Chapter 31: [Listener] The Case of Childhood Friend Miyanohara Manami
My name is Miyanohara Manami.
My Explorer name—Seeker Name—is Luna_arc_hermit.
I’m a skilled A-Rank Explorer, in the top 3%, and a wielder of 【Light Magic】 and 【Dark Magic】.
…That’s a complete lie.
To be precise, I use this persona to write a dungeon-crawling blog and earn my living expenses.
The real me is Level 1 with super low stats, and I only have some mysterious skill called 【Transformation Craving】.
I have zero dungeon exploration experience.
Even so, if I use that title and publish articles summarizing publicly available government information, labeling them as “premium content,” there are people who will willingly pay (support) me.
Besides, if I summarize high-news-value events like the recent incident, I can earn a decent amount of PV and get ad revenue.
It was a desperate measure after my parents kicked me out, but I’ve managed to earn enough to live in a cheap place in the countryside.
Thank goodness for this age of dungeon exploration.
So, at first, I was watching the Ota Dungeon stream as research for an article…
—when, by chance, my two childhood friends appeared on screen.
“Fuhaha, Ko-chin and Tamama haven’t changed a bit.”
The two of them are tackling the 13th floor of Ota Dungeon.
The monsters appearing on the floor are Red Lizardmen.
They’re quite fast and breathe fire, so they’re tough enemies.
But it looks like those two will be fine.
While Tamama blocks attacks with her 【Water Magic】, Ko-chin is taking them down one by one with his dagger.
“They’re still perfectly in sync…”
After Shii-shii moved to Tokyo, I started feeling like a bit of an outsider with those two.
We always ended up splitting into “two and one,” and I remember how my social awkwardness started to really bother me, so I stopped going to the Secret Base.
“Well, it doesn’t bother me now, though.”
Now that I’m an adult, there are streaming channels, the internet, and smartphone games I can play anytime.
If anything, I’m almost too busy even on my own.
Social awkwardness? Bring it on.
『Ko-chan, I’m taking down the next one!』
『Are you still saying that…? Yamada-san will get mad at you again.』
『But, my dignity as a senpai…』
『No, I mean, you’re a big help in that sense. The only reason a beginner like me can move this well is thanks to you, Otama-chan.』
『R-Really? W-Well, if you put it that way, I guess it can’t be helped…』
“《Yeah yeah, just get married already》《At least show him your boobs》… and send.”
Click-clack, I send the comments.
I know that Tamama has liked Ko-chin since way back.
In elementary school, I accidentally saw Ko-chin’s initials written on Tamama’s eraser.
I think that was from that superstition, “If you write the name of the person you like on an eraser and use it all up without anyone knowing, your love will be requited.”
I pretended I didn’t see it.
Well, it’s not like I have any particular romantic feelings for Ko-chin, so I didn’t think much of it.
Besides, someone gloomy like me could never be liked by anyone.
I know I’ll never get married in my entire life.
However.
I don’t need to get married, but I do want someone to support me.
That feeling has been growing stronger every year.
《Wonder if Ko-chan will use Spatial Transfer?》
《Probably can’t unless he feeds the Imomushi. Maybe it’s out of food?》
《The Imomushi was cute.》
Finding out that Ko-chin can use the 【Spatial Transfer】 skill this time was lucky.
Honestly, it hit me like a bolt of lightning!
If you have 【Spatial Transfer】, an annual income of tens of millions of yen is pretty much guaranteed.
In fact, it looked like he was getting offers during the stream.
Me marrying Ko-chin is an option, but Tamama is probably aiming for that position.
I don’t think I could win, and in the first place, there’s no way Ko-chin would ever like me as a member of the opposite sex.
So, I came to a conclusion.
I’ll become their adopted child.
I just need Ko-chin Papa and Tamama Mama to support me.
What’s more, I was born in February.
I’m younger than both of them.
“Fuhaha… My life is just beginning.”
Therefore.
I can’t let those two die.
They’re the exceptional friends with whom I was able to build a human connection.
My last remaining hope for rebuilding human connections.
Moreover, Ko-chin not only has 【Spatial Transfer】 but also some incomprehensible skill like “learns skills with a bug-catching net.”
He’s an extraordinary talent I can’t overlook.
『Kyaaah! What is this?! This is too much fun!』
…And so, it seemed like something else incomprehensible was happening on screen.
