Chapter 303, The Ninetieth Layer: Three Spectating Students

Translator: Barnnn

Editor: Silavin

 

The battle against the Corrupted Shell had come to an end. On Monitor #1 in the Guild, the image of Tsutomu, the undeniable MVP of Absolute Helix’s victory, was now displayed. He lay collapsed on the ground, his expression one of pure exhaustion. The viewing area, filled mostly with Explorers, erupted into cheers and applause no different than what might be heard on the streets outside.

 

“Damn, I’m actually tearing up a bit.”

“Tsutomu’s hands down the best Healer out there. What’s that about his students surpassing him?”

“He revived four people, held the party together, and didn’t die himself. He could probably take on anything at this point.”

“Daryl did an amazing job as Tank too, but let’s be honest — Tsutomu really stole the show.”

 

These Explorers, far more familiar with the finer details of Tank and Healer roles than the general public, had nothing but praise for Tsutomu. Behind the reception counter, Camille could not help but puff her chest with pride.

…But not everyone was in such high spirits.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!! How did he not die!?”

“No way… That’s impossible…”

“This shouldn’t count! It’s rigged! Void the bet!”

“Hey, shut up.”

“Keep that up, and you’re getting dragged out, you know.”

 

A good number of spectators had wagered on Tsutomu’s death and now threw their slips to the ground in fury, screaming at the world as though trying to escape reality itself. Fortunately, the Guild had anticipated this and called in members of the Security Team. With their silent presence looming nearby, the would-be rioters thought better of their tantrums and stormed out in frustration. Bruno and a few others followed to keep an eye on things outside, in case the losers decided to stir up trouble elsewhere.

Meanwhile, those who had bet on Tsutomu’s survival wore grins of pure satisfaction. The odds had been good. Even the orphans who had placed tiny wagers in his favor clenched hands and danced in giddy circles.

 

[Oh… oh… Wait, how much is this worth now…? Am I gonna get filthy rich?]

 

Lorena stared blankly at her betting slip, hands trembling. She had gone in on a whim, placing a hefty sum on Tsutomu living through the fight. And thanks to the favorable odds, she had come out of it with a small fortune. Her eyes were vacant with disbelief.

Misil, Rara, and Riri — who had all bet against Tsutomu — stood nearby, their expressions soured by more than just the loss. Their eyes glinted with something sharper now.

 

“<<Medic>>.”

 

A soothing green glow bloomed over Lorena’s face, snapping her back to reality. Blinking, she turned to find the source — just as a deep sigh floated to her ears. Lowering her gaze, she saw Eunice standing with arms crossed, her fluffy golden-furred tail swaying behind her.

 

“What kind of face is that? The Mobile Healer shouldn’t look so pitiful.”

“Ah, sorry… I didn’t mean to…”

 

It was Eunice — another one of Tsutomu’s students, made famous by her invention of the Dumpling-style <<Raise>>. Lorena, of course, knew who she was. Though they had not spoken much before, Lorena instinctively pressed a hand to her head in apology. Eunice gave a dignified cough, then turned sharply toward Monitor #1.

 

“Tsutomu didn’t use the Dumpling after all.”

“…Huh? Dumpling?”

“The Dumpling <<Raise>>, obviously!”

 

Lorena tilted one of her long white rabbit ears, confused by the sudden emphasis. Eunice’s tone grew sharp with indignation, and her narrow eyes glared up in frustration.

 

“You don’t seem bothered by it, Lorena. But I saw what he did — he copied your Mobile Healer moves. He was doing it all wrong… but still!”

“Uhh… thanks?”

“I wasn’t complimenting you!!”

“Huh…?”

 

Eunice’s unexpected hostility left Lorena scratching her head, trying to piece together what the other girl was actually upset about. After a few moments, the lightbulb flicked on.

 

“Ah — don’t worry! I’m sure you’ll get your chance next time, Eunice!”

 

Figuring that Eunice must be sulking because Tsutomu had not used her signature technique, Lorena offered a safe, generic encouragement and gave her a big thumbs-up. Eunice’s fox ears shot up, her hands balled into fists, and she pounced forward with a cry.

