Chapter 60
The sample in Jigokudo's hand has turned black.
Is this really my blood? It feels kind of... evil...
"Chii chii chii......"
"Gii......"
Oh my, Shimaenaga-san and Gii-san both came out just for this.
What's wrong? Were you shocked by my blood?
It's really black, huh~
"Chii chii...... (Translation: As I thought, chii)"
"Gii...... (Translation: Our course of action is clear, senpai)"
Shimaenaga-san and Gii-san are both completely fascinated.
They're staring at the sample so intently... Aww, how cute.
"This is a black dungeon factor. Just how good of a factor is this?"
I hope it's strong.
I used to get mocked for being an especially crazy aberrant, but now's my chance to redeem myself!
"......"
Huh? Jigokudo has gone silent?
She's resting her hand on her mouth... and looks really serious.
Wait, was this actually not good...? Did I lose the factor gacha?
"A black dungeon factor... No way... from the rulers of the old world..."
"Jigokudo?"
"......What is it? Do you need something......?"
"No, uh, not 'do you need something,' I mean..."
She's glaring at me so hard.
What? What is this? Scary. This is scary.
Being glared at by her is terrifying.
It's way scarier than my little sister's cold stare.
"Does this black stuff happen to be, like, super rare or something?"
I ask, a little hopeful.
"Bamboo shoots......"
"Huh?"
"Bamboo shoots, bamboo shoots... I see... Araragi......"
"Huh?"
I no longer understand anything.
Bamboo shoots, bamboo shoots, bamboo shoots......
Jigokudo averts her eyes from me, stares fixedly at the black blood, then picks it up, caps the sample, and quickly slips it into her pocket.
"So, what's the verdict on the black dungeon factor?"
"Considering you've made it to A-rank, I'd say the red of the A-rank factor has deepened and muddied into what appears black. It's very impressive... Be proud... However, it's not white... Further growth will be difficult. So, rather than gaining more experience points needlessly... yes, you should share them actively with your underlings, and do your best as an explorer with your current skills and status..."
Whoa, Jigokudo just started speaking super clearly.
"There's an appropriate anomaly for this..."
Jigokudo rummages through her lab coat pocket and takes out a Zippo lighter.
A metallic piece seasoned with age.
"Open the lid and it absorbs experience points, storing them inside. Strike the flint to light a flame, and you'll be able to distribute the stored experience points however you like."
Jigokudo lights the Zippo's flame, makes a click, and shuts the lid.
"This is your charm. I'm giving it to you."
She smoothly slipped it into my coat's chest pocket and gave my chest a gentle pat-pat.
"Using this, you'll be able to allocate experience points to your underlings without gaining any yourself. You won't need to level up anymore."
"Wow, that's some amazing dungeon equipment."
"......Or maybe this thing is utterly meaningless..."
Jigokudo mutters quietly.
She looks truly lonely.
Was this an important anomaly? (Clueless)
────────────────────
Akagi Hideo
Level 156
HP 31,651/32,523
MP 4,125/5,743
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 Lv2' G4
'EXP Lighter' G3
────────────────────
So this is the 'EXP Lighter.'
────────────────────
'EXP Lighter'
It's the age of storing experience points.
0/999,999,999,000
────────────────────
Wow, it can store so much...
"If you ever feel your underlings have reached their growth limit, contact us... The foundation can buy your surplus experience points... You won't lose out."
She handed me a business card with contact info.
So experience points can be bought and sold, huh.
────
——Jigokudo's Perspective
Jigokudo gasped at the blood of Finger Man, which had turned black from the reagent.
She knew that color—dyed in darkness.
"A black dungeon factor... Could it really be... from the rulers of the old world..."
(To think the black dungeon factor that the Faceless Man once revealed through reagent would be found here...——Calamity's factor... Could it be that Finger Man is destined to follow the same path as Araragi...?)
Finger Man will fall into the dark side, and eventually stand as an enemy before the Dungeon Foundation. That future was crystal clear to Jigokudo.
"Jigokudo?"
"......What is it? Do you need something......?"
"No, uh, not 'do you need something,' I mean... Is this black stuff like, super rare or something?"
Finger Man asked with a blank look.
There was no deceit in his expression, nor any trace of pretending.
Jigokudo realized he had no idea about his own fate.
"Bamboo shoots......"
She tried to tell Finger Man the truth, to advise him not to level up anymore.
But no words came out. Everything was replaced by bamboo shoots.
(Why is the Faceless Man's censorship kicking in... Could it be——)
With her sharp mind, Jigokudo realized it.
That the awakening of Finger Man as a Calamity, which would come sooner or later, might be exactly what the Faceless Man desired——And that's why no one could interfere.
