With my [Appraisal] Skill, I Became the Top of the Streaming World - Chapter 1
I Got Fired from My Company.
I was called into a meeting room, handed a single piece of paper, and that was it.
31 years old. I’d worked for a city security firm without a single late arrival or absence, but apparently, such things mean nothing in the face of a recession.
"This is a restructuring due to declining performance. Sorry it’s so sudden, Makabe."
The voice was incredibly casual; he didn't sound sorry at all.
I—Ryo Makabe—placed my employee ID on the desk without a word. It wasn't that I didn't have anything to say. I remembered everything: how the field sites were short-staffed, how I repeatedly filled the gaps, and how I handled three people’s worth of shifts just last month.
But saying it wouldn't bring anything back.
I returned my uniform, clutched a paper bag containing my personal belongings, and left the building.
The sky outside was perfectly clear.
Tokyo in early spring is strangely bright. It’s been over a hundred years since dungeons first appeared in this world. On the big screens in front of the station, advertisements for explorer equipment manufacturers play on loop, and people carrying weapon cases walk the streets as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
But that story had almost nothing to do with my life.
Earning a living in the dungeons is a job for the chosen ones. Those born with powerful skills. Those with combat sense. Those with luck.
And then there’s me... my skill is [Appraisal].
Moreover, it’s not even suited for combat—just a standard, general-purpose Appraisal. It’s a plain, cheap, bottom-tier skill held by many, useful for little more than checking the authenticity of second-hand goods or confirming the condition of incoming office supplies.
The aptitude test at the Explorer’s Guild told me as much:
“You’re suited for gathering support in the upper layers or appraisal paperwork. Unsuited for combat classes.”
So, I worked a normal job.
I worked normally, got tired normally, and then... I got fired normally.
"...Not funny."
I checked my bank balance on my phone.
Rent. Utilities. Food. There are certain costs required just to stay alive. But my balance thrust a cold, hard fact upon me. I wasn’t sure if I’d even last until next month.
Just then, a job advertisement scrolling at the bottom of my notification bar caught my eye.
■ Late-Night Dungeon Scavenging Staff Wanted!
■ Collection of discarded equipment, magic stone fragments, and material scraps from cleared upper-layer areas.
■ Beginners welcome, no explorer license required, daily pay available.
"...Picking up trash, huh?"
The words slipped out.
But in my current position, I didn't have the luxury of choice. I opened the ad and sent off the application form. A few minutes later, a brief explanation and a meeting location were sent back.
The place was in front of the Shinagawa Pier No. 7 Dungeon. The time: 23:00.
It looked like I could start working this very night.
◇
Shinagawa Pier No. 7 Dungeon is one of the entrances to the Tokyo Labyrinth located along Tokyo Bay. The Tokyo Labyrinth is the largest and most complex S-Class labyrinth in the country, and the Shinagawa sector serves as its "back door." Unlike the main Shinjuku Grand Entrance, this isn't a route for average explorers. It’s primarily used for waste disposal, temporary storage of hazardous materials, and post-collection processing, seeing a lot of traffic from public agencies and disposal contractors. It’s plain and unpopular, but for those who know its worth, it’s a place of significance.
11:00 PM.
The main gate was closed, but the service entrance for authorized personnel was open.
"I’m Makabe, the scavenging staff."
"Ah, the walk-in for today. Over here."
I was led in by a middle-aged man in a helmet and given a brief orientation.
"The job is simple. Pick up the broken weapons, cracked armor, and magic stone dust those explorer brats threw away, and sort the usable stuff into containers. Don't touch hazardous materials. If you find something weird, call me."
"Something weird?"
"Cursed objects and stuff. They turn up sometimes."
The man gave a weary yawn.
"Well, it's the upper layer, so it's rare. No corpses reported today, either."
"That’s a relief."
"Not as much of a relief as a rookie who looks half-dead already."
I didn't even have the energy to snap back.
I took the provided gloves and a simple flashlight and entered the service port. From here, B1F began—the start of the upper layers.
