Estimated reading time: ~11 minutes
Chapter 34
The next day.
With no part-time job today, Isamu wakes up past noon.
After having a simple lunch and finishing up some cleaning and laundry, he checks the clock and sees it’s already 2:30pm.
(Ah, it’s this late already? I better log in soon.)
He had made plans to join Lucifer and the others’ guild at 3pm today.
There was still a little time before then, but Isamu decided to log in a bit early to make sure he wouldn’t be late.
☆
<You have one new message>
A system message greets Isamu as he arrives in Dream Fantasy.
(Hm? Who could it be from?)
Opening the chat, he sees the sender is Lucifer.
『Tutorial Guy, I’m counting on you today. We are currently offering prayers to the evil god at our guild home. Since I shall also be revealing my castle to you, come at a time of your convenience. The demonic numbers to enter the Dark Demon Castle (room number and password) are…』
At first glance it seems like just a cringey message, but reading closely, Isamu senses Lucifer’s thoughtful consideration in the greetings, furigana, and other small details.
That good-guy aura oozing out makes Isamu smile.
(Alright. Let’s go!)
A few minutes of walking later.
A few minutes walk later, Isamu arrives at the magic circle that connects to the guild home.
(Okay, so the room number is…)
He opens the chat again and enters the numbers sent to him into the panel in the center.
After inputting both the room number and password, the magic circle begins to glow.
☆
The room that appears before Isamu after the transfer is composed of black and deep purple.
A strange space that the word 「eerie」 perfectly describes spreads out before him.
「…Then how about ‘Chaos Abyss’?」
「No, like I said, normal attacks don’t need skill names in the first place. And that one doesn’t even sound good.」
And at the back of the room are the backs of two young men sitting in chairs and conversing.
It’s Lucifer and Destroy.
「Hmph, you don’t like it?」
「That’s not the issue here…」
「Um…」
Isamu calls out apologetically from behind them, making them jump with a start.
Immediately after, the two spin around with incredible vigor. Seeing Isamu’s face, they let out a small sigh before speaking.
「…T-Tutorial Guy? Sorry, we didn’t notice you.」
「O-oh, I’m sorry!」
「No no, I’m the one who should apologize for startling you.」
As Isamu says that, Lucifer loudly clears his throat and abruptly stands up.
Then, as if crossing his arms, he suddenly spreads them out wide.
「Welcome, my comrade! Let me introduce you. This is our castle, the Dark Demon Castle!!」
「Ah, yeah. Um… i-it’s a really nice room!」
Isamu forces out a compliment with an awkward smile.
Hearing that, the corners of Lucifer’s mouth lift up in a very satisfied expression.
「Right? Right? As expected of Tutorial Guy to appreciate the appeal of this darkness-filled space. Seriously, Destroy could learn a thing or two from you.」
「…Yeah, yeah. Tutorial Guy, you don’t have to force yourself to play along.」
「Ahaha… Oh, thanks for inviting me today. Sorry I can only stay for a short while, but I’m looking forward to it!」
「Ah, yes! Same here!」
「…Indeed, the pleasure is ours! Well then, I shall now welcome you into our dark alliance.」
Lucifer opens the menu window and moves his fingers a few times.
<Lucifer has invited you to join the guild ‘Dark Faith’. Accept?>
As Isamu reads out the guild name that appears in the system message, he answers 「Yes」.
「Dark Faith… faith in the darkness?」
「N-No! It means faith that worships darkness!」
(I see… So it’s meant to be 「faith」, not 「face」.)
「Oh, that kind of faith! Yeah, it’s a great name that really suits you, Lucifer.」
「R-Really?! You really think so?!」
When Isamu casually says that, Lucifer asks in an excited tone.
「O-Okay.」
「I’m so glad! Staying up all night to think of it was worth it!」
Lucifer seems overjoyed to be complimented, forgetting his roleplay.
Seeing him like that, Isamu and Destroy also smile, infected by his joy.
Immediately after, Lucifer loudly clears his throat, changing the atmosphere before speaking.
「…Now then, Tutorial Guy. The reason I asked you to come today is actually because there’s something I’d like your help with.」
「Sure, what is it? I’ll help with anything I can!」
「I see. You have my gratitude! Well, the favor I’d like to ask is – we still only have our starting weapons, you see. We’d like to get our hands on some powerful weapons.」
Hearing that, Isamu looks and sees Lucifer holding a wooden staff while Destroy has an iron axe.
Both are the initial weapons they start with, not at all befitting their current levels.
Wanting stronger weapons at this point is only natural.
「So we’ve been defeating the lizardmen in the Trial Caverns, but the weapons we’re after just won’t drop… We figured with three people, we could get the weapons we want more efficiently.」
「I see, that makes sense. Okay, got it! I’ll be happy to help out.」
「Thank you very much! Well then, Lucifer, since our time is limited, shall we get going?」
「Indeed! Let us be off.」
☆
The three arrive at the Trial Caverns where the lizardmen await.
As they walk toward the depths, a black boar – a Black Boar – appears before them.
「Rapid Thrust!」
Isamu immediately activates a skill and charges at the Black Boar.
Raining down multiple thrusts, the boar quickly disintegrates into particles and vanishes.
(Whoa! I’ve gotten pretty strong.)
The Black Boar that he couldn’t even scratch when he came with Kaito and the others before is now a piece of cake.
That fact makes Isamu keenly feel his own growth.
Well, it’s just a matter of leveling up and getting stronger in a game, though.
「As expected of you, Tutorial Guy.」
「Yeah, that was amazing!」
「Oh, thanks! Well, let’s keep going!」
☆
A few minutes later.
The trio easily makes it to the deepest part.
There, just like before, stands a lizardman gripping an iron sword in its left hand.
