Chapter 17: Cursing This Scumbag with Revenge!
Part 1
After fooling around with Aqua for a bit, I decided to take out my copy of Myriad Swords 2.
This was the game I purchased before I discovered the dungeon. I had been so busy with the dungeon and everything else that I didn't even take the CD out of the box yet.
The reason I was playing this game was to help out my classmates, who were having trouble with a Player Killer.
This PKer was killing lower-level players for the fun of it.
"Ohh… Playing a game, huh? If Kazuma-san wants, I can search the internet for the most OP build for you to use!"
"No need."
"Ehh… Even though I just wanted to help…"
"Hmm… There is something you can help me with, Appuri-chan."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Find me a site that sells max level accounts."
"Huh?! That's cheating?! Aren't you gonna embrace the grind?!"
"Huh? Do I look like I have the time to do that? I have a bunch of girls who want me, and I'm the badass who defeated a Demon King general. I don't have the time to grind up a new account."
The old me would have sneered at this statement.
I wasn't a NEET anymore. I didn't have time to pour in an endless amount of hours, grinding up a level 1 account to max.
Despite Appuri-chan's complaints, she still helped me look for a seller.
The cheapest seller was willing to sell their max level account for 10,000 yen.
"Damn, that's so expensive!"
I knew that max level accounts sold for quite a lot, but I didn't think that the cheapest one would sell for that much.
"Hmm… Is it even worth doing this side quest? I mean, it gives +2 to 'Intelligence' and 'Willpower', but I can just raise those naturally… The money investment isn't worth it."
"Don't you want to help your classmates?! That PKer can't get away with this!"
I remembered the days when I used to be into MMOs. Whenever there was a PKer, I would lead my guild in an effort to bring them to justice.
A part of me that remained from those days wanted to put this PKer in their place.
That said, I really didn't have time to invest in this game.
It felt like the past and present versions of me were conflicted with each other. In the past, if I had the money, I wouldn't have hesitated putting this kind of money into the game. It was a worthwhile investment for me, since the only thing I cared about was having fun playing video games.
Now that I had a job and had to earn money, now that I had to risk my life fighting the Demon King army and training in the dungeon, I knew full well the value of money. That 10,000 yen I was paying for the account was the accumulation of my hard work at the grocery store, as well as my reward for beating Beldia in a battle to the death.
Did I really want to use that money that I spilled sweat and blood for, on a max level account for a video game?
In the end, I decided to do it.
It wasn't like I was doing this for fun. I did get stat increases, and I could raise my popularity with my classmates if I finished this quest.
And maybe a part of me also wanted to try playing a video game, after a long break from it.
After all, it's important to move forward from a past you're ashamed of, but nothing good comes from forgetting your roots.
I purchased the account and renamed the character to my old handle 'RNGod'. I wondered if my old guild members transitioned to Myriad Swords 2. We played the original one together for years. It was hard to imagine that they wouldn't play the sequel.
Would they recognize me from my handle? Would they forgive me for not playing, even though I promised to play it all with them when the sequel came out?
I didn't even know if they'd miss me. I mean, I was the top player and the guild leader, but to them, I was just some rando they played with. Even my protege in the guild, Dark+Angel, must have forgotten about me by now. After all, she was a gamer girl who had a bunch of simps everywhere she went.
After purchasing the account, my next objective was to bait the PKer into fighting me.
"Eh… Is it really safe to do that at the moment? You don't even have any powerful gear. You won't survive."
"I don't need powerful gear."
"Y-You sure are confident, huh? But the PKer might not target you if you don't have good loot."
"Didn't you hear what those guys said? The PKer doesn't care about taking loot from players. They're doing this for the fun of it. This PKer will attack me regardless of what gear I have."
I went to a random grinding spot and slayed some monsters for a while. After some time, I saw another player with a red username, indicating that they were a player killer.
Their avatar was geared up like a complete edgelord, all black with a bunch of skulls, with a flaming scythe as their weapon. Their username was 'xXx_VengeanceSoldier666_xXx'.
"Hm? Kazuma-san, you lost -1 HP for some reason…"
I actually took damage from all the edge.
Due to the equipment difference, I was swiftly defeated by the PKer.
"Aww… I told you to get better weapons, Kazuma-san!"
"It's not a big deal. I was just scouting his build. What's the point in investing in a bunch of powerful items if we don't even know what we're dealing with?"
"As expected of a former Shut-in NEET! You really know a bunch of useless information that will not benefit you at all in real society!"
I really needed to ask Aqua to adjust Appuri-chan's smugness settings. Although I doubted Aqua actually knew how to use her stolen tech beyond surface-level adjustments.
Reluctantly, I spent 5,000 yen to buy the necessary equipment. At this point, I was beginning to think this whole thing was a sunk-cost investment, with how I kept pouring money in with the justification that I already got this far, there was no point in backing down now.
Once I dealt with the equipment, I used the free respec that all accounts get once they hit a certain level, focusing on putting my Skill Points on a build that directly countered the PKer's.
Going back to another grinding spot, I waited for the PKer to come again. This time, I was prepared for him. Not only did I counter his build, I also memorized all his attack patterns. It didn't take long until I killed the PKer.
When you kill a PKer in the Myriad Swords series, you earn a bounty based on how many players they killed. You also don't gain the PKer status for killing the PKer.
There is also a bounty board where the status of PKers are updated. When the board registered my kill, multiple players sent me DMs, asking me how I accomplished the feat. Instead of telling them what I did, I got the idea to sell my account to the highest bidder.
I ended up making a profit from all the money I spent on this account, gaining 20,000 yen from the auction. Selling the bounty money I gained to real-life currency earned me an extra 2,000 yen.
