Can Even a Mob Highschooler Like Me be a Normie if I Become an Adventurer?

 Episode 16 It's outrageous to sell that! (2)

“I'm so tired!"

　After the 10th battle, the Imp shouted. It was also a representative of everyone's heart.

“How long is this going to go on?”

　Yuki replied to the words that Renge spat out with a rough breath,

"Well, until we defeat the boss, right?"

　Yuki was also breathing heavily. Rather, it seemed that her stamina consumption was greater than that of Renge.

　I'm exhausted, too. My legs were also shaky.

　Fighting in a water area drained the physical strength of those who couldn't fly like us.

I said,

"......Now, now. How many kappas have we seen now?"

　I asked Eliza, who was still breathing normally. Only at this time, I envy her, as she can recover by eating her enemies...... No, I'm not so envious after all.

"Yes, Master. Forty-five."

“Really......”

　At Eliza's answer, the imp let out a disgusted sigh.

“Uwhaa, it's really endless. Hey, Master, let's go home already. I only have a little bit of magic left."

"What are you talking about? If we've come this far, we're only one step away. Let's do our best a little bit longer.”

“But, at this rate, we’re going to lose from slowly being cut down, aren’t we?”

"No, the number of kappas is almost exhausted. The enemy’s leader should appear soon."

　I was so sure of what I had just said that. All of them, except Eliza, looked doubtful.

“How do you know that? Did you by any chance… discover the identity of the boss?"

"Yeah, the identity of the boss is, 9 out of 10, a water tiger1."

　Even I wasn't just watching the cards struggle. Even while giving instructions, I continued to search for the true identity of the enemy.

　The water tiger is among the D-rank most powerful monsters which card trades for nearly 10 million yen even though it is not a girl monster.

　However, its combat power itself is only slightly higher than that of kappa and is considered to be in the upper middle of the D-ranks as a whole.

　The biggest reason that pushes the water tiger to be among the D-rank strongest monsters is the skill [Kappa's big boss] that “can summon up to 48 kappa monsters, which are of the same rank”.

　Although the number is limited, it is a monster that can summon monsters of the same rank as itself.

It’s truly a cheat ability.

That said, the original ability is indeed not as absurd as this.

　The kappas that are invoked are like illusions and usually disappear after about one battle. Their combat power is also lower than the normal kappa, and once the stock of 48 kappas is used up, they can no longer be used for the day.

　And perhaps the water tiger here had been enhanced by this dungeon in their ability to summon the kappas.

　That was the entangling seed that led to a series of D-ranked monsters springing up.

“Heh, that’s what you mean. All we have to do is defeat a few more kappa and we can beat the son of a bitch.”

“That's very uplifting.”

“Master is so knowledgeable...... so cool."

　Renge and Yuki smiled, and Imp gave me a look of respect.

"Fufufu."

　I gently hid my smartphone while chuckling meaningfully.

　Sorry, I just looked it up on the app.

“Master, it seems that the boss has grown tired of the buzz and has decided to show up.”

“Heh, and here I was thinking it was going to continue to send its pawns against us until the very end.”

　Hearing me say that, Renge sneered,

"That's natural. If there are no more lackeys, it will have to fight by its lonesome self. A guy who uses such a cheap tactic would never have the guts to do that."

“I see.”

　Did it hear our conversation?

　From the back of the passageway, the water tiger and kappas appeared with carnivore-like roars.

　While the kappas were built like adult men, the water tiger had a physique of over two meters and well-trained muscles like a bodybuilder.

　The moment they saw their enemy, Imp and Renge shouted at the same time,

“[Weakened!]”x2

　The magic of weakening, magnified and strengthened by the skill of [Friendship linkage], swept over the entire enemy.

　And then one more time in succession. This time against the water tiger alone.

“Okay, all of them are through!　I gave that big fucker a particularly powerful one.”

“Well done!"

　That said, we're expending stamina as well. Maybe it will take a couple of minutes until we reach the same level of exhaustion?

