Chapter 28
That day, a Class 3 dungeon that appeared in a certain location in Gunma Prefecture was conquered.
By the time Akagi Hideo returned to the surface with a cute pet in tow, carrying a dungeon bag full of loot, and wearing a satisfied, beaming expression, the customary victory party held after a conquest was already winding down.
The feeling of being late to the party was overwhelming.
"Snow, huh?"
The dark sky began to flutter with white specks.
Receiving this gift from the pitch-black cosmos, a peculiar end-of-year loneliness settled in.
"Hey, Finger Man! You're late, aren't you! I've been waiting for you!"
The only one who waited for the late-arriving Akagi Hideo was an eccentric Dr., shunned even by the foundation.
He ran over, out of breath, his cheeks flushed with excitement from the cold.
"Hoh, you recovered crystals worth 300,000 yen. As expected of Finger Man, the professional of sapphire brooches, you're on another level!"
"With 300,000 yen, I can upgrade G3 to G4, right?"
"Theoretically, that should be the case."
After much deliberation, Akagi placed the 'Blue Blood Lv2', which he always owed quite a bit to, into the 'Mugen High-Load ver3.5'.
Closing the lid and opening it again, most of the crystals had vanished, and a shiny syringe sat there, gleaming like a high-quality watch in a department store showcase.
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'Blue Blood Lv3'
A medical tool used by ancient sorcerers.
Charges with MP1. Restores health when used.
Conversion rate MP1: HP40
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"Oh, it seems the specs have changed."
It had become more finely usable than before.
Lv2 MP10＝HP200
↓
Lv3 MP10＝HP400
Furthermore, in terms of total recovery, while it used to recover 200 per MP10, at Lv3, it could recover 400.
Its performance had improved significantly.
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Akagi Hideo
Level 110
HP 1,000/8,115
MP 2/1,499
Skills
'Finger Snap Lv4'
'Phobia Syndrome Lv3'
'One Strike'
'Steel Spirit'
Equipment
'Blue Blood Lv3' G4
'Proof of the Chosen One' G3
'Labyrinth Conqueror' G4
'Adolphene's Holy Shroud' G3
'Mugen High-Load ver3.5' G4
'Calamity Beast' G6
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"As expected, my hypothesis was correct. Thank you, Finger Man. Thanks to you, I can write a good report. By the next time we meet, I'll be a noteworthy inventor."
"No, no, thank you very much. I'll return this to you."
Akagi retrieved the crystals from inside the 'Mugen High-Load ver3.5' with his bare hands and placed them into one of the 'Small treasure chest'. He returned the duralumin case to the Dr.
The Dr. accepted it, nodded with a "Hmm," and turned his back to Akagi.
"Well then, Finger Man. Until the day another dungeon appears, farewell."
"Yes, Dr. Please do your best with your research."
"You too."
And so, the two walked off in opposite directions.
Camaraderie didn't suit them.
It was a very plain farewell.
Neither looked back.
Akagi Hideo walked alone through the steadily falling snow, heading to the appraisal counter at the Countermeasures HQ tent.
"Huh, isn't Shurado-san here?"
When Akagi arrived at the Countermeasures HQ, Shurado wasn't there, and instead, a girl from the Foundation staff, who normally wouldn't be at the appraisal counter, was standing there.
"Hello, Finger Man-san. Shurado-san had to leave the camp urgently. Most of the appraisals are already done, so I've taken over the remaining tasks."
"I see. In that case, please appraise these crystals."
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Today's Appraisal
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Small Crystal 2,096 yen
Small Crystal 2,609 yen
Small Crystal 2,000 yen
Small Crystal 2,101 yen
Crystal 7,296 yen
Crystal 5,963 yen
Crystal 5,209 yen
Crystal 5,396 yen
Large Crystal 12,060 yen
Large Crystal 13,640 yen
Large Crystal 12,100 yen
Small treasure chest 20,000 yen
Small treasure chest 20,000 yen
Small treasure chest 20,000 yen
Small treasure chest 20,000 yen
Small treasure chest 20,000 yen
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Total 170,470 yen
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Dungeon Bank Account Balance 2,166,669 yen
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Shurado Investment 6,022,983 yen
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Total Assets 8,169,652 yen
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Akagi thanked her, confirmed the deposit on the app, and started to leave the appraisal office.
"Wait a moment."
"Huh?"
"Please update your skills and anomalous substance (anomaly)."
"What do you mean?"
