Chapter 118 Recovery Spring
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hey… that’s Amahara-senpai, right?” someone whispered in disbelief.
”No way… that can’t be.”
”R-really? Well, I guess… yeah, you’re right,” another muttered, still unsure.
It was a Sunday afternoon. Compared to weekdays, the teleportation facility was only about half as crowded, but there were still plenty of students lined up.
”Tsuchimiya-kun? Is this really okay? I feel like we’re standing out…” Amahara-senpai asked, looking somewhat uneasy.
”It’s fine,” I replied confidently. “As long as Amahara-senpai carries herself with confidence, there won’t be any problem.”
Sure, we were attracting a bit of attention, but no one would recognize Amahara-senpai. At least, that was the plan.
”But that style… it really does look like Amahara-senpai…”
”Idiot, there’s no way she’d be here,” someone scoffed nearby. “When she dives, she’s surrounded by the elite of the Student Council.”
”But look… it says Amahara on her forehead…”
”Then that makes it even less likely to be her. It’s probably a member of the volleyball or basketball club cosplaying.”
”Cosplay!? Is that really cosplay!?” someone cried out.
Amahara-senpai was wearing a leather bag over her head, with a horizontal slit cut across for her eyes and the word Amahara boldly written on her forehead. It was a strangely sophisticated psychological trick—hiding her face while blatantly revealing her identity. Even the Buddha wouldn’t recognize her like this. Right now, Amahara-senpai was no longer Amahara-senpai. She was the mysterious figure known as Amahara Mask.
”Tsuchimiya-kun!? It feels like there’s a commotion going on!?” she asked, flustered.
”Hahaha, there’s no need to worry. No one thinks it’s really Amahara-senpai,” I said with a smile.
Amahara-senpai was tall, which made her stand out even in a crowd. Since she couldn’t hide, our strategy was to lean into that visibility and flip it to our advantage.
”Amacchi-senpai, if you get annoyed, you can retaliate, you know,” Hano-san said casually.
What’s Hano-san talking about? Amahara-senpai isn’t the type to get angry at onlookers over something like this.
Compared to the beginning, the students had started to get used to the sight, and the line was moving smoothly. After a short wait, it was finally our turn.
Lugia-san and the others were eyeing Amahara Mask suspiciously, so we should dive in quickly.
Once the teleportation completed, Amahara-senpai checked her surroundings, then pulled off her mask with a sigh.
”Phew… no one’s here. I thought we were supposed to go to the 3rd floor, but since Tsuchimiya-kun is in the middle, does that mean we’re on the 5th floor?” she asked, tilting her head, her cheeks slightly flushed.
”No, this is the 4th floor. From here on, we’ll be sharing our secrets,” I explained.
”Ah, yes. From today, I am also a member of Tsuchimiya-kun’s party. I won’t speak of the gifts or the secrets of the party. Demiurge should be stationed in the 4th floor, but is this a different area?” she asked, already assessing the situation.
As expected of Amahara-senpai—she was already grasping things quickly.
”Yes. This is the place we descended from during the First Dive area,” I said.
”First Dive!? So, this is the area where Tsuchimiya-kun spent time with Higurashi-kun afterward. That explains why no one is here. Tsuchimiya-kun can freely move between here and the area we are exploring. Could it be that he can go anywhere he has passed through until now?”
”Only within the teleportation magic circles that have been used so far, though,” I clarified.
As expected of Amahara-senpai. It was a relief that she understood things so quickly.
”If I remember correctly, Tsuchimiya-kun mentioned using exp points to acquire convenient functions. Skills to bring items in and out like Kibakura-kun on the auto-map… There must be others as well. Not being able to level up is a double-edged sword, but it is indeed a powerful gift.”
’From the system’s perspective, he’s a dangerous person who exploits the fact that he’s level one to gather skills, titles, and magic for convenient functions through borderline cheating,’ Tina said, narrowing her eyes at me.
Still, I was taking on the significant risk of staying level one. I was merely making effective use of the gift named Tina that was given to me. I hadn’t done anything wrong.
