Chapter 15

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 15

Chapter Title: The Key to Saving the World

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Just as his mind was filled with thoughts of the Hero, Ice Queen requested a 1:1 chat.

'What's this about?'

Thinking that, he accepted the 1:1 chat, and Ice Queen immediately explained why she'd reached out first.

Come to think of it, he'd agreed to receive bloodstones as part of the deal with Ice Queen.

He'd momentarily forgotten about it because of the Hero, but now focusing on Ice Queen, he asked about the negotiation.

Ice Queen seemed to be in contact with another group to secure the bloodstones.

'That's a huge quantity.'

It had to be enough to feed at least a few hundred people, at minimum.

Anyway, he gathered up the items Ice Queen listed, and the total points came out.

He didn't fully understand what she meant, but he sent them one type at a time, as Ice Queen instructed.

It was no trouble for him—just pulling items from the gallery inventory and sending them via 1:1 trade, one by one.

150 bloodstones?

To level up his telekinesis no matter what, he needed bloodstones from 3-channel. Sure, he could trade with others, but since he'd gotten the Awakening Stone, he planned to stick with Ice Queen as much as possible.

'Didn't expect 150 of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them, though.'

Bloodstones weren't even on the market before.

'Anyway, using all these should ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠get telekinesis to level 6, right?'

There was no reason to hesitate, so he pulled out the bloodstones and swallowed them one by one.

They turned to liquid the moment they touched his tongue, so swallowing them one at a time was no issue at all.

'Done. Level 6.'

At level 6, he could now lift 600kg per hand.

Plus, the range extended to 60 meters, making it far safer than before.

'And on top of telekinesis, I've got Rover too.'

As he thought that and glanced at Rover, still playing dead...

"You're not fooling anyone by pretending not to be here, are you?"

"...Guess this isn't the place."

A stranger's voice came from nearby.

'The Hero?'

As mentioned before, there was no such thing as soundproofing here.

In other words, he could hear every bit of the chatter from what he assumed was the Hero's party.

'But the Hero's a woman?'

There were no male voices in the conversation he'd just overheard.

Only a clear, feminine voice, so that thought came naturally.

'Should I go out now?'

If the Hero had come all this way, it seemed she really did have a way to track locations, just like the rumors said.

Stepping out confidently first and showing he wasn't easy prey might be a good move.

'But first, tidy up here.'

With that thought, he spoke to Rover, still sprawled out.

"Rover. I'm putting you in inventory for a bit."

Rover's bulk wouldn't fit through that narrow gap.

Whoosh—

Rover lifted its head and stared blankly at him. It probably hadn't understood.

Explaining wouldn't help—Rover likely couldn't grasp it—so without a word, he used telekinesis to lift it into inventory.

'Good, it fits.'

Being a machine, Rover went into his inventory without issue.

After that, he stored the tent, lantern, sleeping bag—everything—and took a small deep breath.

"Elly. You sure this is the place?"

"It is."

"How well is this guy hiding?"

Flash! —

'Huh?'

Suddenly, a blue light spread from the ground like a ripple.

It brushed past the spot where he stood and continued on, then that voice spoke again.

"Found it. Seems like it's behind this house?"

Did that light just pinpoint me?

Before he could even process it, the wall in the direction of the voice flashed once.

Rumble—

'What the—?'

Something flashed, and then the wall crumbled down.

Standing in the gap was a woman with radiant golden blonde hair, clad in leather armor, sword in hand.

'Did she just cut through the wall with that sword?'

The cut edge of the collapsed wall was perfectly clean.

As he examined the cut and looked back at the blonde woman, she smiled brightly and said,

"You're Castaway, right? I've been dying to meet you. I'm the Hero, Elisicia."

And so, the Hero Elisicia introduced herself, looking genuinely delighted.

Maybe it was his imagination, but her bright smile felt like the expression of someone who'd finally caught their prey.

"......"

But he'd planned to step out on his own two feet and face them head-on.

He sat inside the house with its wall crumbled open, gazing at the four women seated nearby.

'Hero and the Hero Party, huh?'

He'd heard bits and pieces about the Hero from people's comments.

She'd fought nonstop since the monsters appeared eight years ago, and even after entering the labyrinth, she'd kept battling without rest.

'Someone said if there was no Hero, more than half the people in the labyrinth would've died.'

In other words, she might be that devoted of a person.

"......"

"......"

