I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 58

Episode 58

(Note: Special for this chapter, dialogues from the internet and TV are in 『….』. And dialogues through the telephone are in ‘….’)

Those words weighed heavily on Rin’s heart.  

Her gaze remained fixed on the smartphone screen, unable to look away. While the laughter of the classmate who had shown it echoed through the classroom.  

For a moment, Rin tilted her head in confusion.  

“…What is this?”  

Accusations like “selfish girl refusing dungeon explorations” or “slut who seduces countless men” were written carelessly.  

There were a few voices defending her, but they were sparse.  

It was Rin’s first time seeing such things online. She was too stunned to look away.  

“Oh, but… there are a lot of mean comments. So maybe it’s better if you don’t read them?” 

“………”  

Rin stayed silent, lowering her head. She already knew what they were implying.  

“Anyway, try not to let it bother you, okay?”  

The classmate tossed the cruel words at her like garbage, laughing as they walked away.  

Rin had barely used the internet until now. She wasn’t very tech-savvy, and her time was consumed by dungeon explorations. It left her no room for idle browsing.  

But the venomous words she had heard earlier wouldn’t leave her mind. And Rin found herself looking at her own phone.  

“…My name… on the internet…”  

Hesitantly, she searched her name along with the keyword “Explorer”.  

Thread after thread on forums and countless social media posts appeared on the screen. Driven by curiosity, she opened a few of them.  

『Kanzaki keeps turning down dungeon jobs, apparently.』  

『I heard she had plastic surgery.』  

『There’s a rumor she sleeps around.』  

『Total slut.』  

The words on the screen squeezed Rin’s heart with an icy grip.  

She knew she shouldn’t look. But she couldn’t stop herself from reading further.  

The hostility was blatant and vile, flooding the screen.  

“…So this is how they talk about me…”  

She wished she had never found out. The moment the thought crossed her mind, a sharp pain pierced her chest.  

“…Why… is this happening…”  

She gently grasped a strand of her silver hair. She let it slide through her fingers as she stared at it. In a small, trembling voice, she muttered,  

“Why would they say such things…”  

She hadn’t meant to cry. But before she knew it, tears spilled over. They were streaming down her cheeks.  

“…Pfft.”  

A burst of laughter broke through. Raising her face, Rin saw a group of girls smirking mockingly at her.  

Panicking, she covered her face with her hands. But they only seemed more amused. They were whispering to each other as they walked off.  

After school, Rin returned home and locked herself in her room. She was still unable to put her phone down.  

Before she realized it, she had opened yet another forum thread.  

『Is Kanzaki seriously a product of plastic surgery?』  

『I heard she’s selling her body.』 

『She’s an explorer but doesn’t even work. How spoiled can you get?』  

『Apparently her parents are using her to make money.』

『Like mother, like daughter, I guess.』  

All she saw were words that denied her very existence.  

“…Why… is it me…”  

Her trembling fingers gripped the phone tightly. No matter how long she stared at the screen, there was no salvation to be found.  

She had become an explorer to meet her family’s expectations. Yet, this was the treatment she received.  

It felt like no one acknowledged her at all.  

Rin had very few close friends. At school, her abilities made it hard to connect with ordinary classmates. Her beauty caused jealousy among the girls, and the boys admired her superficially. No one saw her as just “Rin”.  

“What did I do wrong…”  

Her voice was so faint that even she was surprised by how small and fragile it sounded.  

The words online didn’t fade; instead, they only seemed to multiply.  

That night, Rin clutched her phone beneath her blanket when a call from her mother came through.  

The word “Mom” appeared on the screen, and she hesitated for a moment. But she couldn’t bear being alone with her anxiety anymore.  

Hoping to share her unease with someone, Rin answered the call.  

“…Hello?”  

‘Rin! Are you properly doing your job?’

Her mother’s sharp, cold voice came through the receiver, as usual.  

“I am… I really am.”  

‘Really? I’ve been hearing things about you on the news. People are saying you’re not doing anything! You’re embarrassing us, you know that? If you don’t work properly, how do you think we’ll manage to live?’ 

Rin clenched her fist. It had always been like this. Her mother never cared about her as a person. She was only seen as a tool to be used.  

“……..…I understand.”  

‘Do you really? You’re an explorer, so you make good money, don’t you? You need to work harder.’  

Her mother’s words stabbed deeply into her heart.  

“I’m trying…… Mom, actually, I… people online have been saying awful things about me—”  

‘Isn’t that your own fault!? Just do your job properly!’  

With that harsh remark, the call abruptly ended.  

Not long after, something unexpected happened.  

A message from the Association arrived. It was a request for a new dungeon exploration. 

“….…I don’t want to go. But… I have to.”  

She knew she might be criticized again if she didn’t.  

Lying under the covers, Rin clutched her phone tightly and let her tears fall.