Chapter

chapter04 · 098-ep98

Episode 95: Training Collab and a Small Disclosure from Ojou-sama

Mitsuki and Honoka were speechless for a time.

Karin had suddenly vanished, only to reappear holding their target hypnosis monster, the Bad Status Taratect, against her chest.

Honoka timidly pointed at the blindfolded, rope-bound spider monster and asked—

"U-um, Karin ojou-sama...? How did you find that...?"

"I simply expanded my detection skills' search range across the entire floor, desu wa!"

Karin answered as if it were obvious.

"I had never met this monster-sama before, so I did not know its specific presence. Fortunately, all the lower-layer monsters in this dungeon apart from Taratect-sama were ones I have fought before. By instead tracking the one presence I had never encountered, I found it, desu no! But we were lucky. If none had spawned in the first place, there wouldn't have been shit to find, so cheating a little proved worthwhile, desu wa ne! Now I can attempt to acquire hypnosis resistance without making everyone wait, desu wa!"

【????????】

【I don't understand what she's saying...】

【All I understood is that ojou-sama was so relieved to avoid a slow video that she said "shit"...】

【I mean, when she trained Honoka-sama's <Divine Artisan>, she did charge straight to the grasshopper nest...!?】

【And she located every fleeing Black Tiger member and could walk straight to the boss room in a dungeon she'd never entered before...】

【Of course she can instantly discover a rare monster if one has spawned anywhere on the floor!?】

【She's shown us countless times how dangerous her detection is, but this...】

【Doesn't that mean she can efficiently farm whatever monster material she wants!?】

【Isn't the synergy between <Divine Artisan> and the Karin Ojou-sama Sensor completely disgusting...?】

【From the bottom of my heart, I'm thankful that the item-box-material monster is a random spawn...】

【This ojou-sama was talking earlier about keeping the video exciting, so there were times she deliberately DIDN'T use this while gathering materials!?】

"Ah... abyabya... As expected of Karin ojou-sama, the personification of 'absurdity' walking around in a dress...! My heart is pounding too hard from the excitement... Hah!? N-no. I cannot do anything strange on Karin ojou-sama's stream..."

【Didn't Mitsuki-sama's face collapse for a moment just now????】

【She'd been so quiet today...】

【I guess maintaining that public face is reaching its limit】

"Now, let us immediately begin trying to acquire the hypnosis skill, desu wa!"

While everyone around her remained stunned for various reasons, Karin cheerfully moved the stream into its next phase.

"This appears to be the limit of how far we can bring a lower-layer monster-sama, desu wa ne."

After safely securing the hypnosis monster, Karin and the others returned to the part of floor 1 of the lower layers closest to the surface, before the passage leading to the middle layers.

When voluntarily exposing themselves to hypnosis magic, the surrounding environment was critical.

Naturally, an area where only the weakest possible monsters appeared would be ideal. But here, the monsters' habitats became an issue.

As a rule, monsters could only live in regions filled with mana dense enough to match their strength.

This was why, irregularities aside, monsters from the lower and deep layers did not appear on higher floors. It was also why monsters did not advance onto the surface unless a dungeon collapse released mana aboveground.

Consequently, the floor-1 entrance was the highest they could take the captured Bad Status Taratect. They decided to undergo hypnosis there so they could immediately evacuate to the middle layers in an emergency.

"Then let us begin at once."

After checking that she sensed no monsters nearby, Karin removed the Taratect's blindfold. She stared into the eight revealed eyes for several seconds.

"M-mikyuu."

Karin made a strange noise and sat down on the spot.

Her eyes lost focus. Then—

"Oh my, what an adorable dog brute-sama, desu wa~"

With that, she began single-mindedly petting the rope-bound Taratect.