”First, let me show you my skill,” Amahara-senpai said, stepping out of the magic circle and turning toward us.
Amahara-senpai’s skill, huh? Now that I think about it, I haven’t asked about her class yet. Since she has a sword at her waist, she seems like a typical vanguard Swordsman.
She drew her sword, raised it high, and called out in a clear voice:
”We have nothing to fear! Courage and strength in our hands!”
As her voice echoed through the space, I felt an odd surge of energy. Power welled up inside me.
”Oh! I’m feeling motivated!” Hano-san exclaimed.
Even without saying anything, I could tell everyone’s spirits were rising.
”It’s a morale-boosting skill. It provides a slight buff to all actions and recovery, and it also removes debuffs like fear and confusion. Moreover, it affects all allies within earshot,” Amahara-senpai explained.
”With it, you could buff a thousand people at once. It’d be amazing if used at a school assembly, wouldn’t it?” I said.
”You seem to have figured out what kind of skill it is. For now, it can’t be used at the Academy, though,” she replied.
As for Tina, I’ll explain later. It would take too long to cover everything now.
”First, we’ll head up to the 3rd floor and aim for our destination,” I said.
”A destination?” Amahara-senpai asked.
”It’ll be a surprise once we arrive,” I answered with a smile.
The current party members were me, Himeno, Kanon, Maekawa-san, and the trio girls, Amahara-senpai, making a total of eight. Higurashi was still at the Academy.
Everyone, including Amahara-senpai, seemed to still be feeling each other out, creating a slightly awkward atmosphere. However, with Maekawa-san following Amahara-senpai’s lead, it looked like things would work out somehow.
Since Amahara-senpai had requested to be in the vanguard, we positioned her at the center, with Maekawa-san on her right and Hano-san on her left, forming a three-person frontline. I would stay just behind them to provide support.
Behind us, Kanon and Nishina-san, the magicians, lined up, with Himeno and Satou-san taking the very back.
With this setup, even if Himeno suddenly went out scouting, Satou-san would remain as the rearguard. Having two magicians was a huge asset. Once Higurashi joined, we’d be able to rotate the vanguard more effectively to reduce fatigue, boosting our overall stability.
It might seem like overkill here, but to push through the tougher layers, it was probably better to have this many people.
”Going up to the 3rd floor means we’re facing a boss battle right away,” Amahara-senpai muttered, just as Himeno—who had somehow vanished unnoticed—came down the stairs.
”I’ve taken down the Owlbear. Let’s move quickly!” I announced.
”Eh!?” Amahara-senpai blinked in disbelief, stunned by how fast things were moving.
She’d probably get used to it soon enough.
”I tried teleporting outside the room during the boss battle with Darkness Transition, and it worked fine. It seems we can come and go freely with teleportation,” Himeno whispered as she approached.
Did she impulsively charge into the boss room? She’s too free-spirited.
”Alright. Let’s change our route for going and coming back to collect the fixed treasure chests,” I said, taking command. “When we return, we’ll also gather the treasure chests from the 4th floor. Himeno, I’ll leave the rear guard to you. Kanon and Nishina-san, just focus on thinning out the monsters when there are a lot of them.”
”Understood!” they replied in unison.
After that, we fought several battles while collecting treasure chests. But Amahara-senpai, currently at level 3, moved awkwardly—it was dangerous for her to face the monsters on the 3rd floor alone. It seemed wise to have support on both sides.
”Amahara-senpai, what’s your experience in close combat?” I asked.
”Embarrassingly, almost none,” she admitted. “I’m a ‘Commander’ class, which is supposed to handle close combat, but I want to gain experience as soon as possible. However, Hatsune absolutely won’t let me fight.”
Well, that can’t be helped. Amahara-senpai is irreplaceable. And without powerful healing like ours, it’s scary to have her engage in close combat with her current skills. Still, considering the future, she should get used to fighting as soon as possible.
”In that case, I recommend a spear over a sword,” I suggested.
”Got it. If Tsuchimiya-kun says so, I’ll do that,” she replied readily.
She agreed so quickly that I felt the need to explain. Higurashi had mentioned she was a theoretical type, so this kind of reasoning would likely put her at ease.
