Tag: Male Protagonist

“Haaaaaaaaaaa!!”

Facing the wall on the right side of the labyrinth entrance, I let out a battle cry and visualized Burial Power gathering in my right fist. As intended, my hand began to be wrapped in a wavering, pale-white wave-like aura. The momentum surged. It was my first time using this technique, but I was under the impression it was basically just a punch. It didn’t seem like a skill that required much thinking.

I had already placed my staff on the ground. I lowered my stance, steadied my breathing, closed my eyes, and moved into what I assumed was a proper straight-punch form. For the record, I’ve never been in a fight before, so everything I’m doing is based purely on manga impressions.

So honestly, I had no idea if this stance was even correct.

Well, this is a “might as well try” situation anyway. If it worked, I’d just call it luck.

Alright then—here I go!

“Burial Fist!! Take thiiiis!!”

Kyiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!!

My likely clumsy [Burial Fist] slammed violently into the wall made of Deep-Sea Super Ore! A sharp metallic screech echoed through the labyrinth, like steel crashing against steel!

And yet—

The only thing impressive about it had been the sound. When I checked the spot I had hit, there wasn’t even a scratch on the wall.

As expected, it seemed I had overestimated things.

> Hey lol

> Why are you punching the wall lmao

> Don’t tell me you’re trying to destroy the labyrinth itself?

> Pure muscle brain energy lol

> Like that was ever going to work

> Surprisingly, that looked pretty cool though!

> If that hit a monster it would’ve turned them to dust

> The sound was so loud I thought it actually worked

> Oi oi. If you hit a wall that hard…

“Daishi-san, are your hands okay?”

“Hm? Just a little numb, I’m fine!”

…Actually, it hurt like crazy.

But it wasn’t the kind of sharp, bone-breaking pain I had expected. More like a deep, numbing shock running through my fist.

“You can’t just try to destroy a labyrinth itself like that! There’s no way that’s possible!”

“S-sorry…”

“And if you hit a wall that hard, of course you’re going to take damage too, right? Don’t tell me you were planning to just have me heal you a little even if you got injured?”

Uh-, she saw right through me.

“I-I’m using all kinds of skills too, and my MP is going down, you know! At least think about it fir—wait, huh?”

Satsuki-chan, who had been scolding me, suddenly froze mid-sentence. Her gaze was fixed on the wall I had just punched.

The side of the labyrinth entrance wall.

> Huh?

> Wait… is that a crack?

> Oi oi lol

> No way…

> You actually cracked Deep-Sea Super Ore with a punch?? lol

> Awesome!

> If you keep hitting it, maybe it’ll break?

> Looks like our Daishi did it again…

Eh? Seriously?

Indeed, looking at the spot everyone’s eyes were glued to, I could see the tiny cracks. But what I had envisioned was “shattering.” A mere crack won’t do anything. Even if I keep hitting it to destroy it, it’s too inefficient, so I guess it didn’t work out this time…

Hmm?

The tiny crack started to spread across the impossibly hard wall. And now the crack is spreading at an alarming speed. And the way it’s spreading is unsettling.

It almost looked like a pattern—like the crest of some noble family—drawing itself out in perfectly ordered sequences across the surface.

> The cracks are…

> The “crackle” won’t stop

> How far is this going to spread?

> It looks both geometric and chaotic…

> Whoa! It’s already reached the entire side wall!

> W-w-w-w-wait a second!

> No way LOL

> What is even happening lol

As if answering the screams of over 150,000 viewers, the beautifully formed cracks continued to spread at an unbelievable speed. The sound of crackling and snapping began echoing from everywhere at once.

“D-Daishi-san! Over here too!”

“Huh? Why?!”

“The far end as well!”

“W-what the heck?!”

I had punched the wall just to the right of the entrance. And yet, for some reason, the same crest-like fractures had spread to the left wall too. And even to the wall at the very back of the passage.

They were everywhere.

And beyond those shattered surfaces—

From deep within the cracks, a different kind of light began to leak out. Not the glow of the deep-sea super-ore. Something else entirely. It poured out in bursts, converging into razor-straight beams of intense light that tore through the labyrinth like lashing streaks of energy.

“Heyyyy! What is this?! What’s going on?!”

“W-w-w-what the—!”

Even I, the one who caused it, was completely panicking.

I mean—who would expect something like this just from punching a wall?!

> Whoa—

> A storm of raging beams lol

> Isn’t this basically a space war??

> Walls and ceilings are getting wiped out one after another…

> Melting, collapsing, burning…

> I swear I can hear monster screams mixed in LOL

> What even is this scene lol

> This is basically a manga

> I’ve lost words lol

The comment section was racing past like it was moving at the speed of light, but even through the chaos, one thing was clear—

Everyone was stunned.

“Well… yeah.”

I felt the same way. All I could do was stare blankly at it. No words came to mind that could properly describe what I was seeing.

If I had to force it into a single phrase it’s—

“It’s total chaos.”

Satsuki-chan said it for me instead.

Yeah. That was exactly it.

While I was thinking that, the beams continued to rampage through the walls and ceiling, gradually opening up the entire field of view.

It all took barely ten seconds. By the time it was mostly over, the light finally began to fade. And when it did, what was revealed was a vast, hollow space—like an empty shell left behind.

Looking up, the ceiling was riddled with holes in places. Looking down, the floor was nothing but rubble—what used to be walls of deep-sea super-ore reduced to shattered debris. And here and there were scorched remains of what looked like monsters. Broken trap mechanisms were scattered among the ruins as well.

The place looked like the aftermath of a ground battle so devastating that it had erased everything in its path.

I stared at the scene… and eventually stopped trying to think about it.

“…Well.”

“Guess we’ll call it a win… somehow.”

Satsuki-chan felt the same.

“For now…”

“Let’s keep moving shall we?”

With an indescribable sense of despair hanging over us, Satsuki and I made our way over the rubble and piles of corpses, heading towards the area where we believed there must be an exit.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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As I descended the spiral staircase leading down to the second basement floor of the West Tokyo Fourth Beginner Dungeon, I found myself recalling something the time-space rabbit had said on our way out.

“I’m sure you already realize this, but something is seriously wrong with the West Tokyo Fourth Beginner Dungeon right now. Even I have no idea what’s waiting ahead. You should proceed with caution.”

Even I had already noticed that something about this dungeon was off. There was no way this was a beginner-friendly dungeon.

It wasn’t quite on the same level as the Nether Class dungeon we had just been in, but it was definitely safer to assume that it had shifted into a difficulty range comparable to high-tier dungeons.

Still… “be careful,” huh. Well, I guess that just means “don’t get careless.” Maybe it was a warning that, despite being a beginner myself, I had already become too strong—that I shouldn’t let that make me complacent.

In dungeon exploration, it wasn’t just about stats or skill power.

That was the real thrill of it.

Alright. Let’s stay focused and proceed with the next part of the dungeon raid.

“This is… the second basement floor, huh…”

“Hey, do you see anything? Medusas? Giant-type monsters? Anything like that?”

“….”

Satsuki-chan showed none of the energy she had when we descended to the first floor. All the way here, she had been nervously pinching the edge of the back of my robe, following closely behind as she made her way down.

So it was me—and the viewers—who ended up checking the room’s situation first.

Maybe she really did lose some confidence after what happened in the Nether Class dungeon.

Well, personally… I actually prefer her like this. Honestly, the overly hyped, aggressive streamer version of Satsuki-chan is a bit hard to deal with.

