It happened in a private bathroom stall.
While releasing waste and crossing my arms, I suddenly opened my eyes wide.
"I see it!"
My personal motto!
Personal motto: ――― "We're all going to die anyway" ―――
As I mulled over these words in my heart, I gradually regained my energy. The greatest event in life is the final moment. If I can laugh and say, "Ah, that was great, I'm satisfied" at the moment of death, then I've won. Therefore, even if I have billions of debt, I have no enemies!
"However, there's no cashier or accountant at this party. Why didn't I realize such a simple thing... It's painful! Exhilarating! Bizarre!"
While eating, I came to a conclusion. I need someone to manage my precious money and assets. If I don't include them in my team, I will eventually go bankrupt. No, my life is starting to burn out now. I'm already dipping my toes into a crab boat.
After winning big at the casino, I ordered 1,000 dozen close-quarters combat weapons. My fighting essence is like throwing wads of cash in a barrage of weapons. That's why I bought it as a top priority. My tactics and battles cost too much money.
I use a large number of items in a doping strategy, fighting like a drug addict.
I invested the remaining assets in margin trading. The assets were supposed to double and double again... But they're gone now. That's why I can't pay for the losses incurred in margin trading and the high-priced items I sold on credit.
That's right. I bought high-priced items for metal Peripa hunting on credit. I bought an insane amount. I bought so much that it was like a supplier. I'm buying like a supplier.
"Next month is gonna be rough. It's been throbbing. I'm starting to feel alive. It's getting interesting."
I decided to be more positive from now on. Actually, there's no point in being depressed forever. I escaped from the reality of debt hell. If you're going to worry about it, you might as well run away.
"There's no shame in running away if it helps you win. If you keep running, you might see victory in sight."
Anyway, since I'll die someday, if I'm alive, there's always a chance for a comeback. Now is the time to wait for a chance to win, which goes by the name of debt repayment. My life experience gained from working in a black company is coming in handy.
"I'll leave it to my future self. I'm counting on you, future me. Well, it'll work out somehow." I decided to bet everything on my future self.
I believe in my future self. You'll figure something out, won't you?
I have no money, so there's nothing I can do, right? Membership fees I can manage somehow.
Come to think of it, I have a funding source called a loan shark. If I can get membership fees, I can turn my life around. Later, I'll ask kakko where that membership fee is being used.
Of course, it's mine, right? I have to get it wired."
I felt optimistic.
One problem has been solved.
"I am invincible! Don't underestimate the darling of the times! Life! You should know that you cannot make me despair. Fuhahahaha!!!"
Thump! The guy next door who was pooping hit the wall.
"Excuse me." He was there.
Someone other than me was pooping.
.
.
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When we arrived at the boundary, the sun had already set, and it was pitch black around us.
We had crossed through the dense forest, bypassed the barricade tape, and sneaked past the security guards to finally arrive at the leveling dungeon.
"Amachi-kun, is this the place?"
"Yeah, this abandoned mine dungeon. It's only filled with small fry. This is the dungeon where we can improve our skills. And..."
"We'll make this our camping ground!"
I pointed to the ruins that could only be described as ominous.
It was a dilapidated building that looked like it could appear in a horror movie, located a few hundred meters from the dungeon. It was a facility made of reinforced concrete, and we couldn't tell what it was for.
That was the place where "my past self" had used as a camping ground.
There was a mysterious cube-shaped facility that looked like it could host a death game. It was decorated with a stupidly large inverted cross, similar to what a cult might worship. There were also scribbles on the walls.
Inside, there were strange suspicious people, such as a person wearing a strange mask, a zombie-like old man, and a pantomime artist crouching in the darkness underground.
I'm sure they were homeless people who made this place their stronghold. I had no intention of entering their territory. As adults, it's important to respect personal space.
"Um... Are you sure it's okay?" Hisui's face was grimacing.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, I know it's not much, but is it really okay to camp here?"
"Why not?"
"I mean, I don't really want to go there. There's a really ominous feeling in the air."
"No, it's not good. We might get attacked by wild animals. It's safer indoors."
