Mob
Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #79
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 79:
The Second Day of Training Camp
Second day
of the camp.
On this
day, Oribe and Anna went into hiding first, and the training was to be
conducted in anticipation of encounters with other adventurers.
The
situation was set up as follows: 'I will have completed the first dungeon in
about 24 to 48 hours, own about 20 stars, and have about 100 million in assets
at my disposal with no losses in forces.'
I wondered
why it was necessary to set the time of the dungeon treading and the property
owned, not to mention the number of stars owned and the strength of the cards,
but since the smart Teacher and Oribe took the trouble to set them, they must
be meaningful settings.
With this
in mind, I gathered the clues and headed for the checkpoint.
So far, I
have not encountered Oribe or Anna once.
...... Aren't
they supposed to be lurking and attacking first? But it wouldn't be a special training.
When
I arrived at the first checkpoint, wary of Anna and Oribe, who could be
plotting anything, I found them there expecting me.
What
does this mean ......? As I approached the checkpoint,
thinking that we should not be able to fight at the checkpoint......, Oribe
spoke to me,
"......
Player Kitagawa, correct? If you don't mind, how about making a
deal with me?"
"......
A deal?"
"Yes,
would you like a hint to the next 12 levels, information on the checkpoints,
and the stars I have?"
I see, so
that's the situation. ...... Yes, there will be some players like that.
I
made eye contact with Suzuka and decided to get in on Oribe's role-play.
"I have
three questions. One, why would you sell information that gives you an
advantage over your competitors? Two, if I buy it, how will the deal be done?
Three, is the information correct? And, will the management allow such a thing
to take place in the first place?"
"First
of all, I am no longer your competitor. I had given up on the top places in the
race when I saw the top group in this dungeon. My cards are so worn out that it
is unlikely that I will even be able to finish the race. Then, I simply decided
that it would be more profitable to sell my pieces at a higher price to a
potential top finisher while the information and stars are still
valuable."
"Hmmm,
...... what about the second?"
"Regarding
the second question, I would like you to buy my twelve stars for two million
yen each. I'm sure you don't have cash to pay for them, and I don't trust you
to transfer the money to me later. How about using a D-rank card worth a
million yen each? ...... You're bringing a lot of cards that you don't need to
buy stars, aren't you?"
......In
fact, if there is a system where
stars can be exchanged for unwanted D-rank cards, it is more likely that people
will make such a deal, huh?
I
was not planning to buy stars with money, but if something like this happens, I
might just bring as many D-rank cards as I can afford to carry.
"How
will the exchange happen?"
"Naturally,
by duel. As soon as I receive half of the cards, I will bet all my stars and
surrender immediately. As soon as you confirm my surrender and the transfer of the
stars, I want the other half of the cards. Then I will give you the
information."
"......I
understand now how to do this. One last question, how do you guarantee the
validity of the information?"
When
I asked this question, Oribe grinned and answered,
"I'll
just have to ask you to trust me on that. If you refuse, I'll just offer the
same deal to other players. As for the management, as long as it's not
forbidden in the rulebook, I can only assume it's been factored in."
So I guess
I'll have to judge for myself whether it's a lie or the truth. As for the
management, I'm sure this kind of development is also factored in for the sake
of ratings.
Should
I make a decision here? Just as I was thinking this, a voice suddenly interrupted.
Anna,
who had been watching silently until then, made a move.
"Hey,
wait a minute! Why
don't you buy some information from me instead of those small boobs?"
"...Anyone
who isn't involved should stay away."
Oribe
seemed to be angry without any acting, but Anna did not seem to be bothered by
it.
"The
woman there said she would sell information on the next 12 floors, but I can
sell you checkpoints up to the lowest floor! And all it takes is one D-rank card
and one star!"
"That's
a lie. There's no way you have information about the lowest floor. You go
back and forth from the lowest floor to here in such a short amount of
time?"
"I was
one of the top people in this dungeon. All I did was go through the gate and
back to the entry point. Well, I lost the battle for the right to challenge the
Boss, and I’m sure I will have to retire. But that's why it's more reasonable
to buy from me~."
