Chapter 43: Middle School Suppression Operation 4
The name of the girl is Suginomiya Sumire, a friend of Arisu and Tamaki. She had 2 braids, and a frameless gla.s.ses, her body is on the slightly plump side.
I see, she is like a literature girl
The girl is wearing her uniform on the top but she is wearing a bloomer on her bottom. That bloomer should be Tamaki’s back up clothes.
She did not wear any socks so she is bare-footed. Mmm, because they are wet, well that can’t be helped.
After Sumire and Arisu hugged, she kept lowering her head and bowing to me. Her body seems to be larger than Arisu and Tamaki by a size, but her att.i.tude is very timid, making one link her to that of a frightened mouse.
According to Tamaki, when she pa.s.sed the cabinets, because the cleaning tools inside moved, she nearly raised her axe and hack at the cabinet.
Mmm, Tamaki is indeed……a absent-minded fool.
But if the cabinet suddenly shook, it is natural to be frightened by it.
Sumire expressed when the sounds in the surrounding suddenly disappeared, that is why she panicked. I had a lot of questions to ask her, but……
Just as I was about to speak, Sumire’s stomach gave a cute growl. Sumire pressed on her stomach and her face blushed.
「Sh——Do you want to eat CalorieMate? I can also give you my waterbottle.」
After all if I have the will, I can summon as much food and water as I want. Moreover from this situation, Mia’s MP will probably finish first.
Sumire happily bit on the CalorieMate. I told her that it is fine to answer while eating, then I asked:
「Did you see the animal that those orcs brought?」
Sumire blanked for a while and then shook her head.
I see, she did not know…… I thought I could get some intel from her.
「Ah, I seemed to have hear sounds of barking…… I feel that that bark is like a dog.」
「You weren’t discovered?」
「Yes, the sound seemed to have echoed over from a distance away.」
That’s right, if she was discovered, then she would not have been safe like this.
I recalled the map of the main school building that we confirmed in the Cultivating Centre. Just mentioning, the map was drawn by Arisu and the others.
According to the map, even if we did not pa.s.s through the area that she hid in, there are also a few routes to the school, such as the stairs outside. That animal probably did not pa.s.s by anyway near the cabinet that Sumire hid in.
Sumire is very lucky, but because of her luck, hence we are unable to get new intel.
After I explained a simple overview of the situation to Sumire, I had her hide in a toilet.
Before we separated from Sumire, I gave all my CalorieMate to her, and she seemed to be very happy. Having a good appet.i.te is a good thing.
Talking about Rank 3 Wind Magic 《Invisibility》, it is a magic that can turn a person inside an invisible man.
From vision, it will be easier to understand it as a optical camouflage in some sci-fi animation movie.
Although it is same as other magic, I completely do not understand the principles behind this.
At Rank 3, this magic can last 3-4minutes. The clothes and objects that the person is wearing and holding will also become invisible.
The point about becoming invisible, will make someone think that this magic is very strong…… but it has a weak point—— that is once a vigorous motion is done, or contact with other living things happens, the invisibility effect will be gone.
We had gone through a Q & A in the white room just now.
We got to know that「other living things」does not include small creatures like mosquitoes and houseflies; other than that running, but moving your limbs and normal speaking also fulfils the condition of「vigorous motion」.
As for walking and talking slowly, it is still permissible.
As for using magic, since we have to do actions that makes sounds, hence using magic is also considered as a「vigorous motion」.
In the end the only things that we can do in the invisible state, is only walking slowly.
But that is good enough. Getting closer to the target while the enemy does not notice, is already an unnatural advantage. As long as we use it with 《Silent Field》, this magic can become the best combination for stealth.
We can become an a.s.sa.s.sin that is completely silent and invisible, and sneak beside the enemy. Of course, if the enemy entered the 《Silent Field》’s area, they will be unable to hear any sounds, and discover the abnormality.
To Arisu and Tamaki, the distance of 3 meters is already enough. When the opponent notices the abnormality, it is already too late. Because of the rule of slow movement, the inability to cast 《Haste》becomes an obstruction, but its other benefits can cover up this.