By the way, her own stream still hadn’t come back online. Apparently, she was still dealing with equipment issues and couldn’t broadcast yet. Because of that, her viewers were still flocking to my channel instead. Right now, my stream had roughly 130,000 viewers total, all of them eagerly anticipating what would come next.

> Huh?

> This is…

> It kind of feels artificial.

> There’s no presence of monsters.

> A maze?

> Feels like a labyrinth zone.

> Yeah, labyrinth zones do pop up sometimes.

> Hard to tell which dungeon this is just from the visuals.

> There are different kinds of labyrinths too.

> If you examine the wall material, you might be able to identify it.

> Satsuki might be good at that, right?

> If she has an analysis skill, she could probably figure it out.

A maze, huh. So there are things like that too.

Now that I think about it, the atmosphere does vaguely resemble those amusement park attractions I used to go to as a kid with my parents. But the walls here weren’t made of wood. They were a deep green color—hard surfaces engraved with vine-like markings.

Ahead, the passage ended in a dead end, but I could see hallways branching left and right even from here. There were no torches installed, yet the entire space was surprisingly bright. The engraved patterns themselves seemed to glow faintly, likely serving as the light source.

“It’s fine, Satsuki-chan. There aren’t any monsters or anything. The viewers are saying it might be a labyrinth zone.”

“Labyrinth Zone…?”

Saying that, Satsuki-chan peeked her face out from behind me and carefully scanned the room. After confirming that there were no monsters present, she stepped past me and began inspecting the walls intently.

“Labyrinth zones are fairly common, but there are many types. The danger level changes drastically depending on the specific dungeon.”

“Yeah, the viewers were saying something like that too.”

“I’ll run a check.”

With that, she muttered “Analysis” and examined the material of the wall.

She really was incredibly capable.

Her title, [Generalist], suited her perfectly.

“…The material… Deep-Sea Super Ore… seriously?”

“Deep-Sea Super Ore?”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen it, but I’ve heard of it. This is an ultra-hard stone exclusive to Abyss-Class dungeons…”

“Oh. Wait, so that means this labyrinth is…”

“…Yeah. Probably.”

“…!”

> Here we go again…

> So it’s an Abyss-class labyrinth?

> Is there anyone even exploring something like that?

> You can’t even reach Abyss-Class normally, right?

> No one goes there.

> There’s barely any information on it.

> Someone look it up!

> It’s confirmed in the 10th basement floor of an Abyss-Class dungeon.

> Only a handful of challengers exist, but one explorer cleared part of it.

> Ah, that guy—the Demon Knight.

> He never submits reports to the Guild HQ, so there’s almost no info on him.

> But he still hasn’t reached the final floor, right?

> Don’t know either.

> Also, everyone who tried except that Demon Knight never came back.

With 130,000 viewers, there were always a few people who happened to know something.

As expected… this was another “this is bad” situation.

“This is likely a Great Labyrinth. And one with an almost 100% mortality rate…”

A maze meant getting stuck looping forever, never finding an exit. Or maybe it was packed with lethal traps designed to kill intruders. Or since it was “Abyss,” maybe unimaginable deep-sea monsters would attack from the darkness.

…Yeah. All of them sounded like a pain. I wondered if there was any way to solve this in one clean move.

Ah!

I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I had just thought of a secret strategy I wanted to try! At this point, I felt like I might actually be able to pull it off.

“First, we should mark our path properly, conserve stamina, and proceed slowly and carefully—wait, Daishi-san. What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“Why are you suddenly taking a stance facing the wall?”

“Ah, well… there’s something I want to try…”

Satsuki-chan’s sharp voice cut in as I placed my staff down and slowly lowered my stance toward the wall.

What am I about to attempt? It’s a reckless, unprecedented shortcut strategy: using the newly learned skill, [Burial Fist] to smash through the ultra-hard wall, carve a straight path forward, and force our way through the labyrinth.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“Um… my time-space skill didn’t quite activate properly.”

Facing the time-traveling rabbit’s careless excuse, both Satsuki-chan and I were struggling desperately to keep our anger in check.

If you’re going to make excuses, at least try a little harder!

“After sending us to such a dangerous place without our permission, you really think that’s acceptable?”

“I already apologized, haven’t I?”

“That’s not something you can fix with an apology!”

Satsuki-chan raised her voice slightly, frustration slipping through.

I couldn’t really blame her.

Well… she wasn’t exactly one to talk, either.

“I’ll give you a reward. So please, let it go.”

The rabbit was at least willing to offer compensation of its own accord. Seeing that, Satsuki-chan appeared to decide not to push the matter any further.

> Time-space rabbit is getting cornered lol

> Breaking the rules is not okay, you know.

> The way they came back from [Return] was insane.

> It was whirring and dizzying.

> Didn’t that just bend space-time?

> That must burn through MP like crazy.

> The ‘distortion’ was on another level!

> So, what’s the treasure?

> Honestly, they should be getting something good as a reward, right?

> They made it back from the Nether Class Dungeon, so it better be worth it.

> Please don’t give them another liver lol

Yeah. Even if I’ve gotten stronger, I really hope I don’t have to deal with another liver again.

If possible, I want something rare—something that looks cool just by seeing it, something that gets you hyped.

By the way, the number of viewers is now around 110,000. It’s already an absurd number, far beyond what I can really comprehend, though the rate of increase does feel like it’s starting to stabilize a bit.

“Just a moment.”

The boss… no, the time-space rabbit said that as it walked over to a wooden crate placed in the corner of the room. It opened one of the boxes and presented the treasure inside to us.

Th-this is…

“Huh? Wait, don’t tell me that’s…”

“Twilight Robe. It’s the real deal.”

What the time-space rabbit brought out was a neatly folded robe—jet black, but adorned with intricate, complex patterns woven into the fabric. It was nothing like the cheap hoodie I was currently wearing. The material was clearly high-grade, and it almost felt like some kind of strange aura was emanating from the robe itself.

“Satsuki-chan, this outfit… is it—”

“If it’s genuine, then among robes usable by clerics, it’s top-tier equipment.”

I see. So it’s that impressive.

> Twilight Robe is way too generous lol

> Is that really legit?

> That’s an ultra-rare defensive gear

> It has lots of resistance boosts, like immunity to curses, instant death, and dark attribute attacks

> It basically blocks most things except physical attacks

> There are no stat boosts though

> But the advantages are way bigger

The comment section was moving at a fairly relaxed pace now, so I was able to read quite a lot of it.

Apparently, that armor was an incredibly rare and high-performance piece. Honestly, the viewers really are knowledgeable. They seem to know everything about everything.

“Maybe you should try using [Clairvoyance] to check it?”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Clairvoyance?”

A question mark floated above the space-time rabbit’s head.

“Oh, it’s basically the same as the [Clairvoyance] skill. I can use it from the start.”

“…Just what are you?”

Hearing that, the rabbit muttered to itself again.

Is this armor actually fake?

A faint sense of unease crept in.

I decided to check it immediately.

―――――――――――

【Twilight Robe】 (Ultra Rare)

Attribute Resistance:

[Fire Damage Halved] [Ice Damage Halved] [Earth Damage Halved] [Wind Damage Halved] [Darkness Immunity]

Status Ailment Resistance:

[Paralysis Damage Halved] [Sleep Damage Halved] [Charm Damage Halved] [Petrification Immunity] [Confusion Immunity] [Instant Death Immunity]

Stat Bonus:

None

―――――――――――

Oh. That’s amazing—so many “half damage” and “immunity” effects stacked together! This is definitely the real thing!

