Chapter 89
After a pleasant meal with Shurado, I had Dr. return to repair the Mugen High-Load ver5.0.
Between nearly getting arrested and killing someone for the first time, I was completely exhausted, so I collapsed onto the bed at the hotel and immediately lost consciousness.
When I woke up, a day had passed.
Guess I really was tired.
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★Daily Mission★
Let's keep at it, little by little every day!
'The Promised Victory at Your Fingertips Part 2'
Finger snap while shouting "Excalibur!"
0/2,000
Consecutive days: Day 108
Steady Rank: Platinum Multiplier 10.0x
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When I checked the daily, it was the usual one, so I went to the EXP factory and shouted my lungs out. Excalibur!
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★Daily Mission★
Let's keep at it, little by little every day!
'The Promised Victory at Your Fingertips Part 2'
Finger snap while shouting "Excalibur!"
2,000/2,000
★Today's Daily Mission Complete!★
Reward: Ancestral Wisdom C ×2 (20,000 EXP)
5,000 EXP
Consecutive days: Day 109
Steady Rank: Platinum Multiplier 10.0x
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Yep, I knocked it out right away.
And with that, today's daily is complete. Thanks, Calibur.
Now then, I suppose it's time to head back into the dungeon.
I reported for duty at the camp.
Feels like I've returned to peace. Yesterday's life-or-death battle feels like a lie.
I immediately spotted an old man wandering around. He's pacing back and forth near the commissary. Hey, security, we've got a suspicious person here.
"Oh, Finger Man, you're already here? So diligent."
"I'm a pro, after all."
And so, I was lucky enough to catch the elusive Dr.
"How's the Mugen High-Load ver5.0 doing?"
Wonder if he managed to fix it.
"Oh, it's running smoothly. Wanna go check out the EXP factory?"
"Huh?"
He just casually invited me to my own EXP factory like he's saying 'Wanna come over to my place?' That's my secret hideout, you know.
When I followed Dr., I found a "door" installed in a back alley a little ways from the camp. That's how we entered the EXP factory.
"When did this get here...?"
"Shimaenaga-san and Gii-san helped with the development, you see. They also lent me the 'Metal Trap Room Lv2' at the time."
Apparently, while I was fast asleep, Shimaenaga-san and Gii-san unlocked the EXP factory for Dr., and they had been doing some kind of assembly work in there.
"Wait, what do you mean 'assembly work'?"
"Well, for now, just take a look at this."
Saying that, Dr. pointed to a third container next to the two already lined up. It was slightly larger than the others and looked like it could easily house both the 'EXP Production Facility ver2.0' and the 'EXP Enhancement Facility'.
"Behold! The Mugen High-Load that surpasses all others—'Great Mugen High-Load ver6.0'!"
"Wait, when did that happen...?"
"I've always been quick with my work."
"Okay, but that's got to have limits!"
Now that I think about it, maybe Dr. really is an amazing inventor.
"What are its features?"
"It inherits all the functions up to the Mugen High-Load ver5.0."
"Don't tell me... you figured out the synthesis function and managed to reproduce it artificially?"
"Of course not! I have no clue how the synthesis function works!"
"That's our Dr., alright!"
Fearless when it comes to assembling things that defy logic.
It's so cool, I'm in awe.
"Well then, shall we go ahead and use this Great Mugen High-Load ver6.0?"
"Ah, by the way, why did it end up so big?"
Maybe because he's been working so diligently?
"You can tell just by looking at the containers lined up next to it, can't you?"
"Wait, did you upgrade the 'EXP Production Facility ver2.0' and the 'EXP Enhancement Facility'?"
"Exactly."
A genius. We've got a genius here.
And with that, it's festival time.
With all the crystals we have, we can evolve to our heart's content.
"Let's save the main equipment upgrades for later. First, I want to refresh my gear."
"Very well. I'm ready to collect data."
Alright, what should we start with?
"This large crystal here is a boss crystal."
Dr. discovered a massive, silver-glowing crystal from the pile.
That's the one from when we defeated the metal monster.
I'm planning to take that to Shurado for appraisal later, so I won't be using it now.
"You can choose between evolution, transformation, and synthesis. Which will it be?"
"Let's start with evolution. I'd hate to transform it and end up with something like 'Not This One...'"
"Yeah, that's a fair point."
So then, let's throw in the trusty 'Blue Blood Lv3' that we've been relying on.
'Blue Blood Lv3' was able to evolve twice.
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'Blue Blood Lv5'
A medical tool once used by an ancient sorcerer.
Charges with 1 MP. Using it restores health.
Conversion rate: 1 MP : 150
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Incredible performance.
Fantastic.
But no matter how many crystals I stuff into the Great Mugen High-Load ver6.0, it won't upgrade past this, so there does seem to be some kind of limitation.
Since the Great Mugen High-Load ver6.0 is a Grade 4 anomaly, maybe it can't evolve something like 'Blue Blood Lv6', which would be Grade 5.
"Hmm, it's just speculation, but it might be that we'd need to upgrade the base specs of the Great Mugen High-Load ver6.0 in order to evolve things any further."
So he says.
