The cold light from the monitor made Yuuto's dry eyes sting. Tajima Yuuto, twenty-five years old, had worked at this company as a system engineer for almost seven years.
He was not especially good, but he was not hopeless either. He finished his tasks without drama and sometimes clicked his tongue at a strange change in a spec. He was simply a normal office worker.
(It feels calm today...)
Only the sound of typing filled the quiet office as Yuuto let out a small breath. Every day felt the same, and until yesterday, he had believed that was a kind of safety.
"Tajima-kun, do you have a moment?"
The voice behind him made his shoulders jump. It was Section Chief Takahashi from HR. His face, usually warm, showed no feeling at all.
(I have a bad feeling about this.)
A few coworkers looked at him for a second, then quickly turned away. That one small movement made his worry grow into near certainty.
"Yes, what is it?" he said and stood up, trying to act calm. He walked after Takahashi. They headed to a small meeting room on the fourth floor, a place people in the company joked about as the "announcement room."
The cheap chair creaked when Yuuto sat. Takahashi slid a formal paper across the table.
"Tajima-kun, I'm sorry, but your contract will end at the end of next month. In short, you are being let go," he said without even a sorry look.
"From today, you don't need to come to the office. You can use paid leave for the rest. Please think of this as a kind act from the company," he added.
It was, in truth, an immediate dismissal. The project Yuuto spent seven years on was cut because of a change in the company plan. To stop leaks and panic, the company removed unneeded staff at once.
Soon after, he left the building holding a cardboard box with his things. His bank account was almost empty after last week's bills.
(With the small severance and my tiny savings... how long can I last?)
He did the math, and the answer hit hard. Maybe four months. He had so little because he sent money every month to his sick parents in the countryside. For him, that was a son's duty.
(I need to look for a new job...)
But that only brought more fear. For seven years, he handled only a huge old legacy system built with the company's own outdated language. Those skills were useless outside. He was twenty-five and already stuck in a tech graveyard. Even if he learned a new language now, he would lose to younger workers with real experience.
"What am I supposed to do..." Yuuto whispered.
Rent, power, and money for his parents would not wait. He had been pushed off the train of society and the career ladder kicked away. He had no way out.
He reached his small one-room apartment. He ate a store-bought meal without tasting it.
The TV showed news that felt far from his own life.
"Early this morning, a new dungeon gate (portal) appeared in the Shinjuku area."
"The government will send a first team with the explorer guild to check the area."
Dungeons. About ten years ago, they began to appear around the world—doors to another world. Monsters came out, and special fighters called explorers stood against them.
At first, it sounded like a sci-fi movie. Now, it was a normal part of life.
Only people with a special power called a skill could become explorers. If you got your skill checked and joined a guild, anyone could enter a dungeon.
If you won, you could get rich fast. If you failed, you died.
High risk, high return. It had nothing to do with a normal person like him.
"The explorer guild is always open for new members. If you have a skill, we do not ask about school or job history," the announcer said.
The words hit Yuuto's empty heart.
(No school or job history... huh.)
To someone just laid off, it sounded like a devil's whisper.
His systems engineering (SE) career was over. At his age, finding a decent new job seemed unlikely.
His savings might last a few months if he lived frugally. With unemployment benefits, he could delay the problem a little longer.
But after that?
Since the first dungeons appeared, the explorer guild and its surrounding industries had attracted all the talent and money. Regular IT firms were becoming obsolete, at risk of collapsing at any moment. Skilled engineers were lured away by high-paying roles, like building systems for the guild or researching magic tools. Only those like Yuuto, whose skills had no value outside that niche, were left behind.
With things like this, there was no chance of finding a good new job. It felt clear he would soon fail to pay rent and lose his small place. That future was very near.
(Skill...)
He did not believe he had anything like that. But what if? Even one in a billion—if he had a gift for exploring...
"...I guess I have to try," he said to himself. It was not hope. It was the sad voice of someone with no other road. A drowning person will grab even a single straw. For Yuuto, the explorer guild was that last straw.
A few days later, Yuuto stood in front of the explorer guild's main office in Shibuya. The tall, near-future style building stood out, almost like it came from another world.
(I really don't belong here...)
People went in and out, and they all looked strong and ready for battle. There were teams in expensive gear and lone explorers with sharp eyes. In his simple clothes, Yuuto felt very small. He wanted to turn back many times, but his empty bank account stopped him.
"...Okay. Let's go," he said, and walked through the automatic doors.
Inside, it felt as big as a hotel lobby. A huge screen showed dungeon news and names of monsters with high bounties.
At the front desk, a tired-looking woman greeted him.
"What do you need?" she asked.
"Uh... I'd like to register as a new explorer," Yuuto said. She looked him up and down.
"I see. Please fill this form. After that, you will take a skill check in the back," she said.
He entered his information on the tablet: name, age, address. His finger stopped at "Former job."
(Former system engineer, huh.)
It already felt far away. When he finished, the clerk pointed to a room.
"Skill check room number three. Wait until your name is called."
He sat in the waiting area. A few young people sat nearby, likely here to register too. They looked both excited and scared.
(I wonder what kind of skill I'll get.)
Fire Breath. Sword Master. With a big fighting skill like that, he could flip his life at once.
(No, I won't get something so good.) Better to hope small. A carry skill would be fine—anything useful enough to join a team.
"Next, Tajima Yuuto. Please go to skill check room three," a voice called.
His heart jumped as he stood. The room had white walls and nothing but a small stand holding a crystal ball.
A person in a white coat gave short instructions.
"Please place both hands over the crystal. It will finish soon."
Yuuto did as told. A cold feeling wrapped his hands.
(This will decide my life.)
He closed his eyes and waited like he was praying.
The crystal began to glow, the light growing until the room turned white. A low machine sound began. Words appeared on the monitor in front of the researcher.
"...It's done," the researcher said, sounding bored.
Yuuto opened his eyes and looked at the screen. He could only stare at the words shown there.