Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Time for Rewards (1)
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I logged into Nemegram yesterday because Tentacle Monkey Land opened.
I was gonna quit because it was bullshit, but my wife—who proposed to me yesterday—kept nagging me, so I came back.
If I quit, she'd be left all alone, right?
So I steeled my resolve and decided to push through somehow.
Here are my stats and my wife's. We're teaming up with the city folks to hold them off somehow.
Bro, why's your wife's race and physical condition like that? Isn't she a female mage?
Thanks to your advice, things are going well.
Remodeled the city into barricades and running 3 shifts to hold the line.
Found where Regen lived in the shantytown like you said, teamed up with New Millennium Group to make Tentacle Monkey extermination potion, wiping 'em out.
Effect is insane, DPS popping off hard. Feels good, man.
But reading Regen's handbook was so sad... Shed a few tears.
If I'd known, I'd have given her the booze from that old quest instead of drinking it with my wife like an idiot...
Anyway, if we wrap this up well, gotta go fetch her body with the wife later.
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And my wife wore victory undies for me. Cute, right?
(Photo of overturned table)
Wife died, turned off the PC for a bit to eat, but I was so pissed and crying I flipped the table.
Fuck those goddamn tentacle monkey bastards, gouge out their fucking eyes and kill 'em all.
Caught Great King Mega-Tentacle Adrian.
Playtime around 1839 hours.
Entered the altar, blocked the Mega-Tentacle, sealed the opened dimensional gate successfully.
In the process, thick-thighed cutie No. 3 died, bald Mike died too.
Got infected and was burning up, but lasted 1 second thanks to my wife's regen artifact and barely clutched it.
Avenge my wife complete.
Was gonna smoke a cig cool-like and die, but saw a skeleton gripping a rapier—it was Regen.
"Come pick me up," right? Here to pick you up.
But I probably can't take you out with me lol.
Anyway, quitting for real now. Thanks for everything, bb.
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Last, uploading our wedding photo and out.
Love you, honey.
Watching this, got a question: No route to save Regen?
Makes Regen sound like a pure love mare. Any fanfics of traveling together?
The cheerful, everyone-having-fun Hengare Zairodrop time came to an end, and night fell.
Regen stared blankly at the sky with a weary expression.
"...I'm so embarrassed I wanna hang myself."
"Why? The 'come pick me up' line?"
-Pfft!
Fey, who was drinking water nearby, spat it out at those words.
"Stop teasing her."
"Heh heh, just glad you look healthy enough for that."
The three of us shared what had happened in the meantime and grew quite close.
Close enough to joke about Regen's final words and actions.
"By the way, we're camping here tonight, right?"
Regen asked what we all already knew.
It was an obvious topic change.
"No. 3 said we'd do a final check for anomalies and head to the Threshold tomorrow."
"Yeah, the Association's 'coming to pick us up.'"
As if.
Fey, butting in slyly, recited "that line" once more.
"Cut it out. Just shoehorning it in without context..."
"Hee hee hee."
"Ha ha ha."
"You ill-mannered brats."
Regen grumbled with a sigh.
But compared to when we first met, her tone was much softer.
"Anyway, Regen."
Time to get to the point.
"You'll join us, right?"
She got top graduate.
We avenged her enemy and restored her honor.
No reason not to now.
"..."
Regen's face stiffened again at those words.
Her lost gaze scanned around.
Glanced at me briefly, then the sky, rubbed the left side of her flowered face with her thumb...
"...Do you really need me?"
"Pardon?"
She was beating around the bush to refuse.
"W-Wait, Regen! Backing out now?!"
Fey cried out in protest at Regen's promise-breaking declaration.
"Honestly, I didn't think you'd actually snag top spot when I said it."
"You can't just flake that easy! Will worked his ass off for top graduate!"
I didn't really suffer except the hangover. Stayed quiet.
"Fey, calm down... Mind if I hear the reason?"
Regen's lips twitched as if to speak, then—
"Now that I have something to lose, I'm scared to explore."
She mumbled awkwardly.
Not fitting for the Regen who'd stubbornly cleared dungeons till now.
"More people remember me than I thought. For now, gonna sell nostalgia and make some cash."
"Sigh... That damn money talk. If Will hadn't—"
"...Sorry it turned out that way."
With that, Regen bowed to us.
A familiar apology.
I'd seen plenty before possession—people choosing reality over dreams.
"..."
So,
"Well, can't be helped. Gotta make a living."
