69novels Page 181
Page 181
Upon hearing Asagiri's words, Kato Megumi, though seemingly calm, blushed slightly. She glanced at Yuuki Asuna and Iwanaga Kotoko sitting there, seeing the former looking helpless and the latter clutching her white beret tightly, tearfully accusing her.
"There are cows...there are cows!!!"
Asuna Yuuki rolled her eyes and said irritably.
“When he helped you put the ring on your finger, Phantom and I didn’t cry and scream like you did.”
Kotoko Iwanaga replied confidently upon hearing this.
"I have double standards."
Asuna Yuuki: "...I really don't know what to say to you."
Seeing that the two women seemed somewhat helpless but not too angry, Kato Megumi breathed a sigh of relief. She leaned close to Asagiri, gently kissed his cheek, and then whispered.
"Let's leave it at that for now... We'll talk about the rest after we clear the dungeon."
"walk slowly."
Asagiri replied with a smile, and then put the "Ring of the Night Mother" on the ring finger of Kato Megumi's left hand.
Afterwards, Asuna Yuuki and Kotoko Iwanaga also drew their remaining two prizes. Asuna Yuuki drew a blue-quality longsword weapon, the effect of which would increase the pain of biological enemies when it was hit. Kotoko Iwanaga was less lucky and only drew a white baseball bat, which was obviously a reward from the first stage of the newbie dungeon. As a result, that player carried it all the way to the third stage of the dungeon.
This is quite normal. Most players carry some junk items that they feel it's a waste to throw away, since they are system-certified items or equipment, but they are not very useful. This also reduces the cost-effectiveness of the action of "killing a player and taking their phone to participate in a lottery".
To reiterate, the system may have created this rule because it didn't want PVP to cause a significant decrease in the number of players.
"Thinking about it carefully, that thousand-faced and bizarre ability is actually quite powerful."
Kotoko Iwanaga stroked her fair chin. Since the temperature had returned to normal, she put on her favorite dress again in the cool air-conditioned room. Her two legs, clad in white stockings, were casually placed on Asagiri's legs, and she would occasionally rub against them.
"We were able to eliminate it this time because it didn't absorb any particularly powerful players, and it didn't control that many parasitic players. If we had let it grow... it would have become very troublesome."
"That's why we came."
"Eh?"
Hearing Asagiri's incredibly calm tone, Kotoko Iwanaga couldn't help but look puzzled and asked curiously.
"Do you have something on your mind again?"
"Hmm...the matchmaking system in online games."
Seeing the puzzled looks on the faces of Kotoko Iwanaga beside her, and Megumi Kato and Asuna Yuuki opposite her, Asagiri smiled and explained.
"In those online multiplayer games, there are mechanisms that try to ensure that the two sides are evenly matched. This is to ensure that all players in a game can have a good gaming experience. Of course, very few game developers can truly achieve this. However, from this perspective, the system's hidden rule of 'not presenting a level where players are guaranteed to die' is based on the same principle. If we and the four people in the white suit had not entered this instance, then the difficulty of this instance would have been far too high for the remaining ordinary players. Perhaps this is a kind of balancing mechanism."
Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki nodded as if she understood, and then asked curiously.
"What if we hadn't chosen this instance? Weren't there three options?"
"You forgot? We only registered the day before. Because we have the privileges of advanced players, most ordinary players had already decided which dungeon they wanted to enter when we registered. The other two optional dungeons that appeared at that time were also third-stage dungeons, and the difficulty should be similar to this dungeon. From the system's perspective, we can choose whichever dungeon we want."
Asuna Yuuki frowned slightly and spoke softly.
"And what about the players in the other two instances during the same period..."
"Most of them will die, and a total wipeout is also possible."
Asagiri shrugged, watching Kotoko Iwanaga's small feet, clad in white stockings, rubbing against her chest. She grabbed them and started tickling the soles of her feet. She only let go after Kotoko laughed until tears streamed down her face, begging for mercy like a little devil who had been taught a lesson. She then looked at Asuna Yuuki and smiled as she replied.
"But in the end, isn't this what a death game is all about? From the very beginning, players who perform well in the newbie dungeon can obtain powerful rewards, and then they can survive to the end in the face of one dangerous situation after another. That's how they become high-level players. If ordinary players want to become high-level players, then they also have to do the same thing, risking their lives to overcome difficulties, otherwise they will die sooner or later."
