Chapter 92 - Connecting Hearts at the Summit
To be honest, for someone who's cleared it even once, conquering the [Spiral Crimson Tower] again isn't all that difficult.
Well, the action is still devilishly hard, but what’s more important in this dungeon isn't so much the action as it is information retention and memory.
Once you’ve assembled a complete strategy chart from start to finish, you can guarantee a successful clear just by following it without forgetting the steps.
"And that's how it's done."
"The… the usual…"
Back in the goal room after several hours. Beyond the crimson, glittering archway, the girl collapsed on the floor glared at me with teary eyes, her breathing shallow.
Hey, hold on, I didn't do anything wrong this time.
I gave her a thorough explanation beforehand, so I'm not to blame!
"Honestly…! I take my eyes off you for just two days, and you really, Haru-san, you just…!"
Oh? This feels like it has a different nuance than before, doesn't it?
I get the sense she's burning with a competitive spirit against me for my incorrigible, leap-ahead progress, but…
I want to say this loud and clear—I knew it, but Sora-san, you're something else yourself.
"Man… That [Scareless] and [Cradle] are just too broken…"
"Th-that's… um…"
This was our second run, attempted with Sora's support. It feels incredibly disrespectful to a formerly unconquerable dungeon, but I was so bored I almost yawned. It was just that easy.
It was the result of a synergy with my newly acquired skills, but the combination of a concentrated MID boost from [Scareless] and my [Farsight] was particularly effective.
My MID stat, with thirty levels' worth of points poured into it at once, reached a staggering 550 including accessory boosts. That's even higher than the 500 average for a pure mage player.
With that massive MID-boosted MP pool, I could keep the mana-guzzling [Farsight] active at all times.
An attack prediction that only lasted ten seconds with 100 MID now easily exceeded thirty, and with the regeneration effect from taking an MP potion beforehand, I could maintain it for about forty seconds.
And forty seconds is more than enough to get from start to finish… When you're constantly blasting up at over 300 kilometers per hour, even a deceptively long path is nothing.
That support was more than enough, but on top of that, we had the magic swords from her [Cradle] to return the enemy's bullet-hell fire.
While the scales of [Scareless] are tipped in my favor, Sora's stats decrease, but unlike during her [Spectate Aid] days, she can still participate in combat.
So, unleashing a barrage of magic swords in every direction while I carried her was no problem at all. The swords' attack power was diminished due to her drastically lowered MID, so they couldn't kill enemies outright, but combined with the super speed of the [Ruby Bullet] itself, a grazing hit was more than enough to knock them down.
As a result, the attack prediction lines in my vision, courtesy of [Farsight], were drastically reduced. I didn't even need to rely on the [Angalta (Prologue: The Wedge-Fragment that Sings of Eternity)] shield, and I reached the goal with less than half the evasive maneuvers I needed on my first clear.
"Well, well, let's just be happy that we're both growing so remarkably…"
"Ugh… I'm really worried about what comes next…"
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, as they say. I know the feeling of being assailed by an inexplicable anxiety when things are going too smoothly—but, well, let's set those feelings aside.
"So, what about the all-important clear reward?"
"Hah… Right. About that, yes. Thank you very much, truly."
Sora let out a sigh as if to push out all her mounting worries. Perhaps that cleared her head, because a smile graced her face as she stood up and bowed deeply.
From the looks of it, she must have gotten a decent reward. I didn't get any clear notification or results screen… but then again, the first-clear reward is supposedly a superior version of the normal one, so that's to be expected.
"Um… It's called the [Crimson Rabbit Choker]."
As she spoke, Sora materialized the reward from her inventory. Resting on her outstretched palm was a choker adorned with a small, rabbit-shaped jewel.
Compared to the Scarlet Rabbit Ornament, the jewel is smaller, giving it a cuter feel.
And though it's a normal reward, its origin is a high-difficulty dungeon, as expected—the overall quality is unmistakably that of high-end equipment.
"So the normal reward comes as an accessory from the start… Oh, may I?"
I held out my fingertips and asked with my eyes. Sora smiled and nodded, "Please," and I tapped the [Crimson Rabbit Choker] to bring up its details.
[Crimson Rabbit Choker] Accessory: Choker MID+50 Untradeable
A piece of jewelry that houses the small blessing of the Ruby Rabbit. A fragment of undying prayer grants its wearer protection, pushing away the fate of death.
