Chapter 25

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 25

Chapter Title: Blockade, Exchange (4)

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To keep the monsters from learning as much as possible about me, I'd kept my mental attack ability tightly under wraps. But once I clarified it...

The community jumped right into reactions like the ones above, launching a smokescreen operation to ensure the monsters wouldn't get the full scoop on me.

Or maybe they just wanted to meme.

Anyway...

'Should I just hit the return button now?'

The Moderator had already set it up so that pressing the return button would let me wake up back inside the house.

All I had to do was hit it and head back to where everyone was gathered.

But...

'No. That's not it.'

This was the Bellierd Library.

A Bellierd Library with a new librarian on duty.

'What if someone else is working here?'

If another person was on shift here, wouldn't I be able to pass on all the info I knew to them?

Heck, I'd survived thanks to the community more than a few times myself.

I wanted the librarian here to get that help too.

And, to be totally honest...

'Ahem... Well, since I'm helping out anyway, it'd be nice if they were... pretty.'

With a full belly and a cozy back, the urge to meet people creeps in.

And when you do meet people, hoping they're handsome or beautiful—isn't that just human nature?

Who knows, when the Bellierd Library shift ended, some S-rank big-tiddy black-haired smiling girl from the capital might open the door.

Start by telling them about the Status Window, get to know each other slowly—

Screeech—

'They're here!'

Maybe they needed the bathroom or something—shift wasn't over yet, but the librarian's door started opening.

Might as well chat with the new librarian working here—

'All set!'

I hit the Status Window's return button without hesitation.

"..."

As my vision faded to white... I caught sight of a massive bug, wearing the librarian's vest, walking on two legs toward the bathroom with heavy thuds.

'Well, yeah. They swap librarians once a week... Can't exactly staff it with humans forever, or Earth would run out.'

This universe must be teeming with all sorts of races I don't know about.

'At this rate, furries might actually be real.'

Five days passed without incident since the photo-taking monster died.

Eating, selling Sanity for stones, browsing the community and chuckling.

Couldn't post photos, but otherwise, it was the same peaceful routine as the past few days.

Then—

I tapped the notice right away...

Good news—we might be able to post photos on the community again soon.

'What the heck is the Moderator, really?'

Posts like this always left me wondering.

Why does the community admin have such insane powers...?

'...Are they actually a monster?'

No Sanity-boosting items, yet they handle all this grueling work effortlessly.

'What abilities do they have?'

Not gonna lie, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious.

But everyone else said they wouldn't answer anyway, so I came up with my own theories.

And the most plausible one was...

'Maybe getting help from monsters.'

The admin gets monster assistance for community management and security here.

There was plenty of evidence making this the top theory.

The clincher? People cooing over me—the Newbie—as "cute" for being shocked that Bellierd Library delivers A sets.

'This place might actually be a safe zone where monsters protect us.'

People get help from different monsters.

Via deliveries or buying essentials with stones.

During exchange time outside, there must be shops that take currency.

That's why the Limb Restraint Gallery guy who mains Anonymous 1 spends so much, right?

'Maybe we're the customers, so they guard us.'

The Moderator might be paying stones to the local guardian monster for help.

'Gotta ask later.'

Exchange time in three days anyway.

I'll meet the Moderator then and clear it up.

'Time for food.'

Ordered E set from FY today.

Unlike the usual 1-2 minute delivery, it was running late.

'What's up? Busy?'

Figured Bellierd Library had something going on.

About five minutes later.

Knock knock knock.

A bit late, but the Bellierd Library monster arrived with food.

As the door slowly opened, time for today's thank-you—

"Thanks as always..."

Behind the Bellierd Library monster delivering the E set... something new was being dragged along.

One look and I knew.

After seeing so many monster corpses, I could tell for sure.

That thing being dragged? A dead monster corpse.

"Whoa..."

Pure awe slipped out.

That's why delivery was late...?

'Thought they only worked inside the library. They hunt outside too...'

Of course.

This corpse had nothing to do with me specifically.

So I'd have kept up the smooth talk for goodwill.

"Thanks again... You even saved my life last time, and now you're looking out for our safety too..."

For the first time, I saw it.

Like cheeks flushing with shyness...

The Bellierd Library monster acting bashful.

'...Why is it cute...?'

I'd reached the point where monsters looked cute.

But my lifesaver? Of course it'd be cute. Self-justification complete.

Took the E set bento to the table... Huh?

Drag drag drag...

The library monster dragged the corpse inside.

"...Huh?"

A bit thrown by the Bellierd Library monster's actions.

But as it dumped the corpse inside, shut the door without hesitation, and left—like job done—I realized.

"...Wow... Never saw this coming..."

The monster had given me a gift.

Goodwill matters this much.

Drop tips now and then, always say thanks... and they deliver a monster corpse as a freebie.

Is this the service industry spirit?

Anyway.

'Gotta make a crossbow from this one for sure.'

Vowed to craft a crossbow from it this time.

Staring hard, pondering how to shape it into a crossbow...

'...Huh? Why does it feel familiar?'

Something about this monster looked familiar.

Why?

No memory of seeing one like this... but the color scheme rang a bell.

Like...

"...Wait. The photo-taking monster...?"

Just like the one that attacked here five days ago.

"...No way."

Half in denial, I opened my inventory pronto.

Clicked the item I'd made from the photo-taking monster.

Pulled it out, compared colors to the corpse...

"...Why is this actually it?"

Confirmed with the community admin that it was indeed the photo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gallery monster.

I immediately combined the half-broken camera with the corpse via crafting.

'Was gonna toss the camera since it couldn't save photos, but it comes in handy again.'

The half-broken camera just took pics—no storage found anywhere.

No Sanity boost, so it'd been rotting in inventory...

'Alright?'

Now that Bellierd Library delivered the photo gallery monster...

Time for this item to shine... Huh?

Sudden community post—did I mess up? Tapped it...

No... It's true...

I didn't kill this one either...

I claim the ones I kill...