Chapter 45
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: 1+1 Event
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"All done?"
As I asked, Rubyel nodded with a refreshed look on her face.
"Yeah. Two more times ahead? No, to be safe, three should wrap up the constitution overhaul. Then I can raise my realm too."
"Three times won't take long."
"It should be done before we head down into the labyrinth proper."
Rubyel looked quite pleased, having completed a total of three mana circuit expansions today.
"Once my realm goes up again, breaking through the labyrinth will be possible too. Plus, Elisicia got stronger with her new ability this time."
"I'll hand out Awakening Stones to the rest once we get more."
"We're grateful, but... aren't Awakening Stones rare?"
From what I knew, even the basic ones cost around 10,000 points.
The problem was that 10,000 points was no small sum, and there weren't even any on the exchange anyway.
'Rare, sure.'
But for me, using them on the Hero Party was better than anywhere else.
"Don't worry about it. We need to boost our full strength to conquer the labyrinth."
"You're right. We have to conquer it this time, no matter what."
Rubyel echoed the labyrinth conquest like she was steeling herself.
With that, Saintess Aila approached me with a warm smile and expressed her thanks.
"Sharing something precious isn't easy. Thank you for your grace, Castaway."
She was probably referring to the Mana Potions and Awakening Stones.
"They wouldn't do much for me anyway."
The Mana Potions were useless for me, and it wasn't time for the Awakening Stone yet.
I could only use it once my telekinesis hit level 20.
'Not even level 19 yet, so it'd be wasted.'
Or did it apply the level 20 probability early?
"Not just today, but everything you've done so far. You must truly be blessed by the Goddess."
Blessed by the Goddess...
"If that's the case, I'd ask her to send me back."
"Pardon? Why?"
Aila's eyes widened in shock, her blue gaze piercing.
"Well, I mean..."
Her reaction startled me too, but I calmly stated the obvious.
"I have to return to my original world too."
I hadn't come to this 2nd Channel world by choice in the first place.
So going back was natural—or so I thought, but the Hero Party's response was completely different.
"..."
"..."
They all just stared at me without a word.
Sensing something off from their expressions, I quickly backpedaled.
"Ah, of course, after everything's resolved. I don't want to go back right now either."
"Yeah. We've only known you a short time, Castaway, but we know you're not like that."
Thankfully, Rubyel backed me up, and the mood eased back to normal.
"Haha, right."
With the atmosphere relaxed, Elisicia suggested it was time for bed.
"It's late, so let's get some sleep. We should reach the beastkin settlement tomorrow."
"Tomorrow means we're almost there?"
"Yes. Two or three days? Four at the latest, and we'll arrive."
Factoring in time to go there and back down, it'd be about a week total.
A week would let me stock 2-3 more Mana Potions and finish Rubyel's overhaul, so I nodded.
"Not much left then."
"All thanks to you, Castaway."
Elisicia headed to bed first after saying that.
'Just days ago, I wondered if sharing a bed would become routine.'
Surprisingly, I'd grown somewhat accustomed to it.
Maybe because Elisicia and Rubyel slept so still once out, like dolls.
'If they kept squirming and pressing against me, it might've taken longer.'
With that thought, I lay down and checked the Gallery as usual.
Browsing the Gallery until sleep came was my routine, so same as always.
'Huh?'
The Gallery had been buzzing lately with Channel 3's Zombie Queen drama.
Checking Channel 3, everyone was heatedly discussing one topic.
'What's going on?'
[What's the unlock condition for the live broadcast feature anyway?] [37]
[Video features before, now broadcasts lol] [53]
[New feature looks like full-on internet streaming.] [46]
[Oh! New feature after how long?] [42]
[New Gallery feature unlocked!] [61]
............
......
'New feature? Internet broadcasts?'
Digging further, sure enough, Channel 3's Gallery had a new category.
【Gallery Broadcasts】
'This...'
Felt like I'd seen it on Channel 4 too.
Checking Channel 4 just in case, yep—broadcasts there too.
Channel 4 seemed to have the most features unlocked among all Gallery channels.
'Broadcasts, huh...'
Peeking into one, hundreds were streaming live.
Channel 3 was nighttime, so mostly indoor chats, but other streams existed.
