Chapter 51
——From the perspective of Shurado
Upon learning that Finger Man had transformed into a meme-type SCCL anomalous substance, Shurado arrived at the Chiba Dungeon Camp.
"Judging from the additions to the script, there's a high chance Finger Man is a counter meant to fight Calamity......"
Shurado searches for the person believed to be Finger Man with her naked eyes.
She scans the area intently.
On top of that, he's wearing a mask, sunglasses, and a knit cap.
He looked completely suspicious.
(Even when I searched the foundation's database for images, they were deleted, and all that was left was a creepy hand logo... maybe I realized it a bit too late...)
If she'd been quicker, even though the research department's Shurado didn't have access to individual explorer data, she could've used her authority to launch a forced investigation.
But now that the data is gone, there's no way to trace him.
She found Jigokudo.
From a distance, she watches as Jigokudo appraises artifacts brought by explorers.
(This is a woman who can sense the presence of a sniper from 3,000 meters away... I have to be careful not to stare...)
After a short while, a strange explorer wearing a bright red costume came out of the movie theater.
Then, a young man wearing sunglasses and a coat billowing in the wind followed behind.
She saw Jigokudo smiling unusually brightly as she handed Max Coffee to the young explorer.
Shurado wasn't particularly well-versed in explorers, but considering how often Jigokudo called him "Akagi-san," it was obvious he was Finger Man.
"...Found you."
Sipping Max Coffee, Shurado muttered quietly.
There were two things she needed to know about Finger Man.
First, whether the person operating Finger Man's account was truly Akagi Hideo.
Shurado had been watching Finger Man's "Today's Hunting Grounds" from the very beginning.
Therefore, she knew for certain that this account started using the name Finger Man even before the term became known to the public.
"Therefore, it's highly likely this account is directly connected to the real Finger Man......"
And there was one more thing Shurado needed to know.
Was Finger Man a counter to fight Calamity? Did he have the strength to qualify?
No—did he have the "potential" to qualify?
(The power of Finger Man's meme exceeded imagination... The information the Dungeon Foundation must have acquired over the past few months has infected those who viewed it, leading them to alter and conceal the data themselves... That's why no information on Finger Man remains in the Foundation... Since it's a conceptual attack, even if you downloaded it onto a USB and carried it around, it'd eventually get lost somewhere...)
Because of that, Shurado didn't know the extent of Finger Man's abilities.
By gathering the remaining dust-like fragments of information, she could reasonably deduce that he had rapidly ascended to A-rank (though there was no definitive proof). Even from his social media posts, the fact that he uploaded a photo of the emerald brooch early on confirmed he was blazing through the promotion route—Shurado's analysis was quite accurate.
"Finger Man... just how strong are you...?"
(Even if he's not strong now, he might grow in the future. How much potential does he have? It's unlikely he's limited to level 30, the supposed cap for most explorers. If his dungeon factor is an average E-class, then he won't be able to maintain motivation for leveling and exploring beyond this. In that case, maybe it's D-class, which is said to nurture high-quality explorers—level 60? No, that's not it. Finger Man must have acquired the emerald brooch. That means he definitely has a high-quality dungeon factor—C-class, level 90 at least. But if he's going to face Calamity... then it must be B-class, no, A-class—level 150 is essential. The stat growth at that level is also crucial. At that point, I'd want his main stat HP to be at least 10,000... If he's got 12,000, he's quite excellent. At 14,000, he's in genius territory. Well, if he has an A-class factor, that already makes him one of the chosen geniuses...)
What kind of fighting style does he use?
How much firepower can he wield?
What kind of anomalous substances does he possess?
What kind of skills does he have?
The Foundation should've had all this information, but it's all gone.
That's why Shurado was genuinely excited to find out how strong Finger Man really was.
(There's no way he's upper A-rank, let alone single-digit top tier... I mean, physically reaching that level would take years—decades of experience...)
She gazes at Finger Man's side profile as he chats happily with Jigokudo.
