I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 44

Episode 44  

(Note: Special for this chapter, dialogues through the telephone are in ‘….’)

(Back to MC’s Perspective)

I sat quietly in my chair. I leaned back deeply as the sound of insects outside amplified the stillness of the night.  

In my house, Yuna and Rin were present. It was late, so they decided to stay over. But the atmosphere in the room felt oddly unsettled. Both of them were in a separate room, setting up futons to prepare for bed.  

……..This is nerve-wracking.  

While I was used to Yuna, staying under the same roof with someone my age like Rin was entirely new to me.  

As I mulled over these thoughts absentmindedly, I suddenly heard the sound of hurried footsteps in the hallway. Yuna and Rin came rushing into the living room.  

“…Haruto! K-Kiryu’s stream just started!”  

“…Huh? And?”  

“The problem is the content! It’s about the Kamino Town Dungeon!”  

…Yuna exclaimed as she held her phone up to show me the screen.  

“…What?”  

Startled, I glanced at the phone she held out. And there it was—the familiar Kamino Town Dungeon, being streamed live.  

Kiryu-san was fighting monsters in the dungeon while interacting with the comment section, just like his usual streams.  

Dungeon streams were technically supposed to be impossible. If this was happening, the only plausible explanation was… someone like Kirishima-san.  

Yuna’s expression grew grim.  

“I knew it! That guild staff member must be a spy!”  

“…No, that’s—”  

Just as I was about to deny it, my phone started vibrating. Looking at the screen, I saw it was a call from Kirishima-san.  

“Kirishima-san? What’s going on?”  

‘…I deeply apologize!’  

An immediate apology right off the bat. Coupled with the stream’s content, it was easy to understand the reason for her words.  

“Does this have to do with Kiryu-san’s stream?”  

‘Yes… While we were conducting adjustments inside the dungeon, Kiryu arrived and… he stole the device we were using.’  

“…I see. No one was injured, right?”  

If anyone had been hurt, even Kiryu-san wouldn’t get away with it unscathed.  

‘We’re fine. My senior is already working on creating a replacement device, but it likely won’t be ready until tomorrow morning…’  

Despite the frustration from the previous incident, Kirishima-san assured me there were no injuries.  

“…There’s no need to rush. Besides, we might glean some useful information from Kiryu-san’s stream. Just get some rest for tonight.”  

‘…Understood. Thank you, and I’m truly sorry for this.’  

Kirishima-san ended the call, sounding deeply apologetic.  

Since I had put the phone on speaker mode, Yuna and Rin heard the conversation too. Yuna, however, still wore a skeptical expression.  

“See? Kirishima-san isn’t a spy, right?”  

“…Fine, for now. But honestly, I wish my stepbrother was the one streaming the truth about this.”  

“Well, anyone could do it, really.”  

…In fact, it might actually be better that Kiryu-san was the one streaming. If it were me, I’d likely get bombarded with disruptive comments again.  

The real concern was what would happen after Kiryu-san reached the 101st floor.  

In other dungeons, breaking the dungeon core on the 100th floor would activate a warp mechanism for returning. If Kiryu-san proceeded under that assumption, he’d run into serious trouble in the Kamino Town Dungeon. That was my one worry.  

“………Kiryu. I… don’t like him.”  

Rin furrowed her brows as she stared at my phone screen.  

Yuna leaned over my shoulder, peering at the screen, and let out a small sigh.  

“His viewer count is insane. As expected of an S-Rank Explorer.”  

“Is it that high?”  

“Yeah. He just passed a million viewers. For regular game streams, even hitting ten thousand would be impressive. It just shows how popular explorers are.”  

““Eee~…….””  

Both Rin and I, unfamiliar with that industry, could only let out dumbfounded noises.  

The comment section was buzzing with excitement, filled with unending praise for Kiryu-san. Mixed in, however, were a few remarks mocking me.  

<Amakusa slacking off again, lol>  

<Why is this guy even an S-rank? Totally makes no sense lol> 

<Kiryu-sama is more than enough on his own! Hahaha> 

A slight sting pierced my chest at the comments. But even so, I kept my eyes fixed on the screen. 

…….Whatever people say, the outcome of Kiryu-san’s stream will speak for itself. 

As we continued watching together, Kiryu-san steadily advanced through the dungeon. But something about his approach felt… off. 

…His pace was unusually fast. The comment section pointed it out too: he was skipping through the dungeon floors as quickly as possible. 

And above all, there was something odd about how he was handling his phone camera. While he had initially been filming from behind, showing himself in the frame, he now avoided showing himself entirely. 

“Kiryu-san moves through the dungeon pretty smoothly,” 

That’s what Yuna said, but I was still a little worried.

However, the reason I’m worried is because… it’s different from how I approach it.

…..Kiryu-san and I have different types of supernatural powers to begin with.

I’m the type who fights aggressively in the front line, but Kiryu-san is more of a rear guard providing support.

Therefore, it’s possible that the approach to the strategy itself is different.

To confirm, I turned to Rin. 

“…Rin, doesn’t this feel a bit… risky?” 

“…I think so too. It’s different from the standard method. Is he panicking?” 

Rin seemed to share my concern. 

Hearing our exchange, Yuna tilted her head. 

“Huh? But Kiryu seems like he’s handling it just fine, doesn’t he?” 

“…Yeah, I hope that’s the case.” 

If it’s just a strange approach and nothing more, that’s fine. 

But if it’s because he’s actually in a precarious situation…..… that’s worrisome. 

Kiryu-san pushed forward at his rapid pace and reached the 70th floor. 

“……Are those monsters holding five magic stones starting to appear?” 

“Is it different in other dungeons?” 

“…Yeah. Normally, they only show up after you pass the 90th floor.” 

Rin noticed something unusual. To me, though, it was perfectly normal. 

“In the Kamino Town Dungeon, this is standard.” 

“…Probably, only a handful of Japanese explorers could take those on. I could manage one-on-one, at best. This dungeon… is weird.” 

“…You’re right.” 

If even one other S-Rank Explorer had taken this dungeon seriously before, things might have been clearer. 

But the Explorer Association stubbornly refused to send anyone. I don’t know their reasons, but it’s frustrating. 

Kiryu-san was doing his best, taking down those monsters and continuing forward. 

….…It was close, though. He was chugging potions, likely the ones he brought, to restore his mana and keep moving. 

“…His potions are probably almost gone.” 

“He’s probably switched strategies now—just aiming to destroy the dungeon core and escape.” 

This tactic, which involves avoiding fights as much as possible and prioritizing clearing the dungeon, is something of a loophole. 

Because dungeons don’t have traditional bosses, it’s technically possible to employ this strategy. 

Kiryu-san’s exceptional detection ability allows him to locate the stairs to the next floor quickly, so his speed is impressive. Even so, he must be nearing his limit. 

In the Kamino Town Dungeon, the stairs to the next floor are hidden. But someone with high detection skills can find them. 

I’ve memorized the layout from my repeated visits, so I can clear it just as fast. Kiryu-san’s ability to match that pace is one of his strengths. 

Even so, it was clear Kiryu-san was reaching his breaking point. 

Letting out a small sigh, I stood up from my seat. 

“Where are you going?” 

Scratching my head at Rin’s question, I replied: 

“I’m going to help Kiryu-san.”