[Challenge Tower], 21st Floor.
"Hey, let's have a good fight." The young Krillin said while warming up as the timer counted down to the starting time.
"Sure." Tatsuo replied in a slightly dumbfounded tone, still trying to wrap his head around seeing someone like Krillin in the [Challenge Tower].
00:00:02
00:00:01
"Fight!"
As soon as the signal was given, Krillin's warmup stretches ended immediately. Then, faster than anyone before him, he dashed forward. Even so, Tatsuo was lost in this thoughts. As a result, he only defended passively.
Swatting aside a punch, ducking under a jump roundhouse kick, sidestepping a sidekick, Tatsuo managed to safely avoid all of Krillin's attacks, even while not paying much attention to the fight. Instead, he was thinking about something else entirely, something that could possibly make his childhood dreams come true.
'Damn it, I can't remember!' Tatsuo shouted internally. 'Could Krillin use the [Kamehameha Wave] when they first participated in the World martial Arts Tournament? Is waiting for him to use it worth it? Or will I just be wasting my time if I do? Damn… I can't remember!"
While agonizing over ending the fight quickly or letting it drag out, twenty-two minutes passe. During that time, Krillin continued to attack continuously. Yet, not once did he step back and try to gather his Ki.
'*Sigh* I guess it was during the 22nd World martial Arts Tournament that he used it, huh?' Tatsuo groaned internally. 'This really was a waste of time. I guess that was too much to expect from a D—Rank Krillin. Fine, I'll just end it.'
Meanwhile, Krillin was panting hard while frowning in frustration. Although he had yet to take any damage, as Tatsuo had not attacked even once, he was also completely unable to land any blows of his own. However, that changed quite quickly.
As Krillin threw a punch, Tatsuo side stepped and pivoted while his right arm shot out to grab Krillin's wrist. At the same time, he stuck his right leg out while pulling with his right hand, causing Krillin to trip over his leg. Then, as Krillin stumbled forward, Tatsuo drew his right arm back before striking sharply with the tip of his elbow at the back of Krillin's head.
*Bang!*
With the combination of his well-placed attack and his overwhelming strength, Krillin fell with one blow, his eyes rolling into the back of his head while his brain ceased all function. His body then vanished into motes of light before his body even hit the floor.
{[Notifications]
-Congratulations! You have completed the twenty-first challenge.
-For clearing the first floor you have been rewarded 1,100 Coins.
-Please claim your reward and move up to the 22nd Floor.}
"Oh, it looks like there won't be such explosive growth in coins after this point." Tatsuo mused to himself as he accepted the reward. "Well, 10,000 Coins for only clearing the D-Level challenges does seem like a bit much."
As he spoke to himself, Tatsuo stepped off the stage and made his way towards the door leading to the stadium's waiting room. However, when he eventually stepped through the door, there was no waiting room, or even a hallway leading to the waiting room. Instead, there was only an out of place stairway that did not even look like it went high enough to rise above the stadium.
Shaking his head at the sight, Tatsuo climbed the stairs, wondering who he would run into in his next challenge.
Like that, Tatsuo continued to climb the floors of the [Challenge Tower] until he eventually cleared the 30th Floor. Along the way, he faced a couple of familiar characters such as Tank Top Black Hole from One-Punch Man and Jessica Jones from Marvel. But for the most part, the opponents were generic fighters with the ability to destroy anything from a small building to a few blocks.
The battle on the 30th Floor where he faced all the opponents from floors 21 to 30 was rather chaotic, though. Even so, he dealt with it rather easily.
[Challenge Tower], 30th Floor.
{[Notifications]
-Congratulations! You have completed the thirtieth challenge.
-For clearing the thirtieth floor you have been rewarded 2,000 Coins. Also, Direct Messaging has been unlocked in the [Shop].
