"So when are you getting a real job?"
Suzume stared at her rice, pushing grains around with her chopsticks. Her mother had made katsudon tonight, which meant this was going to be a serious conversation.
"I'm... looking."
"You've been looking for six months." Her father's voice carried that specific disappointment only parents could achieve. "You dropped out of Tokyo University. Tokyo University! Do you know how many people would kill for that opportunity?"
[Yeah, about twelve thousand applicants per year, actually.]
"I know, Dad."
"Then why?" Her mother set down her bowl harder than necessary. "Is this about Akane? Because she wouldn't want—"
"It's not about Akane."
[Everything's about Akane.]
"Then what? You sit in that apartment all day doing... what exactly?"
"I exercise. I study."
"Study what? You're not in school!"
"Just... things. Online courses."
Her father rubbed his temples.
"Suzume, we're worried about you. First you drop out, then you barely visit, and when you do, you look exhausted. Are you even eating properly?"
[I had a convenience store bento at 3 AM after pulling two civilians from a D-rank dungeon, so... no?]
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine! You're eighteen years old, living alone, no job, no school—"
"I said I'm looking for work!"
"Where? Show me one application. One interview."
Suzume stayed silent. Her mother sighed.
"Sweetheart, I know losing Akane was hard—"
"Can we not?"
"We have to! It's been seven months and you won't talk about it!"
"Because there's nothing to talk about. She's dead. Talking won't change that."
The words hung in the air like a curse. Her mother's eyes filled with tears she refused to let fall.
"At least she was doing something with her life," her father said quietly. "She had goals, dreams—"
"And look where that got her."
"Suzume!"
"What? It's true! She wanted to be a famous Player and she died in a dungeon waiting for help that never came. Great dream. Really worked out."
Her father stood up.
"That's enough."
"I should go."
"Sit down."
She sat.
"Your sister died doing what she loved. And yes, it was tragic, and yes, the system failed her. But at least she tried. What are you doing?"
[Saving people. Being a hero. Things you'd never believe, hence why I have to act like this.]
"I'll get a job. Soon. I promise."
Her mother reached across the table, taking her hand.
"We just want you to be happy."
"I know."
"Are you happy?"
Suzume thought about it.
Was she happy? She spent her days serving in a maid cafe and her nights diving into death traps. She had no friends, no social life, and her only human connection was a journalist using her for ratings.
"I'm... working on it."
---
Two hours later, Suzume stood outside the Phoenix Guild building in Shinjuku. Twenty stories of glass and steel, with the guild's emblem burning bright against the night sky.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
[Akane walked through these doors every day.]
The lobby was marble and mahogany, all corporate prestige. The receptionist looked up from her computer, professional smile already in place.
"Welcome to Phoenix Guild. How may I assist you?"
"I'm here about Aoi Akane's personal effects."
The smile flickered.
"I see. And you are?"
"Aoi Suzume. Her sister."
"Do you have identification?"
Suzume handed over her ID. The receptionist typed something, frowning.
"I'm showing that all of Miss Aoi's professional equipment was already processed—"
"I'm here about her personal items. The ones she purchased herself. I was told I could retrieve them."
"I'll need to check with management. Please have a seat."
Suzume sat in a chair that probably cost more than her monthly rent. The lobby had that specific silence expensive places cultivated, where even breathing felt too loud.
Ten minutes passed. Then twenty.
Finally, a man in an expensive suit approached. Late thirties, perfect hair, smile that never reached his eyes.
"Miss Aoi? I'm Araga, Vice President of Asset Management."
"That's a real job title?"
His smile tightened.
"Your sister was a valued member of Phoenix Guild. Her loss was tragic."
"So tragic you waited a month to retrieve her body."
"The dungeon was unstable—"
"I know what happened. I'm just here for her things."
He gestured toward the elevators.
"Of course. Right this way."
They rode to the fifteenth floor in silence. The hallway they entered looked more like a luxury hotel than a guild building. Araga led her to a storage room, pulling out a small box.
"These are the items Miss Aoi purchased with personal funds."
Suzume opened it. Three protection charms on silver chains, a pair of enchanted running shoes, and...
"What's this?" She held up a black device the size of a phone.
"Ah, that's a portable dungeon simulator. Latest model. Your sister was quite enthusiastic about training."
"Dungeon simulator?"
"Virtual reality training system. It creates perfect recreations of dungeon environments, complete with accurate monster behaviors and physics. The technology has advanced considerably in recent years."