“Well? How is it?”

“Fire damage halved, ice damage halved, darkness immunity, instant death immunity… things like that.”

“I see… so it’s genuine. Want to try it on right away?”

“Yeah. I wonder if it’ll fit…”

I hoped it wouldn’t end up looking awkward or embarrassing.

“Like clothes make the man, huh?”

“That’s definitely not a compliment.”

“No, no. It suits you very well.”

I took off my starter robe and changed into the new equipment—the [Twilight Robe].

It fit perfectly. The texture is incredibly comfortable too, like it was gently clinging to my skin.

Satsuki-chan didn’t seem impressed, but the rabbit praised it.

> Eh? It suits you really well

> Try lifting your bangs a little!

> You might be my type

> You have quite a handsome face

> There’s no way our Daishi is a good-looking guy

> I won’t allow him to be considered good-looking

> I hope he gets flamed!!

> Jealous

> Cutie

> Hey Daishi-kun, do you have a girlfriend?

“…Huh?”

Hn? It seems there are quite a few female viewers.

When I lifted my bangs and showed my face to the camera, surprisingly many people seemed happy. I’ve never been complimented on my appearance much in my life, so I was genuinely pleased.

However, it seems to be unpopular with male viewers.

“Why are you smirking like that?”

“No, it’s just… the viewers are saying it suits me, so…”

“You should be careful not to get carried away. More importantly… where’s my treasure? Rabbit.”

“Calling it ‘more importantly’ is harsh.”

Still, that was true.

From my perspective, this was pretty important.

“There isn’t one. I mean, you didn’t really do anything, did you?”

I don’t know how he knew, but he was absolutely right.

“W-well! I mean, I did support healing and stuff…”

“You weren’t directly involved in combat, though. And I said I’d only give one reward—to the one who contributed the most.”

“T-that’s so unfair!”

Well, I guess that makes sense. He wouldn’t just hand out two rewards.

“Anyway, can we wrap this up? Ever since I sent you into the Nether Class Dungeon, my time-space skill has been acting up badly. I need to investigate it, so I’d appreciate it if you moved on to the next layer quickly.”

In other words—he was basically telling us to leave.

The rabbit pointed its staff at the exit and waved it up and down repeatedly, signaling “hurry up.”

Well, I already got what I came for, so I didn’t have any more business here. And what it said about the time-space skill malfunctioning… that did seem to be true. I couldn’t exactly say “too bad,” but I did feel a bit of sympathy.

“Alright then, let’s go to the next one, Satsuki-chan!”

“Waaa…. my reward…”

Satsuki-chan was still full of regret.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“What do you mean by that, Mina?”

“I mean exactly what I said, Satsuki.”

A cute-type girl and a beautiful-type girl were talking seriously.

Satsuki-chan had mentioned that she and Mina were like an inseparable pair, but what exactly was their relationship? Childhood friends, maybe? I’d have to ask later.

Still… when she says I’m “not human,” does she mean I’m just superhuman? Or… is it because I ate that thing of the Nether King’s, and she’s thinking, “This guy isn’t human anymore!”?

Comments flooded the stream:

> There’s no way he’s a normal middle-aged guy now.

> Stats-wise, he might already be SS-class.

> He’s still level 10, right?

> And a beginner, too.

> This doesn’t even feel like a bug.

> Quitting being human, huh?

> Mina-chan is seriously beautiful.

> Like an actress.

> It’s my first time seeing Slei’s party live. They don’t stream.

> Not being human explains a lot.

> Then what the hell is he?

> Demon Daishi!!

Hey, hey… don’t go calling me a demon in the middle of all these comments.

That’s rude. I am human!

For thirty-seven years now, I’ve been living a fairly ordinary life… even if I’m single. I’m a little on the introverted side, not many friends or girlfriends, but until recently, I was just a regular salaryman.

Just an ordinary, average guy.

“There’s no proof, but… it’s a gut feeling. I agree with Satsuki. You should probably get a thorough checkup at Guild Headquarters.”

“Nothing scares me more than Mina’s intuition…”

Her intuition? That means it’s usually right?

I’ve lived this long and… nothing particularly strange has ever happened to me, I think.

Anyway.

Mina-san is an SS-class adventurer and a Grand Cleric, right? I wonder what her stats look like.

I’m super curious.

A little guilty, but I think I can sneak a look with [Clairvoyance].

Now, while she’s talking to Satsuki-chan, I’ll take my chance.

Let’s see… what are Mina-san’s abilities like…?

――――――――――― Name: Kisaragi Mina Class: Grand Cleric Level: 71 HP: 525 / 525 MP: 149 / 712 Strength: 211 Vitality: 309 Agility: 342 Intelligence: 671 Magic: 690 Skills:【Revive (LV1)】,【Holy Pillar (LV3)】,【Light Wall (LV4)】,【Weaken (LV3)】,【Enhance (LV3)】,【Purify (LV5)】,【Heal (LV5)】… Titles: 【SS-class Adventurer】,【High Priestess of the Cathedral】,【Apostle of Salvation】,【Blessing of the Valkyrie】… Previous Life: Saint Lilliana ―――――――――――

Her stats are insane.

Her level alone is higher than anything I’ve seen by a mile, and her MP and Magic stats? Off the charts. No wonder she’s feared even among SS-class adventurers.

So this is what SS-class stats look like. Well, I guess there’s probably some variation between individuals. I wonder what the actual requirements are to earn the SS-class title.

It can’t be just raw stats, right? Maybe the types of titles you earn also factor in.

I’ll have to ask Satsuki-chan about that later.

Still…

The amount of information I can see about her skills and titles feels way more detailed than last time when I scanned Satsuki. Must be because [Clairvoyance] leveled up. I can even see her past life.

Saint Lilliana? Who is that?

“Well, we’ll head out for now. Our healing items are all gone.”

“Wait… you’re leaving already?”

I’d just gotten to know these SS-class adventurers, and it felt a little disappointing. I wanted to talk with them a bit more.

“Yes. We’ll train and come back later. Even if we go further now, we probably won’t be able to clear it.”

“I see… that’s too bad.”

“By the way, you two were only sent here by the Time-Space Rabbit for ten minutes, right?”

“That’s right. You heard it from Satsuki-chan, huh?”

“Wait… hasn’t it already been ten minutes?”

Oh, right!

So much has happened that I totally forgot!

“Satsuki-chan!”

“Yes, it’s been about twenty minutes already.”

“That… that damn boss rabbit!”

“Boss rabbit??”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing. Forget I said anything.”

I got a little emotional and accidentally revealed the name I’d given the time-space rabbit.

So embarrassing.

Comments were going wild:

> Boss… Was it from his salaryman days?

> Was that rabbit supposed to look like his old boss?

> Did they really have such an annoying face?

> No wonder he quit.

> Power harassment maybe?

> Surely the rabbit never broke the rules?

> Was it just being mean because they didn’t think we’d clear it?

> There must be some reason behind this…

Whatever the reason, I just want the rules to be respected.

Honestly… that rabbit really did feel just like that terrible old boss.

“Can’t be helped. Satsuki-chan, let’s use [Return] to head back.”

“Yes. But we absolutely need to collect our rewards!”

“Of course. We’ve met the conditions, so we’ll definitely get them!”

If it didn’t give us the reward…I’ll have to roast it alive.

No, no, that’s too violent. I’d better just ask politely. I’m an adult, after all.