"Don't
be fooled, it's too good to be true. It is safer to buy from me."
Two
pairs of eyes looked intently at me.
I
pretended to be deep in thought and asked Suzuka,
『...How
is it? Which one is lying? 』
『Ahh,
I'm sorry. This is all an act, right? That means everything is judged false.』
At
Suzuka's apologetic words, I involuntarily looked up to the heavens.
I see! Shit,
it's like that! Acting is also a kind of lie after all...
The
countermeasure against other players' bluff that I told Oribe yesterday was
Suzuka's [Deceit Detection].
If
I know my opponent is lying, I can do business with people relatively safe unless
they change their minds right before the transaction.
However,
in this mock race, which was only a role-play, the [Deceit Detection] did not
seem useful.
I have no
choice... I have to explain the situation.
"Ah~,
sorry! I'm pausing the role-play!"
I
made a T-shape with my hands. Anna tilted her head,
"...?
What's wrong? Do you have any questions?"
"Yeah...
Actually, Suzuka here has the [Deceit Detection]. I was going to use that skill
to detect lies... but since acting is included as lying..."
The
two girls looked at each other and then let out a deep sigh.
"You
have a good skill for detecting falsehoods, Senpai. You will have no problem
when trading within the dungeon. If you don't say that quickly, won't there be
unnecessary acting and simulation?"
"That
said, having that perception may also be Senpai's blind spot. ...Did you say
Suzuka? Then
I have a question for Hashihime over there."
"Go
ahead~?"
When
Suzuka nodded lazily, Oribe made one coughing sound.
"......
Anna, was actually a bit of a bocchi in junior high school. Is this a lie or is
it true?"
"Wai-?!"
Suzuka
looked at Anna, whose eyes widened in disbelief, with a subtly familiar look.
'Ah~, I don't
think it's a lie, Master."
"Oh,
oh...... I see."
I see......
"Hmm, it
looks like it's the real deal."
"Wa-,
wa-, wait......, what are you saying all of a sudden, Sayo?!"
"I'm
sorry. This is the only thing I could come up with on the spur of the moment
that Senpai didn't know about. "
“That’s
definitely a lie!”
『That
one's a lie, by the way.』
As if to reinforce Anna's statement, Suzuka
added.
Oribe...
Or
rather......
"Anna
didn't have any friends with this character ......?"
"I- it
doesn't mean that I didn't have any friends! See! Sayo's been my friend since middle
school!"
"Well,
she had a few friends, including myself.
Incidentally, it's not that she didn't have any friends with this
character, but because it was this character, she didn't have many friends. It
was a prestigious school for young ladies, you see."
"Ahh......."
I
was somewhat convinced. This character would certainly appear a little frolicsome
in young ladies' school. It doesn't seem
to be very compatible with the old-fashioned upper class......
Oribe
elegantly covered her mouth and said with a downcast look on her face,
"Anna
Jushichiya-san is always energetic and has a very nice personality, but we just
can't seem to get along......"
"Stop
talking like those ladies! That means they don't like you because
I'm loud and stupid!"
A-
Anna-san......, you're really........
As
I looked at her with pity......, Anna noticed it and sagged.
"Aaaaahhhh
...... why such a stray bullet all of a sudden... My sunny, communicatively
strong image is......"
......No,
I'm sorry, but you didn't have that image to begin with, I think? I thought she
seemed to have a bit of a communication problem, seeing the way she would throw
some otaku jokes into conversations, the way she would blatantly put up a wall
to people she wasn't interested in (like with Yujin-san), and then rush to
close the distance to people she was comfortable with.
I
think it was a little bit more relatable from the point of view of an
otaku/geek like me and the East-West duo.
......
Suzuka had seemed to be looking at a kindred spirit for a while now.
"Well,
putting Anna aside, let me clear up this situation for you. If you choose my
side, although the price is high, you can generally buy information up to the
checkpoint. On the other hand, if you choose Anna, the deal was actually a lie,
and Anna was just a companion of another top player who came early to this
dungeon to stall the other players."