"You defeated the PKer! Quest Rewards: +2 Intelligence, +2 Willpower!"
Part 2
"Whoa, you actually defeated the PKer?!"
"I was wondering who did it!"
"You sold your account for a bunch of money, right?!"
My gamer classmates were overjoyed when I showed them proof that I defeated the infamous PKer.
I grinned and scratched my nose.
"He wasn't such a big deal in the end."
"You earned the respect of your classmates! 'Charisma' increased by +2!"
There wasn't any soccer practice afterschool, since there was a big game coming up, which would qualify us for nationals.
The coach declared this once we showed up to the changing room. He was standing outside the building, a wide grin on his face.
"Rest up, everyone! I want you in tip-top shape for the game on Thursday!"
He didn't know that I could just ask Aqua to heal me even if I got exhausted or received an injury. Still, I didn't have a reason to go against the coach's decision.
I was heading out when Mitsurugi caught up to me.
"Hey, Satou. You started going to the gym, right? How about I come with you today to give you some pointers?"
"...I didn't ask for a trainer because I didn't want some guy barking orders at me while I worked out."
"I'm not gonna bark orders at you. Rather, if I was a girl, are you saying you'd be fine with that?"
"Absolutely."
"Wah… You're something else, Satou. So you really don't want my help?"
Without a real good reason to refuse him, I agreed to have him come along with me to the gym.
We walked over to the gym, where I saw the receptionist, Luna, again. I wondered if she worked here all day, since I also saw her taking the evening shift last time.
She smiled, a look of recognition on her face when she saw me.
"Welcome back, Satou-san! Oh, did you bring a friend today?"
She said, glancing over at Mitsurugi.
"He's not really…"
"You get a free day pass for referring a friend!"
"We're practically besties~!"
Mitsurugi made a disgusted face at my behavior.
He had to pay the normal 400 yen entrance fee, while I got in without paying. Mitsurugi showed that he had potential as a teacher, as he taught me well when it came to soccer, a talent that translated over to weightlifting, too.
"Do you have some kind of teaching skill, Mitsurugi?"
I asked, after I finished a bench press session, with him helping me lift the final rep as I reached failure.
"Erm, yeah. I actually learned it through our Bond…"
"O-Oh, I see."
It was awkward as hell talking about our bond, so we quickly moved onto talking more about working out.
"You gained +2 'Strength', 'Stamina' and 'Willpower'!"
We drank some protein shakes, costing me 300 yen. Mitsurugi convinced me to pay for his, since he gave me advice and helped me with my workout. He probably just wanted to go even since I got in for free.
I went home after we separated ways, getting Aqua to heal me up. Once I finished dinner, I was about to do some homework when I got a text from Yunyun.
Yunyun was the type who sent a bunch of texts, then even more texts explaining those texts, then another onslaught of texts apologizing for being a bother, until she went completely silent. This cycle repeats itself every few days. Since I had gotten used to this behavior, I was about to ignore her text, but the content of it got my attention.
Yunyun: Kazuma-san! This is an emergency! The kobolds are rebelling against us!
This wasn't the kind of news I expected from her. I texted back,
Kazuma: You're an Arch-Wizard. That's an advanced class, right? Just scare them a bit with your fancy magic, and they should behave.
Yunyun: I already tried, but the kobolds are way stronger now than before!
I stared at the screen incredulously, before sighing one I thought I figured out what she was trying to do.
Kazuma: …You don't need to come up with tall tales just to get me to hang out with you, Yunyun.
Yunyun: I'm not lying! Please look at this!
She sent me a video file. I opened it and played it, seeing that Yunyun had filmed the kobolds.
I expected to see the usual kobolds, but these ones were different from before, like Yunyun claimed. They had a tangible aura around them, and I could tell from their movements that they got faster.
Furthermore, leading them as they marched and raised their weapons was a bigger kobold. It was more muscular and human-like in its facial expression and the way it carried itself. It also looked like it was carrying some kind of magic sword, which made me wonder if that was a dungeon treasure or something it looted from a cheat-user.
Yunyun: The kobolds are more organized now and they're tougher! My magic isn't enough to deal with them! Please help, Kazuma-san!
Kazuma: Have you asked Megumin for help yet?"
Yunyun: No, I haven't!
Kazuma: Please keep it that way.
If Megumin heard that the kobolds gained an unknown power out of nowhere, she'd think that it was a cool development and come to the dungeon, immediately casting explosion magic on the kobolds. She might take them out, but she might also take out everyone else in the vicinity, including herself.
"Oi, Aqua, we're heading out!"
I said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her from the sofa, where she was watching some braindead comedy show with Kazuto.
She resisted my pull, showing that absurd strength of hers that went to waste since she never used it.
"Eh? Why? I'm content relaxing here on the sofa all night!"
"This isn't the time to be lazy! There's an emergency!"
Kazuto raised a brow at me, turning from his seat on the sofa to look at me.
"Hah? What emergency? Did nii-san brag to his classmates that he has a girlfriend and now he's being pressured to introduce one? And since nii-san doesn't have any girls he can rely on, he's unashamedly trying to use Aqua-nee?"
He came out with such a delusional, yet painfully realistic scenario that I might find myself in.
"No, not that! Aqua, you know what I mean when I say 'emergency', right?!"
She blinked, not understanding what I was getting at.
"...I don't really get it, but I have a feeling that whatever this is, Kazuma did this to himself and you need to face the consequences of your actions. You deal with it yourself."
She was really perceptive at the most inconvenient times.
Even though I didn't want to deal with an unknown threat without Aqua, I left her at home and went to the train station on my own. I couldn't just leave Yunyun to fend for herself. And if I did that, the worst case scenario was that she'd call Megumin for backup, and that would just turn a bad situation into the worst case scenario.
