Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 119

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“Evan, my friend.”
“Don’t call me that. It’s annoying.”
“Do I love you?”
“Sh—.”
Why did she have to say the same thing in such an irritating way when a simple “thank you” would have sufficed? I exchanged blows with Reina, settled our dispute, and rose to my feet. The night was growing late, and it seemed only the Boss’s Room remained. Let’s finish this quickly and head back.
“What about reinforcements? Should we call Sera and Eugene?”
“No. They didn’t say we had to call them right now, so let’s scout ahead first.”
“You’re such a numbskull.”
Seriously, how does that woman’s mouth even function? Everything that comes out is infuriating nonsense.
I took a deep breath, pushed aside the annoyance that was Reina, and entered the final chamber.
“Whoa.”
“Yo, lava!”
“They really decorated this differently from the daytime.”
The Boss’s Room had a Lava Stage theme. Molten lava flowed around the circular arena, and on the walls, the upper half of a colossal mechanical being writhed and twisted. It resembled Machine King Makina, but it was far too massive to be the real thing. It seemed to be merely a prop designed to match the amusement park’s atmosphere.
“Grraaaaaah! Since you’ve come this far, I won’t let you leave alive!”
Let me correct myself. This wasn’t just atmosphere—this was our opponent. The half-embedded colossal Machine King Makina swung both arms at the ground and spewed lava from its mouth.
So this was…
“A raid boss.”
“How stingy.”
“Hey, no items for you!”
Kanna and Reina shared my sentiment. If the content was a boss raid without minions, one item drop was more than enough. They’d thought this through well. But my original goal wasn’t to obtain good items—it was to earn the rainbow stamp from this place.
The moment I suggested calling for reinforcements, Makina had essentially sealed its own fate.
“Tactical timeout!”
When I called for a tactical timeout and announced I’d bring in more members, Makina displayed an obnoxious emoticon and told me to call whoever I wanted. It even sneered that the more people showed up, the less loot each of us would get. For a thousand-year-old machine, it was far too temperamental.
Though it was strange for a machine to be hot-blooded in the first place.
“Who should we call? Eugene? Princess Sera probably isn’t awake right now, is she?”
Foolish Reina. The moment I heard reinforcements were an option, I hadn’t thought of them once. Why would I call them when there’s an easier way?
“If you speak to the bartender, you can use the phone chance.”
“Wow, amazing. Isn’t that phone thing only used in the Imperial Palace?”
Now that I thought about it, there were telephone lines running through the Imperial Palace. In the original story’s later chapters, Seian apparently used them frequently. But at this point in time, I’m so broke I’d tremble at the sight of a single telegram.
“Hotel Lobby counter. Please connect me.”
I used the phone chance to call someone, and they agreed to join us since they had nothing else to do. Now all that remained was waiting outside the Boss’s Room.
“Ohohoho! It doesn’t matter who you call! The result will be the same! If you value your lives, turn back now!”
Makina boasted that the emergency exit could also be opened by asking the bartender, but I simply smiled. Go ahead and laugh. You won’t find anything funny once he arrives.
Crack.
They’re here.
While I watched Kanna memorizing patterns and strategizing, the sealed iron door suddenly crumpled with a screech. As I knelt on one knee and made sparkling gestures with my hands, Reina caught on and mirrored my pose on the opposite side.
“Behold! My secret weapon!”
“Pfft! Pffthaha! Evan, you absolute madwoman!”
The thick iron door flew away like tissue paper, and who emerged was the Department Head Professor, impeccably dressed in a three-piece suit. Despite reeking of alcohol, his composure remained unshaken, and not a single hair was out of place in his neatly slicked-back style.
Crisp trousers without a wrinkle, white shirt perfectly tucked, walking with measured dignity regardless of circumstance—such was the Department Head’s bearing.
“Evan, your tie is crooked.”
“Yes, sir.”
I adjusted my necktie and resumed my sparkling display. The Department Head surveyed the interior of the attraction, assessing the situation, then posed a simple question to me.
“So. Why did you call me?”
“I thought that as an adult, one should protect children.”
“Hmm.”
The Department Head made a contemplative sound and gazed up at the colossal Makina. Then he spouted nonsense.
“Logically flawless!”
This man’s had quite a bit to drink, pretending otherwise. Still, the fact that he answered the phone and rushed here, and now stands unflinching before a giant robot in the Machine King Makina’s form, suggested he genuinely intended to protect us.
「C-cowardly! Cowardly humans!」
Makina cursed at us while belching flames. It seemed the Department Head was either incredibly powerful, or like Gerth, someone Makina had known for a long time.
「Why! Why do you side with these brats!」
It appeared to be the same situation as with Gerth. Just what was the Department Head Professor’s true identity? Why did he have connections with the Machine King and the Serpent King?