Regarding if we are able to use magic in the effective area of 《Silent Field》, in the past I asked the computer about it before. The computer replied that the actions of making the sound is necessary but the sound itself is not that important.
Meaning if we did not make any sound, it will be fine. I conducted an experiment afterwards and confirmed it.
「The orcs in the corridor on level 2 are only standing near the middle of the corridor. Ignore them, and take care of the orcs inside the room first, start from the left side.」
Afterall we should kill as much orcs as possible on level 2, so we should take the most efficient method.
Mia cast 《Invisibility》and《Silent Field》on Arisu and Mia. The sounds in the surrounding disappeared immediately.
I gave the permission to go ahead. Even though I can’t see them, but since the sounds in the surrounding appeared again, hence I know that the 2 of them are moving.
「Mia, let’s follow.」
「Mmm.」
After we, the 2 rearguards, also casted 《Invisibility》and《Silent Field》, we followed up to level 2.
The 2 orcs are standing in the middle of the corridor, seemingly very bored. Although they did not look towards our side, but I think they are planning to patrol.
I see, although the orcs knew the importance of being alert, but yet their att.i.tude remains so lax?
In order not to let 《Invisibility》lose its effect, we walked slowly forward, and peek at the interior of the room that Arisu and Tamaki went in.
There are only 1 elite orc and 1 ordinary orc in the room, and there are a few boys’ corpse lying on the ground. The 2 orc used the corpse’s head as a ball to play around.
Arisu and Tamaki revealed themselves and attacked the 2 orcs. Tamaki used her axe to dish out a slash, chopping down the elite orc’s head. While Arisu gave a strike with her spear, piercing through the small fry orc’s neck.
The level up sound rang. Ah, I leveled up.
The look of the white room is different from the past.
There is something like a coin vending machine installed in the middle of the room, and there are LCD screen on the machine, showing some words.
The place that was supposed to be used to insert coins, had a funnel shape in place of it, meaning it is for us to put something inside. What are we supposed to put? The 4 of us looked at each other.
「What is this——」
「What is this……」
Facing Arisu and Tamaki who tilted their head in doubt, I asked these words to console them.
Next…… I looked at this coin vending machine-like thing again.
I got 2 questions—— what is this? Why did it appear here?
「Kazu-chi, you rose to level 10 right?」
「Mmm, that’s right.」
「Is it an award for raising to level 10?」
I hadn’t thought about that. Indeed she is Mia, the perfect example of a hikikomori.
「Before we touch it, it is better to ask the computer first.」
Hence the usual questioning time begins, and everyone began to ask questions on their computer.
Most of them are targeting the question on the coin vending machine-like object, and these are what we have understood:
This dispensing machine-like object is my reward for leveling up. As long as there is someone in the party who is level 10 and above, this machine will appear in the white room.
As for the name of the machine, the computer told us coldly to name it ourselves.
This dispensing machine-like object is a machine to convert tokens into tools. The so-called tools not only includes solid objects, but also includes skills and special abilities like magic etc.
Or rather, skills and special abilities like magic are the main things.
The so-called tokens, seems to be referring to the red and blue gems that were dropped by the orcs when they die. Then from now these gems will be called red token and blue tokens.
Red tokens represents 1 point, while blue token represents 10 points.
I see, the value of the tokens that the elite orcs dropped are worth 10 times more? Although the exp is only 5 times more. But, I did feel that its strength is above 10 times.
Once we place the tokens into the machine then we cannot take it back. The tokens that we used in this room will also disappear once we return to the original place.
From a system’s viewpoint, this is only natural. But until now, when we return to the original place, everything will be reverted back to the moment when we entered the white room. In other words, is this token system the only exception?
「Anyway, regarding the name of this machine, should we just call it Vending Machine?」
「Kazu-chi, you do not have the talent for naming.」
「Huh? Then please let us hear how Mia-sensei, who has a lot of taste, is going to name it.」
Mia gave a「ugh」 sound, and lean back in fear.
「Argh, that…… Item Vendor(アイテムベンダー)?」(TL note: Mia just said it in english instead of j.a.panese)
「You are just changing it to English.」
「From a chunibi’s viewpoint, this is correct.」
Mia showed a triumph expression and gave me a V sign. She is only a Year 1, what exactly is she talking about. I looked at Arisu and Tamaki, wanting to hear about their opinion.