【Ojou-sama, what are you doing!?】

【Ah, I thought it was her usual bizarre behavior, but I see. That's what the hypnosis does...】

【It makes the monster look cute to the target or something...?】

【That's a lot better than one that provokes friendly fire】

【Having to maintain eye contact for a while before hypnosis activates is relatively merciful too】

【Could this video ACTUALLY be useful as a reference for acquiring hypnosis resistance????】

【No, this is pretty vicious, desu wa yo!? Besides hypnosis, the spider has venomous spines growing all over it!】

【Oh, its name suggests it has multiple status effects!?】

【Hypnotizing people and making them stroke its body covered in venomous spines is vicious...】

【The hypnosis is destroying ojou-sama's vocabulary, LMAO】

Yes. This spider monster's hypnosis was exceptionally rare: it made the target believe their surroundings were safe, misidentify the Taratect as a cute animal, and pet it obsessively.

For hypnosis magic, which most commonly plunged its victim into confusion, that might sound peaceful. But the reality was cruel. Countless poisonous spines covered the Taratect's body, so anyone who petted it would suffer a succession of other status effects on top of the hypnosis.

But...

"Still, hypnosis truly does feel disgusting, desu wa ne~. The presence clearly belongs to a dungeon, yet I am being forced to relax. This person still has the presence of a monster-sama, yet I can see nothing but a dog. Well, as I have the opportunity, I shall lavish affection upon it. Poison does nothing to me."

【Ojou-sama sees through the illusion like we expected, and the venomous spines don't affect her at all lmao】

【Well, this is the ojou-sama who shrugged off a lower-layer boss's poison and a deep-layer monster's hypnosis lmao】

【Spider-san looks visibly confused, LMAO】

【Forget the poison not working—isn't the skin of her hand preventing the spines from penetrating at all????】

【I see. This IS a monster suited for developing ojou-sama's hypnosis resistance】

【Her maxed-out poison resistance is paying off here】

【(...Wait. Considering how resistance skills are trained, isn't maxed-out poison resistance insane...?)】

As the viewers noticed, poison had no effect on Karin whatsoever. Thanks to both her abnormally refined detection skills and maxed-out poison resistance, the Bad Status Taratect's malicious status-effect combination was completely ineffective.

Without the poison, its hypnosis belonged to the gentler varieties. Karin wouldn't be shown phantom enemies and begin rampaging, so she could attempt to acquire hypnosis resistance in comparative safety.

All that remained was to maintain this state for some time until the skill manifested.

"...Okay, good. I was a little worried because it's a lower-layer monster, but the hypnosis has taken hold properly... Ojou-sama can fight well enough while hypnotized, but Mitsuki-san and I should handle as much as possible... And watch our surroundings in case an irregularity occurs..."

Just as Honoka began directing her attention outward—

CLICKCLICKCLICKCLICKCLICKCLICK!

For some reason, the sound of a camera shutter rang through the dungeon's lower layers.

Mitsuki had her smartphone out and was furiously photographing Karin smiling as she petted the monster. She was shooting from so low an angle that she was practically lying on the floor.

Burst mode.

"...Mitsuki-san? What... are you doing...?"

"...Eh? Ah!? N-no, you've misunderstood! My hands moved on their own! My hands moved on their own!"

Clink.

Honoka produced a pair of handcuffs and advanced. Mitsuki shook her head furiously, looking genuinely more shocked than anyone at herself.

【Mitsuki-sama, what are you DOING, desu no!?】

【Mitsuki-sama is the irregular monster here】

【Stop behaving like an irregular】

【Caught in the act + the stream recorded the crime in perfect detail. That's more than enough evidence】

【Saying her hands moved on their own makes it even WORSE lmao】

【It wasn't just your hands. Your whole body was VERY animated!?】

【Mitsuki-sama's perfectly blank face while taking the photos is terrifying enough to haunt my dreams】

【Why are a police officer and a pervert doing a comedy routine in the lower layers????】

【↑As expected of Karin ojou-sama's disciple and fan】

【She could clip the footage afterward, so taking photos under all those watching eyes must genuinely have been unconscious】

【But a video clip wouldn't let her worship Karin ojou-sama's cute expression from a low angle...】

【Why does she need to photograph it from a low angle...?】

【Our Mitsuki-chan is going in stranger and stranger directions...】

【F A R T O O L A T E】

【The Shijou family and White Knight must be smiling awkwardly right now】

The comment section was baffled by Mitsuki's sudden bizarre behavior.

