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 31

Tokyo Dungeon, 99th Floor (Hunter Rogek)

I may have been mistaken.

No—I was mistaken.

The man before me, Koichi Okita, was an explorer whose strength was so overwhelming that calling him a top-tier explorer wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

I had believed that D7 hoarded their high-rank dungeons for themselves, monopolizing the benefits while abandoning non-D7 nations.

And in many cases, that was likely true.

Some of the world’s superpowers refused to cooperate with the World Dungeon Association, ignoring disasters in neighboring countries as if they had nothing to do with them.

But Koichi Okita wasn’t part of any government.

He was just an independent explorer.

Yet, I had projected my resentment and hostility onto him, sending him cold glares and speaking to him with disdain.

I regretted it.

His strength was beyond reason.

Had we been alone, we would have been wiped out instantly—but he saved us.

He had no obligation to do so.

Even if all five of us had died, he wouldn’t have been at fault.

And yet, he chose to protect us.

It would have been easier to use us as bait and take the orc down afterward.

Instead, he diverted the orc’s attention away from us and annihilated it in an instant.

I could barely process what happened.

I saw flashes of movement—maybe sword strikes, maybe magic—but that was it.

He was too strong.

It was like watching the hero of a legend come to life.

I, too, had ventured through countless high-level dungeons, refining my skills to become one of the world’s strongest explorers.

Yet, I couldn’t even comprehend his power.

For a moment, I wondered if this was all just a dream.

But it wasn’t.

This was reality.

Koichi Okita had carved that radiant orc—the one who had called itself Mythological Delicious Orc—into pieces.

And yet, despite his overwhelming strength, he was a man of great character.

He accepted our apologies without hesitation.

Back in my home country, if I had spoken that rudely to someone powerful, I might not have lived to regret it.

Before I became an explorer, when I was weak, I would have been killed for far less.

But Koichi Okita didn’t get angry.

Maybe he hadn’t even registered my insults as worth caring about.

That’s how broad-minded he was.

We won’t forget this debt.

One floor remains before the dungeon’s end, but after seeing his strength, I can’t imagine him losing.

Now, he was offering us hamburgers—made from that talking orc.

Could we… really eat together?

Like comrades?

I felt a mix of hesitation and embarrassment.

But the smile on his face and his casual demeanor left no doubt—he wanted us to join him.

Even though he didn’t speak English, we understood his intent clearly.

The five of us exchanged glances—then accepted the offer.

We hadn’t eaten since entering the dungeon, and our hunger was undeniable.

Together, we sank our teeth into the meat—

□ Tokyo Dungeon, 99th Floor (Koichi Okita)

The juices burst into my mouth the moment I bit down.

The divine umami of the meat mixed with the almost bewitching sweetness of the juices, creating a flavor that was pure bliss.

As I savored it, momentarily lost in pleasure—

I saw the leader collapse.

Did he just faint from how good it was?

Even I felt like shutting out the world and focusing all my senses on this incredible flavor.

But then—

I noticed the others were also collapsing, trembling on the ground.

What the hell?

Were they that overwhelmed?

Or maybe… they just haven’t eaten good food in too long?

…No.

That wasn’t it.

They were convulsing.

It looked like they wanted to vomit, but had nothing left to throw up.

Wait.

What?

Haruka and Yokota froze mid-bite, staring in shock.

Meanwhile, Effie continued munching away, unfazed.

“It’s delicious! Soooo delicious~!”

Seeing that, Yokota hesitated before cutting a small piece and putting it in his mouth.

A second later—

He vomited. Violently.

“…The hell?”

Haruka rubbed his back as she handed him water.

“Natsuki, are you okay? Here, drink this…”

But Yokota was on all fours, still heaving.

“Haruka, you might not want to eat it.”

“But… It looks so good. And since Koichi made it, it’d be rude not to at least try…”

“You really don’t have to—”

“…Sorry. Ugh… GROSS! UEEEGHHH!”

The instant she swallowed a tiny sliver, Haruka’s face twisted in disgust.

Why?

Why was I and Effie the only ones who found it delicious?

Why were the others reacting like this?

It was called Mythological Delicious Orc.

A name like that implied it was meant to be eaten.

Effie said it tasted great, and according to what I’d heard, she was from the same origin as these monsters, just a different species.

That meant…

Maybe…

I was more like a monster than a human?

…Seriously?

Nom nom nom nom…

Effie, shut up.

Even as I tried to process this horrifying realization, I went up to the 100th floor—and obliterated the boss.

“Alright, everyone. Stop being grossed out and get back to work. Start the investigation.”

Hurry up.

Forget all of this ever happened.

Clack… Clack… Clack… Clack…

Huh?

Who’s there?

“Oh? A human? …You smell delicious.”