kscans

Chapter 206 - Chapter Seven: Settings + Bonus

Chapter Seven: Settings + Bonus

● Characters

Yagawa Kyouta
LV: 65
Race: Human / Awakened Person

Strength: 116 (Growth: A)
Durability: 116 (Growth: A)
Agility: 119 (Growth: A)
Mana: 119 (Growth: A)

Skills

Spirit Eye

Mana Conversion: Wind

Concept Interference

Unique Skill

Sage's Nucleus

Notes:
The protagonist of this story. A high school student and a B-Rank adventurer. True to the story's title, he's socially awkward but is fairly talkative when he's only around people he knows. The effects of his Awakening have given him the face of a "mass-produced light novel protagonist."
His abilities as an Awakened Person are high across the board, and his close-quarters combat skills are among the top five in the country.
Much to his chagrin, his party, the Invisible Ninjas, has become renowned throughout Japan as one of its foremost combat groups, and as their ace, Kyouta himself is also growing famous.
Currently, it's mostly just his back that the public recognizes; only locals and a few well-informed individuals know his face and name.
People who want to recruit him into their organizations and those who have noticed the peculiarity of his unique skill have begun to appear. However, due to his own combat prowess and his status as a protégé of Professor Arisugawa, he is seen as an untouchable figure. Recently, the former group has been growing in number.
But as his fame rises, so too will the recruitment attempts and kidnapping threats. There's no guarantee his untouchable status will last.
On a meta-note, Kyouta is almost never directly involved in interpersonal combat or political struggles in the main timeline. If it happens, it’s either brief or played for laughs. This is a dungeon story, after all.

Rinzaki Erina
LV: 60
Race: Human / Awakened Person

Strength: 91 (Growth: C)
Durability: 91 (Growth: C)
Agility: 112 (Growth: A)
Mana: 101 (Growth: B)

Skills

Invisibility

Five Senses Enhancement

Spatial Magic

Notes:
A girl who seems to be the main heroine of this story. She's a beautiful girl with blonde hair and emerald eyes. A self-proclaimed ninja. She is a quarter-British. She is Professor Arisugawa's granddaughter, and the cousin of Arisugawa Aira and Miyoshi Mia, who are mentioned later.
She is almost constantly high-energy. She had no sense of pain until she Awakened, and even now she can turn it on and off, which may contribute to a slight lack of empathy.
She started calling herself a ninja because her father, wanting to teach her the logic behind "what is dangerous" and "what not to do," wanted her to learn martial arts. To pique her interest, he had her read ninja manga.
She possesses exceptional combat skills, and she can be called a first-rate master of martial arts and throwing techniques in particular.
Furthermore, if she puts her mind to it, she can behave like a proper lady befitting her upbringing, allowing her to handle negotiations with a skill that belies her age.
In this chapter, she tried to sacrifice herself to save Kyouta, and got scolded for it.

Arisugawa Aira
LV: 24
Race: Half-Elf / Awakened Person

Strength: 37 (Growth: E)
Durability: 35 (Growth: E)
Agility: 37 (Growth: E)
Mana: 53 (Growth: B)

Skills

Telepathy

Appraisal

Notes:
Apparent heroine number two. A beautiful woman with long silver hair, elf ears, and a large bust. Commonly known as the disappointing university student.
She is Professor Arisugawa's granddaughter and a current university student who belongs to her research lab. She’s so socially awkward that she can't speak properly to anyone other than family and people she can feel superior to. This has improved just a tiny bit recently.
She was uncharacteristically frail for an Awakened Person, but power-leveling has made her stats somewhat more respectable. Still, her base values are quite low for her level.
Also, her Durability has slightly increased due to the aerobic exercise her family has been forcing her to do. She herself is on the verge of death from muscle soreness.
Aside from exercise, she is a talented individual who can do anything she sets her mind to, worthy of calling herself a genius.
However, due to her personality, this talent is only utilized in very specific areas, and she's usually quite lazy.
She is currently preparing a certain "insurance policy."