-Please claim your reward and move up to the 31st Floor.}
{[Notifications]
-You have cleared thirty floors of the [Challenge Tower], would you like to save your progress? Y/N
-Please Note: restarting the [Challenge Tower] will not provide rewards. Only first time floor clears grant rewards.}
While he expected the two [Notifications] after defeating the last of the enemies on the 30th Floor, Tatsuo could not help raising an eyebrow when he saw the additional reward.
"Oh, now that you mention it, I was wondering why there were no DMs in the [Chat]." Tatsuo muttered while reading over the [Notifications] for a second time. "Well, that will make things easier going forward. Now, there will be fewer interruptions when we need to talk about something important with only one person. The only question is, is this just for me, or will this unlock it for everyone."
As soon as he asked himself that question, it started to dominate his thoughts. And because he was so curious to find out the answer, Tatsuo immediately saved his progress before ending his time in the [Challenge Tower].
Hub World, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
A moment later, Tatsuo found himself returned to his bedroom in the penthouse apartment with the monochrome starting to fade. He then opened the [System] in his mind and navigated straight to the [Shop] to check out the new addition.
"Ah, there it is." Tatsuo muttered as he found the [Direct Message] feature in the [Miscellaneous] tab of the [Shop]. "Oh, there are other [Chat] options, too. But they're all grayed out. I guess certain prerequisites are required before I can buy them. I should probably look and see if there are any other new options later. But for now…"
Reaching that point, Tatsuo clicked the [Direct Message] add-on and looked at its description.
{[Direct Message – Misc.]
-Allows direct communication between two members of the [Chat].
-Note: Only those who have purchased this add-on may initiate a [Direct Message].
-Prerequisites:
Clear the 30th Floor of the [Challenge Tower]
-cost: 500 Coins}
"Short and simple." Tatsuo muttered while reading the description for the [Direct Message] add-on. "Buy."
With that, the add-on was immediately added to Tatsuo's [Chat]. He then navigated back to the [Chat], and without even reading any of the messages from the other members, he followed the short instruction manual he received when buying the [Direct Message] add-on and clicked on Violet's ID.
{[Dimensional Chat], [Direct Message]
Tatsuo (Admin): Hey, Violet
Violet: Huh?
Violet: What is this?
Tatsuo (Admin): A new add-on I bought for the chat
Tatsuo (Admin): It lets two people talk directly instead of having to read the rest of the chat at the same time
Violet: You bought?
Violet: Does that mean there's new stuff in the shop after the update
Tatsuo (Admin): Yeah
Tatsuo (Admin): But there are prerequisites to unlocking them
Violet: That's cool
Violet: I'm gonna go take a look
Tatsuo (Admin): Okay
Tatsuo (Admin): I'm gonna tell everyone else
Tatsuo (Admin): This was just a test run, anyway
Violet: Okay, talk to you later
[Dimensional Chat]
Tatsuo (Admin): Yo, I got some news
Alfonzo: What's up?
James: Did your mom come home already?
James: What's the verdict
James: I really hope she said yes
James: If she didn't, I'm gonna get those looks from Grandma and Venelana
James: You know the ones I'm talking about
Lici: Ah!
Lici: Disappointed Mom Look #2
Lici: I'm still working on that one
Lici: I hope I never have to use it with Mar'e, though
Zelretch: Yes, the disappointed expression of a mother
Zelretch: From what I've seen, they are even worse than a scolding
Zelretch: It's been thousands of years since I received one, though
Akatsuki: How about you all actually let Tatsuo-Kun talk about his news instead of jumping to conclusions
James: Oh, right
James: Sorry
Lici: Oopsie
Zelretch: Hohoho
Alfonzo: What are you, Santa Claus
Sakura: I'm curious to know what you've got to tell us, too, Tatsuo-Kun
Aletia: Me, too
Tatsuo (Admin): Right
Tatsuo (Admin): First, I tried the challenge tower
Tatsuo (Admin): Got to the 30th Floor before I stopped
James: Oh, how was it
James: Was it a challenge?
Tatsuo (Admin): Not really
Tatsuo (Admin): At least not yet
Tatsuo (Admin): But it gives a lot of Coins as rewards for first time clears
Alfonzo: How much are we calling a lot?
