Ch.80Midterm Exams, and Bluebeard’s Gift (2)

After that, I spent fulfilling days training in free sparring at the kendo dojo to prepare for the Tushin Cup, writing novels while helping my girlfriends with their studies, and hunting monsters at night.

My schedule was so packed that there was no room for anything else.

‘Honestly… I don’t have time.’

Time was too tight to do anything else. If I wasn’t dating, I would have had more free time… but suddenly I ended up with three girlfriends. One girlfriend alone is a time-consuming hippo, let alone three.

‘Is this… the life of a popular person?’

As a loner, I was determined not to pathetically envy the popular crowd. I realized that popular people live incredibly busy lives.

‘I need to… level up my specs more…’

I did reach level 20 after defeating Poradori last time, but that wasn’t enough.

The May dungeon could be cleared at level 20.

‘But… my level doesn’t increase easily.’

It really felt like I was the only one struggling to level up.

Even if I somehow managed to clear the May dungeon, staying stagnant at level 20 meant I’d likely not survive June. I could compensate for stats with my combat sense and equipment, but there was nothing I could do about the HP pool determined by level. Later on, enemies would deal savage damage. With low HP, I’d simply die.

Honestly, I was worried.

But worrying wouldn’t change anything. I decided to continue living as usual. That was the best I could do.

———

That night, I went out monster hunting as always.

“Kirrrrk… Kiruk!!”

Now there were skeleton soldiers wearing armor. The mobs were getting stronger.

They were worthy opponents.

“Uryaaaah!!!”

Like a proper tank, I charged straight in.

CLAAANG-!!

The skeleton soldier’s sword collided with my shield (Pinocchio).

CLAAANG-!!!

I created an opening by pushing back the creature with my shield.

“First Flash Style Zero!!!!”

I immediately swung my sword.

A clear line appeared on the skeleton soldier’s armor. I delivered a slash along that line.

SWOOOOSH-!!

The red strike unique to the legendary sword Tomato shattered the skeleton soldier’s armor into pieces.

CLANG-!!!

The armor itself scattered and turned to dust.

CLANG-!! CLAAANG-! TAT-!

I quickly moved to the side and activated First Flash Style Zero, the armor breaker. With each swing of my sword, the skeleton soldiers’ armor was dismantled one by one.

This would greatly reduce the enemy’s defense.

“Sasith! Hit them with a solid physical attack!!!”

I shouted toward Sasith.

“Come forth!! Pupupung!!!!”

Sasith immediately summoned a psychorobo.

BUBUBUBUBUBUBUB-!!!

Pupupung swung the massive hammer unique to paladins.

The skeleton soldiers’ weakness was physical strike damage, and the hammer strike was a strike-type skill. The hammer shattered the skeleton soldiers to pieces.

“In this game… physical isn’t just physical.”

There were striking attacks, slashing attacks, and piercing attacks like arrows and bullets.

Later in the game, enemies appear with magic resistance but weakness to specific physical types. It was better to have physical-type psychorobos prepared for that.

‘Well… my intimacy with the Dual Kid increased faster than expected…’

The unlock ceremony for ‘Uwang 799,’ considered the ultimate physical weapon, had opened.

It was such a high-performance psychorobo that it was nicknamed “Uwang” in the community.

The psychorobo’s stats were focused on strength, specializing in physical damage. It could learn all the high-tier physical skills: the strike-type “Gigantic Punch,” the slash-type “Pole Rain Sweep,” and the pierce-type “Justice Laser”—a true specialist in physical attacks.

Even against enemies without physical weaknesses, its base damage was so high that you could spam physical area attacks.

It was a psychorobo that exploited the JRPG loophole of ‘just level up and beat everything with physical attacks.’

‘For now, let’s just ride the Sasith bus.’

That’s the direction I decided on. Making Sasith stronger was the key to everything.

After finishing a hunt, we were drinking beverages from a vending machine in the central park.

“Sasith!!! Shall we go to the Soul Room?!!”

I put my arm around Sasith’s shoulders.

A green glowing door appeared in the central park.

That’s where we’ll make Uwang 799!!! Give me a ride!! Sasith!!

“You… that place is off-limits to you. Just tell me the psychorobo combination formula. I’ll go in alone.”

Sasith said.

“Come on. That’s just Violet being tsundere because she’s too shy. She’ll let me in.”

I said, patting Sasith’s shoulder.

“Really… your ability to interpret everything in your favor is admirable.”

