Chapter 48
I was completely worn out, so I returned to the Dungeon Broker's shop.
This place has chairs and desks, so it's perfect for taking a break.
"My shop is not a rest area."
"I'm a valued customer, right? Preferential treatment, please."
"Shall we talk about how it'd be more economical to kill you and take that 'Mugen High-Load ver5.0'?"
"Let's not. For the record, I'm reasonably strong. Also, I'm fast. I never miss, and more importantly—"
I flashed my ruby brooch.
"I'm A-rank."
"Hmph. That A-rank brooch looks awfully smooth. You must've just ranked up."
"......"
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not underestimating you. The foundation's judgment is legit. Only monster-level explorers get chosen as A-rank. I'm not about to mess with that."
That's good to hear.
Honestly, Broker S looks ridiculously strong.
He's got a scary face and a huge body.
Is this how debtors feel when they're facing Ushijima-kun?
"Oh yeah. I ran into the red dog. Do you know anything about it?"
"Is this a scary story?"
"No, not the red room."
I explained what had just happened.
"That was Former Chiba-kun. He's ranked around 60 in A-rank, but his true abilities are said to be unfathomable. He only operates in Chiba Prefecture. He only shows up when a dungeon appears in Chiba and does a quick bit of exploring, but his work is considered the real deal. Despite his rank, he's so eccentric his name's become weirdly famous."
Former Chiba-kun?
Isn't that the guy who got officially Shared on the foundation's SNS?
He was acting totally insane, and yet he managed to use SNS? He beat the hell out of other explorers, went back to the entrance, and now I'm worried he'll badmouth me and report me or something... All sorts of thoughts are racing through my mind here.
"Beating up another A-rank explorer? You're nuts. I like it."
"Uh, being liked by you is... not exactly a compliment."
"We're business partners, right? Let's get along."
I opened my status screen.
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Akagi Hideo
Level 146
HP 14,205/22,523
MP 1,523/3,740
Skills
'Finger Snap Lv5'
'Phobia Syndrome Lv8'
'Single Strike Lv6'
'Steel Spirit'
'Probability Time: Coin Lv2'
'Super Metal Assault Lv6'
'Blue Pulsation Lv2'
'Black Swamp's Severer'
'Super Catcher Lv3'
Equipment
'Blue Blood Lv3' G4
'Proof of the Chosen One' G3
'Labyrinth Conqueror' G4
'Adolphene's Holy Shroud' G3
'Mugen High-Load ver5.0' G4
'Trap Room Lake' G3
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Just sitting here slowly restores my HP.
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'Blue Pulsation Lv2'
Proof that you've accepted the blood of something inhuman.
A new life pulses within you.
Restores 1 HP every 5 seconds.
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It's thanks to this.
1 HP every 5 seconds.
12 HP per minute.
720 HP per hour.
7,200 HP in 10 hours.
17,280 HP in 24 hours.
For full-time explorers who pull all-nighters, this kind of automatic HP recovery is a true blessing.
The longer the dive, the more powerful it becomes.
"Would you mind appraising this anomalous substance?"
"You're seriously gonna sell the anomalous substance you stole from Former Chiba-kun to the Dungeon Broker? That's some real end-of-the-world-level business you're doing there, buddy."
"I just want to check the price."
Beating things up, stripping them, and selling the loot—I don't want to believe dungeons are lawless zones like that. That kind of behavior is best left to Shimaenaga-san and Gii-san. I'll uphold human morality. I'm Team Finger Man's last shred of conscience. Please and thank you.
"Chii?"
"Gii?"
The two of them are giving me faces like, "What the hell is this weakling talking about?"
You monsters! (※ Calamity)
By the way, here's the anomalous substance I stripped from Former Chiba-kun.
First up, his main weapon—a blood-soaked, rusted shovel.
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'Bloodstained Burial'
Took many lives.
Nurtured many lives.
Bludgeoned to death, then gave birth to new life.
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It's 1 meter 50 centimeters long. Thick.
Way too big and heavy for a normal person to handle.
