the orcs became even stronger, they realized they couldn’t afford to fall behind.

Maybe they were worried about running into the radiant orc that had wiped out the previous unit.

Now, we’ve just entered the 99th floor and are taking a break in an open area.

Those guys are completely exhausted, either sitting slumped on the ground or lying down.

Well, they’ve had a rough time. Let them catch their breath.

Meanwhile, we’re having a barbecue with all the orc meat we collected along the way.

We’ve got a variety of cuts from different orcs, and they all taste amazing.

The stronger the orc, the tastier the meat.

Man, I could really go for some rice right now. But cooking in a dungeon is tricky.

Haruka and Yokota barely ate anything—either because they don’t have big appetites or because they’re being cautious about eating in the dungeon.

But Effie and I?

We’re practically fighting over food like starving animals.

“Hey, Effie. That Purple Special Orc tongue is mine.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s delicious~.”

“You little—!?”

She snatched the meat right out from under my chopsticks and ate it with her bare hands.

Manners, woman.

The exhausted explorers lying nearby looked at us with disgusted expressions.

What? You got a problem?