Miyoshi Mia
LV: 62
Race: Elf / Awakened Person

Strength: 86 (Growth: D)
Durability: 86 (Growth: D)
Agility: 112 (Growth: A)
Mana: 115 (Growth: A)

Skills

Civil Engineering Magic

Water and Ice Magic

Mana Conservation

Notes:
Apparent heroine number three. A beautiful, busty elf with a blonde bob. When she first appeared, she was a cool beauty with a hint of shadow, but now she's a full-blown pervert.
While she does harbor lustful feelings for her older sister Aira, she is not a lesbian. She isn't particularly fond of women in general, and the books she usually reads are mostly straight romance. Aira and Erina are simply the exceptions.
Kyouta and Erina think Mia is devoted solely to her sister, but they are both well within her strike zone—in fact, they're targeted on almost the same level.
She may go wild in many ways, but a sliver of rationality remains, causing her to chicken out at the last moment. The one taking most advantage of the current relationship where her behavior is laughed off with a "what a weirdo" is probably her.
However, despite having broken brakes, she has managed to avoid a crash through sheer steering skill, and as a result, her fetishes are being progressively unleashed.
Who knows what will happen when the incident finally occurs, given how much she's accelerating toward that crash.

Ooyama Shizuku & Busujima Aika

Status and skills omitted, as there were no particular combat scenes. Their levels are rising, albeit slowly.

Notes:
At this point, they're so often treated as a set that they're basically apparent heroines number four and five, a true odd couple.
They usually interact with Kyouta as normal friends, but there are signs that both have become his fangirls, albeit in different ways.
Shizuku's excitement has been getting out of hand due to Kyouta's high aptitude as a source of materials, and the fact that he uses her equipment beyond its limits and places his trust in it.
As for Aika, since the cultural festival incident, she has finally been able to talk with her family again. However, things are still quite awkward. The Busujima family will likely never be called a "happy family" by the general public.
But in a few years, they might achieve a "normal family relationship."
Of the usual members, these two are the only ones who haven't been told about the white dragon's attack. However, they've heard that Byakuren was lost during the exploration, so they've gathered that something terrible happened.
Regarding the Barometz and Mandrake tasting party, Aika was absent because "a day when the busy Busujima family could finally all go out for a meal together was suddenly decided." It was the first time the whole family had eaten out together in about three years, since even before the Day of Awakening.
Shizuku bailed with the excuse, "I know it’s safe, but I need to ease into eating grotesque food."
Needless to say, both of them were later force-fed by Erina with an "aaahn."

George
LV: 52
Race: Human / Awakened Person

Strength: 89 (Growth: B)
Durability: 87 (Growth: B)
Agility: 100 (Growth: A)
Mana: 82 (Growth: C)

Skills

Super Strength
Instantly boosts physical strength. In exchange, consumes a corresponding amount of stamina.

Five Senses Enhancement
The same ability as Erina.

Magic Resistance
Strong resistance to external magical approaches. It is also effective against magic that destroys from within via curses. However, "if ingested orally, it’s a different story."

Notes:
A former Green Beret and an Awakened Person hired by the United States. He left the military a few years ago with a dishonorable discharge.
He was born as a result of his father, a US soldier, raping a Japanese policewoman who was vacationing in Hawaii.
His mother and her family did not want to make the incident public, and as a result of a settlement, George was raised by his paternal grandparents.
However, he suffered abuse at their hands. At the age of ten, he was placed in a foster home.
He had always had a rough personality, but he had a strong sense of justice. Those who knew him back then say he was a boy who was, for better or worse, the leader of the pack.
He enlisted in the US military to earn a living. He unlocked his talent during rigorous training and was eventually selected for the Green Berets.
And he, too, was chosen for a unit heading to Afghanistan.
Thinking he might die, he did everything he could to find out about his parents. He wanted to deliver his last words to their graves, even if they were already dead.
The result was that he learned the circumstances of his own birth.
He became mentally unstable, but he was good at hiding it. Half in a state of self-abandonment, he joined his unit in Afghanistan.
After that, he participated in various special forces operations. While working mainly as a scout and in an anti-guerrilla unit, he fought against many "selves."
This became a trigger, and before he knew it, he was superimposing his former self onto an enemy child soldier. When an ally tried to shoot a child soldier charging at them with a bomb, he "misfired."
Completely broken, George was dishonorably discharged after his trial. Having no desire to return to the US, he spent some time working under anti-social forces in Japan before becoming an Awakened Person on the Day of Awakening.
Given his background, he couldn't get promoted as an adventurer and was stagnating, but then the CIA recruited him.
He initially refused their offer, but after a video call with President Fudge Valentine, he changed his mind and swore loyalty to the president.
He is a person who was broken over time. He holds no expectations for the world. Even so, he was able to love "himself."