Honoka also continued monitoring their surroundings as she said—

"...Um, we've already wiped out the monsters around here, and Mitsuki-san apparently kept proper watch even in that state... But even if ojou-sama is beyond all standards, we don't know how long acquiring the skill will take... So please take this seriously..."

"I-I have no excuse."

【Seriously!】

【Still, keeping watch properly through all that is very Mitsuki-sama】

【Naturally, a voyeur watches their surroundings while committing the crime...】

【↑At least remember the floating camera exists】

【Also, Honoka-sama can sense that Mitsuki-sama was properly watching the surroundings. She's developing solid fundamentals instead of just relying on <Divine Artisan>】

【N-now, putting Mitsuki-sama's crime aside, this is where today's stream truly begins!】

【How long do they have to maintain this state before resistance appears?】

【Even ojou-sama will probably take an hour. Apparently poison resistance routinely needs a combined two or three days to acquire】

【T H A T L O N G】

【No wonder so few people manifest it despite the skill having an established acquisition method!?】

【Well, even an ordinary cold takes several days to recover from and develop antibodies against】

【A monster-derived status effect naturally would too】

【If ojou-sama stays hypnotized for hours, never mind days, Mitsuki-sama's reason isn't going to last!?】

【And resistance skills aren't guaranteed to appear in the first place】

【What'll happen?】

【I put on a diaper so I won't miss the moment she gets it】

【↑This isn't an RTA; take your phone to the bathroom!】

While Honoka continued watching the area and gave Mitsuki a mild lecture, the comment section filled with voices preparing for a long battle. Perhaps trying to keep an endurance video lively through its inevitable slow period, comments trended upward.

And then—

"Ah, I believe I just acquired the resistance skill, desu wa!"

""........................Eh?""

【Hah?】

Suddenly.

Karin sprang to her feet with a cheerful declaration. The comments, Honoka in parole-officer mode, and dejected Mitsuki all fell silent.

For a moment, everyone suspected that the hypnosis was making Karin spew some even more incomprehensible nonsense than usual.

But it wasn't.

Her eyes were clearly focused despite suffering no heavy impact. She showed no visible sign of remaining hypnotized.

Nobody knew whether she had actually acquired the resistance skill, but she had at least broken hypnosis by herself without impact!? Less than ten minutes after falling under it!?

Honoka and Mitsuki rushed over to Karin.

"...!? Eh, wait, K-Karin ojou-sama...!? You said hypnosis resistance manifested... But before that, how did you break the hypnosis without headbutting anything...!?"

"Thanks to you and Honoka-sama, desu wa!"

Karin answered the confused Mitsuki with a radiant smile.

"Even while hypnotized, I could tell that you were both thoroughly watching our surroundings. So I left the vigilance to you and tried focusing all my detection skills inward, desu no. There was a scene in Dungeon Alive where they broke hypnosis that way. When I did so, I could faintly detect the mana from the hypnosis magic? doing something bad in one part of my brain. When I concentrated my own mana there, I managed to break it, desu wa! 'Breaking it through your own power' is the most effective method for gaining resistance, so presumably, this way of undoing hypnosis counted as breaking it myself without impact, desu no. I can feel that a resistance skill has sprouted."

""...!?""

【What does that MEAN!?】

【No, there is no way that's true!?】

【B-but she clearly doesn't look hypnotized anymore... and no headbutt】

【Karin ojou-sama is always confused, so you can't tell if she's sane from her face, desu no!?】

【↑That's just a normal insult, LMAO】

【I-if we believe ojou-sama, does this mean resistance skills can actually be trained efficiently through some method...?】

【Even if so, that method presumably requires detection skills on ojou-sama's level...?】

【F-for now, verify it with an appraisal item!】

【This stream is about acquiring the skill, so you naturally prepared one, didn't you!?】

Karin thanked the two, saying she could not have tested this method alone and their help had been invaluable, while everyone around her descended into chaos.

