Chapter 118: Awakening, Then Romantic Comedy
"I'll go first."
Yuuki Asuna opened the eye icon app on her phone and placed it on the coffee table.
"My rewards were increased physical fitness and mental strength, plus two… um, maybe one and a half skills."
[Stardust Splash (Sword Skill): Consumes a certain amount of mental strength and stamina to unleash eight consecutive thrusts at ultra high speed. During the eight strikes, other skills (such as Stinger) can be chained in, but mental strength and stamina consumption will increase accordingly]
[Note: This sword skill places a heavy burden on the user's wrist. Use with discretion]
[Wind Blessing: A blessing type magic that consumes a small amount of mental strength to make the body lighter and more agile. It can also be attached to blade type weapons by consuming a small amount of mental strength, enhancing sharpness through an enchantment effect]
After Yuuki Asuna finished reading, Iwanaga Kotoko opened her own Player panel.
"My Dungeon clearance rewards aren't that much this time. Because of my exclusive talent's limitations, I didn't get any physical enhancement. Just a significant mental strength increase, one skill, and one ring."
[Undead Touch (Warlock Class Exclusive Skill): Consumes a large amount of mental strength to summon a large number of undead hands within an area. The hands deal curse damage. Biological targets touched by undead hands will have their mental strength continuously drained, and the drained mental strength will be converted to replenish the user]
[Sorcerer's Ring (Quality: Purple, Excellent): By consuming mental strength, a light green curse attribute shield can be created around the user. While the shield persists, it continuously consumes the user's mental strength. Shield durability is determined by the user's mental strength]
When Iwanaga Kotoko finished, Kato Megumi quietly opened her Player panel as well, set her phone down, and then took out something that made Asagiri and the others blink.
"Mine is increased mental strength and physical fitness, one special class exclusive skill, and a weapon."
[Indian War Axe (Quality: Blue, Excellent): A certain assassin master's preferred weapon. Suitable for melee and can also be used as a throwing weapon]
[Note: That famous assassin master once said: As long as you kill everyone, no one will know I was here. That is perfect assassination]
"Uh…"
Yuuki Asuna and Iwanaga Kotoko stared at the hand axe on the table, their expressions turning complicated in unison.
Yuuki Asuna spoke first, still trying to process it.
"Your Shadow Dancer is an assassin type class, right? And logically, the system's rewards should match the Player's situation as much as possible. So why did you, an assassin, get such a… berserker type weapon?"
Kato Megumi calmly tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear, thought for a moment, and answered with a straight face.
"Because killing enemies with daggers in frontal combat is too troublesome. If I use an axe, I don't have to slit throats every time. I can just chop straight into the head."
"Uh…"
Hearing such terrifying words delivered in such a calm tone, Yuuki Asuna didn't know what expression she was supposed to wear. She could only lower her gaze toward Kato Megumi's phone and check the skill.
[Throw: Consumes a certain amount of stamina to throw the weapon currently held, dealing devastating physical damage to the target]
"Throw…?"
Iwanaga Kotoko tilted her head, genuinely confused, and looked up at Kato Megumi.
"You're an assassin. How did you awaken a skill like that?"
Kato Megumi glanced at Asagiri sitting across from her and replied in an unhurried, gentle tone.
"Because I think Utsunomiya looks cool when he throws the Rope Dart, so I also want to throw."
Yuuki Asuna and Iwanaga Kotoko both fell silent.
"War axe plus Throw…"
Asagiri looked thoughtful for a second. Then his expression brightened with sudden understanding.
"I get it. You're a Viking pirate."
Kato Megumi's lips curved slightly.
"Then should I get a fake beard, or something like that? It would look more intimidating with the war axe."
Yuuki Asuna sighed and shook her head.
"Megumi… your ability to catch jokes is dangerously strong."
Then Yuuki Asuna turned to Asagiri, concern returning to her eyes.
"You're already exhausted. Why don't you wash up and rest first? Tomorrow, after we wake up, we can discuss what reward you should customize."
"No need. I've already decided."
Asagiri forced his tired body upright, took out his phone, opened the eye icon app, and confirmed his customized reward type for this Dungeon.