　The enemy, too, seemed to have realized that the passage of time was to their disadvantage, so they geared up and came to attack at once.

　Two kappas were coming toward me, flanked by Eliza and Yuki, who stood from both sides to intercept any of them. A gaze from the underwater shot through me.

　----I’m their aim!

　Now Eliza was dealing with the water tiger and Yuki was dealing with kappa A, so they were unable to do any more.

　I wade through the water and retreated backward, but I was too slow compared to those who can swim freely in the water.

　I slipped a bit and my legs hurtle through the air. The fatigued legs can't support my weight and I fall on my buttocks.

　It was a fatal gap. A kappa, accelerating as if exerting all its strength, rapidly close in on me and ---- halted.

　A beat later, a blue plume of blood began to drift through the water.

　Smirk.

　The fool was caught in the wire traps we had set up in advance.

　At that moment, Renge coordinated [Elementary status ailment magic] with Imp to strike. Paralysis magic. One by one, the kappas who were stiff and unable to move were dealt with.

　Now, two kappas remain.

　It wasn't as if we were engaged in a continuous battle with 45 kappas. We had already established some degree of know-how in kappa extermination.

　The kappas were so confident in their maneuverability in this water field that when they attacked in groups, they would always aim for a direct attack on me.　

　At first, I was a bit taken aback by this surprise attack, but when I knew they were coming, the kappas were more like summer insects that flew into the fire. Thanks to this, I had become good at pretending to retreat haphazardly.

　On the other hand, the enemy still had no information about us. It was worth it that we kept killing all the enemies that had come to attack us.

　Now, only the water tiger and the two kappas remain. Is Eliza struggling ......?

　Between her, who was a lower D-rank, and the water tiger, who was at the top of the D-rank and was mainly strengthened, the latter had an advantage. Still, her head was the only thing she was protecting as she struggled to bite on her foe.

　On the other hand, Yuki was successfully eliminating kappa A. As time passed, kappa A's movements were becoming dull and duller, so it was cornered little by little. Then, the last kappa was eliminated with the support of Renge’s light bullets.

　Now all that's left is the boss...

　But we were not in a hurry. Time is on our side.

　With Yuki's help, the fight between Eliza and the water tiger settled into a stalemate. Then, Renge and Imp applied the paralysis status ailment magic.

　The Boss's resistance to status ailment and the fact that paralysis is one of the heavier types of status ailment made it difficult for the magic to pass.

　But they did not rush, and continued to cast the magic spells, two times, three times, then, at the fourth time, finally, the paralysis magic passed.

　The water tiger's body stiffened. And so, everyone beat him to a pulp. The battle was finally over.

　The water tiger disappeared like the ebbing tide.

　All that was left was the magic stone dropped by the water tiger and a disappointed box.

"I, it's over~"

　Everyone's sighing voices overlapped.

　What the hell is this? I'm so tired! Is this an E- rank dungeon?  Haah!? The difficulty is suddenly gone up too much!

　No wonder more than half of the newcomers stumble in the E-rank dungeon.

　The only thing I can say is that this dungeon is definitely one of the more difficult ones of the E-ranks.

　The average one-star adventurer with a single D-rank card as his or her force will definitely not be able to break through.

　If you make the mistake of pulling the wrong card, you could normally lose the card ...... or even lose your life.

　I'm not saying that the guild deliberately chose a dungeon with such a boss

　This type of standard labyrinth has no attributes, so the monsters that appear are completely random. The same is true for the boss.

　But then I get a water tiger, which is the strongest of the D-ranked monsters......Am I unlucky after all?

　And the water tiger didn't drop any cards either!

　Well, the drop rate for D-rank cards is 1%, so it's normal that they don't drop.

　Still, when you go through all this trouble, it's human nature to want something in return.

　Oh, that's right, speaking of something in return.......

“I forgot. We have to open the disappointment box."

　When I got up and headed for the disappointing box, the others, who had been slumped over in various sloppy poses, gathered around.

　No matter how tired I am, at this moment I forget my fatigue.

"All right, let's open it.”

