The World Is Overflowing with Monster, I’m Taking a Liking to This Life

Chapter 148: Talking with Nishino-kun about our Current Situation

Nishino-kun and Rikka-chan arrive a few minutes later.

Wheres everyone else? Theyre helping out at the City Hall. Rikka and I were able to leave because its our break time. Natsun, were you okay? I was worried. Rikka-chan hugs Ichinose-san as soon as she arrives and begins to rub her cheek against Ichinose-sans.

Ichinose-san protests with a flushed face.

R-Ricchan! Dont hug me so suddenly without prior notice! Fine. Ill be hugging you right now, okay? Mugyu Thats not what I meant The two high school beauties deepen their friendship while ignoring the men.

Oh, but its more accurate to say that only one person is enjoying it.

Regardless, theyre really close.

Im sorry. Rikka can be annoying at times. Why is Nishino-kun apologizing? Whenever she causes a problem, Im usually the one who apologizes. You have it tough. Im used to it. Nishino-kun reveals a bitter smile.

Was he dragged around by Rikka-chans whims when they were at school as well?

I can envision it in my head.

His smile appears somewhat melancholic.

For some reason, he looks like a working adult, even more so than me.

Am I right to assume that the Evolution proceeded smoothly? Yes, as you can see. I spread my arms wide and make a spin.

Well, its not like anything has changed appearance-wise though.

Nishino-kuns expression is clearly asking, So what exactly changed? We chose an Evolutionary Path that maintains our original appearances. Nishino-kun and Aisaka-san, what do you guys think? Anything strange about us? Hmm.

Nishino-kun inspects me and Ichinose-san.

Unable to bear all the attention, Ichinose-san turns away.

Her communication issue lives on even after evolving You wont throw up, right?

Please dont throw up, okay?

Theres nothing strange about you two. Yup. Are you any different? Ah, but I can feel that the atmosphere around onii-san is now much more oppressive and dense compared to before. Even for them, nothing seems to appear out of place.

As for what Rikka-chan said, it should be due to the improvement in my status and the changes in my occupations.

I feel like Ive become quite strong.

You evolved into a Newtype, yes? From the outside, it doesnt look like theres any difference. Did something change? Yes.

Although Ive already explained everything via Mail, I reiterate about Newtypes and the other Evolutionary Paths.

With more than 10 Paths provided, it takes some time for me to finish explaining.

A little over 20% boost in status and the increase in potential? Thats quite vague, isnt it? Youre right, but I think it was for the best. I have no regrets about my decision.

But if Im being completely honest, its slightly no, really unfortunate that I didnt get to see Ichinose-san with cat ears.

Aside from that, I have no regrets.

Yup, no regrets.

Personally, I wouldve loved to see Natsun with cat ears. Ohhhh, Rikka-chan is speaking for me.

Ricchan

Ah, sorry. Im just kidding. Dont stare at me like that. Im getting a little scared. Muu

With puffed-cheeks, Ichinose-san playfully hits Rikka-chan.

Poka poka.

Kudou-san, the fact that you chose this Evolutionary Path means that you are willing to continue working with us?

The two girls freeze upon hearing Nishino-kuns words.

All three pairs of eyes are concentrated on me.

Thats right. Is that so thank God. Nishino-kun pats his chest in relief.

Ichinose-san and Rikka-chan also look reassured.

Its not like I can vanish now that I have revealed the existence of my Item Box. Indeed, I had told Nishino-kun and his friends about my Item Box after the battles had ended.

To be more precise, Nishino-kun inquired me about it.

You have the Item Box skill, am I right? <- Like that.

Nishino-kun was convinced that I had the Item Box skill or something of that nature after watching me battle Alpha and Titan.

That alone was enough to surprise me, but Nishino-kun even managed to speculate that I was the culprit behind the disappearance of all the supplies around the Home Center .

He also came to the conclusion that I was the one who treated them when they had fainted from the attacks of the High Orc.

Nishino-kun, youre too smart for your own good.

As expected, it made me wary of him at the time.

I trusted Nishino-kun, but there was always that slim chance of something going wrong.

I even considered whether I should leave with Momo and Ichinose.

However, my worries turned out to be unnecessary.

Its okay, we wont be leeching off of your supplies, nor are we planning on dragging you down. That said, what do you think about continuing our collaboration? It was as if he had visited the inner depths of my heart.

He recognized that Ichinose-san and I did not want to bother interacting with the others.

Furthermore, he noticed that we didnt want to be relied on purely for our Item Box and our skills.

Really, how did such a considerate child become known a delinquent?

Anyway, that was how we officially joined hands.

Now that I think about it, I very much welcome a friend like Nishino-kun.

Its also good that Ichinose-san gets to stay with Rikka-chan.

