It didn’t take long for me to understand that time travel—something I’d only heard about in movies and novels—was actually happening.
I saw it in online articles and TV news.
Even SNS, the calendar, and global events were all set to 2022, so I had no choice but to accept it as fact.
Of course, Kageichi didn’t believe it right away.
But that said, even if he went to the police or posted on SNS saying, “I’m from 2028,” he’d probably just be treated like a crazy person.
So, he should act as if this situation is normal for now.
(The situation is incomprehensible… but first, let’s gather information.)
Kageichi, who valued safety and security above all else, didn’t like being in a situation he didn’t understand.
But that didn’t mean he could escape from reality.
When a problem arose, he tried to find a solution as quickly as possible before it got worse.
The key to living a peaceful life was to deal with troubles quickly and lighten the load on his mind.
However, there were many things to consider, but—
Before that, Kageichi changed into his usual suit and headed to the convenience store to satisfy his hunger.
Wearing a suit when going out was like armor to avoid getting involved in trouble.
Fortunately, it was night, and tomorrow was a holiday.
If it was 2022, he was still working at his previous company—oh, damn, it was just before that power harassment boss was transferred to his department—?
As he recalled those unpleasant memories, he entered the convenience store.
When he went to his usual drink corner, he doubted his eyes and thought, “…Huh?”
‘Super recovery of energy and Magical Power with just one bottle! Labyrinth Magical Power Potion, Light Lemon Flavor, 600 yen’
Along with the familiar PET bottles, Magical Power Potions from LAW were being sold in the drink box.
And not just one.
Several bottles were lined up casually, like energy drinks or alcoholic beverages.
…Was there such a product in 2022?
No, in the first place, LAW shouldn’t have been a major work that could collaborate with the beverage industry.
He asked a nearby clerk.
“Excuse me. What is this product?”
“Huh? It’s a Labyrinth Potion…”
The young man with brown hair answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
In the LAW game, Magical Power Recovery Potions were essential items, but this was real, modern Japan.
…But the clerk didn’t seem to be lying.
Kageichi apologized, saying, “Excuse me,” and walked around the store.
‘Never get lost in the Labyrinth again! New Dungeon Compass’
‘Easily solve your Inventory problems! Ultra-compact folding Dungeon Umbrella’
In front of the Dungeon Goods lined up with daily necessities, Kageichi took out his Smartphone, typed in “Dungeon,” and searched.
Immediately, a series of mysterious search results appeared.
Government Dungeon Alert.
Dungeon Distribution Start Announcement.
Prefectural Dungeon Tier Ranking. Dungeon Strategy Specialized School. For Dungeon Trouble Consultation, contact the Cleaner.
In recent years, crimes using Dungeon Items have become increasingly serious. Magical Power density is low on the ground, so the risk is low, but…
What is this?
The existence of Dungeons, which existed in LAW, is actually happening…?
Kageichi chased after the information on his Smartphone.
Looking at SNS, Dungeon exploration images were posted as if it were normal, and furthermore, a class called “Dungeon Studies” was added to the curriculum for first-year high school students last year, and there was even a police force specializing in Labyrinths…
…There’s even a Labyrinth Agency, instead of a Police Agency.
This is bad. Even trying to organize it, the story is too far-fetched to make sense.
However, one thing can be said—
(This is probably not the “Japan” I know.)
For some reason, Dungeons were born in the world.
It was a different world, Japan but not Japan, where they had become a normal part of life.
…Well, time travel alone is an otherworldly phenomenon.
It would make sense if it were a world with magic and Magical Power…
While confused, Kageichi bought a potion along with a fried chicken bento.
Practice is everything.
“Is it okay to open the lid and drink it as is?”
“Huh? Ah, yes, but the effect is weak on the ground. You see, the Magical Power concentration? is low on the ground.”
“Magical Power concentration? That’s the first time I’ve heard that word… But it says on the bottle label that it’s good for your health.”
“Ah, it seems to have some effect, even if it’s weak. Well, it’s like a sales pitch.”
The brown-haired clerk told him without a hint of annoyance.
Thank you, Kageichi nodded and went outside, immediately opening the lid of the small bottle.
After the familiar sound of opening, he put it in his mouth, and the taste was certainly like a light lemon.
It’s surprisingly easy to drink, he thought, impressed—immediately after.
He felt a warm sensation spreading through his body, and Kageichi blinked.
(This is… Magical Power?)
He clenched his fist and perceived the power dwelling within him.
It was like an endless vortex inside his body.
A torrent of powerful force that seemed capable of subduing anything if he concentrated.
A sense of omnipotence, as if he had grasped the ocean with his bare hands, ran through him, and he was surprised that this was Magical Power—
(Wait. I think the clerk said that the effect is weak on the ground…)
Despite that, Kageichi felt as if he was perceiving Magical Power to the point of feeling a strange sense of elation…?
Tilting his head, Kageichi tried to sort out the situation, when—
“Pfft. Hey, old man, what are you doing drinking potions on the ground like a big shot?”
As he approached his apartment, he was accosted by a group of three unfamiliar men.
They looked to be in their early twenties.
The young men, wearing gaudy shirts and piercings, approached Kageichi menacingly.
From their sloppy, half-smiling mouths and eyes that looked like they were hunting for prey, it wasn’t hard to imagine that they had bad intentions.
He pushed up his glasses and thought.
Normally, he would have immediately turned around and calmly asked the neighbors for help.
Kageichi was a very ordinary Salaryman, and he had no combat ability in his previous life.
The reason he didn’t was because he was interested in the weapon that one of the men was holding in his right hand.
“Oh? What’s this, old man? You can tell what my weapon is? Heh, you have good taste for an old man.”
The blond man showed off a short sword about the size of a human palm.
A red jewel was embedded in the handle, and the slightly curved blade was faintly reddish.
Kageichi knew it.
He knew that in battle, that blade would be covered in a brilliant scorching flame.
It was a weapon called the “Flame Dagger”—a weapon that existed only in the world of LAW.