”What’s great about the spear is that if two amateurs fight—one with a sword and the other with a spear—the spear will almost always win,” I said. “The starting strength is completely different. Having a longer reach is a significant advantage. With a sword, you need to deflect your opponent’s attacks while keeping the blade angled properly to strike. But with a spear, you just need to thrust before your opponent does. And deflecting a thrust takes way more skill than deflecting a slash.”
”Moreover,” I added, “from the perspective of someone providing support, it’s easier to tell when someone with a spear is in trouble. With a sword, the moment you make a mistake, you get hit. But with a spear, if the distance closes, we can just step in and help, so accidents are less likely.”
”I see. That’s a convincing reason,” Amahara-senpai said, nodding repeatedly, seemingly impressed.
Once I had convinced her, I pulled out the spear I’d taken from the white hob and retrieved it from Storage, handing it to her. I make it a point to collect weapons that aren’t too dirty, so I had a decent number stored away.
Then, I taught her just the basic thrusting motion and initiated a fight with a nearby group of monsters.
As expected, the spear made for smoother takedowns. Even when the first strike missed and the monsters got close, Maekawa-san provided support efficiently.
Maekawa-san had grown stronger without me noticing. Though there was still some roughness in her technique, perhaps due to gaining experience and confidence, she seemed to read the monsters’ movements well and fought with considerable composure.
Amahara-senpai, realizing that even if she made a slight mistake she’d be accurately supported, started moving with more confidence. It seemed there was no need to worry.
After a bit of a detour, we finally reached our destination.
”What is this… a spring inside the room?” Amahara-senpai muttered.
When I opened the small door in the corridor, I found a semicircular spring occupying half of a not-so-large room.
”Oh, it really is in the dungeon!” she said, eyes lighting up.
”The size is small, but this is also a recovery spring, isn’t it?” Maekawa-san added.
Amahara-senpai’s eyes widened at the sight of the spring, clearly unfamiliar with such a thing appearing in a dungeon. For Maekawa-san and the others, it was a recovery spring they were already used to seeing—even on the disposal floor (T/N: a lower or less important dungeon floor used for waste or excess content).
Maekawa-san offered a mug to the bewildered Amahara-senpai. “Amahara-senpai, please have some. It’ll blow away your fatigue.”
”Oh, thank you,” she said, taking it.
I also received a mug from Himeno, and together, we all scooped water from the spring and took a sip.
Immediately, I felt refreshed—clear-headed and re-energized.
”I feel so much better in an instant. Is all of this a recovery potion!?” Amahara-senpai exclaimed.
”It restores both magical power and bad statuses, and it’s significantly more powerful than the potions we have,” I explained. “You could call it a panacea.” (T/N: a universal cure-all)
”That’s amazing! I wonder if we can take some out from here?”
”If you take it out of this room, it turns into plain water in a few minutes,” Maekawa-san said.
”I guess there’s no such good deal…” she sighed, slumping her shoulders.
”Normally, that would be the case,” I said, “but if you put it in this magic item’s water pouch, it can retain its recovery effect for a month. We came here today to replenish this.”
”Huh?”
I took out a water pouch +1 (T/N: an upgraded magical container that preserves special effects) from Storage and dumped its contents into the drainage ditch along the stone edge, then refilled it with fresh spring water. Himeno and Maekawa-san began doing the same.
After silently watching us for a while, Amahara-senpai finally mustered the courage to speak.
”Tsuchimiya-kun… I know this is a lot to ask, but could you provide some of this to the Student Council?”
”Sure, that’s fine,” I said casually.
”Eh!? R-really!?” she gasped.
I had known from the start that Amahara-senpai would say something like this. She must’ve thought it would be a difficult negotiation, because she looked completely surprised when I replied without hesitation.
”This is for the students of the Academy, right?”
”Yeah. Since the First Dive, there have been 15 students who were severely injured and brought to the treatment room, only to lose their lives. Thanks to the spread of information, the death rate has dramatically decreased, but even so, there were two deaths last week. If we dive deeper into the lower levels, the death rate will likely rise again. However, with powerful recovery potions, we should be able to save many lives.”