Part 3
Yunyun was at the entrance of the dungeon, a worried look on her face. She looked out of sorts, and I could tell that she really did have problems dealing with the kobolds.
"Kazuma-san! There you are!"
"...So are these kobolds really that tough now?"
She quickly nodded her head.
"Yes! Their magic resistance, speed, strength… Everything increased! And that big kobold acting like their leader is really tough!"
"Let's go in. I wanna take a look."
She agreed and followed me inside the dungeon. We walked through the first floor, Yunyun easily clearing the goblins that attacked us with her magic.
In this way, we reached the second floor without any problems. I expected the kobolds to fill the entire second floor in their mutiny, but there were only the standard monsters around, such as imps and ghouls.
"Are the kobolds still in their hidden area?"
I asked, as I watched Yunyun frying some helpless imps with fire magic.
"I went over to hang out with them, but they chased me out all the way to the first floor. They must have gone back to their hidden city…"
The 30-foot radius of my maxed out [Enemy Detection] was a wide range, especially within the confines of the dungeon. Its one weakness was that long-ranged attacks going beyond the detection radius wouldn't register until it was too late, especially against a hidden opponent.
"...! Yunyun, watch out!"
When I saw the arrow flying towards us, I called out a warning to Yunyun. I should have worried about myself, though.
"Gurk!"
The arrow pierced through my shoulder, making me cry out in pain. It was the most pain I had ever endured in this dungeon, probably my whole life.
"Kazuma-san! You lost 5 Hit Points! Your armor reduced it by +5!"
That meant that these things were doing 10 damage just from one attack.
"Yunyun, we should teleport out of here…!"
"Y-Yes…!"
I was about to reach for Yunyun's hand, but another arrow whizzed past the space between us, making us draw our hand back.
"Wan…! Wan!"
A loud, booming voice emerged from the kobolds. I turned to see the big kobold that Yunyun was talking about.
Looking at the big kobold, I activated my [Lore Reading] skill. Words appeared in front of my eyes, explaining to me what this creature was.
Kobold Hero
An evolved kobold. Arises when a courageous kobold has decided to rebel against their transgressors.
A courageous kobold…
That reminded me of the kobold child who always opposed me, when the others didn't.
I looked into the kobold's eyes and I saw the same impudent look.
This was the same young kobold.
"Yunyun, try again…!"
Before I could even turn my head, I saw a flash of steel.
The Kobold Hero drew a sword and slashed it towards me.
…Eh? Why is the room upside down?
Wait, is that my body?
"Kazuma-san…!"
The last thing I heard was Yunyun's horrified scream.
Part 4
A familiar space greeted me, a seemingly featureless space with a big chair in front of me. Sitting on that chair was a beautiful girl with long, silver hair and kind, blue eyes. She wore a nun-habit and had graceful features.
I knew immediately that she was a goddess like Aqua. No human girl could look as beautiful as this.
"...Did I die?"
That was the only thing I could think of, based on what happened.
My head went rolling off my shoulders after the Kobold Hero decapitated me. Then I ended up in the heavenly realm of this goddess.
She gave me a sympathetic smile.
"Yes. I'm sorry, Satou Kazuma-san. You died in battle against a Kobold Hero."
"I see… Well, I guess I'll wait a few minutes. You got any snacks or something?"
She blinked in surprise.
"Um… Why are you so calm right now?"
"Well, I have this Arch-Priest living with me who has the [Resurrection] spell, so I just need to wait for her to revive me."
She blinked and said,
"That may be true, but… Your body needs to be close to the caster to use that skill."
That made me pause.
I just assumed that Yunyun would have successfully retrieved my body, but…
When I thought about it, she didn't know about Aqua knowing the resurrection spell!
Once she saw me dying, the normal reaction would be to try and fight the ones who killed me, or teleport away, not try to retrieve my corpse.
"Quick! Goddess-sama, can you let me see what's happening down there?!"
I rushed over to the goddess and held her by the shoulders.
"Eep! Um, just call me Eris! And I can't do that for you…"
Eris… That was the goddess who Darkness and Chris worked for. From what I heard, she seemed to disagree with Aqua's methods and was working to retrieve the cheat items from adventurers.
This was bad! I didn't know the relationship between them, but I did hear Aqua always insulting Eris! She was always muttering something about Eris padding her chest!
I didn't mention Aqua, but if she disliked Aqua and found out that I was trying to use Aqua to resurrect me… She might not allow that!
And she just said that she couldn't help me… This was really bad!
"Why can't you help me, Eris-sama?!"
"It's not that I don't want to help you, but you're dead now. The only thing I can really do is help you move onto the afterlife."
The afterlife… That means heaven, right?
That didn't sound so bad. Heaven was always depicted as a paradise, after all.
But when I think about my life, all the friends I made, even my family, who I started talking to again after all those years of awkwardness.
Something wet and hot gathered around my eyes. Before I realized it, I was crying.
"...! Kazuma-kun! You're…"
"I-It's just allergies!"
I said, giving some lame excuse while I rubbed my eyes.
"There's no allergens in this realm, well… I get it. You were blessed with kind encounters, weren't you?"
I wiped the last of my tears and nodded.
"Yeah. I guess I was."
I didn't want to go. Not yet. Especially since that Kobold Hero was running around because of me. If Mitsurugi or the other girls heard about my death, those idiots would surely come running to the dungeon to avenge me.
Megumin might try to blow up the whole dungeon.
Eris-sama had a conflicted look on her face. She said,
"...I'm sorry, but I have to send you to heaven now."
"...!"
She chuckled and looked to the side.
"Eh? Ah, it looks like I have a meeting with the higher ups today… Maybe I should go there early."
