Chapter 36: Dopamine Addiction

“Huh……”

The revolutionary of the era, Mr. G.D. Ragon, left behind the famous saying, “Nothing lasts forever.”

Perhaps it was because I indulged too much in the sweetness at the beginning of the 12th floor.

Three days later.

Until I broke through the 10th section of the 13th floor, the Young Dungeon felt bland.

The waves of monsters that used to swarm out in droves now came out weakly, barely making a dent, and most disappointingly…

“The treasure chest… it’s not here again…?”

“Bruise……”

It’s not like they gave it and then took it away.

The rewards are just not satisfying!

At this point, I wonder if it’s even worth clearing it a second time. 

It’s just one miss after another!

……Well, it’s not that bad. 

There are hidden quests here and there, and occasionally a treasure chest does appear.

But there’s a threshold for satisfaction.

My brain is already too damaged to be satisfied with minor rewards……………!

To soothe this unfillable void, even just a little.

“Let’s go to the arena.”

Today, I will go again to indulge in some teabagging.

***

The revelator, ‘Doto is Doto Cute,’ spent another peaceful day today.

Waking up early, chatting briefly with the heroes.

Taking a stroll around the city, people-watching.

Following the whispers of the angel around noon, calmly tackling the tower with the heroes.

On days when the angel doesn’t give any revelations, I decide on my own to revisit previously cleared floors.

In my spare time, I practice swordsmanship with Ceres, a hero I’ve recently grown close to.

Or I enjoy my new hobby, woodworking.

If all that gets too boring,

I communicate with other revelators through the ‘Revelator Community’ on the Revelator’s Stone, also known as the Purification Stone or by various other names.

Talking to revelators from other dimensions is a fresh and novel experience.

[Bbibbikkieumbeolgi/ Today, Tina was cute again, hehe (7)]

Listening to stories from revelators who haven’t yet contracted heroes in their own dimensions.

[Myeong is watching you/ Our angel bought another package (6)]

The angels’ personalities vary greatly.

Feeling envious while reading about someone who received a ‘package,’ a treasure chest filled with vast riches.

[Whale and Nandayo/ Tower floor 32 is really tough (17)]

Marveling at the vivid experiences of the so-called ‘vanguard’ revelators who are climbing the higher floors.

It’s also fun to see the various names the angels have given.

My own name, ‘Doto is Doto Cute,’ was given to me by the angel when I first opened my eyes as a revelator.

And it’s a common opinion among revelators that our personalities gradually resemble our angels.

Revelators of all kinds are freely expressing their unique colors.

Of course, there are some who are a bit twisted.

[1Q2W3E4R/ Why can’t I clear floor 29? It’s so frustrating (13)]

There are bad people who blame their incompetence as revelators on the angel or the heroes they work with.

[Author: PDOUT]

[Title: Is there no way to cross dimensions?

[In the Dimensional Arena, this jerk ‘aaa’ keeps taunting me.

I’d let it slide, but can’t he stop dancing like an idiot???

I really want to quit being a revelator and just beat the crap out of him.]

-Hmm… Is it that bad?

-I met him once too, their movements are different.

-Ngggg

There are revelators who vent their negative emotions from the Dimensional Arena or Dimensional Brawl.

“Haha……”

Whenever that happens, ‘Doto is Doto Cute’ forces a bitter smile.

Winning and losing are part of the game.

If you lack strength, train harder.

Maybe it’s thanks to the angel.

But ‘Doto is Doto Cute,’ who is naturally calm and mild-mannered.

Why get so angry?

Is that what other revelators jokingly call ‘revelator Average Personality’?

I used to think that.

[WARNING: An attack has been detected in the Dimensional Arena.]

[Prepare for defense.]

“….”

Before meeting ‘aaa,’ I definitely thought that.

Even though there’s nothing a revelator can do in the Dimensional Arena.

Whether to call that dancing or some meaningful gesture.

Jumping around.

Clapping in admiration.

Raising a fist to the sky.

Shaking their hips in excitement.

Anyway, yeah.

The word ‘disgraceful’ fits perfectly.

But I could tolerate that.

However.

When I finally tore my eyes away from the opposing revelator’s antics and looked at the battlefield where the heroes were fighting.

“What’s going on…………?”

We were losing a fight we shouldn’t have lost.

Something beyond common sense was happening.

The basic rule in the Dimensional Arena is to prioritize the enemy in front of you.

But ignoring that rule, the enemy’s damage dealers, Tina and Ari, were targeting my heroes in the backline.

And so, Johanna fell.

Serbian fell.

Even Shanpei fell.

Meanwhile, the enemy’s tank hero, Saha in a swimsuit, held her ground firmly.

In the end, my defeat was certain,

and our ranks swapped.

……………Winning and losing are part of the game.

If you lack strength, train harder.

Trying to maintain a positive mindset as I was about to leave the Dimensional Arena.

“Pretty easy, right?”

Crack!

With that final remark.

‘I just want to hit them once…………’

‘Doto is Doto Cute’ couldn’t help but think negatively.

***

“Ugh, I can’t even do this right.”

It’s tough to burn through the daily attack limit of 5 in the Dimensional Arena.

