Something's wrong, they're not NPCs?

Chapter 353: Well, maybe he is waiting for me to be born
6 month 28 day.

Chiyo district.

I should be familiar with this place...

After all, I was born here. I also attended kindergarten, girls' junior high school, and college here. Until I just got the grand prize and the deviation value for Izu Capital University was higher than 85.

【Shenan Station】

Picking up the road sign buried in cement and mud, I couldn't tell that the ruins in front of me were once such a prosperous commercial center.

"Where did you live before?"

"...I live 6 kilometers from here, in front of there."

I pointed south.

If you have ever stood here, you will definitely see the bustling high-end apartment area.

"So, you used to be a bourgeois? A rich lady?"

"You're joking. But... I guess so. Compared to my peers, I don't have to worry about the future, nor do I have to worry about money."

After more than two years, I set foot on this land again.

I have mixed feelings.

But after taking a deep breath, I saw his expression... It was completely different from mine, as if he was here for a trip.

In a day and a night, I didn't see many monsters.

But it was clear that two years ago, Chiyo District was a hell where anyone who went there would disappear and no one wanted to talk about it.

Could it be that the so-called elite monsters here have actually died long ago?

Even if he died, how could the monsters outside not come here?
"Tokugawa, here I come. I'll leave it to you this time."

"Ah."

Following Mr. Su's voice, I also saw the monster coming out from behind the security booth at the bottom of the apartment building. It only had three tentacles, and its body was not very big, and there was no pattern on it.

At most, it is a type that is slightly stronger than the low-level monsters that are easiest to deal with.

"Shh-"

I clenched my katana and it was easy to deal with.

6 month 28 day.

Night.

Still in Chiyo-ku. Maybe because few people have the courage to come here, you can occasionally find a fairly complete hotel. That is to say, all kinds of facilities are relatively complete.

Clean towels, bathrobes...

There was no shortage of food either. If you had the guts to search the deserted streets and alleys, you could easily find more resources than I would have spent a whole day on before. Not to mention the pharmacy, which was messy but had most of the medicines well preserved and not looted.

"Do you Izu people also eat hot pot?"

"Eat. But it's not called hot pot, we call it boiling stove."

"In your textbooks, what era was 300 million years ago? Have you ever heard of the Triassic period, the Cretaceous period, or something like that?"

"……No."

"Who invented electricity? Have you heard of Tesla, Edison, etc?"

"..."

I shook my head.

Who is Tesla?
Who is Edison?

Wasn’t electricity invented by a Westerner named Aiwei?
"Really? It doesn't look like it's really a different place... The civilization is similar, abstract."

Although I don’t know why Mr. Su asked these questions that were inconsistent with my memory while eating hot pot, I could see that he didn’t care.

You're not as weird as me, are you?

I held the steaming bowl in my hand and thought, if my father really disappeared a long time ago, the one I wanted to take revenge on, the one I had been working so hard on for two years... was not there at all.

What should I do?

Go back, maybe join some regular human organization to hunt monsters, until death or the day of light again?
Or, no matter what... numbly, still die as a lone wolf on the road of hunting monsters?

"what……"

Staring at Mr. Su slurping the wide noodles, he seemed to be a little hot and was breathing heavily.

I am indeed a little confused, so I want to ask this question, right?

Because he is a senior who has experienced as much pain as I have and is still alive.

I want to know what the meaning of his life is, why and why he has become like this... He looks very relaxed and doesn't care about anything.

"Tokugawa, do you have something to say?"

But when he turned his eyes to me, I paused again.

"No. I just didn't expect that the Chiyo district that everyone feared would be like this."

"Don't let your guard down. We've only taken a few steps. If we take a few more steps, a troublesome guy might pop out."

"..."

I certainly won't relax.

I have shed countless sweat, waiting for this moment.

6 month 29 day.

noon.

"Tokugawa, there's something to play with."

"?"

I don't quite understand why Mr. Su, who had returned from a separate trip, smiled so brightly. Is there something good?

"follow me."

"..."

Following Mr. Su's footsteps, I soon found out why he was laughing so happily.

monster.

No less than twenty monsters were hiding in the dark sewers. I don't think it was because they liked sewers, but because someone had hidden there before. There were some lumpy hairs around them that had long since changed color and become dirty.

Nothing moved.

But the human body was trembling subtly. The tentacles, which were larger than my entire body, were completely disproportionate to the body and emitted a very disgusting stench.

"Maybe it's because they can't find food, so they choose to hibernate."

"It may not be long before he wakes up because we are here."

