Chapter 137
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Layer 5. Murder Detective Boy Hardship Days
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I remember that Hikari, Kyoka, and Kaoru recommended this manga to me, saying since it's an omnibus format anyway, I could skip the early stuff and just start from the recent volumes. So I picked up the tankobon from volume 1498 onward.
'If I enter this one, won't I basically be a goddamn genius detective who knows everything already? I know the whole plot.'
To get a better grasp of the details, I dove into the Tower's Layer 3 world, tracked down the relevant manga volumes to read, and scoured the internet for info.
"When the hell does this series even end? Does the whole village have to die in murders first? Talk about a publisher's retirement plan..."
The 'Murder Detective Boy Hardship Days' I checked out in Tower Layer 3 was like a mashup of several famous Japanese mystery manga from my real world, all jumbled together into a chaotic mess...
In a way, it felt like a multiverse setup—a twisted purgatory of Earth-4 versions, the ultimate all-in-one mystery manga showdown, you could say.
Even in Tower Layer 3's world, there was a Namuwiki equivalent called Hanamu Wiki, and I read up thoroughly. Turns out, this series kept going by passing the pen name down through generations of writers.
According to Hanamu Wiki,
The original author and the second and third successors had died, but due to the publisher's greed and adult circumstances, they hired a fourth-generation author and kept serializing this ultra-ultra-ultra-long-runner.
Apparently, the original author had begged in his will for the series to continue even after his death... but there was a controversy over the publisher allegedly forging the will.
The bereaved family claimed the deceased original author never wrote any such will, and that the publisher just wanted to keep milking the popular series for cash.
There was a brief uproar... but the publisher paid an undisclosed sum to the family, dramatically reaching a settlement. The fuss died down, and serialization continued.
It's an omnibus-style mystery with worldwide popularity, so they keep it going, it said.
Aside from the occasional main plot arcs, most stories are standalone omnibus episodes from across time and space, so no real issues there...
Still, serializing for so long without the characters aging much was weird, so originally it was a timeless setup, but every 100-200 volumes they'd age them a bit, and somehow the protagonist ended up in his twenties...
'Tower Layer 3 is a Japan-worshipping world... No surprise there.'
Sure enough, in a worldview where the whole world goes 'Whoa, Japanese mystery manga is so coooool~~~!', it was fine to swap authors across generations and keep going.
'I already know everything, so deduction shouldn't be hard. Worst case, I clear the trial quick and bail.'
It was intriguing to see manga from another world pop up in the trial list, so I kinda wanted to check it out.
"I'll go with Murder Detective Boy Hardship Days."
[Commencing Trial.]
My vision went pitch black.
I felt myself being transported somewhere.
[Layer 5 Trial commencing.]
[Layer 5 Trial: 'Help the protagonist find the culprit.' Just don't get in the protagonist's way.]
I closed my eyes and opened them again, and suddenly I was lounging in a VIP suite on some luxury cruise ship.
The ship itself was built for wealthy, leisurely guests seeking high-end tourism and relaxation, and being in one of the premium cabins made the plush bed feel amazing.
It was worlds away from my dingy studio apartment.
'Hmm, when I get time, I should move. ...If I sell half the gold rings and necklaces I looted from zombie corpses and empty houses, I could afford a decent studio easy.'
As I mulled over upgrading my real-world place, I took in the lavish suite.
'By the way, which Hardship Days arc is this? With so much content, narrowing it down's gonna suck.'
I briefly exited Tower Layer 5's world, hopped over to Layer 3, and searched online for cruise ship episodes in the Hardship Days manga.
And damn, out of 187 cases, I learned this setting appeared in that many.
"Fuck me, how many murders have there been that 187 are just on cruise ships?"
I needed more intel.
I returned to Layer 5 and started gathering info to pinpoint the volume and chapter.
I left my VIP suite and wandered the ship.
'Oh, nice. Feels like a luxury hotel or palace.'
It was on another level from the cramped cruises I'd seen on TV—spacious, opulent, relaxed.
Red carpets everywhere, chandeliers hanging in the corridors—it all screamed luxury.
Subtle scents from incense, aroma diffusers, or air fresheners wafted pleasantly, lifting the mood.
As I slowly explored the ship's interior for clues, I spotted the protagonist's crew.
Even from afar, they screamed "main characters."
There was Konan-il, the canon protagonist looking about 20, with his detective squad buddies from his boyhood days.
Chattering lively, they seemed tight-knit.
Those guys probably went from elementary, middle, high school, and even the same college together...?
'Seeing them in their twenties means this is post-volume 1498.'
Currently, in Tower Layer 3's world, 'Murder Detective Boy Hardship Days' was up to volume 2037.
From 1498, the protagonist grows from elementary/middle/high school kid to a 19-year-old adult.
The latest, 2037, has him at 21 or 22 or whatever.
'Still hasn't taken down that shadowy organization by then—legendary. Wait, no, they expose it every time the author changes, right? But then successors revive or new branches pop up to torment the protag, keeping the main plot tense while the side-story omnibus mysteries roll on.'
"Anyway, post-1498 should narrow cruise cases way down. Just search from there."
Back in Layer 3 for more searching: down to 43 cases.
'Not easy.'
Needed more.
I asked crew about the ship's name and learned my identity here too.
'Ship's Asuka 7. About 2,000 passengers. My name here's Nishimura Takuya. Date's April 15th...'
With the extra details, Layer 3 search nailed it.
"Volume 1532, chapter 4686... 'Ominous Day's Cruise Trip arc.' Yeah, weather's overcast and gloomy."
Figured out the arc.
And my role? Total extra among extras.
Probably just some guy on a luxury cruise who gets swept into a locked-room murder, number 999 or whatever.
'Even if I do nothing, the genius detective protag will solve it all himself...? What am I even supposed to do?'
Thinking about it, the system's vibe was more "don't interfere" than "do something specific."
Just chill, and the master sleuth handles it.
So I decided not to rock the boat.
Since I was already on this fancy cruise, might as well hit the buffet... scope out cute girls to bang, and before I knew it...
'Yup, the girls around the protagonist are the hottest.'
The canon protag got hit with some youth serum or whatever, but after tons of time skips and stories, he's 20 now.
His detective squad from elementary days are all 20 too.
But his childhood friend girlfriends 1 and 2, pre-serum, were now 30.
And the chaebol heiress buddy who hangs with GF1 was aboard too.
Oh, and since it's a Japan-worship world manga, harem-ing multiple girls seems fair game.
'30, huh... Same age as Hye-jeong. Hmm, the two 20-year-old girls by the protag are solid...'
Protag's mom and GF1's mom were around too... but ages were iffy. Mid-50s.
Settings called them stunning beauties with eternal youth, but still, 50s...
'Gotta pass on mother-daughter rice bowl... Or wait? Manga characters? Might be ageless hotties. Judge after seeing faces. Remember when I looped happy thoughts saving Hye-jeong's mom.'
Happy circuit. Aka hope.
I'm a man who clings to hope.
While everyone screams the pussy in the box is unfuckable, I say until observed, it could be unfuckable... or surprisingly doable. Both coexist pre-observation.
Of course, pretty girls only.
Ugly ones? No mercy.