Chapter 11: Hidden Rules of the Dungeon
No sooner had Asuna finished speaking than a line of dark red text suddenly popped up on the phone screen.
[ Due to the death of the original player, within twenty four hours, non players can register as players by continuously tapping this app icon three times. Upon successful registration, they will acquire all items and equipment of the original player. Those who are already players can also use the same method to randomly draw one piece of equipment or an item owned by a deceased player. ]
The shocking information in this simple message made Asuna frown slightly.
Besides being suddenly chosen like her and Asagiri, ordinary people could become players through this method? And even if one did not want others to become players, they could still take the deceased player's items for themselves?
This was not good news.
Although Asuna's own clearance rewards were not anything special, she had personally seen the power Asagiri used called Persona, which completely defied science and ordinary logic.
It was easy to imagine that, once people learned they could enter a dungeon through the eye icon app and gain supernatural powers, many would surely want to become players.
And the method to achieve that would be to kill registered players and steal their phones.
What would happen if a player lost their phone without dying?
Asuna could not think of an answer. She simply watched Asagiri tap the eye icon three times in a row to draw the only clearance reward that Noguchi Wakawa had received: a bottle of disinfectant alcohol. Her expression was complicated.
"So, you guided him through the dungeon just to get this information?"
"Yes, information is very important."
Watching the eye icon app on Noguchi Kazukawa's phone slowly fade after drawing the item, Asagiri tossed the phone aside, then looked at Asuna with a light chuckle.
"Now we know how to turn others into players and what benefits there are in killing a player."
"More importantly, from Kazukawa's clearance rating, we can confirm that most ordinary players will not unlock any special powers in the novice dungeon. Even talents and professions cannot be unlocked. Assuming we two are the initial players and there are no older players, our combat power is overwhelmingly superior to ordinary players."
"Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility of already skilled people becoming players, such as martial artists, Tokyo Metropolitan Police elites, special forces, or gang members."
Hearing Asagiri's words, Asuna pursed her lips and finally asked the question she had been holding in her heart.
"Why… why can you adapt so quickly… and facing such an unknown situation, you do not seem scared at all…"
Asagiri smiled, then gave an answer Asuna never expected.
"Because I am very timid."
"Huh? You? Timid?"
Asuna frowned. The answer was too unbelievable. Nothing about his actions or way of speaking matched the word timid.
"Yes, I am too timid."
Asagiri nodded with a smile.
"It is exactly because I am too timid that I do not want to see any player stronger than me, and I definitely do not want to become a weakling waiting to be killed. That is why I will not hesitate, and I will not stop moving forward."
Asuna stayed silent for a moment, then sighed with a complex expression.
"You really are a very unusual person. Oh, right… where did that pistol come from? And what did the action of shooting yourself in the temple mean?"
"You mean this?"
The black pistol appeared again in Asagiri's hand. He handed it to Asuna.
"This thing is not a real gun. It cannot fire bullets. It is more like a special item formed from my inner strength, used to summon my Persona. Pulling the trigger on myself symbolizes facing the fear of death directly."
Asuna nodded slightly, though she only half understood, then frowned.
"So, if this thing is taken or lost, will you be unable to summon your Persona?"
"How is that possible?"
Asagiri shook his head and casually threw the pistol far away. The next moment, the pistol vanished, and an identical one appeared in his hand.
"I already said, it is formed from my inner strength. I can summon it anytime. As for it being taken… here, touch it."
Asuna saw his expectant expression. Even though she sensed something was off, practical understanding was necessary. As a teammate who would enter future dungeons with him, she needed to know how his abilities worked.
She hesitated for a moment, then gently reached out her slender right hand and placed her fingertips against the firearm.
The instant she touched it, Asuna's pupils contracted sharply. Her whole body trembled, and she instinctively withdrew her hand. Her breathing became rapid as she gasped for air.
"This… what is this…?"
In that brief moment, Asuna felt a suffocating fear, as if the concept of death had suddenly become real and appeared before her.
Despair. Fear. Trembling.
"This is what it feels like to face death directly. Understand?"
"Mmm… I understand…"
Asuna gently pressed her hand to her chest, calming herself down. Then she noticed Asagiri staring at her with an amused expression.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to admire a beautiful girl pretending to be strong, even though her eyes are sparkling with tears and her body is still trembling."
"Who… whose eyes were sparkling with tears!"
Asuna retorted, quickly taking out a tissue to wipe the tears at the corners of her eyes.
Just as she was about to say something, her phone chimed. She took it out and saw a new message.
[ The time limit for this dungeon has been reached. You will leave in ten seconds ]
"Time is up."
Asagiri also saw the same message. He picked up the chainsaw and electric drill from the ground, leaving behind the books and magazines he had used as protection. Then he smiled at Asuna.
"Well then, Asuna, I will see you at school."
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