With the sunglasses on, it's hard to read his expression.
(Jigokudo seems to be saying something funny... "Our dream home!"? What's that supposed to mean... No way... Could it be...? No, that's ridiculous... right...?)
Eventually, Finger Man waved enthusiastically at the smiling Jigokudo and returned to the hotel.
Shurado stood up, downed the rest of her Max Coffee, and hurried after Finger Man.
————
——From the perspective of Akagi Hideo
Thanks to Gii-san's genius brain, we successfully acquired the 'Metal Trap Room,' so I'd like to try it out right away.
This anomaly, shaped like a dagger, activates when you slash or stab a target.
I lightly scratch the wall with the 'Metal Trap Room.'
A door has appeared.
When used maliciously as a trap, it can become a "pitfall" or "stairs"—apparently, the entrance changes shape each time.
This time, since I'm entering of my own will, it manifested as a "door."
Inside the trap room, the floor is still an endlessly stretching water surface.
Looking back, a lone door stands on a lifeless, secret inland sea.
It's a fantastical sight.
"Silence resembles death... Heh."
As I indulge in my chuunibyou poetic mood before the infinite shallows, the water at my feet suddenly starts bubbling.
Apparently, just focusing on it is enough to spawn monsters.
Probably because I'm the owner of this space.
What emerges is a dachshund clad in metallic luster.
It's a specimen with the same traits as the metal monsters I saw at the Metal Shiba Inu Club.
"It's really metalized... Alright then, let's get started."
Ahh, I'm so excited, ehehehe.
——Snap
The moment I snapped my fingers.
The metal dachshund instantly turned into charred remains.
Out jumps Shimaenaga-san.
Gii-san tries to capture Shimaenaga-san with his tentacles.
I grab and restrain Shimaenaga-san with a firm grip.
In a flash, a dramatic battle unfolds.
"Chii—!"
"Gii!"
"Uwooooooooaaahhhh!!"
A battle we absolutely cannot lose is right here——.
I won the split-second sneak attack contest with my sheer size, devoured the experience points, and let the rain of particles of light wash over me.
"Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!! NnnnggggUUUHHH! Feels so goooood! (*Definitely an aberrant)"
"Ch-Chii..."
"Gii..."
"This is some high-quality stuff (experience points). No doubt it's metal experience."
I inhale the particles of light through my nose.
My hands stop trembling.
This excitement. It's the best, hehehe (*the fate of an addict)
"Chii..."
"I understand. Since it's Shimaenaga-san's Enhancement Day, you may skim off as much as you want until she levels up once."
Now then, let's begin.
The bargain sale of metal monsters.
——Two minutes later
————————————————————
Shimaenaga-san
Level 36
HP 12,486/25,523
MP 11,563/24,875
Skills
'Blasphemous Morning Star Lv2'
'Blasphemous Pact'
'Blasphemous Gaze'
'Blasphemous Regeneration'
Equipment
'Calamity Beast'
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I meant to level up Shimaenaga-san by just one level, but before I knew it, it had jumped up by about seven. Huh? That's weird.
"Chii~♪"
So incredibly squishy.
So incredibly fluffy.
That is one seriously satisfied-looking face.
Shimaenaga-san has grown to about the size of a balance ball.
Looks like it even learned a new skill.
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'Blasphemous Regeneration'
Challenge to the world.
Blasphemer of life.
Revives all life.
Usable once every 720 hours.
Resolve cooldown with 10,000 MP.
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Hmm, I guess that's safe.
"It's not an offensive-type skill, so not guilty."
"Chii chii chii"
"However, I'm adding that earlier outrageous act to your record. I'll be deducting it from Shimaenaga-san's experience points (income) for the next two months."
"Ch-Chii!?"
"You've got that 'Unbelievable! Ogre, demon, Finger Man!' face, but the real monster is Shimaenaga-san flying around and snatching up 70% of the experience points. Truly an experience point thief. Thank you very much."
When experience points are involved, this Calamity really brings out the worst kind of greed.
