Chapter 85 - Installing Common Sense
"Time to move on."
Consumed by hatred, I died twenty seconds ago. The reborn me has decided to live with a clean slate.
In any case, this haul was an unexpected windfall that could easily be called a super harvest. The unique rewards, the god-tier skills... I'll have to figure out a countermeasure for [Fatal Leak]'s insane MP consumption. Running out of MP in less than ten seconds is beyond just 'bad fuel economy.'
By the way, when I tried it with the ring off and MID at 0, it didn't even last five seconds. I guess MID is pretty amazing after all...
Having died and been sent back to the dungeon entrance, I let out a deep sigh as I gazed at the familiar respawn point. In a way, acting like a complete idiot at the end finally allowed me to relax. I worked hard for two and a half days. Good job, me...
"And now, on to the next job, me."
At the tender age of eighteen, I'm already equipped with the mindset of a corporate slave. If there's work to be done, there's no time to rest the body. Burn your spirit as fuel for your body and push forward, Company Slave!
...Enough fooling around, let's get to it. It's time for some material farming.
I checked the [Spiral Crimson Ring] on my right hand and readied the [White-Flawed Straight Sword] in my left. Shifting my focus and firing up my gears, I stepped back into the rabbit paradise for what felt like the hundredth time.
◇◆◇◆◇
Several hours later, I had been summoned to a certain place.
A stylish bar counter, a sparsely populated interior, and a particularly taciturn, elderly NPC owner... in other words, the usual tavern.
And the person who would call me to this place is, invariably, this person—Kagura-san, who I hadn't seen in two days.
A few minutes ago, a message had arrived while I was completely engrossed in material farming.
'The usual bar. Now.'
Terrified by the incredibly blunt summons, I immediately wrapped up my work and headed straight for the goal point again. I used the transfer gate there to jump to the 'Safe Area' I had set as my home, and from there, used another gate to return to the city of Istia—
"—Fuh...! Heh, heheh...!"
I thought she might be angry about something, but the artisan in question greeted me in an incredibly good mood. And now, after I reported my results from the [Spiral Crimson Tower], she was currently slumped over the counter, desperately trying to stifle her laughter.
"You... you really are... the best... fuh, heh...!"
"Is it really that funny?"
Seeing the artisan like this, after we'd met again earlier than the promised one-week mark, I was so taken aback that my guard just dropped and I propped my chin on my hand.
"Hah... How could I not laugh? The whole world is in an uproar, a pandemonium of 'Who could the conqueror be?' This is definitely going to make the news in the real world—"
"Wait a minute."
I haven't reported clearing it to anyone except Kagura-san just now.
"How does everyone already know?"
"How? ...Ah, so you don't know this either."
She tilted her head at my confusion, then immediately nodded as if something clicked.
"When an unconquered dungeon is cleared for the first time, there's a flashy animation. The whole dungeon lights up, and a red beam of light shoots into the sky like a tower."
Everyone calls it a 'victory cannon,' you know, she added, still in a good mood... but hold on, what? Didn't you just say something about real-world news?
"Well, I get it, but... news and all that is an exaggeration, right?"
I tried to laugh it off, saying she was laying it on a bit thick—but no, what's with that look, stop it. I don't want to see such a serious face at this moment, please stop!
"I knew you were ignorant, but... do you just not watch TV or browse the internet at all? Aren't you a little too out of touch with the world?"
I couldn't exactly say I've cut myself off from all media for the past three years, so I just silently turned my face away. She must have guessed something from my reaction, because Kagura-san laughed as if to say, "This is so ridiculous it's actually funny."
"It's not an exaggeration at all. It'll definitely be on the news, on TV and the internet, and you can be sure there will be special features on every platform."
"N-No way... even if it's the only virtual world, for something that happened inside a mere game to cause such a..."
"Ah, that right there confirms that your fundamental understanding is completely off."
She stared intently at my horrified face, her amusement growing even stronger as she spoke.
"From the day it began, this world was never just a game."
"So, has it sunk in?"
"...Yeah."
The lecture on common knowledge took about an hour. All of my conventional wisdom, frozen in time three years ago, was utterly shattered, leaving behind one dumbfounded idiot.
The term 'culture shock' was far too mild to describe the immense impact. I was trembling with what was undoubtedly the highest level of shock I'd ever experienced in my life.
What shocked me the most... well, it's not like there was a first or second place; it was more like my brain was being repeatedly pummeled by everything, but...
"The top rankers in Arcadia... are the number one dream job in the real world..."
"Well, it's a position where you can literally live by playing, that's for sure."
The fact that it's treated as a 'job' in the first place is what's blowing my mind.
"Shows that broadcast information from the virtual world... are dominating primetime television all over the world, regardless of country..."
"Even just watching from the sidelines, there's no doubt it's an unparalleled form of entertainment."
I can kind of understand if you think of it as a live broadcast from another world, but still...
"And to top it all off... Japan is, what now?"
"The Internationally Designated Non-Aggression Treaty Protected Nation... I think that was it? Well, the fact that it's become the most important country in the world is true."
Seriously, just—
What timeline am I in?
And how on earth did I manage to stay so ignorant for three years while the world was undergoing such a cataclysmic upheaval?
"You probably understand by now why I was so surprised by your ignorance, right?"
"Well, yeah, I guess so..."
This goes way beyond the level of not knowing who the current prime minister is. The world has literally changed. It's an issue of that scale.
"I'm sure you have your reasons for being this out of the loop. I won't pry, but since you're about to step into the spotlight, you should probably do some research."
She's absolutely right. I have no comeback for that.
As I stood there, stunned, I must have looked dejected. As if to change the mood, Kagura-san clapped her hands together once and said in a deliberately cheerful voice.
"This is no time to look so gloomy! You've brought back a mountain of spoils, let's talk about something fun."
Her smile and demeanor were clearly meant to distract me from my shock—she might act rough around the edges, but she really is a considerate person...
The protagonist is heartbroken, so he'll start paying serious attention to the goings-on of the real world a little later on.
By the way, she got the name "Internationally Designated Non-Aggression Treaty Protected Nation" slightly wrong, that sis.
How did this guy pass his university entrance exams while being so ignorant of world affairs? The answer to that perfectly valid question will come much later. For now, please ignore it and wait...