After saying this, Asagiri removed the two white silk ice creams from Iwanaga Kotoko's lap and stood up.
"Alright, I'm going to sleep now. Anyone want to join?"
Kotoko Iwanaga jumped up with lightning speed, excitedly exclaiming.
"I...I...I...oh dear, I'm so tired, I'm exhausted!"
"I think you're..."
Asuna Yuuki stopped mid-sentence, blushing. After all, she was well-mannered and her personality wasn't as abstract as Kotoko Iwanaga's, so it was really hard for her to say such embarrassing words.
Just then, Megumi Kato made a startling remark.
"Then let's all do it together."
"what?"
Yuuki Asuna, who had gotten used to the abstract nature of Asagiri and Iwanaga Kotoko and hadn't made any exhalations of shock lately, exhaled again at this moment.
"You...you...how could you...you mean...but, we're still in the instance..."
Seeing the incredulous look on Yuuki Asuna's face, Kato Megumi sighed softly.
"What I mean is, if we let the two of them sleep alone, they might do something out of line, but if all four of them are in the same room, that avoids that situation and it's safer, right?"
"So that's it..."
Just as Asuna Yuuki breathed a sigh of relief, her face showing embarrassment at having misunderstood Megumi Kato's meaning, Asagiri said something meaningful.
"Can it really be avoided? I doubt it."
"Maybe not, my foot."
Asuna Yuuki walked over and gently poked Asagiri's cheek with her fair index finger, saying in an annoyed tone.
"And this is still inside a dungeon."
Asagiri suddenly realized.
"Hmm? The focus is on the instance, not on four people together? I understand."
Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki's pretty face flushed red, and she said with embarrassment and anger.
"You...you shouldn't misunderstand."
"rest assured."
Asagiri reached out and stroked Yuuki Asuna's flaxen hair, speaking in a serious tone.
"My extraordinary wisdom tells me that now is the time for an epic party!"
36
Chapter 36 The Priest's Healing Spell.
Although Asagiri said that, putting aside the fact that they were still in the dungeon, the team members' condition alone meant they couldn't afford to waste their energy on something like this.
Kotoko Iwanaga appeared cheerful and full of energy, but Asuna Yuuki and Megumi Kato noticed the fatigue in her eyes, which was caused by excessive mental exertion.
There's also Asuna Yuuki. Because she used the sword technique "Stardust Splash" repeatedly in the previous battle, which puts a serious strain on her wrist, she can no longer hold a sword with her right hand, let alone make a fist. Furthermore, due to her prolonged high-speed movement during the previous boss battle, her legs have become weak and powerless, and she has reached her limit.
Although Kato Megumi did not participate in the battle, she kept her exclusive talent active while moving in order to get closer to the Thousand-Faced Stone Statue. In addition, her mental and physical strength were already at their limit after the previous battles against the parasitic players.
In comparison, Asagiri was in the best condition among the four members of the team. Although he had used "Supreme Magic Bullet" once, which consumed about 80% of his mental energy, he actively consumed some physical energy through the effect of "Ring of Conversion" to replenish his mental energy. Although he was a little tired, he was fine. In order to ensure that he could use "Supreme Magic Bullet" at any time, he chose to replenish his mental energy to almost 100%.
After eliminating the Thousand-Faced Ghost, the system gave them more than twenty hours of safe time, during which Kotoko Iwanaga and Megumi Kato would definitely recover.
The most pressing issue now is Yuuki Asuna's skills.
"It hurts..."
Asuna Yuuki sat on the soft bed, trying to bend the five fingers of her right hand, but a sharp pain shot through her wrist. She even felt a numbness in the tips of her right fingers, which was not a good sign.
Asagiri crouched down, gently took Yuuki Asuna's wrist to examine it, and tried to press it lightly with her fingers. Immediately afterward, Yuuki Asuna let out a cry of pain.
"Does it hurt a lot?"
"Um……"
Seeing Asagiri's concerned gaze, Asuna Yuuki felt a pang of grievance, and tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to cry and seek comfort from her boyfriend, but when she thought of Kato Megumi and Iwanaga Kotoko beside her, and that they were still in a dungeon, Asuna Yuuki immediately took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, raised her left sleeve and vigorously wiped her eyes, let out a long sigh, and whispered.
"What should I do? My wrist..."
"It's probably a tendon strain, or even a minor tear."
Asagiri gently held Yuuki Asuna's fair right hand and replied softly.