Sasith looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

“Let’s just try.”

I pulled Sasith along.

“Well… fine.”

Sasith approached the green door.

Click-!

When Sasith knocked, the door opened slightly.

The door had a chain lock. Their security was thorough.

Through the slightly opened door, Violet appeared.

“That crazy guy isn’t with you, is he? You’re alone, right?”

Violet looked around Sasith with terror-filled eyes.

Hey, this treatment is too much, isn’t it?

“Violet!!! Open the door!!!!!”

I jumped out from behind Sasith.

“Kyaaaa!! Go away!! You crazy bastard!!!!!”

Violet immediately tried to close the door.

SLAM-!!

The door shut firmly.

“See? Shota. You’re a dangerous person to Violet.”

Sasith said.

“What did I do that was so terrible… I’m a pretty nice nuisance.”

I felt quite wronged about this.

“No… are you serious when you say that?”

Sasith looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

“Can’t be helped. Then… combine the Molcangcow, Hagurekaras, and Ricorita we got from the field last time.”

I decided to just give Sasith the combination formula.

“Got it.”

Sasith was about to enter the Soul Room.

“Ah… I’m jealous. Being able to freely enter and exit the Soul Room.”

Envy was boiling inside me.

“No, Shota. This situation is entirely your own doing.”

Sasith looked at me with cold eyes.

Just then, the door opened, and Bluebeard appeared.

“Arigiri Shota. Come in.”

Bluebeard himself said.

“Master!! If you let that beast in…!!”

“Well, I have something to discuss.”

Bluebeard stopped Violet.

“Yes!!!”

I jumped with joy. I was a bit worried about being permanently barred from entry, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.

“I really hate this…”

Violet looked at me with disgust. It hurts when you look at me like that…

Anyway, Sasith and I entered the Soul Room.

“Wow… I missed this…”

I missed this dreamlike feeling.

“Violet, did you miss me too?”

I said, looking at Violet.

“Go die!! Seriously!!!”

Violet screamed.

Anyway, Sasith’s business came first.

Sasith began combining the psychorobo.

FLASH-!!

Light burst forth from all around the Soul Room.

“Ooh… something big is coming. Something big!”

Being an otaku, my heart swelled with excitement.

POP-!!!

“The end of mortals has come!!!”

A minotaur with half its body made of machinery jumped out.

It looked incredibly powerful.

“Ooh…”

A must-have first-playthrough psychorobo appeared! This would make our party much stronger. After all, Sasith’s strength was our party’s strength. JRPGs are ultimately the protagonist’s one-man show.

Anyway, Sasith’s business was done.

“By the way, Lord Bluebeard. Why did you call for me?”

I politely asked Bluebeard.

“…Why are you suddenly being polite? It’s creepy…”

Violet said with an expression of disgust.

Well… I was hoping that if I was polite, he might give me a psychorobo. That’s what I was expecting.

“I have a proposal for you, Arigiri Shota. It will help your growth going forward.”

Bluebeard said with a grin.

“You’re giving me a psychorobo, right?! Right?”

My eyes immediately lit up.

“No.”

Not a chance.

“Arigiri Shota… you were originally not part of the flow of this story. Because of that… it seems you weren’t born with the qualities of a hero.”

Bluebeard said.

“……”

That was a fact. I had absolutely zero protagonist buffs.

“Moreover, you seem quite busy. I’d like to give a special benefit to you who’s struggling to survive.”

Bluebeard said with a hearty laugh.

“Oh my~ I’m so grateful!!”

I just kept bowing obsequiously.

“Creepy… disgusting…”

Violet’s opinion of me was plummeting.

“I… can interfere with human dreams. While you sleep, I can intervene in your dreams. And I can create fantasies there.”

Bluebeard said.

“That means…”

“I can create a dungeon for training. If you train there, you’ll gain experience.”

Bluebeard’s words were quite tempting.

I could level up during sleep, a time when I would inevitably lose progress.

Yes, that’s it!!

“A secret dungeon only I can enter!!!!!!!”

I let out a victory roar.

With this alone, I could easily write a web novel!! I wondered why this cliché hadn’t appeared yet.

“Ah, but there’s something I forgot to mention. Even though it’s a dream, it’s a fantasy materialized within your soul. If you die there, you die for real. Keep that in mind.”

Bluebeard belatedly mentioned something important.

“What did you say?”

I immediately objected.

What is he talking about?