While dinner was being prepared, the evaluation meetings were held separately among the members of the two teams, and afterwards, everyone ate at the table together. The topic of conversation at this time was all about the Winter General, which the members of Team 2 listened to quite attentively.
“Don’t worry about it too much, Korinny — Tsutomu’s too weird to copy!”
“Like you’re one to talk, Amy… You managed to steal those swords on the first try.”
“…What, so you didn’t expect me to succeed or something~~? Meh, I guess that’s fair…”
“Look, I’m sorry, all right?”
With a stern, admonishing gaze, Amy made Tsutomu scratch his cheek awkwardly. He had previously apologized to Xeno and Amy during the evaluation meeting for underestimating them, a fact she was well aware of.
However, it seemed that Amy had already noticed Tsutomu’s assessment of her skills to some extent, as she only responded by tugging at both of his cheeks while wearing a somewhat intimidating smile.
“You know I’m not just an idol, right? I’m a FIGHTING idol! You mustn’t make that mistake!”
“I already got an earful about that earlier, so I’m good now…”
Indeed, he had heard quite enough about idols during the earlier discussion — so much so that if it was food, he would be fully satiated for days. Amy still seemed eager to talk, though, as she continued to lecture him, prompting Xeno to laugh heartily and stand up.
“Hahaha! Amy is stronger than me, so it’s only natural that she is powerful, isn’t it? Besides, we WERE chosen as Tsutomu’s teammates — that alone makes it perfectly fine by me!”
“I can’t help but wonder, Xeno…” Diniel interjected, “How are you always so confident?”
“Hmm? Is it not obvious?” Xeno responded, confidently thumping his chest with his fist, “All my comrades are right HERE with me. Whenever I lose confidence, the voices from deep within me speak to me — telling me I will be fine.”
“Yeah, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Now, hold it right there, Diniel. Surely Amy’s voice resides deep within your heart as well! Whenever you are in a tight spot, she will definitely come to your aid. Like in the battle against the Winter General earlier, where I was also saved by you and everyone else.”
“That’s right, Dini! I’ve got your back!”
Watching Amy tapping her chest in unison with Xeno, Diniel closed her eyes.
“Sure, Amy, I’ll always think of you when you die.”
“Whoa, Dini! Don’t jinx it!”
“Well, I mean, you’ll live for another fifty years, probably. We’ll be together until then… right?”
Being an Elf, Diniel had a long lifespan, so she would likely outlive all of the Clan’s members. Perhaps that was what she was thinking, as Diniel grasped Amy’s hands to reassure herself of the latter’s presence.
Amy responded with a bright smile, gripping Daniel’s hands in return, and then, her cat ears twitched as if she had just sparked some idea in her head.
“Yeah! Oh, but I wanna live at least until I turn seventy… So that’s two more additional years than just fifty!”
“Mm-hm.”
“Oh, and when I turn twenty, I wanna get married! Maybe I’ll have two kids?”
While saying that, Amy shot some glances at Tsutomu, who stayed oblivious to the looks he was getting as he munched on some juicy cheese-stuffed sausages. The meat juices and cheese blended together quite well, making them the perfect snack to have with beer.
[Does it actually work that well, psychologically speaking?]
While he ate, Tsutomu found himself questioning Xeno’s words. Tsutomu had been a member of three different Clans in Live Dungeon, the collective experience from which he had honed into his current approach to combat tactics. Nevertheless, he found it challenging to fully believe what Xeno was saying.
Tsutomu’s experience with the efficiency-focused Clan, the second one he had ever joined, had taught him something valuable: the mood within a party directly influenced its efficiency. Consequently, he acknowledged the validity of Xeno’s words. He did not outright deny that a positive mood within a party could bring out the best in its members.
[I don’t think it’ll work out quite as well for me, though…]
But this was the reality. In the game, players could talk about good or bad moods all they wanted since they were not in any real danger, but if Tsutomu were ever in Xeno’s position, he was sure that he would prioritize saving himself — regardless of the mood. Tsutomu did not want to put himself through pain, even if he had allies to share it with.
Likely, if he were ever attacked by the Winter General even once, Tsutomu would be unable to stand again. Furthermore, Garm and Daryl were of a race different from him, making them technically distant entities — but Xeno was human just like Tsutomu. That was why Tsutomu genuinely thought Xeno was amazing, and believed that he could not achieve the level of perseverance the latter had.
