That 141: "Information #100"
"Information #100"... You're betraying the "Warrior."
▼
When the girl known as the "Gambler" obtained this information,
She initially thought it was simply a message.
—Your skill is painfully obvious.
That's what it said.
(Just like gambling. Life, really. Utterly.)
Sighing deeply,
Of course, she couldn't let her partner find out about this "information."
Right now, turning against each other would mean falling together.
That much must be avoided.
These past three weeks, the two of them had shared countless things.
About favorite foods.
About games.
About clothes.
About their first loves.
About the day they first masturbated.
About their families.
About what kinds of people they disliked or liked.
About what they’d been doing before the "end" came.
They’d thought of each other as friends.
Even though they were linked by a "limited-time" arrangement and didn’t even know each other’s real names.
▼
"…So, that Hakui Iroha person must be one messed-up kid, huh?"
"Yes. I’d like to introduce her to you, the 'Gambler' someday."
"I don’t know… I heard that girl’s whereabouts are completely unknown."
"Well, that’s true. But Iroha-chan’s pretty tough. I’m sure she’s doing fine somewhere."
"Then I guess that's alright."
Naturally, bitter memories surfaced in the mind of the "gambler."
"People are going to die. Especially lately, it's happening all the time."
"Such a pessimistic attitude."
"If you don't expect anything, you won't have to face disappointment."
"I suppose that makes sense, in a way."
"I, for one, once let two guys I was close to die. That kind of thinking comes naturally after that."
"...Was it Misaki-san?"
Well, he wasn't much of a good guy to begin with. Our time together was short, anyway....There was this group of kids acting all cool, like they were class representatives or something. The other ordinary kids avoided them like the plague.
Ah... that kind of pattern.
"It was just a coincidence that I met Mai. I was wandering around aimlessly, looking for food and a place to sleep, and happened to stumble into it. Some girl—uh, one of my kind, I guess—had been killed, and I got dragged into some kind of mourning battle by accident."
"So... what about that mourning battle?"
"I bailed halfway through. It just felt too ridiculous."
Another lie slipped out.
The "Gambler" felt a sharp pang in their chest.
Having fought and lost to Renkai Hibiki, I was once killed—truly and utterly.
The "Warrior" still knows nothing.
To speak of it would be the same as revealing the "special skill" in question. That is something I cannot do.
(An traitor...?)
To an outsider, that might indeed seem the case.
But it doesn't matter.
I will clear this "Master Dungeon" with the "Warrior" by my side.
It can wait until after she hates me, can't it?
▼
"But, uh... your 'secret trick,' Springna, exceeded my expectations."
"Guess so."
The "Gambling Master" replied, nervously glancing down at her feet.
Upon closer inspection, she saw that her soles were completely covered with needles.
A painful sight, yet she felt no discomfort at all.
That was simply because her "defense" had become incredibly strong.
"Impossible... she actually created a brand-new skill. That damn woman isn't just a regular nuisance....But"
"Indeed."
The gambler and the warrior understood each other's emotions almost entirely through mere glances.
For the past three weeks, they had spent nearly every moment together, except when sleeping. Such intimacy had naturally cultivated this level of understanding.
(There's no way this much information is free. There's definitely something hidden.)
After returning to the "Adventurer's Inn," the two decided to rethink their strategy.
"First off, clearing the third basement level doesn't seem too difficult."
"Yeah."
They already had information on how to reach the "boss room."
Just northeast of here, as far as it goes, there's supposedly a "boss room appearance switch." Once you flick it on, a door leading to the "boss room" will appear near the Adventurer's Inn.
For the two who've wandered through mazes countless times already, this wasn't much of a challenge.
There's concern about whether their supplies will survive attacks from the thorn slimes along the way, but since the destination is clearly marked, there's little sense of despair.
"...Hey, Gambling Master..."
"Hmm?"
The Warrior, now munching on the rice dish he bought at "Gilgamesh's Tavern," was staring at the "Information Notebook" written by the Gambling Master at some point in the past.
"It's 'Information #100,' you know."
"……So what about it?"
Caught off guard, he felt a slight jolt.
"Ah, no big deal really. It's just... this one, 'Betraying your companions leads to nothing good,' feels kind of different from the other 'information' entries..."
"Is that so? Well, I guess information that's wrong usually feels that way."
"Maybe..."
"Anyway, let's head out after we've replenished our mana. Your comrades are waiting outside, right?"
"……Hmm. That's true, I suppose."
At that moment.
BANG! The door of the 'Adventurer's Inn' slammed open violently,
"……Uuuu…"
A man staggered in weakly, collapsing inside.
"……No good…"
The warrior stood up,
"Sir Gambler! Use Healing Magic!"
"A-ah, yes…"
Startled, the two rushed toward the intruder.
The man, whose build seemed to embody a weary middle-aged salaryman, was in tatters all over his body from what appeared to be an attack by a "Thorn Slime."
The gambler, while using a healing spell, subtly checked the man's skill details.
Job: Warrior
Level: 27
Skills: [Combat Technique (Advanced)] [Critical Strike I–III] [Natural Healing (Strong)] [Skin Reinforcement] [Bone Reinforcement] [Hunger Resistance (Strong)] [Fire Magic I–II] [Water Magic I–II] [Lightning Magic I] [Healing Magic I–V] [Attack Power II] [Defense Power I]
(……Weak. And he's got the same job as a "Warrior," of all things.)
Internally, weighing how this man's arrival might affect things going forward.
(Just as long as it doesn't turn into a hassle... Well, I doubt that'll happen anyway.)
Bad premonitions like this usually end up being true.
But this time, it seemed like it might be different.
The man I rescued was named Kamata Tadayoshi.
From what I heard—apparently, he'd already lost all will to fight.
He'd just decided today to "submit" to the "Dungeon Master."