　I said so and opened the box. There were no traps for the dungeon clearing box, so I was able to open it without any worries.

　What was inside were magic stones and...... test tubes filled with liquid.

　Oi, I've seen this pattern before....... After all this hard work, it’s potion agaaain?

　Moreover, it had a bluish-white luminescent color, which gave it a slightly uncomfortable tint to put in one's mouth. I have a feeling that I might be exposed to radiation if I drank it.

　Maybe this is a big disappointment.......

　Just as I was feeling down inside, I noticed a figure staggering toward me, reaching for the bottle.

"...... Renge?”

“!"

　Renge came back to herself with a startled look on her face.

"What's wrong? You were acting a little strange."

“A, ah, ......not- nothing."

　Her eyes were glued to the potion as she said this.

　I looked at the other members of the group, but they didn't seem to have any unusual behavior. I eyed Renge with a dubious look on my face.

"Maybe, you know what this is?"

　When I inquired, Renge's eyes swam unusually, and she answered in an unsure manner,

“…It's Amrita, I think."

“Amrita?!”x3

　Amrita was the name of an elixir of immortality that appeared in Indian mythology.

　Of course, unlike the amrita of the story, the amrita potion had no immortality effect, but it did have the efficacy of rejuvenation and the healing power to cure a person even from the verge of death.

　The healing power alone makes it the highest-quality potion, but it was the rejuvenating ability that made people go crazy.

　One year per bottle. That is the rejuvenation effect of amrita. It's only one year, but it's still one year. It is worth enough for those in power to pursue it.

　After all, if you drink a bottle a year, you can live forever.

　That is why amrita is traded at a ridiculous price.

　The guild also had a big sign that said they would buy it for 100 million yen a bottle.

　That was the purchase price. When it actually went to the market, how much it was traded for... I can't even imagine.

　It doesn't seem to be something you can simply get if you have the money, and a direct transaction would probably fetch a price several times that amount.

　...... if the person in question has the power to make them pay properly, that is.

　However, I obtain that one hell of an extraordinary thing.

　No, I still don't know if this is the real amrita yet, but if you look at it like this, doesn't it have a mysterious hue? It's as divine as if the planet Earth had been liquidized.

　What should I do? Should I sell it right away?　If I do, I'll be a millionaire in one fell swoop. The cards’ power will be able to be strengthened at once.

　Or should I keep it?　I am on an adventure where I don't know when I might die, so it's perfectly acceptable to save it just in case. It would also be nice to have it as an amulet in case something happens to my family.

　No, but if they find out that I have amrita, there will be people who will try to steal it from me even if they have to kill me. ......Is it better to sell it after all...?

　As I was thinking about that, I noticed that Renge was staring at me.

　No, it was not me who she was looking at, but the amrita.

　This finally led to the question of why she was so fixated on the amrita, and how she could recognize this as amrita.

“Hey, Renge..., why did you think this is amrita?”

“Huh? Uh, no, I don't know why, but the moment I saw this, the word ‘amrita’ sprang into my head.”

“Hmmm ......"

　Is there a connection between Renge and…, no, between zashiki-warashi and amrita?　No, I have never heard of such a thing.

　The mystery might be solved if I let Renge drink amrita, but I don't intend to throw away a hundred million dollars for that.

　But I am curious about it. Very curious.

　I'm going to keep this one after all. I don't know if it's really amrita, and even if it is, I'm a little scared of ...... suddenly having a hundred million dollars in my pocket.

　I can always sell it, so until then, I'll keep it in a heavy-duty case.

　After making that decision, I left the dungeon.

***

Notes:

1  Water tiger/Suitora: Japanese and Chinese legendary water monster. But it’s not literally a tiger that lives in water. In Japan, water tigers are monsters very similar to kappa, even a kind of kappa. And like kappa, they inhabit the waterfronts of rivers, lakes, seas, etc. It is bigger and more ferocious than the kappa. From the point of view of killing humans, the water tiger is more terrifying than the kappa. And it is said that it’s the leader of 48 kappas. ↩