Chapter 402, Collapse

Translator: Barnnn

Editor: Silavin

 

The green glow of Tsutomu’s <<Heal>> skill had lit the night sky, alerting a Security Team squad that had been patrolling nearby, prompting them to rush over to its source.

 

“Who’s using an Explorer skill in the middle of the city!? Doing so without authorization is a cr–”

 

The squad’s leader faltered at the sight before him. Standing face-to-face, locked in a clear standoff, were members of Absolute Helix, the very Clan that had recently conquered the hundredth layer of the Dungeon. This was far beyond what a mere patrol squad was equipped to handle.

 

“Signal the emergency beacon!”

 

“But, sir–”

 

“Look, I’ll do it myself! You blow the whistle, now! Alert the other squads!”

 

Hesitating no longer, the leader fired the red emergency flare into the night, its light cutting through the dark like a blade. Simultaneously, a subordinate raised the whistle to his lips and blew hard.

 

Tsutomu, limping heavily, approached the squad with one hand raised in surrender, the other pressed against the arrow still lodged in his leg.

 

“As you can see,” he said, voice calm despite the pain, “I was shot in the leg by Diniel, without warning, from behind. I used a skill for emergency treatment. This has clearly gone beyond something that can be handled within our Clan. I’m requesting you detain the assailant.”

 

“…”

 

The arrow in Tsutomu’s leg and the bow in Diniel’s hand were enough to establish context. The tension among those gathered confirmed the veracity of Tsutomu’s words.

 

The squad leader looked from Tsutomu to Diniel, his expression turning to one of exasperation… not because of the accusation, but rather the fact that he was no match for Diniel. Their unit had only just recently surpassed Level 50. Diniel, on the other hand, was reported to be over Level 90 and had been the greatest contributor to her party’s conquest of the hundredth layer. He could already picture how that scenario would play out, if she were to resist, it would be swift, one-sided, and bloody.

 

If they were dealing with a clear-cut threat to public safety, a hardened criminal, he might have accepted the risk. But this was clearly a private dispute between Clan members that had unfortunately spilled into public view. And to risk their lives over a leg wound was, by an Explorer’s logic, totally not worth it.

 

Besides, from their perspective, it was strange that an Explorer who had broken through the Hundredth Layer would ask for help in restraining a comrade just because they had been shot in the leg. Normally, only a civilian would make a big deal of such an incident.

 

Sensing his hesitation, Tsutomu offered a concession.

 

“I get that this all seems overblown for a shot to the leg, but I believe this incident involves Diniel’s personal grudge against me. I’m genuinely concerned it won’t end here, that it could escalate to a real ambush someday. With all of you here as witnesses, she won’t make any reckless moves. And if reinforcements arrive, you might be able to detain her without anyone getting hurt. Naturally, the rest of the Clan is willing to cooperate.”

 

“…”

 

“But please understand that I’d like to step away for now; my leg is in bad shape. Pretty sure the bone’s shattered. If I don’t get it treated properly, I’ll be out of commission for days. I need a White Mage I can trust to handle it.”

 

“He stole the reward from the hundredth layer.” Diniel interrupted coldly. “We can’t let him escape.”

 

Tsutomu let out a weary sigh.

 

“I didn’t steal anything. And you already confirmed Amy was the one who took it, didn’t you? So why am I the one being blamed? If you’re so convinced, check Amy’s belongings. Garm can supervise if you’re worried; I won’t object.”

 

The proposal caught Diniel off guard. She fell silent, her expression darkening. There was no doubt in her mind that Tsutomu would throw Amy under the bus without hesitation. His tone was cool, his eyes cutting, and what chilled her most was that he was not bluffing.

 

Her gaze met Amy’s, and for a long, uncomfortable moment, the air between them soured with tension. Then, as if offering a way out, Tsutomu spoke again.

 

“You’re claiming I ordered her to do it. But even if I did want that card, why would I choose today, a day when everyone’s already suspicious, to make a move? Like I said before, if I were going to steal it, I’d have done it under more convenient circumstances. You all know that’s true, don’t you?”