The problem is that Ichinose-san still hasnt gotten rid of her fear of strangers, but there isnt anything I can do about that.

Good luck, Ichinose-san.

If its you, Im sure youll be able to acquire skills like Shyness Resistance and Communication Disorder Resistance.

If its at all possible, I hope you prioritize in acquiring Vomit Resistance.

Quickly.

Even so, evolving at LV30? We still have a long way to go. Yup.

What are your levels? I havent confirmed with them yet, but their levels should have shot up after their battle against Alpha.

Im at LV21. My level rose by a lot after that battle. I also got a new skill. LV15 for me. The gap between Rikka and I is steadily growing. Rikka-chan is at LV21 and Nishino-kun is at LV15 They shouldve obtained an explosive amount of experience, but I guess it wasnt nearly enough for them to reach LV30.

What skill did Rikka-chan learn?

Was it a bonus for slaying Alpha?

Im curious.

Ill be the next to evolve. Ill be widening the gap between us even more, Nisshi. Tell me about it. Just make sure you consult with me before you choose your Evolutionary Path, alright? Youre the biggest source of worry here. I get it, Nisshi. Youre such a worrywart. Rikka-chan gets slightly angry at Nishino-kun, but the latter brushes it off.

Theyre truly good friends with one another.

By the way, when I asked about the other peoples levels, I was told that Shibata-kun reached LV13, Goshogawara-san reached LV12, and the others have reached around LV8 to LV10.

Nishino-kun also told me about the levels of the City Hall members.

The mayor is at LV3, Fujita-san at LV16, Chief Shimizu at LV19, and Nijou at LV12.

Since he cant leave the City Hall, I expected this to be the case, but the mayors level is really low.

On the flip side, Chief Shimizus level is decently high Isnt she second only to Rikka-chan?

When I asked Nishino-kun how he knew, he said that he just asked them normally.

He also informed me about their occupations.

Nijous occupation was quite unexpected. To think she would have such an occupation Im thankful that you provided us information about the Evolutionary Paths prior to our evolutions. Ill reference them. Please do. If some other races appear as options, please let me know. I will search it up. Thank you in advance by the way, Kudou-san. Hmm? What is it? Nishino-kuns expression turns serious.

Well, hes serious most of the time, though.

Have you decided on what to do from now on? Hmm

A plan for the future.

For now, we have to immediately help Aka recover. If Aka doesnt regain its strength, things can become problematic in the future. Furu furu.

With Akas newly acquired skills, the number of strategies we can employ has increased exponentially.

However, before that, wed need to let Aka absorb slimes again.

To regain all the power it has exhausted, we would need to go to the sea and hunt slimes.

Hunt, hunt, and hunt some more.

After that, well be checking out our new skills and occupations, seeing how well we can cooperate as a party, and testing out the skills by hunting monsters. Then, well gather information and secure supplies. Lastly, well raise our levels. Our plan is the same as before.

Its just that we can act more daringly thanks to the Safety Zone.

Hearing my plan, Nishino-kun puts his hand on his chin.

Then what about Fujita-san? What about him? Of course, Im talking about the Item Box. Oh, right

I fold my arms and look up at the ceiling.

To be honest Im at a loss.

At first, I planned on telling only Fujita-san about it, but then I realized that the information would inevitably be leaked to the mayor, Chief Shimizu, and the other members.

Fujita-san is a trustworthy person, but the same cannot be said about the people around him.

Considering what happened with my ex-colleagues who went out of control, I can safely assume that the City Hall isnt completely united.

I think its better for you to remain silent if youre struggling to decide. Watching me struggle, Nishino-kun gives me such an advice.

Currently, there are only disadvantages to telling the City Hall members about the Item Box, Fuijta-san included. It should remain within our circle for now at least. And by that, you mean? Its too early. I think you should reveal its existence when the situation changes. Fujita-san and Shimizu-san are making a move as we speak. I see so thats whats happening. I understand what Nishino-kun is trying to tell me.

Certainly, that will be to our benefit as well.

Huh? What do you mean? On the other hand, Rikka-chan remains as oblivious as ever.

Rikka. How many residents do you think there are in the City Hall now? Hm? Uh, about 120 people? 128. Ever since we completed the quest, some more have joined. Did it increase again?

As a side note, Ichinose-san has turned pale upon hearing the number of people in the City Hall.

Increase in the number of people = Ichinose-sans despair intensifies.

Dont throw up, capiche?

Isnt it a good thing if we have more people? We would need to gather more to raise the level of Town Development, right? Youre not wrong. It isnt a bad thing in itself. The problem is that the number of people who have defeated monsters and obtained skills is too small. Is that so?

Werent you next to me when Fujita-san told us about it? Do you remember the number of skill holders in the City Hall right now? Well about 50 people? Wait, I remember! 48 people. How unexpected. You did well. Ehehehe.