"The foundation needs to thoroughly understand and record details about new skills and anomalous substances (anomalies). Explorers are obligated to report them. Weren't you told this at the beginning?"
(Damn, I don't remember at all... Ugh, it feels like my privacy is being invaded, and I'm a bit uneasy about this. Is it really okay to tell them? I mean, there was never anything like this before. What's going on, seriously!)
"Up until now, Shurado-san has been updating them for you, but I don't have any special abilities, so for today, I'll ask you to update them yourself."
(Does that mean Shurado-san has some special ability?)
"Please go to the agent over there."
With that, he was seated at a corner of the tent, instructed to open his status, and performed the so-called update task near the Foundation staff member.
"That's an amethyst, right? I know about it. Recently, I've been looking up stuff about gems on videos."
"Yeah, it protects against drunkenness and guards true love. It's a stone of nobility and conviction. That's why agents wear amethyst brooches."
"Huh."
That sounds pretty cool.
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Akagi Hideo
Level 110
HP 1,000/8,115
MP 2/1,499
Skills
'Finger Snap Lv4'
'Phobia Syndrome Lv3'
'One Strike'
'Steel Spirit'
Equipment
'Blue Blood Lv3' G4
'Proof of the Chosen One' G3
'Labyrinth Conqueror' G4
'Adolphene's Holy Shroud' G3
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The agent, looking at Akagi's status, widened his eyes in astonishment, muttering, "What an incredible level..." while inputting the status information into a tablet.
Akagi noticed that 'Calamity Beast' had somehow disappeared from his equipment.
(Huh? Shimaenaga-san is gone too... Wait, when did I take off the ring...?)
"You're severely worn out. Did something happen?"
"I fought a monster called 'Calamity Beast,' but, well, fought isn't exactly right—I accidentally went full burst, or something like that..."
"'Calamity Beast'? What's that?"
"It's a G6 summoned monster—"
The moment Akagi started to speak, the Foundation staff member dropped the tablet.
Other Foundation staff nearby, overhearing the conversation, were left speechless by Akagi's statement.
"Did you find a Divine Artifact Level anomalous substance...?"
"Finger Man, where is it right now!!??"
"Why did you keep quiet about this?! What are you thinking!?"
"Contact headquarters... Damn, this is bad, really bad!"
"No, no, I don't want to die yet!!"
"This whole area will be burned to the ground, along with all of us...!!"
"Disease, disease, bacteria...! Noooo!"
The tent descended into complete chaos.
Akagi could only stare wide-eyed, flustered and helpless.
"Wait! Everyone, calm down!"
The agent who had been checking Akagi's status shouted loudly, taking control of the situation.
After things quieted down, he continued with his questions.
"Finger Man, where is that G6 now?"
"Uh... Well, it was sleeping in my chest pocket just a little while ago, but... it's not there now. It must've gone somewhere."
(Wait a second, I don't get it, I don't get it. What's happening here?)
"Let's hear the rest."
"By the time I got to this tent, it was already gone... I can only say it went somewhere..."
"I see. It was gone, huh... Heh, haha!"
The Foundation staff let out sighs of relief, their faces showing visible ease.
"Almost got fooled there, Finger Man. But we don't fall for tricks that easily."
"Ahh, you scared me. It was just a joke, right?"
(Huh? It wasn't a joke, though?)
"There's no way you could encounter a G6 biological anomalous substance and just come back like nothing happened."
"If you think about it calmly, it's obvious."
"No, it really was there. There were tons of parts scattered behind a wall, and I spent a whole day gathering them..."
"That's enough. Finger Man, you might not know the Foundation well yet, but we are professionals. We can tell when someone's lying."
"How can you tell?"
"Anomalous substances (anomalies) emit a special kind of magnetism. You could call it radiation, though it's not exactly the same. Among anomalous substances (anomalies), there are some that civilian explorers can't handle. Those always have high 'abnormality.' So, the Foundation is set up to retrieve them. That's why the 66 state-of-the-art sensors spread across the camp will immediately sound an alarm if they detect a G5 or G6 with high 'abnormality.' Even a G4 anomalous substance with high 'abnormality' will trigger the alarm."
"So, you're saying I'm lying."
The agent nodded deeply.
"You can go now. There's nothing in your equipment that poses a threat to humanity significant enough for the Foundation to intervene."
Akagi left the tent.
More than the frustration of not being believed, he couldn't help but dwell on the matter of a G6 anomalous substance (anomaly).
