Chapter 7

Thanks to the stern Self-Defense Force member, I've relaxed and my tension has eased. I even have the leisure to gradually explore the dungeon.

Passing through a massive gate made of stacked boulders and descending the stairs, a susuki grass field comes into view. Just moments ago, I was in a beautifully paved city, but here, despite being underground, an endless high sky and a susuki grass field slightly shorter than my height spreads out, with trees growing here and there.

Taking a deep breath, I recall the information I'd researched.

The Toyota Dungeon's first layer is a field-type dungeon approximately 20km × 20km, with a monochrome space expanding at the edges, beyond which one cannot proceed. Within this colored space, multiple hills exist, and somewhere among them should be the stairs leading to the next layer.

Apparently, the only monsters on the first layer are the standard goblins and rabbits. Occasionally, treasure chests might be lying around.

But the susuki grass is more obstructive than I imagined, making it difficult to secure a view or walk. If I crouch slightly, I won't even be able to see goblins, let alone rabbits or treasure chests.

I'm painfully aware that this isn't as easy as I thought. While pondering what to do, a buggy speeds past me.

Probably a Self-Defense Force vehicle. Following it might lead me to the next layer, but that would defeat the purpose.

Today, I need to defeat a goblin and return. Otherwise, entering the dungeon would be meaningless.

Watching the vehicle drive away, I refocus. Concerned about getting lost or surrounded, I decide to walk along the dungeon's edge.

The gray space nearby is more unsettling than I expected. When I touch it, it's not hard, but it firmly pushes back, making it clear I can't proceed further. I walk with this wall to my left, trampling the obstructive susuki grass.

Only the sound of me crushing the grass and the wind making the susuki sway echo around me.

Knowing I'm inside a dungeon increases my tension with each step. In a world where I could die in an instant, I'm walking alone...

"...Whoa."

Perhaps due to poor footing, I stumble, involuntarily making a sound. Immediately, I tense up, worried the noise might attract monsters.

My courage fails...

Like an amateur, I carefully survey the area, confirming no monsters are nearby. No suspicious shapes are visible.

"Thank goodness..."

I sit down, leaning against the gray space, and take a break. Checking my watch, I realize less than 10 minutes have passed since entering the dungeon.

"Just a few minutes and I'm already like this... Am I okay?"

Looking at my sweaty hands, I mutter to myself. My throat is parched, so I drink from my water bottle and catch my breath.

As I calm down, I notice the spot where I stumbled. There's a depression, no, a hole in the ground. I must have tripped on this.

"What's this?"

As I'm wondering, a rabbit pokes its head out. A brown rabbit with a white area around its mouth.

"Whoa!?"

Seems it was a rabbit burrow. The rabbit, seeing me, quickly turns and escapes back into its hole. Truly deserving of the phrase "quick as a hare".

I can't help but let my mouth relax at this.

Regaining my composure, I reconfirm today's goal. Today was just meant to peek into the dungeon. Defeating a goblin wasn't the plan. Somewhere along the way, I'd gotten carried away. Maybe because I bought a knife and acquired a weapon. I need to be careful - this is thinking straight toward becoming a criminal.

These types of crimes have been rapidly increasing recently. Becoming an 'explorer' and gaining extraordinary power, then going berserk. It's become a social issue overseas.

I need to be careful...

As I turn back to the path I came from, having achieved my purpose and ready to leave, I see it. Hidden in the susuki grass, with an orange-yellow eye, it's watching me intently.