Dungeon's Final Boss: Banished by My Boss, the Goddess, to Earth—So I'll Continue My Past Life - 97

Chapter 97: While On the Move

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Fate was truly a mysterious thing. A twist no one ever expected came before us. Surami had come under the control of a boy who possessed the 【Monster Master】 skill.

For the boy named Satoru, Surami—a vampire of the true ancestor-class—was clearly way too strong for him. It was clear she didn’t get subdued by him. That said, judging from her demeanor, it seemed Surami had grown attached to him as well. If that was the case, then it was probably best to leave things as they were. Whatever happened next would depend on them.

While looking for a means of transportation, we found a highway bus was found. We decided to use that to head toward Hiroshima. The military helicopter I had used to get here couldn’t be used for travel to Hiroshima, at least not for the return trip.

In other words, no taxis this time.

This trip to various locations had been arranged privately among the S-rank group, not as official business, which also played a significant part in the decision. Because of the highway bus’s departure time, there wasn’t even a chance to properly speak with Satoru or Surami before boarding.

Once seated, I opened a can of coffee I had bought earlier and sipped from it while eating a sandwich. To pass the time, I examined the black object stored in my Item Box. If it had originated in a dungeon, its name would have shown up immediately, but apparently, this wasn’t one of those items.

Then, maybe this thing could be replicated?

Using the 【Box Workshop】skill within the Item Box, I tried to replicate the item. If an item could be replicated, the required materials would be displayed. There were generally two ways to create things using 【Box Workshop】. One method used only magical energy; the other displayed a list of required materials, with no magic needed.

This time, both options appeared. Upon checking the materials list, it read as followed:

『Blood of the Defeated, Condensed Resentment, Womb of a Witch.』

Just reading it made the item’s ominous nature clear. There was no way I had such materials in stock, so I tried creating it using only magic energy. Anything made using 【Box Workshop】 could be analyzed afterward to see what it actually was.

The replication succeeded without issue.

『Curse Resonator: Requires multiple units to be effective. Generates a curse within the area where installed. The density of the curse varies depending on range and number of units.』

It was a worthless thing. I immediately dismantled the replicated one and reverted it back to magic energy.

What was the person who stole this trying to accomplish? There was no way they didn’t know what was hidden inside that stolen Buddha statue.

“…Well, I suppose I’ll stop thinking too deeply about it.”

Curiosity had gotten the better of me, but this might’ve been one of those “Curiosity killed the cat” situations.

…Whether someone trying to kill me would consider me a cat was another matter entirely.

“Speaking of cats…”

There were cat-type monsters, too.

Like Lupazus. It looked like an ordinary black cat, but had the ability to automatically inflict curses and debuffs on hostile targets. Its combat ability wasn’t particularly high. In occult contexts, cats tended to be valued more for their mystical qualities than physical prowess.

The highway bus made a stop to pick up new passengers. Someone ended up sitting in the previously empty seat next to me. Unfortunate, but unavoidable. The bus began to move again.

“Are you Jiro Hasegawa?”

The man who had sat next to me suddenly spoke. I turned to look. He wore a modest suit and had a friendly smile.

“I am, yes.”

“Ah, that’s good. I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Something to discuss?”

“I’d like you to return what you took from those men.”

“…My, my.”

Someone had suddenly come to get close to the cat.

“That’s quite a rude way to say it. I don’t know who you’re talking about, but you’re saying I took something from someone?”

“There’s testimony from them.”

“I don’t know whose testimony you’re referring to, but I can’t help you if I don’t know what you want me to return.”

The man kept smiling, his expression unwavering.

Was it to avoid revealing his intentions? Or was it a sign of confidence? Either way, I had already decided on my approach. I would feign ignorance completely.

Even if the “them” he referred to were those villainous duo, without physical evidence, testimony alone wouldn’t hold up. More importantly, if this were an official police investigation, the man would have shown a badge. The fact that he didn’t mean either he wasn’t a cop, or he was hiding his identity.

Either way, it was certain he had something shady going on.

“If you think there’s no way to investigate the contents of an Item Box, then you’re wrong.”

“That item isn’t good for you. Please, hand it over.”

“You’re trying to make an enemy of someone you really shouldn’t.”

Threats started pouring in, but I kept a blank face throughout. This man likely didn’t have much valuable information to offer anyway. In that case, it was better to wait until something more interesting surfaced.

“This conversation is pointless. Next time, bring a lawyer or the police—or anyone else you’d like.”

“Just because you’re Awakened doesn’t mean you can do anything you please.”

With those parting words, the man got off at the next stop. Now then, who was behind him? I was starting to get a little interested. After getting off the highway bus, the man immediately took out his phone and made a call to a certain location.

“My apologies. The negotiation failed. He flatly refused to acknowledge possession.”

“I see. But you’re certain he has it?”

“Yes. We used 【Memory Probe】on those two.”

“In that case, regrettable as it is, we’ll need to proceed with a more forceful negotiation.”

“You mean hitting the back entrance?”

“That runs the risk of being detected by Niitaka, so for now, let’s try to lay low”

“Understood.”

“I’ll dispatch someone right away. Let’s show him that he’s not the only one who treats that place like lawless territory.”

“You can count on me.”

After ending the call, the man got into a car that had conveniently pulled up beside him. After instructing the driver to head for Hiroshima, he gave a smile quite different from the one he had worn earlier.

“…I can’t wait. Seeing those cocky S-rank types in despair will be a truly delightful sight to behold.”

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