It looks hard to use, but with explorer strength, it's swingable.
I mean, I got bashed with it at insane speed.
Next up are bright red leather boots.
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'Former Chiba-kun's Fleet Feet'
Like the wind.
Increases your movement speed by 20%.
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The item name literally has "Former Chiba-kun" in it.
That lingering will is strong, huh.
So that's why he was so fast.
Next is a red ring.
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'Former Chiba-kun's Yoke'
And so, my friend, I lay a curse upon you.
Decreases the enemy's movement speed by 20% during combat.
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This one also has a strong lingering will.
Wait, so I was getting my movement speed reduced?
No wonder I couldn't dodge the shovel.
Finally, following the red ring, it's the black ring.
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'Man of the Night'
Beyond madness, a holy man bears the night
MP Cost 100, summons night underlings
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Hahahn? So it's a summoning type?
He didn't use it when he fought me though.
Maybe he didn't have enough MP?
"Summon"
When I tried summoning it, a black, gooey human emerged from the ground.
Whoa. So this kind of thing exists too, huh.
Let's take a peek at its status.
No way it could measure up to my Shimaenaga-san——
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Comrade
Level 253
HP 853/95,523
MP 523/230,568
Skills
'Grizzly Ball Lv6'
'Surekill Lv3'
'Authority of Night Lv2'
'Bloodstained Dawn Lv5'
'Bloodletting Lv5'
'Blood Transfusion Lv5'
'Amplification Lv5'
'Pulse of Ruin Lv5'
'Seventh Confession Lv4'
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Monster. Period.
What's with this level?
"That's insane. So this is the underling of Former Chiba-kun I've heard rumors about. I'm impressed. You actually beat a monster like this?"
The Dungeon Broker saw me in a new light.
No no, I didn't beat him.
I didn't beat the Man of the Night——'Comrade'.
Maybe Former Chiba-kun had been fighting like crazy deep in the dungeon and was totally exhausted?
And even so, I went and beat him to a pulp...
"Chii chii chii"
"Gii"
I snatched the crystals and anomalous substances, stripped him of everything including his costume...
"This is top quality dungeon equipment, handpicked. As expected of an A-rank. And it has the prestige of being Former Chiba-kun's original gear. On the market, each would easily go for 50 million."
"......"
"......Which is exactly why it'll be traceable. I'm not buying this stuff."
"......Thank you for your time. I appreciate the appraisal."
"......Yeah. Now get out of here."
I hugged Former Chiba-kun's gear and headed for the dungeon entrance.
I returned to the dungeon camp.
"Eek... It's an A-rank..."
"Don't let them notice you... You'll get killed..."
The crowd parted to the sides, forming a path.
"Who's that A-rank?"
"No idea..."
"But they've got a cool vibe, maybe."
Amid the hushed whispers, I walked with a stately stride, making sure not to lose that big-shot aura.
Without 'Steel Spirit', I'd probably be darting my eyes all over the place.
"Ah, Akagi-san!"
"Shurado-san, I'm back. Has Former Chiba-kun returned?"
"Yes, he has. But he seemed really down. I think he lost his shovel weapon too. He went into Saizeriya with this gloomy air about him."
Shurado-san winked and gave a thumbs-up, saying, "I hope you two make up!" So cute.
Cheered up by Shurado-san, I headed off to see Former Chiba-kun.
"Akagi-san!"
"?"
"Heh heh heh, here you go!"
"Th-this is..."
With a proud look, Shurado-san confidently handed me a Max Coffee.
"Former Chiba-kun loves Max Coffee."
I accepted the Max Coffee.
Shurado-san nodded deeply, grinning with full confidence.
I stepped into Saizeriya.
In a corner seat, I found Former Chiba-kun, eyes devoid of light, munching on peanuts and downing white wine by the bottle. The table was littered with empty bottles. He was a drunken wreck.
"Mind if I sit here?"
"Blooood..."
I sat across from Former Chiba-kun and set Shimaenaga-san and Gii-san on the table.
