novelraw Chapter 141
Chapter 141
Chapter 141
Aaaaarrrrggghhhhh——!!
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Akagi Hideo
Level 271
HP 402,300/437,660
MP 100,950/106,420
Skills
'Finger Snap Lv7'
'Phobia Syndrome Lv10'
'Surekill Lv10'
'Steel Spirit'
'Probability Time: Coin Lv2'
'Super Metal Assault Lv8'
'Blue Pulsation Lv4'
'Black Swamp's Severer'
'Super Catcher Lv4'
'Until the Very End Together'
'Silver Shield Lv9'
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My apologies for such an unsightly display. Pardon me, pardon me.
No, seriously, that was dangerous.
I really need to cut back on the powdered gold from 'Golden EXP Lv2'.
I split up a few days' worth of savings with Gii-san and the little hedgehog.
Since the little hedgehog is still low-level, I gave them a bit more to boost their growth.
"Kyukkyu-kyukkyu-kyu! (Translation: The blood of the mighty dragon is boiling, kyu!)"
Stretching out those tiny limbs, it's unbearably adorable.
"The toddling little hedgehog is getting a bit puffed up too."
"Kyukyuu! (Translation: Dragon, kyu! Don't lump me in with some mascot-looking character, Hideo-dono!)"
That speech pattern is 100% mascot material.
I'd like them to try harder at being draconic and come back later.
I also gave the metalized metal dachshunds from the stored-up 'Metal Trap Room Lv3' to the little hedgehog. A big welcome gift.
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Little hedgehog
Level 37
HP 400/4,400
MP 2,140/45,200
Skills
'Salvation's Thunderclap'
'Salvation's Storm'
'Salvation's Scale Armor'
'Salvation's Swift Wings'
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Growing up nicely.
That puffed-up look reminds me of Shimaenaga-san.
About the size of a balance ball now? Adorable. With this much cuteness, we might not even need Shimaenaga-san anymore... how nostalgic.
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'Salvation's Scale Armor'
An ancient myth dwelling in the storm
Wear dragon scales imbued with old wind power
MP Cost 1,000
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Oh, so this is the new skill.
Dragon scales. Sounds strong. Um... huh? Wear? What does "wear" mean here?
"Kyu! (Translation: Like this, kyu!)"
The little hedgehog suddenly started glowing!
As I squinted against the brightness, in the next moment, the little hedgehog appeared before me, clad in snug-fitting scale mail.
Their plump, fluffy body looked forcibly crammed into the armor, with plenty of soft flesh spilling out. What's with that? Are you doing this on purpose? Too cute, seriously (half-annoyed).
"Kyukyuu! (Translation: Behold, Hideo-dono! This is the true majestic form, proof of my greatness as an ancient dragon, kyu!)"
"Isn't it a stretch to claim you're a dragon like this... Please apologize to real dragons, little hedgehog."
"Kyukyuu?! (Translation: D-Don't poke the meat spilling from my sides, kyu! Hmph, looks like I'll have to show my true form now, kyu!)"
There's still more?!
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'Salvation's Swift Wings'
An ancient myth dwelling in the storm
Wear dragon wings imbued with old wind
MP Cost 1,000
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I see.
So another skill has been added.
Let's see, 'Salvation's Swift Wings'. Oh, wings! That definitely screams dragon.
Um, "Wear dragon wings imbued with old wind"... yep, "wear".
"Kyukyuu! (Translation: These are the wings of freedom that soar through the skies and storms, kyu!)"
Wings sprouted from the little hedgehog's costume. That's all from the scene.
"Kyu?! (Translation: Show more interest, kyu!!)"
In the end, it's still just something you wear. And you're content just wearing it.
"Conclusion: Still very much a hedgehog. Good work."
"Gii (Translation: Will the junior ever become a dragon? I'll wait without expecting much.)"
"Kyuuu!! (Translation: I'm so frustrated, kyu! Just you wait, I'll make you all recognize me as a true ancient dragon, kyu!)"
Calling yourself an ancient dragon like this borders on fraud.
I really want them to reflect on this.
"Oh, Finger Man, seems you're having fun."
"Dr., thanks for your hard work. We were just doing some leveling up. This is the upgraded little hedgehog."
"Oh ho, the costume makes it even cuter."
"By the way, is it okay to use that thing now?"
"Ah, the 'Great Mugen High-Load ver6.5'? It was finished, but since you took too long to come back, I disassembled it to upgrade it to ver7.0. So it can't be used now."
