Chapter 80: 【??? POV】Illegal Business and Schemes
Somewhere in Tokyo.
A room in a certain apartment.
The man was gazing at his laptop, a glass of expensive wine in hand.
Pikon!
A notification popped up on his app, informing him that another person had applied for his power leveling course.
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【Applicant Information】
Name: Iyada Ryouma
Furigana: Iyada Ryouma
Age: 25
Address: Tokyo Prefecture…
Contact: world-king@…
Explorer License Rank (D or higher required): E
Level: 1
Skills Possessed: Sleep Resistance
Role (Selected): Frontline Type
Reason for Applying / Self-Promotion:
My license is Rank E, but my motivation is Rank S, so I applied. I’ll pay the money, so please let me take the course. I’m aware of the risks; high risk, high return is just fine by me.
I was a colleague of Natsume, the guy everyone’s talking about now. I’m better than that trash. I want to join this course to grow at explosive speed.
“Kuku, this one is…”
A piece of the puzzle had been found in an unexpected place.
It was a business I started just to earn a little pocket money, but this is an unexpected windfall.
He glanced at the safe containing the “Hyperspace Item Storage Bag.”
If this applicant isn’t lying, then all the pieces of the puzzle will have fallen into place.
Namely.
The Mask of Perception Dampening.
The Rope of Subservience.
And—a pretext to summon the Explorer, Natsume.
“Kuku… I won’t have to babysit these incompetents anymore…”
This power leveling course for an unspecified large number of people wasn’t legally regulated, but considering the dangers and such, it was a gray-area business.
However, the man had no other way to earn a substantial amount of money besides running such a business.
This was because he had been permanently expelled from the Japan Explorer Association and couldn’t use the official magic stone trading routes through the Association.
“Finally, my era is returning…”
The man had been an excellent Explorer.
He had reached Level 50 and possessed powerful skills.
It was even said that he would eventually become a top Explorer.
However…
It was discovered that he had been operating betting matches between Explorers, commonly known as the “Fight Club,” in a Private Dungeon somewhere in Saitama Prefecture. He was convicted, and as a result, lost his Explorer qualification.
He was able to reacquire his national Explorer license after his probation period, but his Japan Explorer Association membership was not reinstated.
Therefore, while he could still explore, he couldn’t trade magic stones and the like as he wished, and currently, he wasn’t earning the high income he once did.
“Society, you who unjustly took my opportunities away from me, just you wait…”
The man possessed 【Mystic Eyes】.
In addition to their inherent magical effects, they also boosted his powers of observation as an added bonus.
Thus, upon watching the video of Omogawa Tamaki’s rescue in the Ota Dungeon, he had noticed something.
—Plants could be seen beyond the warp gate Natsume created. That wasn’t a scene from inside the Ota Dungeon.
He became convinced it was 【Spatial Transfer】 from outside a dungeon after illegally obtaining the Ota Dungeon’s entry and exit logs.
He had threatened an employee of a system company, who had accumulated a large debt at the Fight Club, into extracting information from the National Dungeon Management System, which the company maintained.
Furthermore, as a result of analyzing the audio from the Ota Dungeon, he found that the sound of cicadas was present.
There are no cicadas in February. If there were, it would only be inside a dungeon.
In short, Natsume’s ability was likely 【Spatial Transfer】 from dungeon to dungeon… something that could be called 【Dimensional Transfer】.
Information that no one else had likely noticed.
There was no way he wouldn’t use this.
“Kukuku, this wine tastes delicious…!”
The Rope of Subservience can brainwash and control anyone it’s wrapped around.
If he could make the Rank A Natsume his underling, he could find endless ways to make money.
First, he would manipulate Natsume, make him destroy his existing relationships, and isolate him.
After that, he could do whatever he wanted.
“Haha… If my deductions are correct, I can become a king…!”
Natsume’s 【Dimensional Transfer】 has a unique activation method.
Something like a caterpillar opens a hole in space.
That is different from normal 【Spatial Transfer】.
The 【Spatial Transfer】 used by foreign Explorers like Rosa Wallberg transforms the target of the transfer into particles of light and teleports them.
That is probably something like causing a quantum mechanical “tunnel effect” to occur with certainty, allowing one to pass through walls… In short, it’s a type of 【Movement Magic】.
However, with Natsume’s skill, the user themself can move without changing form.
Therefore, the man surmised.
That it wasn’t a movement skill, but a skill that creates a dungeon gate at an arbitrary location.
If that’s the case, then theoretically, it should also be possible to create a gate leading outside of a dungeon.
Even if it’s inside a bank, or inside the home of a wealthy person.
Also, even if, at present, it can only be used to move from dungeon to dungeon, it could still be used to secure escape routes and the like.
I’ll admit it. Natsume’s skill is on a level that could be called the best in the world.
I want to obtain it, no matter what.
Indeed, I’m aware of the risks.
“Now… it’s time for a gamble.”
The man began to type on his laptop keyboard.
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To Iyada-sama,
Thank you for applying to our power leveling course.
My name is Saito, from the course administration office.
I was deeply impressed by your enthusiasm, Iyada-sama.
Our office would also very much like for someone like you, Iyada-sama, to take this course.
Furthermore, I know this may be presumptuous, but would it be possible for us to speak in more detail over the phone?
We would particularly like to hear about your current job, Iyada-sama, and your reasons for aspiring to become an Explorer.
We look forward to hearing from you.
【P.S.】
Please note that this course is only available to Explorers of Rank D or higher.
If there is an error in the Explorer Rank you listed, please correct your registration.
I was under the impression that you, Iyada-sama, possessed a Rank D license.
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“Now then… how will he respond…?”
The name in the email was, of course, an alias.
Also, since he had several Explorer licenses he had taken from others as collateral for debts, he could also arrange for Iyada to conduct illegal explorations.
“Kukuku…”
If this guy really is an acquaintance of Natsume, then it’s time to put the plan into action.
Pikon!
“It’s here…”
The man downed his wine in one gulp and checked the new email on his laptop.
The corners of his mouth were turned up in a faint smile.