Honoka hurriedly prepared the appraisal item they had brought in advance.

It was a crystal made by layering materials from multiple monsters with advanced detection abilities. Connected to a device, it could display the skills it read. Even more than the floating camera, it was an advanced fusion of machinery and magic item.

Items of this kind were permanently installed at guilds for paid use, but they were also commonly sold for veteran explorers who didn't want others knowing information like their levels or skills. This one was among those commercial models.

It could measure the name and level of the explorer's skills, but not the explorer's own level. Karin held her hand over it.

Then, when she deliberately channeled mana through it, the connected smartphone began displaying her skills—ZAZAZAZAZAZAZA!

""!?""

Honoka and Mitsuki froze again.

Countless strings of text poured across the smartphone screen like a paranormal phenomenon, garbled beyond recognition. Then—droooop...

The appraisal crystal connected to the phone melted and collapsed.

【!?】

【Hah!?】

【Wait wait wait wait! Hold on!】

【What was that paranormal phenomenon!?】

【Where do I even BEGIN with this!?】

【SCARYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!】

【What WAS that!? What just happened!?】

【Eh, wait, I caught a glimpse of tons of text being displayed. Were those seriously all skills...?】

【There were too many skills to read, so the device crashed... Is that it!?】

【Then at least make it explode! What do you MEAN it melted!? Why!?】

"HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!? Wh-why is the crystal melting, desu no!? Eh? Eh? Could this possibly be my fault, desu no!? Or was it defective!? Th-this is strange! This has never happened once with the crystals I made myself... I-I'm so sorry! Mitsuki-sama, this is the one you borrowed from White Knight-sama, is it not!? Even if I must wash dishes for centuries, I shall compensate you!"

The comment section screamed at the sudden event, and even Karin, the cause of the commotion, joined in. The scene descended into complete chaos.

"T-too many skills to measure...!? Ah, th-then if we limit the reading by skill type... No, if we set it to display only the most recently acquired skill..."

Beside Karin, who had forgotten she was a superchat billionaire and kept bowing, and Mitsuki, who had fallen into a daze, Honoka took out a backup measuring device and prepared it. Once Karin finally calmed down, she had her measure her skills again. Then—

Hypnosis Resistance Lv. 1

The newly acquired skill was displayed in clear text.

"Ah, th-thank goodness, desu wa. I properly acquired it. Even if I compensate you, it would be un-Elegant to destroy someone else's item only to discover I had been mistaken, desu wa ne...!"

【No... way...】

【Sh-she actually acquired it...?】

【Eh, no, could she have acquired it beforehand...?】

【Daily reminder: Karin ojou-sama is incapable of that sort of duplicity】

【Please tell me this was staged...】

【And while you're at it, please tell me that melted crystal was defective...】

【I thought ojou-sama would naturally acquire it early, but this...】

【No matter what, that was WAY too fast...!?】

"Wait, how does this work, Karin ojou-sama!?"

Having rebooted from her frozen state, Mitsuki voiced the viewers' thoughts.

"It may be natural for Karin ojou-sama to break hypnosis through some absurd method... But even though breaking it by yourself is effective for acquiring resistance, it ordinarily takes several attempts before it manifests, even for someone with resistance aptitude. The person's level doesn't overturn that principle... I did believe Karin ojou-sama would surely do something like acquiring it early, but even so... why did you obtain the resistance skill in such a short time!?"

"Ahh, when I first began, resistance skills were difficult to improve, just as you say, Mitsuki-sama. There is little one can do to practice resistance, and even after I finally gained poison resistance, it remained at level 1 for ages."

Karin spoke as though remembering her earliest days as an explorer.

"But once I passed level 4000, my resistance skills and physical abilities suddenly began growing more easily. So once you and the others cross that point, Mitsuki-sama, I am sure you will be able to develop resistances more easily too, desu wa!"

""........................................................................Four... thousand...?""