"I
see......, because even if I win, I can't avoid being worn down, and once I'm
tricked, I'll be reluctant to buy information from other players."
"That's
it. Well, if you have the skill to detect falsehoods, then such deception
should be okay. By the way, after that, today, there should be an adventurer
who will offer fixed matches for a safe rest for an hour and an adventurer who
offers to stop other players if you pay them a D-rank card. But..."
"Un,
well, I think I can handle transactions between players fairly well."
"Then...
what should we do for the rest of the day?"
When
Oribe put her hand on her chin and began to think about it,
"That's
obvious! It's a fight with us!"
"Ee,......
why?"
"The
reason, there, is no particular reason! If there has to be one, it is that
Senpai has to accept our challenge! It will be a back-to-back battle with me
and Sayo!"
"Hmm,
that's fine, but... what about the number of cards?"
"Hum,
the usual three-on-three is sufficient."
"It's
decided! If
I win, you'll have to forget what happened earlier!"
"I can't
just force myself to forget my memory......."
Anna
summoned a familiar Elf, a Pegasus, and a new face, a knight in full armor.
The
knight was probably an angel, since they had shining wings on their back.
Among
angels, there was only one race that wore full-body armor that concealed even
their faces.
Dunamis.
Also known as Angel of Strength, it was a B-rank card with an equipping skill.
That Anna,
did she already upgrade Dullahan to Dunamis? Yesterday, it was still a
Dullahan.......
No, that
doesn't matter. The problem is that Anna's B-rank card is Dunamis, of all
things.
I'm
aware of Dunamis' skills too, as they have a rare equipping skill.
・The
Armor of Integrity and Virtue: Advanced class of equipping skill. By possessing
other cards or the master, they can increase their combat power, and they can
share one inborn skill other than their equipping skill, plus all their
acquired skills. This armor has a high defense against evil forces and can
break undead-type immortality simply by an attack.
Basically,
it was like a complete upgrade of Dullahan.
It
can now completely boost its combat power, has strong resistance against
demonic types which is a characteristic of angels, and can dispel undead-type
immortality, and can even share one inborn skill in addition to its acquired
skills.
And
among Dunamis' inborn skills, there was [Miracles on Earth], which was the best
choice.
・Miracles
on Earth: The authority of Dunamis, which governs miracles in the form of
actual phenomena. This skill cures all the status ailments of the entire group,
nullifies them for a certain period of time, and greatly enhances tolerance and
durability.
Angel-type
monsters excelled in the power of exorcism and defense, but Dunamis entirely
specialized in the defense aspect.
...... Anna,
you have thoroughly filled the Pegasus Knight's loophole. It appears that the
failure in the battle with the Mother Goat had been deeply etched in her heart.
Now, what to
do?
Eliza's
immortality will be broken...... the sun is rising, so it doesn't matter to begin
with, the problem is the Pegasus Knight's ridiculous combat power.
The
maximum combat power of an Elf was 920, to which Dunamis' 1680 combat power
would be added, totaling 2600 ....... Add to that Pegasus' strength and speed
with 860 combat power, and it can deliver six times the destructive power at
any given moment.
This
would be a complete overkill. It really was a brain-muscle configuration that
said strength equals power.
Even
if I reinforce our defense with Dullahan, it would be paper-thin in the face of
the Pegasus Knight's overwhelming destructive power.
The
only thing that could counter it would be the full synchronization of Renge and
Yuki, but even then, it is uncertain whether they could hold the Pegasus, which
specializes in strength and speed. I mean, Yuki will not be able to take on the
Elf when they keep sniping with her bow from the air.
Against
this type of opponent, it is standard practice to attack with status ailments,
but Anna also has the countermeasure to that.
......Heh.
I laughed a little.
What should I
do......? I
have no idea how to overcome this.
If there's
one thing I can do.......
After
a few seconds of silent contemplation, I put back Renge, Mea, and Suzuka,
leaving Yuki, Eliza, and Athena.
