Who Decides Value – Part 2
Auri continued, tapping the center of the circle labeled World A.
“My analysis is as follows…”
He placed a single dot in the middle.
“How do other worlds connect to yours?
The advanced civilizations decided to begin by transferring a small amount of mass—
a tiny object—into another dimension.
That object becomes the medium for connection.”
He wrote the current year inside World A.
Then he wrote different years inside the surrounding worlds—
all wildly different.
“They assumed the dimensional connection would occur at the same temporal point.
But in reality, there is a time discrepancy.”
He turned to Mossan.
“Currently, the difference between your world and others ranges from 100 to 1000 years.
Now, Todoroki‑san—
if you throw a piece of paper into a trash bin,
what happens to it after 1000 years?”
Mossan froze.
“Uh… it… wouldn’t remain?”
“Correct.
Most paper decomposes over time.
After 1000 years, unless preserved perfectly, it will vanish or transform.”
Auri folded his arms.
“And the waste they discard is far more troublesome than paper.
Some materials may transform into useful resources over time—
but many do not.”
He paused.
“Your world has accumulated an enormous amount of energy.
So much that even your species and humanoids cannot resolve it.
The mass your world can contain is reaching its limit.”
He pointed at the dot in World A.
“The only place capable of controlling this energy is the connection point.”
He drew arrows from World A to the surrounding worlds.
“So the solution is simple:
reverse‑transfer the accumulated energy back to the worlds that created it.
They bear responsibility.”
Auri then listed the concrete plan:
“Here is the expected procedure…”
**1. Directly operate the ‘Dungeon Core,’ the origin of dimensional connection.
Activate its reverse‑transfer function.
The Dungeon Core is located at the deepest part of the dungeon.**
He looked at the room.
“You all understand what that means.
To reach the deepest part, you must descend underground.”
Auri placed a hand on his chest.
“We humanoids possess almost no combat capability.
Constructing a combat‑specialized body would take too long.
I will accompany you, but you must not expect combat support from me.”
Mossan raised a hand.
“Then… recruit high‑rank adventurers?”
Auri shook his head.
“No matter how many you gather, the uncharted underground is filled with violent monsters.
The casualties would be unacceptable.”
Then he turned to me.
“Tōdō‑san.
Your skill—‘Appraisal.’
You can activate it now, yes?”
Everyone looked at me.
I swallowed.
Auri continued:
“When we first met, I examined you briefly.”
He pointed at the board.
“To be frank, your ‘Appraisal’ is disguised.
Its true name is Surveillance.”
The room froze.
Auri gestured, and a monitor appeared in front of me.
“Fascinating, isn’t it?
You call it ‘Appraisal,’
but in other worlds, it is known as ‘Surveillance.’
The pronunciation differs by one character,
but the function is entirely different.”
He looked directly at me.
“You work as a dungeon cleaner.
From the perspective of other worlds,
you are the perfect surveillance agent.”
