Chapter 26: That’s The Way The World Works

When I came to my senses, I was staring at a familiar ceiling.

“Ugh……”

How long was I out?

Just my luck, really.

Of all things, a fragment had to fly and embed itself in my head…………….

As I lightly touched my head, I felt an unfamiliar texture instead of hair.

Unwrapping it, I saw a familiar piece of cloth soaked with what seemed to be blood from my head.

“This is…….”

It was unmistakable.

The hem of a virgin ghost’s dress.

…..

A quite valuable material item………….

I got up and looked towards the warehouse, which was in complete disarray.

I could roughly guess what had happened.

As soon as I fell, bleeding from my head, Tina must have frantically searched for something to stop the bleeding and tightly wrapped it around my head….

“Hmm.”

I feel a bit sorry for startling her.

……..I wonder where Tina herself went.

But first.

There’s something more important.

It’s here!

The ornament imbued with the soul of a phoenix!

I peered into the alchemy cauldron, from which black smoke was rising.

There, I saw.

[Failed Alchemy Byproduct LM-087]

[A tragic piece of trash that almost became a masterpiece in the hands of someone with a low alchemy skill level. Recycling is impossible, so just sell it nicely at the shop. There are rumors of people with peculiar tastes collecting them based on their appearance, but the truth remains unverified.]

“No one’s buying this crap!”

What do you mean, a tragic piece of trash that almost became a masterpiece…………!

The materials were perfect! 

What’s this about alchemy skill level!

And why does it look like a lumpy mushroom!

Pshhh…………

My blood pressure must have spiked, as the wound on my forehead, which had temporarily stopped bleeding, started gushing again.

“Ugh……”

Once a day…………

I feel like I’m being scammed………………

As I sat there, dazed.

In my gradually fading consciousness.

Clatter, clatter.

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs from the first floor.

This time, what, am I getting another ticket for unauthorized illegal alchemy……?

And then.

“Heal!”

With Johanna’s slightly trembling voice.

“Oh.”

I felt my mind clear.

The stinging, gushing wound quickly began to heal.

The healing effect is good.

“Thank you….”

I turned my head to look towards the stairs.

I saw Tina, with tears and snot running down her face.

And the expressions of Ari and Johanna, mixed with surprise, confusion, and a hint of relief.

“I do. mmm, well. There was a minor accident.”

Uh, I’m not sure what expression I should make in this situation.

For now.

I just smiled.

***

Late at night.

The hero party held an emergency meeting.

“Today’s agenda is, is Ark okay like this? That’s it!”

As Ari said.

Even if the heroes were hit by attacks strong enough to kill ordinary people, they would only get a scratch.

But Ark, he was different.

“He’s fragile…….”

“Jooin, he’s weak, woof!”

“……A weakling, a chick itself.”

“Humans are such fragile beings…………. Tina, I was really shocked…….”

Each added their own comment to Ari’s topic.

According to Tina, who had finally calmed down,

A tiny fragment flew very slowly, and even that he couldn’t dodge, resulting in a large wound on his forehead.

Fortunately, thanks to Tina’s quick and smart first aid, the bleeding was stopped, but the foolish Ark didn’t appreciate her effort and removed the bandage, causing him to bleed again.

And thanks to Johanna’s timely healing, he narrowly escaped death.

If Ark, who was tied up with ropes and confined in the next room, had heard this,

He would have been furious, saying it was slander and fabrication.

Why are they treating him like a hamster?

But to the heroes (including demons),

He was perceived as even more fragile than a hamster.

Operation Name.

Protect Ark.

Under General Ari’s leadership, the plan was carefully formulated and detailed.

***

Something felt off today.

“Huff, huff, huff…….”

“Jooin! Run faster, woof!”

Rumi, who usually snores and grumbles during morning exercises,

Today, she insisted on joining the morning walk, panting and whining.

……She even said it was okay to put on a leash, which took a lot of convincing to decline.

But,

“Huff, huff, huff……. Just a bit slower…..”

For a pacemaker, she was way too fast…………!

Rumi, her stamina is insane!

Moreover.

Whenever I tried to take off my hood because it was getting hot.

“Krrr…!”

“Ugh.”

Rumi gave me a look, and sweat piled up on my neck.

After finishing what felt like a forced hard run rather than a morning walk.

“Jooin! Should Rumi wash you, woof?”

“…?”

Uh, usually, people wash their dogs.

Hmm, hmm.

If she really washed me, I’d be like, hehehe……………..!

“Thanks for the thought, but…… that’s a bit…….”

