Shujinkou Janai! - CH 54

After defeating the with brilliant tactics and escaping from the dungeon with the Goddess watching over us, we immediately wen to the other to retrieve items from that dungeon.

The are dungeons with the concept of “the difficulty level changes depending on the order of attack”.

This is because the game progresses by defeating the Dungeon Boss and destroying the statues in the back of the dungeon, so the monsters in the other ruins also become stronger……

—————In other words, if we don’t destroy the statues and completely conquer the dungeon, the other Ruins will remain in their initial state, no matter how many items we scavenged from the Ruins.

Currently, the monster level in the is Lv 25, which is the initial value.

We can easily advance through any of the Ruins and collect items.

Furthermore, most of the treasure chests in the Ruins have fixed contents.

The earlier we get them, the better, because the items are the same whether we come when the monsters are strong or weak.

(What I most especially wanted though was to collect the items dropped by the Bosses.)

Unfortunately, the Bosses are strengthened “when the other Bosses are defeated”, so it’s not possible to “get the Bosses’ item drops while they’re at their weakest”.

This specification seems to be a countermeasure prepared by the devs, as the beta testers probably thought the same thing as I did.

It’s possible that this may have changed due to the realization of the game specs, but it was too risky to try it out on the spot, so I could only tearfully give up on this idea.

Also, due to the distance problem, we were only able to collect items from Ruins in the same area as Frelia so far.

We had talked about visiting the Ruins in other areas, but that has been put off for the time being at the request of Radd and the others.

Even so, were able to obtain a number of valuable items, including the items dropped by the .

We were going to unveil those items today.

[Just the two of you? Where’s Prana and Mana?]

The only people in the Guild’s usual training hall were Radd, who was swinging his sword with single-minded devotion, and Nuku, who was practicing his chants with a solemn expression on his face.

When I tilted my head and asked what was going on, Nuku answered with a wry smile on his face.

[Prana is going to participate in the Tournament, so she took Mana with her to register.]

[……I see.]

This is why Radd and the others were hesitant to move to another area.

The “Tournament for the World’s Strongest”, a fighting tournament with a really mind-boggling name held in the Twelfth Month is going to be held soon and the registration for that tournament is going to start exactly today.

[Even so, I’m surprised. I thought Radd and Nuku would be more willing to participate there.]

When I pointed this out, Nuku and Radd exchanged looks, looking awkward, before they quietly confessed.

[Ummm…… We actually lined up in the arena before the sun rose and registered as soon as registrations opened.]

[Ahhh……]

It seems that their enthusiasm were a step ahead of my expectations.

Rather, the truth may have been that Prana heard about them registering and saying she wants to register too, she took Mana with her.

[You guys sure are looking forward to that tournament.]

When I calmly said this, Radd, whose face blushed a bit, still exclaimed filled with enthusiasm.

[O- Of course I am! This is my chance to see how much I’ve grown as an Adventurer! Besides…… Joining the tournament doesn’t increase your levels, so I don’t have to wear this dorky armor.]

Looking at his Spring-Loaded Armor, Radd whispered in a low voice.

It seems like he was really concerned about the tackiness of his equipment.

[Old man! We owe you a debt of gratitude for bringing us up to this point. However, when we clash in a match, don’t take it easy on us! You should also give it your all……]

He was shouting something filled with enthusiasm, but his words were off the mark.

[No, I’m not going to be in that tournament.]

[……Eh?]

Radd stiffened at my simple reply.

※　※　※

[W- Wait right there! I trained hard, thinking that my Mas…… thinking that the Old man was going to be there…… I had thought up a lot of strategies for when I would fight you, Old man!]

[I never said I was gonna fight there though.]

It’s not like I liked fighting, nor is there merit in participating in this time’s tournament.

Radd still looked like he wants to say something, but saying “Rather than that……”, I forcefully pulled him back into our earlier conversation.

[If that’s the case, then the equipment we gathered will come in handy right away.]

The rules of the tournament are the same every time, simply put: “Bringing your opponent’s HP down to half results in their defeat, equipment may be brought in, consumables and access to inventory are prohibited”.

Not just a character’s personal ability itself, as the strength and compatibility of their equipment will have a big impact on their victory.

Also, since no EXP is gained in the tournament, there’s no need for them to wear equipment that increases their affinities.

Therefore, it’s instead necessary to put on equipment that considers the competitive strength of the player first and foremost, which is completely different from the past where the growth rate was the first consideration.

[That especially goes for Nuku.]

[Me?]

When I called his name out, Nuku’s eyes widened in surprise.

[The equipment of the we defeated the other day. Those are equipment for Magic-users. It has its quirks, but if you can master it, it will be a great help for you.]

Saying that, I took out the two boss drops and .

[Ummm, what are the effects of these items?]

For some reason, Nuku seemed to be shying away from receiving them, so I wrote down their description in my notebook and showed it to him.

【Lunatic Circlet】

A diadem created by an insane sorcerer who has collected his refined mysteries.