"But it just feels so unsettling... my sixth sense is telling me it's dangerous." Hisui insisted on camping here no matter what.
This is why city-raised party people are troublesome. They don't know the fear of the mountains. If you underestimate the mountains, you'll regret it.
"Hey, Hisui."
"What is it?"
"Don't underestimate the mountains."
"Uh, yeah..."
Without waiting for a response, I opened the heavy steel door and stepped inside. The interior was pitch black and had a surreal atmosphere. Dust covered the area, and various medical instruments were scattered around.
"Excuse me, senpai. Is it okay to enter here without permission?"
"We're just borrowing this place for a bit. If we get told to leave, we'll leave. This place is a hidden gem. We can take shelter from the rain and wind, and the indoor temperature is stable."
"Well, that may be true, but... I heard screams from upstairs earlier."
"I don't know anything about screams. Someone must be here. This is a good property. There seem to be some locals around here, so let's greet them with a smile and say 'Hello, we're new here!'"
"Eh, okay..."
Everyone except for Maria and Chiaki seemed dissatisfied with this place. Those two had come here without any hesitation.
"It seems quite old-fashioned, and there's a sense of daily use as if it was used until recently," said Maria with a deep interest in the life of common people.
"There are syringes scattered around. You shouldn't touch them. I wonder if this was a hospital. It's a bit dirty. Let's clean up and make this our base," said Chiaki.
"I agree. Clothing, food, and shelter are all important. We need to make a comfortable place to rest, or our bodies will suffer the next day," said Maria.
I observed the two of them out of the corner of my eye.
"See, you're getting used to it. Komachi, you should take a walk and clear your mind. We'll have an intense training session from early morning to evening tomorrow."
"I'll stay with everyone. I'll follow behind Amachi-san. It feels like there's a creepy atmosphere here," said Hisui.
"I'll stay behind Amachi-san as well," said Maria.
"When I finish here, I'll be working on setting up my base. We also need to do some scouting for the dungeon tomorrow. And someone has to prepare dinner, so we all need to set up our own bases. This place has plenty of rooms, so everyone can sleep wherever they want. Except me, I'm taking a private room because I need to work on my business plan for the mining industry. I'm a busy businessman, you know. I need to think about mining and processing minerals to secure a new source of funding.
"Hisui, Kei, what do you want to do?"
"Then what should I do?" Kei asked.
"Kei, you can just stay with the girls. Lucky pervert moments may happen, you know," I said, patting Kei's shoulder.
"Wait a minute, that's too awkward," Kei protested.
"Small and Hisui, you're good, right? Alright then. I'll leave dinner preparation to you guys," I said, giving clear instructions to my party members.
.
.
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When I arrived at the wasteland, the sun had already set and it was pitch black around me. After crossing through a dense forest, crawling under a blockade tape, and sneaking past security guards, we finally arrived at the Leveling Dungeon.
"Amachi-kun, is this the place?" Hisui asked.
"Yeah, this abandoned mine dungeon. It's a dungeon with only weaklings. It's where we'll increase our strength. And..."
"We'll make this our campsite!" I said, pointing at the dilapidated ruins.
It looked like a horror movie set - an unknown building made of reinforced concrete that nobody knew the purpose of. Inside, there were scattered medical tools and equipment everywhere. Graffiti covered the walls, including a massive inverted cross that resembled a cult symbol. Strange characters like a mime artist crouching in the dark, suspicious-looking old men who looked like zombies, and a suspicious person wearing a strange mask roamed the area. They were probably homeless people who called this place their territory. We didn't want to intrude on their personal space.
"Is everything okay?" Hisui asked, looking worried.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, I know it might sound strange, but isn't it dangerous to camp here?"
"Why's that?"
"Well, it just gives off a bad vibe. I have a sixth sense about these things."
Hisui was insistent on camping, but I knew the risks and convinced her otherwise.
Later that night, I went on a scouting mission in the dungeon while the others prepared for dinner and made their own sleeping arrangements. We encountered various monsters, including zombie-like creatures, puppet-like creatures, and chimeras. But we managed to defeat them all.
The next day, I was ready to level up and tackle the challenges ahead.