"But instead of waiting for them to wake up from their comfortable sleep, why not wake them up and see if there is the monster you are looking for inside."

"..."

No.

The first thing I looked for was a familiar work badge and a gray suit.

6 month 29 day.

in the afternoon.

My clothes are stained with filth. Wiping blood from my samurai sword.

"Hiss... you're progressing a bit too fast."

"It's all thanks to your care."

In fact, I was also surprised. I didn't expect that I could gain an absolute advantage among them when there were at least two high-level monsters mixed in.

Even a small scratch on my shoulder healed quickly...completely different from my previous level of self-healing.

Mr. Su's surprised expression means he is finally starting to worry that I will turn against him one day?

"Do the evolvers have any special abilities? For example, controlling fire, electricity, and gravity. If you eat the meat of these high-level monsters, will you have new abilities?"

"..."

But he didn't seem to be worried at all, but rather curious about the abilities of the evolvers.

"I haven't heard of the fire and electricity control you mentioned, but I have heard of people who can withstand high voltage electricity. There are also evolvers who fell from more than ten floors without any damage."

"Maybe they will become more and more resistant to many things, but there won't be any characters like the ones you mentioned."

I haven't heard of it, but he can use it. That is to say, his right hand can emit a faint blue fire and light cigarettes.

Are all the evolvers in the East so strong?

"Excuse me, the evolvers in your hometown... at what stage would you be considered an evolver if you were at your level?"

If the evolvers from Mr. Su’s hometown were infected with monsters of the same level as him, no matter how much I trained, I would not be able to resist within two years.

"Hometown? In my hometown, it's only the most basic. Many people don't use cars when they go out. They fly with swords instead."

I can still distinguish between jokes and truth.

Maybe Mr. Su doesn't want to talk about his tragic past, just like me.

7 month 1 day.

Night.

Where is Dad?

Was it really dead a long time ago? Perhaps it was hunted by someone, or perhaps it was eaten by some higher-level monster that was too hungry.

Hunting stronger monsters here doesn't give me any comfort at all.

I can't find my goal, and I don't understand the meaning of my previous efforts. Can I consider my revenge as complete? Then I should consider the things I didn't think about before, and the things in the future?

"call out--"

He was just dazed for a moment, and the samurai sword in his hand was knocked away by Mr. Su.

"Tokugawa, not in good shape today?"

"Feel sorry……"

I picked up the samurai sword, shook off my messy thoughts and concentrated on dealing with Mr. Su's attack. Well, I didn't find any monsters that were worth training, so Mr. Su chose to teach me personally.

7 month 6 day.

I don't know how long it would take to walk through a prosperous city or a special economic zone in the Eastern country that Mr. Su mentioned, which covers an area of ​​over one million square kilometers.

But Chiyo-ku isn’t really that big.

It only takes one day to travel around the city by tram, and walking around the city is enough to reach most places.

I didn't find my dad.

"Think it through. After all the hard work of coming here, you should at least get rid of your obsession, right?"

"Even if they really don't exist, they won't eat clothes and watches. You don't have to look for a monster. It's okay to find a substitute that can prove that it is the monster you want to find."

"..."

Mr. Su is right. I can't go back without any gain.

At least I need to know for sure that my father is dead and where he died.

But in the end, does this really make sense?

Rather than looking for a useless ID, everything in front of me proves that there is nothing I need to do in Chiyo District. Revenge... It's just hatred for all the monsters who caused the city to become like this. It's not that strong. It's just ordinary hatred that you have to have if you want to survive no matter what.

So, now is the time to ask, right?

"Mr. Su."

I looked at him cooking something while he sat beside the induction cooker that he had assembled using batteries and wires.

"Ok?"

"Although you didn't end it yourself, you did help me get my revenge."

"As agreed, I am your property next."

"..."

"Can you tell me now? What do you want me to do in the end?"

As long as Mr. Su tells me what I need to do, I don't need to think too far ahead. I don't need to think about living or dying in the long run.

"It's early. I think the monster you're looking for is still alive."

But he didn't answer.

7 month 6 day.

late at night.

I don't know whether I'm shy or just not used to it.

In short, why would she subconsciously avoid Mr. Su and go somewhere else to change clothes?

I've already said that as long as you help me get revenge, you'll be willing to stand up and get kicked... and he took my body away. I had no reason to hide it before, and I have no reason to hide it now.

Facing those gazes that glanced and then looked away, I became more and more open.

"..."

I never thought coming to Chiyo District would be like this. It has nothing to do with revenge. Every day is either hunting monsters as usual, or eating hot pot and practicing.

