The Dungeon of Black Company (迷宮ブラックカンパニー)

Beautiful day.

Look at them with their flimsy umbrellas,

trudging through this downpour to get to the office on time.

Stuffed liked sardines in rush-hour trains.

Oh, how much it must suck to be them!

Yes! At long last! I have become the perfect Pro NEET!

The crème de la crème! The true GOAT!

I worked my ponytail off so this plan

would come to fruition, and it finally has!

I used my allowance money

for swing trading to build capital,

which I then invested in overseas real estate.

Didn't even need a nine-to-five job

with the passive income pouring in from abroad!

After establishing a way to earn a living

without lifting a finger,

I built three apartments in Tokyo and made the penthouse

in one of them my personal castle!

I now have a flawless lifestyle less fortunate losers

will never experience!

This could be my final resting place

and I wouldn't even care!

The alpha and the omega.

I can be a lazy bum every day for the rest of my life!

Huh?

What the heck is going on?

Eh?

Hm?

Uh...

But my flawless lifestyle!

My esteemed colleagues.

Before our morning meeting gets underway,

I'd like to pose an important question.

Are you all working as if your lives depend on it?

Are you doing everything within your power

to dominate our competitors?

If the answer to that is a resounding "no,"

I have a suggestion I urge you to try.

Just once, please, put your work before sleep and mealtimes!

Sacrifice your rest and food and see

if that gets the results we need!

Our clients' gratitude will make your hardships worthwhile,

transforming your labor into

a timeless treasure called "fulfillment"...

What a giant load of self-serving bull crap.

Mine the uncut gems of satisfaction

and let their grandeur illuminate your heart!

Do or die, fly high, and dare to dream to the extreme!

Kinji Ninomiya, age 24, ex-Pro NEET.

He currently lives in a world of demihumans called Amuria.

In ancient times, the dungeons of this enchanted land

were brimming with monsters and treasure.

Powerful beings seeking fame and glory once braved their depths,

however, as the years passed,

things modernized, and this custom changed.

Dungeons went from being explored to exploited

for the energy-rich demonite within them.

Governments regulated the commodity

by licensing companies to oversee its production.

The Raiza'ha Mining Corporation is one such company

located in the Ruins of Detmolt,

which is where Kinji now finds himself.

Somebody help!

Mister Saruyama's dancing naked again!

Poor guy hasn't had a single day off

in the last three months if I remember right.

] He reach his limit?

Looks that way.

You can't go down that route, Mister Saruyama!

It's a different division's area!

Oh, Ninomiya, hey. If you're curious about

last month's results, I got 'em right here.

I'm good.

Yeah, good for nothing!

You think only reaching 15% of your quota's acceptable?

Because your sorry butt was dragging,

our entire team's evaluation got dropped a level!

Last month I wasn't feeling well.

You're meant to put your back into your work

until it breaks, so that's natural!

When I was your age,

if I didn't have some type of ailment from my job, I--!

Screw that guy!

Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!

It's not fair.

Why's an awesome guy like me gotta toil away

in the mines with those pathetic losers?

And for 16-hour shifts that barely allow time

for proper rest in between!

Then they've got us packed in the same dorm

with zero privacy, sleeping side-by-stinky-side

'cause we can only bathe once a month!

It's plain wrong! Why am I in this idiotic world? Why me?

Hey, Wanibe!

Eh?

Uh, yes, sir? What is it?

I told you that if you don't know how to do something,

ask someone who does!

So why did you just do what I saw you do?

Well, you also told me I should learn by watching,

so, um...

Listen! Report, remind, and review!

Always remember the Three R's! Now you say 'em!

Uh, report, remind--

I can't hear you!

I'm starving.

Yes!

I made 130 thousand gold last month,

but thanks to the debt I've accumulated,

that only leaves ten thousand in pocket money.

Never thought there'd come a time in my life

where a loaf of bread seems like a feast.

Uh?! Uh! No! Please, come back!

You can't just up and abandon someone in his time of need!

Without you, I have nothing to eat tomorrow!

Hey, there! Mister Wanibe, right? You got a sec?

Um. Should I know you?

I know we're on the same team, but that's it.

I also know the team leader got mad

when you went missing this afternoon.

If you're the same Ninomiya he was talking about.

Heh. You should ignore that little gremlin like I do.

And isn't this restaurant a little on the expensive side?

We get paid the same wages,

so how can you afford your own dinner, let alone mine?

I'm flat broke.

Huh?!

I took out a loan.

If the rumors are true,

you already owe ten million gold, right?

Way off, it's 20 million gold.

There was a time I had even

less than what I've got now.

I sought out some buyers I deemed appropriate

and tried to make a few bucks using the only asset I had.

Thing is, I never said it would last forever.

But even after I told them that they still beat me up.

I mean, how petty can commoners be?

Now, I'm stuck working this dead-end job

thanks to one little mistake.

I just thought of something.

I have an urgent appointment, so I really should be going.

To practice reciting the Three R's?

You have a dull look about you. The look of a guy with no money,

no specialties, and nothing to anticipate

when he wakes up in the morning.

Don't pass up a golden opportunity like this.

Sorry, what?

This is a chance for you to stop being you,

and start being better!

Hey! Ninomiya!

Where did you go yesterday when you skipped out?

Question for you.

What?

I was wondering if we could go on a prospecting tour.

Huh? Huh...? Really? You would do that for us?

Heh! So you've finally grown a backbone, have you?

Well, better late than never!

I still have a few more words for you,

but I'll leave it at "good luck" for now.

You won't be getting workers' comp

if you're hurt down there, but--details!

"Prospecting tour" is a codename used

at the Raiza'ha Mining Corporation.

It's when a small party of employees ventures

through the dungeon in search of demonite.

Kinji and his colleagues typically work on the

first floor, but the mineshafts go far deeper.

And the further down one goes,

the more dangerous the monsters that lurk there.

That said...

Demonite from even one floor below

the surface is worth ten times as much. And if we find

any rare ore, we get a nice, fat bonus come payday.

True. But is a bonus worth the risk?

I hope you know there are numerous casualties

in the Exploration Division every single year.

Observe.

Where did it go?

Through a hidden portal!

One that leads to the third floor of the dungeon.

A-Are you sure this is safe?

Worry not my fine, scaly friend!

I scoped it out yesterday!

A leather cape and adventurer's armor

isn't really all that much in terms of equipment.

Stop knocking our gear.

We're not looking for a fight, so who cares?

Bingo.

Amazing. All of this is Demonite?

Is this holy water for warding off evil?

Yeah. Should keep the baddies at bay for a while.

You start mining the left side

and I'll be doing the same on the right.

Oh. Okay.

I should thank you, Ninomiya.

You've probably noticed how slow I am.

Always takes me a minute or two

to get a handle on things at work.

It's been a while since anybody asked for my help.