Chapter 131 The Time of Reckoning, A Politician’s Smirk and a Hero’s Aching Muscles
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hmph. ‘At least ten units,’ you say? That was quite the aggressive demand, wasn’t it? No, no, you did well, Lugia,” Commander-in-Chief Celestia smirked, her sharp gaze fixed on Lugia across the heavy, official desk.
”Y-yes, ma’am…” Lugia stammered. She had been bracing herself for a thorough dressing-down, terrified that she had gone too far by negotiating a major deal unilaterally. The unexpected good mood of Celestia allowed her to sigh in quiet relief.
Lugia’s sudden, quick-witted negotiation with Asuka Higurashi had happened that very morning. Afterward, she’d been so frightened of reporting to Celestia that she’d decided to stall, using the excuse that she was too busy to write the report.
However, Asuka had appeared with the ten smartphones right away, which sent Lugia into a panic. She’d assumed, based on Asuka’s tone during the negotiation, that the devices were still days away. She wanted artifacts that might exceed a small nation’s budget out of her hands as soon as possible. With no time for argument, she dragged the still-explaining Asuka along and rushed to the military headquarters’ fortress that night.
Since Celestia was out, Lugia tried to simply drop off the phones and leave, but the Commander-in-Chief Assistant, Liora, and Vice Commander, Judas, wouldn’t allow it. They detained her until Celestia’s return.
During the wait, Higurashi gave a lecture on how to use the smartphones, but to Lugia, who had never touched such a machine, it was utterly meaningless. Liora, however, seemed to grasp the main points. Asuka left a set of handwritten instructions and quickly departed. Now, Lugia had just finished relaying the whole story and the phone’s operating instructions to Celestia, who had returned via the Teleportation Magic Circle.
”So, can we begin using these immediately?” Celestia inquired.
Liora answered, “Yes. The usage is simple, and the communication features work flawlessly alongside the other functions. However, the sheer number of features is vast. While the ‘Mail Function’ and ‘Chat Function’ would undoubtedly be useful if mastered, actually inputting text can’t rely on the ‘System’ translation magic. Japanese input is mandatory, and that language is complex. It possesses two types of phonetic characters, Hiragana and Katakana, plus the ideographic characters known as Kanji, of which there are countless numbers. Moreover, a single Kanji has multiple readings and meanings, and combining them into ‘Jukugo’ (two-character compounds) creates entirely new meanings. In short, short-term mastery is simply unrealistic.”
Celestia nodded, processing the information. “But we could still convey messages by using the camera function to photograph a letter and send it via mail. Or we could assign a meaning to simple strings of characters and use them as a code.”
Lugia listened to their baffling conversation with a faraway look in her eyes, realizing that Celestia had understood the lecture. Judas crossed his arms, his face set in a deep, contemplative expression, nodding frequently, though it was highly doubtful he understood anything either.
”This is an incredible thing,” Celestia mused, her gaze shifting to Lugia. “To ‘loan’ us ten of these just as a preliminary test before negotiation—that’s a truly generous move.”
”Y-yes, ma’am. But why would Asuka do this?” Lugia questioned.
”It’s obvious, isn’t it? Once we start using something this convenient, we won’t be able to let go. When the real negotiations begin, we will be forced to accept any terms Asuka dictates,” Celestia declared.
”But we have no way to offer an equivalent price for these. Given the Player regulations, we can’t offer an open reward,” Liora worried, her willow-leaf brows furrowed.
”What did Asuka say?”
”S-she didn’t mention anything about compensation! Only that we should ‘keep this a secret within the School management committee.’” Lugia reported.
”Oh? That’s surprisingly cooperative,” Celestia smirked. “If we operate this without reporting it to the homeland, we could be charged with treason, but if the request comes from a Player, we can concoct any number of excuses. The fact that it’s a ‘loan’ and not an ‘outright transfer’ is also convenient. We can refuse the homeland if they ever catch wind of it and demand we hand them over. It seems she already understands our political position to some extent. Now, I’m genuinely looking forward to meeting her face-to-face.”
Liora added, “For now, Asuka has registered these four units to the three of us and Lugia, the Teleportation Facility Manager. She said she’d help with any Japanese input or feature explanations we might need in the future. Her own terminal is registered, so we can contact her at any time.”
”Then let’s begin operation training with these four people. Lugia, you take this one.”
”Eeh?! M-me, ma’am?!” Lugia squeaked.