『🎥 Late-Night Challenge! Zombie 100 Hunt!』
'100 zombies?'
Curious, I entered. A guy wielding a long sledgehammer walked the street.
「12 zombies down? Let's quickly bag the remaining 88 and wrap this up. Please like and donate, everyone.」
'Likes make sense.'
Donations?
I spotted the donate button below the chat window.
Clicking it revealed point donations.
'Can send points as donations.'
The guy held a bright flashlight in his left, visibility wide.
【'BluntForceWins' donated 1 point.】
【Dude, you wanna die? Wandering at night.】
「Thanks for the 1 point, BluntForceWins! And I'm fine. I've killed zombies by the hundreds already.」
Chat scrolled with a few messages.
-PotteryKiller: Even hundreds, if just regulars, you'd barely scrape 1k points.
-WillSpringCome: One mutant shows up, you're toast.
-GimmeAwakening: Broadcaster awakened? Safe if so?
「Sadly no awakening. But I've hunted tons of zombies, even sniped a mutant once.」
-GimmeAwakening: So goal is farm points for an Awakening Stone?
-LightLover: Stones are scarce now with Zombie Queen drama.
-BasementKing: Yeah, everyone's scraping souls for 'em.
-ISurvived: Broadcaster, turn back—it's not too late.
Krrrr...
「Hold up. Zombie noise.」
A gurgling sound echoed—zombie for sure.
Still, he casually swept the flashlight, hunting it.
「Found it. Regular zombie, as expected.」
He charged the approaching zombie and smashed its head with the sledgehammer.
Splat!—
"..."
Watching the zombie skull burst live left me speechless.
「How's that? Zombies ain't shit. 87 left—I'll mop 'em quick.」
I left that stream and skimmed others.
Most popular: a pretty girl dancing in skimpy clothes.
'No game streams here, makes sense.'
Broadcasts were a Gallery feature, not gaming access.
'But with broadcasts unlocked...'
I could watch the Zombie Queen war live later.
It'd be spectacle bait—someone would stream it.
"Castaway. What're you doing?"
Rubyel's voice came from my left.
She usually slept fast, so her speaking surprised me.
"Huh? Oh, just checking the Gallery."
"Yeah? Your stamina's way better now, but don't overdo it."
"Was planning to sleep soon anyway."
Just a quick browse before bed.
"Hey, Castaway. Can I ask something?"
"Sure, go ahead."
Her asking permission was odd—she'd normally just ask.
"Why haven't you touched my chest?"
"..."
The question blew past my expectations.
"Uh... didn't know when it was okay."
"What? I said anytime you want."
Rubyel eyed me suspiciously.
"You think my chest is too small?"
"No! Absolutely not. Just didn't know when."
She stared, then sighed softly.
"Fine, I'll set it. Anytime in the tent. Got it?"
"...Thanks."
Was thanks appropriate? Anyway.
"..."
She arched her chest forward, like go on.
'Gotta, or else.'
Passing this up felt bad too.
Tensing, I reached for her offered chest—
"Castaway, what are you doing?"
Elisicia's voice from the right.
"...!"
Startled, I whipped around.
Elisicia, who I'd thought asleep, gazed innocently.
"Hero? Not sleeping?"
"Woke up. But now..."
She glanced between us, puzzled.
"Repaying Castaway."
Rubyel jumped in, thankfully.
"Repay with chest touching?"
"Yeah. Seemed like something he'd like."
Elisicia tilted her head, confused, then turned to me.
"Then, Castaway, want to touch mine too?"
"Pardon?"
"You've helped so much. Even gave me an Awakening Stone today. I have nothing to offer back."
Like Rubyel, lacking other repayment, she offered her chest.
'Not a 1+1 sale.'
I shook my head.
"Didn't do it expecting this—no need."
"I just want to do something you'd like."
She grabbed my hand, pressing it to her chest.
Larger than Rubyel's—maybe D-cup—full and soft through her thin nightdress, filling my palm.
'Ah.'
First time touching a girl's chest my age.
Unique softness, solid bounce.
"Should've offered first. Here, mine too."
Rubyel took my other hand, guiding under her dress.
Her warm, smooth skin led to soft, yielding chest.
"..."
Suddenly wide awake, I froze like a statue.