Its forbidden power is said to bring its wearer both great luxury and tragic ruin.

The wearer gains unparalleled magic power, but if a mortal touches it, their mind would instantly be corrupted and they would fall into the Status Ailment: “Insane”.

While under the effect of “Insane” state, the wearer’s MGC is doubled, but they would lose all resistance to magic, and when they use magic, there’s a 50% chance that their magic power will go out of control, causing self-inflicted damage commensurate with the power of the magic they casted.

This status ailment is permanent and can’t be removed while the item is equipped.

[Isn’t that equipment a complete minefield!?]

Radd, who looked into my notebook, reflexively exclaimed.

[I did say it has its quirks, right?]

It’s true that the more MGC you have, the more damage you will suffer if your magic fails, so a Magic-user wearing this equipment is in danger of death every time they use magic.

However, the MGC doubling effect is just extraordinary.

If it works well, it can lead to a tremendous boost in the wearer’s combat power.

[Besides, it has another hidden effect.]

[Hidden effect?]

Seeing Radd looking curious, I whispered.

[—————This is just like the , a Unique Class Change Equipment.]

Radd’s current Class, , can be Class Changed to by equipping the and meeting the Equipment Requirements while in the Initial Class: .

Wearing this as a will allow you to Class Change to the Unique Class, .

[The Class has the highest offense-related stat compensation among all Classes, even more than the Class. When considering firepower training, it’s the first candidate, making it one of the strongest Classes.]

[Strongest!? Ah, well, of course, that would make me a little interested.]

It seems that even Radd couldn’t resist when he heard the word “strongest”.

Grinning at Radd who is acting like a childish boy, I turn over the page of my notebook.

First, the compensation values of the Class is like this:

—————————-

Brave Blade

STR – 3

VIT – 3

MGC – 0

MND – 3

AGI – 3

FOC – 3

Total – 15

—————————-

A well-balanced Class in which all abilities except MGC are increased by three.

However, the is the opposite of that.

[……Look.]

Finding the page, I showed it to Radd.

—————————-

Lunatic Blade

STR – 7

VIT – 0

MGC – 7

MND – 0

AGI – 0

FOC – 0

Total – 14

—————————-

[Isn’t that being a bit too extreme!?]

Hearing Radd shout once again, I chuckled.

The reaction upon seeing this Class’ description really is the same as always.

[Well, this Class is rather difficult to use for both physical and magical types since it raises both STR and MGC at the same time, while the other abilities don’t go up.]

[Old man……]

Radd was giving me astounded looks.

Looking at it again, I saw that not only Radd, but also the nearby Nuku and Resilia, who was standing behind me, were giving me somewhat cold looks.

[W- Wait! This one would be simply amazing.]

Feeling that the wind wasn’t blowing my way, I hurriedly put the other piece of equipment in front of me.

Gleaming in the sunlight is a rod with a bright red gemstone attached to its tip, or something brimming with chuuni-ness.

[It’s a high-performance version of the that Nuku is using right now.]

[Is that so!?]

I nodded in agreement to Nuku’s eagerness, and explained the situation.

[Like the , it can unleash powerful magic when “used”, and its Fixed MATK revision is also higher than its Variable MATK. Therefore, it’s more powerful at lower levels than in the later levels where the user’s MGC is at its peak. The earlier you acquire it, the more useful it is.]

However, the overwhelming difference between the and the is their performance.

[This rod has a MATK that even the can’t compare. The Fixed value of this rod is the highest among all the equipment as far as I know. The magic that can be unleashed by “using” it is also very powerful, although it requires a large amount of time to charge and unleash. ……Incidentally, the cost would also be just aas great.]

The prepared for the Lava Cave attack is worth 50 million wen.

Nuku had been using it fearfully using it……

[It’s a Unique Item, so you can’t really buy it in the first place, but if this were sold, how much do you think the price would be……]

[H- How much is it?]

As Nuku timidly asked this, I grinned.

[—————A billion wen.]

The moment he heard that, Nuku’s throat hitched up.

I’m not sure if he’s just being a guy with common sense or just him having the mind of a cheapskate commoner, but even though he has become stronger, Nuku sure is easy to pick on in a different way from Radd.

[By the way, here’s the rod’s description.]

On a new page of my notebook, I wrote the description of the .

【Crimson Inferno Rod】

A unique rod made of the finest materials and created with the most blasphemous techniques.

The jewel attached to the tip is said to contain the souls of dozens of sorcerers, and by releasing its magic power, it can unleash blazing sorcery as powerful as the breath of a dragon.

It boasts the highest performance and ease of use as a magic catalyst, and even the most inexperienced wielder will be transformed into a person as great as an expert sorcerer if they had this rod in their hand.

However, one must not forget.

Those who forget to learn and work hard, simply indulging in easily acquired power, holds no future.

[……Hey. There’s something ominous at the end.]

The stunned Nuku didn’t seem to notice, but Radd pointed out the last part of the description.

[W- Well, you see, this rod has a little drawback.]