《Wha?》
《Tama-chan is using Thread?!》
《Isn’t that Ko-chan’s skill?!》
《Did she learn the same one?!》
《Can that even happen?》
『H-Hey. Mine really stopped working. What’s going on?』
『Well, apparently I achieved something like 《Engage in a “Can I borrow?” “Sure” exchange within the dungeon》 and learned the 【Rental】 skill!! Just like last time!』
『It’s been since the 【Water User】 time… I mean, you asked me to lend you the 《Thread》 skill, so I said if you want it, take it… That was a joke, right? There’s no way you can lend skills.』
『The joke became real!!』
《What’s Rental??》
《Skills are like toys to them.》
《So casual it’s hilarious lol》
《It was a joke, right?》
《Tama-chan got a rare skill!》
『Wait, are these achievements and stuff valid even outside a Private Dungeon? What’s the deal with that?』
『Well, who cares! Whoa! This is fun! With this, I think I can beat a Red Lizardman by myself!』
『Hey, you’re really gonna return the 《Thread》, right…? It’s mine, so I want it back.』
『Huh, huh?! It suddenly stopped working!? Whyyy!!』
『Oh! Mine started working again. So the 【Rental】 ended, huh?』
《Wait, you can learn skills for a reason like that??》
《I’m gonna try it too! Though I’m solo!》
《Gotta borrow someone to borrow skills from.》
《The only skill I can lend is Cooperativeness. Anyone want it?》
《Sad world.》
“Hey, hey…!”
Has no one noticed?
They’re too stupid.
No, am I the only one who could have noticed?
I thought it was strange, Tamama, who’s more of a muscle-brain, using an intelligent skill like 【Water Magic】.
And then this sudden skill acquisition…
There’s no doubt.
That was a skill bestowed by Ko-chin.
It’s not like Tamama learned it by chance.
Ko-chin doesn’t just have a skill to learn skills; he has a skill to make others learn skills.
That’s the only way to think about it.
Otherwise, a skill wouldn’t manifest for such a ridiculous reason.
Judging from how Tamama was talking, it’s likely that those who played with Ko-chin… to put it plainly, he might have an ability to “strengthen his friends.”
—Play with a bug-catching net, and he himself gets stronger.
—Play with friends, and his friends get stronger too.
Ko-chin probably has a skill with a name like 【Play】.
Considering his late debut as an Explorer, it’s undoubtedly a name that looks like a trash-tier skill at first glance.
But if you just know how to use it, it’s top-tier…
“This is bad… If this gets out, all sorts of slutty women and scummy guys will flock to Ko-chin…”
This has to be my secret alone.
Ko-chin is my papa.
I won’t let those tramps touch him.
I need to help those two quickly and become their adopted child as soon as possible.
“Alright then, I guess I’ll have to strip down more than just a layer… Time to switch accounts… and…”
I switch from the account I made for posting irresponsible comments to my main account, 《Luna_arc_hermit》.
My main account is reasonably well-known in the Explorer community, so it has influence.
“Guess I’ll put out some information that could help Ko-chin and the others…”
I’ve never explored a dungeon, but from writing tons of fake experiences on my blog, my knowledge of dungeons has become ridiculously extensive.
Well, I guess you could call me a kind of know-it-all who only has book smarts.
『Heyyy. Lend me the 《Thread》 agaaain.』
『Can’t be helped. Alright, fine.』
『Yay! Wooow! I can use it again!』
“…They’re so carefree.”
I’ve noticed a trend with dungeons.
Goblins, then Goblin General.
Lizardmen, then Red Lizardmen.
Ota Dungeon has a tendency for monsters of the same type to reappear in a strengthened form.
There are many dungeons with similar characteristics.
This is something I noticed while writing a ton of random articles for my blog.
And the 10th-floor boss was a giant snake.
The Lizardmen on this floor, and the Poison Lizards too, Ota has a lot of reptilian types.
The next boss will probably be the same type.
“Kekeke, I’m starting to get it…”
Judging from past data and the flow of this repetition (refrain), it’s probably…
I post a comment on my main account.
《【Luna_arc_hermit】The 15th floor boss is probably a Green Dragon. You Association folks, teach ’em how to beat it.》
It’s a formidable enemy, but with those two as they are now, I bet they can handle it.
――Just like back then, when the two of them worked together to catch lizards.