Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: All Thanks to Miss Regen
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It's all because Miss Regen was there!
Such stories exist.
In the face of a massive tsunami, who is the most likely to survive?
A firefighter? A cop? A rich guy? Or someone with a status window?
Surprisingly, the answer is a scuba diver.
Deep underwater, the currents don't change much, so you can emerge unscathed from a tsunami.
Of course, in reality, this only works far from shore,
and near the coast you'd get smashed by debris.
Anyway, this came to mind because...
"You really felt nothing? Didn't see the tentacle-covered monster? Hell, how does it make sense you slept through the chaos and got left behind?"
My excuse of "nothing happened" made me sound just like that scuba diver.
"Wasn't just sleeping... I met a baby deer, you see? And that little guy..."
"That again."
The armored man sighed and tapped his helmet with a finger.
His rust-red armor had a big red "03" scrawled on the chest.
Not a robot, but Unit 3? What the hell.
"The Forest of Screams has long been barren of normal animals. No ecosystem for a baby deer."
"It was really there."
"Got proof?"
Well,
"...Not really."
Nothing to say here.
I only met Elenaia because Myangmyang guided me.
And Myangmyang followed the monkey off somewhere... no evidence.
"...Sigh, delusion confirmed. The forest showed you illusions, stole your mind."
"Does that happen?"
"Yeah. You wandered in a daze seeing deer, monkeys, whatever hallucinations. Then the Forest of Screams demon died... snapping you out."
"Ooh."
Crystal clear explanation.
'It did feel dreamlike.'
Plus I got wasted yesterday, hangover all day.
Mentally and physically weak, vulnerable to mind attacks.
Wait, that means...
'I survived... all thanks to Miss Regen?'
If she hadn't fought that mystery monster, I might've stayed trapped in illusion, in real danger.
In a way, Miss Regen's my lifesaver.
"Yeah, that makes sense."
I nodded quickly.
Didn't matter if it wasn't true.
Caught a few monkeys, big deal.
"Fine, we'll report no issues to the Association. You're free to go."
"Thanks... Uh, what about the exam? Passers?"
Actually, that's the real issue.
Lucked into top graduate, but if the whole exam's canceled, problem.
"Pointless worry. Exam's been going half a day, no passers yet. You top graduate or something? Then sure, auto-pass."
"Got it."
Top graduate, so I'm good.
"Unit 3! You need to see this. Adrian's awake!"
Then mustached examiner Mike burst through the tent flap.
"What?!"
-Hiss! Shhh-!
Steam jetted from the armored man's suit joints.
His name really Unit 3?
Tough crowd.
"For real?! Where's my autograph pen... Be right there!"
The solemn vibe vanished.
He fumbled for a pen and bolted out.
'Time for me to go too.'
Situation says Miss Regen's my lifesaver and city savior.
Only right to thank her.
"Hey! Let's go together!"
With that, I dashed to Regen's tent.
When Regen opened her eyes, a massive conical hat filled her view.
She knew it.
"...Fey, right... You died too? Afterlife road trip won't be boring."
"I'm not dead."
Fey grumbled.
"...Hallucination then."
Wished it was that guy instead.
"...No, we're both alive and talking! Me and Miss Regen!"
"...What?"
Regen propped up her upper body.
"...Huh?"
She sat up fine.
Body covered in bruises, but moved okay.
"Ack, lie back! Just healed you, don't reopen wounds!"
"...You healed me? Thought you were physics/chem magic type."
Fey beamed smugly.
"I double-majored in biomagic too. Speeds skin regen, heals cuts fine..."
"Not that level."
"Heh, my skills are better."
"..."
No way.
Her injuries pre-collapse: third-degree burns on face from splashed chems, shattered ribs from direct punch, no intact spots.
Beyond Fey's skill, beyond survivable.
'More importantly...'
"...Anyway, situation? Still fighting that monster?"
"?"
Fey tilted her head.
"What? You took it down."
"What? That's..."
What nonsense.
"Took it down? The altar monster?"