「Anything is fine.」
「Yes, we will leave it to you.」
Mmm, that is true—— Name what so ever, anything is fine.
「Then let’s call it Item Vendor(アイテムベンダー).」
No, wait, I suddenly have a certain idea, and hence entered it into the computer.
Q: Regarding the machine mentioned, can the other students who reached level 10 use it?
A: YES
Q: Even the students that we have yet to have contact with, are they included in the 「other students」?
A: YES
「Can this be used to transmit messages?」
I looked at the 3 of them. To be able to transmit information to people who we have yet to contact with, I feel that this suggestion is quite attractive……
Ah, but, this also means that it will be transmitted to those people? Which is Shiba and the people from high school section.
「Kazu-chi, there is a very important question.」
Mia lifted her index finger while saying
「The first one to reach level 10, is it Kazu-chi?」
「Ah—— it is possible.」
I tried asking the computer but I did not get any reply. From the impressions until now, the controller of this computer, have a neutral att.i.tude towards all of us.
Even though we did not get any confirmation, but Mia’s prediction is probably correct. If not, the computer would not have asked us to name it.
Okay, then how shall we use this little privilege……
「For instance, if we name this machine as『Gather at the Cultivating Centre』, then we can let the others know that we are using the Cultivating Centre as a base.」
「We can’t do that.」
Mia refuted the suggestion.
「We still do not know if the survivors that leveled up to level 10 are going to be our friends.」
She who wanted to go to the high school section for the sake of helping her elder brother, had actually said such words decisively, causing me to go into shock. Mia is indeed……
「Oi, Kazu-chi, you should listen carefully.」
「Mmm, mmm.」
「The ending of a zombie movie often makes one feel that humans are scarier than zombies.」
In the end she is talking about movies?
……No… I see. The things that she had wanted to say, is surprising close to what I had imagined, and also regarding the scene that I saw during the investigation of the high school section.
Which is—— this girl is actually quite keen. She knew the situation clearly. Because she loved to play jokes daily, so I did not notice it.
Mia raised her head and looked at me, with no changes to her usual expressions. But that pair of eyes made me feel a bit sorrowful and a bit lonely.
Did she notice that I have investigated the high school section? That I did not trust them completely, making her disappointed? But currently it is not suitable to raise the matter on the high school section, that is the conclusion that Shiki-san and I have come to after discussion.
Making everyone concentrate on the middle school section, if we tell them too much extra information, it may make them confused.
I also agreed with Shiki-san’s considerations, hence I am moving with her instructions.
「Your thinking is right.」
In reality, I never had the thoughts of naming the machine as 『Gather at the Cultivating Centre』. If that guy have his eyes on us, then I will not be able to take it. But how should we use this naming privilege effectively……
「That, I wish to name it. Can you give that privilege to me?」
「I am fine with it, what do you want to do?」
「I wish to pa.s.s a message to my brother, of course that is if he is still alive. I want to tell him that I am still alive.」
「I see…… Mmm, then you can use it.」
This to us, indeed has no benefits; but to her, it is very important.
But there is just a problem, if her brother becomes an enemy, then what will happen? But Mia did not wish to expose where she is, so there shouldn’t be any problem. After all the moment we used the naming power, we would have exposed that there was someone who had already reached level 10.
「What name are you going to give it?」
Mia lowered her head and thought about it for a while, then she raised her head.
「Just call it 『Mia Vendor』.」
「Is it good to use your name to name it?」
「Because my brother is stupid, so I have to use a name that can accurately convey the message.」
Eh, she had also pa.s.sed her absolute trust in her brother to me. But the possibility that her brother is still alive…… is rather small. The name Mia is rarely seen, so as long as her brother is still alive and that he has reached level 10, he would understand the meaning from Mia.
I will take it as understanding her wish to tell her relatives that she is still alive. Since this matter is important to her, then I will forget about it. I thought also while typing the words into the computer.
「Now back to the question, what should we do with this Mia Vendor?」
「Mmm, now that I think about it carefully, this sounds like I am actually a merchandise.」
「You never thought about this?」
I could not help but tsukkomi.