I endured it with superhuman patience.

Absolutely not because Saha was glaring at me with intense killing intent.

I’m a gentleman….

……..If I don’t watch my behavior,

I have a bad feeling I’ll be torn into star shapes and displayed neatly.

After that.

A peaceful morning.

Normally, I’d be at the square by now, playing with the early bird kids and dreaming of becoming the city mascot.

But Rumi stuck to me like glue and wouldn’t leave.

“Rumi? What’s wrong today?” 

“Woof! Rumi’s on duty today, woof!” 

“……On duty?”

I held Rumi and tried to piece together the truth from her barks.

“Ah, no, what about my privacy?”

“Privacy isn’t more important than life, woof!”

No way.

24-hour close surveillance in shifts……?

“No, but, even when I’m sleeping…..”

“We’re fine without sleep for a day, woof!”

“No, I’m not a kid…………!”

“Ark, weak, woof! Need protection, woof!”

No!

My happy time…………!

I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud.

I just cried tears of blood inside.

Like when they tied me up and left me for an hour yesterday.

……Hero party, is this really okay?

***

In the original, blacksmithing, alchemy workshops, or even cooking at the guild house were done through ‘hero dispatch.’

The system was unlocked for me right after clearing the first floor, but it kept throwing error messages, so I couldn’t use it.

So I cooked myself, seduced Harong……….. and went through all these hardships.

Then my forehead got torn.

……………And thanks to that, I got stalked by a beautiful girl.

Positive thinking, positive thinking.

Anyway.

To analyze the cause of yesterday’s alchemy failure, I ignored Rumi’s whining and checked my smartphone.

Turns out.

What I couldn’t see in the ‘Last Felix (DEBUG)’ app,

I could see in the ‘LF – Shop Owner Add-on.’

It was the ‘special skills.’

What was only rumored in galleries and channels as ‘feels good,’ ‘effect is good,’

Actually existed!

The developers must have been inspired by X-World but hid it to avoid plagiarism accusations.

“Meow~ Meow~”

“Giggle giggle!”

For example.

Rumi, who finally started opening up to Tina after yesterday’s incident, had a whopping Social skill of level 3.

Thanks to that.

Or maybe it’s just her peculiar taste.

There’s even a suspiciously wealthy Rumi fan club that’s passionate about touching her ears or tail.

Well, Johanna and Ari also had Social skills around level 2.

And Harong, being a full-time blacksmith, had Forging at level 2.

……Tina had no aptitudes,

And I had

Cooking at level 4.

……

Well, that’s not important.

Alchemy was also a separate special skill.

And no one in our party had it.

So.

It’s time to find a new friend.

Wait, I’m sure I pulled a 4-star alchemy agent last time.

***

“……You went home?”

“Yes. He said he’ll be back in two weeks…………….”

The highly praised professional alchemy agent from the community.

The first 4-star I pulled after possessing this body.

When I went to the mage guild to find Setis, I was hit with shocking news.

Why!

There’s a contract!

Why can’t I enforce it…………! 

Damn it!

“……Thank you for letting me know………….”

“Ark, crying, woof?” Woof?

When you think it’s too late, it’s already too late.

Looking through the list of other 4-star rejects I’ve pulled, most are close-range dealers or tanks.

In other words, physical types.

Physical types aren’t good at alchemy, right?

My future honey pot.

Dark clouds began to gather over the alchemy workshop.

So.

There’s only one thing to do.

‘Roll’ for it, right?

By the way, if I push through to the 10th floor, 9th area today, I’ll have enough divine stones to hit the ceiling.

The pickup character, Erte, is a magic damage-based dealer, so she should be able to do alchemy, right?

Honestly, not getting a single 5-star in 100 pulls last time. 

Total scam.

Did I get scammed that badly?

This time, it’s my turn to scam.

That’s how the world works.

***

“Ugh!”

I must be………….

The most unlucky Earthling……………

If I had a card, an adult’s card,

I’d pour all my assets into it right now, I’m so frustrated and my hands are shaking.

90 draws.

No rainbow.

I don’t deserve it oh I don’t deserve it…….!

And.

It was ‘perfect’ till the end.

“Woof! It’s Rumi, woof!”

……

Pity break.

And a duplicate.

The contract paper in my hand shone brightly.

“Hieeeek…………! Rumi turned into a stone, aaaaaah……………!”

Thud.

[5-star Hero Soulstone x1]

[Rumi’s Unique Soulstone x1]

Literally turned into two stones.

What the hell! 

My comrade!