That's it!


　Seeing Diniel handing the mysterious form to the PT members and observing the black gate that would lead to the next level, Tsutomu felt like throwing it all away.

　That form apparently had to be appraised once before it could be converted into a language that everyone could see, and so far Diniel and the others didn't seem to notice what was written in Japanese. But there is no doubt that they will ask Amy for an appraisal as soon as they return, and she won't be lying to her best friend either.

　Even if she did lie, from the way even Amy seemed suspicious this morning, there was a good chance that Diniel would find out about the false appraisal. As soon as she found out, she would ask for someone else with other appraisal skills and everything would be exposed.

　If that happens, what on earth will happen? There would be various possibilities, but Tsutomu could only imagine a bad idea. At the same time, he also has a plan to come to terms with reality here and now. I've already thought a lot about it, but now I'm going to have to go back to reality, and if I was sent back two years later, there would be no place for me.

　When he was filled with anxiety about the future, a small object was gently placed on his head. It took a few moments for Tsutomu to realize that it was Eunice's hand.


''It's not like it's the end of a hundred levels, so you don't have to look so awful, right?　God's dungeon will surely continue!　So cheer up!


　While Tsutomu was imagining about the bad future that lay ahead, Eunice was also thinking about why he had fallen into an unusual state of mind. And she guessed that Tsutomu was worried about the end of the God's Dungeon, and she patted him on the head, offering him misplaced comfort.

　Tsutomu didn't know what on earth Eunice was talking about, but I knew that she was trying to cheer herself up somehow from the way she was pointing that desperate-looking fake smile at me.


'....You.... Iyah, really, really, how can I say it........
Oh, are you feeling better?　Then it was good!
Chuckle...


　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're talking about. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　It's not that the future will not be changed by receiving miscellaneous encouragement from Eunice, nor does it mean that anything has been fundamentally resolved. But still, it certainly felt like the burden I was carrying had been lifted.


(I've already fretted over the future. I guess I'll just have to go as far as taking on a monster I've never seen before.)
Yikes!


　Tsutomu squeezed Eunice's twitching fox ears with both hands while thinking about this.


"What are you doing?
'It's payback for touching me, a**h*le. I don't like it when people touch my head.
What...!　He's a liar!　You looked relieved just now!　See, you can pet him again if you want~?


　Tsutomu also returns a challenging look at Eunice, who is fluttering her hands as if she were a baby and flirting with him.


'Then why don't we try each other?　I can see you surrendering, though.
'Hah!　If you say so much, you'll do it!　I thought it was so unfair that you've always been a one-sided hitter before!　Today is the day I'm going to get it done!


　The two of them then had a head-stroking battle in such a fashion until Corina and the others returned from the hundredth level. And by the time Corina and the others returned from the guild's Black Gate and Amy and the others were welcoming them back, it was settled with Eunice plopping down on the desk with her ears red.

　Ignoring Milway, who stared at him as if he were a flirting couple, Tsutomu got up from his seat and sent his congratulations first to Corina and the others when they returned. Then he didn't make any particular mention of the paper Diniel had in his possession on the spot, but let them take the congratulations from the explorers in the guild and the interviews from the reporters.

　By the time it was all settled, it was already evening and Korina and the others were at their peak of fatigue, so Tsutomu took the five of them and headed back to the clan house.


　oo


'Speaking of which, I also dropped a strange piece of paper. Maybe it's something prepared for the next hundred levels.
'Maybe so. I felt a sense of mystery, like a status card. Besides, the light of the Black Gate was also increased by one to two, and if I break through one more PT, I might be able to open it.
I'll have Amy evaluate it later, and that might tell us something.
Wow, that's exciting.
Hmmm, this should be fun...


　While listening to the conversation of Diniel and the others at dinner that day, Tsutomu muttered inwardly, as if he had half given up. And Amy and Garum, who are listening to the conversation, can also see some awkwardness in it.

　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what the results of the appraisal will be, regardless of whether or not Amy faked it. It's a good idea to make sure that you have a good idea of what you're looking for.


''Well, let's do the appraisal then...''
Nice to meet you.


　Then, after finishing her dinner, Amy begins to appraise the paper Diniel gave her. She proceeds with her appraisal, making noises such as, "Hmmm, hmmm.


'Hmm. I haven't been able to appraise all of the letters, so I can't say for sure, but it sounds like this is probably what I need to advance a hundred levels further.
'I see. Then we must make sure we don't lose it.
Nah. That's boring.


　Leleia and the others each reacted to the results of Amy's appraisal, but most of them couldn't see that she was lying. But among them, Diniel, who was feeling a little uncomfortable, if not a lie, spoke up.


'Didn't the Twoms drop any of these status cards or anything like that?
Yeah, I didn't see it.


　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get it right or not. I'm not sure if he's lying or not, but he doesn't seem to be lying either.