 

“That just makes me more annoyed! You’re the worst at cheering people up!”

“Ow — wait — stop! That hurts!”

 

Lorena tried to fend off the tearful flurry of fists pounding against her shoulders, treating Eunice like a bratty younger cousin. Then, from the side, a blur of black hair suddenly swooped in.

 

“My goodness… you are just the cutest little thing!”

“Gyaaah!! Stop it! Don’t touch me!!”

 

Alma — clearly unable to resist the sight of a pouting Eunice — swept her up in a fierce hug, rubbing her cheek against Eunice’s in utter bliss. Lorena could only watch with a strained smile as the Vulpeer girl flailed and wailed in protest.

 

[Huh, I didn’t know they were friends… But seriously, what was she trying to say?]

 

Watching the two, Lorena couldn’t shake her lingering confusion. Eunice had brought up Dumpling <<Raise>> and Mobile Healer, but what did she really want to talk about? She tilted her head slightly, puzzled, and let her gaze drift — just in time to spot someone approaching.

A woman in a flowing blue dress was weaving her way through the crowd with unsteady steps.

 

“……”

“……”

 

It was Stephanie — the lead Healer of Ealdred Crow’s main party. Her flushed face and vacant eyes made her look half-drunk, though she had not touched a drop of wine. Lorena straightened and raised her long ears in caution. But Stephanie passed by without incident, vanishing silently into the crowd like a ghost.

 

[…She was letting out strange screeches when she was watching the Pedestal… Honestly, I don’t know what’s gotten into her lately.]

 

Stephanie had also been at the Guild’s Monitor, watching the Corrupted Shell battle unfold. At one moment, she had let out a bizarre cry; the next, she was fidgeting uncontrollably, her behavior swinging wildly like a loose pendulum. Emotional instability did not begin to cover it.

 

True, Lorena herself had shouted during Tsutomu’s standout moments, but Stephanie had been making a scene all on her own — enough to be unsettling.

 

Still, when it came to her abilities as a Healer, Stephanie was the best. Her control of timing and aggro mirrored Tsutomu’s own methods, and her skillful command over Explorer skills spoke to her long years of experience. If someone were to call her Tsutomu’s top student, few would argue. In fact, more and more people had begun to claim she had even surpassed him.

 

Lorena was not thrilled by that assessment — but she had never voiced her disagreement aloud.

And after witnessing Tsutomu’s performance in the Corrupted Shell battle, she suspected no one would be making such claims anymore. He had revived four people, then stabilized the party’s formation. His aggro management was, to Lorena’s eyes, the textbook definition of perfection. What’s more, he had even mimicked one of her own positioning strategies. That alone had been enough to make her grin. Truth be told, by the end, that moment was the only part she could remember clearly.

 

[Hurry back already…]

 

The Absolute Helix party still hadn’t returned from the ninetieth layer — they seemed to be recuperating — but Lorena could not wait. She was dying to confront Tsutomu and grill him for copying her technique, to unload everything she had to say. And with a gleam of anticipation, she kept her gaze fixed on Monitor #1, eager to see the expression he’d wear when caught red-handed.

 

▽▽

 

Stephanie fled the Guild the moment the broadcast ended, walking quickly through the streets to avoid any chance of crossing paths with Tsutomu. She returned to her room in the Clan House — where, she noted, there were slightly fewer articles about Tsutomu pinned to the walls than before — and flung herself face-first into the bed, still wearing her dress.

 

[What in the world was THAT!?]

 

The way Tsutomu had handled himself in the Corrupted Shell battle — it was nothing short of perfection. Even now, all she had to do was close her eyes, and the memory of his movements replayed in vivid detail. Hugging her pillow, she clamped her thighs together and squirmed across the wide bed.

 

[His reaction to the Corrupted Shell’s attacks… the way he maneuvered his skills, balanced the aggro… and then! Reviving four people in a row — my God! That was just… just too amazing!!]

 

Granted, Absolute Helix had clearly done their homework when it came to countering the Corrupted Shell, but even within such a well-prepared party, Tsutomu’s direction and execution had been the optimal answer. Stephanie, who had fought the Corrupted Shell over a dozen times herself, saw more clearly than anyone just how abnormal his performance had been.