"Hee......,
you chose Athena. She seems to have a heavy negative skill set, but let's see
what she can do. ....But, I didn't expect you to pull back Renge-chan."
"........................"
"Heh,................"
When
I didn't answer, Anna also perceived something, and the tension increased
without a word.
Oribe
saw us like that and said,
"Hmmm.
It looks like the trigger to start the game is lacking. Then I will give you my
signal."
""........................""
"----BEGIN!"
""Ha!""
We
moved at the same time the moment we heard the signal.
First,
Yuki bent down and disappeared from sight in an instant. At the same time,
Eliza activated [Shield of Devotion] and Athena summoned Nike.
On
the other hand, Anna wrapped herself in Dunamis straight away and let the Elf
snipe me, aiming for a direct attack.
The
platinum armor of Dunamis blocked the blow of Yuki, who appeared behind Anna at
super speed due to Shukuji, and Eliza's [Shield of Devotion] blocked the snipe.
......Tsk, it
was read after all.
"Huhu,
as I thought, aiming for a direct attack. Well, the only drawback to the
Pegasus Knight here is that in a three-on-three battle, the master is left
defenseless. Naturally, Senpai would see through this. If it were four against
four, I could have welcomed Senpai with a perfect lineup, but alas..."
Anna,
who had noticed my small click of the tongue, said with an annoyingly smug look
on her face.
Hmph, say
what you want. At least now we've broken one corner of the trinity. ......
Instead, though, the Elf has taken off to the skies on the Pegasus.
Staring
at the Elf, who was raining arrows from above toward us, I said,
"Nike,
use the [Laurel Crown] on Eliza."
"Huh?!! Why are you
commanding Nike, my servant?!"
Athena's
cheeks puffed up at my words.
Apparently,
she was annoyed that I went over her head and gave Nike instructions.
I
thought this was not the time for this, but I bowed my head to her pride as a
goddess.
"Oh, oh,
I'm sorry. Athena, could you tell Nike to use the [Laurel Crown]?"
"Even
though I have lost my power, I will not allow you to disrespect me as a
goddess! ......Nike,
do it for me."
"I
understand. ......Athena-sama who can't read the air even though she's in the
middle of a battle is too cute, isn't she, hu~ hu~"
While
muttering something in the latter part, Nike gave the blessing to Eliza, who
continued to do her best to defend against the rain of arrows with her shield
of devotion.
A
crown made of luminous bay leaves descended on the beautiful vampire's head,
and her entire body became enveloped in a pale blessed light.
This
greatly boosted Eliza's stats and also allowed her to temporarily raise one of
her general-purpose skills to a higher level. It was the [Intermediate
Auxiliary Magic] that was upgraded.
Immediately,
Eliza employed Protection, an advanced auxiliary magic. This was defensive
magic that completely blocked medium-level attacks and greatly reduced
advanced-level attack/offensive magic as well.
This
greatly reduced the pressure of the attacks that her [Shield of Devotion]
received.
Furthermore,
Nike herself also took turns putting up Protection, thereby closing the void in
each other's chanting time.
With
this, our protection should be perfect. ...... Although, we will have to stay
on until Pegasus is finished.
Until
then, Yuki needs to tear down Dunamis's defenses.
Yuki
was in the midst of a fierce battle with the Dunamis-clad Anna.
"Guhhhh?! How can a
C-ranked Lycanthrope stand firm against a B-ranked Dunamis?! The synchro rate
isn't that high, but I'm using synchro too! I knew there was something wrong with
Senpai's cards!"
Anna
was clearly flustered, but the sword blows that she delivered were sharp and
heavy.
The
advanced-level equipping skills can not only eliminate the obvious weakness of
the master on the battlefield, but can also transform the master into a
first-rate warrior depending on the acquired skills.
Additionally,
Anna had been taught self-defense skills since childhood. It was no ordinary
feat to break down her defenses, as she used techniques specialized for
defending oneself.