Nothing I could do to stop it.
Fame's a one-season gig. Better milk it while hot—status updates, streams, whatever.
Back in my YouTuber days, neighbors and editors vanished for real life.
I too stared at my bank balance daily, debating factory work.
And Regen'd been corpse-hunting for years. Natural to want luxury now.
Plus,
"If not for you, we'd all be dead anyway."
We're alive here because of her!
No right for me or Fey to demand more.
"That's... Why do you..."
Regen bit her lip, about to say something, then gripped my arm tight.
"...Thanks. You're a really good guy. Even when I'm this selfish..."
"Nah. Let's grab drinks again sometime."
People's situations change.
"Yeah, someday... someday."
With that, Regen staggered toward the camp's edge.
"Sigh, Will, being too nice is your flaw. If not for Will—"
"If not for me?"
"...Ah."
Fey flinched at my absentminded question.
"I-If there was no Will! We wouldn't have met... something like that."
"Aha."
Fey often trailed off like that suddenly. No idea why.
Gotta grab her and ask someday.
After Regen ultimately refused to join the party, Fey and I chatted about this and that before parting.
-Plop.
I lay down in my sleeping bag.
Oddly sentimental night.
Just sleep it off.
Moved hard today; sleep would come easy.
So I burrowed into the bag faster than anyone,
-...Awaken.
Huh?
-Awaken, Savior...
I opened my eyes on an unusually hard floor,
"Whoa?"
Lying in the cave where I'd met baby deer Elenaia.
Dreams connecting lately?
"Don't move and listen. Though you probably can't anyway."
Elenaia spoke.
More mature voice than first meeting.
"First, as this forest's guardian spirit, I thank you. Thanks to you, we protected it once more."
The baby deer from the cave, Elenaia, bowed before me.
"Grown a bit since I last saw? And the cave..."
Still lying, I looked around.
Pink flowers that filled the cave were noticeably gone.
Remaining ones wilted, vines limp on the floor.
Anyway,
"Not an illusion?"
"Seems you're misunderstanding something. Anyway, I called your soul here as guardian to reward your actions."
"Reward!"
Eyes lit up.
Only beat a few monkeys, but no reason to refuse.
"So, what's it?"
"I'll grant you my power. Usually only to shrine maidens, but none left now."
"Ooooh!"
Power.
Sounds OP just by name.
"Not temporary, right?"
"Temporary? N-No plans for that."
"Ooooh!"
Permanent even!
Would've raged if she reappeared in four months demanding renewal.
"So, what power?"
"Hm, yes. Do you know how you're here?"
Answering question with question.
"Hmm... Body didn't move, so... Called my soul while sleeping?"
"Quick on the uptake."
Elenaia continued.
"My people named me Elenaia, meaning 'One Who Walks in Dreams.' My shrine maidens perceived dangers via dreams in soul form, granting wisdom to overcome crises."
Map hacks for her people, got it.
"So, get this power and I can cheat too?"
Heart raced with anticipation.
Map hacks in dungeon crawler?
Like aimbot in FPS—broken combo.
"Cheat...? Well, yes. But Savior, treading the spirit path won't be easy."
Elenaia leaned in gravely.
"Humans are fundamentally flesh-bound. They leave the world unaware of the spirit realm. Mightiest on land, but newborns in spirit world—can't even step."
"So..."
"Using the power requires long training. I'll help, but even one step out of body brings tearing pain."
"...Hmm."
No 100% freebie.
Like gym free pass, but workout on you.
"Don't want it? Can go back. Even past maidens went mad from pain."
"Don't say it like—"
Scared me.
But,
"...Trial session possible?"
Taste test fine.
Too painful, forfeit reward.
"Good. Tense your abs, lift head with all might. If toes in view, success."
"Got it."
Hoo—
Inhale deep, brace core.
Fill upper body with power...
Anticipate coming pain—
Rise!
Slam head up.
That instant, body-ripping pain—
[Censored.]
-Snap.
Gone.
"?"
Glitch?
Cautiously lifted torso more.
"Works fine?"
No issues.
-Tap tap tap.
Went ahead, stood and did shuffle dance.
Still fine.
"Works fine? Something wrong..."
Questioning my too-smooth-moving body, looked at Elenaia—
-Tremble tremble.
"H-How...?"
Baby deer on floor, belly up in shock.
"Movement pure enough for spirit... What are you...!? Body not flesh, but soul...!?"
"Nah, no way."
...She nailed it.