Separate from that, having four women stare at him all at once was hard to get used to, in all sorts of ways.

Moreover, the Hero Party seemed picked purely for looks—they were all stunning beauties.

"Castaway."

"......Yes?"

"Sorry first off. We must've startled you by barging in like this."

The Hero, Elisicia, apologized with a sincere expression.

In truth, he'd already known the Hero was coming from reading gallery posts.

'I just hoped it wasn't for me.'

Meaning, her arrival itself wasn't a surprise.

"I was startled when you sliced through the wall just now."

"Oh, really? I got too eager to meet you and acted rashly."

The two of them exchanged small talk without diving into the main topic.

Then, the woman with red hair and a petite build sitting next to Elisicia frowned and spoke up.

"Are you two here to get engaged or something? Why are you just chatting about nonsense?"

"Rubyel."

From Elisicia's response, he learned her name was Rubyel.

Anyway, Rubyel glared at Elisicia in dissatisfaction before turning back and saying,

"You, your nickname's Castaway, right? What's your real name?"

"Just call me Castaway."

"Castaway? Fine."

Rubyel readily agreed to calling him Castaway.

"Anyway, Elisicia here wants you to join the Hero Party."

The Hero Party?

"Me?"

"Hiding here, you'll get found eventually. You know what happens after that without me saying, right?"

He thought similarly to Rubyel and had acquired at least some means of self-defense.

Right now, he had telekinesis at level 6, plus Rover, Thunder Bolt, and Plasma Pistol.

"I have ways to protect myself."

"Oh? Then attack me with one of those ways."

"Attack you?"

He was taken aback by Rubyel's sudden demand to attack her and reflexively asked back.

Rubyel sighed softly, clearly annoyed by his reaction.

"No more chit-chat. Do it."

So he stared at Rubyel for a moment before activating telekinesis.

He shaped it like a hand and pinched his index finger and thumb for a flick.

'Telekinesis is level 6 now, so I gotta go easy.'

With strength up to 600kg, he had to hold back.

He didn't want to accidentally crack her skull.

With that thought, he aimed a moderate flick at Rubyel's forehead.

Thwack!—

A faint blue barrier appeared on Rubyel's forehead, blocking the flick.

'No way that's magic too?'

Startled by the barrier, he looked at Rubyel, and she sighed again.

"You use telekinesis in an interesting way. But it's too weak."

"I went easy."

"Going easy is the problem. Are you scared to hit people?"

"Scared? I've just never hit anyone."

He's a good person like that.

But Rubyel wore an expression full of irritation.

"Means of protecting yourself? No matter how good they are, with that mindset, they won't save you. Join the party quietly."

"......But isn't joining the party more dangerous? You'd have to go down the labyrinth."

"You're right. But I guarantee it'll be way safer than getting found hiding and captured by others."

Safer?

"Even if I'm caught, I don't think they'd kill me."

"Like you said, maybe they'd stop at cutting the tendons in your hands and feet."

"......"

He was at a loss for words for a moment.

How casually she said something like cutting tendons in both hands and feet.

"Castaway."

In the meantime, Elisicia called his name.

"I know asking a castaway from another world like you must feel burdensome."

"......"

"But please, help save this world."

Coincidentally—or not—the word "save" came from Elisicia's mouth.

It was the phrase "Doom Salvation" that he'd been fixated on since Quick Fix Doctor's story.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

Elisicia answered immediately, as if she'd been waiting for that question.

"We're not expecting combat help. You have the ability to bring items from another world, right?"

To be precise, it was Modern Item Purchase, but broadly speaking, it was similar enough.

"Something like that."

Besides, with the sheer volume of items he'd already put up on the exchange, denying it would be pointless.

So he admitted it readily, and Elisicia explained what she wanted.

"Just keep supplying the items people need, like you have been. Oh, and meals too, if you can."

Everything but meals was business as usual.

"I could do that from here."

"But it's not safe."

With so many people on the first floor of the labyrinth gunning for him, Elisicia argued it was safer to stick together.

"And don't worry about going down the labyrinth. I've accounted for all your self-defense methods."

From what he'd heard so far, he sensed Elisicia's iron determination to descend the labyrinth no matter what.

To be precise, Channel 2's doom was due to the monsters occupying the surface— the labyrinth had nothing to do with it.

"Is there a reason you have to go down the labyrinth?"

"Yes. There might be a key to saving this world at the deepest level."

Elisicia nodded and explained the reason they had to descend.