Tatsuo (Admin): 21,550 for clearing 30 floors
James: Damn
Alfonzo: Damn
Zelretch: That's quite a good amount
Lici: With that, I could upgrade my sewing
Aletia: I could come visit Tatsuo whenever I want
Akatsuki: That's really a lot
Akatsuki: How strong were the opponents
Tatsuo (Admin): By the 30th floor, they were strong enough to destroy several city blocks with one attack
Akatsuki: What?
Akatsuki: That's insane
James: Eh… Not too strong
James: about the peak of low-rank
Alfonzo: yeah, Cana did that when she was 11, I think
Lici: That sounds about right
Akatsuki: Are you serious?
Akatsuki: What kind of monsters are you people
James: What do you mean you people?"
Akatsuki: Now's not the time
Akatsuki: Are you all really saying that destroying a city block isn't that strong?
James: Not really
James: IF I went all out, I could sink Europe and most of Asia with one attack
James: If you gave me enough time, I could probably destroy the entire human world
Alfonzo: Yeah, I could probably wipe most of a pretty big city off the map if I put everything into one spell
Lici: don't have that kind of one-shot power, but I could get rid of a city pretty quick if I really tried, too
Akatsuki: You're all monsters
Tatsuo (Admin): Anyway
Tatsuo (Admin): That's not the big news
Sakura: Please, go on, Tatsuo-Kun
Tatsuo (Admin): At least one person actually cares what I've been trying to say
Aletia: I care
Tatsuo (Admin): So, after clearing the 30th Floor, I unlocked the right to buy something from the shop
Tatsuo (Admin): Direct messaging
Tatsuo (Admin): But only people who buy the add-on can start a DM
Aletia: I could talk directly to you, Tatsuo?
Tatsuo (Admin): Yeah
Tatsuo (Admin): But you have to clear the 30th floor of the challenge tower first
Aletia: I'll do it now
Alfonzo: And there she goes
Tatsuo (Admin): And something tells me I won't be getting much rest when she finally buys it
Zelretch: I think we should all go for it
Zelretch: Being able to speak directly to other members of the chat group, though it isn't essential, it would be nice for more private matters
Akatsuki: I agree
James: Yeah, especially since Tatsuo is the only one with a harem in here
James: Alfonzo and Lici can flirt in their own chat, too
Alfonzo: We don't need to flirt in here
Alfonzo: We're from the same world, remember?
Lici: Yeah
Lici: I'm sitting in Fonzie's lap right now
James: *sigh*
Tatsuo (Admin): There are other add-ons for the chat, too
Tatsuo (Admin): But you have to reach certain levels of the tower to unlock them
Tatsuo (Admin): Like audio calling, video calling, video conferencing, etc.
Alfonzo: Those could be useful
Alfonzo: I'll take a look at the shop before at least going to unlock DMs
Lici: I'll unlock DMs, too
Lici: Fonzie can tell me about the other stuff to unlock later
Alfonzo: Yeah, yeah
Akatsuki: I'm not sure I'm strong enough to clear the 30th floor
Akatsuki: I can't destroy whole blocks
Tatsuo (Admin): You don't have to be
Tatsuo (Admin): Ther's more ways to fight than just head on
Tatsuo (Admin): As an assassin, you should know that
Akatsuki: I'm not even a real assassin
Akatsuki: I'm just a normal college student trapped in the body of a video game character
Akatsuki: *Sigh* But I see your point
Akatsuki: I'll give it a try
Zelretch: And with no physical consequences, it's a great place to push yourself
Zelretch: Hohoho, I wonder how far I'll be able to go
Zelretch: I think I'll give it a try as well}
From that point, the [Chat] quieted down as each of the members tried out the challenge tower to try to unlock [Direct Messaging]. Seeing that, Tatsuo expected the first [Direct Message] to appear almost instantly. However, it took nearly half an hour before the first one came. On top of that, it was not from the person he thought it would be.
