LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 41 - Who's the Favorite? - 01
“An unfamiliar ceiling.”
I woke up in what seemed to be a hospital room.
An IV in my arm, bandages wrapped around my body.
Out of habit, I tried to sit up.
But…
“Ouch!”
My abs were slashed, albeit shallowly, by the Goblin King.
Putting pressure on my abs to sit up made the wound seep blood.
That voice woke them up.
“Brother!”
“Senior!”
“Kenya.”
My sister, Misuzu, and Reina had been sleeping by my side.
They had been there for a whole day, though I couldn’t be sure it was a whole day.
“Good morning, Brother! I was so worried!”
“Ah, sorry.”
“Here, Senior, let me help you up! Not in a weird way, okay? Just your upper body. Not the lower half.”
(Is she secretly an old man inside?)
Misuzu, still making light-hearted and dirty jokes, helped me sit up.
“Good, Kenya.”
It seemed like a private room. Apparently, I was the only one seriously injured, and Reina was fine. Good.
The three girls around me reacted in their own ways.
“Sorry for making you worry.”
“It’s okay, I’m glad you look better. But you need to rest for a while! I heard your stomach needed quite a few stitches?”
“Kenya, I’ll take care of you during that time.”
Reina moved closer to me.
(Huh? She looks brighter than usual.)
“What? No fair! I’ll do it! Senior, you prefer me, right?”
Misuzu also moved closer, practically clinging to me. She whispered in a voice only I could hear.
“I can take care of the lower half too, you know? In the naughty way…”
(Are you serious!? In the naughty way!?)
“Mi-Misuzu! Don’t… ouch! Don’t make me shout…”
“Fufu! Just kidding. Actually, the nurse will take care of that, and we’d just be in the way, so we’re leaving for now.”
The three girls, reassured that I was awake, said they were going home for now. They hadn’t eaten and hadn’t slept well, despite dozing off here.
“Okay, Brother, call if you need anything.”
“Kenya, take care. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“See you, Senior!”
As Nana and the others left, they greeted someone outside. It was a familiar voice. And from the hallway appeared…
“Tanaka! And Tendo!?”
“Hey, glad to see you’re doing well, Kenya. You seem pretty popular too.”
“Please don’t joke about that, and Tendo, thank you so much for your help back then.”
“Ah, don’t mention it.”
The two sat by my side and started talking.
“Kenya, can you explain the situation? I think you’re the one who knows the most about what happened.”
“Yes, I’ll tell you everything.”
I explained to them that after clearing the 9th floor 100 times, this phenomenon occurred. Apparently, that announcement was heard throughout the entire dungeon, including the first floor.
“I see, no one had ever cleared a floor boss 100 times.”
Normally, after defeating a floor boss, people would move on to the next floor. So, while a few might have defeated it several times, I was likely the only one to do it 100 times.
“And then those king species appeared. They’re mid-bosses of the 45th floor. It’s impressive you managed to defeat them.”
The Goblin King and other kings, known as king species, appear as mid-bosses on the 45th floor. Tendo and the others seemed unfazed, likely due to their experience in defeating them multiple times.
“Yes, with Reina’s help, and also thanks to a new power.”
I told them about my ability to alchemize statuses. I mentioned that I could now alchemize even A-rank items and that the E-rank limit had been lifted. I trusted Tanaka with this cheat-like power I’d acquired.
“Hmm, it’s not surprising to gain new powers as your skill level increases. Ryunosuke acquired his Haja-Issen at level 100 too. Still, that ability is… incredible.”
“Yes, but it was still a dangerous opponent without Reina. I’m still weak… Oh! What about the injured? Are there any casualties?”
“Don’t worry, there are many minor injuries but no fatalities. It’s thanks to your efforts.”
“No… it’s because of me…”
“It’s not your fault.”
Tendo reassured me as I felt dejected. He spoke with quiet but firm conviction that I wasn’t to blame.
“Fufu, Ryunosuke was unusually angry, you know. Actually…”
Tanaka began to speak.
◇ Immediately after Kenya was carried away unconscious.
“Hey! Who’s going to take responsibility for this? Obviously, that kid, right?”
A man with a minor injury, bleeding from one arm, shouted. He started demanding that the person who caused this situation take responsibility.
“H-hey. That kid’s not at fault…”
“Ha! You all heard the announcement, right? This happened because he defeated the boss 100 times!”
His argument wasn’t entirely wrong. Kenya’s repeated defeat of the 9th-floor boss had indeed triggered the conditions for the extra boss.
“I won’t forgive him until he grovels and apologizes! And compensation! I need a million yen!”
The man, flaunting his wound like a badge of honor, demanded compensation. There are always those who see an opportunity for monetary gain and make a fuss, thinking it’s free to complain.
“Right, everyone! And he got some fancy equipment too? He should be crying and begging us to take it!”
He aimed to get even the rainbow treasure chest items, claiming to be a victim and trying to rally others to his side. But only one person reacted to his voice.
“Hey, what responsibility does the kid have?”
“Tendo! But if you hadn’t come, we’d have been wiped out, right? Because of that kid! Isn’t it obvious who’s to blame? That kid should take responsibility!”