”Were you even listening? This has already been registered as yours. It will be convenient to have a direct means of contact within the Academy.”
”Y-yes, ma’am!” Lugia conceded.
”Judas, you too.”
”Mph… Oh! Of course, I was listening! Listening intently, I was!” Judas boomed, attempting to sound sage.
After that, the four of them lost themselves in practicing calls, sending captured images and videos, and even watching student conversations on the chat app. They were so engrossed that they forgot the time, and before they knew it, it was late at night.
* * *
The blare of the alarm tried to wake me. The moment I reached out a hand, a massive jolt of electricity—a Bzzzt—shot through my entire body.
Wait, I can’t move!
While I was confused, Fujisaki reached over and shut off the alarm. Then, just for good measure, she pressed her large chest right into My face, trying to crush it with her ample bosom.
”Good morning, Takeru.”
Her ample breasts were pressed so firmly against me that I couldn’t answer. More importantly, my body felt wrong!
”Fujisaki… my body… it hurts, and I can’t move…” I finally managed to croak in a feeble voice when she finally pulled away. Fujisaki’s eyes widened.
”Oh, that’s just muscle soreness.”
”Seriously…!” I winced.
The full-body agony was unlike anything I had ever felt. Did muscle soreness always hurt this bad?!
With Fujisaki’s help, I somehow managed to get dressed and stand up. As I wobbled to the living area, Fujisaki followed me, chuckling gleefully at my plight.
I managed to sit in a chair, but the mere impact sent a fresh wave of agonizing pain throughout my body.
”Looks like training is out of the question today, then,” she remarked.
”Kuh… I can do it!” I strained.
”You’ll only hurt yourself if you push it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I couldn’t miss training just for a little muscle soreness. And drinking a Universal Potion was, of course, absolutely out of the question. My broken muscles were in the process of getting stronger right now.
Fujisaki wiped my face with a damp towel, then took ingredients from Tina and started making breakfast. As an aside, I’d had Fujisaki wear a T-shirt since last night. Akari had disposed of all my own shirts in the dresser, so this was a generic one I’d bought in the special zone. Even though it was a men’s shirt, the chest area was stretched taut, and since she was still only wearing the bikini armor bottom, the overall impact was devastating. In fact, I might even prefer this look.
Breakfast was rice, miso soup, a rolled omelet (tamagoyaki), stir-fried sausages, and pickles.
”Here you go, Takeru. Say ‘Aahn’!” Fujisaki grinned, sitting next to me and offering a piece of the omelet with her chopsticks.
”Kuh…!”
It was frustrating, but trying to move by myself was agonizing. I gave up and took a bite of the rolled omelet.
”Mmm… it’s good.”
The shape and color were perfect, and it was fluffy, with a subtle taste of soy sauce and a hint of sweetness—the flavor was spot on.
”Ufufu, I was a little worried since it’s been a while, but I’m glad it turned out well,” she beamed.
The memory of the utterly blackened objects that Himeno once offered to me came rushing back, and I frantically shook my head.
Don’t think about that! It’s rude to compare! Himeno is trying her best! Under the supervision of Tomoko and Chikako, she can actually make edible food now!
I’m finished breakfast while Fujisaki waited on me so devotedly.
* * *
I moaned like one of the walking dead while doing warm-up exercises, but my body did feel a little looser. I can move, after all.
I attempted the solo form practice, but as expected, I was completely wobbly. Agonizing pain shot through me every time I moved. Still, I pushed myself and finished the whole set. Training with the Blast skill in this condition would be too dangerous. Actual combat training was out of the question. All that was left was walking or running.
”Fujisaki, that rocky area you mentioned—is there a village or a town ruin down at the base of the mountain?” I asked.
”Oh? How did you know that?”
As I thought, it’s the place where I rescued Akari and Chikako. Valeria must have left the space connected. The path looked relatively easy to walk, but I remembered the terrain being pretty rugged. I’d train my legs and lower back with mountain walking.
I then got ready and headed toward the rocky mountain.
I descended the rock mountain silently, drenched in sweat. My immediate goal was the town ruins at the bottom. From there, I planned to return, aim for the summit, then turn back again to the starting point halfway up the slope.
I wore a large backpack containing a water bag with twenty kilograms of Universal Potion. Both were among the spoils of war that Fujisaki had saved up. The water bag had a thirty-liter capacity compared to the three-liter one I owned, as there were also ten-liter and twenty-liter versions available. Unfortunately, neither had the plus-correction magic item effect, but I was determined to get my hands on a +1 corrected large-capacity water bag.
