Chapter 154
Hello, I'm Akagi Hideo.
I wake up in the morning and complete my Daily Mission, et up with Jiu-san, head to the site, take the Black Fingertips around a Class 1 dungeon, and when it's over, eat nearby with Shurado and Jiu-san, then head back ho. That's been my routine for about three weeks now.
As of now, I've conquered 90 dungeons.
That's an incredible pace. Even Wight agrees.
The Archon Dungeon is known as the stranded zone of another dinsion.
Previously, I conquered it while it was inactive, but this ti it seems like it's in an active state.
Right now, I'm overwheld with a desire to go to the Archon Dungeon. Maybe it's because of the strength of the dungeon factors or sothing. I'm not really sure.
Once I clear 100 dungeons, I'll get a ticket to the Archon Dungeon.
I train and build myself up for the day to co.
I think that's a pretty decent way to live. Yes.
"Daily Mission"
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★Daily Mission★
Let's work steadily every day!
'My na is Cat'
ow ow ow 0/100
Consecutive days: Day 138
Steady Rank: Platinum Multiplier 10.0x
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No need to panic over this.
I've already figured out how to conquer this Daily Mission.
I put on a pair of cat ears I bought at a 100-yen shop.
I go to the front of Kawagoe Station.
I lie down on the roadside and yell "ow ow ow~!" to get attention from passersby.
"U-Ugh, what is this guy...?!"
And if soone reacts to ,
"My na is Cat (cool voice)"
I spring up and introduce myself.
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★Daily Mission★
Let's work steadily every day!
'My na is Cat'
ow ow ow 1/100
Consecutive days: Day 138
Steady Rank: Platinum Multiplier 10.0x
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That's one done.
Now I need to repeat it 99 more tis.
Sha? Can you clear a Daily Mission with sha?
Amateurs, please be quiet.
This is a real professional's battle.
"ooow! Purr purr ow~! Myaaawn!"
"Ugh... gross. Wait, no, what? Don't co over here, what the heck is wrong with you?!"
"My na is Cat (cool voice)"
"Pipii!! (whistle sound) Hey you over there, step away! You were doing this yesterday too, weren't you?! What's your deal?!"
"My na is Cat (cool voice)"
——5 hours later
In the afternoon, soaked from the downpour, I return ho.
Trying to arrest soone for being a pervert is just plain rude. What's wrong with this country's police? (*They are functioning normally)
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★Daily Mission★
Let's work steadily every day!
'My na is Cat'
ow ow ow 100/100
★Today's Daily Mission completed!★
Reward: 'Norwegian Bakeneko'
Consecutive days: Day 138
Steady Rank: Platinum Multiplier 10.0x
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This is the reward for enduring the hardship.
The anomalous substance's na is 'Norwegian Bakeneko'
Between yesterday and today, we've got two of them in Team Finger Man.
Huh? You're asking what kind of anomalous substance it is?
You'll see when you claim the reward, but I can't do it at ho, so let's go to Calamity Island for now.
Okay, we've arrived.
Here, there shouldn't be any problem claiming the reward from the window.
With a pop, a massive shadow burst out of the window.
'Norwegian Bakeneko'
It's a biological anomalous substance.
You could also call it a familiar monster.
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Norwegian Bakeneko
HP 2,000,000/2,000,000
ATK 1–30,000,000
Skill: 'Natural Regeneration'
Skill: 'Soul Devour'
Skill: 'Mata Cat'
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A massive cat four ters long. Its tail is split in two.
It's supposed to be a Japanese monster called a nekomata, but its breed is a Norwegian Forest Cat.
This spooky kitty has the rare skill 'Natural Regeneration', which heals damage over ti, and with the skill 'Soul Devour', it inflicts continuous damage to all enemies in range while continuously healing itself.
Supposedly, even if you defeat it, it revives the next day thanks to the skill 'Mata Cat'.
It heals itself endlessly, revives over and over, and slowly tortures its opponents to death.
It's cute, so I'll allow it. But don't get the wrong idea.
It may act like a cat, but what it's doing is pure evil.
"Myaon♪"
"Good kitty, good kitty. Go on, go play."
The second Norwegian Bakeneko has been unleashed on Calamity Island.
"Well then, guess I'll go beat up another Class 1 dungeon today."
"Y-Yubio, it's terrible!"
"What's wrong, Doctor? Why are you in such a rush?"
"Just co with ! It's a huge incident!"
We return to the EXP factory and head into Na's personal room built inside a container.
There, five monitors were set up, a fridge, a T-fal, instant ran, boxes of snacks, a ga console, a PC, and a pen tablet—she'd completely turned the place into Na's castle. Like a shut-in's Eden.
"Ah, you're here, you're here. This is bad, right?"
Na, hugging her knees in a fancy-looking chair, points at one of the monitors.
It was showing a terrestrial TV broadcast with a large headline: 'Ergency Alert: Dungeon Break Occurs!'
"Dungeon Break... Is that the Dungeon Break?"
Dungeon Break.
A mysterious and unpredictable trial unleashed by the labyrinth upon humanity.
As the na suggests, it's a disaster term used when a dungeon collapses and monsters are unleashed from within to the outside.
"Where is it happening?"
"Looks like Kyoto."
Kyoto, huh.
I think I set up a "door" over in that direction during that Daily Mission to abduct the deer in Nara the other day.
"I'll go check it out real quick."
"Take care, Finger Man."
"It's a town of cultural heritage, so be careful, alright?"
Are they more worried about the town than ? Must be my imagination.
"Nyaon♪"
"Oh, Norwegian Bakeneko-san, you're coming too? To Kyoto?"