-Nod.
"...And it's recorded as me doing it?"
-Nod nod.
"Why?!"
"That's what we wanna know... Agh, Miss Regen! Why slice your finger with a pocketknife?!"
-Drip.
Pain stung as blood flowed from her finger.
"...Hurts."
This feel, this pain.
Not hallucination. Not dream.
But how?
"Heheheh. So that's how it went."
Then Fey grinned her annoying grin, forehead sparkling.
Regen's fist itched for one swing, but she held back.
"...Can I ask?"
"Will! Before you went down, didn't Will do something?"
"Will?"
Regen recalled collapsing.
Warmth in her hand.
The arm she reached for was surely Will's.
So...
"You saying he took it down?"
Fey nodded vigorously, then shushed herself with a finger to lips.
"Ah! Quiet! Don't spread it! He doesn't want it out!"
"Hiding his strength?"
Regen scoffed at Fey's theory.
"No, the strong have an aura you can't hide. I'd notice."
Not just detecting hidden aura.
Fake weak from strong shows in details.
Regen knew from experience falling from strong to weak.
"I thought so too at first. But nothing else explains it! You think the monster smashed its own altar and suicided?"
"That's..."
Hard to buy, but circumstances didn't contradict Fey.
Then,
Bam! Bam!
"Ah... Adrian! You're awake!"
Crash-!
A massive armored man smashed the tent pole, charging at Regen.
"Eek-!"
Ignoring toppled Fey, Unit 3 knelt before Regen.
"Greetings, hero! Hiding your identity and power, lurking to slay your foe from 10 years ago...!"
What the hell.
"Sniff, Mike told me! You sensed something and showed up!"
"Wait, that's..."
"Yes! I get it! Adrian... You've been patrolling the Forest of Screams for years, worried the seal might weaken!"
No way.
Just went to check on Will's group 'cause worried.
Association didn't extend my quals anyway, why care.
"It's fine! We all know! Adrian's the 'real' one... hiding her power!"
"Sniff, even powerless, stayed for duty... We didn't know..."
Association explorers wept感动, ignoring Regen.
"No wait, misunderstanding..."
As Regen tried to explain,
A familiar face raised his hand and shouted.
"Everyone! Chant it! Power. Hide. Real!"
It was Will.
Grinning widest, chanting loudest.
'That bastard, no way he...!'
Seeing him, Regen pieced it together.
Will slew the monster she named Adrian while she was out.
No normal person grins like that stealing credit.
"You, what're you scheming..."
"Power. Hide. Real!"
"Power. Hide. Real!!"
Regen's shout drowned in the chant.
Crowd cheering her name full force.
"S... St... Stop! Stop!"
Lethal dose of attention after years of only scorn and hate.
Face burning red, fingers trembling. Yet lips twitch upward.
Dying of shame.
"St- stop it you bastards-!"
"Woooah-!"
Hero cheers continued unabated.
As sky-high hype for Regen raged,
one woman leisurely scoped the altar ruins.
"Hm hm~"
A fortune teller in purple velvet hood hummed, circling the wrecked altar.
Lace embroidered with black stars and moons, exotic necklaces dangling.
"Who'd think this tiny coffin caused such chaos. OOPArts are fun."
She held a bone-like broken crown.
"Guildmaster, that's..."
A tall man in black hood approached her.
"Virus host from another dimension, or signaler maybe. Contacts organism, puppets it to open a gate for them. This altar was the door."
Well, broken now, just trash.
She tossed the shards into the brush.
"Anyway, Adrian... Regen now, right? Tougher than expected. Solo'd that monster."
"Hm? Haha, no."
She waved off the man.
"In fate's grand planetarium, what can a non-five-star do? Elf just got lucky."
"What?! Then who..."
"Hm hm, who knows."
Smirking meaningfully, she turned from the altar.
A handkerchief now in her hand.
Corner crudely stitched with "Will".
-Mwah.
Light kiss to the cloth, tucked it away, and strode up the hill.