The air shifted slightly.
It was that stagnant atmosphere unique to dungeons, and the temperature was low enough to feel chilly for early spring. Even though it was lit by artificial lights installed on the walls here and there, the deeper you went, the worse the visibility became, the darkness growing thicker. It seemed the management bureau regularly commissioned explorers to cull the monsters in the upper layers; I heard no low growls, and there was no sense of immediate danger.
As I walked, I saw containers installed by the Bureau lined up against the walls. These containers held dungeon waste that had already undergone primary sorting; naturally, nothing of value remained here. Looking around, I saw trash scattered everywhere, as if people had gone out of their way to ignore the bins.
Broken daggers. Dented breastplates. Shattered magic stones. Nets caked in slime residue. Charred boots. Cheap lighting tools.
"...This is terrible."
To an explorer, these things aren't worth the effort of carrying home. So they just leave them lying around. Even when a container this large is provided.
I crouched down and picked up a broken dagger. I figured I should at least sort out what looked usable.
With that thought, I activated [Appraisal]. I expected the usual simple info to float into my vision—or so I thought.
Ancient Magic Power Conductor Dagger (Damaged)
Rarity: A
Current Value: Low
Restoration Value: Extreme
Latent Stats: Lightning Attribute Enchantment / Magic Conduction Assist
Recommended Treatment: Blade Replacement / Conductor Polishing / Re-engraving
"...Huh?"
A gasp escaped my lips.
What is this...?
This isn't my usual [Appraisal]. Before, all I could see was stuff like 'Iron Dagger - High Wear - Low Market Value'—the kind of level where I’d think, I can see that just by looking!
But now, it wasn't just the value. Restoration methods, latent stats, and even rarity were displayed.
"No, no, no, wait a second..."
Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe I was just mentally exhausted. Maybe the skill was glitching. Thinking that, I reached for a cracked breastplate.
Lightweight Breastplate made from Rock Beetle Shell (Heavily Damaged)
Rarity: B
Current Value: Low
Reusable Parts: Lower Right Chest Section / Connection Frame
Compatible Classes: Scout, Light Warrior
Notes: Easily undervalued due to surface damage.
A shiver ran down my spine.
"Oh man... are you serious?"
I picked up a fragment of a magic stone.
Clouded Magic Stone Fragment
Current Value: Small
Uses: Low-grade lighting / Abrasives / Testing magic power measuring devices
Notes: Can be re-compressed with 30 or more fragments.
I picked up a black rod rolling by the wall.
Sealing Stake (Non-functional)
Current Value: None
Caution: Contains remnants of a Third-Grade Sealing Formula.
Recommendation: Sell to a specialist.
I could see it. I could see it clearly.
The value. No, not just the value. The process and the very use of the items were visible to my eyes.
I stood there for a while, frozen. Only the loud pounding of my heart felt real.
Why so suddenly? Did the skill evolve? After all this time? I’d heard stories about it. In extreme situations or through intense aptitude, a skill’s precision or derivative abilities can awaken.
But for a regular guy like me? Besides, I wasn't exactly in a high-stress "extreme" environment.
"...It doesn't matter right now."
Reasons could come later.
Right now, in this place, I was likely the only person who understood the meaning of what lay here.
If that was the case, there was only one thing to do.
I began to pick things up in silence.
The valuable damaged dagger. Reusable magic stone fragments. Beetle shells excellent for materials. The iron stake with the sealing formula remnants.
To anyone else, it was a pile of trash. But in my vision, the colors were different. Things with a clear price tag, things that would transform if combined, things overlooked by those without knowledge.
This scavenging gig itself took place after the primary sorting in the middle layers—essentially collecting the leftovers abandoned in the upper layers. The stuff in the containers had been deemed worthless waste after the first pass.
However, it seemed we scavengers were allowed "personal buy-backs" of the waste we collected, up to a certain amount. Since sorting everything minutely would take forever, most was processed as bulk waste, but if you found something of value that had been overlooked, you were allowed to buy it off the company at a scrap rate.