"Eris-sama...?"
She winked at me and placed a finger over her lips.
"I'm sorry, but I can't send you to heaven just yet, Kazuma-kun. I have to go to a meeting now… Ah, this remote over here will allow you to view the moral realm, but please don't touch it!"
She was helping me…
Eris-sama… She was a really good girl, wasn't she?!
If I didn't have to deal with all the girls around me already, I would have seriously gunned for her!
"...I'll just wait here for you, then, Eris-sama."
"Please do!"
I watched her go, a door suddenly appearing in the realm and opening for her. She gave me a final smile before leaving.
I took the remote and clicked the 'on' button. Suddenly, a projection appeared in front of me. For some reason, I saw Darkness on the other end. She was in a fancy dress, having dinner with a bunch of other people in formal wear.
"...? Why is Eris-sama watching Darkness?"
Clicking the next channel button, I kept clicking, hoping that I'd see a channel that would show where I died.
"There it is…!"
I saw the dungeon floor where I died. My body was on the ground, still bleeding. Yunyun was kneeling over my headless body and crying.
The Kobold Hero walked up to her. I thought he would try to attack her, but he said,
"...Since you were once kind to us. I will spare you."
His words appeared to me in Japanese through subtitles.
The kobolds turned around and left Yunyun with my body.
"What should I do…?! Ah, his head… Maybe… They can heal it? No, there's no way that's possible…!"
It was frustrating, watching all this without the ability to do anything about it.
We should have been more organized. We were fighting in a war, but we never told each other the extent of our abilities. That was so stupid in hindsight.
I already knew how serious this all was, but part of me still treated it like a game.
I looked through the remote, looking for anything that would let me communicate somehow with Yunyun. When I saw a microphone button, I got excited, thinking that it would let me talk to those in the mortal world. But it was just a microphone feature that would let me use the remote with my voice.
One part did catch my attention, though. There was a paired device feature.
I clicked on that and saw that with the remote, I could pair it with other divine devices. In the list of devices, I saw an option for 'Adventurer's Card App'.
It made sense that the app was considered 'divine'. Aqua created the app, and Eris-sama did seem to regularly communicate with Darkness and Chris somehow. She probably used this paired devices feature to do so.
"Satou Kazuma."
I spoke into the microphone, watching the text bar fill up with my name. One device showed up in the results, even displaying what kind of product my phone was.
When I paired up with my phone, a voice came out from the remote speaker.
"...Hah? Someone named Eris has paired to my device… Don't tell me this is that goddess that mama doesn't like?!"
I heard Appuri-chan's voice. Connecting to my phone meant that I could now talk to Appuri-chan.
"Wait, it's me! I'm in Eris-sama's realm right now!"
"Kazuma-san?! You… You're fine…! Thank goodness…!"
It was odd to hear such emotion in Appuri-chan's voice. It made me smile, hearing that she actually cared about me.
"Appuri-chan, quick! Please send a text message to Yunyun! Tell her that Aqua knows the resurrection spell and to bring my head and body to her!"
"Alright, I can do that!"
In a matter of seconds, Yunyun's phone buzzed in her pocket. With tears, she took out her phone and almost dropped it when she saw it was a text from me.
"K-Kazuma-san?! Wait, you're alive?! Huh? I… I don't get what's going on!"
Poor Yunyun not only had to deal with seeing me die in front of her. She now also received a text message from beyond the grave.
"Appuri-chan. Tell her not to panic and to listen to my instructions!"
"Got it!"
It took Yunyun a while, but she eventually managed to take a long, calming breath.
After that, she looked at the body.
"H-How do I bring this out without panicking people…?"
She didn't have a teleportation mark to my place, so she'd have to bring my body out of the dungeon. That was a one way ticket to a jail cell.
I didn't like having to do this to my own body, but I didn't have a choice.
"...Appuri-chan. Can you put a corpse in the inventory?"
"...Yes, it's possible as long as it's not alive. Your body is technically an object right now."
That was a morbid thought.
"Tell her to do that, then."
When Yunyun received the text, her eyes widened and she looked down at her phone.
"...I guess this is better than carrying his corpse."
She took her phone out and held it over my body and head. One by one, they disappeared as if they were never there. Only the blood remained.
"...Eh? Kazuma-san's body is only worth 1,000 Yen?"
I didn't need to hear that. At all.
Part 5
When Eris-sama came back, I had already put the remote away.
"Ah… That sure was a long meeting! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
I didn't know why Eris-sama decided to help me, but all I could do was give her an appreciative smile.
"Well, then… I suppose it's time to send you to heaven…"
All of a sudden, we heard a familiar voice.
"Oi, Kazuma! I've resurrected you now! Good grief… Dying to some lowly kobold. Pufufufu!"
"I-It wasn't some ordinary Kobold! It was an evolved Kobold!"
"Well, you should come back now!"
"Um, well… I'm supposed to go to heaven now."
"Hah? Who's telling you that? I bet it's that no-good, textbook goody-goody Eris, right?! Tell her not to interfere with me! I'm her senpai, her senpai, got it?!"
Eris-sama sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"That Aqua-senpai… Willful as always. She's even causing so many problems by giving all those divine artifacts to the heroes!"
I almost thought that Eris-sama would prevent me from resurrecting once she found out that Aqua was the one helping me. However, she just smiled.
"Kazuma-san, please be careful from now on. You defeated the dullahan, Beldia, and for that, we are expecting a lot out of you."
I was a bit surprised that she'd recognize my achievement. She also implied that her superiors were aware of my victory over Beldia.
Was that the reason why they were making an exception for me?
I gave her a smile.
"Um, I know that it's hard to believe since I died to a Kobold, but I'll do my best to protect this world, and the other world, too."