Still, Tsutomu had taken some actions despite the risks they incurred, such as acting as an evasion-based Tank when he needed to, and casting <<Raise>> during the Mount Golem battle. This proved that Tsutomu could make the best decisions without prioritizing his own safety all the time, although it was often driven by his subconscious obsession with efficiency, not a careful consideration of risks and rewards.
At some point, Amy turned grumpy for some reason and poked his cheek with a fish bone, prompting him to yelp out in pain as Hannah and Korinna watched on with exasperation.
▽▽
Absolute Helix’s split into two teams and their training in preparation for the layer boss had been a hot topic of discussion among the Dungeon Maniacs and even the general audience.
“Which one’s Team 1?”
“Should be the one Tsutomu’s in, right?”
“Hmm, makes sense. I’ll bet on them.”
“The excitement is real! So what’re you betting on?”
“Him dying, I guess. I mean, their chances don’t seem particularly high either way…”
Among the spectators, the question of when Tsutomu, who had yet to be seen dying on screen once, would meet his end remained a popular betting topic. While there were regular bets on which Clan would win or lose against the layer bosses, the matter of Tsutomu’s life and death was particularly fervent.
“Oh, Xeno’s with him too. Damn, he’s moving up!”
“HIM in Team 1? Really?”
“I swear, he just ruins the mood whenever he’s shown on a Pedestal. Hah!”
Surprisingly, Xeno had a significant number of male fans, despite his fanbase being predominantly female. Most of them had originally joined the fanclub to mock Xeno’s newspaper articles, so they had the tendency to make fun of him in good fun.
“Amy my waifu! She’s here!”
“Whoa, Amy!? I’mma stay and watch!”
“Wow! It’s the cat lady!”
In contrast, Amy had a diverse fanbase, covering all age groups — particularly popular among housewives, which then caught on with the children and elderly of their families — making her the true idol of Dungeon City.
“Huh, Daryl’s in Team 2, and Xeno gets to be in Team 1? That’s unexpected.”
“Maybe they wanted some environmental effect protection? I had a Paladin cast <<Ember Aura>> on me the other day, and I didn’t feel the cold at all.”
“Is that really enough reason to put THE Xeno in the team, though? He’s pretty much the weakest of all of them!”
“You know, Team 2 actually has a more interesting lineup. There’s Hannah and Daryl, the Guild Master’s kid, that girl who transferred from Ealdred Crow, and that Channeler…”
“I mean, Tsutomu’s team’s still gotta be better, right? Conventionally good and all that.”
“I dunno…”
Among the Dungeon Maniacs, there was a stronger growth of interest in the second team rather than the first. Team 2 had more newcomers and was more intriguing for the Dungeon Maniacs, as it offered a fresh perspective.
After various training sessions following the formation of the Absolute Helix teams, they finally announced their plan to challenge the eightieth layer. By that time, Ealdred Crow had already scored a victory, but the Winter General was still considered to be exceptionally formidable compared to previous layer bosses.
After all, after the major Clans had a good time powering through the sixtieth and seventieth layers thanks to the momentum of the three-role composition’s introduction, said momentum had been halted abruptly by the Winter General, hitting them like a splash of cold water.
The Winter General possessed a unique and refined set of combat skills, with a swiftness previously unseen by Explorers. It also had formidable anti-personnel combat abilities, and could even unleash long-ranged attacks with its right-handed swords. Making things even worse was its giant steed that would appear either as its health decreased or enough time had passed.
Initially, Silver Beast and Ealdred Crow had employed tactics to separate the Winter General from its horse. As it turned out, however, the horse’s strength on its own was not to be underestimated, and the resulting chaos in aggro management only added to the confusion of the battle.
Subsequently, Ealdred Crow changed tactics and focused on supporting a single tank, not separating the Winter General from its steed. Even when faced with unexpected challenges, such as the Winter General absorbing power from the horse when the latter died, Ealdred Crow persevered through their many attempts, and eventually, with an all-Attacker team composition, they managed to conquer the eightieth layer.
Despite their exceptional personnel — including a close friend of Garm’s like Bittman and a Healer student of Tsutomu’s like Stephanie — Ealdred Crow had struggled quite a lot to score one win. Many Dungeon Maniacs had anticipated that Absolute Helix, under Tsutomu’s leadership, would not easily make it through this time around.
“Now then, let’s see what happens!”
“It’s gonna depend on how long Garm can hold the line, right?”