Nishino-kun pats Rikka-chan on her head.

Its just the number of people who can explore and fight against monsters properly is even smaller. There are only around 30 in total, even if we include ourselves. Isnt that less than a quarter of the total population?

Its lower than I anticipated.

No, there were more of them.

Its just that a lot of them perished when they faced Alpha.

Theres no point in presenting ordinary people with food from the Item Box if they dont have any power to fight. It would only go to waste and you wont get anything in return. Sharing with good intentions can only hold true at times of peace. .Yes.

Its harsh, but its as Nishino said.

We arent trying to do charity work.

If I have to provide food that hasnt rotted and can be further preserved, I want something of equal value in return.

It might seem calculative and petty, but its what we have to do in order to survive in the current world.

Nishino faces me again.

Fujita-san and Shimizu-san are also concerned about this issue, so in addition to the post-war cleanup, they are urging residents to change their mindsets as well. Hee.

Theyre trying to persuade them to fight monsters?

Its true that we can expect a sufficient return if all the residents become skill holders.

A return known as Strength.

What is the ideal situation for you, Nishino-kun? At least 70% of the people becoming skill holders and having them train to fight monsters. Thats just my ideal, though. When this is realized, then the City Hall will be able to function as an actual base. Perhaps other Item Box owners will step forward, reducing the need for Kudou-san to keep it confidential. Wouldnt that be a sufficient return for the food? Yes that certainly makes sense. I hate one-sided relationships.

Parasitic relationships are bound to crumble at one point.

Well, if its Fujita-san, he might be able to control the situation one way or the other, but Then lets keep the Item Box a secret for now. Is there a way to hide it? You dont have to worry about confidentiality. Kudou-san and Ichinose might not have been informed about this, but private spaces are now available after the expansion of the Safety Zone. Is that so?

Thats news to me.

Oh, did this happen while we were asleep?

However, theyre only provided to the skill holders and core members. Our group was also assigned some vacant houses towards the North of the City Hall. Gas, water, and electricity are all working properly. Thats rather amazing.

In that case, we can keep the existence of the Item Box secret by keeping it away from other peoples eyes.

By the way, there are female-exclusive rooms. Natsun, lets live there together. That will that be fine with you? Wont you find it annoying to stay with me? What are you worried about! Of course itll be fine. We can sleep and bathe together like we did when we were in middle school. Uh, yeah, thank you, Ricchan but itll be embarrassing to take baths together After all, Ricchans style is so good. Nah, you dont have to think about it. Lets go in together. No, uh.uuu okay. Ichinose-san gets pushed to a corner.

Shes blushing, but she seems to be in favor of living with Rikka-chan.

Of course, a room has been prepared for Kudou-san. Its a place which receives lots of sunlight. Thats sounds fairly attractive. Isnt it? It wouldnt matter how much food you take out there. Others wont be able to notice it. Fufu, youre right. Our stomachs growl at the same time.

Im hungry.

It makes sense since I slept for 2 days straight without consuming food.

Its turning dark outside, so lets eat something. Do you have any requests? Will that be okay? To be honest, I havent had meat for some time Of course, Im not saying we must eat meat, but Nave, Nishino-kun.

I have more than enough meat stored in my Item Box.

I have thick slices of unseasoned steak, seasoned steak, and even some salted steak. Naturally, theres rice to go along with them. Since weve just become official companions, why not commemorate this day by eating a little luxuriously? There is enough meat for everyone in Nishino-kuns group to eat.

Chewing on those hot, juicy steaks with white rice in my mouth No, garlic rice might be a better fit.

As a side menu, we can have shiitake mushrooms dipped in a mixture of oil and soy sauce.

Dangerous. Just thinking about it is making me drool.

Kudou-san Im really glad we met you. We shake hands firmly.

Wont you feel guilty about having meat while the other residents are starving? No.

Nishino-kun says so resolutely.

Its hard to resist the charm of meat, isnt it?

We grin evilly at each other.

So you understand where to draw the line. Cant the same be said about Kudou-san? You wouldnt have joined hands with only us otherwise. Youre absolutely correct. Were both terrible people. Indeed.

After that, we confirmed our future plans and headed for the vacant houses that Nishino-kun and his teammates were assigned to.

Ill be taking a proper rest today and begin working in earnest from tomorrow onward.

*****

-That night-

Momo is eating more meat than any of us.

She deliciously devours the thick, unseasoned steak meat and asks for seconds.

Who do you think is doing all the cooking?

Its a lot of work, you know?

Wan!

Stop hitting your plate with your paw!

Stop looking at me with those pleading eyes!

Only one more, alright?

Im worried that Momos tongue will become spoiled.