”Since Amahara-senpai is already a member of The Last Survivor, I’ll leave the management of a few pouches to you. As long as you don’t publicly disclose that we’re the source, you can use them as you like. However, please prepare the water pouch +1 through the Student Council. Since we’ll be discharging them on the 1st and 2nd floors, I don’t think it will be too much trouble.”
”Tsuchimiya-kun, thank you!” she cried, suddenly hugging me, overwhelmed with emotion.
Even though she was so happy, it wasn’t for herself—it was for the sake of the other students.
I had always understood that by using the recovery spring, I could save many lives. But I’d decided to ignore the lives I couldn’t see, thinking that if I got involved, the demands would never end, and I’d have no time for anything else.
But if I left it all to the Student Council, Amahara-senpai would likely handle it well. I thought I had come to terms with that, but now I felt a weight lift off my chest. I felt lighter.
”Indeed, if it becomes known that this is inexhaustible, it could lead to serious problems,” Amahara-senpai said. “Given the current situation at the Academy, there may be those who would think of ill intentions. For the time being, I think we should operate with two or three pouches and use them only for the severely injured. The Student Council might take credit for it, but I intend to keep your name out of the spotlight, Tsuchimiya-kun.”
”That would be helpful,” I nodded.
Getting injured in the dungeon is a common occurrence. If it became known that we possessed a large quantity of panaceas, students would keep coming to us seeking treatment.
Himeno, holding a water pouch, glanced at me as if wanting to say something. I nodded.
”Amahara-senpai, please take my water pouch home for today. We still have enough here,” Himeno said, handing it over.
Excluding what I personally used, I had more than enough to last a month.
”Thank you, Asagiri-kun!” she replied brightly, accepting it with a smile.
”If this helps someone, then I’m happy too,” she said, feeling a quiet sense of relief.
Even though I was preoccupied with my own matters, maybe everyone had been feeling the same way—carrying the weight of knowing we had the means to save lives… while watching people die. This had to be the right thing to do.
”It seems there are no serious injuries for now,” Amahara-senpai murmured, quickly checking the situation at the Academy on her smartphone.
After that, I gave her a brief rundown on footwork and how to use the spear. Just because I taught her didn’t mean she’d be able to use it right away—it had to be little by little.
On the way back, I also took a detour to collect some treasure chests. Ahead, there was a response from over ten monsters gathered in a large room.
Himeno and Satou-san went out to scout and confirmed it was a group of Cave Wolves and Vampire Bird Sturges. Just the right opportunity to earn some experience points.
After a quick strategy meeting, we jumped into the room.
”Ice Missile!” Nishina-san shouted.
”Flame Missile!” Kanon followed up.
Three spheres of light—one light blue and one orange—floated above them before shooting toward the Vampire Bird Sturges at arrow-like speed.
Missile-type magic was especially effective against fast-moving monsters because of its auto-tracking feature. The number of projectiles I could launch at once seemed to be half my level, so as a level one, I wasn’t much help in that regard.
The Vampire Bird Sturges hit directly by the spells fell one after another.
Meanwhile, the three in the vanguard faced off against six Cave Wolves charging from the front.
Hano-san blocked a Vampire Bird Sturge diving from above with her shield, then thrust her rapier at a Cave Wolf’s head to intimidate it. The moment an additional Ice Missile struck the Sturge, she delivered the finishing blow to the Cave Wolf.
Even while facing multiple opponents, Hano-san remained completely calm. Her experience from diving with Sogahara-senpai and the others was clearly showing.
Two monsters charged at Amahara-senpai from the front. She thrust her spear forward, but in her panic, her aim and timing were off. One dodged nimbly and flowed toward Hano-san, while the other closed in on her.
Maekawa-san eliminated the one in front of her without hesitation, then turned her back to Amahara-senpai and swiftly took down the one attempting to circle around. Solid judgment. I was there to back up Amahara-senpai, so her decision had been spot-on.