Well, there were 30 metal monsters, so Gii-san and I were able to level up too.
Thirty of them. Probably about the same number we defeated at the secret base of the Metal Shiba Inu Club.
Since Platinum members get 10.0x, and I was a Gold member at the time with 5.0x, that means we earned double the experience points.
So Shimaenaga-san, Gii-san, and I could all level up evenly.
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Akagi Hideo
Level 150
HP 12,852/26,521
MP 3,421/4,534
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
'Bloodstained Comrade' G4
'Metal Trap Room' G4
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That's what I look like now.
I gained four levels.
My HP has barely avoided being overtaken by Shimaenaga-san... but I'll be passed soon.
I need to get stronger and become a worthy owner of the Calamity ones!
Next up is Gii-san.
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Gii-san
Level 19
HP 10/3,021
MP 10/6,520
Skills
'Call of the Black Swamp Lv2'
'Black Swamp's Tragedy'
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Yep, this one's definitely a Calamity too... (staring at the status growth)
I had a faint hope, like maybe it was just a cute, big, black slug.
It's learned some dangerous skills too, huh.
I'm scared to inspect its belongings.
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'Black Swamp's Tragedy'
Summons the Black Swamp monster.
HP 50,000
ATK 1–5,000
DEF 20,000
Usable once every 2 hours.
Stock 999
Resolve cooldown with 200 MP.
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Hmm, this definitely feels like high-frequency, high-firepower support again...
"Mind giving it a quick summon?"
"Gii"
The ground bubbled black, and with hot steam, a jet-black monster appeared.
The evil just oozes from the visual effects. Scary.
I wonder if this underling only listens to Gii-san.
I may be Gii-san's boss, but I guess I'm not the Black Swamp monster's boss...
If that's the case, I better handle it carefully.
No point overthinking, let's give it a try.
"Hey, could you try doing some breakdancing?"
I throw out a totally ridiculous request.
The Black Swamp monster nodded obediently, then spun across the shallows with flair—two-step, spin-down, windmill, baby windmill, tombstone—twirling wildly. It was so amazing I was speechless.
"Ah, thank you. You have good taste."
While acting like a boss, I ask Gii-san to cancel the Summon.
The Black Swamp monster turned into black bubbles and disappeared under the ground.
"Gii"
"Gii-san, out. Your movements are too dangerous. At this rate, the breakdancers of humanity will lose their jobs (※ that's not the point)"
"G-Gii!"
"Hmm, but, it's cute so it's innocent... only this time (super lenient)"
"Gii♪"
Everyone has grown up so much.
Papa is happy (staring blankly)
Right, and it looks like the Daily Mission has been cleared too.
Let's go ahead and claim the reward, shall we?
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★Daily Mission★
Let's keep working hard every day!
'Don't bully Shimaenaga-sama'
Level up Shimaenaga-sama 1/1
★Today's Daily Mission Complete!★
Reward: 'EXP Production Facility ver2.0'
Consecutive days: Day 100
Steady Rank: Platinum Multiplier 10.0x
──────────────────
Hm?
What's this?
The Daily Mission window begins rumbling ominously with a deep groan.
The next moment, a big, black, strange machine bursts out.
It crashes violently into the shallow water of the 'Metal Trap Room', sending up a huge splash.
That thing's massive.
And isn't this the first time the reward hasn't been old books or energy drinks?
Could it be some kind of 100-day celebration?
A gift for hitting 100 days in a row?
"Chi!!!"
"Ah, Gaze."
Without hesitation, Shimaenaga-san uses 'Blasphemous Gaze' to glare at the unknown machine.
And then, I get it, I get it.
I totally get it power!
"T-This must be... something outrageous is about to happen...!"
"Chi♪"
"Gii♪"
A rugged machine like a giant container—2 meters tall, 2 wide, and about 10 meters deep.
Item name: 'EXP Production Facility ver2.0'. Grade 5.
Just as the name implies, it was a Holy Relic Level anomalous substance that produces experience points.
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