He was adored by the subordinates he could recognize as "himself," but all of them have been captured. Or eliminated.
While he was making a move to assassinate Dungeon Agency Director Akasaka Yuusuke, his subordinates attacked former ambassador Chris. Their objective was to destroy the Doctor's research data.
However, the former ambassador was protected by some of the most elite members of the Walkers, and the mission failed. Thanks to interference from the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club and Yamashita's group, George's operation ended in failure as well.

The Golem From the Chairmen's Blunder

Notes:
It has no official name. It was created as a complete accident, so its specific manufacturing process is unknown. Due to the rarity of the materials used, recreating it would be extremely difficult.
In terms of simple physical ability, its performance is comparable to a B-Rank monster. However, it has no skills and its intelligence is on par with an ostrich.
Normally, it would have been easily defeated by George, but thanks to the diversion from Yamashita's group, it ended up in a mutual takedown with him.
Its appearance is something like a mix of a creature from a certain bio-boosting armor series, a Licker from a corporation with an umbrella logo, and a wolf, scaled up to about two or three meters.

● Monsters

D-Rank

Hobgoblin
A monster with a bear-like physique covered in reddish-black fur. The fur is thin only around its face and palms.
Its face looks just like a goblin's, and it lacks the intelligence to use tools. However, its sharp claws and fangs can pierce even steel plates. A handgun bullet can't even deal proper damage to it.

C-Rank

Centaur
Omitted as it also appeared in Chapter Two.

Peluda
It has the head and tail of a snake, the shell of a turtle covered in a lion's pelt, and scaly turtle legs. Long, sharp spines grow from its torso like a hedgehog's.
It has a huge body comparable to a rhino or hippo, and it can launch the needles from its torso at 300 km/h. It's a monster guaranteed to cause a catastrophe if it appeared in a city. From its mouth, it spits flames that can melt steel and a highly acidic poison gas.
Furthermore, it can continue to function even if its head or heart is destroyed. It will not fall until its tail, which is the starting point and control center of its mana, is destroyed.
However, despite its strength, it was utterly crushed by Byakuren in the story. In legend, it was a monster that survived the Great Flood without boarding an ark, yet it died when a young man fighting for his lover cut off its weak point, the tail. A monster whose strength is difficult to appreciate.

B-Rank

Demon
Omitted as it's almost the same as the boss monster from Chapter Three. However, it has a mass-produced feel, with its weapon being a trident and its combat AI being lower.

Spartoi
A bone soldier with a dragonewt-like appearance. It's characterized by its golden helmet.
It possesses no special attack methods like magic, but its base stats are high in exchange. It also has the ability to coordinate, making it extremely powerful as a pure "soldier."
The dungeon of these Spartoi is a single path, with acidic liquid seeping from the walls and ceiling.

Holophagus
A wicked dragon about six meters tall. In addition to its main head extending from its neck in the usual way, six more necks grow from its chest.
Each mouth breathes extremely hot flames, and due to the influence of mana, its attack is worthy of being called a beam of light.
Its overall durability is overwhelmingly inferior to Fafnir's, but its pure toughness, unrelated to mana, is top-tier even for a B-Rank.

Boss Monsters

Leucos
Omitted as it also appeared in Chapter Two.

Dantalion

Strength: 40
Durability: 40
Agility: 40
Mana: 100

Skills

Telepathy/Mind Reading
The same skill as Akasaka Yuune. In Dantalion's case, it can read the minds of humans within a 100-meter radius.

