The provided chapters detail the protagonist, Atsushi Matsuo, a former top-tier explorer from the elite Japanese guild "Guild Knight," who finds himself reliving his past after gaining a unique job.
**Chapter 3-8: The Protagonist's Past and Awakening**
Atsushi Matsuo, a 31-year-old man, reflects on his time as a member of "Guild Knight," Japan's strongest exploration party. Despite his younger age compared to his teammates (who were in their 40s and 50s), he was content with his situation, receiving a decent salary and enjoying a degree of freedom. He believed being "contained" by the Japanese Guild was better than the alternative of being subjected to horrific dissection experiments or exploited in a black company in another country, with his family potentially held hostage. However, he now realizes he was deceived. He was treated as a mere tool, forced to use skills on command, constantly monitored even during solo dungeon dives, and had his collected materials undervalued. His complaints about the guild's unfair practices, like being given free tickets to guild-run establishments in exchange for materials, were met with disdain. He learned that the guild was reselling his materials and referring to his solo dives as "bonus days," calling him a "worker ant." Despite this realization, he felt powerless to resist, fearing for his family's safety if he rebelled. He chose to play the fool, making himself seem like a convenient, easily managed asset.
**Chapter 9-17: The Dungeon Entrance and the "Traveler" Job**
The narrative shifts to Atsushi's present. Upon entering a dungeon with his classmates, he experiences a system notification: "Level up. Acquiring Job." This triggers a flood of memories from the past 15 years. He suppresses his urge to question the situation, adhering to the explorer's rule of remaining calm. His supervisor, Teacher Ozaki, instructs him to rest. Atsushi, despite his desire to analyze his new situation, prioritizes caution over curiosity, recognizing the danger of acting rashly. He joins his classmates in a plaza near the dungeon entrance. While others excitedly share their newly acquired jobs, Atsushi receives the job "Traveler," the same job he had 15 years ago. His initial skill is "Room," a powerful spatial manipulation ability that was instrumental in "Guild Knight's" success. To avoid being exploited by the guild again, Atsushi decides to lie about his job. When a curious female classmate asks, he claims to be a "Peddler," a job widely considered a "dead-end" due to its perceived uselessness and negative social stigma. The classmate quickly distances herself, leaving Atsushi with a sense of bitter amusement.
**Chapter 18-35: The Downfall of the Merchant Job**
These chapters delve into the reasons why merchant-class jobs are so poorly regarded. The "Merchant" job class, initially considered advantageous due to its "Item Box" skill for storage, became associated with crime. The ability to transport anything, from illegal substances to corpses, led to widespread suspicion. Furthermore, the "Item Box" prevented others from verifying its contents, fostering distrust within parties and leading to accusations of theft. The second skill, "Appraisal," which could reveal personal information like name, job, and level, made merchants feared and ostracized by both fellow explorers and the general public. The development of devices to disrupt "Appraisal" further solidified their negative image. Finally, merchants were deemed combat-ineffective due to their balanced, albeit low, stat growth, making them a liability in combat. The "Peddler" sub-class, in particular, was considered the worst, with minimal stat bonuses and a reputation for being useless. The advent of "Item Bags," a more accessible storage solution, further diminished the merchant's utility.
**Chapter 36-48: Deception and the Path to Strength**
Atsushi explains his deception: he lied about being a Peddler because his "Room" skill visually resembles an "Item Box," making it difficult to pass off as anything else. He chose "Peddler" specifically because its poor reputation would make him less of a target. He knows his true job, "Traveler," is incredibly powerful, granting him all stats at a base of 10 and the unique "Room" skill. He also knows that "Traveler" is a unique job that no one has ever achieved before. He intends to use his knowledge and the powerful items he retained from his past life, including "Status Growth Rate Doubling Rings," to become the "Strongest Explorer." He recognizes the importance of social standing and plans to leverage his newfound power and knowledge to gain influence, potentially through a company like "Fujimoto Kogyo," which has ties to the underworld and explorer clans. He also aims to uncover the truth behind his regression and the nature of his situation.
**Chapter 49-66: The "Strongest Explorer" and the Power of Cheats**
Atsushi reflects on the concept of the "Strongest Explorer," acknowledging that while raw stats are important, true strength lies in knowledge and courage. He watches a TV program about "Guild Knight," confirming that his former teammates have no memory of him, which is advantageous. He plans to use his retained items, particularly the "Status Growth Rate Doubling Rings," to rapidly increase his stats. He explains that these rings, obtainable from a specific dungeon floor, are not truly "cheating" as they are accessible to anyone who can reach that level. He also reveals that the "Guild Knight" members, despite having these rings, chose not to use them beyond a certain point due to the acquisition of new, essential rings for survival in deeper dungeon levels. This decision was driven by a mix of jealousy and a desire to maintain their advantage. Atsushi, however, sees no issue with using these items, viewing it as a form of "storage fee" for the equipment he's safeguarding. He recognizes that his current stats, combined with his knowledge and the items he possesses, put him on the path to becoming the "World's Strongest Explorer." He also acknowledges the need for a strong social standing to avoid being exploited by the guild. He identifies "Fujimoto Kogyo," a construction company with ties to an underworld explorer clan, as a potential avenue for gaining this social leverage.
**Chapter 67-84: The Path Forward and the "Delicious" Opportunity**
Atsushi has been diligently leveling up as a solo "Peddler," reaching level 16 in just a month. He attributes his rapid progress to the game's early-game experience curve, solo play, superior equipment, and efficient use of his "Room" skill. He has learned to deflect attention by claiming to have an invisible bodyguard. He notes the emergence of rumors about a wealthy child with a formidable escort, which he finds amusingly unrelated to his own situation. He realizes that to truly become the "Strongest Explorer," he needs more than just stats and experience; he needs social standing. He observes that companies like "Fujimoto Kogyo," which employ explorers and have ties to organized crime, are facing decline due to increased competition from new explorers and the saturation of mid-tier dungeon resources. He sees this as an opportunity, viewing these struggling entities as "delicious" prospects for his own advancement. He plans to leverage his knowledge and power to form a mutually beneficial relationship with them, rather than attempting to deceive them. He acknowledges that these groups are sensitive to malice and would likely retaliate if he tried to trick them, but he has no intention of doing so. His goal is coexistence and mutual utilization.