(I don't sense that Finger Man has been brainwashed by Araragi......... Besides, as long as he has Steel Spirit, all brainwashing should be nullified. On top of that, Finger Man's Spirit status exceeded 160,000. Brainwashing would be difficult... Then this must be a script encoded into the factor from the beginning? That even if the Faceless Man and Finger Man don't know each other, they're drawn together...? What a cruel fate this is...)
Though barely an hour had passed since Jigokudo first encountered Finger Man, she hadn't gotten a bad impression of him. The only concern was a possible suspicion of drug dependence.
If there was a way to help him, she wanted to save him.
But the power of fate was merciless, and a single human's struggle couldn't change it.
Precisely because Jigokudo knew so much, she understood that there was nothing she could do here and now. That's what made it all the more frustrating.
Jigokudo gave Finger Man a piece of advice. With a sliver of hope tucked into it.
She couldn't give a direct warning like "If you keep leveling up, you'll eventually become a Calamity." That would violate the bamboo shoot regulation. So instead, she chose vague words that would subtly convey the meaning.
She didn't believe it could drastically change his fate, but she couldn't do nothing either.
The 'EXP Lighter' was an anomaly she had brought with her in anticipation of such a situation. Since she had known Finger Man was an extraordinary explorer, she had prepared it.
"Well then, I'll be going now......"
"Thank you, Jigokudo. I may be hitting my growth limit, but I'll keep working hard to become stronger!"
(You mustn't work hard... You... If you do, you'll surely awaken as a Calamity, and fall into darkness... You might not be able to stop leveling up. You might not be able to resist the urge to grow and bring the world to its end... But if you can reject fate by your own will, then perhaps it will follow the prediction of the 'World's End Scenario'... Which future you choose is up to you, Akagi Hideo.)
Jigokudo left the café.
When she looked back, she saw Finger Man sitting by the window with his underling white bird and the black slug, gazing at the newly acquired anomaly.
With a childlike innocence, like a kid who just got a new toy from their parents, he gleefully said, "Whoa, this Zippo lighter is so cool."
"I pray your fate turns out to be a good one......"
"Hey, Jigokudo."
"Hm?"
When she turned to the voice, a white luxury car had stopped on the road.
The driver's side window slowly rolled down with a beeeep.
A girl with sharp eyes was inside.
Hair white as silk.
Brown skin with a hint of sensuality.
Full, rounded twin hills.
Though she couldn't be old enough to drink, she boasted a breathtaking beauty that anyone would envy.
Wearing a black suit with a crisp black tie and draped in a coat of darkness, some of her erotic features were modestly hidden.
Her name was Chikusendou.
Her first name wasn't very well known.
Chikusendou leaned back comfortably in her seat, keeping cool, sipping tapioca with it resting on her chest.
"Finger Man is Gakidou-sis's prey, right? So why is Jigokudo making contact?"
It seemed Chikusendou had gone out of her way to intimidate the introvert who dared steal her beloved's achievement.
Jigokudo, a little exasperated, thought, "This girl really has too much free time..."
"It's nothing......"
"I can't understand what 'nothing' means."
"It's nothing... I'm not interfering with Gakidou... that girl......"
"Hmm. You sure about that? ......Well, to be blunt, I know you're not big enough to actually get in Gakidou-sis's way, so it's fine. But more importantly——"
Chikusendou stopped sipping her tapioca and pulled her luscious lips away from the straw.
"I saw it. Finger Man had a black factor, didn't he......"
"So you saw it......"
"I think that's a big problem."
"Yes... it probably is......"
"So what are you going to do? You've got some kind of 'plan,' don't you?"
Jigokudo touched her chin and gave a "Hmm......" as if hesitating.
Even after five, ten seconds, no "plan" came out of Jigokudo's mouth.
Seeing this, Chikusendou narrowed her eyes slightly and said in a low, dark voice, "I see. So it's pity, huh." She opened the glove box and picked up a pistol.
It was an M1911A1 engraved with glowing purple geometric patterns.
A piece of dungeon equipment developed by Jigokudo, named 'Apoptosis.'
"You said this gun can fire the 'Sacrifice Bullet,' right?"
"You're planning to use that......?"
"There's no other choice."
Sacrifice Bullet.
An anomaly that deals a fixed 10 million DMG to its target.
"Chikusendou......"
"Out of pity, I can't let humanity be destroyed. I feel bad for Gakidou-sis, but I'm going to erase Finger Man here."
So said Chikusendou as she clicked the silencer onto the muzzle.
With a skill, she quickly cleared the area of people and aimed at Finger Man's head.