Telepathy/Suggestion
The same skill as Akasaka Yuune. In Dantalion's case, it can influence the minds of humans within its line of sight and within 50 meters.

Special Teleportation: Demon
An ability that allows it to teleport to a location by sacrificing one of its subordinate demons. Since the mana cost is paid by the sacrificed demon, Dantalion suffers no exhaustion.
There are no distance restrictions; if one of Dantalion's subordinate demons were to emerge on the surface, it could teleport even to the other side of the Earth, as long as a demon was there.

Notes:
A monster with an appearance similar to the great demon spoken of in the 72 pillars of Solomon.
It wears a black robe with a white ruff collar and holds a black, leather-bound book in its hands.
Its head has no skin, only exposed muscle fibers. It has no eyeballs, and only a red light peers out from its gaping eye sockets.
Above its head, numerous masks float like a halo, each one so realistic it looks as if it were an actual human face that had been peeled off.
It was instantly killed because it had terrible compatibility against Kyouta. Furthermore, its drop item was non-exchangeable for cash and strictly forbidden to be taken out, so it was decided it would be destroyed at the store.
The foremost of all unfortunate boss monsters.

Smok Wawelski

As there is no specific combat scene, its stats and skills are unknown. It possesses performance befitting a B-Rank boss monster.

Notes:
Its appearance is no different from the Holophagus, but it is simply massive. Its head is nearly 20 meters high, and its durability and destructive range are among the top for a B-Rank boss monster. It has the specs to be a raid boss.
It basically doesn't move from its cave on a hill deep within the dungeon, but occasionally it moves along the dungeon's river and fires its immense firepower at intruders... or it was supposed to.
It was eaten to death by the suddenly appearing white dragon. The runner-up for unfortunate boss monsters.

Rank Unknown

The White Dragon and the Wyvern

The Wyvern is a flying dragon about six to seven meters from head to tail. Its front legs are integrated with its wings. It spits powerful fireballs from its mouth and acts in formations of three or more.

The white dragon can fire a breath attack powerful enough to pierce the outer wall of a dungeon and can create white soldiers from its scales that have physical abilities on par with a B-Rank adventurer.
Its strength is overwhelming, far exceeding the stats of A-Rank monsters published by the Dungeon Agency.
It invaded the Holophagus's dungeon and made it its own.

● Q&A

Q: While the white dragon was eating, didn't Smok turn to salt?
A: It didn't turn to salt until the dragon finished eating. This isn't because Smok was durable, but because the white dragon interfered with its "core." The details are a secret.

Q: What did George mean when he said President Fudge Valentine was "putting up a front"?
A: That would be a spoiler, so it's a secret for now.

Q: Who's stronger, the white dragon or the Dragon Killer Squad?
A: The former, by an overwhelming margin. The dragons the Dragon Killer Squad deals with are in a completely different league.

Q: How strong is Kyouta right now?
A: In anti-monster combat, he's in the top five. He's the most skilled person after the Dragon Killer Squad, and you could say he's the strongest among civilians.
However, in interpersonal combat, he probably wouldn't even make the top 30 right now.

Q: What kind of face did Director Akasaka have at the end?
A:
Girl with two-side-up hair:

"He had an amazing smile... Yep. It was a smile."
Akasaka Yuune:

"It was a smile that made my own killing intent recede. Yes... I-I didn't wet myself, okay?"
Yamashita-san:

"I didn't see it directly, but I gathered a lot from the situation."

Q: His left arm was torn off and his organs were crushed, how did Director Akasaka not die of shock?
A: While it's partly because he endured it with sheer willpower, the bigger reason is that "he usually takes various medications, which had slightly numbed his nerves."
Thanks to that, the first aid administered with magical potions by Yamashita's group was in time.

Q: What happened to Director Akasaka's subordinates, Takeuchi-san and Sato-san?
A: They have fractures and bruises, but they are safe and in one piece. This is thanks to Yamashita's childhood friend, Shougo-san, kicking them back into the car as they were about to get out, but in exchange, both of them got broken noses.

