《Otherworldly Dungeon Master》


 Ch 1 - Prologue Part 1

    [noooo get away!]


    [its ok nii-san, we will meet again one day]


    *BANG*


    [shit, it was that dream again. Haaa, why can''t i remember your face *sigh*]


    My names Kirishima Kai, 6 years ago on our family vacation we ended up getting caught in a terrorist attack.


    Due to that, I have a recurring nightmare, well i suppose it would be more accurate to say occasionally my brain replays certain scenes of the incident. The only problem is, the incident didn¡¯t just cause me to forget what happened, but also forget about all those involved. The doctors said the extreme stress and psychological trauma might have caused me to seal up these memories as a way of protecting myself.


    It''s always the same dream, we are being held hostage in the hotel lobby where we were staying while they go on about how their leader is a messenger of god and they are just showing the truth to all the heretics. Their leader was a real creep, he was constantly taking glances at my 10yo sister. Eventually he started heading towards us while displaying a disgusting smile. [Oi kid move it, you should be glad, i''m gonna show your sister the truth and turn her into a believer, don''t worry, there are plenty of others i have already ¡°converted¡± so she won''t be alone, hahaha]


    As he reaches out for her i throw a punch at him, yeah i know it was stupid, after all a 13yo won''t be able to hurt a full grown adult enough to make a difference but i couldn¡¯t let him hurt her. [*** run!]


    [you bastard you''re gonna pay for that!]


    All of a sudden all i could feel was a scorching hot pain on my back [eh? Wha...what happened?] [NII-SAN!!!, NOOOOO!] ahh i see, he slashed me with a knife.


    My consciousness is already fading when i hear it, *bang* [put your guns down, this is the police, we have you surrounded] Thank god we¡¯re safe now. [hahaha you heretics can''t stop us, we are the servants of god] When he opened his jacket i saw it, damn, it seems he had a backup plan, a suicide bomber. Hang on, we''re right next to him [SHIT, *** get away quick] ahh it''s no good im about to pass out. I feel myself being thrown [eh!? *** WHAT ARE YOU DOING, FORGET ABOUT ME AND RUUUUN!!!] [sorry nii-san but you can¡¯t die] she says this with a smile with tears gushing out as she runs in between me and the bomber to shield me. [noooo get away!]


    [its ok nii-san, we will meet again one day]


    That''s where it ends, never able to remember her face or name, and every time she sacrifices herself so i can live. What''s worse is i know she is supposed to be my sister, but i don''t feel sad, i don''t have any other memories of her other than from the incident, like she was a stranger. Nethertheless i decided i would live my life for her sake, afterall she gave up hers so i could live.


    Anyway im 19 now and have been living on my own in a small apartment for the last 3 years, before that i was living in a government run orphanage and was kicked out when i turned 16 and found a part time job.


    Im currently attending a well known university under a scholarship majoring in business and history, i have always been top of my class, even before the incident but afterwards my motivation skyrocketed, i wanted to make my family proud in hopes they know that i can continue on living even if im alone.


    [ahh, what time is it anyway? Damn its only 3:50am, nevermind, it''s not like i can get back to sleep after that dream anyway. Geez, i''m covered in sweat, anyway i''ve got to get to work in a couple hours anyway so i might as well soak in a bath for a while]The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I head towards the bathroom while stripping [Tsk, its acting up again] with a slight grimace on my face i lean on the sink while looking in the mirror [There it goes again, i wonder why?] while looking into the mirror i see my left eye has changed from the normal blue do a deep scarlet red, the strange thing is it only occurs when the scar on my back acts up, i''ve consulted doctors before but they are unsure of the cause. [Oh well, it''s not like it really matters any way] i said to myself as i sit down in the warm bath.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    [Shit how did i end up running late, shinomiya-san is gonna kill me] I work at the 24hr library that''s about 15 minutes away from my apartment, it''s also right across from the university i attend so i usually work before and after my classes, well i say that but i''m mostly reading the various books there because there aren''t many customers during the hours i work.


    Shinomiya-san used to work part time at the orphanage i was at, we got along pretty well, well maybe he just pitied me but it didn¡¯t really matter, when he heard i was turning 16 and close to getting kicked out he offered me this job to which i''m grateful for, i''ve heard alot of kids end up living on the street after they get kicked out afterall.


    [Oi Kai you little bastard, how are you late it''s only 15 minutes from your place isn¡¯t it] [Sorry Shinomiya-san, i had some personal issues and lost track of time] [I don''t care just hurry up in and get started, im heading home to get some sleep, yuigawa will be coming at 11 to switch with you while your in class] [ok no problem, go home and get some sleep, sorry again]


    When i look around there''s no one here [cool, what should i read today] as i was speaking to myself i start heading over to the shelves [hmm, last week i finished reading all the books related to biology as well as all the class materials for people going for their doctorate] as i was walking over i noticed some books that haven''t been sorted yet.[ohh, shinomiya-san ordered some new books, well let see what we have here¡­ what the hell is with these books, is he starting an adult corner or something] as i was looking through the books i finally found one that caught my interest.


