novelraw Chapter 139
Chapter 139
Chapter 139
Recently, even though I haven't gone to any dungeons, I've been leveling up every day like it's just one level at a time—this is Hideo Akagi, your Phobia Syndrome-type explorer.
I never imagined the reason I was leveling up without doing anything was because of some mysterious skill from a while back.
Ah, Dad, Mom, just entered the living room.
"Hideo, since when did you have a kid......"
"You're more active than I thought, huh."
[Breaking News] Our family is full of idiots.
For now, I explained the situation.
I told them I rescued her from the hideout of an evil secret organization to protect her from a major villain.
"Hideo, you really pulled it off."
"You're the only normal one in our family."
Just as my parents were starting to see me in a new light, it was time for dinner.
"By the way, where's bro? Is he doing okay with repaying his debt?"
"Probably somewhere around the North Atlantic by now."
Still enjoying the cruise on the Ship of Hope, huh.
That's nice, that's nice.
"Li Na-chan, this is how you use chopsticks~"
"Ah, u-uh. Chopsticks are hard."
Please forgive my foolish little sister for trying to teach a Chinese person how to use chopsticks.
And please forgive me for making her act like she couldn't use them just to be polite.
"Still, I really thought you finally got yourself a bride."
"You skipped right past the girlfriend stage, what gives?"
"Big brother, you seriously don't get any dates, huh? You've never had a girlfriend, have you?"
"That's what the official story says, yeah. But in reality... oops, I'm not allowed to say more than that."
"Yeah yeah, thanks for the pointless tease."
Suddenly, the little hedgehog popped out of my pocket.
My foolish little sister pounced. She's got a weakness for cute things.
"Waaah! So cute! Where'd you get this?"
"Found it in Chiba."
"Whaaat! They've got hedgehogs just lying around in Chiba?!"
"Kyukyuu! (Translation: I am the mighty dragon-Kyu! Not a hedgehog-Kyu!)"
"Uh, the gross slug is over there... huh? Where's Shimaenaga-san?"
"Currently serving a prison sentence."
"What do you mean???"
I shared some sukiyaki from dinner with the little hedgehog.
Suddenly, its perfectly round shape betrayed it, and it rolled off the table.
"Nyua."
"Kyu, kyukyuu!? (Translation: There's a strange creature here-Kyu!?)"
What shocked the little hedgehog was our cat, Nyua-chan.
She's the one my sister takes care of. I think she's a long-haired breed? Anyway, a fluffball. At first I wasn't even sure if she was a cat, but well, she says "nyua," so we're calling her a cat. That's all I know.
"Kyu! Kyu! (Translation: Stop it-Kyu! Don't roll me around for fun-Kyu! Help me, Hideo-dono!)"
"Nyua~!"
The little hedgehog has caught Nyua-chan's fancy.
Looks like they're having fun, and that's what matters.
After wrapping up dinner at my parents' house for the first time in a while, I took Na back to the room.
For now, I tossed Na into the EXP factory. I installed the "door" in the closet of my room. Having a "door" at home is super convenient.
That place is a sealed-off dimension. The "door" is hidden, so the chances of someone finding it by accident are low.
I don't know how many villains are under Sita Chichigaski, but well, they probably won't find it.
"W-Wait, Finger Man, what is that?!"
While I was hanging up the 'Adolphene's Holy Shroud' and changing into it as loungewear, Na walked in.
"Hawawa, sorry! I didn't know you were changing!"
If this had been the other way around, it would've been a classic Lucky Pervert moment.
No wait, even reversed, I'd just be watching a loli change. That's not great either.
I, for one, have a perfectly wholesome fetish, so if it's going to be a Lucky Pervert moment, I'd prefer it with a busty beautiful girl. Just putting that out there, Proof of the Chosen One.
"I don't particularly mind. It's not like I lose anything."
I slipped into my baggy high school gym uniform, picked up Gii-san and the little hedgehog, and tucked them into my pockets.
"Uwah... your body's amazing..."
"I am an explorer, after all."
"Can I touch a little?"
"Go ahead."
"...Whoa, your abs are rock hard."
"That's a new way to describe it. So, what's up? You didn't like the EXP factory?"
"Oh, right! There was a weird old man!"
"Yes, there is. A weird old man. Our factory keeps a weird old man around."
"U-Um, and then there were all these dangerous monster weapons walking around! Like twenty of them! Is that old man secretly a world-class dungeon biologist and a monster weapon handler?"
I don't follow.
Hmm, did we even have anything as dangerous-sounding as monster weapons?