Because I had climbed to a rank higher than my specs warranted.

If I went to sleep and woke up, my rank would have dropped significantly.

…………If I saw myself on the list, I’d probably attack myself first.

I was climbing with a level 40 party in a bracket where the average level was 50~60.

Even though I couldn’t control the defense environment,

I had definitely established a solid foundation for the attack environment.

While discussing Johanna and Dimensional Arena earlier.

‘Did they see me……?’

I felt dizzy realizing I had been actively creating my own dark history.

But a change in perspective.

If my voice doesn’t reach them, but my appearance does?

Then maybe I can communicate through body language?

So I tested that hypothesis.

And it was a complete success.

Raise my left hand? 

Target the damage dealer first.

Raise my right hand? 

Target the healer first.

Clap my hands? 

Save the ultimate for something big.

Shake my hips?

That’s just a bluff to not make the signals too obvious, and also for some teabagging.

……It’s fun.

Sometimes, as a result.

[Revelator ‘SeonPDOUT (UID 93483)’ has sent a friend request.]

I even received handshake requests filled with praise.

Accepting a friend request after teabagging?

Only a true villain could do that.

I’m not a villain.

So I coolly declined.

***

Another peaceful day.

Even though there were no special gains in the tower.

I relieved some stress in the Dimensional Arena, started farming growth potions in the daily dungeon again.

“Ugh….”

And my ambitious new product, the EXP Double Peace Cocktail, absolutely raked in gold from non-contracted heroes!

Even the customers who had been complaining about the diminishing effects of the existing cocktail all gave it 5 stars.

……I started to wonder if I was selling alcohol or drugs.

But there are no side effects, and the addictiveness is due to the alcohol, so it can’t be helped.

Thanks to that, the firepower of my Lyrical Magical-Revolver is increasing day by day.

If this keeps up, I might soon have the self-defense capability to take down a spider on my own.

After gazing at my lovely pile of gold and giving Tina a pat on the head.

“Last order is done!”

I announced the kitchen’s closing to the customers.

Then, I headed to the 2nd floor, the secret workshop.

“Hehehe…….”

Finally, time to fill the dopamine I’ve been lacking since yesterday.

I’ve saved up 10,000 points to unlock the ‘Special Gacha Machine’!

The name alone makes it sound extraordinary.

A special gacha!

Although there’s the risk of no tooltips, just like the 3D printer proved its worth, the Special Gacha Machine won’t betray my expectations.

[Y■/N⬀]

With a hand filled with dopamine and adrenaline, I boldly invested 10,000 points.

Boing boing!

“Wow.”

Something I saw as a child in front of stationery stores, and during a trip to Japan.

A gacha machine where you insert a coin, turn the crank, and a capsule pops out.

And next to it, a familiar machine labeled ‘Currency Exchanger.’

“Intuitive.”

You exchange currency at the exchanger, get a special coin, and use it to turn the gacha machine.

Let’s see.

The exchange rate…?

[100 Divine Stones = 1,000 Shop Points = 10,000 Gold = 1 Coin]

“Are you insane?”

Have you lost your mind?

For just one crank, you’re asking for 5 pulls’ worth of Divine Stones?

What’s with this ruinous exchange rate?

What kind of amazing rewards are you giving?

I just spent all my points.

Divine Stones… I have some to spare.

But still, it feels a bit wasteful.

So the only option left is gold.

“Tsk.”

I absentmindedly fiddled with my Capitalism Revolver, suppressing my appetite.

I’ve just started to soar as a national-level top damage dealer.

………… But sometimes, for the greater good, you have to give up the small things.

My total assets are around 60,000 gold.

So, neatly half.

Let’s just roll it three times.

***

“Kyauun……”

Tina stretched her stiff shoulders with a long stretch.

Although blessed with a demon’s body that doesn’t need sleep, the fatigue that gradually builds up is unavoidable.

Stretch, stretch.

While briefly practicing the ‘stretching exercises for bigger chest and height’ that Alice told her about.

“Kheehek…… Hehek……”

Perk.

A strange sound came from the 2nd floor.

“Master?”

A suspicious feeling!

Something, something feels suspicious!

Tina glanced at the other heroes busily cleaning up.

Just in case the master was doing the ‘rub rub swipe,’ she tiptoed up the stairs without making a sound.

“It’s you……!It’s you……!”

From the ‘secret room’ where the master had gone.

The suspicious sound became clearer.

Tina puffed up her cheeks.

Peeking through the crack of the ‘secret room.’

“……?”

There.

With a mesmerized expression.

Eyes slightly bloodshot.

The master was holding onto a strange machine I’d never seen before, praying.

“Last one, last one………… I can do it…………… I’m a genius……….”

Beside the master, there were one, two, three…… eight large, round capsules rolling around.

“Hic.”

A feeling that I shouldn’t disturb this.

And a feeling that I shouldn’t leave it like this.

Suppressing a hiccup, Tina tiptoed.

Very carefully, without making a sound.

She went down to the 1st floor to call Rumi.

Behind Tina’s back.

“Ugh…………! It’s you…………!”

The master’s strange voice echoed softly again.