(Shimaenaga-san... If the Foundation finds out, they'll definitely capture it... Seeing everyone's reaction... No matter how cute and fluffy Shimaenaga-san is, just hearing the word G6 caused that uproar. No way, I can't let the Foundation have Shimaenaga-san. They'll surely do something terrible to it. That's my child! I have to protect it!)
"Chee-chee-chee"
"Ah!"
In the night's darkness.
He spotted Shimaenaga-san on a branch near the inner perimeter of the camp.
It was holding a ring with intertwined white and black snakes in its beak.
White and black feels pretty ominous, doesn't it?
Could it represent the creation and end of the world or something?
"Shimaenaga-san, did you notice the camp's alarm system and run off on your own?"
"Chee-chee"
"Aren't you way too smart...? Hmm, there, there♡ Do you like being petted?♡ So cute♪ Lick lick, sniff sniff, I'm gonna eat you up, nom nom"
"Chee♪"
Even though Akagi's bizarre behavior dropped his IQ to 3, Shimaenaga-san seemed somewhat happy.
────
──Akagi Hideo's Perspective
"It's over, huh."
While resolving to protect Shimaenaga-san no matter what, he brooded in the cold of the night.
At a skewer stall on the edge of the camp, holding an energy drink in one hand, he listened to the festival music echoing from somewhere.
From the appearance of a dungeon to when it's fully conquered, the region turns into a festive uproar. Beyond the various subsidies that the country and the Foundation provide to local governments for dungeon-related policies, it holds a more direct meaning: to celebrate the achievements of explorers.
Explorers are, in other words, modern-day heroes.
So, the local men who only shine during summer festivals carry the portable shrines, beat the drums, and play the flutes.
The year is almost over.
Though the melody felt out of season, it wasn't a bad feeling.
The only lingering regret was that he wanted to see Shurado-san one last time.
Amid the festival music, thinking about such things brought on a nostalgic mood, stirring an urge to reminisce about past memories.
August of my second year in middle school.
I agonized so much over whether to invite the girl I liked to the summer festival that I got a fever.
In the end, I didn't have the courage to ask her.
Listening to the distant sound of drums while lying face-down on my bed, I sulked myself to sleep.
When I checked SNS, there were photos of my friends and that girl having fun together.
I just cried.
"Ugh, dark memories..."
Even though I'm almost done with university, it feels like I haven't changed at all since then.
Thinking of returning to the hotel, I stood up from my seat.
And at that moment, a hot sensation ran across my cheek.
"Hot?!"
"Haha, you're panicking too much, Akagi-san!"
"Shu, Shurado-san?"
I realized I had been caught off guard from behind by a surprise attack with a hot canned coffee.
I felt like I had glimpsed a fraction of the interpersonal assassination skills of the daughter of the most feared tribal chief in the undeveloped land of Gunma.
"Shurado-san, you were here."
"Of course! I'm always at the camp!"
Smiling brightly, she said, "I'm getting hungry, let's trade!" and snatched my skewer, shoving the canned coffee into my hand in return. As usual, the exchange rate feels completely off, but... that's just like Shurado-san.
Somehow, the atmosphere feels nice.
I decided to muster up some courage.
As a way to break away from my past self, I'm going to invite her to the festival.
"It looks like there are food stalls outside the camp. Shurado-san, if you'd like to join me——"
"Well then, I'll be off! The dungeon will probably start collapsing soon! The Dungeon Foundation must withdraw from this area! But before that, we have to excavate the SCCL-applied anomalous substance! Securing it definitely is the foundation's mission! I've got to stay focused!"
"Uh, um, Shurado-san?"
"Well then, goodbye, Akagi-san! Have a great end-of-year~!"
Shurado-san walked away while munching on the skewer, saying, "Let's meet at the next dungeon~!"
Feeling a bit melancholic, I opened the canned coffee.
"Haa...... it's bitter."
Under the end-of-year night sky, my white breath rose into the air.
"Akagi-saaan!"
"Huh?"
When I looked over, Shurado-san was trotting back with a tap-tap-tap.
"Here! Let's exchange contact info!"
My smartphone was swiftly snatched away.
"There we go! See you at the next dungeon! This time, it's really goodbye~! Make sure to rest properly during this short vacation, Akagi-san!"
This time, Shurado-san really disappeared into the depths of the camp.
I took a sip of the canned coffee.
"Haa...... it's sweet. Was this low-sugar?"
Under the cold sky, I shoved my hands deep into my coat pockets and skipped back to the hotel.