LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 270.1
Chapter 270.1. Disconnected
The dungeon’s fortress section was destroyed, and the stampede horde was defeated. While there was some damage, the people cheered with joy, their smiles reflecting relief at having stopped such a high-ranking monster stampede.
There didn’t seem to be any ambushes, and that girl who resembled Shizuku disappeared somewhere. For the moment, the second wave of the stampede appeared to be repelled, and I let out a breath of relief. However, my face quickly tightened, and I clicked my tongue.
“No contact with Serika or Sei through telepathy.”
I had tried to inform them that the stampede here was taken care of, but my message didn’t get through. Something unusual must be happening on their side.
[Hmm… Even [Dark Teleport] is blocked? The enemy is making their move.]
“This is bad. I underestimated the enemy’s strength. If they can create a dungeon capable of producing King Behemoths, not just dungeon GMs, then they must also have the power to suppress one. Serika and Sei might not be able to handle it alone.”
We had assumed a stalker capable of creating dungeons was behind this. But now, unable to contact Serika and the others at this crucial time, the Earth Federation’s involvement in orchestrating this stampede seemed likely.
“That fake Shizuku-like girl—she was using god-tier abilities. If that’s the case, since when did the Earth Federation acquire the ability to build machines like that?”
Shizuku and Yukihana both looked serious. This was my mistake—I had assumed the Earth Federation was only on par with us.
“All we can do is hope Serika and the others notice and take the only available action.”
Ignoring the still-celebrating soldiers, I used Dark Teleport to move to an isolated area and summoned the equivalent exchange store.
[What are you going to do?]
“Fortunately, I gained 6,000 status points through Adversity Growth. I’ll combine that with Special S-Cores to exchange for status-boost potions.”
Quickly scanning the exchange list, I found a potion that increased status by 3,000 points. It maxed out at 25,000—exactly what I expected.
Using three Special S-Cores, I took out three potions and drank them in one go. As they flowed down my throat and seeped into my body, my points increased by 15,000.
[It’s a gamble whether Serika and the others notice.]
Shizuku glanced at me with concern. I understood her unease.
“They’ll notice, no doubt about it. Those two are sharp.”
I firmly believed in Serika and Sei. As strategists and fairy machines, they were bound to catch on. While trusting them, I also boosted my own stats as a precaution against potential ambushes.
Here’s the current status setup:
Amano Sakimori
Mana: 3,000
Health: 500
Strength: 500
Dexterity: 1,000
Magic: 5,000 → 20,000
Amano Shizuku
Mana: 1,000 → 5,000
Health: 2,000
Strength: 2,000
Dexterity: 4,000 → 15,000
Magic: 1,000
Amano Yukihana
Mana: 2,000 → 5,500
Health: 2,250 → 5,500
Strength: 2,250 → 5,500
Dexterity: 2,500 → 5,500
Magic: 1,000 → 3,000
Hijiri Sei
Mana: 2,000 → 5,000
Health: 1,000 → 4,000
Strength: 4,000 → 7,000
Dexterity: 1,000 → 4,000
Magic: 2,000 → 5,000
I also sent telepathic instructions to Sei, who was healing the soldiers, to boost her stats. Everyone present upgraded their stats. Shizuku and I skewed ours pretty heavily, though.
“You’ve gone bold with your stat distribution. Master focused on magic, and Shizuku on dexterity. It’s consistent with how you’ve distributed points so far, but wouldn’t a more balanced approach be better?”
Yukihana frowned as she commented on our choices.
Ordinarily, she might be right. In a game, her balanced approach would be more valuable. Even I thought we were over-specializing.
But this was necessary to counter the stalker. I didn’t like it, but it had to be done.
“We can transform, so even skewed stats should work out. What worries me more is if the dungeon evolves to an even higher rank. A balanced build might not be enough to meet the enemy’s power.”
The fake Shizuku had easily defended against god-tier abilities. Her stats must have been formidable. If she was truly Shizuku’s copy—or even if she wasn’t—her stats were leagues above ours.
[If we assume the worst, she might be a perfect copy of me, with all her stats superior. That’s a common trope, isn’t it? The protagonist faces an overpowered doppelgänger whose stats surpass theirs. And through her familiar, the enemy’s strength felt overwhelming.]
Shizuku, though upset by the idea of being called a fake, had calmly assessed the enemy’s power. She recognized the danger.
“If that’s the case, she likely outstrips Shizuku’s stats across the board. Raising dexterity was a move to counter that possibility, wasn’t it?”
Nodding in agreement, Yukihana seemed convinced. If the enemy truly was Shizuku’s superior copy, then surpassing her stats, even slightly, was essential for any chance of victory.
“I’m focused on boss battles. With this level of magic, I can deal significant damage even against stronger opponents.”
[Now, Sakimori-san can finally say the iconic line: ‘This isn’t my strongest flame magic—it’s just a beginner flame spell.’ Well, the strongest flame spell was later eclipsed by Imperial Flame Magic, making the previous final boss seem weak.]
Shizuku smirked, raising her index finger. “It’s one of those Top Ten Lines You Want to Say moments, right?”
“Top Ten? I’m not sure it even makes the list.”
“Wait, so the emperor-tier magic is stronger than the strongest magic? I get what you’re saying, but… Maybe with this magic, I could even take down a tank with [Shadow Arrow].”