NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5 - Amid the Chaos
By evening, the members of the royal capital group had returned to Yamato-ya. The four men decided to stay in the vacant rooms on the third floor until the day of departure. Anessa, the sole woman in the group, planned to stay at Lin’s house next door.
For the remaining nine days, we decided to start each morning with a shopping spree at B2, followed by time spent enjoying the dungeon.
Returning to Earth wouldn’t bring peace; it would mean living as ordinary humans without stats or abilities. The chance to experience this game-like world would only last a few more days.
It was Anessa who suggested that we fully enjoy this fantastical world while we still could, and Mireille, Yugo, Tau-san, and Kanta all agreed.
From Yamato-ya, Para-san, Lin-san, and I decided to join. Lemon declined, saying:
“I don’t want to hold anyone back. Go as the original crew.”
I considered arguing that I’d be the one holding them back, but realizing it was her way of being considerate, I gratefully accepted. After all, the party limit was eight people.
The lineup was: Tauro, Kanta, Mireille, Yugo, Anessa, Parallrenda, Linda, and me, Kaoru.
Riddle-kun and Acchan stayed behind to manage things. Those staying in this world could visit the dungeon anytime, after all.
At Yamato-ya, the children were assigned their usual tasks, while Yama-san, Acchan, Riddle-kun, Yui-chan, Kick, and Lemon focused on preparing bentos. They planned to send Tau-san and the others off with as many as possible.
Even though there was a chance that both the item boxes and the bentos might disappear upon their return to Earth, everyone wanted to give them as much as they could.
It was heartwarming. I couldn’t help but feel touched by everyone’s efforts.
The next morning, we teleported to B2. First thing: a full-scale adult shopping spree at Mats, Starga, Sebon, and Matschi. The stay-behind group, including me, joined in.
Then it was dungeon time.
Dungeon Adventures
The surface dungeon’s 23rd to 40th floors were mere child’s play for our high-level group.
The two knights, Anessa and Para-san, made quick work of enemies with their swords.
Yugo and Mireille, both Dark Elves, excelled at close combat with their dual-wielding short swords, moving so quickly their enemies couldn’t keep up.
Tau-san and Kanta, as Sword Elves, used thin blades and combined their attacks with elemental spirit magic to enchant themselves and their weapons.
Lin-san, also an Elf, focused on water and healing magic as a Bow Elf. She stayed by my side in the rear, ensuring I was protected.
“Soul Barrier!”
A glowing magical circle spread beneath our feet.
“Kaoru, stand here. It’ll speed up your MP recovery,” Lin-san explained.
Grateful, I stepped into the circle. My MP bar rapidly filled, allowing me to cast buffs freely. This spell didn’t exist when I played the game, so it was fascinating.
“A new Elf spirit spell?” I asked.
“I got it from the level 85 Water Elf quest,” Lin replied with a smile.
Eighty-five! Reaching level 85 as a Bow Elf must have been tough. My Wind Elf had capped at around 52 or 53 before I quit, back when 60 was considered the peak.
While I mused, the group returned, having found the surface dungeon too easy. We descended to the underground floors, where enemies were stronger, and respawns were faster.
Still, even the underground enemies didn’t last long against our party of eight.
“Kaoru, go pull some more enemies for us,” someone suggested with a laugh.
Pulling enemies? That’s not exactly a skill, but I had gotten good at it in both the game and this world.
“Got it. Be right back.”
Shapeshifting into a Lycanthrope, I dashed through the dungeon, gathering monsters along the way. As I turned corners and avoided dead ends, I picked up more creatures, making sure none were left behind.
Eventually, my route grew too chaotic.
“Uh, guys? I overdid it. Can’t get back—too many!” I sent a frantic telepathic message.
“Got it. Just keep running at a steady pace,” came Tau-san’s calm reply.
“Easier said than done!”
Behind me, I heard Tau-san casting fire spells, while Kanta’s earth magic erupted ahead.
“Kaoru, keep going! I’ll stop them here,” Kanta shouted as he created a wall of sand. I finally slowed down after passing him, catching my breath.
We spent the day taking full advantage of the dungeon’s challenges, savoring every moment.
Afterward, we returned to Yamato-ya for a celebratory dinner. The evening was filled with stories of the past decade.
The stay-behind group—Para-san, Lin-san, and I—mostly listened as Tau-san and the others recounted their journeys across towns and countries in search of family. It struck me how little we had discussed their struggles before.
Perhaps it was too painful to talk about when the outcome was uncertain. But now, with the prospect of reuniting with their loved ones, they could finally share their experiences.
As the conversation flowed, I caught snippets of my name being mentioned from the “gourmet” group.
What were they planning for me now?
As the days passed, everyone seemed to find joy in their preparations. But by the fourth day before the departure, something shifted.
Acchan’s Perspective
“Hey, Yama-san, don’t you think Kaoru’s acting a little off?”
“Yes, I’ve noticed. He seems to be forcing himself to act cheerful, but when he lets his guard down, his face goes completely blank.”
“Yesterday morning, I saw him in the back washing laundry. Normally, he’d be humming off-key, but this time he was completely silent. Do you think he’s sad about his friends leaving?”
“That’s possible. Saying goodbye to close companions is never easy.”
“Still, it’s not like him. Kaoru usually bounces back quickly, but this time it feels different.”
Yama-san nodded thoughtfully.
“Do you think… he wants to go back to Earth?” Lemon asked, stepping into the conversation.
Yama-san and I turned to her in surprise.
Lemon’s quiet suggestion opened a flood of thoughts. Could it be true? Kaoru rarely spoke about his life on Earth, but could there be something—or someone—pulling him back?
“Kaoru… wants to go back? To Earth?” I muttered in disbelief.
That evening, when Kaoru returned from the dungeon, I confronted him directly.
“Kaoru, are you okay? You’re not thinking about returning to Earth, are you? Do you have something—or someone—you want to go back to?”
To my shock, Kaoru froze, unable to answer.
“…Am I… do I want to go back?” he murmured, more to himself than to me.
Everyone around us fell silent.