Q: The chairman and vice-chairman don't seem sorry at all!?
A: They were sorry, to an extent, and they intended to apologize and compensate. It's just that their names were discovered, so they had bigger things to worry about.
Those two have a good side, but they're even more chaotic beings than they are good. They aren't the top two of the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club for nothing.

Q: Is there a backup of Byakuren?
A: There isn't. There's no technology to make that kind of thing for an "imperfect homunculus," or even for a proper Homunculus.
Byakuren was only the single unit that was swallowed by that breath attack.

● Bonus

What if Kyouta's friends came back after being gender-swapped? *Warning: Gender-bending.

"FOOOO! It's been ages since I've been to an arcade!"

"Boom boom. Poof poof."

"Try not to be too loud..."

"Okayyy."

"Of course, Master."

A mermaid floating in the air, wrapped in water like a floatie. A beautiful girl with dog ears, perfectly clad in a maid outfit.

It was a state that could be described as having a flower in each hand, but both of them were originally guys. It wasn't a matter of being transgender or anything; it was the result of their race pulling them in that direction after they Awakened.

Makoto-kun, who became a mermaid, and Haruka-kun, who became a Kikimora. Back when they were both boys, in middle school, we used to come to the arcade just like this.

"But man, it's really been a while since we've hung out like this."

"We've been busy with ‘Golem Maker’ work lately, after all."

"You can say that again."

I thought back on all the work and stared off into the distance.

First, Akasaka-san was asking me to ‘make a new type of golem.’ Then General Marui was asking me to ‘make cheap, low-maintenance equipment that doesn't sacrifice performance.’

Ooyama-san was demanding ‘more materials.’ The self-proclaimed ninja sent a mysterious letter saying ‘Let’s do ninja ninja stuff together as ninjas!’

...Yeah, that last one was really weird. Mainly, the person's head.

Seriously, is this the kind of work a high school student is supposed to do alongside his studies? The mountain of paperwork and the workload were enough to make me collapse without the benefit of my unique skill.

"Hey, hey. What're you spacing out for?"

Suddenly, the back of my head was enveloped in a blissful sensation.

Soft and springy, a feeling I could sink into forever, yet with a moderate amount of pushback—a massive bust.

My head was caught between them from behind, and a familiar voice came from above.

"We came here to have fun, so you should smile more."

"O-Oh."

I could feel my cheeks heat up, and at the same time, I was aware that I was grinning. Nice boobs.

"Come, let's go, Master. What shall we play first?"

Then, Haruka-kun took my hand with his small one and gently pulled me along. So soft...

"The office staff all got together and said you were working too hard, so they managed to get you a day off. It would be a disservice not to enjoy it."

"Totally. So let's get right to it, time for a battle!"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it."

I replied with a wry smile to the words from my friends, who were now, well... my l-lovers.

From an outsider's perspective, it was a pretty twisted and immoral relationship. But for us, this distance felt comfortable.

"Alright, time to fight! Bring it on, you scrub!"

"Huh? I'm no scrub. Get ready to eat your words."

"Go, go, Ma-a-ster."

"What about me!?"

And so, while we were playing a fighting game, another opponent jumped in and got mad at us, saying, "The arcade ain't a playground!"

"Uwoooooooh! Turn!"

"Shut up, idiot. Move the wheel before you shout."

"You're open."

"W-What!?"

After playing racing games for a while, we belatedly realized the reason for Makoto-kun's consecutive last-place finishes was that he couldn't reach the pedals, and we burst out laughing.

"Hey, look, Kyouta! Isn't that figure hot!?"

"It is...! But doesn't that character, like, never wear a bunny suit in the original work?"

"You shouldn't worry about such things, Master. What's important is... the culture."

"That's... absolutely right...!"

We played the UFO catcher too much, and before we knew it, two ten-thousand yen bills had vanished, leaving us dumbfounded.

"Hey, let's buy some model kits on the way home! There's a 1/100 scale corner over there!"

"Why would an arcade have a corner dedicated to 1/100 scale...? Oh, it's connected to the toy store next door."

"No way, that's awesome!!"

