NOVEL NEXT The Strongest Solo Gamer with Terrible Social Skills Reincarnates as a Hated NPC in a VRMMO Chapter 25
25 Trouble Arises
One by one, the friends who protect Akane. They really get along well. It’s only a matter of time before Aoi and Akane become a couple, right? If it’s “Shoma” with a suspicious mind, I’m sure he’ll think like that. But the “Shoma” in this situation is definitely acting like this.
“Haha… You’re misunderstanding? But isn’t it suspicious that you’re trying to protect her so desperately? Whatever you say, it’s pointless, since you’re all in the same party!”
“…You’re really good at suspecting others, aren’t you?”
Tōmatsu and Kanzaki looked disappointed.
“…Forget it. If you’re going to think like that, then do so. I don’t care about you anyway.”
“Akane!?”
“Don’t listen to others, and just keep misunderstanding for the rest of your life, stupid Shoma……!”
“You’re not going to admit it, huh? Well, I don’t care about you either. It’s a waste of time to keep arguing. Just go find a strong man who can satisfy your ego.”
“――ッ”
I glanced back at Akane’s scary face and quickly retreated from the scene, waving my hand behind me.
Ah, that was close――ッ！！
I said too much!!
When I face Akane, my “Shoma” persona gets too heated up. I don’t want to fight, but I can’t avoid the misunderstanding either. It’s difficult to handle.
For me, Akane is an existence that occupies a significant weight. If I fail to handle this situation, my “Shoma” persona will collapse, and the communication disorder will manifest in reality……！！
I must avoid that at all costs!
I don’t want to experience this kind of hell in my real face…… I’m already communication-avoidant, and if this happens, I’ll definitely die！！ I absolutely refuse！
As I was sweating profusely in my heart, another party, the “Mushakōji PT,” transferred into the large room.
The one who appeared was――Mushakōji Mikako.
“We’re back――Oohohohoh!!”
Mikako, who was covering her mouth and laughing, didn’t seem to notice the awkward atmosphere and dispelled the gloomy mood.
It seems like the first exploration went smoothly.
The party member, Banba Kō, is a 1-D top-ranked tank, so there shouldn’t be any danger.
“The remaining ones are Isogai and Sanpomatsu.”
Aoi muttered while checking the clock function on his magical crystal terminal. The time was 3:30 pm. Thirty minutes had already passed since the scheduled end time. The clock was ticking away.
Before long, it would be an hour.
“…It seems like trouble has occurred.”
The students were agitated by Kageyama’s voice. When it comes to trouble in ABYSS, most people associate it with “death.” Kageyama shook his head to deny it.
“From my experience, it’s rare for students to die on the second floor… I can’t say it’s completely safe, but there’s no need to be overly pessimistic. We’ll coordinate with the student council to form a rescue team. Today’s lesson is over, so you all can disperse.”
With that, Kageyama hurriedly ran towards the reception desk.
The remaining students looked uneasy.
And then――
“Yeah, let’s go!”
The one who stepped forward was the hot-blooded hero, Aoi Sosuke. Behind the surprised Tōmatsu, Kanzaki, who understood the situation, shrugged and approached the transfer stone.
“Just a minute, you two! Unbelievable…”
“Ah, we’re going to search for the Isozaki group.”
“Even if we say it, they won’t listen, these idiots…”
“But, Sensei will…”
“It’ll take time to dispatch a rescue team, right? So, before that, we’ll search for the two PT groups ourselves.”
“Th-then we should go too!”
Akaneba and the others express their desire to accompany them.
However, Aiba gently turns them down.
“We’ll go alone. It’s a reckless move, and if things go wrong, Sensei will be angry with us.”
“There’s also a possibility that we’ll become a hindrance like the mummies. It’s better to keep the rescue team’s personnel to a minimum.”
“But…!”
Akaneba still looks unconvinced. Behind her, other 1-D students start throwing words at Aiba.
“Aiba Soji, can we leave it to you?”
Urabe Masaharu says, his glasses sparkling. He must have thought that these two were the most suitable for the task, considering the students’ safety.
“Ah, of course! Just pretend you’re on a sinking ship!”
“That’s what you say, but it’s a big deal…”
Suzuki Ippei interjects, looking exasperated.
“Guh! It’s frustrating! I want to go too!”
“Didn’t you have a lesson, Mikako-san?”
“Leave it to us… it’s better…”
“I understand. It’s really bad timing…”
Wakamatsu Mikako, the blonde drill beauty, slumps her shoulders in disappointment. Her PT members, Uzumi Saki and Banba Kō, try to comfort her.
“Please be careful, you two! Don’t get hurt!”
“I’m counting on you, Isozaki group!”
Hosokawa Hikoko, with her gentle, maternal attributes, sends them off with warm words of encouragement. Even the hot-headed judoka, Segawa Sanshirō, cheers them on.
The atmosphere is completely in favor of sending Aiba and the others off.
It’s probably okay to trust these two, but… it’s better to be safe than sorry.
As an original player, I’m even more concerned.
Aiba and the others are beginners, but I’m an advanced player. Although our levels are the same, the experience points I’ve accumulated are vastly different from theirs.
This world is a game, yet it’s not a game.
I don’t know what will happen.
As a top player of Legacy Sense, I couldn’t afford to let my overconfidence put the original characters in danger.
So, I have no choice but to…
“Wait just a minute!!”
!!
The moment I shout, everyone’s attention turns to me.
While hiding my trembling hands due to tension, I take a deep breath and restart my role-playing as Shirō Shinomiya.