Yuki
also tried to confuse Anna by feinting with the bunshin/clone technique or by
using the earth and water jutsu to create a surprise attack from the ground or
water, but she was still unable to break down Anna's strong defenses.
Looking
up in the sky, the Pegasus had gradually been moving faster, and the power of
the arrows had been increasing in heft along with it. ....I think it is almost
ready for the charging power to be maxed out.
Once
the charging power is maxed out, Anna will probably suggest surrendering.
If
that happens, I have to accept it. Do not persist until the cards are Lost.
That is the manner of a mock battle.
Somehow,
we need to break down Anna's defense before then.
There is no
choice ...... it may appear a little weird, but I should use full
synchronization.......
『Yuki,
[Wolf Clothing] and [Awakening of Instinct].』
『Yes,
Master.』
Now, I hope
no one will notice the unnaturalness of the increase in combat power.....
"Aooooooooooooo!!!"
"Kh!
Turning into a werewolf here, huh......?!"
Anna
voiced her irritation at Yuki, whose body was rapidly growing.
"Then,
us too!"
With
that declaration, countless wings of light rained down on Anna's cards.
......
Did she just use [Miracles on Earth] to boost their defenses?
"Fufu,
with this, it won't be easy to--?!"
Before
Anna could finish talking, Yuki's fist slammed into her abdomen ......, or
rather her entire upper body due to the size difference.
Yuki,
now a werewolf, stood at nearly five meters, easily exceeding four meters, and
was one size larger than a normal lycanthrope.
The
blows delivered from her huge body were no longer point-blow strikes, but rather
full-on VIOLENT strikes.
Even
so, her blows were sharp and fast, despite her huge size.
“…Kh!?
Gh?!?!?!”
Anna,
who could not follow the blows with her eyes at all, noticed the attack only
after she was hit and could only be confused.
Yuki
ran after Anna, who was rolling like a soccer ball, grabbed her body and pulled
her straight up to her maw.
"......Surrender.
Or I'll chew you up until your Dunamis is Lost."
"Hh?! Wha.....?!"
Although
Anna was not harmed, she was confused and didn't seem to grasp the situation.
I've
been wondering about this for some time now..., but this red-headed young lady
tends to be vulnerable to unforeseen circumstances.
It can't be
helped, let's put a little bit of a scare into her.
I
(as Yuki because we synchronize) put a lot of pressure on my jaw, and I let the
great sword-like fangs sink a little deeper into the armor.
Anna
screamed at the sound of the cracks in the platinum armor,
"Hiii......! Fi, five hundred
million armor is ......?!"
Is that the
first thing you dread? No, I understand the feeling, but
.......
Then
Oribe, who was watching from the sidelines, stopped the match,
"That's
enough! The
match is decided as a victory for Senpai! ......Anna, that's fine, right?"
"...Ah,
yeah."
Anna
nodded her head in a daze, and I lowered her to the ground as I released her.
After
unequipping Dunamis, she slumped powerlessly into the seawater.
"Huh......? What does this
mean? Isn't
it weird ......?"
Anna
was mumbling something to herself.
"No matter
how I think about it, it doesn't add up, does it? Lycanthrope's combat power is 800, and
even if Senpai can use full synchronization, the maximum is about 1600.
Dunamis' combat power is just over 1680 at this point, so there is actually not
much of a difference in combat power. In fact, with our synchronization, we
should have a slight advantage. ...... Even if there was an increase in stats
due to werewolfication and the [Awakening of Instinct], it would have been
covered to some extent by the increase in defenses due to the [Miracles on
Earth]. It's weird....., no matter how I think about it, the difference in
strength is not enough to be so one-sidedly beaten thoroughly......."
".................................."
At
Anna's musings, I did my best to maintain a poker face, keeping my face from
twitching.
Rather
than being sharp......, was it that unnatural?
"What
does this mean? What
in the world was that trick?"
"No, no,
there's no such thing as a trick."
"Don't
you say that! Come to think of it, even though Renge-chan has [Spiritual
recurrence], she's too strong, isn't she? Maybe... it's a skill for which you
know the conditions for acquiring......?