“This kind of injury is different from physical and mental strength. It will not gradually recover over time. It will most likely become more and more serious. We must find a way to treat it.”
Upon hearing Asagiri's diagnosis, Asuna Yuuki first bit her lip slightly. As if sensing that the atmosphere had become somewhat heavy, she forced a gentle smile in an attempt to ease the tension.
"I didn't know you were knowledgeable in medicine."
"I was an athlete back in junior high, so I was able to spot tendon injuries. Besides..."
Asagiri looked up at Yuuki Asuna with a smile and spoke softly.
"I used to specifically research and study relevant materials in order to make a eroge with a massage theme."
Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki sighed helplessly, feeling both annoyed and amused.
"So most of your knowledge was learned in order to make butter? I don't even know what to say, really."
After saying this, Asuna Yuuki looked at Kotoko Iwanaga beside her, her smile fading, and a resolute look appeared in her eyes.
"Necro, if I cut off my right hand first, and then let you repair it again using the black particles, can you repair the damaged tendons inside at the same time?"
"No."
Upon hearing Yuuki Asuna make such a harsh request, Iwanaga Kotoko remained calm and gave a negative answer without hesitation.
"Although my ability to create black particles can repair severed limbs, it takes some time for them to fully recover after the repair. Moreover, you cannot engage in strenuous exercise before they are fully recovered, otherwise it will be a waste of effort. There is still a battle ahead, and using such an extreme method to heal your injuries is meaningless and will only cause you to lose blood in vain. This method will not work."
"This is troublesome."
Asuna Yuuki looked down at her right wrist, her brows furrowed.
"Although I can wield a sword with my left hand, I'm not as skilled with it as with my right. And if I can't exert force with my right hand, my combat power will be greatly reduced... It's a pity that our team doesn't have a priest-type class that can heal injuries."
"Other players' teams should have it."
Asagiri stood up from the bedside and said in a calm tone.
"The team that went with us to participate in the BOSS battle before was only allowed to participate because there was a female player with a priest class. That's why the guy in the white suit agreed to let them participate in the BOSS battle even though their overall strength wasn't very strong. I'll go find her. After all, she's a priest who survived to the third stage. Healing this injury shouldn't be a problem for her."
Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki breathed a sigh of relief, but then suddenly remembered what had happened in the buffet restaurant earlier and hesitated.
"But what if other players find out we're not in good shape right now...?"
"I don't have time to think about that anymore."
Kotoko Iwanaga gently patted Asuna Yuuki's shoulder, offering a sweet smile of comfort.
"Don't worry, healing your injuries is the most important thing. Even if things develop to that point, we just need to join forces with the white-suited and Mr. Ichikawa teams to kill all the other players. It just so happens that my mental energy needs to be replenished, and Leader can also absorb energy through the rope dart."
……
Half an hour later, in room 7012.
Sensing the oppressive atmosphere in the room, a female player who looked to be a college student looked nervous, and her hands began to tremble slightly. Although the temperature in the hotel had returned to normal, her forehead was still covered in sweat.
"take it easy."
Kotoko Iwanaga patted the female player on the shoulder with a smile and said.
"We're not some kind of devil, we just want you to help heal our teammates."
The female player nodded stiffly, her gaze instinctively drifting towards the living room outside the master bedroom. There, she saw her two male teammates sitting in the middle of the sofa. On her left was the player in the long black trench coat, and on her right was the man in the white suit. The way her two male teammates looked at that moment perfectly matched the saying.
Pitiful, weak, helpless, and completely afraid to move.
"Um...can I start now...?"
Seeing the timid and hesitant look on the female priest player's face, Asuna Yuuki nodded and tried to speak in a gentle tone.
"Well, please."
"No, no, no, it's no trouble at all..."
The female priest player carefully brought her palms together, and then a ball of light appeared in her palms. She then carefully placed the ball of light on Yuuki Asuna's right wrist. The moment the ball of light touched her wrist, Yuuki Asuna felt a warmth, and the soreness in her wrist immediately lessened.
"Um...it will probably take about ten minutes, is that...okay?"
"Hmm, it's okay, take your time."
……
Ten minutes later, the orb of light in the priestess player's hand gradually disappeared. Yuuki Asuna raised her right wrist and tried to clench her fingers. She found that the soreness and weakness she had felt earlier had completely disappeared, and even when she clenched her fist, it no longer hurt as much as before.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, um..."