Which meant... before these items were pawned off cheaply as "items of unknown value," I could use this Appraisal skill to intercept the valuable waste others had missed.
"Hey, rookie, you're pretty enthusiastic."
The middle-aged man who had briefed me earlier returned.
"Not really. It's just... can I put these through for buy-back instead of disposal?"
"Huh? That junk?"
"A few of them look like they might be usable."
"That stuff? Looks like garbage to me."
The man peered at my hands and snorted.
"Well, do what you want. The appraisal team upstairs will set a price; if you don't mind the cost, take 'em. It won't be expensive, though. Upper-layer trash is what it is."
"That helps. Thanks."
Being looked down upon right now was actually a blessing. For the next two hours, I continued picking things up as if possessed.
This shard could be an abrasive. This bone fragment conducts magic easily. This dagger will be a masterpiece if the blade is replaced. This stake will fetch a high price if I turn it over to a specialist.
It was supposed to be trash collection, but it felt like a treasure hunt.
◇
Past 2:00 AM, a simple appraisal was held in a corner of the collection center on the surface.
A sleepy-looking female appraiser checked the items one by one. I tried to act calm, but inside, I was incredibly tense.
"Let’s see, all together... you want to personally buy back this, this, and this?"
"Yes."
"Honestly, it’s all just broken stuff... I don't think there's much point. Don't get mad at me if they're worthless, okay?"
The clearly grumpy appraiser passed them through the judgment magic tool with rough movements.
First, the beetle shell breastplate part.
"...Huh?"
The woman's hand stopped.
"Is something wrong?"
"No... the material rank of the internal frame is higher than I thought. This is actually reusable."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. It looks terrible on the outside, but the core is still good."
Next, the dagger.
This time, a man who looked like a veteran peered in from the side.
"Let me see that."
"What is it?"
"This conductor is an old model. They can't make these anymore."
I tried my best to act like I wasn't surprised.
"Is it worth anything?"
"If we treat it as damaged goods... maybe a few thousand yen. But if you take it to a specialist restorer—no, wait."
The man’s face went serious as he tapped away at his terminal.
"Rookie, where did you find this?"
"Near the Third Route in the upper layer."
"Why the hell was something like this left behind...?"
The moment the sealing stake came out, the atmosphere shifted completely.
"Hey! Who put this in the general waste?!"
"What?"
"This has remnants of a Third-Grade Sealing Formula! Someone could’ve had an accident if they touched it wrong, you idiots!"
The other staff members in the appraisal office started gathering around, despite the late hour. I felt my heart racing, but at the same time, I was certain.
The information I was seeing through my Appraisal was the real deal.
And when I saw the final buy-back amount presented to me, I was genuinely lost for words.
"...78,000 yen?"
From one night of picking up trash.
And apparently, this was just the "scrap price" for taking them off their hands as damaged goods. The female appraiser looked at me with eyes full of suspicion.
"Makabe-san, was it? You have a strangely good eye for picking things."
"It was just a fluke."
"If a 'fluke' leads you to pick up a sealing stake, then that fluke is called talent."
Talent.
That word struck a chord deep in my chest.
At the company, I was just "convenient labor," someone on the side of the line that was okay to cut. But at this very moment, my judgment—my Appraisal—had a price.
By the time I left the collection center, the eastern sky was starting to turn white. A breeze smelling of the tide blew past.
A notification for the bank transfer popped up on my phone. Even looking at the numbers, it didn't feel real yet.
"...78,000 yen."
I whispered it again.
Just one night of picking up trash. But the answer was already clear.
This wasn't garbage. These were treasures that no one else knew the value of—treasures that only I could understand.
And most importantly... I was probably the only one who could see that value. Staring into the darkness of the dungeon entrance, I let out a small breath.
"...I think I'll come back tomorrow."
The night I was fired. And yet, for the first time in my life, I found myself looking forward to tomorrow.
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