To start, I gently placed the Max Coffee from Shurado-san on the table.
Former Chiba-kun stared fixedly at the Max Coffee, picked it up, and began chugging.
He finished it in five seconds, and the mood shifted like he might listen to me now.
The tension was intense.
But the first step was a success.
Now comes the real deal.
"I came to return this."
"Bloood?"
I returned the shovel 'Bloodstained Burial'.
No, more accurately, it's now 'Bloodstained Burial Lv4'.
Former Chiba-kun looked between my face, the shovel, Shimaenaga-san, and Gii-san, then finally accepted it.
"Blo... Blooood field..."
He examined the now-shiny 'Bloodstained Burial Lv4' with a curious expression (though his face didn't actually change).
"My little ones combined your crystals and gear, Former Chiba-kun—no, Former Chiba-san—so it's changed a little."
By the time I realized it, it was too late, so I held off at just evolving it.
"Blooood fieeeld...!"
Crap. Former Chiba-kun is trembling.
Did I make him mad?
"Blooood fieeeld~♪"
Oh, he's happy.
He broke into a smile, looking super happy.
I'm just glad he liked it.
With the first return a success, I handed back the rest of his dungeon gear too—'Former Chiba-kun's Fleet Feet Lv3', 'Former Chiba-kun's Yoke Lv2', and 'Man of the Night Lv2'.
Every time I returned a piece of gear, Former Chiba-kun lit up with joy.
Maybe he remembered his costume's mission—he used gestures and his whole body to express his emotions. Could it be the bloodstained curse has been lifted?
"I'm really sorry. When I saw your Comrade, Former Chiba-san, I could tell how much effort you put into raising them... and then I understood what I'd done."
"Blooood fieeeld..."
"There's a reason you attacked me, right?"
"Blooood fieeeld..."
Former Chiba-kun pulled out his smartphone and showed me an image.
On it was a mysterious poster with the words "Courage burns red to protect Chiba." A Communist Party poster, maybe? That's some strong ideology.
"Blooood fieeeld."
He slid the screen to show another aggressive poster that read, "When I face malice, my blood burns red." So Former Chiba-san uses "wagahai" as a first-person pronoun...
"Gii."
Apparently, Gii-san panicked and attacked, mistaking me for an enemy, and Former Chiba-kun tried to obliterate said enemy with all he had.
In short, we were in the wrong for attacking first.
"Gii-san, please apologize."
"Gii."
"Blooood fieeeld~♪"
Former Chiba-kun beamed with a big smile.
I'm curious how a costume can even change expressions, but maybe there are just some things in this world you're better off not knowing.
"Ah, right, I'll return this too."
I handed back the glittering golden coin.
Maybe because it's not an anomalous substance (Anomaly), no item display shows up for this one.
Former Chiba-kun shook his head and, with a cheerful face, pushed my hand holding the coin back toward me.
I guess he means to give it to me.
I wonder if it's something valuable.
I'll ask Shurado about it later.
"Well then, I'll be going now. I'm truly sorry, Former Chiba-san."
"Blooood fieeeld!"
"Hm? What is it, Former Chiba-san?"
"Bloood."
Former Chiba-kun reached into his mouth and pulled out a crimson brooch. Terrifying.
The item display showed a menacing name: 'Bloodstained Comrade.'
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'Bloodstained Comrade'
The blood comrade never abandons a fellow ally.
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It's an anomalous substance (Anomaly) with unclear effects.
As it is, it's just an old brooch soaked in blood... but...
Former Chiba-kun showed me his smartphone again.
'When you feel like giving up in the face of hardship, Chiba is with you.'
That's a pretty epic line.
But sorry, I still don't really get it...
"Blooood fieeeld~♪"
Former Chiba-kun gave me a warm hug.
Surprisingly fluffy to the touch.
I guess that means we're friends now?
"Hmm? What are you doing, Former Chiba-kun?"
He suddenly turned to the side... and just gazed into twilight...