"Ah, Haruka's male side is coming back."

We got so excited in the model kit corner that we ended up spending nearly thirty minutes in a pointless debate about "which character is the strongest."

After spending our time in such a foolish way.

I realized that the furrows usually etched between my brows had softened considerably.

"Haaah... I'm tired."

"What's this? You're physically tireless, aren't you?"

"Mentally. I'm mentally tired."

Floating buoyantly, Makoto-kun pouted.

"So, you didn't have fun? Hanging out with us."

"...I didn't say that."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I averted my gaze, only to meet Haruka-kun's smirking eyes.

"I see. Tsundere, is it, Master?"

"I'm not a tsundere."

"Hey, hey, whether you're a guy or a girl, being tsundere is ‘only for the handsome,’ Kyouta! You can't pull it off! Let me try!"

"You're on, dumbass! Let's see you try being tsundere!"

"Hmph! Why should I have to do anything just because you said so! Well... if you absolutely insist, I suppose I could humor you...?"

"That's a tsundere!?"

Makoto-kun crossed his arms under his ample chest and delivered a textbook tsundere performance.

"I-I'm not a tsundere! It's not like I'm being dere or anything! D-Don't get the wrong idea! Idiot!"

"Textbook."

"What is it, pervert! Boob maniac! Virgi... wait, we lost our virginity to each other."

"Last night was enjoyable as well, wasn't it?"

"Can you not say things like that outside...?"

Seriously, it's embarrassing. I can't stand it.

I glanced around and was relieved to see that no one was paying particular attention to us.

Even so, I was in a position of being "known to those in the know." I'd rather not end up in the weekly tabloids.

"Well, shall we head home? And let's start building those model kits right away."

"Yes. But I will absolutely not allow you to use the dishwasher, you understand?"

"Y-Yessir."

"You deserved that."

I laughed at the mermaid whose eyes were darting around, and we started to head home.

‘Listen, people of the Empire!!’

Suddenly, a voice boomed from a TV in the storefront of an electronics shop.

Raising an eyebrow, I turned my gaze toward it, wondering what movie it was.

"What's with this bald guy?"

"His baldness has nothing to do with it."

A man with a magnificent beard and a bald head was on the screen. He was wearing something that looked like an old German military uniform.

Next to him stood a man who looked like he was half-Japanese, half-American, with his black hair slicked back. He wore what could only be described as a beastly grin.

‘We are the Neo-Shields. We are the courageous warriors of salvation who have broken away from the Self-Defense Force.’

"What's this bald guy talking about?"

"I told you, his baldness has nothing to do with it."

‘This country is corrupt. The peace and power we won through our bloodshed is being exploited by ignorant politicians! People of the Empire! You, too, are being deceived!’

"He's saying some crazy stuff, this bald guy."

"I'm telling you, stop with the bald comments."

‘Now is the time to rise up! With the spirit of loyalty to the Emperor and expulsion of the barbarians in your hearts! Let us bring divine punishment upon the filthy scum!’

"I don't know if this is a drama or a movie, but I'm surprised they could broadcast this. This bald guy."

"Seriously, give him a break about his hair."

As the three of us stared blankly at the TV, my phone rang.

"Hello?"

‘Yagawa-kun! Are you alright!?’

"Huh, General Marui?"

The man who was square in build but round in speech was shouting, which was rare.

Feeling a pang of anxiety, I nodded.

"Y-Yes. What's wrong all of a sudden?"

‘...Have you not seen the TV?’

"Ah. I'm outside right now. In front of an electronics store, watching a promotion for a movie with a weird bald guy in it."

‘It's real.’

"...Huh?"

I raised an eyebrow at General Marui's words.

It's real...? Real? Huh?

"Um, what do you—"

‘That broadcast is non-fiction. ...Some Awakened Persons who left the Self-Defense Force have gone and done it.’

" "

Dumbfounded, I looked at the old man continuing his speech on the TV.

For some reason, the half-looking guy next to him was grinning from ear to ear.

I felt my cheek twitch.

"What the hell are you doing, you bald bastard?!"

I roared with all my might.