"I'm looking forward to your future exploits!"
We heard Aqua's voice again below.
"Oiii! What's taking so long, Kazuma?! Tell that hussy Eris to send you down already, or I'll tell everyone about how she pads her chest!"
Eris-sama blushed and waved her hand, making a shining circle appear underneath me.
In the next moment, I felt a surge of motion. Then, I found myself lying on my back, my head on top of Aqua's lap, as she looked down at me.
She sighed in relief.
"Ah, there he is."
Yunyun teared up and leaned down to hug my head.
"I'm so glad!"
I looked up gratefully at Yunyun. She did so much for me and suffered through the horrible sight of seeing me die in such a brutal manner.
"Thanks for saving me, Yunyun."
"Ehehe… You're welcome!"
I looked around and saw that we were in my room. My neck was stiff from where the Kobold Hero decapitated me. Rubbing it made me wince.
"So, what do we do now, Kazuma? We can't just let that Kobold run around in the dungeon."
I sighed when Aqua reminded me that it was my responsibility that the impudent young Kobold managed to evolve.
"We'll have to gather people with the right skillset to handle these Kobolds."
This was all my fault, but that didn't mean that I wanted to risk my life again. I had enough shows of bravery with Vanir and Beldia. This time, I actually died.
"I'll make some calls and gather everyone later."
I thanked Yunyun again before she teleported home. Once she left, Appuri-chan alerted me,
"Your bond with Yunyun has increased!"
Yunyun (Lonely Stalker), Bond Rank: 4
At Rank 4, You've gotten closer to Yunyun after she saved you from death. This dangerous experience has caused her to have feelings of protectiveness over you. Her feelings for you are growing even more. If you keep flirting with her, she might develop feelings for you…? Although if she gets too attached to you, it could end up being problematic.
Bond Reward: You learned the skill [Scroll Adept]!
[Scroll Adept] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
Whenever you use a spell scroll, you can cast a spell you don't know if you use twice as much mana.
Considering how expensive magic items were, if I were to use a spell scroll, I'd either have to haggle Wiz down to afford one, or try my luck at finding a spell scroll in the dungeon. The ability to use spells I didn't know yet was a powerful one, though, so I made sure to keep this skill in mind.
Part 6
Mitsurugi looked around at all the others I gathered, who were Darkness, Chris, Aqua, Yunyun and myself. His eyes settled on Aqua.
"Aqua-sama… To think that you'd join this exhibition. Your kindness is truly admirable!"
He started simping for her right away.
Aqua soaked all the praise in unashamedly.
"Kishishi! Of course, I won't let my wonderful followers fight this dangerous enemy by themselves!"
Even though it took a while to convince her to fight the Kobold Hero.
It was nighttime and the streets were busy, with lots of people walking by us. To them, we must have looked like teens meeting up to hang out, as we were all in our casual clothing.
Darkness bowed to Mitsurugi.
"It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time…"
Mitsurugi blushed and bowed back to her.
"A-Ah, yes, nice to meet you."
He was probably thinking that Darkness was one high-class oujo-sama, especially since she was still wearing that fancy dress from before. Like always, he didn't know the full story.
Chris placed her hands behind her head.
"So… This is the team you gathered, Kazuma-kun?"
Her eyes landed on Yunyun, who moved away and stood behind me shyly.
I nodded to Chris.
"Yup. I feel like this group has the best chances of winning…"
"I see. Then how come you didn't invite me?"
I flinched when I heard Megumin's voice behind me. She placed her hand on my shoulder, gripping it tight.
I gave Yunyun the side-eye, but she just waved her hands around in a panic.
"U-Um… I didn't tell her!"
Megumin scoffed and said,
"I was just walking around here and saw all of you. So I came over and heard everything you said."
I was supposed to have high Luck, wasn't I?!
"Listen, Megumin. There's no way we can bring you."
"Why not?! Surely I'm much more useful than Darkness who can't hit anything but makes strange noises when she's the one getting hit!"
Darkness blushed and opened and closed her mouth several times, but she couldn't argue with Megumin. Chris just sighed while Mitsurugi looked confused. He said,
"Eh? Little girl, what do you mean by that?"
"Little girl?! What do you mean little girl?!"
I had to separate the both of them before Megumin could get even more violent.
Rather than have Megumin cause a big commotion, I reluctantly agreed to let her join us.
Besides, I did remember that she had a decent strength score, and she could swing her staff around like a club last time. She might be useful even without explosion magic.
…Although, that was just wishful thinking on my part.
Then, I had an idea.
"Megumin, here, hang onto these."
"Hm?"
I passed her the ghoul claw caltrops I had.
"What do these do?"
"They have a paralyzing effect. Use those on any Kobolds that come after us."
She nodded and placed the caltrops in her inventory. I already had a lot of things I had to keep track of during the battle. It was easier for me if Megumin was in charge of the caltrops. She was a smart girl, so she'd know the exact moment when to use them.
"So, what's the plan, Kazuma-kun?"
Chris asked, as I couldn't properly explain my plan before Megumin came unannounced.
I pointed to Mitsurugi.
"This guy has the highest level here, but I don't think he can take on the Kobold Hero by himself."
The Kobold Hero one-shotted me, after all. I wasn't the most durable guy, but I still had nearly 70 hitpoints. Even with the damage I took from the arrow hitting me, that meant that this Kobold Hero was able to bypass my defenses and my entire health bar and killed me in one strike.
That either meant that he had some kind of crazy execution skill or his attack power was just that high, higher than even Beldia's.
Talk about power escalation.
I pointed to Darkness.
"That's why Darkness will act as Mitsurugi's shield and defend him while he attacks the Kobold Hero."