    {Theoretical Study of Underground Architecture} [hmm, what a weird title, how is it theoretical, haven''t people been building underground for thousands of years? oh well, it looks kinda interesting so i''ll give it a read anyway] while saying this i went and sat down at the front desk and started to immerse myself in the book.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    [haaah, who would have thought it was the theory of creating a self governing dungeon in another world, hahaha this person has been reading to many fantasy novels for sure, but...well it was quite interesting anyway but it would be pretty boring if the dungeon did all the work for you, well not like it matters anyway] as i stand up and look at the time i was shocked [EH!? Damn it''s already 8pm, i didn¡¯t think i would get so absorbed in the book i would miss my classes, any way i better go put the book away, shinomiya-san should be here soon and i haven''t eaten all day]


    After grabbing something to eat from the convenience store i start heading home [shinomiya-san was really angry tonight, apparently there were a few complaints that i was just ignoring them when they tried to check out some books, ah so embarrassing, what a failure of a library clerk] as i was walking i heard a muffled scream, as i was getting closer i heard someone talking from the alley.[oi, hurry up and shut this bitch up, we cant have any fun if the cops arrive]


    When i heard this i knew what was going on, i rushed around the corner and saw 3 men surrounding a girl who looked like a highschool student [Get away from her! I''ve already called the police and they will be here any second!] [Tsk! Where did this asshole come from, Shit!] as he was complaining i had already rapidly approached. Due to my photographic memory i had studied a variety of subjects with martial arts being the one i studied the most right after the incident and occasionally practised in my time off, but this was my first time putting it to use.


    As i appeared in front of the man holding the young girl down i sent a kick straight at his head. All that was heard was the piercing sound of the man''s jaw being shattered followed with the yell of his friend [shit take the bastard down!] as i turned to confront the other 2 men i saw the girl was standing there dumbfounded [oi, quick get out of here and call for help] i yelled at the girl as i blocked one of the man''s right hook. She quickly regained her senses and got up and started running.


    [Tadashi you go get the girl i''ll deal with this punk] [Got it boss] damn, as the thug called Tadashi turned to chase after the girl i kicked his leg out from under him then threw a punch to his temple. Just as i was thinking everything would be alright i felt a burning sensation in my back [Damn, not again] as i said this i spit out a mouthful of blood and turned around.


    Crap this isn¡¯t good, it looks like he''s gone crazy. I have to take him down or he will catch up to that girl. As i steeled my resolve while my eyes were starting to blur i charged.


    [Hahaha take this you asshole, you''re going down with me] as i swung my fist while laughing i felt my fist sink into the man¡¯s temple and watch his eyes glaze over. When i saw him crumple to the ground i started to feel a wave of dizziness overwhelm me [Haha looks like i''m going to see my family sooner than i thought] i said while bitterly laughing as i saw the knife sticking out of my chest.


    As i sat down against the alley wall i hear the sounds of sirens in the distance [Looks like she''s safe, *sigh*] as if a burden had been lifted off my shoulders everything started to fade into darkness.

 Ch 2 - Prologue Part 2

    With my eyes still closed i begin to feel my senses return [Ahh, looks like i survived... eh? What¡¯s that sound?] in the distance all that could be heard was the soothing sound of flowing water. [Water!? Aren''t i in the hospital, why can i hear the sound of running water]


    While waiting a bit to regain control of my body i begin to slowly open my eyes [where the hell am I?] looking around it appears to be on a small island somewhere covered in lush green grass, there seems to be a small log cabin in the distance. When i start looking over my body i was shocked [ what the¡­ wasn¡¯t i stabbed? I can¡¯t find any injuries, it''s almost like they never even occurred? Ah i get it¡­ i died]


    After coming to the discovery i was dead i was quite surprised that i wasn¡¯t upset or depressed [well i guess that''s how it is when you have no family or loved ones tying you down. Actually now that i''m dead i might be able to meet them again!] as i realised this i refocused my sights back to the log cabin [must be there] i exclaimed slightly excited as i got up and started running towards it.


    Barging in through the door i looked around [eh? Its empty?] after carefully looking around for 20 minutes i slumped on the small 2 seater couch in the main room of the cabin [damn, what do i do now, there''s not a single person in sight, aren''t i atleast supposed to meet god or something *sigh*]


    As i was lamenting over my own misfortune i noticed a red glimmer out of the corner of my eye. [whats this? Im sure there was nothing here before] i exclaimed as i walk over to the glimmering object. [hmm, a ruby? No its about the size of a baseball and is giving off a slightly red glow, what the hell is this?]


