Dungeon Refrigerator 273

Test

Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Companions

So, after introducing Jerome and his group to Tsunami-san, I left the super sento behind.

I told Tsunami-san, "These are my acquaintances, so if they run into trouble, please help them out." Likewise, I asked Jerome’s group to lend her a hand if she ever needed it.

Yeah, with this setup, they should work together and manage things smoothly.

…

“Yo, long time no see, Muto! How’ve you been?”

“Zukki!? Whoa, is that really you, Zukki? Well, I’ll be! Leave it to you to be wandering around at a time like this! Gahahaha!”

With how much I was roaming around Tokyo amid the stampede, I thought, might as well drop by every friend I’ve been meaning to see. So, I decided to stop by Muto’s Chiropractic Clinic.

“Ah, Zukki-saan!”

“Oh, Kato, Sato, and even Goto-chan! You’re all safe, huh?”

These guys were seniors from my chiropractic school, and they taught me quite a bit. Yeah, they were really kind to me, which made going to school a lot of fun.

“Man, I gotta say, you made it here at quite a rough time. And what’s up with that outfit?”

“Zukki-san, didn’t you have, uh, that white armor before?”

Yeah, they wasted no time commenting on my appearance. Well, I guess it’s no surprise, seeing me decked out like a festival float.

“This is a different armor. These days, you need gear like this if you’re going to fight monsters.”

“Wow, that’s some impressive get-up.”

“By the way, Muto, aren’t you doing your doctor thing this time?”

“Hm? Oh, I was. For a while, the place was packed with patients. But now that the monsters have vanished, most folks went home yesterday or today.”

Ah, so that’s how it was.

“Were there a lot of monsters around here?”

“Yeah, well, there used to be a dungeon nearby, but the JSDF cleared it out before things got too chaotic. So, I guess it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.”

Muto adjusted himself on the round stool, shifting his slightly plump body. Then he turned toward Goto-chan and Sato.

“The patients were calmer compared to before, right?”

“Yeah, Goto-chan.”

“Good. I came by to see if I could help, but it looks like everything’s fine. Hm, what’s that?”

“Oh, those are fishhooks. We used them for suturing—filed down the barbs with a rasp.”

I see. I was wondering why a chiropractic clinic had fishhooks. That explains it. Picking up one from the table, I examined it.

“Wait, the barb’s still there. Does that mean this one hasn’t been filed down yet?”

“Yeah, it’s actually a bit of a hassle to sand down small hooks like these.”

I see. Judging by the way Kato and the others exchanged knowing looks, it’s clearly tedious work.

“Alright, leave it to me. I’ll sand them down in no time. I’m good at stuff like this.”

With my muscle power and crafting skill, sanding the barbs off small hooks is no big deal.

…

By the time I finished, it was already getting dark. I decided to stay over at Muto’s place and, in exchange, treat everyone to dinner.

[(Bubble, bubble...)]

“Wow! That smells amazing!”

“Yeah... though I’m a bit worried the smell might linger.”

Goto-chan was thrilled by the aroma of the simmering pot, but Sato seemed oddly concerned about the aftermath.

[Clatter!]

“Whoa!? What a feast this is! And look at the size of that crab! How’d you even get this beast!?”

“Oh my!”

Muto, who had gone to fetch Sudo-san from the pharmacy, returned and was taken aback. Yes, what you see here is a giant crab hotpot, using the crab’s entire shell as the pot itself.

I dragged the gas stove from the break room and set it on the floor. For the gas extension, I improvised with a rubber tube from the clinic’s stretching equipment. Not ideal, but it’ll do for now.

“Come on, both of you, take a seat. Don’t worry, this crab’s a monster, so it didn’t cost a thing. No charge for this meal!”

“Well, that’s nice and all, but man... Ha! Zukki, you got me beat. Alright, Sudo-san, let’s dig in.”

“Yes, let’s. It looks absolutely delicious.”

Hmm, isn’t Muto and Sudo-san’s chemistry a bit... too good?

[(Poke, poke...)]

(Oh?)

Just as I was thinking that, Goto-chan, sitting next to me, gave me a quick wink. Ah, I see how it is! Looks like spring has come for Muto.

Alright, let’s help things along. I’ll make sure to hand Muto a particularly big crab leg.