VIP Chapter 223: Crap, I’ve become the Bro Friend?
“At school, do you have any really close… friends?”
Finally, with the dungeon exploration going smoothly, Will asked the question.
He actually felt it was a bit abrupt, as the transition to this topic was a little too forced, clearly “asked for the sake of asking.”
But…
Based on Shuna’s answer, he could verify the guess in his heart.
“That…”
Shuna answered simply—
“No.”
“!”
Will was taken aback.
“Uh… As an example, like, someone you could team up with to explore dungeons, discuss the dungeon knowledge learned in class together, and put theoretical equipment and skills into practice with…?”
Will trailed off, suddenly feeling like something was off.
“Mm-hmm~”
Shuna, who had been walking, also stopped and “appreciated” Will speaking sentence by sentence with her arms crossed.
“This… this sounds like…”
Teaming up for dungeons – just like now.
Discussing knowledge learned in class – they had been communicating for ten years.
Putting theoretical equipment and skills into practice – they had already tried it all once.
In the original work, the protagonist, who was like a blank slate, received too much help, guiding him onto the path of dungeon exploration he was destined for, even fostering his obsession with the “logistics” role…
That bro friend who only existed in “memories” and had already died…
“Uh… this, this description sounds a bit like me?”
“I told you, aren’t you usually very smart? How can you be so foolish at this point and not notice.”
Shuna smiled happily, seemingly thinking Will’s questions were meant to please her.
“That’s right, it’s you!”
She very directly took Will’s hand.
Leading him, she opened the door to the next floor.
“Hmm… I don’t know why, but even my dorm room is for one person, and I don’t get along with the students around me. Indeed, during my school days, I only communicated with you.”
“So, from this perspective, I do have a very close friend.”
“Right, Little Will?”
…
Words that sounded like they indicated a very close relationship…
However, as Will listened, his mind was filled with “Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no.”
So, the biggest deviation did indeed appear…
The one who hadn’t truly appeared in the “story” so far, leading him to see a deviated fate, wasn’t the protagonist.
It was the person who controlled the protagonist’s fate.
He disappeared, so his “Shining Star” team also ceased to exist. If Shining Star ceased to exist, Shuna wouldn’t have experienced the grief of her entire team being wiped out.
But…
Now he had been shoehorned into that position.
Shining Star was his team.
The cheerful, but still strong protagonist, was his teammate.
He now had an extra identity – that of the one who was supposed to have died…
“Be serious, Will. Even though it’s a simple whack-a-mole game, don’t space out.”
*Bang.*
Shuna’s hammer struck in front of him, crushing the head of a small demon that had poked its head out to spray ink-like liquid at them.
“I’ve saved you many times.”
“Y-yes, I’m sorry, I’ll be more serious…”
Myself…
Why am I standing in the shoes of someone who, in the original work, used his death to bring about the protagonist’s change!?
This is an even bigger FLAG than being cannon fodder villain!
But why am I still alive? Could his perceived absolute timeline be mistaken?
There must be something wrong with the “fate” of this world…
“Still thinking about the princess?”
However, Shuna interrupted his thoughts with another topic.
When he came to his senses, Will found himself and Shuna standing in front of Lucifer’s BOSS room.
He seemed to have vaguely wandered through twenty-nine floors of this playground-like dungeon, the Tenth Demon City, with Shuna.
He had experienced all the “attractions” in this “playground,” but he had no clear memory of it, only recalling his analysis of “Shuna’s identity” and “his own positioning.”
“Yes, it is indeed a very important matter, but don’t worry too much. Since Lucifer has designed so many interesting things, you should enjoy it. You never know when you’ll encounter such a dungeon again.”
Shuna said, ruffling his hair.
This is bad…
Will felt like he was a salaryman on a date with his girlfriend at an amusement park, but his mind was constantly on overtime and work, completely failing to enjoy the time. And then he had to be comforted by her.
“Mm…”
Will didn’t know if he should tell Shuna his thoughts.
Hmm…
But how could he say it? “Actually, you are the protagonist who might kill me? Whether from the perspective of me being a villainous cannon fodder or your friend?”
“Don’t worry, we’ve gone through so many floors. You should be able to feel it; she really… just wants to play with us. She’ll give you the heart.”
Will felt like he and Shuna were not on the same wavelength.
This also proved that she truly loved this dungeon.
Although she appeared by his side as a “mysterious young girl” and someone “dazzling like a protagonist,” as if harboring secrets, Shuna was actually very straightforward and easy to understand.
She had been enjoying this dungeon journey with him for this brief month.
“Strange, you seem a bit down today. Is it the princess that’s troubling you? No, that can’t be right; last night you were full of ambition.”
Shuna leaned closer and gently placed the back of her hand on his forehead.
“You don’t seem to have a cold either.”
“Alright, alright, it’s really fine.”
Will moved Shuna’s hand away and put on an expression he was confident would hide his anomaly.
She was right.
He might never encounter such a special dungeon again.
He should enjoy it wholeheartedly and have fun.
“After all, if I don’t handle Treya’s matter properly, she might tear me to shreds. Naturally, I have to think more.”
Will put his hands on his hips with a confident air.
Shuna paused, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.
However, she still placed her hand on the doorknob of the door leading to the BOSS floor—
“Okay, shall I open this door then?”
“Of course.”
“Do you remember our division of labor?”
“Remember. I’ll fight, you watch.”
“Good, then I’ll open it.”
*Creeaak—*
The door, resembling a carnival entrance, was gently opened, and before them was…
Having changed out of her school uniform, with shining, impossibly tall demon horns, a red and black skirt like an idol’s performance outfit, and shimmering white stockings covering her legs—
“Hee hee hee! I’ve been waiting for you all for a long time. It’s Princess Lucifer!”
The Empress of the Tenth Demon City, Lucifer, who appeared to be a short loli.
“How is it? Aren’t you surprised by my meticulously prepared magnificent outfit?”
She confidently puffed out her chest and sat on a chair, crossing her legs.