 

His responses to the Corrupted Shell’s patterns. The timing to cleanse petrification down to the second. The swift, almost prescient reaction to Dark Silence. His support and healing were perfectly balanced, and his aggro control was airtight. And then, to cap it all off — reviving four allies while keeping himself alive. That would surely be headline news tomorrow. It was, without exaggeration, a feat worthy of glory. But for Stephanie, it was not the headlines that thrilled her. It was the countless micro-decisions — the invisible threads — that had made his performance so divine.

 

[If it had been any ordinary Healer in Mister Tsutomu’s position, there’s no way the enemy would’ve targeted the Tank so quickly after that first <<Raise>>! That proves it — how little aggro he had drawn from the Corrupted Shell, and how masterfully he kept the party functioning despite that! That’s the critical point!]

 

The moment she had focused on most was the very first <<Raise>> Tsutomu used, right after Diniel’s suicide. Any normal Healer would’ve drawn enormous aggro from the Corrupted Shell at that point — enough to be targeted for a solid few minutes. After all, supporting the team while cleansing petrification and Dark Silence would normally generate an immense amount of threat.

 

But Tsutomu had walked the razor’s edge. His support was pared down to the bare minimum needed to keep the party standing. <<Haste>> casts timed down to the second for Hannah. Just enough healing to keep Daryl from fainting. And he had not let his own petrification state advance even a step, avoiding the need to spend mental energy on healing himself. Add to that the fact that his entire party had avoided taking too many area attack hits, and their Attackers’ firepower had shortened the fight considerably.

 

All of that painstaking restraint was how Tsutomu had kept his aggro low enough for Daryl to quickly reclaim it after being revived. And Tsutomu knew it. When he brought Daryl back, he had stated — without hesitation — that the Tank would be able to draw the enemy’s attention again soon.

 

Even before that moment, Stephanie had been utterly enraptured by Tsutomu’s movements as she watched the footage on the Monitor. But when, just as he predicted, the Corrupted Shell turned its focus toward Daryl, it was as though the final piece of a grand puzzle had clicked into place. Overcome with elation, she let out a shrill, involuntary cry.

 

[He understood everything!! Ah, how glorious! I want to watch that scene again and again — tens, hundreds of times!]

 

It had all been in the palm of his hand. With that realization, Stephanie could no longer hold back the voice rising from deep within her. After that pivotal moment, Tsutomu went on to revive all his fallen teammates, and though he was eventually caught by the Corrupted Shell, he still did not fall. He endured the petrification through sheer durability and repeated use of <<Medic>>, and never once let the party crumble. He led them to victory, unshaken.

 

“AAAAAAHHHHHH!! It’s magnificent! Absolutely magnificent!!”

 

She kept replaying the scene in her mind, squirming each time with overwhelming emotion — again and again, until finally her excitement began to ebb. Flushed and breathless, Stephanie lay back on the bed, her face streaked with sweat and her pink hair clinging to her cheeks. A mad, delirious smile tugged at her lips, and she sighed with something like bliss.

 

But then, her gaze drifted upward — and froze.

 

A photograph of Tsutomu, one of the many pinned to the ceiling, stared back down at her. The moment her eyes met his, her whole body stiffened. To her, that gaze seemed accusatory.

 

“I–I’m so sorry! Forgive me! Forgive me for even thinking I might have surpassed you, Mister Tsutomu! Please, please, forgive me for my arrogance!”

 

Clasping her hands as though offering a prayer to God, she lowered her head in penitence, the words tumbling from her lips in desperate apology. As if in search of absolution, she reached up to touch the photo on the ceiling — then turned and pressed her cheek against one of the many other photos plastered along the wall.

 

“Don’t abandon me! Please, look at me! I’ll work harder, I promise! Just keep watching me! More — watch me more!”

 

And for a while after that, Stephanie wept, clinging to the wall like a sinner at the altar. Then, as if all the emotion had wrung her dry, she collapsed onto the bed, drifting into sleep without even realizing it.