[Virtual reality training. Of course Akane would have something like that.]
"How does it work?"
"Simply put it on and activate it. The neural interface creates a full sensory experience. You can practice combat, test strategies, even experience death without actual consequences."
"Experience death?"
"The simulation ends if you would die, but you feel everything up to that point. It's quite realistic. Some users find it... disturbing."
"And this was Akane's personal property?"
"Purchased with her earnings, yes. Though I should mention, using it without System enhancement is inadvisable. The mental strain on unawakened individuals can be severe."
[Good thing I'm not unawakened anymore.]
"I'll take everything."
"Very well. If you'll just sign here..."
She signed. Araga's smile never changed.
"I should mention, Miss Aoi, that Phoenix Guild would be happy to purchase these items from you. The simulator alone is worth—"
"Not interested."
"The offer stands if you change your mind."
They rode back down in the same silence. At the lobby, Araga handed her the box.
"One more thing," he said. "Your sister spoke of you rather often."
Suzume paused.
"I... I'm happy to know that."
---
Back in her apartment, Suzume sat on her bed, staring at the simulator. It looked deceptively simple, like a sleek VR headset with neural interface patches.
[Training in virtual reality. I could practice without risking my life. Test strategies. Learn monster patterns.]
She picked up her phone, texting Yumi.
Me: Got my sister's stuff from Phoenix Guild. Including something called a dungeon simulator.
The response was immediate.
HOLY SHIT.
Those things cost like 10 million yen! DO NOT SELL IT.
Me: Wasn't planning to. Going to use it for training.
Smart. But be careful. I've heard the full-dive ones can mess with your head.
Me: Noted.
She put the device on, laying back. The neural patches attached automatically, tiny pinpricks of sensation.
[Here goes nothing.]
She pressed the activation button.
The world disappeared.
She stood in a white void, a menu floating before her.
[SELECT DUNGEON TYPE]
[E-RANK]
[D-RANK]
[C-RANK]
[B-RANK]
[A-RANK]
[No S-Rank option? Guess that's out of even Akane's pay grade.]
She selected E-Rank. Baby steps.
[SELECT ENVIRONMENT]
[CAVE]
[FOREST]
[RUINS]
[SPECIAL]
Cave. Standard starter dungeon.
[SELECT MONSTERS]
[RANDOM]
[SPECIFIC]
[ESCALATING]
Random.
[SAFETY PROTOCOLS]
[FULL]
[LIMITED]
[NONE]
She hesitated. Full meant the simulation would end before any serious trauma. None meant experiencing everything.
[Limited it is.]
[SIMULATION BEGINNING]
The white void transformed.
She stood at the entrance of a cave, complete with dripping water, musty air, and darkness stretching ahead. She could feel the rough stone under her feet, smell the mold, hear her own breathing.
[This is insane. It feels completely real.]
She took a step forward. Her tactical gear materialized around her, weight and all.
[Even my equipment is accurate. Is it reading my System info somehow? How can it even do that? OH! Is this simulator System-made?]
A rustling ahead. Three goblins emerged from the shadows, rusty daggers gleaming.
[Okay. Let's see what this thing can do.]
She pulled out a virtual flashbang. It felt exactly like the real thing.
The goblins charged.
She threw the flashbang, closed her eyes, and—
BANG.
The sound was perfect. The flash behind her eyelids. The goblins' confused screeches.
She opened her eyes and ran past them, deeper into the cave.
[This is perfect. I can test everything without wasting resources or risking death.]
More goblins ahead. She activated Rescue Line.
[MP: 90 → 85]
The glowing rope shot out, wrapping around a goblin's leg. She yanked it off balance.
[Even my skills work.]
She spent the next hour exploring, testing, learning. The simulation was flawless. Every sound, every sensation, every bit of physics matched reality.
When she finally removed the headset, she was covered in sweat despite never actually moving.
[No wonder Akane loved this thing.]
Her phone buzzed. Yumi again.
"Just saw the news. Another dungeon showing instability in Meguro. Looks like D-rank. You interested?"
"When?"
"Two hours."
She looked at the simulator, then at her tactical gear in the corner.
Virtual training was useful, but nothing compared to the real thing.
"I'll be there."
She stood up, stretching muscles that felt like they'd been fighting despite lying still.
[Train virtual, fight real. Not a bad system.]
The protection charms caught her eye. Three silver chains that could reduce physical damage
She put one on. It felt warm against her skin.
[Thanks, Akane. Even in death, you're still looking out for me.]
