Chapter 198:

Chapter 198:

Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Departure

When I woke up, I was on top of the gymnasium, and the scenery was dyed gray with rain.

"Egetsu-san... Are you awake?"

"Oh, I'm feeling great after the morning shower."

My face was soaked from the rain.

But I smiled at Serai-san, saying, "It's nothing to get wet in the rain." It seemed to reassure her, as she hurriedly returned to the slime tent, avoiding getting wet.

"Did you all sleep well?"

"Mmm, yeah! I slept like a log!"

"Yes. I thought I just fell asleep, and it was already morning."

While Nina-san responded while stretching inside the tent, Ruu seemed refreshed. Yesterday was a tough day, and they witnessed some horrifying deaths. So, I was worried they might have nightmares, but it seemed like all three of them slept soundly.

"But it's raining..."

"Yeah, this complicates things..."

Agreeing with Serai-san as she looked up at the dark sky. Yeah... rain. This is troublesome.

Rain drastically narrows down our detection range. Visibility worsens, and it's hard to hear surrounding sounds over the rain. While I could compensate for it with Aura Sight, constantly doing so would drain my mental strength.

Furthermore, my skill set is very vulnerable to rain.

The power of Acid diminishes in the rain, and slimy goo doesn't work well either. Salt is still usable, but techniques like Salt Blast would significantly lose their effectiveness in the rain.

"...Ugh."

But seeing Ruu looking worried about her parents, it hurts...

‘I calculated that we would at least reach this school even in the worst-case scenario,' but according to the plan, we were supposed to reach Ruka's father's workplace by yesterday.

"Let's discuss our future while having breakfast for now."

.....

So it was 9 a.m.

After the discussion, despite the rain, we decided to move out. Both Ina-san and Sekai-san agreed to the movement, considering Ruka's severe worry about her parents. Despite both having families far away, their strength in not showing it was admirable. So, I must protect them with all I have.

And, before departure, we exchanged greetings with the heavy machine fighters.

"Alright, Heavy Machine Leader, we're counting on you with the school."

"Yeah, you guys from the Goldbugs, take care too."

The heavy machine fighters and I were friendly enough to call each other by nicknames. And from our conversation last night, I gathered that ‘as parents themselves, they weren't the kind to engage in unsavory activities at school', so I trusted them to handle things.

Anyway, as we headed towards the back gate, the only entrance and exit currently, about twenty girls in tracksuits were waiting for me for some reason.

"""Please take us to the dungeon too!"""

(What!?)

I looked at Serai-san and the others who were waiting there, not understanding the situation. They sighed and shrugged. But when Shark stepped forward and started explaining, the situation became clear.

"If we're going to the dungeon, then take these girls with us. They're all in sports clubs, so they can move pretty well."

"What? So you're planning to create a squad of dungeon adventurers with these girls!?"

"That's!? It's dangerous! You can't do that!"

When I confirmed this, Manane-sensei stepped forward in protest.

"But, Sensei! In reality, we're short on manpower. Even though the teachers are going to the dungeon too, it's still not enough!"

Manane-sensei desperately tried to stop the students. But what Shark said made sense.

There are many monsters, and they're aggressive. So, it's understandable that Shark wants to expand our fighting force a bit.

"But even so...!"

"Well, well, Manane-sensei. What Shark... no, Ruri-kun says makes sense. And even if we don't fight, it's not a bad idea to acquire stats, don't you think?"

She must have been burdened with these thoughts for a while.

Seeing Manane-sensei on the verge of tears as she talked to Shark, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. So, I placed my hand on her shoulder and infused her with some soothing Aura Power to calm her down.

Then, the girls who had gathered there started cheering, and the eyes of male teachers A and B sharpened instantly. Huh? Could these two also...?

(Oh, I see... Well then, let's have a little fun.)

Let me explain! I never forget even the slightest grudge. I still remember being completely ignored yesterday. So, here I go.

"In times like these, Manane-sensei, we should all join hands as humans, not as students or teachers, and face difficulties together, shouldn't we?"

With a firm expression, I spoke idealistically, showing off as I shook Manane-sensei's hand.

Then the girls started squealing even louder, and the eyes of male teachers A and B became even sharper. Hehehe, what's wrong with you guys? Seems like steam's about to burst out of your heads.

"Uh, um...!? Y-yes, you're right. And... for some reason, when I'm next to you, my anxiety seems to melt away, and my heart feels lighter... Oh, no! I mean, this is just...!"

She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly blushed and hastily pulled her hand away, embarrassed...

Seeing that reaction, Serai-san, who keenly sensed my intention, grinned mischievously. And Nina-san, who was good at psychological warfare, had a veteran judge-like expression, saying, ‘Well, I guess that's passable.' Amidst all this, Ruu, who couldn't understand my intentions at all, suddenly covered her mouth in surprise and looked flustered. And when Shark was pestered right in front of her eyes, she was staring at her dumbfoundedly, her mouth wide open like an idiot.

"""Well then, let's all head to the dungeon together!"""

Hehehe, how about that?

I've also become quite adept at dealing with beautiful college girls. I'm not the same as before, getting nervous just receiving a change from a female cashier!