“Details!? About Amyotrophic Magic Sclerosis?! A-And a treatment for it?!”

I approached the pop-out in surprise and read the words aloud. It contained details about Amyotrophic Magic Sclerosis and stated that there was no access to a treatment for it.

“Details… If I focus on what I want to know in my status, will the details appear?”

It seemed that by focusing on what one wanted to know in their status, more detailed information would appear. However, not everything would be displayed, only specific things. Detailed information about one’s job or skills would also appear, but sometimes access would be denied.

“Access denied… If I level up this strange skill, maybe… I’ll be able to find a cure for Amyotrophic Magic Sclerosis?!”

I had the skills ‘Eye of God’ and ‘Access Permission’, which I obtained from clearing that golden cube, but my Access Permission was only at Level 1.

“I don’t know how to level up my skills, but it’s probably in the dungeon.”

In this world, skills were recognized, but people used them without knowing their proper names or effects. For example, the well-known skill “Provocation” could gather agro from dungeon monsters.

However, no one knew if its official name was actually “Provocation”.

It was just a name that people started calling it.

Since I could see my status, I would probably be able to see the skill’s name, or maybe the name that people had given it would be displayed.

“I’ve heard that clearing dungeons and getting stronger skills is possible. So, maybe!”

I held onto hope.

The cure for Amyotrophic Magic Sclerosis, an incurable disease that millions of people suffer from around the world and that no one had been able to understand, might be found.

If so, Nagi would be able to wake up.

I will help Nagi, who is trapped in darkness in her own body.

I held Nagi’s hand tightly.

It’s still cold as ever.

But still, she’s alive, so there remains a possibility that she’ll smile again.

“I’ll help you, Nagi. Just wait a little longer. I’ll definitely save you. And when I do…”

I made a vow to Nagi, who couldn’t respond.

“Smile for me like you always do.”

…

“Well then, Ijuin-sensei and Yamaguchi-san. Thank you in advance.”

“Yes, leave it to us. Though there’s a limit to what I can do.”

I said goodbye to Ijuin-sensei and Yamaguchi-san from the home care service and left the hospital. It was already past noon, but it didn’t feel like much time had passed since I woke up at home this morning.

“I want to dive into the dungeon, completely clear it to gain rewards, and become stronger. If I do that, maybe I can go to higher level dungeons and increase my skills.”

I decided to dive into the dungeon.

With this 24 million yen sword, I should be able to solo even an E-class dungeon.

But there’s a catch.

“The dungeon points are the problem…”

Dungeon points are the ironclad rule set by the Dungeon Association.

When applying to dive into a dungeon, they are allocated based on the strength of the members.

To dive into a dungeon, the total point count must be 10 points.

For example, if you want to dive into an E-class dungeon, you will be given 2 points for each E-class clearer. In other words, you just need five E-class clearers.

From there, for every higher-ranked clearer that participates, an additional 2 points are added.

So if a D-class clearer participates in an E-class dungeon, it becomes 4 points, and if there are two D-class and one E-class clearer, the total points become 10.

For a C-class dungeon, it’s 6 points, so you can apply with one D-class or two E-class clearers.

What about unranked clearers? Zero points, of course.

They are treated the same whether they are present or not.

These are the rules for applying to dive into a dungeon.

There are some finer points, but this is the basic rule.

You can’t just dive into a dungeon which could put your life at risk.

It’s the ironclad rule set by the association that has caused numerous casualties in the dungeon. And if you dive into the dungeon without applying to the association, it’s the same as poaching.

It’s like stealing resources from the dungeon.

If you’re caught, your clearer’s license may be revoked. In the worst case, you could receive a prison sentence as a criminal.

“…Well, what should I do? But then again, there’s the reward for complete clear…”

I pondered. This is a crime.

But, looking at the status of various Cubes today, I realized that for most Cubes, to completely clear them, being solo is a prerequisite.

I, who have spent my life protecting rules, for the first time am going to break them.

I had quite a bit of resistance towards it, similar to the feeling of shoplifting.

Nonetheless, I’ve made up my mind.

“I prioritize Nagi over the rules! If I get caught… I’ll apologize and rely on Tanaka-san!”

I decided to just go for it.

Above all else, Nagi is the most important thing to me.

If that means breaking the rules and causing trouble for Tanaka-san, then so be it.

And as for a higher level dungeon, that’s another story, but for an E-ranked one, I shouldn’t get in too much trouble.

Because there isn’t that much money involved.

To put it in perspective, it’s like shoplifting versus bank robbery.

With higher level cubes, you can make billions with just one clear, but with E-ranked dungeons, it’s only a few thousand yen.

That’s why I-

“I’ll do my best!”

decided to aim for a solo clear.

That being said, I don’t want to get caught, so I’ve decided to aim for a dungeon in the sparsely populated countryside.