“Whoa, the two teams are on the Pedestals at the same time! Which one should I watch?”
“C’mon, Tsutomu, you gotta die! I wanna see you die, man!”
Amid an atmosphere akin to anticipating a demonstration of power, Absolute Helix’s battles against the Winter Generals began. The audience appeared relaxed during the early stages of Team 1’s battle. By the mid-game, however, some were puzzled, and by the final stages, they were left speechless.
And then, to everyone’s surprise, Absolute Helix Team 1 managed to defeat the Winter General without a single casualty. Those who had placed bets on them losing were left dumbfounded, and even the few who had won the gamble found themselves at a loss for words. Dungeon Maniacs and Explorers alike fell silent.
“What the hell…” the audience murmured to themselves, in contrast to Team 1 celebrating their victory of layer eighty.
And as the team returned to the Guild and the footage on the Monitor switched to show another team, the murmurs in the crowd gradually grew louder.
“That was unbelievable! Absolute Helix’s the best!”
“You guys were awesome!”
“Wait, what!? Xeno was strong as hell! Is he really human!?”
As the general audience recovered from the shock of Absolute Helix scoring yet another first-try victory against a layer boss, Dungeon Maniacs and seasoned Explorers wore expressions as if they had encountered some mythical monsters.
“Whoa, really? First try? How!?”
“I dunno…”
“I mean… that was awesome, right?”
“Aren’t you the one who’s supposed to explain that?”
“…I dunno. Amy stealing the swords is a big factor, that’s for sure, but it can’t be just that one thing…”
“Well then, might you be interested in hearing my explanation?”
“…What? If you can make sense of that, then sure, let’s hear it, little miss…”
The disgruntled Dungeon Maniac turned towards the soft voice that came from behind him, and his eyes widened in surprise. Standing before him was none other than the renowned Healer in a black dress.
“S-Stephanie!?”
“Oh, you know who I am?”
“I mean, yeah, I remember pretty much everyone I’ve seen on the Pedestals!”
“Oh, my. I very much appreciate that. As thanks, let me explain…”
With an excited sway of her pink vertical curls, Stephanie began to explain while skillfully manipulating multiple wisps of support and healing skills.
“First of all, Mister Tsutomu is the center of the party, not the cat burglar. Please do keep that in mind.”
“O-okay? Amy did steal the swords, but calling her that is kinda too blunt, don’t you think?”
“Let us start with the fundamentals of aggro management…”
[And she’s just ignoring me…] the Dungeon Maniac grumbled in his mind, but given the rare opportunity to converse with Stephanie, he took on the role of a good listener and began taking notes.
“It is no exaggeration to say that Mister Tsutomu’s aggro management has reached the level of a god. Please write that down — it is very important to know.”
“Uh-huh…”
“And you may not believe this, but he adjusts the amount of mental energy infused into his skills based on the enemies’ aggro levels! It certainly makes aggro management easier, but of course, doing so changes the duration of support skills and causes variations in the effectiveness of healing skills. Despite that, Mister Tsutomu never stops providing support, and the amount of healing he performs is just right — not too much, not too little!”
As Stephanie spoke as if she was talking about herself, the Dungeon Maniac nodded occasionally to show that he was paying attention and continued taking notes.
“Furthermore, Mister Tsutomu uses <<Air Blade>> to attack the enemies. With the three-role composition’s rise in popularity, a White Mage also attacking is quite unheard of. Well? Have you seen anyone else doing that?”
“…Well, I’ve only seen Silver Beast’s Lorena do it…”
“……”
“S-so what you’re saying is, Tsutomu is so good at managing aggro that he can help deal some damage as well, right?”
“Exactly! To add to that, he also attacks in a way that hinders the monsters’ actions! Speaking as a fellow Healer, Mister Tsutomu’s greatness is clear as day!””
As Stephanie’s tone changed when Lorena had been mentioned, the Dungeon Maniac responded to her more anxiously. In response, she suddenly brightened up and started talking even more,
“And of course, aggro management is not everything! There are also the little nuances of instructing one’s teammates, managing items and other resources, as well as…”
[She’s NOT done yet…?]
After a whole hour of being stuck in a lengthy discussion about Tsutomu, the Dungeon Maniac was left looking quite exhausted. Still, the articles he went on to write, backed up with information Stephanie so enthusiastically provided, received high praise from fellow Healers Explorers.
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