I was terrified that I had somehow angered Amahara-senpai, but I knew she would forgive me if I brought her back a large-capacity +1 water bag as a souvenir.
Walking the mountain path with a heavy load while suffering from muscle soreness was incredibly tough at first, but I slowly got used to it. By the way, I had the Brave Warrior Title turned off outside of combat training, so my body ability was that of a normal person.
”You don’t have to stick around, Fujisaki. You could stay behind and watch the base,” I offered.
”Don’t be an idiot. What would you do if a Monster attacked you while you’re all wobbly like this? I can’t relax if I take my eyes off you; I need you alive to get home.”
The Auto-Map showed a few Monster responses, but none were approaching us. In fact, some were even running away when we got close.
Unlike the usual dungeon, the Monsters here were natural wildlife, so they were likely more cautious.
As soon as a Monster came within fifty meters, it registered on Fujisaki’s skill, too. Every time, she would quickly move away from me, hunt the Monster, and return.
”This place has a lot of snake and insect Monsters, huh?”
I put the large, earthen-colored snake Fujisaki brought back into my ‘Storage.’
”There used to be a lot of bird Monsters, but they tasted really good, so I hunted them until they learned to avoid me.”
So she’s the one they’re avoiding. That actually works as a Monster deterrent, as I don’t want to be attacked from the sky in this state.
This was a canyon within the rocky mountain area; the desert wasn’t visible. Tall, thin, pillar-like rocks stood everywhere, making visibility poor—a landscape completely unfamiliar to someone raised in Japan. Fujisaki, who remembered the locations, was also collecting a few hidden treasure chests she found in the shadows of the rocks.
We reached the ruins at the bottom of the valley in about an hour and took a break. My body felt looser, but I was physically exhausted. I had only completed a quarter of the journey. From there, it took us nearly three hours to climb to the summit.
From here, I could overlook the vast sea of sand stretching as far as the eye could see. I felt the magnificent view should blow away my fatigue, but that was just wishful thinking. I took off my pack and sat on a nearby rock, feeling like I couldn’t move another inch.
”If you can’t make it, I’ll carry you back,” Fujisaki mocked.
“Pff!” I scoffed.
”Huh? I’m still perfectly fine!” I instinctively snapped back at Fujisaki’s voice.
”Hmph… Just don’t come crawling to me later, then.”
‘Don’t you think it might be better to just apologize honestly?’ Tina’s voice chirped.
”Shut up, I said I’m fine!”
I drank some water and forced myself to stand up. My whole body was screaming in agony, but after talking such a big game, I couldn’t give up now.
We reached the base shortly after noon. I have no memory of what happened next; the next thing I knew, Fujisaki was waking me up in bed, and the sun had completely set.
”Takeru. Dinner is ready.”
”Ah, sorry.”
I tried to sit up, but a fresh wave of agonizing pain shot through me, making it impossible to even turn over. Fujisaki helped me up, and I somehow managed to reach the living room table.
Dinner was a homemade Japanese-style hamburger steak.
”Oh, this is delicious!”
It was juicy and full of savory flavor, but the grated radish and ponzu sauce kept the aftertaste light and refreshing.
”Honestly, I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I feel like I could eat any amount of this.”
”Fufu, I made a lot, so please have as many refills as you like. I’ve put a freshly made one on hold with Tina.”
It was a relief, as I needed to eat plenty of meat to build muscle. After she finished feeding me, she picked me up and carried me to the bed.
‘You’re basically an elderly patient now, Master!’ Tina remarked.
Damn it, I thought. I just have to endure this until the muscle soreness heals.
My body was flushed and feverish from the inflammation. It was hard to hold still in the same position, but turning over was also a major struggle. As I squirmed, unable to sleep, a sudden shriek echoed, and Fujisaki burst into the room.
”G-Ghost!” she cried.
”Huh?”
Fujisaki, her face drained of color, looked around wildly. The moment she heard something rustle through the bamboo blinds and enter the room, she screamed and leaped onto me—the immobilized man in the bed—clinging tightly.
”Kyaaaah—!! It’s here! It’s here! It’s here!!”
”Gyaaaaah—!! Stop! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!” I shrieked.
The panicked Fujisaki clung to me without any regard for my condition.
”Huh? It’s just me?”