Darkness nodded and placed a hand over her chest.
"Please, leave it to me."
She was looking awfully cool now, even though most of us knew what her real personality was like. She was just putting on this futile show for Mitsurugi.
"Chris will use [Bind] to restrict the Kobold Hero's movements. We will also try to use [Steal] to disarm him."
Chris smiled and gave a thumbs up.
"You can count on me!"
I turned to Yunyun next.
"Yunyun here will use her magic to deal with the weaker Kobolds. I will work to protect her while everyone is dealing with the Kobold Hero, but I can also assist both groups with my varied skills."
I couldn't deal with the Kobold Hero on my own, but if it came to playing a supportive role for everyone, my plethora of skills will help with that.
"And of course, I will finish off the battle with explosion magic."
Megumin said, while posing dramatically.
"Did you not hear what I said?! Focus on spreading those caltrops at the right moment! Don't do anything crazy, you hear?!"
She closed her ears when I started yelling at her.
"Fine, fine, I get it!"
Once everyone understood their roles, I nodded and led the way inside the dungeon.
"Everyone ready?"
They all nodded.
"Then, let's do this… Full Equip!"
Our gear materialized over our clothes as we stepped inside the dungeon.
Inside… The Kobold Hero was waiting for us.
Adventurer Card
Name: Satou Kazuma
Age: 16
Class: Level 7 Adventurer
Armor (Iron Breastplate): +5 physical reduction
Health Points: 69/69
Mana Points: 48/48
Stamina Points: 63/63
Exp: 55/300
Money: 89,350 yen
Stats:
Physical:
Strength 60, Stamina 63, Speed 58, Dexterity 62, Health 69, Attractiveness 52
Mental:
Intelligence 72, Intuition 65, Creativity 70, Faith 44, Magic Power 50, Mana Capacity 48
Intangibles:
Charisma 46, Willpower 48, Potential 10, Cunning 80, Bravery 39, Luck 90
Skills:
[Improvised Weapon] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
You are proficient in using improvised weapons. Ordinary items that haven't been previously equipped deal +1 more damage than they usually would.
[One-handed Sword] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
You are proficient in using swords that require one hand to wield. You gain +10% weapon accuracy with attacks using one-handed swords.
[Enemy Detection] Skill Rank: 5 (MAX), Passive Skill
You can focus your senses to detect enemies within a 30 foot radius around you. Your 'Intuition' score (65) will go up against the enemy creature's 'Cunning' score when determining if the enemy creature is detected by you. If there is more than one enemy detected by this skill, you can determine the exact number. You can determine the threat level of enemy creatures. You can sometimes sense any form of danger, as if you have a sixth-sense, even if it's from an unexpected source.
[Lurk] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill (5 mp cost)
You can hide your presence from enemies. Your 'Cunning' score (80) will compete against the enemy's 'Intuition' score to determine if the enemy creature detects you.
[Bow] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
You are proficient in using bows! You gain 10% weapon accuracy when using bows.
[Snipe] Skill Rank: 1, Active skill (5 mp cost)
Add your Luck modifier (90%) to Weapon Accuracy calculations involving bow-type weapons (Max total: 100%).
[Elementary Magic] Skill Rank: 5 (MAX), Active skill (1 mp cost)
Unlock the ability to use the beginner magic spells [Tinder], [Create Earth], [Wind Breath], [Create Water] and [Freeze]!
[Tinder]
Shoot out a small flame from your fingertips
Spell Attack Accuracy: Intelligence modifier = 72% chance of hitting
Spell Damage: 1 Fire Damage + Magic Power (+5) = 6
Spell Effect: Summon a small flame from your finger tip. Range 5 feet (Magic Power 50).
[Create Earth]
Summon dirt in your hand.
Spell Effect: Summons 1 pound of dirt per 10 Magic Power stat points you have (5 pounds total)
[Wind Breath]
Summon a gust of wind when you exhale.
Spell effect: Objects lighter than 5 pounds can be blown away up to 1 feet per 10 Magic Power stat points you have (5 feet total)
[Create Water]
Summon water from your hand
Spell Effect: Summons 1 pound of water per 10 Magic Power stat points you have (5 pounds total). Does 2 water damage per second when in contact with Undead creatures.
[Freeze]
Freezes objects, especially water
Spell Effect: Freeze 1 pound worth of water per 10 Magic Power stat points you have (5 pounds total), halve the amount on other objects/creatures.
[Cooking] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
Cooking food ingredients dropped by monsters will give a slight increase to the bonus benefits gained when eating them.
[Nature's Beauty] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill (10 mp cost)
Impress an audience with a wonderful party trick! Your 'Charisma' stat (46) will determine the effectiveness of your party trick!
[Smithing] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
You are proficient in creating and repairing items! The success rate of this skill is determined by your 'Creativity' (70). At Rank 1, you can create, combine and repair items of the 'Common' variety. Combining compatible items of the 'Common' variety might yield an item of 'Uncommon' variety.
[Spear] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
You are proficient in using spears. You gain +10% weapon accuracy with attacks using spears.
[Night Vision] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
You have a 15-feet radius of night vision.
[Heat Resistance] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
You can endure heat more than the average person can. When up against magical heat, the success rate of this skill is determined by your 'Willpower' (48).
[Quick-Draw] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill (5 mp cost)
When you have a sheathed sword, draw it quickly to catch your opponent off guard. Use your 'Cunning' (80) against the opponent's 'Intuition' score. If the opponent is caught off guard, your attack damage will increase by +1.
[Enemy Reading] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
When facing an enemy you have encountered before, you will see their basic combat stats (Armor Score, Health Points). This information will hover above the enemy.