[Drawback?]

[While it’s equipped, your affinity for the “MGC” stat is lowered.]

[Then this thing is also a freaking minefield!]

Radd roared for the third time, but well, the world isn’t always so convenient.

Incidentally, the attack magic that can be used with the rod also has a drawback: in exchange for being extremely powerful, one shot consumes 200 MP, making it the most fuel-inefficient magic that even the current Nuku can’t fire 2 shots without additional items involved.

[E- Even so, your affinities don’t matter when in tournaments, and since its attack power compensation when equipped is high, even if you use it in tournaments……]

I didn’t give up and still recommended the rod.

[N- No. I’ll pass.]

—–but Nuku had completely pulled away.

[I want to test my own abilities in the next tournament. So, using rather extreme equipment that I can’t really use in a real battle against monsters is just, ummm……]

He was finding it difficult to find the words to say, but in short, he didn’t want to wear equipment that felt like gold plating.

Seeing the situation, Radd lets out a sigh.

[Old man, I really don’t know if you’re really smart or just stupid.]

Now ain’t that plain rude.

With that in mind, I was about to rebut him but……

[However……]

Radd continued with a smile.

[—————If it’s Rex, you would probably be able to use that kind of equipment to your advantage and do some crazy stuff with it!]

[———-!]

Unable to look directly at the dazzling smile he sent me, I involuntarily turned my head away.

[……Old man?]

Avoiding eye contact with Radd, who looked at me with a puzzled look on his face, I deliberately turned towards the exit of the training grounds.

[Come to think of it, Prana and Mana sure is late. I’ll go check how things are going on their side for a bit.]

[Eh, no, it’s not like they’ve already……]

Ignoring Radd, who seemed like he was about to say something……

[If Nii-san is gonna go, I’ll also……]

Shaking away Resilia, who looked like she was about to follow me……

[I’ll be back soon. You can train here in the meantime.]

After saying that, I ran away from the training ground as if to escape from this place.

※　※　※

Quickly leaving the training grounds and crossing the Guild……

[I’m already too old for this……]

Finally alone, I cursed.

I’m aware that I have behaved in a disgraceful manner.

However, I just couldn’t remain there.

[……D*mn it.]

Remembering Radd’s unadulterated look of respect, I couldn’t help cursing.

—————I wonder how much longer would I be able to hold that gaze……

There’s not as much of a gap between me and Radd’s abilities as Radd and the others think.

No, I could even say that he had already overtaken me.

The reason I don’t participate in that tournament isn’t simply because I’m not interested.

In fact, winning that tournament is one of my main goals in the game, and there’s no reason why winning the tournament wouldn’t be beneficial.

But even when that was case, the reason why I didn’t participate was very simple.

—————“I don’t have a chance to win”.

Rex may have been the “strongest in the early game”, but that only means that he’s the strongest character who joins your party at the beginning of the game.

Some of the characters who only enter the spotlight events or don’t join the group at all in the first place are such monsters that far surpass Rex’s abilities at the start of the game.

By rule, tournaments don’t allow underhanded means that exploit system loopholes.

No matter how much in-game knowledge I have, the tournament isn’t something you can win with just my level of ability.

[……Haahhh……]

Sighing heavily, I switched my thoughts.

That said, there’s no point grumbling about this and that.

Now that I have told them I will go look for Prana and Mana, even if it was only just an excuse I used, it will seem strange if I don’t go look for them.

While I was closing my eyes at the heavy cross “worst growth potential” which I carry on my shoulder, my feet were leading me toward the Arena.

And just as I was about to see the Arena……

[—————Stay away!]

I heard the familiar voice of an Elven girl.

(This saves me the trouble of looking for them.)

As I turned the corner, I saw Prana glaring ahead and Mana huddling herself behind her, seemingly frightened.

I had thought of this from hearing her voice, but it seems like they met trouble.

(Good grief. They must have balls of steel.)

They are both beautiful women, so perhaps, someone may have been trying to woo them.

I don’t know what kind of guy they were involved with, but I suppose I could chastise them to relieve some stress……

It was when I approached the two of them with this thought in mind……

The sight of that person standing in front of Prana made me hold my breath.

[Wha……]

The words that were about to come out of my mouth got stuck in my throat.

The foot that was about to move forward naturally stops, and on the contrary, it even seems to back away.

[Rex-san!]

Even though Mana found me and called out my name, I still couldn’t move.

Thereupon, the well-trained body standing in front of Mana slowly turned to face me.

(……Ahh, that’s right.)

My hands trembling against my will and my legs cowering felt as if what was going on was someone else’s problem.

Now is the time when the tournament is about to begin.

If that were the case, I should have considered the possibility of this kind of encounter.

I couldn’t move even when his gaze as sharp as a sword shot at me.

It’s just, after I faced “him” did my dried-out lips finally spat out those few words.

[—————.]

And then……

My , which had become a conditioned reflex, informed me of my despair.

There stands the World’s Strongest Warrior.