”Gyaaaaahhhhh! Takeru, help me!”
”Gyaaaaah! Let go! Hey! That’s Valeria!”
In the doorway stood Valeria in her robe form, just standing there blankly. I conceded that encountering that in a dimly lit hallway might be startling, but she’s way too much of a coward!
”?” Valeria questioned.
”Gyaaaaahhhhh!” Fujisaki screamed.
Clutched fiercely by Fujisaki, my body felt like it was going to tear apart from the pain, and I couldn’t move, the world swimming in white before my eyes.
Fujisaki, who had been trembling while holding me, finally calmed down after a while.
”A… a ghost?”
”I am not a ghost. I am a high-ranking Spirit, Valeria,” she calmly stated.
”Hmph…!” Fujisaki flinched.
”O-oi… you can move now?” I managed to squeeze out the words, gasping for breath as Fujisaki still held me. I figured talking normally to Valeria would help Fujisaki grasp the situation better than if I spoke directly to her.
”Yes. The Nectar’s essence has finally replenished. I should be able to operate around the base now,” Valeria confirmed.
”Va… Valeria? You could move freely?” Fujisaki asked.
”Gyaaaah!”
Fujisaki’s hands lost their strength, and I dropped onto the bed, screaming as all my muscles contracted from the impact.
”Honestly, you caused such a scene! Why would you just appear out of nowhere like that? You scared me!” Fujisaki scolded Valeria in a haughty tone, as if nothing had happened. There were many things I wanted to say, but I no longer had the energy to object.
”Speaking of which, Takeru, if the Universal Potion is out of the question, why not try eating some Nectar?” Valeria suggested.
Valeria’s two hands (or whatever they were) held one Nectar fruit each.
Hmm? If I recall correctly, it boosts recovery and resistance. That might just work.
Fujisaki sliced the Nectar for me. After I ate it, the inflammation seemed to subside, the feverish heat disappeared, and I felt much better.
By the next morning, I had recovered enough to get out of bed on my own. I continued eating Nectar morning and night, and by the day after, I was able to resume my training in the afternoon.
—And so, on the twenty-third day since arriving at the Abandoned Floor.
Fujisaki reacted to my feint and vanished from sight, leaving a blur in her wake. I didn’t panic. Instead, I pulled back my left foot and quickly spun my body, locking onto the sight of Fujisaki trying to close the distance by circling at high speed.
Fujisaki realized the surprise attack had failed, clicked her tongue, and disengaged. I instantly activated Blast and closed the distance in one burst. Fujisaki’s face changed color as she altered her trajectory, and I changed my direction with Blast to chase her down.
The ‘Wind Magic’ skill, which I had somehow acquired, had leveled up to Level 2, allowing me to precisely adjust the Blast’s power. I could now make fine trajectory adjustments and control my posture, something I couldn’t do before. This was a massive improvement.
I caught Fujisaki in my range and lunged with a thrust. She tried to back-step to create distance, but I accelerated with Blast and launched a rapid, continuous series of Leapstone thrusts while moving backward. By maintaining this distance, I could attack her one-sidedly.
Fujisaki tried to parry the third thrust and close the distance, but this time I retreated while continuing the thrusts. The fifth thrust landed squarely in Fujisaki’s abdomen.
”Yes! That’s two straight wins!”
This was the first time I had won two consecutive rounds since starting mock combat with Fujisaki. My winning percentage was barely reaching two out of ten, but I was definitely making progress.
”You’ve developed a nasty fighting style. This is why I hate Spearmen!” Fujisaki complained.
The basic strategy of the spear is to defeat the enemy before they can even use their close-range weapon like a sword, by keeping them at the edge of your range. If it works, the opponent can’t do anything, so naturally, she hated it. This tactic was only possible because I had gotten used to the new Blast. Before, I couldn’t keep up with Fujisaki’s speed at all.
”But I never thought you’d be able to close the distance like this in such a short time without leveling up. I thought only leveling up made you stronger, but self-taught technique is effective, too…” she conceded.
”It’s only natural that technique makes you stronger. Skills downloaded directly from the System are uniform, so once you figure them out, they aren’t that scary.”
Skills that activate automatically lack ‘individuality’; they feel the same no matter who uses them or when. Sagara’s skills were fast and refined, but I had no trouble dealing with them the second time around.
The combat training ended for the day, and it grew dark while I was practicing my forms. As I was wiping the sweat off with a Universal Potion-soaked towel, Tina called out to me.
