Chapter 16: Ryo, Casual Talk, and the Ancient Townscape
“Well, I don’t really know what level of difficulty other streamers usually challenge, but in my case, this dungeon is a bit on the tougher side, so for safety reasons there might be times when I can’t pick up comments.”
[Safety margin is important]
[That can’t be helped]
[I don’t want you doing anything dangerous]
[Exploring is dangerous to begin with]
[Streaming while exploring is even more dangerous]
“That’s exactly right.
Explorers have become famous thanks to streaming, but at its core it’s a dangerous job.”
[Is Ryo a hardcore type?]
[Wait, is he actually a veteran?]
[What does a young veteran even mean?]
[With parental consent you can get a license even in elementary school]
“As some of you guessed, I was diving solo into various dungeons even before I started streaming.”
[That explains how you moved last time]
[Being solo probably made you good at avoiding unnecessary fights]
While glancing at the comments that were reaching their own conclusions, Ryo signaled to Kaoru.
“Well then, let’s head in.
Moka-P, drone control 부탁.”
With the drone in tow, Ryo descended the entrance stairs.
They went down the entrance stairs and passed through a cave-like corridor.
Beyond that lay—
“This view is also, in a sense, something unique to dungeons.”
There was a cave-like ceiling, but it stretched far overhead.
Illuminated by an unknown light source, the interior looked as though it preserved the scene from the era when the ruins had still existed.
It felt like Japan in the Kamakura period.
Strictly speaking it might not be accurate, but that was the impression it gave.
A large building stood at the center, with other structures lining the area around it.
It was, in effect, a town.
[It’s like a period drama]
[Amazing]
[Is this a time slip?]
“Apparently, no one has ever opened the gate that leads into the central building.”
Leaving the cave and walking through the town, Ryo continued talking while picking up comments.
“All the buildings you can enter in this town turn into small-scale dungeons inside, so there’s probably a key somewhere, and you need to use that to enter the central building.”
[Even so]
[How many houses are there?]
[No wonder the difficulty is high]
“The size of this town is said to be about the same as the Tokyo Dome.
I’ve never been there, so I can’t really picture how big that is.”
[Same]
[Tokyo-only measurement units are useless]
[Even people from Tokyo don’t get it]
“If you used brute force with a lot of people, you’d probably find the key eventually, but I don’t think anyone wants to do that.”
[That townscape reminds me, isn’t this an unpopular dungeon?]
[It’s unpopular?]
[Why?]
“Ah, I see a comment pointing that out.
That’s right.
This is one of the least popular dungeons not just in Tokyo, but in all of Japan.”
[Seriously?]
[Why?]
“Despite the monsters being strong, the materials you can gather are pretty mediocre.
In these small-scale dungeons, you can hardly collect common dungeon herbs or ores that you’d find elsewhere.
From an explorer’s point of view, it’s a dungeon with absolutely no payoff for the amount of effort required.”
[That does sound rough]
[But wouldn’t it be good for streaming?]
[That’s what you’d think]
“I think the low name recognition is also a factor.”
As he answered, Ryo veered off the main street into a side path.
The area had many buildings that looked like shops, and he continued responding to questions as he walked.
“Sorry for my ignorance, but can I ask you all something?”
[Go ahead]
[Sure]
[Okay]
“Among streamers, the only explorer whose actual ability I really know is Okado Dia, but using her as a baseline, about how many streamers are there who rank higher than her as explorers?”
[Dia is pretty high among streamers in explorer ability]
[I’ve heard her combat power and exploration skills are strong]
[If she didn’t care about streaming, she could handle Sharkdiles too]
“I see.
Thank you.
In that case, streaming in this dungeon might be a bit rough.
Like I said at the start, monsters on the same level as Sharkdiles appear here as the weakest enemies.”
[Yeah]
[That’s harsh]
[No appeal for hardcore explorers or streamers]
As they talked, Ryo stopped in front of his destination.
It was a slightly larger building, perhaps the home of a wealthy merchant.
“We’re here.
Today, I’m planning to dive into this small-scale dungeon.”
[We’ve been waiting]
[Here we go]
[By the way, where are the monsters?]
“Oh, didn’t I mention it?
There are no monsters in the town itself.
Basically, they only appear inside the houses.”
“I’m going in now,” Ryo said as he slid open the house’s door.
Inside, a swirling mass of something with a light-blue marble pattern filled the space.
“Well then, here we go.”
Without hesitation, Ryo stepped inside.
After a few seconds of distorted vision, he found himself standing in a grassland with an unusual atmosphere.
Behind him was something like a stone altar, with a light-blue marble vortex floating above it.
If he jumped into that vortex, he could return to the town they had just left.
[Ugh, I got dizzy]
[It’s rough even through the screen]
[That’s seriously rough]
“It’s rough in person too.
If you’re sensitive, you’ll get dizzy in one go.”
[Please warn us next time]
“Oh, right.
Sorry about that.”
Reflecting on that, Ryo stepped forward into the grassland.
“From here on, I’ll keep the talking to a minimum.
Moka-P, be careful with the drone positioning.”
[OK.
Don’t push yourself.]
[Moka-P]
[Moka-P’s here]
“I’ll do my best to get some good footage.
Have chicken ready and wait for me.”
[Chicken lol]
[Depending on the footage, the dish will change.]
[That’s the reward system?]
“Then make sure it’s the most delicious one.”
[Ryo’s confidence is amazing]
[I love their banter]
[Chicken as always]
[Their partner vibe is great]
[Thank you for the meal]
[Huh?]
[What was that?]
[Did someone say thank you for the meal?]
[Dia is going wild again]
[Was that Dia’s manager?]
[Did both of them just raise a getting-scolded flag?]
As the comment section heated up, Ryo patted the drone’s head and turned off the holographic comment display, then fixed his gaze forward.
Kaoru moved the drone to a position that best captured Ryo’s face.
“Well then, let’s go.”
With a dignified profile, Ryo murmured quietly yet boldly, and the drone picked up his voice perfectly.