Ugh, that's
not good. The spark even jumped to Renge!
"No, no,
no, there really are no tricks. ...It's bad manners to probe too much into
other people's cards, you know?"
"....If
it's not the card, is it a new Link? Now that I think about it, I forgot to
ask, but how did you know the location of the Hound Master who was embedded in
the Mother Goat in one shot at that time? It's not like you hit it in the
stomach by accident and found the Hound Master there, was it?"
"U......!"
Anna's
doubts were unrelenting, perhaps having been harboring doubts for some time,
and her pursuit of them was severe.
But, both Perfect Link and [Breakthrough of Limits] of Renge and Yuki are
secrets that I cannot disclose to anyone else. It can't be revealed no matter
what.
Perhaps
reading my firm determination from my expression, Anna changed her course of
attack,
"......
Of course, I won't say it's for free. I promise to pay you something that is
befitting the information."
"I told
you that was nothing. The whole thing with the Hound Master was just a
coincidence too, really."
"......A,
a little is fine, I think... something n, naughty for the reward, I
guess?"
"Huh!?"
An unexpected
orijikake?!
I
thought I heard a slight, very slight crack in my resolve, which should have
been as hard as a rock.
But
on this one, that was not enough to make me nod my head.
[Breakthrough
of Limits] is a skill I don't exactly understand, and the Perfect Link is my
trump card in the truest sense of the word.
It
has to be at least a super-naughty reward, not just a little bit naughty......
"----Leave
it at that, Anna."
And
that was where Oribe's intercept came in.
"Whether
it's information about rare skills or personal Links, it's not something you
should force them to talk about, even if you're close. If you're going to do it
in exchange for your body, you're going to be subjected to all kinds of
perverted play. "
"Uh......
true, Senpai seems like a pervert."
Anna glanced at me and looked terrified. Even though there was no evidence,
what an accusation! I was outraged.
I really wish
they wouldn't say such a thing until they see my search history. If they see
it, well, I guess I can't really complain......
"That's
why, give it up for now."
".....Okay."
Anna
nodded grudgingly.
I
had a mixed feeling. I felt relieved but also like I had lost a very valuable
opportunity.......
Oribe
turned around and looked at me. There was a smile on her face that reminded me
of a carnivore.
"Now,
Senpai."
"Wh,
what...?"
"The
flow has gone haywire, but the mock race should continue. Oh boy, just before
you could breathe a sigh of relief after getting through the battle with Anna,
her companion rushed over to take her place. Now, what do you do?"
Saying
so, Oribe called out Tsucchi and the Honoikazuchi no Kami.
My
face twitched at the hint of a continuous battle.
[Tips] Toilet
circumstances in the dungeon
Trash
in the dungeon basically does not disappear unless it is cleaned up by humans.
it is common etiquette for adventurers to take their trash home with them, but
there are some cases where this is not possible. In other words, the excrement.
In
the safe zones on each floor, there are temporary toilets installed by the
Self-Defense Forces when they surveyed the dungeons, and these toilets are
great because they instantly cleanse the waste with the effect of magic items,
but outside the safe zones, adventurers must dispose of their own excrement by
themselves.
Most
amateur adventurers will hold out until they reach a safe zone or, in the worst
case, dig up and bury their own waste, however, it is common practice for
adventurers to carry a portable toilet.
Most
professional and semi-professional adventurers who have the money to spare tend
to carry their own carded private toilets.
As
a side note, many dungeons in foreign countries do not have toilets temporarily
set up in safe zones, and the sanitary conditions in these areas are, to put it
mildly, is hellish.
***
Notes:
2 Bocchi: be always all alone or isolated (or such people) ↩
3 Shukuji: A magic method of contracting space ↩
4 Laurel Crown: A mark of glory that Nike gives to the victor of the battle. Doubles the target's status, temporarily nullifies status ailments, and increases the rank of general-purpose skills by one. Contains advanced auxiliary magic.↩
5 Orijikake: use of seductive techniques to get what they want ↩
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