"What are you doing......"
"You kept me waiting too long......"
A heated gaze exchanged with the Doctor.
What is this pounding in my chest?
It's only a matter of time before "Love so sweet" starts playing.
"Gii (Translation: Doctor, what happened to the item I asked for?)"
Gii-san interrupted the unusual rom-com development. I guess you could say I was saved.
"Oh. That? That one's been repaired. It was a rather interesting anomaly."
The Doctor then told the Breakdancers, "Bring that over, would you?"
The Black Swamp monsters brought out a large machine from the work area behind the container.
It was Jiu-san's 'Ominous Automata'.
It's a monster summonable from a necklace-shaped anomaly, a creepy mechanical doll with six multi-jointed arms. I saw it break inside the Archon Dungeon the other day, so I took it from Jiu-san and asked the Doctor if it could be fixed.
"I'd touched Jiu-chan's 'Ominous Automata' before, so repairing it wasn't too hard. I was surprised at how much it had leveled up since back then. I made some adjustments, so its performance should be improved. Though it might explode."
As expected of the Doctor. No one surpasses them when it comes to tinkering with strange things and causing even stranger evolutions.
"If it explodes, I think Jiu-san will file a complaint, so it's probably fine. (*It's definitely not fine.)"
So with that, I stored the mechanical doll back into the necklace.
I'll hand this over to Jiu-san later.
"Gii (Translation: Doctor, what about the other one?)"
"The other one? Did you also ask for something, Gii-san?"
"The lighter's been repaired too. I don't really understand how it works, but somehow it's fixed."
"You call that fixed... Wait, the lighter? Don't tell me that's the 'EXP Lighter'?"
"Gii (Translation: I thought it was a waste to leave, so I collected it.)"
Gii-san is quite good at quietly picking things up or sneakily stealing them.
I have no idea where he hides them on his body, but he can suddenly pull them out from who-knows-where, which is honestly a little scary.
"What is that?"
Na, who had been over there checking the monster weapon index of the Black Tank, came over. By the way, she proudly told me the index was "20". Compared to that, ours was 3. Yikes.
"It looks a little different in shape now."
"I figured just fixing it back to normal would be boring."
"Well, I would've been totally fine if you'd just repaired it normally."
"I'd say it's now the 'EXP Lighter ver2.0'. What do you think? Not bad, right?"
"Hmm, I liked the old one better..."
"Haha, so you liked it!"
This old guy seriously doesn't listen at all.
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'EXP Lighter ver2.0'
Can store EXP
0/999,999,999,999
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I don't see any noticeable improvements in performance.
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'EXP Lighter ver2.0'
Can store EXP
1,000,741/999,999,999,999
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Huh?
I'm just holding the lighter and looking at the window, but the number is increasing insanely fast?
It's going up at an incredible rate, every second, every second.
"Gii (Translation: It seems that thanks to 'Phobia Syndrome Lv10', EXP is gathering from all over the world. I'd say about one million EXP per second.)"
It's hyperinflation in the EXP economy.
The power of 'Phobia Syndrome Lv10' has finally been revealed.
"So the ultimate form of the EXP factory was for me to acquire the ability to produce EXP myself...?"
"Gii (Translation: As expected of the factory chief of the EXP factory.)"
"Finger Man... what is this, I don't get it... what's even happening anymore... this shouldn't be possible... and yet..."
Na gave a dry smile and looked utterly hopeless.
Looks like EXP amateurs just can't cope with this.
"Well, anyway, thanks for the repairs. I'll make good use of it. Oh, Na, step back. It's handmade by the Doctor, so you don't want to get too close. It might explode."
"Science always comes with failure, after all."
"Gii (Translation: Thank you for your hard work, Doctor. Now we can finally distribute EXP fairly.)"
Gii-san said that as he received several EXP Lighters.
Huh? You made that many?
"Doctor? There's kind of a lot here."
"Gii-san asked me. For repairs and replication, you see."
"He just casually went and replicated it, but how..."
"What kind of science is this... He doesn't even seem human. Is this weird old man one of Finger Man's underlings too?"
"He's a wild weird old man."
"Wild...? What *is* he?"
"Now that you mention it, I don't really know either."
"Ehh..."
Even now, to me, he's just a weird old doctor.
Na also looks thoroughly confused.
"Gii (Translation: Now everything is ready.)"
I feel like Gii-san is giving us a rather sinister smile.
So many replicated 'EXP Lighter ver2.0' units.
Just what is he planning to start?