[Confirmed reward type: Mental Strength Increase, Equipment (Armor Type)]
[Obtained Dungeon Clearance Reward: Significant increase in mental strength, Player Exclusive Equipment: Hunter's Windbreaker]
[Hunter's Windbreaker (Grey Quality, Unable to Appraise): Armor type equipment. Defense and resistance against attribute attacks scale with the Player's physical fitness and the Player's own attribute resistances. This is synchronized growth type exclusive equipment]
"Growth type equipment? That's insane…"
Yuuki Asuna couldn't help exclaiming as she read the information on his screen.
After this Dungeon, the four of them had already realized something. With the difficulty spike in the second stage, some equipment from the first stage had started falling behind, like the western rapier Yuuki Asuna had originally used, which she later handed over to Kato Megumi.
White quality weapons were beginner gear, meant for Players who started as ordinary people. But for their current team, white quality equipment, whether in damage output or durability, could no longer keep up with the intensity of combat.
As their individual strength continued to rise, it was only a matter of time before outdated equipment was phased out.
But growth type equipment was different.
And the Hunter's Windbreaker, in particular, was practically designed for Asagiri.
Through Regeneration of the End, his resistance to various attributes would keep increasing. With each Dungeon clearance, his physical fitness would also grow. That meant the windbreaker would scale alongside him, strengthening in sync with the one wearing it.
In the long run, the value of this exclusive growth type equipment was no less than the red epic Hourglass of Reversal.
"Eh? You pulled armor? And it's that good?"
Iwanaga Kotoko slumped onto the sofa like a deflated balloon and muttered with open disappointment.
"Then from now on, won't it be harder to see Asagiri with torn clothes? What a shame."
Yuuki Asuna rolled her eyes.
"I'm begging you, stop acting like a pervert. You're the one ruining the team's atmosphere."
"Tch…"
"Alright. Sleep."
Yuuki Asuna stood up. The moment she saw Iwanaga Kotoko's expression, she immediately cut her off.
"Don't even think about it. Everyone sleeps separately."
Iwanaga Kotoko straightened, putting on an earnest face.
"I consumed a lot of mental strength, and I witnessed horrifying scenes that deeply wounded my young and pure heart. Only by lying in Asagiri's warm embrace can I avoid psychological trauma."
"What kind of twisted logic is that?"
Yuuki Asuna exposed her shameless act without mercy.
"Horrifying scenes? Don't joke. You, the God of Wisdom, the Princess of Yokai, are going to tell me you found the Dungeon terrifying? You're fearless and lawless. Go to sleep."
…
The next morning.
Asagiri, still deep in sleep, felt something pressing down on him, followed by a girl's startled cry.
He opened his eyes.
What he saw was so absurd that even he froze.
Iwanaga Kotoko was lying on his chest, both hands gripping his shoulders like a spoiled kitten.
Yuuki Asuna was sprawled across his thigh area, one hand still tugging at the hem of Iwanaga Kotoko's skirt.
And Kato Megumi, who had apparently been standing by the bed, hesitated for a brief moment when she saw the situation.
Only a moment.
Then she sat down beside the bed and gently rested her head against Asagiri's arm.
Even Asagiri, who was usually the first one to go off the rails, was stunned into silence.
"What are you doing? I'm asking."
"Eh… you're awake? It's not what it looks like…"
Yuuki Asuna hurriedly tried to explain.
"It's Kotoko. She insisted on coming over. I didn't want her to disturb your sleep, but she jumped onto you and lay there. I tried to pull her off, and then I tripped and ended up like this. But… Megumi, what about you?"
Facing Yuuki Asuna's confused, bewildered stare, Kato Megumi adjusted her posture so her head rested more comfortably on Asagiri's arm. Only then did she answer in a slightly lazy, gentle tone.
"I saw you two were lying there. It looked like some kind of ceremony celebrating a successful Dungeon clear. As a team member, I should also participate."
Then, in the same calm voice, she added something that made both Yuuki Asuna and Iwanaga Kotoko go blank.
"Also, Utsunomiya's body is genuinely comfortable."
"Megumi, you…"
Sensing the air turning dangerously awkward, Yuuki Asuna coughed twice, sat up properly, and forcefully changed the subject.
"Anyway. Since you're awake, let's talk business. Look at this."
Yuuki Asuna handed her phone to Asagiri.
He took it, glanced down, and saw the headline of a news report.
"Sudden Large Scale Kami Kakushi Incident? Supernatural Phenomenon, or a Mysterious Organization's Conspiracy?"
.....
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