The World Is Overflowing with Monster, I'm Taking a Liking to This Life 45
45. It's Not My Fault! It's Not My Fault!
…I feel like I just got a glimpse of the horrors of modern society.
The horrors of Email.
I mean, this girl was scary.
Well, I wasn't sure if the person was a girl or a guy. But I think it's a girl.
Oh, damn it. Damn it…
What is wrong with this person?
Seriously. 45 messages in one hour!
I was in a horror film.
I felt the madness.
I had listened to the voice in my head say <> ring once every minute.
I thought that I was going crazy.
I don't think I have ever been so strongly mentally abused before.
How bad was it?
My 'Stress Resistance' gained a level.
It went from LV5 to LV6.
Which at least made things easier for me. Damn it!
"Ahh…I feel so terrible now…"
I squat down and hold my head.
I'm being targeted by someone mental…
Seriously, what am I going to do…
No matter how you looked at it, I had nothing but bad feelings about it.
Ahh, I wanted to run away. Ignore it. Pretend that it hadn't happened.
I wanted to punch myself for ever thinking that I would like to have a partner with ranged attacks.
I don't think I've ever hunted monsters more desperately than I did in these past three days.
Even as I fought them, the voice would continue to ring in my head. <>.
Once my level went up, I didn't hesitate for a second to select the 'Mail' skill.
And the first thing I looked for was the 'Block Function.'
Maybe I could block her from sending me anything.
But there was no block feature! Damn it!
I was starting to feel like I was going crazy.
I would have died if Momo's fluffiness wasn't here.
"Bark?"
Momo tilts her head.
Ahh, so cute.
That was enough to make me feel better.
I would do my best today as well…
“…(shaking)”
Ahh, sorry, Aka.
It's not that I have forgotten you.
Yes, it's very comfortable.
They weren't so bad once you got used to them, these slimes.
"Ahhh… I don't think she is actually a bad person…"
She's just strange in the head.
Ah, no, that is more dangerous.
<>
Again…
Didn't I tell her to let me consider it?
What did she want?
I scratch my head angrily and open the message.
'Oh, there is one thing that I have forgotten to tell you. Once you get to level 2, you will have access to a new chat feature. There will be less time lag that way, and we will be able to get to know each other better. I highly recommend it."
Eeeee…
I did not want to know that.
Look how I was already.
I just knew that something horrible would happen on the day that I add that feature.
…Yeah, I'm fine with sticking to Emails.
"I understand. Thank you so much for the valuable information. Please wait a little longer in regard to the matter of joining my party. Additionally, it is not strictly necessary for you to incessantly send me messages. Rest assured, that I am reading them. I understand what you are telling me just fine."
There. Send.
Even after I asked her to give me time to consider, she kept sending me messages now and again…
This really wasn't normal.
Why couldn't she think about others for a second?
Also, it seemed like she wasn't even aware of it either, which made it even worse.
There are people like this, you meet them sometimes.
Those people that have no intention of bothering you, but manage to do it all the time.
I am not a fan of these types of people.
Think about others for a minute.
"Bark…"
"…(shaking)"
Momo and Aka looked at me as if they wanted to tell me something.
What? Are you saying there is something wrong with me?
But really, what was this Natsu Ichinose person like?
Her level, job, skills, also the gun.
There was so much that bothered me.
Especially the gun. Where did she even get it?
It clearly wasn't an air gun. I didn't think that it was possible to get what was likely a real sniper rifle in Japan. If there was a way to get one, it was probably through illegal routes. Like a certain occupation starting with 'Ya.'
She killed a lesser wolf with one shot. And from that distance too. The power must be incredible.
What were anti-material rifles again? Like Barretts or Hecates?
I wasn’t very knowledgeable about guns, so I had no idea.
But she had the skills to use such guns with ease.
She must be at a really high level.
Or maybe she had a skill that allowed her to acquire weapons, or even make the weapons.
It was possible…
There was a 'Mail' skill after all.
So maybe there was an 'Internet' and 'Online Shopping' skill as well.
"There is no point in thinking about it now…"
It would be best to just ask her about it. But I had a feeling that she wouldn’t tell me.
"Well, I bought some time, so I might as well think about it…"
The idea of support with long ranged weapons was appealing, but my head would explode the moment I was betrayed.
I couldn't make a decision too quickly.
I need to find out whether or not I can really trust this person.
It might be best to just talk with her for a while through 'Mail.'
Not that I wanted to. I really don't.
But then it will allow me to slowly get information and learn more about her.
She had contacted me with 'Mail' to begin with, so she must be fine about not meeting in person yet.
"Maybe we can become pen pals?"
I think as we returned to exploring the town once again.
<>
…As I said, it’s too early! Too early!
How impatient was she!?
And this was how a suspicious pen pal became a part of our exploration.
At the same time, at the home center…
The student with glasses, Ono, had safely returned to the base.
His friends greeted him with smiles.
"Ono, you are alright! I'm so relieved! …Where are the others?"
"Uh, um… We were attacked by monsters on the way, and we got separated…"
"…I see, alright. Well, I'm still glad, even if it was only you that got back safely. So glad…"
Nishino showed no signs of suspicion at Ono's words.
Ono's heart ached at the sight of him being worried over him.
"Yes…right. Oh, this, it's not much. But I got some…food."
As if to change the subject, Ono gave the bag of food to Nishino.
Seeing this, Nishino and the others' faces lit up.
"Thank you. You go and rest."
"Yeah. …Oh, what about Shibata and the others? They're not back yet?"
"Ah, they are way behind schedule. It seems like something might have happened."
"Oh…I see…"
"Yes. I'm thinking of sending out a search party if they don't return within an hour. We don't have many people left, so we won't be able to search for the guys who were with you immediately…but I hope you understand."
"…"
Ono felt even worse, seeing how worried the others were.
It was a lie that he had lost them.
He had abandoned them and run away.
(…It's not my fault. It's not my fault…! They were acting on their own. And they ignored my advice…yes. It's not my fault. It's not my fault…!)
He told himself over and over again.
And then Shibata returned minutes later.
The information that he carried, would strike a grievous blow to Nishino and the others.