‘Master (Goshujin-sama), it’s almost time for the thing,’ Tina chirped.
”Huh? Time for what thing?”
‘See! You forgot again! You got an email before we came here, remember?’
”An email? …Aah! That’s right! I totally forgot!”
I pulled out my smartphone and checked the time. So much had happened that I really had forgotten all about it.
But is this really okay?
A feeling of unease washed over me, and a cold shiver ran down my spine.
—
Summary:
Commander-in-Chief Celestia is delighted with the ten secret smartphones acquired by Lugia, seeing them as a massive political weapon. She plans to use them in secret from her homeland. Meanwhile, Takeru is absolutely crippled by muscle soreness after his intense training, but with Fujisaki’s caring (and teasing) help and the recovery effects of Nectar, he gets back on his feet.
He even scores two consecutive wins against Fujisaki by cleverly using his leveled-up Wind Magic and Blast skill, confirming that technique is just as vital as level grinding. The day ends with a surprise appearance from Valeria, which sends the ghost-fearing Fujisaki into a screaming fit, almost breaking Takeru’s aching body. In the final moments, Takeru remembers the mysterious email he’d forgotten, and a bad feeling takes hold.
—
Character Insight:
Celestia’s political ambition is laid bare; she is a master manipulator who sees the smartphones as a winning move, putting her nation’s power above all else. Takeru’s refusal to use potions for muscle pain shows his deep commitment to natural growth, even at the cost of immense suffering, highlighting his stubborn, determined core. Fujisaki’s domesticity and hilarious cowardice provide necessary, humanizing comedic relief.
—
Behind the Scene:
This chapter is the payoff for two major, separate plotlines: the secret artifact negotiation between the School management and the military, and Takeru’s physical training, which was inspired by his loss to Sagara. The sudden appearance of Valeria and the remembered email serve to pivot the focus back to the immediate, external dangers and high-stakes secrets Takeru is involved in, just as he finally achieves a small victory in his training.
Notes:
• Celestia – The Commander-in-Chief. A shrewd political and military leader. She sees every situation as a chess game to be won and relishes gaining an advantage. Her loyalty is to her nation’s power, making her both a formidable ally and opponent. Her current objective is to leverage the new ‘smartphones’ to gain an immense, secretive advantage over her political rivals and maintain operational secrecy from her home government.
• Lugia – Facility manager who was bribed by the MC with cup ramen
• Higurashi – Higurashi Asuka. A girl afflicted with an incurable disease. Another MC’s girlfriend.
• Asuka – Higurashi Asuka. A girl afflicted with an incurable disease. Another MC’s girlfriend.
• Judas – The Vice Commander. A senior officer who attempts to maintain an air of deep contemplation, often nodding sagely even when he hasn’t fully grasped the details of a discussion. He is a loyal, if somewhat out-of-depth, subordinate.
• Liora – Celestia’s sharp, capable assistant, she stands out for her quick grasp of complex technology and her level-headed focus on the political and economic risks surrounding the smartphone deal. With elegant willow-leaf eyebrows and crisp, professional military attire, she carries herself with disciplined precision and quiet competence.
• Fujisaki – The female assassin from another school who appeared in Chapter 56. She, along with her late friend, battled with the MC in the abandoned floor of the dungeon. Black haired, use bikini armor, and big.
• Akari – Satou Akari. The Scout. Long black hair, slender and cool-looking. Passionate underneath, she was once the leader of the violent yakuza gang.
• Himeno – MC’s first girlfriend
• Chikako – Hano Chikako. Brown-skinned, brown-haired gal, and free-spirited. Honest and straightforward. She joined Maekawa Party after being helped in the past.
• Tomoko – Nishina Tomoko. Shy girl. Looks like an upper elementary school kid despite being in high school. Childhood friends with Satou Akari. One of the Maekawa group
• Chika – Hano Chikako. Brown-skinned, brown-haired gal, and free-spirited. Honest and straightforward. She joined Maekawa Party after being helped in the past.
• Valeria – An Elder Undine and part of the Water Spirit King Varniora, she first appears at a feast Hano opens and Maekawa toasts before Higurashi’s joint dungeon dive (direct: student demo; underlying: training). She allies with Tsuchimiya’s group, serves Varniora, outranks Njorn, coils as Maekawa’s glass-snake bracelet, and uses storage magic and water materialization.
• Amahara-senpai – Student Council President
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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