Well, it's not like 'Blue Blood Lv5' is lacking in power, so we'll have to hold off on G5 evolution until we get a Mugen High-Load that surpasses the Great Mugen High-Load ver6.0.
Let's move on to evolving something else.
Next up is this—'Proof of the Chosen One', also known as Buchi-san.
A true MVP in Lucky Pervert situations. You can't see it, but I'm sure it's been doing great work in other scenes too. A hidden hero of Team Finger Man.
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'Proof of the Chosen One Lv4'
You have been acknowledged by the world.
Keep it close and good things may happen.
Luck Value 500/3,000
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Buchi-san has evolved three times.
A thing called the Luck Value has been added, but what could it be?
It's already at 500, though...
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'Adolphene's Holy Shroud Lv4'
A cloth that wrapped the remains of a great saint
Reduces all physical damage by 40%
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My main equipment, 'Adolphene's Holy Shroud', has also evolved three times.
With 40% physical damage reduction, that's a major power-up.
It used to be 20% before evolving, so that's basically halving the damage, right? (*Wrong)
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'Metal Trap Room Lv3'
A creation by the interdimensional artisan Morton
Three stored monsters are metallized per day
Storage capacity: 20,000 monsters
Remaining: 24/20,000 monsters
Metallized: 3/400 monsters
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This is the main engine of my EXP factory.
Three metallizations per day. This way, no one has to fight over it.
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Current Production
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'Metal Trap Room Lv3'
30 million / 24h
'EXP Production Facility ver2.0'
4.8 million / 24h ★BOOST★
'Tree of Experience Points'
??? / 24h
'EXP Amplification Magic Circle'
20 million / 24h
'EXP Enhancement Facility'
2.4 million / 24h
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Total: 57.2 million EXP
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Platinum Member Bonus
57.2 million ×10.0 = 572 million
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Total Production: 572 million
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Next up is this.
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'EXP Lighter Lv3'
It's the age of storing EXP
1 trillion 0 billion 30 thousand 4,751 / 99 trillion 999 billion 999 million 999 thousand 999
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This is just ridiculous.
I thought I'd max it out and then give it a nice finish using the 'EXP Enhancement Facility', but the limit break is so insane I just can't keep up.
I mean, I've got one question—aren't these numbers kind of weird?
Earlier, because of the fallout from Daily-kun's outrageous act, the max value for the unevolved 'EXP Lighter' should've been 999 billion 999 million 999 thousand 999... Wait, huh? It's gone up a bit? (*Sensitive to EXP)
""Chi" (Translation: "For someone bad with numbers, you sure nitpick about EXP, Chi.")"
""Gii" (Translation: "Senpai, that's a boomerang hitting you in the back.")"
Hrrm... why did it increase on its own, I wonder... (*It's 'Phobia Syndrome Lv8')
"Wait! Could it be that Shurado-san is managing my EXP and increasing it behind the scenes...?! So that's what's going on... Classic Shurado-san..."
Yet again, Shurado-san's stock value has risen.
Just how perfect can one person be?
Now that we've wrapped up all the evolutions, let's take a look at the status.
"Status"
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Akagi Hideo
Level 201
HP 101,741/101,741
MP 21,123/21,123
Skills
'Finger Snap Lv6'
'Phobia Syndrome Lv8'
'Single Strike Lv6'
'Steel Spirit'
'Probability Time: Coin Lv2'
'Super Metal Assault Lv8'
'Blue Pulsation Lv3'
'Black Swamp's Severer'
'Super Catcher Lv4'
'Until the Very End Together'
Equipment
'Blue Blood Lv5' G4
'Proof of the Chosen One Lv4' G4
'Labyrinth Conqueror' G4
'Adolphene's Holy Shroud Lv4' G4
'Mugen High-Load ver5.0' G4
'Bloodstained Comrade' G4
'Metal Trap Room Lv3' G4
'EXP Lighter Lv3' G4
'Thousand-Style Metal Kit' G5
'Traces of a Dream' G4
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This is just irresistible. What a glorious sight.
All my equipment has reached Grade 4 or higher.
The sunglasses 'Labyrinth Conqueror', the rusted-in-blood brooch 'Bloodstained Comrade', the 'Thousand-Style Metal Kit' embedded in my heart, and the representative's badge 'Traces of a Dream'—these are all anomalous substances that can't be evolved with the 'Great Mugen High-Load ver6.0'.
Or maybe they just weren't meant to evolve in the first place.
Either way, no matter how many crystals we pile on right now, they won't evolve.
"Gii"
"Oh? Finger Man, Gii-san seems to be holding something."
"Huh, did we have this kind of anomaly before...?"
"Chii chii chii"
"Wait? Shimaenaga-san's also holding an anomaly I've never seen before. Where did you get that?"
I question Gii-san and Shimaenaga-san.
"Finger Man, could it be these two, when they defeated Dr. Shita Chichigasky earlier......"
Ah.
Come to think of it, Gii-san was probing around with those black tentacles... and Shimaenaga-san had that sneaky evil grin too......
"Chii chii chii♪"
"Gii♪"
That's savage.
Beating someone up and ripping off their anomalous substances.
Everything they do just screams post-apocalyptic chaos.
But they're so cute I'll let it slide.
Now then, show me what you stole (ni-chaa)