“Once you finish clearing the West Tokyo dungeon, make sure you report to headquarters, Ajiri Daishi.”

“I’ll do that. And you too—good luck with the rest of your adventures!”

“Thank you! I don’t know where your power comes from, but the way you faced the Nether Dragon King and the Nether King without flinching… it was amazing!”

Mina, the Grand Cleric, praised me with genuine, unreserved warmth.

She seemed like a real angel. I couldn’t help but grin a little.

“And also…”

“Huh? Eh!?”

“W-wait! W-what are you doing, Mina!?”

Suddenly, Mina placed her hand gently on my forehead. She lifted the long bangs that had been hiding my eyes, thus revealing my full face.

With a soft, radiant smile, she said something to me,

“I knew it… Daishi, when you lift your bangs, you’re seriously handsome!”

“W-what?!”

“If you ever get tired of Satsuki, just let me know.”

Mina winked, one of her alluring eyes sparkling mischievously.

Wait… is this really happening?

Honestly… she’s more my type than Satsuki…

No, no, hold on, Daishi. This is obviously just polite flattery.

Come on, you’ve lived thirty-seven years—get a grip!

“Mina!”

“Haha, sorry, sorry! Well then, take care! I sincerely hope we meet again somewhere!”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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《 HP +40 MP +50 》

《 Strength +4 Endurance +6 Agility +3 Intelligence +8 Burial Power +1998 》

《 【Clairvoyance】Lv +1 》

《 Daishi has learned a new skill. 》

“Daishi-san! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Satsuki-chan, who rushed forward, reached me in a small sprint. Once close, she began inspecting and lightly touching me, checking my physical and mental state.

I wasn’t injured at all.

Hmm? Isn’t she… a little too thorough?

Hey! That’s ticklish!

“I’m a little tired, but I’m fine! Wait, I just leveled up and I’m checking my stats—give me a moment.”

I gently pushed Satsuki-chan back and returned to examining my status screen.

I couldn’t help but be curious about the new skill I had just learned and the massive surge of Burial Power.

I wanted to see what came next—now.

Name: Daishi Ajiri Class: Cleric Level: 10(+2) HP: 100 / 140(+40) MP: 90 / 150(+50) Strength: 34(+4)   Endurance: 14(+6) Agility: 9(+3) Intelligence: 24 (+8) Burial Power: 999(+1998) [1998] Skills: 【Burial Fist (LV1)】 New 【Retribution (LV1)】 【Requiem (LV1)】 【Return (LV2)】 【Cremation (LV2)】 【Clairvoyance (LV3)】

I hadn’t defeated the Nether Dragon King, but at least I earned experience. My level had gone up by two, and the new skill I’d learned was [Burial Fist].

Fist… wait. Is this—physical?

I better check the description.

【Burial Fist】: Delivers the hammer of heaven to the target with a burial strike.

Yep. Definitely physical.

Judging by the name and description, this skill probably scales with both Strength and Burial Power.

If that’s the case… well, then my path forward is obvious. I’ve always admired muscle, after all. My stat allocation plan practically wrote itself.

No time to waste—let’s get to the main event: distributing my stats.

Surplus Burial Points: 1998 HP:       100 (0) [－＋] Max HP:    140 (0)  [－＋] MP:       90 (0)   [－＋] Max MP:   150 (0)  [－＋] Strength:  34 (0) [－＋] Endurance: 14 (0) [－＋] Agility:    9 (0)  [－＋] Intelligence: 24 (0)  [－＋]

With practiced hands, I opened the stat allocation screen.

Hmm… the interface hadn’t changed since last time.

But this time, with 1998 excess points, my excitement was off the charts.

Alright! Let’s do this…

Move this here… and like this… perfect!

Surplus Burial Points: 0 HP:      100 (0)         [－＋] Max HP:    350 (＋210)    [－＋] MP:            200 (＋110)  [－＋] Max MP: 200 (＋50)       [－＋] Strength:  999 (＋965)     [－＋] Endurance: 400 (＋386) [－＋] Agility:    180 (＋171)    [－＋] Intelligence: 130 (＋106)  [－＋]

I slammed the confirm button.

Yes! I am ridiculously strong now!

I can’t wait for the next battle!

Comments exploded in the chat:

> Hey Mister, why are you enjoying this alone?!

> You were just leveling stats, weren’t you?

> Consult us first!

> You didn’t invest in current HP, did you?

> Balance is important—BALANCE!

> No, defense should come first.

> With your skills, do you even need Strength?

> You at least maxed your Max HP, right?

> Can you explain quickly already?!

Viewers’ various ideas on how to allocate stats are flying around in the comments section. Some even suggested I didn’t need Strength at all.

“I maxed Strength. It seems perfect for the new skill I just learned.”

I replied, explaining my stats and skills to the camera as usual.

Meanwhile, the comment section kept buzzing with opinions. My eyes were already starting to hurt, so I decided to take a short break from reading them.

“Looks like things have gotten even weirder again, huh, Daishi-san…”

“I wonder… what’s going to happen to me now…”

“Who knows…”

“Um, excuse me!”

As Satsuki-chan and I exchanged awkward smiles, Mina-san, the late-arriving member of the SS-class adventurer party, cut into our conversation.

She probably felt fine after Satsuki-chan healed her.

Mina-san looked energetic and unharmed.

“Oh, um… Mina-san, right?”

“Huh? How did you…? Oh! The viewers told you, didn’t they?”

“Sorry about that. My viewers seem to know everything. But what about your companions?”

“My brothers? Don’t worry—I healed them properly. They just exhausted themselves a bit too much, so they’re still resting over there.”

Mina-san lightly gestured behind her.

Sure enough, Slei and Jan—her brothers—were sleeping peacefully.

…Wait, they’re siblings?

Forming a party from the same bloodline and climbing to SS-class? That’s insane. Elite lineage for sure. A little enviable.

“Thank you so much for saving us back there! But…”

Mina-san’s gaze turned sharp, locking onto me directly as she spoke, even while offering thanks.

I couldn’t tell exactly how much of my fight she had witnessed, but I was certain she knew something unusual had happened. Her stare made that meaning clear.

I met her gaze in return.

And… wow. This Mina girl… she’s stunning. Different from Satsuki-chan’s type, she’s a more classic beauty. Her nose line is sharp and elegant, leaving a strong impression.

“I watched part of your fight. I’ve also heard the circumstances from Satsuki. There’s a lot I could say… but—”

Mina-san’s words carried weight, even in their subtlety.

No matter how beautiful she is, she’s a SS-class adventurer, and every syllable she spoke radiated power. I had no idea what she was about to say though.“For now, just one question: Ajiri Daishi… are you really human?”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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The fiftieth floor of the Nether Class Dungeon had a high ceiling, but its depth was surprisingly shallow. About twenty meters ahead stood the imposing throne of the Nether Dragon King.

Above the wall behind it, a massive image appeared: an elderly man with flowing white hair and beard, his deeply chiseled, sharp features radiating authority.

“N-Nether King!”

Ades’s body, which had been dissipating into mist, returned to its original form before my eyes.

The Nether Dragon King, who was the first to notice the image of the Nether King, quickly descended to the ground and prostrated himself before the image on the wall.

I didn’t know how it had happened, but it seemed this “Nether King” had used some inhuman technique to restore Ades’s body. Though clearly only a projection, my skill combo had been rendered useless.

“So… you’ve been thoroughly beaten, haven’t you, Ades?”

“There is no excuse. I am ready to accept whatever punishment you see fit.”