The flavor text itself wasn't too different from the Scarlet Rabbit Ornament, but the stat bonus was, as expected, more modest—though, calling a five-level bonus 'modest' just shows how warped my senses have become from getting all this broken gear.
The effect was also more subdued compared to the [Crimson Rabbit Hairpin]… or rather, it's better to say it's something else entirely.
Simply put, it acts like a single-use HP tank during combat. You know, like an extra layer of armor or a temporary heart container—the kind of thing you see in various games.
The extra HP can't be replenished through healing, but the effect seems to reset at the end of combat. It works every battle without needing maintenance, and the amount of extra HP is quite significant, at thirty percent of the wearer's total health.
Wouldn't you say this is a perfectly excellent piece of equipment?
If anything, the original [Crimson Rabbit Hairpin] is just too insane. No matter how many times I look at it, I just can't comprehend how broken that thing is.
"Looks great. The MID bonus is a perfect match for you, Sora, and the special effect will serve as good insurance for a light-armor user—most importantly, it'll look absolutely wonderful on you. Congratulations."
"Oh, um, thank you…"
How could it not suit her? The moment I saw the Scarlet Rabbit Ornament, I thought, Sora would love this, but even more than that, I thought, This would look perfect on Sora.
Personally, I think the contrast between gold and scarlet is a powerful combination.
Perhaps noticing my expectant gaze, Sora looked a bit embarrassed but smiled and said, "I'll try it on."
"How does it look…?"
"Perfection."
No other words were needed. That one said it all.
A translucent scarlet rabbit glittered against her slender, white neck.
The simple design, which served only to accentuate the sparkle of that single small jewel, was an impeccable match for the girl's graceful charm.
"It suits you perfectly. You look lovely."
I returned the compliment she had given me for my new gear, and Sora's cheeks flushed noticeably as she turned her face away.
"…Th-thank you."
It's dangerous how cute my partner is, thanking me so politely even while being shy.
I'm aware of how creepy I am for fawning over Sora's cuteness lately, but is there any man out there who could face this girl and not fawn over her? I'm not the one at fault here, am I?
Whether she's like a little sister or not, cute is cute, okay???
"…Um, Haru-san."
As I was trying desperately to keep my expression neutral while my mind spiraled into some weird self-defense, Sora, her face still red, tugged at my sleeve.
It's things like that, you know? I thought as I looked at her—but her expression was surprisingly serious, and I immediately pushed down my frivolous attitude.
"What's up?"
Seeing her hesitation, I prompted her in a deliberately calm voice.
"W-well… I can't actually stay here in the virtual world for very long today."
"Okay."
"I originally came on because… um… I wanted to talk… to give you… my answer."
"…Yeah."
—Truthfully, I had a feeling from the very beginning.
From the moment we met up, her atmosphere was just a little different from usual.
After parting ways with that kind of exchange last time, it's only natural that I'd notice if I was paying attention.
Her answer—in other words, her response to my partner contract 'proposal.'
Watching Sora bravely string her words together, however falteringly… I could feel the thorns of anxiety that I'd been trying to ignore deep in my heart gradually disappear.
—And once I felt that relief, I knew I couldn't just leave it all to her.
In moments like these, a man's got to be cool, no matter how many times he's tried and failed before.
"Sora."
"Y-yes!"
Setting aside all the flighty feelings of her being cute or endearing.
When it comes down to it—I genuinely want to be with her.
I want to adventure with her and, one day, see the ends of this world.
And… the fact that she feels the same way about me, this connection that I can believe in like a miracle, is more precious than anything.
So—ah, that's right. So this is, without a doubt, a proposal.
Because it's an undeniable, from-the-bottom-of-my-heart wish to be with her, wherever our journey may lead.
"—Please, be my partner."
Once more, for the third and final time, those words.
Her cheeks were flushed a deeper red than I thought possible.
Her eyes, wide as if about to spill over, glistened with emotion.
Her lips were pressed together, as if holding back a torrent of feelings.
And—the small hand, tugging at my sleeve, which never once let go.
Everything I saw as we faced each other seemed to convey her heart to me.
And so, after a long, long period of mental preparation, Sora—
"—…Yes."
—gave a single nod, her face breaking into a radiant smile.
Sugar.