 

Among the more rational members: Xeno, Leleia, and Korinna; there was a reluctant acknowledgment. Tsutomu’s words rang true, and his demeanor suggested he meant every one of them. Even Hannah, who did not fully understand what was happening, was nodding along nervously, as if trying to defuse the tension with goodwill alone.

 

Going by technicality, Tsutomu had not lied. Amy had suddenly gone off the rails earlier that night and stolen the card. And indeed, he was genuinely furious about having his leg shot over a mistaken assumption. That much was honest.

 

But from the standpoint of Dungeon City’s common sense, shooting a thief in the leg was hardly worth raising eyebrows over. So long as it did not kill, it could be healed immediately with a Skill. In fact, excessive vigilantism was not unheard of.

 

Under those standards, Diniel’s decision to shoot would normally have been considered a mild overreaction at worst, and even if it had been a false accusation, most Explorers would’ve brushed it off over drinks and a half-hearted apology. That was how things worked in this world.

 

But Tsutomu was not like other Healers. He did not share their desensitization to death or injury. To him, a pierced leg was not something to laugh off over ale. His threshold for violence was closer to that of a civilian’s than an Explorer’s. For someone like him, being shot in the leg was not just painful; it was intolerable.

 

That was why his anger was real. Xeno and Korinna, having come to understand the difference in perspective, could piece together his reasoning. The more Tsutomu spoke, the more their uncertainty about Diniel’s actions began to harden into doubt.

 

[Reminds me of those chain-reaction meltdowns that tore my Clans apart in Live Dungeon…]

 

Tsutomu had spent enough time in Live Dungeon managing social dynamics as much as actual battles. Navigating interpersonal blow-ups like this had been part of the game’s experience. Leveraging what he had learned, he exaggerated Diniel’s minor misstep into something grave, framed it in a logically consistent argument, and succeeded in persuading the others with a display of rare and righteous fury.

 

Meanwhile, more squads from the Security Team had arrived, drawn by the flare and the warning whistle. The circle of authority grew tighter by the minute. Seeing the situation spiral, the remaining Clan members began to fidget with unease, until Tsutomu lowered his voice and addressed them calmly.

 

“Listen, guys, I’m requesting Diniel be detained by the Security Team, but I don’t plan on pressing charges. I’ve never been seriously hurt in the Dungeon, so a surprise attack like this understandably pissed me off. But I also get that, among Explorers, this would not normally turn into such a big deal. That’s why I’ll ask her to step away for a day. I won’t be expelling her. And Xeno, the same goes for.”

 

“…I see,” Korinna murmured, visibly relieved that things would resolve, if not cleanly, then at least peacefully.

 

The others gave slight nods of agreement, no one quite eager to fan the flames any further. Diniel, observing their acceptance with unreadable eyes, turned her attention once more to Amy. Their gazes met, and then Diniel bowed her head.

 

“I apologize for shooting.” She said. “It was rash of me to accuse you without proof, Tsutomu.”

 

“And I’m sorry, too. I said some things I probably shouldn’t have. Let’s both cool our heads and talk again tomorrow. I’ll start searching for the card after I’ve had my leg treated.”

 

“…”

 

[Yeah, no way she’s actually accepted that. If I show up tomorrow, she might straight up murder me.]

 

He had, after all, bulldozed her accusation. It was an accusation that, technically, had held the stronger position by embellishing his flimsy argument with emotion and using logic only just sound enough to hold it together. He did not even want to imagine what Diniel’s internal monologue must have looked like now.

 

[Still, if this ends up teaching her how to fight her corner when it comes to interpersonal conflicts, she might just evolve into a terrifying asset. Knowing her, though, she’ll probably just sulk off into the Forest layers for a week…]

 

Watching Diniel let herself be taken into custody by the Security Team, her emotions tightly masked, Tsutomu used the treatment of his injury as the perfect excuse, bowing out of the scene entirely before the rest of the Clan could even calm down.