“No, no. Your feat in repelling those SS-class experts with the strength to clear the Nether Domain was impressive. They were a group of explorers on par with the hero party that recently conquered the Divine Realm. Well done.”

“T-thank you for your generous words!”

The Nether Dragon King remained prostrated, bowing deeply.

Yeah… this old man is definitely Ades’s superior.

He even actually acknowledged his subordinate’s achievements—maybe he wasn’t such a bad boss after all.

“So… it was this one who ate my liver.”

“Yes. That shameless old man over there.”

Wait—how does this guy already know that?

Had Ades been filing daily reports or something?

No, hold on—hey, old man!

Don’t go treating me like I’m an old man too!

Do you want me to get flattened next, too?!

“Boy… what is your name?”

“Huh? If you want my name, you should introduce yourself first, old man.”

This guy was probably overwhelmingly stronger than me. My instincts screamed danger from deep within my body.

Yet… I didn’t feel particularly afraid. Not that I had an iron will, but bowing here wouldn’t necessarily earn me any special favor either. Might as well just stand my ground and speak boldly—what could go wrong there, right?

“Hahaha! You do not flinch in my presence! What an interesting young man!”

“Just introduce yourself already, old man.”

“I am the Nether King.”

“Huh? That’s your name?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been called the Nether King ever since I was born.”

I didn’t detect any hint of lying in his voice.

…Guess that’s just how things are in dungeons.

“I’m Daishi. Daishi Ajiri.”

“I see… an unfamiliar name, but a fine one.”

“So? What now? Do I have to fight you, old man?”

Honestly… I didn’t want to fight.

The outcome was as obvious as day. There is no way I could win. But what would happen next depended entirely on how this old man chose to proceed. At the moment, I lack the power to take control of the situation.

“No, no. That would be breaking the rules. If you wish to fight me, you must enter properly from the dungeon entrance and make your way down to the hundredth floor. Only then will I consider entertaining you, boy.”

The old man, the Nether King, grinned slyly as if to provoke me.

…No thanks.

Comments flooded in:

> Did he just say he is the Nether King?

> First time we’re hearing that.

> So the boss of the hundredth floor is the Nether King?

> He looks so weak.

> Unbelievable!

> He just instantly healed the dying Nether Dragon King, though.

> The hero party already dropped out at the seventy-eighth floor, so you can guess the rest.

> How did the hero party even get past Ades?

> Wait, they actually cleared the Divine Realm?

> That info hasn’t been officially released yet.

> Tomorrow’s newspaper is going to be packed with new info!

> This is going to be trending worldwide online.

By now, the viewer count had finally surpassed 100,000. Occasionally, comments in foreign languages appeared, leaving her slightly bewildered.

Could it be… this was becoming a worldwide sensation?!

“Don’t get cocky, Daishi. Defeating a hollowed-out Nether Dragon King is nothing. Right now, he hasn’t even reached a tenth of his true power.”

I see.

So he had already used almost all of his strength before facing me. There must have been a fierce battle in the Nether Domain.

Ades’s little rebellion? That was mostly their doing, too.

No wonder SS-class people were so impressive.

“Then…”

“You’re nothing more than a pitiful adventurer who happened to wander here on a whim, like some temporal rabbit. Return to your original dungeon when the time comes, and all will be well.”

“You’re not mad that I ate your liver?”

“Hahaha! Normally, anyone who eats my liver wouldn’t survive. They’d instantly explode into dust.”

“Wait… really?”

“Indeed. You appear to be a rather extraordinary adventurer. Perhaps one day you may surpass even the heroes themselves. Until that time, I suppose my liver shall remain in your care.”

Uh…This sounded like it was going to be troublesome.

I could just return it now…

…No, wait. If returning it means I’d be eaten in the process, then forget it.

I wasn’t aiming to become a famous adventurer anyway.

When I was first transported here, sure, I was a little excited. But honestly… I don’t have any real desire to conquer the Nether-Class Dungeon. I’m perfectly content just grabbing treasure from easy dungeons and selling it to make a living. That’s enough for me.

Ah, and of course… I’m counting on some streaming revenue too!

“Farewell, little monk. I look forward to the day you reach the hundredth floor of my Nether Dungeon before the hero party does.”

The image on the wall vanished, and both the Nether King and the Nether Dragon King departed from the scene.

Too bad… I’m not going to live up to the old man’s expectations. Once I clear that beginner dungeon, I just want to explore dungeons at my own pace and take it easy.

Still… since stat-raising is fun, I’ll gratefully hold onto the liver for now!

“Daishiii—saaan!!”

I turned around and heard Satsuki-chan’s voice coming from the opposite side of where the Nether King had disappeared.

I could see her running toward me, and it finally felt like this brutal mission was over.

I took a deep, satisfying breath and let my true feelings slip out.

“Ahhh!! I am so exhausted!!”

And, as usual, the familiar notification appeared before my eyes.

《 Daishi has leveled up. 》

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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> Eh?

> Eeeeeeeh?

> He’s giving some kind of lecture lol

> The opponent is the Nether Dragon King Ades!!

> He’s not just some random weakling

> I don’t get it lol

> The old man is a god

> lol

> Who the hell is that old man lol

The auto-tracking camera hovered near me, capturing every second of my confrontation with Ades. The comment stream was scrolling too fast to read properly, but the reactions were clear—chaos, disbelief, and awe.

“Oi. Don’t put them in front of me where I can’t heal them. Over there… gently, got it?”

“Eh? I… understood…”

Ades extinguished the black flames from his hands and, still swaying slightly, began to move the two unconscious explorers toward where Satsuki-chan and I were hiding.

Placing them in front of me, someone without a healing skill, wouldn’t help anyone. With those absurdly long tails of his, he might as well reach over to them directly.

“T-there. Is this satisfactory?”

“Mm. Well done.”

The Nether Dragon King, begrudgingly obedient, had at least complied—for now. The tension remained, but the first step toward saving the others had been taken.

The Nether Dragon King didn’t ignore orders. As instructed, he carefully placed the two of them before Satsuki-chan and Mia-san, setting them down with deliberate slowness. Once the task was done, he neatly retracted his tail.

At least, it seemed he had withdrawn all murderous intent—for now, that was a relief.

“Um… are you… perhaps a relative of the Nether King?”

“The Nether King?”

Nether King… what was that? Was this his superior?

I’m not sure, but the thought of answering incorrectly here made my stomach twist. One wrong word, and he might attack without warning.

Better to bluff my way through…

No, wait. Come to think of it, before coming here…

“…I might’ve eaten him.”

“Huh??”

“The Nether King… I might’ve eaten him.”

“W-what did you just say!?”

“Well, there was something in a treasure chest labeled ‘Nether King’s raw liver’. I ate it.”

This was bad. I had just spoken the unvarnished truth. Come to think of it, I had never been good at lying.

“…I see. So that’s what happened.”

“Huh?”

“Just the other day, the Nether King lamented, ‘One of my organs has gone missing recently…’”

I had no idea how an organ could go missing, but apparently, the raw liver I had eaten was that very organ.

“You have incorporated a part of the Nether King into yourself, haven’t you?”

The expression of the Nether Dragon King shifted, and his aura changed. The malevolence that had waned when they first met was returning, regaining its original, ominous weight.

Wait—no, this is bad!

No, don’t flinch! Keep up the bluff!

“That’s… so what!? I-it’s fine, isn’t it!?”

My words betrayed my panic. My vocabulary failed her utterly.