"Ah! From the side, Former Chiba-kun looks like Chiba Prefecture!"
"Chii chii chii!"
"Gii!"
"Blooood fieeeld~♪"
Contrary to his appearance, he seems to have quite the cheerful personality.
That day, I became friends with Former Chiba-kun.
But the story of the mountain of peanuts that arrived at my home later is for another time.
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Leaving Saizeriya behind, we headed to Shurado, carrying the bloodstained, rusted, old-fashioned brooch, 'Bloodstained Comrade,' that Former Chiba-kun had given me.
Since we came all this way, I figured I might as well get an appraisal.
"Looks like you two made up!"
"Thanks to you."
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Today's Appraisal
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Small Crystal 2,101 yen
Small Crystal 2,007 yen
Small Crystal 2,242 yen
Small Crystal 2,334 yen
Small Crystal 2,096 yen
Small Crystal 2,609 yen
Small Crystal 2,000 yen
Small Crystal 2,101 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
Small treasure chest 20,000 yen
Small treasure chest 20,000 yen
Small treasure chest 20,000 yen
Treasure chest 100,000 yen
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Total 277,490 yen
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Dungeon Bank Account Balance: 13,697,711 yen
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Shurado Investment: 6,453,983 yen
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Total Assets: 20,151,694 yen
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"So many treasure chests... This is amazing!"
"By the way, do treasure chests get recycled or anything?"
"They're installed inside the foundation's artificial dungeon for a project where crystals are generated by human hands. You can think of treasure chests like pudding molds! Just like how pudding forms when you pour ingredients into the mold, scholars believe that by stuffing 'something' into treasure chests, crystals can be produced."
I see.
If artificial crystal production becomes a success, their market value could drop.
That's a tough one for a full-time explorer. Not that I mind if my income drops—money is more of a hobby to grow than to spend, anyway.
"Your assets are starting to grow! But the amount of cash just sitting in your bank account is too high. That's not optimal asset allocation!"
I'm being rolled along and guided effortlessly.
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Dungeon Bank Account Balance: 3,697,711 yen
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↓ 10 million yen transferred
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Shurado Investment: 16,453,983 yen
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Total Assets: 20,151,694 yen
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"Thinking about the future of Shimaenaga-san and Gii-san, we're going to need a lot of money, so we should earn while we can, Akagi-san."
Shimaenaga-san and Gii-san aren't really the type to require that much money, though.
Or... could it be that Shurado has some concrete vision of the future?
"By the way, do you know what this is? I got it from Former Chiba-kun."
"Gasp! That's a dungeon coin, isn't it?!"
The usually calm and collected Shurado leaned in enthusiastically with her face close.
Ah, she smells nice. Sniff sniff, sniff sniff, aaaaAAAAAAAH—— (brain-dead) (weakling) (virgin) (age equals) (dragon sewing kit) (Sprint Sneakers) (take the lead in the corner)
"Hyaaah! This coin is mine now!"
"Waaah, it's been taken—(monotone)"
"Fufufu, you mustn't let your guard down! If you get your hands on a dungeon coin and zone out, you're disqualified as an explorer!"
"Ehehe."
A weird laugh slipped out naturally.
At the same time, I could feel the glares around us screaming, "Cut the lovey-dovey crap, you losers."
Crap. I totally got swept up by how cute Shurado is.
I am the cool Finger Man. I don't let my feelings show on my face.
"Ahem. So, what kind of value does this coin have?"
"This is a dungeon coin, which is basically a virtual currency!"
"Virtual...? But it physically exists...?"
"Think of it like gold or platinum, or maybe even diamonds! It's incredibly valuable, and due to its material and shape, it's completely impossible to counterfeit! Only a few hundred thousand have ever been excavated over the course of 200 years—it's a relic with guaranteed rarity value!"
"I see. I fully understand. (I don't.)"
"To put it simply, this one coin is worth 50 million yen!"
No wonder Former Chiba-kun always carries it on him.
And he gave that to me... as a sign of friendship...?
I love Chiba. I love Chiba!!
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