Chapter 241: Discussion

"Of course, there’s another way. If we can find the origin of the Anomaly itself, then the moment I see it, I won’t need any code at all. It would be like opening the console and selecting the target directly with a mouse. But right now, we still haven’t found the source."

Asagiri raised a finger and tapped his temple, his tone calm.

"So I still don’t have a concrete concept of what the source of the Cursed in this Hotel actually is. Naturally, that means I can’t use that ability to directly erase the concept of its existence. Understand?"

Yuuki Asuna nodded on reflex, then honestly shook her head.

"Actually... I didn’t understand."

Iwanaga Kotoko patted her shoulder and declared loudly,

"Oh, come on, it’s just an idealism based ability. You don’t get that? You’re way too dumb."

"I’m not dumb. The problem is that the way you two think is too weird."

Once the discussion came to an end, Asagiri made his decision.

"Since the dangerous period just ended, we’ll head to the lowest three floors first. Every Player who entered this Dungeon should have had the same idea. Let’s find out how many Players are here before deciding on the next step."

After saying that, he turned to Mr. Ichikawa, who was still standing at the entrance of Room 7011, and smiled.

"Mr. Ichikawa, you and your teammates don’t need to come with us. A tall tree catches the wind. Just act like you don’t know us. When we come back next time, we can exchange whatever information both sides have gathered."

"Okay, okay, no problem."

Mr. Ichikawa nodded again and again without hesitation.

As a corporate manager in his thirties, he understood better than most how to cling to a powerful ally without going overboard. If he shamelessly insisted on following them, he would only make himself unwelcome.

More importantly, he and his two teammates were honestly a little afraid of this black clothed Player and his group.

Once a person clearly understood that the other side could kill them with ease, fear was unavoidable unless there was absolute trust between them. That was simply instinct, the urge to avoid danger and survive.

...

As they moved down from the Seventh Floor through the fire escape, Asagiri and the others encountered five separate Player teams.

No one exchanged a word, but no conflict broke out either.

However, when they reached the stairwell entrance on the Third Floor, they found two male Players standing guard there.

The two men looked first at Asagiri, then at Yuuki Asuna and Iwanaga Kotoko behind him. One of them had a faint light flicker in his eyes. After a brief pause, his gaze shifted toward Kato Megumi at the very back, who was in the state of her exclusive talent. Only then did he look back at Asagiri and speak in a tone that was neither servile nor arrogant.

"Excuse me, are the four of you heading to the restaurant on the Third Floor?"

Asagiri gave a small nod.

"That’s right. Are you planning to stop us?"

"Of course not."

The two male Players immediately stepped aside from the stairwell door and gestured for them to enter.

"Please."

When Asagiri and the others entered the Third Floor buffet restaurant, they found that more than a dozen Player teams were already gathered inside.

The moment the four of them stepped in, every gaze in the room snapped toward them.

And after taking in their appearance, many of those Players could not help revealing a trace of wariness.

Yuuki Asuna wore white armor and a dark red cloak. Iwanaga Kotoko wore a Western style long dress formed from the Garment of Phantom, leaned on her staff, and hid the upper half of her face behind a masquerade mask. Asagiri wore a black long coat and a dark gray mask.

Just like the male Player guarding the staircase, some among the gathered teams also noticed Kato Megumi, who was in the state of her exclusive talent, with a pitch black longbow on her back and a dark purple dagger at her waist.

That alone was enough to prove either strong mental power or some kind of reconnaissance ability.

"Hello, everyone."

Faced with the watchful eyes of dozens of Players, Asagiri showed not the slightest trace of tension. He even greeted them with a smile.

Then he casually took a seat at a nearby table and gave a slight shake of his head, sounding genuinely regretful.

"What a pity. We can’t bring personal belongings into a Dungeon. Otherwise, I would absolutely have taken out my peerless musical instrument and demonstrated my specialty for all of you."

Yuuki Asuna sighed, a little helpless.

"If the system didn’t have that rule, I genuinely believe you’d hold a concert inside a haunted Dungeon. Don’t end up attracting the Anomalies."

"Heh. A shocking restriction on my true power."

Asagiri shook his head solemnly.

"The transcendent melody I play would absolutely enlighten even Cursed Spirits."

Yuuki Asuna rolled her eyes.

"And if it doesn’t?"

Without a moment’s hesitation, Asagiri answered with complete confidence.

"Then I’ll stuff a kazoo into its mouth and physically enlighten it."

Yuuki Asuna fell silent for a second.

"...As expected of you."

The Players from the dozen teams could not help feeling startled as they listened to the exchange between Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna.

How had the conversation gotten here?

Judging by their tone, it didn’t sound like they were in a terrifying Dungeon at all. It sounded more like they were on vacation.

Before their arrival, the dozen unfamiliar Player teams had been gathered here in mutual suspicion. The atmosphere had been tense to the point of suffocation. But from the moment Asagiri’s team entered the restaurant, the entire mood seemed to shift.

Were they only pretending to be relaxed?

No. It didn’t look forced at all.

Then was it ignorance, or the calm that came from overwhelming strength?

Just as the gathered Players were all thinking that, Asagiri suddenly lifted his head. His index finger tapped lightly against the dining table in a steady rhythm as his emotionless black eyes swept slowly over each face in the room.

The moment most Players met his gaze, they instinctively lowered their heads or looked away.

Only a few chose to meet his eyes head on.

Among them was a team of three male Players. One of them wore a white fitted suit and square framed glasses. Judging by his clothes and appearance, he gave off an elegant and refined impression. Yet when his gaze met Asagiri’s, there was no fear in his deep gray eyes, only assessment, as though he were measuring which of them was stronger.

"Interesting."

After meeting Asagiri’s gaze, the man in the white suit allowed the corners of his lips to curl upward slightly.

Then he stood up, revealing a gentle smile, clapped his hands once, and spoke.

"Alright. It seems no other Players will be arriving for the time being. In that case, shall we begin discussing the situation in this Dungeon?"

.....

[If you don’t want to wait for the next update, read 50 Chapters ahead on P@treon.]

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