{[Dimensional Chat], [Direct Message]
James: Dude, why didn't you tell us there were characters from other worlds as opponents?
James: I fought Dark Tournament Arc Yusuke
James: Do you have any idea how weird that was?
James: Especially since I fought in that tournament with him
Tatsuo (Admin): I thought it would be a fun surprise
Tatsuo (Admin): Wait!
Tatsuo (Admin): You fought in the dark tournament?
Tatsuo (Admin): Seriously?
James: Didn't I mention that?
James: But yeah
James: The Yusuke Vs. Toguro fight never happened, though
James: Acnologia ruined the final round of the tournament
James: I did kill Elder Toguro, though
Tatsuo (Admin): Damn
Tatsuo (Admin): Then, what happened to Toguro and Sakyo?
Tatsuo (Admin): Without the end of the tournament, they should have stayed alive, right?
James: Yeah, they're both still alive
James: They joined Sera-Tan's peerage
===James sent file: Taguro_Surprised.jpg===
Tatsuo (Admin): …
Tatsuo (Admin): ROFL}
Tatsuo's reaction to James' last message was not just a line of letters. No, he was actually laughing. Not just laughing, he was rolling back and forth on his bed, as well. In fact, his laughter was so loud that it overcame the sound proofing in his bedroom and projected into the rest of the apartment.
And as it just so happened, Sumire, Mai, Kasumi, and Ayane had all returned home while he was laughing. And when they all heard it, they exchanged glances before Sumire vanished from her spot in a burst of speed and reappeared in front of Tatsuo's bedroom door.
*Bang!*
"Tatsu-Chan~~~~~!" Sumire shouted happily as she kicked Tatsuo's door in "Mommy's home~~~~~!"
Immediately, Tatsuo's laughter came to a stop, and he stared at his mother blankly.
"Mom… Please knock before just coming in." Tatsuo said in a deadpan. "What if I were naked or changing clothes."
"It's not like I haven't seen it all before." Sumire said casually as she walked towards Tatsuo's bed. "So, what's so funny?"
"Nothing, just chatting with a friend." Tatsuo replied just as casually while rolling his eyes at his mother's disregard for his privacy. "Anyway, how was the trip to the village."
"It went well." Sumire replied. "We caught the traitor, made an alliance, and got their blessing for Kasumi-Chan's and Ayane-Chan's adoptions. Plus, neither one is listed as a traitor anymore. So, they can go to visit their brother whenever they want."
"That's good." Tatsuo replied with a smile. "I'm happy for them."
"Yup!" Sumire said as she jumped onto Tatsuo's bed and wrapped him in a hug. "So, what did you do while Mommy was gone? Did you and Kaori-Chan get along?"
From there, Tatsuo told Sumire about the nearly two days they were separated. Meanwhile, Mai, Kasumi, Tio, and Ayane all entered the room to hear the story, with Tio adding bits and pieces whenever she had a different perspective of an event. By the time the story was done, all the ladies were gathered on Tatsuo's massive bed, as well.
"Oh, by the way, Mom." Tatsuo said once the story was over. "My friends from the other worlds want to come to the concert, too. There are nineteen of them. Is that okay?"
"Sure." Sumire replied casually. "Because Kaori-Chan is so new to the scene, not all the VIP boxes were booked. So, there's plenty of room. Mai-Chan, please book the rest of the VIP boxes for me."
However, Mai did not reply immediately. And when Sumire looked at her, she understood why. To Sumire's surprise, Mai was already booking the VIP boxes on her smartphone. Though, it was clear to see that she wanted to ask Tatsuo a question.
"Oh, you'll get to meet my girlfriend, too." Tatsuo said off-handedly. "*Sigh* And so will Yakumo-Chan. I'm not sure things will be the same between us after that."
*Crack!*
The sound of Mai squeezing her smartphone hard enough to crack its casing echoed around the room. Even so, to everyone's surprise, Mai did not start throwing a tantrum. Though, the tears welling up in her eyes were visible to everyone.