“My eyes were deceived. Your aura… it matches the Nether King’s, and it unsettled me slightly.”

Ades’s dragon tail twitched again, moving in jagged, unpredictable patterns.

It’s definitely aimed at me. Right?

It had become painfully clear that words alone could not resolve this.

“I understand now. If you have absorbed a part of the Nether King, then by consuming you, the Nether King should restore the lost organ.”

…Ah. That made sense.

Wait—this was not the time to be rationalizing!

Ades’s two dragon tails writhed once more, aiming with terrifying precision.

One tail pointed at me… the other… was aimed at Satsuki-chan and the others!

“You, too, shall serve as the Nether King’s sacrifice, alongside that priestess over there…”

“Cremation!!”

“Guwaaaaahhh!!”

It worked.

My bluff had failed completely, so I struck first, igniting both of Ades’s tails with my Cremation skill. I had used it countless times before. Now, a mere thought was enough to trigger it.

Ades had looked momentarily enlightened, but don’t get the wrong idea, old man. I was just scared to see how you’d react because fighting would have been a pain.

The fact remains that you are a weakling in my eyes!

“My… my tail—AAAHHHHH!”

The Nether Dragon King’s anguished roar echoed across the fiftieth floor of the Nether Dungeon.

For now, both of Ades’s interfering dragon tails had been incinerated.

Perhaps because my Burial Power was maxed out, the tails had burned down to ash, scattering like smoke through the air.

“FOOLISH MORTAL!!!”

Ades shot upward toward the ceiling with terrifying vertical speed.

Simultaneously, he raised both hands, concentrating his magical energy. Black flames, far more malevolent than before, surged toward her with deadly intent.

“Black flames! Burn the unholy with the fires of hell! Purgatory Nether Dragon Fireball!”

“Retribution!”

“Ughhhhhh!!”

He shouted some over-the-top, dramatic spell name—but I simply reflected it back using my [Retribution] skill.

Even Ades own black flames had scorched him a little. But he is still alive.

Well… there was no way I could take him down this easily.

Alright then, time for round two!

Since he had “Nether” in his name, he might be some kind of undead-type… maybe this will work!

“Requiem!”

Without missing a beat, I raised my wooden staff and unleashed the next skill.

The dim cave, lit only by the flickering torchlight, is suddenly bathed in the brilliant radiance of Ascend, revealing solemn rows of carved statues and intricate reliefs. The temple seemed to regain its divine presence, the light gently illuminating every corner of the sacred space.

“I… I’m disappearing…!? Could it be… I… am losing…?”

Ah—this seemed to be working.

Ades’s massive form began to crumble, turning gradually into white dust.

I might actually have won.

Comments exploded in disbelief:

> Whoa… he is actually going to win?

> The Nether Dragon King is… vanishing…

> Unprecedented!

> ….This! The first and probably the last!

Even the spectators were dumbfounded.

I hadn’t really felt the thrill of battle—but if this ended it, I’d call it lucky.

“This… this can’t…be….. to this old human!?”

The death throes of the Nether Dragon King echoed out.

Seriously, he was the old man here!

What a rude fellow.

Go on, vanish into the light already.

“I cannot simply overlook this, you little brat!”

Suddenly, from somewhere I couldn’t quite place, a voice even older than Ades’s rang out.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“I have little desire on soiling this ground with the impure blood of humans.”

Ades murmured those words in a voice even lower and heavier than his appearance suggested. Using its two dragon tails extending from its hips, it lifted the two unconscious explorers by their legs. The two men hung limply in midair, showing no sign of waking up.

It seemed they had completely passed out.

“A reward for breaching the Death Layer of the Nether Realm. At least I shall spare them suffering… reducing their bones to ash in a single instant.”

With that, Ades lined the two upside-down explorers before him, summoned black flames from both hands, and assumed a stance to deliver the finishing blow.

If things continued like this, there was no doubt—their lives would end here, in this very moment.

> Isn’t that girl collapsed over there the High Priestess Mina?

> Then the two guys must be Slei, the Great Swordsman and Jan, the Flash.

> The young hopes…

> Those SS-rank explorers chasing the Hero Party in both fame and skill…

> They don’t stream, so no one knew they’d even come to a place like this.

> They actually had the strength to reach a Nether-Class dungeon.

> Oh no, they’re about to get wrecked.

> Old man, do something!

> Even you won’t be able to handle this, though.

Yes. I have to help.

I can’t just stand by and watch.

“No. They’re doomed! There’s no way we can win!”

“But we can’t just leave them like this!”

The two were being tormented by the Nether Dragon King before the throne. The throne is about twenty meters ahead of the massive pillar behind which Satsuki-chan and I were hiding. It had been too dark to see before, but after they appeared, the light sources embedded in the walls gradually flickered on, illuminating everything.

I took a step forward, ready to dash out from behind the pillar to save them—but Satsuki grabbed my arm and held me back.

If things continue like this, those two are going to die!

“…I won’t… let you!”

The other explorer—not caught by Ades, the woman the viewers had called High Priestess Mina—staggered to her feet. She had been flung right in front of us, yet she didn’t seem to notice Satsuki-chan and me hiding behind the pillar.

“Hmph. It seems you are slightly different from the others, High Priestess. To maintain consciousness even after taking that much damage in that other dimension… impressive.”

“Eh? That girl… could it be…?”

Satsuki-chan murmured, as if she had realized something, watching Mina-san struggle to stand.

“All… Heal…”

As a High Priestess, Mina-san must have been preparing to activate her full-party healing skill. A faint green light briefly seemed to envelop her and the two male explorers, bathing them in a gentle glow.

But only for a single, fleeting moment.

“Hngh!”

“Kahhh!”

When Ades lightly lifted his left foot, Mina-san let out a groan of agony and collapsed back to the ground, her healing spell interrupted. From where I was, I couldn’t make out what kind of attack she had taken.

Wind pressure?

Some kind of shockwave, maybe.

“Do not waste your efforts on healing. Remain still and obedient. You may yet prove useful… I shall keep you alive a while longer.”

Ades spoke with utter calm, his composure unshaken.

He still hadn’t noticed our presence.

“Mina!”

“Ah… Satsuki… it’s… been… a while…”

“Quick, heal…”

“I… it’s fine… please… help… them…”

Satsuki-chan’s voice barely carried from behind the pillar, loud enough for Mina-san to hear, but not enough for Ades to detect.

Mina-san responded faintly, entrusting her hope to us, and then immediately passed out again.

Satsuki-chan’s friend? An acquaintance?

If that’s the case… there’s no way I can ignore her plea.

“Daishi-san!”

“Satsuki-chan, stay with Mina-san and make sure she’s safe!”

“You can’t! If you go out there, you’ll die for sure!”

Satsuki-chan’s eyes were glistening with tears. The grip on my arm tightened. So much was happening at once that she must’ve been a little overwhelmed.

“That girl… she’s your friend, right?”

“Friend… or rather… well, let’s say it’s a long-standing bond, I guess.”

“Well, a friend’s friend is also my friend. So that makes her my friend too, right?”

“Wait… are you saying you and I are friends?”

“Ah—I just assumed that on my own, I guess.”

“No, that’s not really—”

“But it’ll be fine! Didn’t I say I’d protect you, Satsuki-chan?”

“But—”

“Leave this to someone older and more experienced!”

I didn’t know why, exactly. All I knew was that my baseless confidence had skyrocketed. Maybe my senses were all out of whack.

