novelraw Chapter 163
Chapter 163
Chapter 163
Hello, this is Akagi Hideo.
Since the incident in Kyoto, until the dungeon camp was set up, I was allowed to stay at a long-established inn for a while. It seems that the foundation is currently suffering from a serious shortage of staff. Apparently, the number of dungeon occurrences has been increasing in recent years, and the overall difficulty has been skyrocketing, so it seems that there is a shortage of explorers everywhere.
So, the Kyoto Class 5 dungeon was something that I, Bradley, and Pollen Fighter happened to be at the scene, so our role came to us, including vigilance and emergency response.
After all that, I spent about two days at a High Quality inn prepared by the foundation, and I had many opportunities to meet them. I spent almost the whole day together.
Because we were on alert, we were told not to go out much and to be ready to move out at any time, so we inevitably stayed at the inn and acted together.
"Don't you doubt, Bradley-san"
"Did you come to lose again, Finger Man"
"There is a surefire way to win this game. I'll let you understand a little"
——Two hours later
"Doubt"
"Why don't we stop playing this ridiculously boring game?"
After losing about 50 consecutive games in a crappy game called Doubt, I switched to Daifugo.
——Two hours later
"Finger Man, how many times will you be banned from rising?"
"Hmph"
Daifugo is also a crappy game.
Why are you banned from rising with a Jack?
"This time, let's fight in my domain"
"Oh, is that a duel?"
——One hour later
No, this Bradley only uses meta beats.
Baseness has reached its limit here.
"I'll forgive you for today, Bradley-san. Be prepared. I'll get serious next time"
"That's not the line you, who has been losing every battle, should be saying......"
I decided to have Pollen Fighter play with me.
"Hello, Pollen Fighter-san"
"Oh, Finger Man-kun, have you come again today?"
"Yes. I brought Bradley, the most boring man in the world to play with, so let's play mahjong"
"That's a terrible thing to say when I'm right next to you"
I know the surefire way to win at mahjong.
That is Kokushi Musou.
If you keep aiming for this cool-named hand, you will win.
——Two hours later
"Mahjong is a crappy game. I understand it clearly now"
"Finger Man-kun, I think you should change your wait more flexibly"
"You have absolutely no talent for the game. Is this what it means that God doesn't give two things?"
I completely lost my motivation when my score exceeded -100,000 points.
I can't do Kokushi Musou at all. What is Musou?
"...... Excuse me"
Jiu-san enters the mahjong room.
"Could it be that Jiu-san also plays mahjong?"
"...... It looks fun, but I'll refrain from it this time. Everyone, the dungeon class has been decided."
"Oh, is it finally time?"
"Does that mean the dungeon conquest is imminent?"
"How many was it?"
"...... The class is "5". It is an Abyss dungeon consisting of 40 floors."
"Ugh, Class 5......No wonder the monsters that are overflowing are so strong"
"When the monsters from the second half of the 20th floor rushed in, I felt like I was suffocating in the pollen, but does that mean that was just the beginning?"
Class 5.
Suddenly the scale increased.
For the past three weeks, I've only been dealing with Class 1 dungeons.
"...... It seems that the foundation expects that you can somehow manage it, although it will be a dungeon conquest with a shortage of staff. Thank you in advance."
We decided to start moving immediately to start the dungeon conquest.
"...... Finger Man-san, just a moment"
"What is it?"
"...... Actually, about 'Black Fingertips'──"
I doubted my ears as soon as Jiu-san reported it.
I also felt like Gii-san's eyes twinkled.
It was an unexpected permission to dispatch the entire army.
Is it okay to do that?
I'm the most worried about it.
Is it okay to give this experience point intellectual trash a cause?
"...... Please ask Dr. Jigokudo for details"
"Is Jigokudo-san here?"
So, I met with Jigokudo-san at a nearby Starbucks.
"Sorry to keep you waiting......Finger Man"
"Jigokudo-san"
With a sugar-filled coffee in hand, I asked about the decision that I could only think of as madness, which was permission to dispatch the entire army.
"The Dungeon Foundation doesn't understand anything about Finger Man......or rather, even if they do understand, the veil of cognition distorts their understanding......"
"Is it really okay to dispatch everything?"
"To be more precise, unlimited dispatch has been permitted......The foundation is interested in the activities of 'Black Fingertips', so they permitted unlimited dispatch in the sense that they want you to send about two or three more units......Yes, Finger Man, I know what you want to say......It won't end with just two or three more units, will it......"
"You understand what I want to say very well"
"I'm watching, that group on the island......Anyway, once again, the expression military is not appropriate, but your underlings──ah, why are you letting Calamity carry it around normally......I'm still struggling with Shurado's judgment......I'll have you inspect Gii-san's strength......and then I'll set restrictions on my end......"
After leaving Starbucks, I moved from the inn's "door" to the EXP factory.