The group approaches without stopping. Noticing them, the lizardman kicks off the ground.
「「Come forth from darkness, jet-black fangs! Devour the foes before us!」」
「Double Slash!」
Isamu, at the head of the group, unleashes a two-hit combo on the charging lizard.
「「Darkness Bite!」」
Immediately after, Lucifer and Destroy simultaneously activate the third dark magic.
Two black fangs fly toward the lizardman. The moment they catch its green body, it disintegrates into particles.
<Obtained Crimson Edge>
(That was easy as expected… Oh, Crimson Edge.)
When he challenged it with Kaito before, it was a breeze, but this time their average level is even higher.
So they defeated it effortlessly, in the blink of an eye.
However, they didn’t obtain the weapons they were after.
「Hmph, a spear this time. Another miss.」
「Also a miss for me. I got a dagger. How about you, Tutorial Guy?」
「I got a one-handed sword. Looks like we all whiffed.」
Dream Fantasy has a wide variety of weapons available, which is one of the appeals of this game.
But this time, that variety backfired, and they weren’t able to get the staff and axe they were aiming for.
「I see. Well, this is just a matter of luck, so it can’t be helped. So Lucifer, what do you want to do?」
「Isn’t it obvious? We’ll just keep challenging it until they drop.」
「True. Alright, let’s pick ourselves back up and go again!」
The three step on the transfer circle that appears after defeating the lizardman, returning to the Town of Beginnings for now.
Then they re-enter the Trial Caverns and head to where the lizardman awaits.
Soon enough, they easily defeat the lizardman again, but their desired items don’t drop.
However, they don’t give up there and re-enter the caverns once more.
☆
「Agh, another miss! The desire sensor is on overdrive!」
「I also missed…」
「Me too… I didn’t expect them to be this stubborn about dropping.」
They’ve defeated it over 10 times now, but the game utterly refuses to drop just the axe and staff.
As Destroy said, the desire sensor seems to be going off like crazy.
「Okay, once more! I won’t yield!… However, Tutorial Guy, you don’t have to force yourself to keep going.」
「Yeah. If you get bored, please don’t hesitate to say so.」
「No, I’ll stick with you until 7pm. Now that we’ve come this far, I want to get weapons for you two out of spite.」
「…I see. You have our gratitude, Tutorial Guy.」
「Thank you very much! Well then, let’s head back to town!」
Having agreed to continue the grind, the three transfer back to town.
After arriving at the transfer circle connecting to the caverns…
「Hmm, I’ve used up the last of my mana potions. Destroy, may I have some of yours?」
「Sure, no problem… Oh, looks like I just used my last one too.」
Lucifer and Destroy chant powerful spells, so their MP consumption is intense.
Their natural MP recovery can’t keep up with that consumption at all, so they’ve been supplementing it with MP recovery items called mana potions. But it seems both of them have exhausted their supply.
(Do I have any?)
Hearing that, Isamu checks his item page to share some of his own, but he doesn’t have a single one.
Come to think of it, he hasn’t purchased any mana potions since the official release, so it’s only natural.
「Sorry, I don’t have any either.」
「I see. Then I shall go purchase some. You two wait here.」
「Oh, in that case I’ll also-」
「Buying supplies is plenty doable alone. Just stay here with Tutorial Guy like I told you.」
Leaving those words behind, Lucifer runs off, cutting Destroy off.
「Geez, he’s always so willful.」
Despite his words, Destroy’s eyes are gentle as he watches Lucifer’s back.
Witnessing that, Isamu lets out a chuckle.
「Wh-What is it?」
「Nothing, I was just thinking how much you’ve changed, Destroy.」
Isamu directly shares his thought about how Destroy seems like a completely different person from when he was hunting newbies.
Destroy awkwardly smiles while scratching his head.
「Ah, I’m really sorry about back then.」
「Oh, don’t worry about it at all! I’m not bothered by it, so you don’t need to be either!… But I’m really glad you had a change of heart.」
「…It’s thanks to that guy.」
「Hm? You mean Lucifer?」
「Yes… I didn’t have any friends, so I had always played alone until now. That’s why I resented the other guys who were having a blast playing together.」
「…I see. So you were taking it out on the newbies.」
Isamu says, and Destroy nods before continuing.
「…Then, the day after the event, when I was about to go newbie hunting as usual, that guy called out to me. He said ‘As fellow souls drawn to the darkness, let us join hands from now on’.」
「Ahaha. That’s so like him.」
「Yeah. At first I thought he was a weirdo and ignored him, but he kept following me around persistently. And at some point we started playing the game together… Then one day, I suddenly realized. That this was fun.」
「Yeah, I totally get that feeling.」
「Huh? You do?」
「Yep. Actually…」
Isamu shares the story of how he started this game to hunt normies, and how he eventually came to be called Tutorial Guy.
「…So that’s how it was. I never would’ve guessed Tutorial Guy was the same as me. I totally thought you were a saint from the very beginning.」
「S-Saint is going too far… Well, that’s why I understand how you feel, Destroy. …We’re both lucky to have found good friends.」
「Definitely! Thanks to that, now I can have fun like this… oh. Looks like he’s back.」
Following Destroy’s gaze, Isamu sees Lucifer running closer.
「-Sorry to keep you waiting. Here, Destroy. This is for you.」
After rejoining them, Lucifer opens the menu window and moves his fingers.
It seems he shared some mana potions with Destroy.
「Oh, thanks!」
「Hmph, no need for thanks. After all, we’re comrades. Ah right, I should give some to Tutorial Guy too.」
「Oh, I’m good! I still have plenty of MP left.」
「Is that so? Well, let me know if you need any later. Now then, shall we get going?」
「「Yeah!」」
Isamu and the others transfer to the Trial Caverns, reinvigorated to obtain the axe and staff.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link