[Escape] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill (5 mp cost)
Chance to escape hostile enemies increases by +10%. Ability to escape is determined by 'Speed' stat (58).
[Farsight] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill (5 mp cost)
You can see objects and creatures 60 miles away. If your vision isn't 20/20 already, you will have perfect vision whenever this skill is activated.
[Fishing] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
You are now proficient in using fishing tools. Your fishing skill depends on your 'Intuition' (65) score. You can fish aquatic creatures that are ranked as 'Common'.
[Steal] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill (5 mp cost)
Allows you to steal an item. If the target is a creature, you will have to be within 15 feet of the target to use this skill. Success depends on your 'Cunning' (80), contested against the target's 'Intuition'. Items that are not held or equipped by a creature can be stolen as long as you can see it and are aware of its presence. The value of the item you steal is determined by your 'Luck' (90).
[Trap Detection] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
You can now sense traps within a 15 foot radius around you. Your 'Intuition' (65) score determines the success rate of discovering traps. You can only detect traps of 'Basic' make.
[Versatile Entertainer ] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
You are adept in mimicking the voice of someone you know. If you are mimicking the voice of someone you don't know, you must spend at least 15 minutes observing their speech patterns and mannerisms. Useful for making celebrity impressions.
[Signature Weapon] Skill Rank: 2, Passive Skill
Assign one of the weapons in your inventory as your 'Signature Weapon'. This weapon gains +10 durability and +1 weapon damage. This weapon won't be destroyed even if it falls below 0 'Durability', but you can't use it again until you fix it.
[Lore Reading] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill (5 mp cost)
Use your 'Intelligence' stat (72) to determine if you can learn information about a creature, object or location that you can see.
[Medium Armor], Skill Rank: 1
You are proficient in wearing Medium Armor. You no longer suffer the stealth penalty when wearing Medium Armor.
[Drain Touch] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill
After making contact with the target, you can absorb 2 Health Points, Mana Points and Stamina Points per second that you stay in contact with the target. You can also distribute Health Points, Mana Points and Stamina Points to other targets.
[Scroll Adept] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill
Whenever you use a spell scroll, you can cast a spell you don't know if you use twice as much mana.
Inventory:
Hunting Shortbow (Uncommon)
Generic wooden bow used for hunting.
Ammo: 15/15 (Iron-tipped arrows)
Bow Accuracy: Dexterity modifier = 62% chance of hitting
Weapon Damage: 2 piercing damage + Dexterity modifier (+6) = 8
Sells for: 1,500 yen
Chunchunmaru (Unique) - Signature Weapon
Forged by Intermediate Blacksmith. Named by Megumin.
Durability: 11/35
Weapon Accuracy: Dexterity modifier + [One-handed Sword] = 77% chance of hitting
Weapon Damage: 4 slashing damage + Strength modifier (+6) = 10 damage
Sells for: 6,000 yen
Ghoul Claw Caltrops (Common)
Made by Satou Kazuma. Caltrops that have a Paralyzing effect that will go against the target's 'Willpower' stat (30% effective). Does 1 piercing damage to those who come in contact with it.
Durability: 4/5
Sells for: 1,500 yen
Iron Breastplate - Medium Armor (Uncommon)
Reduces incoming physical damage by 5. Applies -5 penalty to stealth related stats when sneaking.
Sells for: 7,000 yen
Spell-Storing Ring (Rare)
Store a spell for later use. You can only store one spell per day, but unused spells stay in storage until use.
Sells for: 20,000 yen
Service Locator - App Upgrade (Rare)
An Upgrade For This Adventuring App! Use this to find useful services and stores in your city! Sign-up for news about promotions and discounts to relevant stores!
Quests:
Go on a thirty minute jog! Quest rewards: +30 exp, +1 speed, +1 stamina (Completed!)
Go to school! Quest rewards: +30 exp, +1 knowledge, +1 Bravery (Completed!)
Kill 3 monsters in the dungeon! Quest rewards: Random loot box (Completed!)
Get the librarian on duty to recommend a book to you! Quest rewards: +30 exp, +1 Bravery, +1 Charisma (Completed!)
Join a sports club! Quest rewards: +1 in all physical stats (Completed!)
Drink an Energizing Smoothie from the train station! Quest rewards: +30 exp, +1 Stamina, +1 Charisma (Completed!)
Kill 6 monsters in the dungeon! Quest rewards: Random loot box (Completed!)
Attend soccer practice! Quest Rewards: +1 to all 'Physical' stats (Completed!)
Ask Hinamori Rin for her number! Quest Rewards: +30 exp, +1 'Charisma', +1 'Bravery' (Completed!)
Get a part-time job! Quest Rewards: Starting pay of 3,000 yen per shift! +1 Willpower, +1 Bravery per shift! Bonus rewards available according to performance during the job! (Completed!)
Play in an official soccer game! Quest Rewards: +2 to all 'Physical stats (Completed!)
Go on a date with Himamori Rin! Quest Rewards: +2 Charisma, +2 Attractiveness (Completed!)
Max out [Enemy Detection] to Rank 5! Quest Rewards: Skill-Up Potion (Completed!)
Complete the spicy curry challenge! Quest Rewards: Learn the skill [Heat Resistance] (Completed!)
Kill the second floor boss! Quest Rewards: Random Loot Box
Give Chris her panties back! Quest Rewards: +2 Speed, +2 Bravery (Completed!)
Reconcile with Aqua! Quest Rewards: +2 Faith, +2 Willpower (Completed!)
Defeat the Player Killer on Myriad Swords 2! Quest Rewards: +2 Intelligence, +2 Willpower (Completed!)