Oh! Amahara-senpai flicked her spear up and spun it around, attempting to strike the approaching Cave Wolf with the butt end. The movement I’d just taught her was clumsy, and she missed—but the timing was perfect.
”Yikes!” she yelped.
The moment the Cave Wolf opened its jaws to sink its fangs into Amahara-senpai’s leg, it was blasted away before it could make a sound.
That was my blast. I’d delayed the timing to see how Amahara-senpai would counter, but in the end, there was no issue.
The blown-away monster’s companions recoiled, and as if predicting their startled movement, Maekawa-san dashed in and took down one. Hano-san chased after the Cave Wolf that had been sent flying, slashing it down and delivering the final blow.
”Looks like we’ve taken them all down. Everyone’s become pretty reliable,” I said, surveying the scene.
”I’m sorry… I couldn’t do anything. I ended up being a burden…” Amahara-senpai muttered, shoulders slumped.
”It’s fine! Just by drawing their attention, Amatchi has helped us a lot!” Hano-san said cheerfully, patting her arm to comfort her.
Just the other day, Hano-san had been in the same situation—feeling helpless and downcast.
”It’s understandable. You were up against multiple fast monsters with an unfamiliar weapon. The fact that you didn’t run away is impressive,” I added.
”Everyone’s right. Amahara-senpai has good instincts. As long as you keep building on that, you’ll be fine,” Maekawa-san said reassuringly.
”…Thank you. Yeah, I’ll do my best,” Amahara-senpai replied, slowly regaining her confidence.
With that, we returned to the fourth floor. If we hadn’t taken any detours, it would have been about a thirty-minute round trip, but since we’d actively fought along the way, over an hour had passed. During that time, we’d obtained two fixed treasure chests and one monster-dropped chest. Satou-san attempted to unlock them without using her Gift, and when she failed, Himeno followed up, successfully unlocking all three.
”The fourth floor has a lot of magical beasts. The monsters here are bigger than the ones we’ve faced so far. They’re easier to hit but have longer reach and can react quickly, so be careful of counterattacks,” I warned.
”Got it. I’ll do my best,” Amahara-senpai replied, nodding vigorously. Her energy had completely returned.
Amahara-senpai, with her tall frame and long limbs, had more reach than expected. After teaching her a few cooperative patterns, she quickly grasped her role and proved to be a dependable fighter.
As we expanded our exploration area, we recovered the treasure chests we’d previously marked. Along the way, Amahara-senpai leveled up to level four.
”Thank you, everyone. Thanks to you, I was able to level up. I really feel like I’ve gotten stronger this time—probably thanks to the spear. I think I’ll recommend it to the students who are stuck on the second floor,” she said, beaming after we returned to the safe zone for a break.
”Maekawa-san and Amahara-senpai both did great on their first time on the fourth floor. At this rate, we can aim for the fifth floor next,” Hano-san said, satisfied.
Hano-san had already experienced the fourth floor during a joint dive with Sogahara-senpai and felt like she’d grown, but even more so, Maekawa-san was steady and had supported Amahara-senpai without any issues.
”Really, really! Sogacchi’s party was strong, but my uchi no vanguard isn’t losing out either!” Hano-san said proudly.
(T/N: “our” or “my group”; informal possessive often used to refer to one’s household or team)
Though they couldn’t quite match the duo of Saegusa-senpai and Katsura-kun, Hano-san was excited to see they could hold their own on the fourth floor without them.
”I was only able to fight because of everyone’s support. I’ll practice every day so I don’t forget this feeling,” Amahara-senpai said, clenching her fists.
”Then, training to aim for the five-yen coin suspended by a thread is good,” I suggested. “At first, focus on a clean form and strike with all your might. If you do it for about ten or twenty minutes, you’ll get the hang of it. Next is training to strike a moving target. It’s a bit tricky, but if you practice for an hour, you’ll hit it every time. If you’re quick, you could master it today.”
”Uh… w-will I really be able to do it that quickly?” she asked, unsure.
”Once you get the technique down, it’s easy. After that comes training to hit a moving target while you move. But I’m not good at that—I’ve got a weak core. I might get outpaced by Evold’s Amahara-senpai.”
