ALL NOVEL The Strongest Solo Gamer with Terrible Social Skills Reincarnates as a Hated NPC in a VRMMO Chapter 57
57 3rd Layer② Yoshikawa PT
――SIDE: Yoshikawa Hikoko――
6:00 pm.
After eating lunch in ABYSS, we aimed to update the layer and proceeded to the 3rd layer. Along the way, we encountered a large wolf, like the one in the fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood,” and Sankurou-kun got injured while protecting everyone. Thanks to Sei-kun and Aoi-chan, we were able to chase the wolf away, but we didn’t completely defeat it, so it’s scary to think about encountering it again. Right now, we’re taking a short break to treat Sankurou-kun’s injury.
“I’ll apply the medicine now, okay?”
“O, okay.”
“Hehe♪ Sankurou-kun, don’t be so stiff, relax……?”
“H, Hikoko-san……! Ah, ah……!”
I gently applied the recovery medicine to Sankurou-kun’s injured right arm, and he looked relieved. Although it’s a drinkable recovery medicine, it’s more effective when applied directly to the affected area, especially for external injuries. The wound is shallow, so I think it’ll heal quickly.
“Yes, it’s done.”
“T, thank you. I’m sorry……”
“As a tank, don’t be too reckless, okay? When I see your injured body, I get worried……”
“Himeko-san…”
After finishing treatment on the injured area, I walked towards Sei-kun, who was standing guard, alert to our surroundings.
“Thanks for watching over us.”
“It’s no big deal. We just did what needed to be done. As for now, no new demons have appeared.”
“Yeah…”
“It was nothing over here too.”
Aoi-chan, who had gone to scout ahead alone, reported back to us in a flat tone. Maybe she was a bit dissatisfied that nothing had happened. As for me, I was just happy that she had returned safely.
Everyone was exhausted. That’s understandable, right? We’d been exploring the ABYSS for hours, and it was only natural to feel that way.
“We’ve been in the ABYSS for 11 hours now… It’s no wonder we’re reaching our limits.”
Deciding on a leader was important, but if everyone got hurt, it would be pointless. I thought to myself, then turned to Sei-kun with a request.
“Hey, Sei-kun. You got in touch with Ishizuru-kun, right? Can you contact him for me?”
“What do you mean by ‘contact’?”
“I want to propose a temporary halt to our ABYSS exploration. If we keep going like this, accidents are bound to happen. I want to get in touch with each party and suggest we take a break. Ishizuru-kun knows everyone’s contact info, right? Can’t we ask him to be the mediator?”
“Ishizuru…?”
Sei-kun adjusted his glasses with his middle finger as he responded to my proposal.
“To be honest, it’s going to be tough. Our current ranking is: 1st Ishizuru, 2nd Aoe, 3rd Musashibo, and 4th is us. Proposing a temporary halt to our exploration is equivalent to scrapping all our progress so far. As the lowest-ranked party, I don’t think our proposal will go through… No, it probably won’t. If we were in their shoes, we’d think the party that’s falling behind is trying to sabotage our progress.”
“Yeah, that’s how it’ll be seen…”
“I think your idea itself is not bad, though. Realistically, we’re exhausted, and the parties ahead of us must be even more drained. You’re worried about the class as a whole, not just the competition, which is why I believe you have the makings of a leader.”
“Th-thank you, but…”
“It’s the truth. I’m not flattering you.”
“…”
I was happy to be praised, but at the same time, I felt guilty. Sei-kun was overestimating me. I didn’t have what it takes to be a leader.
I’d probably ruin 1-D.
Sei-kun wouldn’t agree, but I thought Ishizuru-kun or Musashibo-kun would make good leaders. As for Aoe-kun… I thought it was better for him to decline, just like our seniors said.
Musashibo-kun, the hard worker, might clash with everyone at first, but he’d grow into a great leader. Ishizuru-kun, despite his lack of overall strength, had the weapon of knowledge. I’d seen it during our exploration prep, and I knew he was considerate of those around him. If everyone understood Ishizuru-kun’s personality, 1-D would become even stronger.
But not with me.
Sei-kun himself was proof of that…
“…Himeko, are you worried?”
“Eh!?”
I was startled by the sudden question. It was Aoi-chan, the cool but somehow charming, boyish girl.
“Why don’t we try contacting him anyway?”
“…Ishizuru is still exploring right now. It’s a waste of energy to bother him with something unnecessary…”
“That’s not necessarily true, is it?”
“Mm…”
“What do you want to do, Himeko?”
“I… I…”
As I spoke, I thought about my own feelings.
What did I want to do, anyway?
“――I want to contact Ishiura.”
“What’s that?”
“Ugh… Fine. If it’s what Kanaya-san says, I’ll try contacting him, but don’t expect too much, okay?”
Saying that, Sei-kun took out his magic crystal terminal (Portal) and started typing an email.
――Was it because of my selfishness that I did something bad to Sei-kun…?
As I worried, Akira-chan standing next to me made a thumbs-up gesture. Although she usually had a poker face, she looked triumphant at that moment, and it was somehow amusing.
“――It’s here. He replied.”
Sei-kun muttered in surprise.
Ishiura’s response was surprisingly quick.
“What did you send?”
“I told him exactly what Kanaya-san said earlier. I asked Ishiura about the temporary suspension and contacting other PTs, but――”
“What was the response?”
“…He said he understood.”
‘!!’
Upon hearing Sei-kun’s words, I couldn’t help but take Akira-chan’s hand and rejoice. Even Mitsurou-kun, who was resting, was surprised by the unexpected report.
“That Ishiura guy… Can he really talk?”
“It’s too early to celebrate. There’s a possibility he might propose a deal. It’s not beneficial for him to agree unconditionally.”
“You’re still worried, huh?”
“I’d like to think of it as being calculative. As someone in a PT, I think it’s necessary to have a mindset like mine.”
“Well, that makes sense, I suppose.”
While Sei-kun and Mitsurou-kun were discussing, a response from Ishiura arrived. Sei-kun’s eyes fell on the shaking terminal, and he read the contents, muttering “impossible” as he froze.
“……Is it bad news?”
I asked Sei-kun, worried, but he just shook his head silently.
“――It’s the opposite. It’s too good to be true. Apparently, all PTs, including Aoba and Mushakouji, agreed to the temporary suspension.”
“Really!?”
“There’s just one problem, though――”
The information Sei-kun told us left us all stunned. Still, we had no choice but to follow Ishiura’s instructions and return to the transfer zone.
As we returned, I saw Aoba-kun and the others, as well as Mushakouji-san’s PT, which was without a leader. I was convinced that the information Ishiura provided was correct.
――The disappearance of Mushakouji Mikako.
The email’s contents weighed heavily on our minds――