I know I’m being cowardly, but it’s better to not get caught.

I returned to the guild and used a computer to look up a list of cubes in Japan.

“Let’s see… there are quite a few. There are over 200 E-ranked cubes in Japan alone…”

There were over 200 E-ranked cubes throughout Japan.

I’d mainly been active in Tokyo, so I didn’t know much about the countryside or how they were clearing dungeons.

Even though it’s called the countryside, it’s only a little ways away from Tokyo.

Looking at the map of Japan, most of it could be considered countryside, just forests all around this country.

That’s when I fixed my gaze on one location on the map.

Countryside or rather mountain? I set my sights on a Cube in a close by town and headed from Tokyo towards the direction of Mount Fuji.

“The location is Shimamura? They probably sell Western-style clothes there.”

I decided to secretly complete the cube in that village. It seemed like it would take about three hours to get there by train and bus.

Without further ado, I prepared myself and set off.

Honestly, there was also the slightly violent reason that I wanted to test this sword out.

“Well, I’m a guy so I can’t help but get excited.”

I kind of understood the feeling of a killer, but of course not enough to direct it towards people. I embarked on the three-hour journey.

It felt like a solo trip without any real plans, but that was exciting in itself.

As for money, I had savings that I could use.

Luckily, Tanaka-san covered my medical expenses, so I had some spare cash.

Two hours being shaken around on the train and one hour being shaken around on the bus.

After using the regular public transport system, I arrived in Shimamura.

Looking around, there were so many rice fields and small houses that it made me question whether I was still in the same world.

“Hmm, the air here is so fresh! This is the countryside! It’s like I’ve traveled back in time.”

The peaceful countryside is so tranquil that you can almost hear the murmuring of the river. Despite the loud chirping of the cicadas, the air carries the delightful scent of the countryside. Natural sounds are the only thing audible, enough to make you forget about the hustle and bustle of the city.

Although I ended up wandering aimlessly, it’s already 4 pm in the evening.

“Alright, let’s do our best before it gets dark!”

I ran from there to the cube.

As an unranked person, I had to take breaks like an ordinary human, but in the end, I reached my destination.

In the middle of a remote mountain, the Cube stood quietly there.

The area around it was cleared and turned into a square-like plaza in the midst of the forest. Clearers probably take measures regularly to prevent a dungeon collapse.

“Oh, so this is the cube here. Blue… alright, it’s an E rank.”

I gazed at the cube that shone suspiciously like sapphire.

Then, just like with the Tokyo cube, the status was displayed.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Remaining Magic Power：43/50（+1/24hr）

Clear Difficulty：E Rank

◆Reward

First Clear Reward（Complete）：Magic Power +10

・Condition(s) 1　While the dungeon hasn’t been cleared before, defeat the boss.

Complete Clear Reward：Current access level is unable to display this.

・Condition 1　Clear while solo.

・Condition 2　Defeat a 100 or more Blue Bears.

・Condition 3　Defeat the boss within one minute。

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

“…Blue Bear. If that’s the weakest monster, I should be able to handle it.”

They were a species called Bear type, resembling bears but were considered a type of animal. They were referred to as beast types which included many different types such as wolves, bears, and lions.

They appeared in the same color as the Cubes, which was their basic feature.

Of course, their appearance was far from that of a bear and was more filled with killing intent. But if asked what they resembled, it would be a bear.

And the Blue Bear was the weakest of these bears with a blue appearance.

Each Cube’s individual species, also known as ‘Color type’, had the same appearance except for their color, but their strength varied greatly depending on the color.

Even so, this E-class Cube with the same blue color was known as the weakest color, so I should be able to handle it.

“Speaking of which, if this remaining magic power reaches its maximum value of 50, does it cause a dungeon collapse? If so, defeating monsters or bosses should reduce the remaining magic power, extending the deadline. If that seems to be the case, it makes sense.”

I would have to defeat dungeon monsters and bosses regularly and enter rest mode.

As a result, I speculated that the remaining magic power would probably disappear.

If I can test it out, I should.

“Now then, let’s go. I wonder if it’s because of this weapon that I’m not as scared as before? Or is it…”

I approached the cube without any hesitation.

Although it was E-class, I would have been too scared to enter alone before. But now, I didn’t feel like I would lose.

Of course, this was probably also due to my equipment being far beyond what was expected of me.

But maybe it was also because I faced true death inside the Golden Cube and was able to stick to my will.

Compared to those immensely powerful monsters, there was no fear in facing the weakest blue type.

My heart raced, my body was tense, and I was nervous.

But I knew this feeling wasn’t fear.

“Alright, here I go!!”

I touched the cube, and with a crisp sound, the beautiful walls rippled with blue and gently welcomed me.

On this day, I began my first solo dungeon clear.

There was no fear, only one thing.

This pounding in my chest.