Bonds:
Satou (Family), Bond Rank: 4
At Rank 4, your family will give you some leeway as you recover from being a NEET. Your parents will give you an advance on your allowance if you continue to go to school, as promised. Your brother thinks better of you and might say a few nice things to his friends about you. If you mention wanting a non-blood related step sister again, your parents will beat you and leave you with grave injuries.
Bond Rewards:
Rank 2: 500 yen bonus allowance per week (total 1,000 yen). Parents will call the school and request for days off if you ask (limited once per week).
Rank 3: Kazuto won't insult you as much when you talk to him, and he will also give you lessons that raise 'Charisma' once a week.
Rank 4: Parents will give you an advance on your allowance as long as you pay it back.
Aqua (Water Goddess), Bond Rank: 6
At Rank 6, the dynamic of your relationship with Aqua has changed considerably. Are you housemates? Teammates? Perhaps something more? Tread carefully, as you are at an important crossroads in your relationship. Regardless of what happens, she sees you as an irreplaceable friend who will save her when she needs it. Since you two have been through a lot of things, she will never leave you alone.
Bond Rewards:
Rank 2: You learn the skill [Nature's Beauty]!
Rank 3: You learn the skill [Night Vision]!
Rank 4: +10 Faith
Rank 5: You learn the skill [Versatile Actor]!
Rank 6: +20 Faith
Hinamori Rin (Librarian on Duty), Bond Rank: 5
At Rank 5, Hinamori Rin has developed a crush on you! The way you cheered her up has tugged her heart strings! At this stage in your relationship, she won't mind even if you constantly text and call her. She'll also go on dates with you if you ask, and there might be a chance she'll even invite you inside her apartment if the date goes well. If you flirt with her, she will readily flirt back. Have fun trying to become more than friends with her!
Bond Rewards:
Rank 2: +5 Mana Capacity
Rank 3: You learn the skill [Enemy Reading]!
Rank 4: +10 Mana Capacity
Rank 5: You learn the skill [Lore Reading]!
Darkness (Masochist Crusader), Bond Rank: 4
At Rank 4, Darkness views you as someone who is surprisingly reliable and heroic. After you defeated Beldia with her, she thinks that you might be more than just a pervert that she can use for her sexual fantasies. That's not going to stop her from viewing you as the perfect sadist to help her with her masochistic tendencies, though.
Bond Rewards:
Rank 2: +5 Health
Rank 3: You learn the skill [Medium Armor]!
Rank 4: +10 Health
Megumin (Explosion Mage), Bond Rank: 4
At Rank 4, definitely sees you as a pervert now. Not only that, you might also be a scumbag. Are you really the reliable guy she thought you were? With that said, she believes that you'll come through when it counts, like a hero. She might be developing a bit of a crush on you now… But you'll have to prove yourself! Can you become Megumin's hero? Do your best!
Bond Rewards:
Rank 2: +5 Magic Power
Rank 3: Magic Skill Rank-Up
Rank 4: +10 Magic Power
Chris (Silver-haired Thief), Bond Rank: 2
At Rank 2, Chris views you as someone she can potentially confide with! Her trust in you is slowly increasing! It seems that the key to deepening a bond with her is to show her that you can get along with Darkness and the other girls!
Bond Rewards:
Rank 2: You learn the [Steal] skill!
Mitsurugi Kyouya (Soccer Club Ace), Bond Rank: 5
At Rank 5, Mitsurugi Kyouya entrusts you with the soccer team, even when he's gone. He has no doubts about your capabilities and willingness to improve, after he's seen you pushing your limits in practice. He has begun to view you as a rival of sorts, someone that he must catch up to, no matter what. Staying on the soccer team and working hard in practice will deepen your bond with him.
Bond Rewards:
Rank 2: You learn the skill [Quick-Draw]!
Rank 3: +10 Strength
Rank 4: You learn the skill [Signature Weapon]!
Rank 5: Signature Weapon Rank-up
Dust (The Blond Delinquent), Bond Rank: 2
At Rank 2, Dust will gather information on Beldia for you and help other app-users if they are in trouble… As long as you pay enough money! Dust views you as someone with deep pockets who he can follow around and receive money from. Be careful about being seen with him in public, as he owes the yakuza a fair bit of debt.
Bond Rewards:
Rank 2: +5 Dexterity
Rorisa (Rookie Succubus), Bond Rank: 2
At Rank 2, Rorisa will see you as an understanding customer who allowed her to meet her idol, the Arch-Duke Vanir. Unlike the other customers who she only serves out of obligation, she's beginning to see you as a customer she looks forward to seeing. Treating her nicely when you come over will increase your bond with her.
Bond Rewards:
Rank 2: +5 Charisma
Wiz (Lich Shopkeeper), Bond Rank: 2
At Rank 2, Wiz sees you as a cheap customer who will seek huge bargains when buying her items. With that said, you are now one of her top customers… Actually, you might be her only customer. Shopping in the store will deepen your bond with her.
Bond Rewards:
Rank 2: You learn the skill [Drain Touch]!
Yunyun (Lonely Stalker), Bond Rank: 4
At Rank 4, You've gotten closer to Yunyun after she saved you from death. This dangerous experience has caused her to have feelings of protectiveness over you. Her feelings for you are growing even more. If you keep flirting with her, she might develop feelings for you…? Although if she gets too attached to you, it could end up being problematic.
Bond Rewards:
Rank 2: You learn the skill [Monster Talk]!
Rank 3: You learn the skill [Solo-Levelling]!
Rank 4: You learned the skill [Scroll Adept]!
Vanir (Masked Devil), Bond Rank: 1
At Rank 1, Vanir will willingly exploit you for his own ends. He sees you as a useful pawn to further his goals. This devil is not to be trusted! This app does not approve of this bond! Please break ties with him immediately!