“Tch, how foolish.”
Ah, the Professor’s putting on his cool act again. I’ve known since he descended like a staircase from the sky when we fought the dragon, but this man really commits to his cool concept.
The Department Head took a step forward, then used gravity magic to lift himself up to the face of the half-destroyed Makina. He then began mercilessly crushing the machinery.
“I am a teacher, and they are my students.”
“Woooow!”
“Teacher, you’re so cool!”
“P-Professor! That was amazing!”
As we applauded and whistled in excitement, the Common Professor flicked his hair back and put on another cool display, compressing the machinery with a decisive grip.
The massive machine instantly became a metal sphere the size of a human head, and as the incredibly heavy chunk fell below, the lava bubbled up violently.
「You bastard! You bastard, I won’t forgive you! I—!」
“Quiet.”
Wow! With just a snap of his fingers, the speakers all around shattered spectacularly—the coolness was absolutely devastating. Yes, if you’re going to commit to a concept, might as well do it with style like that. The Dragon King and Reina had questionable aesthetics.
Clink.
As the remains of the colossal Makina completely melted, the lava spat out a single ring. Whatever it was, it had to be ultra-rare grade. I dashed to the center where the Department Head stood and picked up the ring to examine it. No matter how I looked at it, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary ring.
“Will you be wearing that?”
“No, sir. If you wish, I’ll humbly present it to you, Professor.”
Since there was only one and dividing it would be difficult, I respectfully offered it to the Department Head, invoking proper respect for elders. The man declined, then unexpectedly brought up something else.
“I’ll pass. Why not give it to that boy who’s always chasing after you?”
“You mean Seian?”
“Yes. Youth, once gone, never returns.”
You really do love youth, don’t you. Anyway, since I don’t know what kind of ring this is, I should get it appraised first. And if I’m really going to give it to Seian, I need to ask Reina and Kanna’s opinion too.
“We should probably head out soon.”
I agree with that. The lava that had been bubbling since earlier looked ready to swallow the ground at any moment. The earth trembled strangely, moving like waves.
Splash.
I was surveying the area for an exit when something suddenly erupted from the lava and landed before me, thrashing about with its entire body. It was a carp.
“A carp?”
“Why is there a carp here?”
“C-can a carp even l-live in lava?”
Indeed, why would any creature survive in such a place? I found it curious and was about to move on when I recalled a gift Gerth had once given me in the past.
“….”
With a Tri-Eyed Beast here, there’s nothing strange about a Thousand-Year Carp existing, is there? Now that I looked closer, it gleamed with a golden radiance.
Staring intently at this mass of yang energy—the kind that supposedly cures even the Nine Yin Meridian when consumed—I decided I had to take it and reached toward the carp.
“Ow! Ow, it’s hot!”
“You lunatic, why are you touching it!”
“B-but it just jumped out of the lava!”
Still, how could I leave a Thousand-Year Carp behind! Whether it truly lived for a thousand years or not, it certainly looked like a mystical creature.
Wait, now that I think about it—isn’t that thing they sell as a “Demonic Beast Core” actually an inner core? Don’t you gain experience points from eating it?!
“If you truly wish to take it, I shall transport it for you.”
“Thank you so much!”
I entrusted the golden carp to the Professor and sprinted toward the exit. The interior quickly filled with lava, and as I emerged outside, the robot I’d seen at the entrance was holding a rainbow-colored stamp.
「Congratulations. You have cleared this stage.」
Excellent, a rainbow stamp! The moment I unrolled my rally ticket and received the stamp with a satisfying thunk, a notification window appeared.

The deadline has been updated. Death if you do not board the Bunny Land Gyro Drop. D-2.

And so I survived once again. Tomorrow I’ll get the ring appraised, and then I just need to ride all the remaining attractions.
“Hey. So what are you going to do with that?”
I bid a silent farewell to the carp the Department Head Professor had thrown on the ground and was still thrashing about, then used Guided Freezing to create an ice blade.
As the scalpel-like ice cut open the carp’s belly, a spherical inner core blazing like the sun burst forth.
This is a fire attribute. No matter how I looked at it, it was definitely fire attribute. Because of that, I turned my head toward Reina.
“H-hey, what are you doing?”
“You eat it.”
At my firm tone, Reina tried to bolt, but the Department Head Professor thought it was a good idea and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck.
“Open your mouth.”
“No!”
“Kanna, pry that brat’s mouth open.”
“Y-yes!”
As Kanna boldly gripped Reina’s jaw, she let out a scream upon seeing the inner core—larger than my fist.
“T-this thing won’t fit!”
“Shut up, you crazy bastard!”
You’re the only one who can eat it! Who told you to use fire skills in the first place!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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