"Doctor, where is Na?"
"She's on Calamity Island, isn't she? She seems to be having fun playing with the Black Swamp monster today."
I was told by the doctor, who seemed to be having fun tinkering with the machine today, and went to Calamity Island.
"It's been a little over three weeks since I last came to inspect......Have you been expanding your military again......?"
"I guess you could say it's been progressing, or rather, it's been progressing on its own."
"It doesn't progress on its own......Normally"
Saying that, first to the biggest World Tree on the island that towers in the center of Calamity Island.
The 'Tree of Experience Points' has significantly increased its number of registrants in the past three weeks.
"This is......what size is it......?"
"That tree has grown to 70m above ground. Its roots are spread deep underground, and it's only a matter of time before it covers the entire island."
Saying that, Na appeared.
She must have been doing some work, as she took off her lab coat and was wearing only a tank top.
She doesn't seem to be trying to hide her organic prosthetic arm on her right arm.
Na spends more time on Calamity Island than I do.
If anything, I leave various maintenance tasks to her.
In addition, her jobs include equipping the Black Swamp monsters, managing their numbers, and other development plans. Therefore, she can explain the overall picture of Team Finger Man to Jigokudo-san in more detail than I can.
So──
"Na, I'll leave the rest to you"
"Yeah, leave it to me"
"Well, Dr. Na, what about the Production of experience points──"
────────────────────
Current Production
────────────────────
'Metal Trap Room Lv4'
40,000,000/24h
'EXP Production Facility ver2.0 Lv2'
14,000,000/24h ★Boost★
'EXP Production Facility ver2.0 Lv2'
14,000,000/24h ★Boost★
'EXP Production Facility ver2.0 Lv2'
14,000,000/24h ★Boost★
'Tree of Experience Points'
60,000,000,000/24h
'EXP Amplification Magic Circle'
30,000,000/24h
'EXP Enhancement Facility Lv2'
7,000,000/24h
────────────────────
Total: 60,121,400,000 Experience Points
────────────────────
Platinum member bonus
60,121,400,000 ×10.0 = 601,214,000,000
────────────────────
Total Production: 601,214,000,000
────────────────────
"That's a mind-boggling number... Hm? Haven't the facilities increased...?"
Thanks to the mysterious scientific prowess of Dr., 'EXP Production Facility ver2.0' can now be mass-produced.
Since they're handmade by Dr., only two units have been mass-produced so far.
Then, by cramming them into the 'Great Mugen High-Load ver7.0', he evolved the equipment, resulting in a dramatic increase in the factory's production capacity.
That said, the 'Tree of Experience Points' is so powerful that it's starting to overshadow the factory's power.
The inflation of the experience point market economy shows no signs of slowing down.
"Dr... During your Dungeon Foundation days, you were so underappreciated... I'm glad you've found a place where you can shine..."
Is it really okay to leave it at that, Jigokudo?
I mean, I'm one to talk, but shouldn't we actually isolate Dr. and analyze him from top to bottom? He's the epitome of incomprehensibility.
"Currently, there are 154,451 monster infantry units on Calamity Island. Armament deployment rate is 0.02%. The plan is to cap the number at 200,000 in the future and focus resources on the deployment rate."
"...That level of buildup could destabilize global security... Hey, Finger Man."
Jigokudo gives me a really cold stare.
Can't be helped. I just wanted to increase the number of Tree of Experience Points registrants.
Not my fault. Totoro was there.
"Break down the monsters for me..."
"The plan is 150,000 Breakdancers and 50,000 Black Tanks. One guild of the 'Black Fingertips' has 21 members, and the ratio is 15 and 5 for them."
"I see... Hm, 21 units? Then what's the last one...?"
"That would be——and speak of the devil."
"I see a specimen I've never seen before..."
On the way to the barracks of the Black Swamp monsters, Jigokudo spotted it.
The 21st official member of the Monsters Guild 'Black Fingertips'.
"That's the new summon Gii-san can now bring forth—currently the strongest unit."
A black knight wrapped in a slick, wet black cloak stands proudly at the head of several thousand Black Swamp monsters lined up in formation.
Clad in tattered, heavy full body armor and carrying a single-edged greatsword on its back, the massive figure is nearly 3 meters tall.
With four arms, it easily drew the greatsword with just one and brandished it effortlessly.
"According to Gii-san, it's the Black Swamp's fierce general. An elite monster far above the rest of the Black Swamp troops. Its name is 'Dark Knight'."
Naming credits go to me, Akagi Hideo.
──────────────────────
Dark Knight
HP 1,200,000/1,200,000
ATK 1–8,500,000
DEF 20,000
──────────────────────
"What a terrifying thing... Finger Man, what were you thinking...?"
Don't look at me like that, Jigokudo.
Before I knew it, it was just there on its own. Not my fault.