But still… even looking at Ades, I felt ready. No, that’s not entirely true—I probably shouldn’t feel this way—but I resolved to throw myself into the fight.

“All right, I’m going!”

Seizing the moment when Satsuki-chan’s grip on me loosened even slightly, I shook off her hand and began walking steadily toward the Nether Dragon King.

“Very well… then I shall proceed with a grand incineration ceremony… hn?”

“Uh, excuse me… could you maybe let those people go?”

I stepped unarmed right up in front of Ades and made the request lightly.

“I had suspected a few scuttling vermin might have infiltrated. But you—where did you even spring from…!!?”

Ades froze, finally fully registering my presence.

“(What… what is this man!? How can such a fragile, human exude such a wave of despair!? This sensation… it’s almost like that person…)”

I had no idea what he was rambling about.

Seems like he did notice us the whole time—he was just pretending otherwise. And since he didn’t deny my words outright, yeah… he is definitely Ades.

“You… who exactly are you!?”

Even with black flames crackling in both hands, the Nether Dragon King began to retreat.

Huh? Is he… panicking?

Is he scared of me?

“I—who I am? I’m just a cleric.”

I don’t know why, but I didn’t feel an ounce of fear toward this old monster at all.

If anything…

Ah! I can’t believe I’m thinking this… but he looked like a complete weakling!

And in this moment, I realized how infuriating that made me feel.

How dare he talk to me as if we’re on the same level?

You’re being too arrogant, old man.

Ah! This damn old bastard is so irritating!!

“Enough! Get that filthy tail of yours out of the way and release those two! You worthless piece of trash! Want to end up as ash?!”

“Y-yes!! I-I’m sorry!!!”

The image of me suddenly transforming and hurling foul insults at the Nether Dragon King Ades, forcing him to apologize, was firmly imprinted in the minds of the more than 40,000 viewers.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“……-san! Daishi-san!”

A voice called my name from somewhere far away.

A woman’s voice.

Even in my dazed state, I could feel a faint sensation of someone shaking me gently.

“Daishi-san! Wake up!”

Gradually, my consciousness sharpened.

This voice… it’s Satsuki-chan’s.

“Hurry and wake up! You’re going to die!!”

Huh? Satsuki-chan sounds… really panicked.

Oh, that’s right!

My memories started coming back in sharp relief.

I had been in the [Unique House] of the Fourth Beginner Dungeon in West Tokyo, encountered the Space-Time Rabbit, thrown the darts… and then flung through the space-time vortex into another dungeon.

The Nether-class… floor fifty!

This is bad!!

I can’t just keep dozing off now!

“Daaaahh!”

To jolt my sluggish brain awake, I unconsciously triggered a habit I’d picked up back in my corporate days—shouting loudly while swinging my body upright.

“Ungh!”

“Hey, quiet down! We finally got somewhere with no one else here!”

Satsuki-chan instantly clamped her left hand over my mouth, while making a ‘shhh’ gesture with her right hand. Her face is too close… I felt a little flustered.

No, I don’t have time to be flustered.

> …Wha… a…ppened…?

> …ly… coming…

> …connected!

> I can see!

> Whoa! So this is Nether-Class Dungeon, floor fifty!

> Incredible… first time seeing it.

> Just as the stories said… what a malevolent-looking temple.

> But it also kinda looks like an ancient Greek temple.

> It’s so dark. I can’t see ahead.

> Is there a boss?

> Good thing we teleported behind that massive pillar.

I felt a twinge of anxiety, but it seemed the streaming camera had teleported along with us, which was a relief. The signal had been a little shaky, but the comment feed had recovered, and the equipment appeared to be working fine. From a few of the viewers’ comments, it looked like we had been lucky enough to land in a safe zone—so we weren’t suddenly thrown into a boss fight. That was a huge relief.

“Eh? Daishi-san, you’re streaming right now?”

“Ah… yeah. Everyone seems to be able to see it fine.”

“My feed isn’t connecting. I thought you needed a special ultra-rare antenna to connect in Super-Class dungeons and above…”

I leaned closer and whispered to Satsuki-chan, regaining a sense of caution.

Huh? Is my equipment special?

I’m only borrowing it from the guild, though. Did they accidentally give me the right one by mistake?

“Well, anyway. As you probably gathered from the viewers’ comments, we’re currently near the entrance of Nether-Class Dungeon, floor fifty, hiding behind one of the massive pillars.”

“Y-yeah…”

“It’s been about a minute since we teleported. I used my Detection skill to scan the area, and at least within a fifty-meter radius, there’s no sign of any enemies… for now.”

I’d always thought Satsuki-chan is amazing—she could pull off all sorts of little tricks. As an explorer, she must be really exceptional. And it seemed the target one-minute mark had already passed.

“By the way, Satsuki-chan… how were you able to move immediately after teleporting? You didn’t lose consciousness or anything?”

“Don’t underestimate me. I’m still an S-rank explorer, you know. I’ve had my fair share of teleport experiences.”

Oh. So with enough experience, you can handle even that without panicking huh.

> Satsuki-tan, you okay?

> Ah, I can see her just fine.

> This really does feel like Nether-Class.

> Don’t get so familiar with Satsuki-chan!

> Old man, get away from her!

> Leave that old man behind!

> Hope the old man gets taken out by Ades!

Huh… the low-quality comments suddenly started standing out more. Looks like fans of Satsuki-chan are flooding in at an incredible rate.

Well, that makes sense. They probably can’t watch on Satsuki-chan’s own channel, so they migrated to my stream to check on the situation.

Which means… my viewer count must have skyrocketed.

Let’s see… how many viewers do we have now…

“Eh? T-twenty thousand?!”

“Geez! Daishi-san! Don’t shout so loud!”

“S-sorry…”

I was completely stunned by how fast it had grown.

Even the increase just a moment ago had been abnormal, but this… this was on a whole different level. Twenty thousand concurrent viewers—this was the level of a top-tier streamer.

Not because of me, but Satsuki-chan’s sheer skill as a streamer hit me all at once. No wonder she boasts half a million subscribers.

“Let’s just stay put for now. We might even be able to clear the mission like this.”

“Yeah…”

“But we can’t know when or what might attack us. Daishi-san, make sure you’re ready to use [Return] at any time.”

“Ah… yeah.”

I don’t really know how to prepare [Return], but at least I can keep it in mind and stay aware.

“Alright, that’s enough talking. Let’s try to stay completely still and—”

It happened suddenly.

Without any warning, the space around us split open. The once-clean air immediately thickened with malevolence, making it hard to breathe. The darkness that had obscured my vision tore apart, and space itself warped.

“Ah…”

“Satsuki-chan!”

She must have used her detection skill and realized the full horror of what was coming.

The light in her eyes… it was gone!

Whatever she sensed was so terrifying, she couldn’t even cry out.

Something is coming!

“Gwaaaaaaah!”

“Kyaaaaaah!”

“Ughh!!!”

Three figures were violently hurled from the rift in space.

The source of the female scream landed right beside us. The two male voices came from slightly farther ahead, barely within sight, groaning as they hit the ground.

Another explorer party had been fighting in a separate pocket dimension, and somehow, they had now been thrown back into this place. The exact sequence of events was unclear, but they were suddenly here again.

“Hmph. Not bad at all. The last explorer party to escape my Death Layer, the Nether Realm, was the Hero’s group.”

From the rift in space, it slowly descended to the ground.

Despite its malevolence, the dark aura it radiated was oddly bright, allowing me to clearly make out its form. An abomination shaped like an elderly gentleman, its malevolence pushed beyond the limits of imagination.