    After thinking it over for couple minutes i slowly reached out my hand to the glowing red crystal ball [oh well im dead anyway, whats the worst that could happen, dying again hahaha].


    As soon as my hand touched the red crystal ball an unknown voice appeared in my head [ahem, greetings Kirishima Kai, you are dead¡­] I was bewildered by the beautiful voice that was speaking to me, after taking a few seconds to recover i decided to ask what was going on.


    [ah yeah, im already aware i died, but where am i and who are you?] [hmm, how should i answer that, i guess you would call me the God of reincarnation, ah but i don''t really liked to be called that, you can just call me Ikumi] [well then Ikumi-san, would you be able to tell me where i am] [ehhhh, your not gonna call me Ikumi-sama] [no well, for some reason i really don''t want to call you with sama so can you answer my question already?] [your no fun, well i guess you could call this place a stop over point]


    After seeing my confusion Ikumi-san decided to elaborate [what i mean is this place is like a bridge connecting various worlds including the world your originally from and the world you going to be headed to, ah just so you''re aware i''m the one who rules over this entire domain, pretty cool right ehehe] completely ignoring the last part i was surprised and asked [the world i''m heading to? what do you mean?] Ikumi-san sounded slightly upset that i just ignored the last part [hmpf, your getting reincarnated, ahh but your not gonna become a baby or anything i''m just sending you as you are] [why?] [he he he, not gonna tell you] oi did she just stick her tongue out at me? Is she an idiot? She does realize i can''t see her right? [ahem¡­ anyway the world you are heading to isn¡¯t as advanced as your world, ah but there is magic, you might not know this but of the thousands of worlds in existence only a 1/10th have mana which is the source of magic but even less have actually discovered the use of using mana to create magic]The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    After taking a bit of time to process all this information i decided to ask [so, umm¡­ ikumi-san] [yes yes what is it, do you have more questions Kai?] [umm¡­ well, what am i supposed to do in this new world?] [haaah] [well i mean your not sending me there for no reason right? So what do you want me to do?] [Pfft, hahaha what are you on about, do whatever you want. It''s your life, even if im a goddess i have no desire to control what you do, all i''m doing is giving you a second chance]


    Hmm after thinking about it for a bit this might be a pretty good deal, ah that''s right [Hey Ikumi-san, do i get any cheat skills for my new life] [Huuh, what are you on about, are you an idiot? Why should you get anything like that] [well, no, i mean, isn¡¯t this what''s usually supposed to happen?] [no not really, i mean i will let you choose your profession but that''s it]


    *sigh* even though she sounds so beautiful, i didn¡¯t think she would be such a stingy goddess. While i was thinking this i heard a slightly awkward laugh [ahem¡­ well, i suppose i could throw in a skill book, but don''t misunderstand, it''s only because you have been fun to talk to and i''m such a generous god, now come why don¡¯t you tell Ikumi-sama what you want]


    Eh what''s a skill book while i''m trying to understand what Ikumi-san is on about i hear a surprised noise [Ahh! I forgot to tell you, in the world you are going to there are many different types of magical items, a skill book is a very rare storage type item that stores information related to skills, for example, if you found a fireball skill book and poured some mana into it, it would transfer all the information regarding the fireball spell directly into your brain, but of course it''s also possible to learn it by yourself, it will just take a lot longer]


    [Ah so that''s how it is, in that case, is it possible to get a skill book for healing magic?] [ehhh, healing magic, are you sure you wouldn¡¯t rather something more useful like a sword skill or a fire magic or something like that!?] [ahaha yea, i suppose that''s what most people would want¡­ you probably know some of what happened in my previous life right?] [well, yeah i wouldn¡¯t be a very good goddess if i didn¡¯t] [yeah thats right, thats why i want some healing magic, i don''t want to lose anyone in my new life, if i had healing magic wouldn''t i then be able to make sure those i cared about are safe] after i finished saying this Ikumi-san went strangely quiet, maybe i asked to much of her *sigh*


    [very well, the skill book will be in the location you appear after you are sent to your new world] hmm what''s this, why does she sound so sad?


    [Finally i have one more question for you Kai] hmm, what''s up with this goddess, one moment she sounds annoyed the next she is sad, now she''s asking me this in such a gentle voice? Do goddesses have mood swings too? [yes, what is it Ikumi-san?] [what would you like to do in your new life?]


    Ehh, that''s right, what do i want to do? As i was thinking this while looking at the red glowing crystal i started thinking back to the book i had read before all this happened {Theoretical Study of Underground Architecture}. Without waiting for my reply i heard Ikumi-san speak in a playful tone [Very well, enjoy your new life] The scenery around me started turning into a blindingly white light [EHH?! This damn goddess!]