【Hey. HEY】

【What did she say?】

【【Breaking News】Karin ojou-sama confirmed above level 4000】

【Wait wait wait wait!】

【Hey, is that something she can say on-stream!?】

【F A R T O O L A T E】

【Um, ordinary common sense holds that the country's strongest-class explorers are probably just over level 3000... um...】

【W-well, people already predicted a level around there once she crushed the full force of the country's strongest clan alone without a scratch...】

【Since we don't know when she crossed 4000, her current level remains unknown】

【This absurd ojou-sama debuted as an explorer just over two years ago, for real?】

【Aren't you shaving about a hundred years off your age????】

【So ojou-sama's scatterbrain comes from her true age... Is that it!?】

【Far too late to ask, but what even IS this ojou-sama!?】

【I thought a collab with Mitsuki-sama and the others would be relatively relaxed, but this relentless carpet-bombing of information has withered the LMAOs】

【Is this scorched earth?】

【Violence by information】

"Uheh... uwehe... too absurd... This... This is why I can never stop taking Karin ojou-sama... I'm so glad I abandoned society's approval and my family to follow her... I really do want her autograph carved all over my body...!"

【Ah! Mitsuki-sama's mask finally came off!】

【She has revealed her true form】

【It isn't just the crystal—Mitsuki-sama's face is melting too, desu waa!?】

【How can she make a face that indecent upon seeing a level-4000+ monster who melts appraisal items...?】

【Honestly, she did well lasting this long...】

【That is absolutely the eighteen-plus face that proves Honoka-sama was right to come】

"Eh? Wait, Mitsuki-sama, what has happened to you!?"

"...I think she's simply happy, so it should be okay..."

Karin's sequence of bombshells caused yet another uproar, but afterward, the stream training resistance with the Bad Status Taratect proceeded smoothly.

Because it was only a lower-layer monster, her skill remained far from max level. But once the resistance skill manifested, its level also rose at an abnormal speed.

"Phew! Thanks to Honoka-sama and Mitsuki-sama's help, I reached the target level far sooner than expected, desu wa! Now that I have raised it this far, it will be easy to continue alone... Next time, I shall help with your training, so please ask me whenever you wish!"

"You have already allowed us to accompany you on such an extraordinary stream, and now you offer us that...! Thank you very much...! Once I have fully digested today's shocks, I shall ask you again...!"

"Thank you... I have to become stronger so I can protect Karin ojou-sama..."

【No way... She reached the target level in under two hours...!?】

【What does "endurance stream" mean...?】

【An endurance stream (that pulverizes the audience's mental endurance)】

【As long as Karin ojou-sama is happy! (blank stare)】

【Also, they're already exceptionally strong. What's going to happen if Karin ojou-sama personally trains these two...?】

【F-for now, I want Honoka-sama to hurry and become strong enough to restrain Mitsuki-sama!】

Centered around a delighted Karin, viewer reactions were excellent.

Despite causing all sorts of confusion, the endurance stream, which passed eight million concurrent viewers, achieved its goal. Karin and the others safely began their journey home before sunset.

―――――――――――――――――

I wanted to advance a little further, but combined with the last episode, this grew oddly long, so I split the upload. The Dungeon Queen arc begins in earnest next time, desu wa!

※Also, Ojou-sama Buzz is currently fourth overall for the year after just over half a year since posting, which is rather incredible. Despite never ranking first overall for a day, week, or month, it somehow looks capable of eventually ranking first overall for the year, a situation that makes very little sense! (Every series above Ojou-sama Buzz has been posting for roughly a year.)

Someone told me in a status update comment that even on days when I don't post, the series apparently remains in the daily rankings normally, which is presumably why. In other words, this is thanks to everyone who has continued supporting it! Thank you, desu no!

So although we stand just before the Dungeon Queen arc begins in earnest, if you are enjoying the story, I would be happy if you continued supporting it with stars and follows, desu wa!

Once again, thank you for strongly supporting Ojou-sama Buzz this year.

Next year will bring the beginning of the Dungeon Queen arc and hopefully various announcements regarding the print edition, so I hope you look forward to it! Have a wonderful New Year, desu wa!