Long, razor-sharp fangs extended from its mouth. A dragon’s tail—completely out of place—slithered along the ground with a sickening, undulating motion.

…No doubt about it.This is the Nether Dragon King—Ades.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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[Breaking] Live Thread Covering the ‘Cleric’ Guy Rampaging in West Tokyo Fourth Beginner Dungeon – Part 3

34: Nanashi-san

Feels just like a graveyard.

35:

All these treasure chests lined up… It’s spectacular.

36:

5×10×2… exactly 100 chests.

37:

Are Treasure Houses usually like this?

38:

Never seen anything like this before.

39:

Every element is bugged with this guy.

40:

So… what happened to his healing skill again?

41:

Amane Satsuki doesn’t even get a chance to appear.

42:

Clairvoyance is insane. Can it really tell fake from real with just level 3 skill?

43:

>>@40

Still haven’t memorized it.

44:

Thought it was on par with appraisal skills, but seems more like an upgraded version. Clairvoyance is OP.

45:

Mimics everywhere.

46:

Wait… being able to scan the entire area and judge at once? Isn’t that crazy? Way too high-performance.

47:

He’s judging everything at once.

48:

If  his skill got to Lv.5, he could probably see into the future.

49:

Whoa, lol.

50:

It’s not gold, lol.

51:

Choosing the trap himself… the streamer’s a genius.

52:

Beginner adventurer is showing through, lol.

53:

Trap activated.

54:

Mimic festival begins!

55:

That’s not okay, lol.

56:

Even Satsuki couldn’t handle this many.

57:

Old man… you’re done—

58:

What’s he gonna do now, lol.

59:

He didn’t have much MP either. Is he screwed?

60:

With the mimics’ strong resistances, [Cremation] probably won’t work well. And [Requiem] only affects undead.

61:

I think their fire resistance was around 500.

62:

But his Burial Power is 576, so maybe it’ll pierce a bit?

63:

…That’s if you convert the stat to magic power, though.

64:

Oh, he used [Cremation]!

65:

Whoa, lol. Three down already. Still can’t comprehend that kind of damage.

66:

But yeah, taking out all of them was impossible.

67:

Mimics chanting instant-death spells…

68:

And they’re all focusing on him again. Isn’t that insane?

69:

It’s kinda cute how quickly monsters start hating him.

70:

It’s over…

71:

Ah, something’s glowing! That must be the [Retribution] skill that he just learned.

72:

Wait—

73:

Huh?

74:

What even is that, lol?!

75:

No way… lololol.

76:

Instant kill again, lolol!

77:

So that’s how Retribution works, huh, lol.

78:

No way, no way—instant death shouldn’t even affect mimics.

79:

Looks like it’s not just a simple reflect-type skill.

80:

At this point, the whole concept of “skill” is broken.

81:

Honestly, the dungeon itself is already broken, lol.

82:

Nah, the broken one is this old man, lolol.

83:

He’s not a cleric anymore—he’s a “Funeral Cleric.”

84:

But surely his MP must be gone by now. Cremation, Retribution—he used them back-to-back.

85:

He might even be below 0 MP.

86:

With this guy? Definitely possible.

87:

That’s basically infinite, lol. No way that’s real.

88:

Look. Amane Satsuki is a little jealous, right?

89:

She’s got her S-rank pride, after all.

90:

Completely losing to a beginner like this.

91:

If it were me, my spirit would be broken for sure.

92:

Satsuki’s saying something… just sour grapes, I guess.

93:

Oh yeah, that one… the explorer who lost control of their ability and died. Their situation kinda mirrors this old man.

94:

Nah, this old man is way more abnormal.

95:

A cost, huh… Well, considering he’s anything but normal, a proper sacrifice makes sense.

96:

Was there an archive for that explorer?

97:

>>@96

Nah, everything’s been deleted. Only those who watched the live stream remember it.

98:

>>@96

Better not know the details. I saw it, but just remembering makes me feel sick.

99:

Looks like quite a few people watched it back then.

100:

They’re probably the type who enjoy overpowered, completely unfair streams anyway.

101:

>>@100

You too, lol.

102:

This old man is a total beginner. Doesn’t even know he can’t come back once he hits the lower floors.

103:

Is his MP really going to hold up?

104:

If it hits zero, he can’t use skills anymore.

105:

Without skills, he’s just a normal old man. With those stats? No chance in battle.

106:

If that happens, this stream’s boring. I’ll stop watching.

107:

I can just watch Satsuki’s channel anyway.

108:

Oh, stats explanation starting.

109:

Learn an MP recovery skill!

(Oh…There isn’t one.)

110:

Burial Power maxed, lololol.

111:

And he’s got leftover points? What the heck, lol.

112:

You don’t get extra stats, lol.

113:

Wait, can he even allocate stat points? I thought dungeon explorers’ stats were fixed.

114:

>>@113

Nope, that’s not a thing.

115:

Oh, he’s trying it anyway.

116:

See? Just a display bug.

117:

With this guy, anything’s possible… but looks like he can’t actually do it for now.

118:

Treasure!

119:

After all that effort, it gotta be a rare item.

120:

Oh, Satsuki opened it.

121:

What’s inside? What’s inside?

122:

Satsuki froze, lol.

123:

Lololol.

124:

A raw item, lol.

125:

That’s basically garbage, lol.

126:

What the… can’t use Clairvoyance here?

127:

Old man’s being controlled like a puppet! Satsuki-chan can use puppet skills too—what a versatile player.

128:

What’s going on? Team fighting?

129:

That liver-looking thing is a super rare item?

130:

Wait, lol.

131:

Are you seriously going to feed that to him, Satsuki?

132:

S-rank explorer pride completely shredded.

133:

Satsuki-chan and the viewers are cruel as hell, lol.

134:

Well… in this scenario, eating it is the only choice. Streamers naturally has to entertain.

135:

He said it was delicious, lolol.

136:

Old man’s tongue is bugged too, lol.

137:

Satsuki is pure sadistic, lol.

138:

“Wanted him to get stronger”? Yeah, right, lol.

139:

She just wanted to heal him while he suffered to feel superior.

140:

Hm? Old man’s starting to manipulate stats.

141:

Did something change?

142:

Whoa… what a convenient turn of events.

143:

Feels like that raw liver was placed expecting him to eat it.

144:

And he actually did it, lol. Allocating stats.

145:

Raw liver of the Nether King, lolol.

146:

Exactly as it looks, lol.

147:

Don’t heal HP by allocating stats, lolol.

148:

MP… well, that’s understandable.

149:

He allocated points instantly. Use your brain more, beginner.

150:

I wonder what happens when he levels up next. Exciting.

151:

Can’t even imagine.

152:

And now… the Unique House.

153:

Eek! First time seeing a Space-Time Rabbit!

154:

Now, where will we be sent…?

155:

Come to think of it, are there even other explorers in this dungeon?

156:

Good point… anyone here?

157:

It’s mostly unknown beginners who enter this dungeon, so probably not.

158:

And no explorers arrived after Satsuki either? There should be far stronger ones.

159:

Ah—apparently, the dungeon’s entrance is sealed with a powerful barrier, so no one else can get in.

160:

Even the S-rank channels I was watching were talking about this.

161:

Because of that, Satsuki and the old man’s viewer count is apparently skyrocketing.

162:

Rumor has it the guild headquarters is starting to take notice too.

163:

Looks like this is about to get really serious.

164:

We won’t be able to take our eyes off this!

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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