Dungeon Refrigerator 278

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Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Reunion

"Wow, you went through a lot too, huh, Jung?" 

"Yeah, when I lost my left leg, I really cried."

I was giving my old friend a rough update on my recent life.

"But I'm glad you came. I didn't recognize you at first; it was kind of scary." 

"Sorry about that. Even now, I still get startled when I see myself in the mirror right after waking up."

His name is Tomomichi Sugita. He works for an IT-related company, though sadly, he's not a voice actor.

But he's incredibly skilled with all things online. Like when my computer email started acting up and needed reconfiguring, he immediately told me how to fix it as soon as I explained the problem. Yeah, he's that talented.

We met in a community for virtual idol fans and gradually became friends, meeting up at events and talking passionately about otaku stuff.

Now he's helping me, saying, "No worries, I'm here now," as he opens the storm shutters and airs out my musty room.

"Still, it's amazing. Working out in the dungeon can really change you that much." 

"Yeah. But with all the info circulating online, I thought it’d be right up your alley. Didn’t it catch your interest?"

"Uh…well, yeah. I did get a bit curious and looked into it, but it wasn’t as simple as just beating monsters. Plus, I was a little wary of the folks venturing into dungeons..."

Ah, that. Yeah, back when dungeons first opened, there were a ton of show-offs flexing their muscles. For a non-athletic otaku, it’s no surprise you wouldn’t want to go somewhere like that.

"Hmm, so you haven’t even gotten your status yet? It’s pretty handy and makes healing potions work better, so you should really get it." 

"Eh~? But things aren’t exactly great right now. I’ll wait until the stampede dies down and everyone can enter the dungeons safely."

"Whoa! That’s a dangerous thought, my friend." 

"Huh? Why?"

"Think about it. It hasn’t even been four months since the first Dungeon Stampede, and now the second one’s already happening. This time, monsters from deeper levels have surfaced. So what do you think will happen for a third time...??" 

"What…!? So you’re saying you expect another Dungeon Stampede in just four months!?"

"It could be the last one, or it might happen again much later. But if we look at the pattern of the two occurrences, the most likely timing is four months from now, right?" 

"What should I do, Jung!?"

"That’s why it’s important to always be prepared for unforeseen events." 

"But still…!"

"It’s okay, friend. I’ve brought something special just for you." 

"What? A powerful weapon to slay monsters or something?"

"Nope, it’s this! Ta-da! The Anywhere Dungeon!"

I pull out a crab dungeon from my spatial storage and show it to him.

"Wow~~! ...Wait, what is that? Isn’t that just a trash can lid?" 

"No, no. Take a look at the back side! (spin~)"

On the underside of the flipped trash can lid is the dark entrance to a dungeon.

"What…! Ah! Wait, what!?" 

"Hehe, yes, my friend. With a space-linking dungeon like this, as long as it's portable, you can take it anywhere. That’s why it’s the Anywhere Dungeon."

"A-Amazing, Jung! So if I go inside, I can get stronger too?" 

"Yes, you’ll definitely get stronger! But you’ll need to train your body, or else the life energy you gain will go to waste."

"Hmm…so it’s not that simple after all..." 

"Don’t worry. Just follow a training plan that you can handle for now! Muscles are your friends. Muscles never betray!"

"Haha... I can’t believe this is coming from the once-skinny Jung." 

"True. But yes, we can do it! If I could make it, then you can too! Let’s take it easy, maybe over some food, and figure out your training plan."

"Yeah, sounds good! I’m starting to feel motivated!" 

"Good, then eat up and build your energy! Right now, it’s all-you-can-eat crab!"

"Wait, you can do that, Jung!?" 

"Of course. This trash can lid here is a treasure trove of seafood. After all, it’s a crab dungeon!"

"Whoa! Eating monsters...it really does feel like another world!" 

"Nice! Not fearing monster food shows your spirit, friend! I knew I could count on you!"

And so, I reconnected with my friend over a crab feast.