With this achievement, Japan was granted independence, and since then, as a leading country in dungeons, Japan has continued to contribute to the development of the world to this day huh
After finishing reading the passage written in the textbook, Suzuka closed the book with mixed feelings.
So it wasnt just a simple time leap. Is this what they call a parallel world?
A mysterious existence called dungeons that didnt exist in the original world. Having that existence brings both good things and bad things.
The good thing is being able to enter dungeons, which I had only ever seen or heard about in stories. The bad thing is that the plan to become a billionaire using future knowledge has become difficult.
I guess hoping to make money effortlessly is bad after all. Even after losing all my fortune on FX, my thinking hasnt changed
I had decided to quit FX and work normally, but as soon as I returned to the past, I was about to try FX again. Maybe it was good that the world line changed so I could cut ties with FX.
Still, Fukutsu no Fujiwara is really cool
Fukutsu no Fujiwara is one of the heroes who entered the dungeon in the earliest days and went around suppressing dungeon breaks. He continued fighting even while suffering near fatal injuries, and his fighting style was like a demon god. Even after the dungeon break ended, he returned to Japan and continued to support the front lines of the dungeons, and after retiring, he devoted himself to nurturing the next generation.
Its amazing that he kept fighting by entering these unknown dungeons, but the fact that he worked hard to maintain public order makes him seem like a saint, or like a samurai, a person of great character
It was written that because of Fukutsu no Fujiwara, Japan boasted one of the best public safety records in the world.
In the original world line, Japan already had such good public safety that children could run errands alone. But in this world, there are dungeons. Thanks to the dungeons, Japan s international standing has risen considerably, and for Japan, which depends on other countries for resources, dungeons are truly a treasure trove. Dungeons are all good for Japan, but there are also downsides.
What would normally lead to benefits can become a strong poison for small minded humans. That was the concept of status.
Like in games, in dungeons, when you defeat enemies, your level increases. As your level rises, your status increases proportionally. The effect of status increase in the early stages is particularly noticeable, and by level 10, a difference opens up such that a level 1 could never win.
Such a rapid increase in ability happens just by raising your level. It is no wonder that some people appear who become addicted to that power.
Extortion, robbery, rape, murder. These ran rampant around the world. Even in Japan, they occurred frequently enough to become a social problem.
Naturally, the police worked at full capacity to deal with the problems, but criminals with elevated status cannot be dealt with unless by someone with even higher status. As status rises, like with monsters, attacks without magical power become ineffective. Therefore, threats with guns are useless and serve as no deterrent.
However, when top explorers led by Fukutsu no Fujiwara took action, criminals in Japan calmed down. The establishment of the Explorer Association, the founding of companies by explorers which were the predecessors of explorer guilds, and the development of laws related to dungeons in cooperation with the government.
By establishing the Explorer Association, they sought to control explorers. By having each explorer party establish and operate a company, they fit explorers into the social framework. By developing laws, they integrated dungeons into the social structure. If a guild member commits a crime, the guild members bear joint responsibility, and in serious cases, multiple guilds conduct joint arrests.
Because these functioned soundly, Japan was able to maintain its top class public safety.
But in the world, there are countries where explorers staged coups and came to rule, and conflicts such as between the public calling for the exclusion of explorers and the explorers themselves are endless.
Furthermore, the fact that the strength of explorers translates into national strength is also a problem. Items brought by explorers enrich the country, and if explorers against whom modern weapons are ineffective go to battle, they can only be fought by explorers of the same level or higher. In fact, in this world, countries that Suzuka knows have disappeared and exist as different countries. These are countries that were invaded by explorers, and countries without strong explorers have no means to resist.
Currently, there are 166 such powerful dungeons. However, they have only appeared in the countries that originally had the first 10 dungeons. It is not that they can only appear nearby. If there is a dungeon in New York in the eastern United States, there is also a dungeon in California on the opposite west coast. But dungeons do not appear in neighboring Canada or Mexico.