I decided to verify her claims, so I went to the EXP factory with Na.
Beyond the "door" was a mysterious secret base with a thin layer of water on the ground.
Your feet get totally soaked, so make sure to wear boots. That's a promise with Finger Man.
Mmm, smells like that delicious roasted EXP is ready.
"Kyu! (Translation: That smell is making me hungry-Kyu~!)"
"Gii (Translation: This factory currently produces 572 million EXP daily.)"
"Kyukyu!! (Translation: That's amazing-Kyu! Revolutionary-Kyu~!!)"
"Finger Man, look at that!"
Na pointed at the Black Swamp monster Lv1 walking around the EXP factory—commonly known as the Breakdancers.
The Breakdancers are our factory's key workforce. They carry the 'Golden EXP' on trays to the next black container. That container is the 'EXP Enhancement Facility' where the 'Golden EXP' is roasted to a golden brown and turned into 'Golden EXP Lv2.'
As always, the Breakdancers are working hard today. Thank you, as always.
—That's what I explained to Na.
"...Huh?"
You could clearly see a "?" mark floating over her head.
Guess it was a bit too complicated for a kid.
"What does it mean to make EXP..."
"Kyu (Translation: Now that you mention it, I don't get it either-Kyu. What does it mean-Kyu?)"
"Gii (Translation: Amateurs should keep quiet.)"
I guess it really was too hard for EXP amateurs.
Gii-san is truly a pro. I'm confident we're on the same page.
"Ah! Finger Man, over there's something even more evil!"
Next, Na pointed at the Black Swamp monster Lv2—commonly known as the Black Tank. I, Finger Man, named it. According to Gii-san, "Back in its world, it was a shield-bearing soldier meant to take hits," so I gave it that name based on its dark appearance.
He's a new recruit who started working at the EXP factory just the other day, mainly handling area organization.
Apparently, the weird old man wants to develop some stuff in the future, so he said we needed to rearrange the containers. That meant we needed more Power.
So, since Gii-san had just gained the ability to summon a new one, we hired this guy.
—That's what I explained to Na.
"That makes no sense! Why?! Why are you assigning such a monstrous weapon to a job that even an 80-year-old part-timer could do?!"
"An 80-year-old part-timer probably couldn't lift the containers?"
"It's a figure of speech! Don't suddenly get all rational on me! You're always insane!"
Na shouted all in one breath and started panting.
"Monster weapons are biological weapons meant for dungeon conquest, right?"
"Exactly. That's the field I specialize in."
Saying that, Na pointed at the Breakdancers and asked, "Mind if I do a bit of research?"
"I'm fine with it, right, Gii-san?"
"Gii (Translation: As my lord wills)"
"Go ahead, Na."
Na approached with confidence.
Furo turned around.
"Just... stay close by, okay?"
"Ah, yes. Are you scared, by any chance?"
"W-Well... I mean, they might attack me."
"It's fine. The Breakdancers are really gentle and will do whatever you ask."
Saying that, she had them breakdance, and Na seemed to calm down.
Na asked all sorts of questions about the Breakdancers.
She had them attack, move around, and observed their abilities with her own eyes.
"It's just an estimate, but I'd say their monster weapon index is at least '15'..."
"Monster weapon index?"
"Yeah. The monster weapon index is a number that shows the performance of a monster weapon. Monster weapons were originally biological weapons meant for dungeon conquest, so the floors they can handle directly reflect their performance. For example, if a monster weapon could defeat monsters on the 10th floor and find the next stairs, its monster weapon index would be '10'."
"I see. So that means the Breakdancers are capable of conquering up to the 15th floor."
"Yeah... their performance is kind of ridiculously high though..."
For some reason, Na's face had been looking pale for a while now.
She was turning blue and covering her mouth with her hand.
"The restroom is out the room and on your right."
"Thanks for the directions... But I'm okay, I won't throw up."
"What's wrong? If you're not feeling well, want to cuddle the little hedgehog? It's super soothing."
"......The performance of the Breakdancers greatly exceeds the scope of modern dungeon biology."
"Really? They actually have some weak points too, you know."
The Naked Man... He was decapitated and defeated by the silver follower who died in the abyss.
On the 15th floor, well, I guess they don't seem all that strong.
"The index of the most cutting-edge modern monster weapons is '3', you know."
"Three? Ehh... That's total trash..."
"Grrr... It's so frustrating that I can't even argue back...!"
Whoops.
I accidentally let some foul language slip out.
I sincerely apologize.
So, you said three? That's total trash-tier.