I don't know what to do. My experience of that kind of thing... I also have a general experience of what it felt like when Mr. Su treated me as his wife.

"Tokugawa?"

"Although you didn't say it, if you miss your wife... turn off the lights. It's okay to treat me as your wife for a short while. I won't say anything to ruin the atmosphere."

"What?"

7 month 6 day.

late at night.

"Then I will go to keep watch."

After Tokugawa finished cleaning, he put on his clothes and took the knife and went out.

The little light came on again.

Didn't get to that point.

"..."

Su Ming stared at his right hand, what should he say?
He refused to be grabbed and put in her canteen, and he also refused to explore the mysteries of her body.

But you can’t guard against it!
tmd.

She wants to explore the mysteries of her own body, and what should she do if she has already mastered the secrets before she speaks?
The more she refused, the more she smiled.

What do you mean, 'Actually, I understand that you are not a lustful person. I have never thought that you would be interested in me... It's just that this is the only way to repay me. You just treat me as Miss Xue'er for a short time.'

Close to the face and open wide.

It was definitely touched on the face... No, the face was not touched, but the right hand was really touched.

Why didn't Xue'er say a word or type a single word?
After witnessing with your own eyes how a good person was transformed, you are so angry that you are speechless.

[Plato, if you shake your hand again]

[I personally took her knife and chopped off her head! ]

Typing.

[Also! I'm not blind! I can see what a mean, obscene, lustful, and perverted person she is! You don't need to remind me! There will only be such perverts around you!]

Why does it feel like she even scolded herself?
and so.

Then again, where is the monster assigned to the mission? Is her father still alive?
The game shouldn't make such a stupid mistake, right? You can't just find the remains of the monster and then whip the corpse, that's too abstract.

No, this won’t work. We’ve wasted so much time on the second task. We need to find a way to speed up the progress.

If this continues... I feel like Tokugawa will turn into something terrible first. Why is that? I have been so restrained this time, why is it still developing into my own shape?

Everyone says there is a goddess of luck.

Could it be that the goddess of Slaanesh is standing behind me?

7 month 8 day.

noon.

"Mr. Su, do you really want to do this?"

Tokugawa Airi certainly wouldn't think of such a casual method to find monsters.

But Su Ming can.

That is to say, I managed to find materials and finally made a big speaker that can amplify sound. I installed it on the electric pole and it kept making noise.

"Whoosh-"

Perhaps the monsters that were originally dormant would naturally be awakened and rush here one after another.

7 month 10 day.

The effect is really good, and I even saw patterns again... monsters that are even more terrifying than before.

But having learned from the last lesson, Su Ming would not be contaminated by the body fluids again, so he went for the autopsy fully armed.

"Useless……"

Supervise Tokugawa Airi while she eats and won't let her lose control and eat it all at once.

But these things no longer seemed to have any obvious effect on her.

7 month 12 day.

Night.

She has the ability to act independently, and Su Ming will not ask her to act together. Anyway, they can come back immediately if anything happens.

"Mr. Su, I found it."

"..."

When they came back from finding clues, they saw her with a dejected look on her face, holding her work badge whose strap had been stained so long ago that it was in a state of disrepair.

"Dad, he... should be dead. Yes, he is definitely dead."

"ended."

"I no longer have to do what I wanted most. Thank you."

Perhaps it was because she saw a living person again that she couldn't hold back the tears in her eyes. She cried silently.

【Tokugawa Omote】

【Position: President of Chiyoku Co., Ltd.】

"..."

It should be true.

So, what is the mission objective?
Already dead, could it be that the target of the mission wasn't her father at all?

"Although I no longer have to do what I want to do, I still have to kill all the monsters... This is something I decided a long time ago."

"Please train me again! Use a real sword, and let me know more clearly that I still need to become stronger!"

Is it because you know that your biggest obsession is gone and you have no chance to do it, so you want to numb yourself with high-intensity training?
7 month 13 day.

early morning.

"Please take a shower first. I want to review your moves just now."

"And then… before you actually start taking a bath, I want to repay you one more favor."

The lights went off again.

Still bending down and cleaning as before. Blonde hair swaying.

Su Ming always felt that something was wrong.

Although it makes sense that you really want to repay the revenge you’ve received…it just doesn’t feel right.

【Favourability: 69】

[Description: I think you are an extremely powerful person. I am grateful to you.]

This time it’s really not a good feeling.

I just want to see what Tokugawa wants to do. Is it because it's too confusing to end it all at once and he's thinking about how to repay me, or is it something else?

7 month 13 day.

One o'clock.