There are still only unclear things about dungeons, but the fact that they clearly do not cross human drawn borders adds to the eeriness. Conversely, reactions vary, with some people starting religions that worship dungeons, believing that the people living in those countries are chosen by God.
Due to these circumstances, the 10 countries that possess dungeons, the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, and Japan, are considered the most influential countries in the world, and the world pays attention to the movements of explorers.
While each country advances dungeon exploration to prevent dungeon breaks, they are also troubled by increasing crimes committed by explorers.
Dungeons huh I wonder what they are like
Actually, I have been there once. I dont know how my memory works, but I have the memories of Suzuka from this world line. According to that, Suzuka has visited a dungeon. In Japan, people are allowed to enter dungeons from age 15, and for third year middle schoolers, entering a dungeon once upon turning 15 has become a rite of passage to become an adult.
In my memory, which I can recall for some reason, I went to the dungeon with my father. However, it was not that Suzuka explored the dungeon with a weapon; he just loitered around the entrance and watched his father defeat monsters, not fighting any monsters himself.
In this world s Suzuka s common sense, that is normal. It seems that entering the dungeon itself is important, and there is no need to go out of your way to fight. His father fought because he wanted to show off his cool side to Suzuka, something that any father does.
It seems that this world s Suzuka does not have a good impression of explorers. Because explorers risk their lives, there are many troublemakers and rough types. There are plenty of serious explorers too, but bad things stand out. If you frequently see news about crimes committed by explorers or cases where explorers are let off without punishment, it is natural to have a bad impression.
Still, there are many explorers like Fukutsu no Fujiwara who are kind heroes, so not a few people admire explorers. In the original world, it might be like the entertainment industry. While there are many who commit drugs or adultery, there are also many who admire the glittering world.
This world s Suzuka does not think of becoming an explorer and seems to only recognize it as a profession full of people who often cause trouble.
Now, if my memory is not a delusion, it should be right here found
He took out the can where he kept valuables from the desk drawer and opened it, finding the object he was looking for, an explorer license card.
With this, I can enter the dungeon, right
On it, which looked like a driver s license, along with his photo, it said Fifth Class. This indicates the explorer rank, meaning I am a fifth class explorer.
While looking at the license card, Suzuka thought again about his future.
The plan to become rich through investment has been scrapped. There is also the path of proceeding normally through school and joining the same company as before.
Dungeons huh That is the decisive difference from the previous world
If it had been a simple time leap, he would have walked the same life. If the world was at war, he would have maneuvered to avoid having to stand on the battlefield desperately. But in this world, there are dungeons. He cannot help but feel excited by that word.
This world line s Suzuka was not very interested in dungeons. In this world, the existence of dungeons is normal. Over 50 years have passed since dungeons appeared, so there is no novelty. Of course, if you become a top explorer, you can gain wealth and fame. But even the middle schooler Suzuka understood that this is difficult.
In dungeons, you must stake your own life. It is fine to watch from the sidelines, but he never thought of becoming someone who delves into dungeons, an explorer.
What is my current state? Isnt this like a bonus time?
Suzuka lost all his fortune on FX. At that time, he was mentally broken, could not eat properly, and could not sleep. He did not commit suicide nor get hit by a truck, but it would not be strange if it turned out he had actually died.
Then what am I now? Isnt it possible that some luck overlapped and I am getting a do over on life? If this is a bonus time, maybe it is fine to do what I want to do to the fullest, without worrying about risks or safe options.
If dungeons do not suit me, I can just look for something else I want to do. Without proclaiming something like aim for the deepest floor, it should be possible to explore dungeons as a hobby.
Alright. The proof is in the trying. Tomorrow is a day off. Let s go for it, dungeon.
Once decided, preparation is important. If it is such a foundation of life, there should be related books at the library.
Thus, Suzuka headed to the library to gather information in preparation for the dungeon tomorrow.