　In fact, Tsutomu hadn't lied to me. I'm sure that Tsutomu knew about the paper itself, but he didn't confirm that it had been dropped at the time of the Hundredth Level attack. By assuming such a cryptic theory in his brain, Tsutomu was not aware of the slightest suspicion of behavior that occurs when he lies without causing it.


''Then you can keep this form with Leleia.
Is it me?
If it's so important, you can't lose it in case it gets lost. You've got the most experience in protecting something.
I don't mind, but even if it's lost, please don't put the blame on me alone, I'd appreciate it if you'd have the guts to have all the PT members guarding it, and it's a joint responsibility.
That's good.


　However, even though Diniel hadn't been able to detect the lie, he was still slightly wary enough to be cautious, just in case, and the paper would be deposited under Leleia.

　Now if Aldoret Crow or Silver Beast would drop that paper even if it broke through a hundred levels, they wouldn't be able to give it back to him as soon as the secret was exposed. Besides, it's possible that Diniel might ask someone else to appraise it just in case.


''What's on the hundred and one levels~?
Well, I'd rather go back to Fenrir than that. It's all settled now.
I wanna hunt some mutant shellcrabs. And I heard recently that fire dragons are showing signs of mutation too.
There's no turning back now.


　Tsutomu muttered inwardly as he looked at everyone alone, who were buzzing around with glowing eyes about what was to come. He's also a very good friend of mine, and I'm sure he'd love to see his family, so he could get some sympathy from them. But the reason for wanting to see his family is just a token, not Tsutomu's true intentions.

　The main reason for this is that Tsutomu's spirit will not be able to endure if he continues his escape from reality. 'Live Dungeon!' I've had that flickering in my mind since the first few years of playing

　It was ridiculous to spend thousands of hours on a mere game. Although my parents, who had a somewhat more liberal educational policy than most families, never mentioned it to me, I could tell that they were thinking about it.

　I knew that I had to make a break for it somewhere, but I continued to watch the world become more and more desolate due to the separation of players. After that, when he couldn't even form a PT, he finally gave up on it and began to act so that he wouldn't be left behind in reality. Finally, he ended it by conquering a hundred levels on his own.

　My family was happy about that, and 'Live Dungeon! was welcomed by his friends who had retired but played other MMORPGs. And when he stopped clinging to the golden age that was already over, Tsutomu himself felt fine. He thought that he could finally move forward with this.


(I'll just have to convince him...)


　After coming to the conclusion while remembering such a past, Tsutomu went back to his room and laid down on his bed as if he were trying to escape from reality. However, as soon as he got up, he heard a knock at the door, as if he was in a hurry.


'Tsutomu!'
Amy...?


　As soon as Amy entered the room and closed the door, she approached me with a flirtatious look in her eyes.


'I even lied to Dini to keep my secret!　Right?　I'm on the side of the Titans!　I think this proves it, right?　I said I would never betray Tsutomu!


　A high-pitched voice that is different from the usual wholesome high tension, as if it is somehow overpowering. When Tsutomu was unintentionally silent in front of Amy, who looked as if she was controlled by the temporary euphoria that occurs when you've committed a crime, she produced something outrageous from her pocket, as if she thought that wasn't enough of an achievement.


'And look!　Even this one didn't appraise, and I got it right for Tutum!　If I had this on hand, the secret wouldn't be any more obvious, and maybe this one is brand new!　That way, one person's approval and Tsutomu can leave, so it's convenient, right?
You.....


　When did she steal from Leleia without being found out, and when did she steal from Leleia, and the mysterious paper was in Amy's hand? Tsutomu looked at her as she risked the folly of stealing from her friends, which would be found out the next day.


'Ho, is there anything else we need to do?　I'll do whatever he tells me to do!　I'll get this appraised and ask for permission to come home!　And you're going to be a stronger explorer from now on!　I'll be practicing more skills from now on, and I'll be able to stand around like Dini-chan, who can also serve as an evasive tank!


　But Amy was also driven to the point of not even realizing her own folly.

　Amy is the first to learn Tsutomu's big secret, and she sees it as a chance to get closer to him. She's seen it as a chance to close the distance between her and him, and she's done a lot of things in her own way so far.

　However, she has never been in love with him before, and there is no way that she can use Tsutomu's secret to close the distance between her and him, as she has never been in love with him. She is not able to behave as she should in front of Tsutomu because her mind has become fuzzy, and the secret is no better than a powerful potion for her.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information about this in the article. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of your time with us.

　And now that secret, which only he had, is about to be known to all the members of the clan. Amy, who had been completely driven into a corner by it, had no choice but to give everything she had.


''So... so... so...?''


　Amy said as she fell to her knees as if begging for her life and shed large, ragged tears.


I'm not going to be able to do anything about it. I'm not going to leave me, please don't........