Sure enough, when Su Ming was taking a shower, if he listened carefully... he could hear light footsteps outside.

It seemed that in order to avoid being discovered, he chose to go out barefoot and tiptoe.

Just say it.

Just because he was confused about the future, it was impossible for him to suddenly stop in front of him before he took a shower, turn off the lights and say something like "repay him". It was more like setting a flag before he planned to do something, like an attitude that he had repaid his kindness and could do anything without any worries.

7 month 13 day.

Two o'clock in the morning.

I set out on my journey home alone.

Well, home... is where I used to live. I couldn't tell from the ruins that it was my home.

Yesterday, I came there again and saw it.

I spotted it from afar through a telescope. Something that looked like a monster appeared in the mist.

Although they are tentacles, they imitate the movements of those in life.

I tried to fix the bedroom door which was already in ruins. I broke it by accident... Before it happened, my father always said he would fix it quickly, but he never got around to it.

It would also take out the broken ends of samurai swords from the ruins and put them together... and then get angry when it found that it couldn't be put together easily. It would madly beat the things around it, causing the ground to tremble.

Now, it was trying to get into its father's car, which had long been crushed into a piece of twisted paper by the collapsed house.

These were my father’s habits when he was alive.

"..."

I gripped my katana tightly. I took a deep breath.

There seems to be something left in my esophagus. Is that ok?
If anyone is to blame, I can only blame Mr. Su for trusting me too much and forgetting that I am actually a woman who will do anything to achieve my goals.

The hands are still shaking.

But now that I have found it, this is what I should do. End it with my own hands. If I am still alive, then I am willing to go back and commit seppuku to apologize, even if it means I am just a toy for Mr. Su to tease me. It doesn't matter.

“Gulp…”

My father, who had become a monster, seemed to have no idea what I would do next from such a long distance away.

After getting furious when he found out he couldn't get into the car, he sat there blankly, purring with a strange sound like a cat snoring... Listening carefully, it was a melody I was very familiar with.

'Dad, what are you humming?'

'secret.'

'mean……'

"I'm not being mean, I mean the song I hummed was 'Secret'. Back then, I used this song to get first dibs at Inada University and made your mother fall in love with me."

"Darling, what are you talking about with Ai Li-chan again?"

'Well, actually this is your mother's favorite song, and it's the only song I can sing in its entirety in order to woo her.'

I have a question.

I regret not asking Mr. Su the question.

Did he seek revenge after his wife disappeared? If his wife turned into a monster, how did this monster, who kept her habits from her lifetime, kill her?
But I can't turn back.

No one will do anything for me at this time, and no one will come to save me. I must do it, and this is why I have lived until now.

Sorry, Mr. Su.

Thank you for all your help, but in the end, all I can give you in return is just a little help before you take a shower. That's all.

Just remember me as a mean woman. Or just forget about me and just laugh it off as a joke.

"Huh... Dad, you're dead."

"You can't live like this. You're already dead. You died two years ago... when you killed Mom. I couldn't save you then, but I can... now."

I took a step forward.

I ignored the coldness in the air that was getting thicker with the fog. I just felt that every step I took was extremely heavy, and every step I took reminded me of the warm family in the past.

There is dad, there is mom, and there is me.

"Although Airi-chan will get married sooner or later, as long as he is a good man, dad will definitely be very happy."

'Hey, old man...you shed tears too early.'

'Aren't you crying too?'

"That's right, when I think of our Airi-chan gently putting a scarf on the man she loves one day, I always feel happy and lonely. "

Weird.

Even if I get married, I will definitely bring my husband back to my parents' home often to visit.

"Rumble--"

It was bigger than any monster I had faced before. When it stood upright, it was as tall as the two-story traditional Izu building where I used to live. The clothes in the middle part of its body had long been torn because of its large size, leaving only some remnants. The work badge and watch were picked up here, maybe they were lost when it changed its size when it came back here.

It had no eyes, and even less did it look like the father I remembered. It just waved its tentacles, which became increasingly blurry in the mist.

"Dad, you once taught me... that a knife is used to cut off injustice. It is not something to bully people."

"Now, after practicing with Mr. Su, I can use the Iai Slash more smoothly than before."

"Please check it yourself!"

"what!"

I have no other thoughts, no hesitation.

Or I'll die here.

Or, I succeed in my revenge.

Actually, what I was looking forward to was not just revenge... I didn't care whether it was successful or not. I just had a strong feeling that I had to do something after losing everything.

Hmm. Maybe Dad and Mom have already reincarnated and fallen in love again, waiting for me to be born.

(End of this chapter)