"Nyan."
————
——Bradley's perspective
Four weeks had passed since he escaped the depths of Darkness.
Still unable to take on the dungeon, Bradley lanted his situation.
How truly unfortunate.
Just as he had returned ho to recuperate, the Dungeon Break occurred.
A-rank No. 6, aka: the assassin Bradley
This androgynous Asian of unknown background would summon a naginata, and upon taking it in hand, proceed to slice down the swarming dungeon French bulldogs one after another.
In the dreamlike space of the thousand torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine, particles of light were being mass-produced.
Bradley continued converting the increasingly larger dungeon French bulldogs into particles of light, and then took a breath.
He imdiately checked to make sure he hadn't accidentally grazed any of the vermilion torii gates, then casually inspected whether the blade of his naginata had chipped—he had finished wiping out the monsters for now.
Bradley turned around and brusquely waved off the frightened children behind him, telling them, "Follow the evacuation order already."
(If they can make it to the shelter, there shouldn't be anything to worry about, at least for now.)
"That said..."
There were still dungeon monsters left roaming the city of Kyoto.
In an ergency like this, the initial response is crucial to minimizing damage.
And the only one capable of that was Bradley, the top-ranking explorer who just happened to be on site.
Driven by a sense of duty, Bradley prepared to run.
Suddenly, a high-pitched tallic clang echoed out.
It ca from deep within the thousand torii gates.
"You're ruining everything, you know? I went through all the trouble to cause a Dungeon Break and unleash the monsters, and if they get killed off this easily, what's the point?"
As he spoke, a man with a defiant attitude approached, banging a bloodstained iron pipe against the vermilion torii gates.
The man had a scarred face and dark, sun-kissed skin.
Bradley had a keen nose for sniffing out violent types.
That's why he instantly knew this man, who showed no respect for cultural heritage, was a hardened outlaw from the underworld.
"This blood—curious about it? A tourist who didn't get away in ti was right over there, so I bashed their head in. I an, it's fine, right? In a crisis like this, there's this vibe that says anything goes, no matter how chaotic."
"Hell no, it isn't."
"A-rank explorer Bradley, huh. You're a better guy than I thought. I figured you were on our side."
"Hah, just die already. You're annoying."
With that, Bradley swung his arm.
His snake tattoos writhed, materialized, and summoned a swarm of venomous snakes.
The snakes lunged straight toward the man with the iron pipe as they appeared.
"Pointless."
The mont the man muttered that, Bradley's venomous snakes dispersed like mist.
It was a completely different kind of disappearance from when their summon duration ends.
"Take this!"
The man lunged forward in a flash and swung his iron pipe hard at Bradley.
Bradley caught it with a slap of his hand, twisted expertly, and shattered the man's wrist.
"Guwaaaah!?"
"Pathetic."
Bradley said and moved to cut him down.
Sothing fell from the sky.
Bradley leapt backward on reflex.
It landed, snapping the torii gates without hesitation and cracking the stone pavent.
It was a giant with blue skin.
It slowly turned to face Bradley.
Bradley gasped.
Its face was horrifying.
The blue-skinned giant—it had to be at least 2.5 ters tall—and it had no face.
It looked as if boiling water had been poured over its face, lting the skin and fusing it shut.
The grotesqueness didn't stop there. Its mouth had been stitched shut so it couldn't open. It had been forcibly made to smile and sewn in place.
"Heh heh, Bradley, this guy's a real monster."
"A monster weapon... No, I've never heard of anything this strong being developed..."
But sothing else was more concerning.
He couldn't use his skills at all since earlier.
The man grinned and raised his unbroken hand.
In it was a creepy-looking finger.
It had been torn off at the base and was dried out and shriveled.
Bradley recognized it from his knowledge.
"The Witch's Withered Finger...?"
"Correct. Now then, go ahead and kill the damn explorer who broke my wrist."
The man banged the torii gates with his iron pipe over and over.
The faceless humanoid monster weapon marched briskly toward Bradley.
Bradley slashed at it with his naginata.
And then sothing terrifying happened.
The naginata struck the monster weapon with full speed and weight.
But the blade stopped just one milliter into its neck.
"What—"
The monster's fist struck Bradley.
Sternum shattered into fragnts.
He tumbled across the ground, vomiting blood.
He looked down to see his ribs poking out through his torn clothes.
"Guhh... cough... damn..."
He knew he was going to die.
The damage was far too great.
He couldn't use skills, nor could he even flee as a last resort.
(No way... , dying in a place like this...?)
What Bradley recalled in his fading consciousness was a strange scene.
He didn't like him. That young man.
He suddenly appeared out of nowhere, quickly made a na for himself, and now had risen to A-rank No. 10.
To Bradley, who had blood late, he was an unbearably irritating brat.
But ever since being saved in the depths of Darkness, his view had changed.
Struggling through a slump, as he reflected on himself, he realized—
That it was also admiration.
A deep envy toward that rare talent and charisma, perhaps.
"Fi...nger... Man..."
The faceless giant's fist, like a cannonball, ca crashing down.
And that's when it happened.
"Nyan♪"
With a silly ow, a monstrous cat appeared.
The monstrous cat made a dramatic entrance and, with a single cat punch, sent the faceless giant flying.
Bradley stared blankly, his gaze unfocused.
Soone was approaching from behind the monstrous cat.
A young man who looked good in sunglasses, carrying a duralumin case in one hand and wrapped in a dark brown coat.
"W-why... are you... here...?"
"Hm? You called my na."
Finger Man strolled over with a casual step.
(Ugh, seriously... what an infuriating guy...)
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