”Y-yeah… I’ll do my best,” she said, trying to stay positive.
”Ah… as for Tsuchimiya-kun, I think the training method is correct, so just keep at it at your own pace,” Himeno added.
”Tsucchi has that kind of bug, huh? It’s not good to assume that just because you can do it, others can too,” Hano-san remarked, half-joking.
”Eh!?” I yelped in protest.
W-well, everyone had their strengths and weaknesses. Depending on the situation, that kind of thinking could put serious Amahara-senpai under pressure.
”That’s true… I think it’s important to go steadily at your own pace every day,” Maekawa-san said calmly.
”Yeah, I understand,” Amahara-senpai nodded.
We held a reflection meeting, but there weren’t any particular issues this time. The main focus was on strategy against specific monsters.
It seemed everyone, including Amahara-senpai, had opened up more. They were relaxed enough to joke around a bit.
”Shall we head back soon? Then, Amahara-senpai will use the Amahara mask──”
”W-wait a minute!” she interrupted. “Can I use the robe that came out of the treasure chest earlier?”
”Hm…?” I paused.
When I took out the Amahara mask from Storage, for some reason, Amahara-senpai insisted on using the robe instead.
”Ah, that would help you blend in more naturally,” Kanon said thoughtfully.
”I think it’s better than drawing attention to ourselves,” Maekawa-san added.
”I-I think so too,” Hano-san agreed.
”Yeah, I agree…” Himeno nodded.
For some reason, everyone unanimously decided on the robe. I didn’t understand it.
The robe had a +1 defense bonus and was a perfect fit for Amahara-senpai.
”With this, if you put on the hood and crouch a bit, you shouldn’t stand out too much,” Satou-san said.
It certainly covered her long black hair and silhouette, making her hard to recognize at a glance. However, in case someone peeked under the hood, it would’ve been better to use it together with the Amahara mask.
I argued as much, but for some reason, everyone opposed me. I felt a frustrating sense of defeat.
If Amahara-senpai was going to equip the robe, then we could treat it as a party item. After that, we’d divide the results equally.
And so, we returned safely to the Academy.
Notes:
• Amahara-senpai – Student Council President
• Hano-san – Hano Chikako. Brown-skinned, brown-haired gal, and free-spirited. Honest and straightforward. She joined Maekawa Party after being helped in the past.
• Hano – Hano Chikako. Brown-skinned, brown-haired gal, and free-spirited. Honest and straightforward. She joined Maekawa Party after being helped in the past.
• Lugia-san – Facility manager who was bribed by the MC with cup ramen
• Lugia – Facility manager who was bribed by the MC with cup ramen
• Higurashi-kun – Higurashi Asuka. A girl afflicted with an incurable disease. Another MC’s girlfriend.
• Higurashi – Higurashi Asuka. A girl afflicted with an incurable disease. Another MC’s girlfriend.
• Kibakura – Leader of Demiurge
• Maekawa-san – The leader of the group of four girls (including Hano, etc) who are in the same class as the MC.
• Himeno – MC’s first girlfriend
• Kanon – Watarase Kanon: The magician girl. Party with the MC.
• Nishina-san – Nishina Tomoko. Shy girl. Looks like an upper elementary school kid despite being in high school. Childhood friends with Satou Akari.
• Satou-san – Satou Akari. The Scout. Long black hair, slender and cool-looking. Passionate underneath, she was once the leader of the violent yakuza gang.
• Nishina – Nishina Tomoko. Shy girl. Looks like an upper elementary school kid despite being in high school. Childhood friends with Satou Akari.
• Satou – Satou Akari. The Scout. Long black hair, slender and cool-looking. Passionate underneath, she was once the leader of the violent yakuza gang.
• Hatsune – Togamine Hatsune. The girl who like the student council but hate the MC.
• Sogahara-senpai – Student Council Vice President
• Sogahara – Student Council Vice President
• Saegusa-senpai – Third-year vanguard student in Sogahara-senpai’s party
• Katsura-kun – First-year vanguard student in Sogahara-senpai’s party
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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