ALL NOVEL The Strongest Solo Gamer with Terrible Social Skills Reincarnates as a Hated NPC in a VRMMO Chapter 50
50 The Man Without a Place to Catch
――SIDE: Uzuki Saki――
Things have become troublesome. I sighed inwardly while watching the angry Mushakouji-san.
As someone who aims to be a reporter within ABYSS, I never had the ambition to become a great explorer. I only joined Mushakouji-san’s party because I was lucky. There are many students who are more suited to be explorers than me, and I’m just a bit more well-rounded. The truth is, I’m not good at rough stuff and dislike violence, which is why I prefer “information” as a smart weapon.
I think my fundamental way of thinking is different from others. Even when I’m with my party members, I sometimes feel left out, and that’s the reason.
Only the head of the reporting department might understand me… Ah, why did things become like this because of my conversation with Koume-chan…?
It’s all because of that guy!
The one who misled Koume-chan…!
――Stone Shouma.
He’s my childhood fiancé, but his arrogant attitude is unbearable. The fact that someone else can decide one’s life is already terrible, and if that person is such a scumbag, there’s no way to save them!
That’s why I’ll use “information” to take down Stone Shouma. Of course, I know this is a dirty trick. I also understand that Koume-chan won’t like it. But…there are necessary evils, right? To change the unchangeable reality, I can’t afford to be nice!
I’ll use my own weapon to thoroughly take down Stone Shouma. Even if Koume-chan hates me, I won’t stop!
Because…this is my way of fighting.
“I’ll do anything to help my friends…”
“What are you mumbling about, you…?”
“!!?”
I couldn’t help but let out a cry of surprise.
What was this rumor about?
Behind me stood Ishizuru Shoma, his hands on his hips, looking at me with a mixture of disdain and boredom.
“Is that Ishizuru Shoma! How dare you show up in front of us like this… What do you want!?”
Musashibouji, with her hostility towards him evident, glared at Ishizuru Shoma. Her attitude was unusual, and I could tell she was still upset about our previous interaction with our senior.
“You’re being overly self-conscious. Sorry, but I don’t need anything from Musashibouji. I’m here to meet with Uzuki.”
“Wh-what!?”
Musashibouji and I exclaimed in unison, our voices filled with anger and confusion. As Ishizuru Shoma approached, I took a step back, my body tensing up.
“…That reaction hurts a bit…”
“…Huh?”
He let out a sigh, his eyebrows furrowed in disappointment. I was taken aback by his unexpected response.
“Hey, Uzuki Hayaki. Aren’t you a Healer? How many recovery potions do you have?”
“Uh, um…!”
Recovery potions…? Why was he suddenly asking about that?
As I thought, I took out my magic crystal terminal (Portal) to check the number of recovery potions I had.
“I-I have 15 in total…”
My voice trembled involuntarily. Although I had investigated Ishizuru Shoma, this was the first time I had spoken to him. I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous, considering him an arch-nemesis.
“15, huh. That’s barely enough… Alright, I’ll give you 5. You can have a total of 20.”
“――What!?”
I was taken aback by his sudden proposal.
“W-what are you talking about!?”
“Whoa, you’re so naive! Can’t you see that it’s impossible to replenish recovery potions now? The exploration zone is crowded with ordinary customers, and for safety reasons, we need to have at least 20 recovery potions on hand!!”
“…What does it mean to have 20?”
The quiet Banma-kun latched onto Ishizuru Shoma’s words.
“It’s because the average daily usage for explorers is 10. Recovery potions may seem helpful, but excessive self-healing can harm the body. For Tanks who take damage, the daily usage limit is 10.”
“I see… That makes sense…”
“I’m saying we need 20 for the two-day ABYSS expedition. Hehe! Ishizuru, you’re being surprisingly generous!”
“Shut up, you’re being too loud! Stop being so annoying!”
Banma-kun, who was pleased, patted Suzuki-kun on the shoulder. Ishizuru Shoma maintained a disgusted expression throughout.
“That’s right, that’s right! What kind of flattery is this, you servants!!”
“Geh, servants?”
Musashibouji’s tone made Ishizuru Shoma flinch. Although I was used to it, calling teammates “servants” would still be shocking to outsiders…
“You think you can buy our hearts with recovery potions? That’s a cheap trick, Ishizuru Shoma! Unfortunately, that won’t work on me! …You’re probably planning to send us a hefty bill later, aren’t you!? I won’t fall for that!!”
“――Idiot. How annoying… Fine, just take it, Uzuki.”
“Eh,――okay!!”
He handed me 5 recovery potions from his dimensional storage. Since they were in bottles, I had to be careful not to drop them. With both hands full of recovery potions, I carefully operated my magic crystal terminal (Portal) to store the received potions.
“Ah, thank you…”
“No need to thank me. Just so you know, anyone who’s a pro explorer would do the same as part of their preparation. I’m not doing this out of kindness, and I’d rather you didn’t think that.”
“――I know, I know!!”
I felt like he could see right through me, and I blushed as I retorted to Ishizuru Shoma.
“So, that’s how it feels… Ah, by the way, Suzuki. I’ll give you my email address…”
“What!? Me!?”
And with that, Ishiru just turned away, doing what he wanted and leaving. That guy is so annoying.
We were left confused, unsure of what was going on. Ishiru Shouma. I heard he was a useless good-for-nothing in middle school, but…
…now, what’s he like?
His annoying attitude remains the same. Yet, during the ABYSS exploration, he shows a serious side, which is quite intriguing.
As a member of the reporting department, it’s weird to say this, but… I just can’t understand Ishiru Shouma as a person.