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The Lanpeach Complex is spacious. Way too spacious.

The building is a mall and an apartment complex. Something splendid that you wouldn’t be able to buy without forking over a fortune.

There were a variety of stores inside, so this complex could have been called a town of sorts.

In his previous world, this complex is on the level that neighborhood housewives would be spreading rumors about how only foreigners doing investments would buy a complex like this one.

There’s the need for a lot of soldiers in order to protect a building of that size. And so, their soldiers are few…

“B-Boss, we will fight as well. See, we brought our weapons.”

It at the very least isn’t the boy that is holding a rusty iron pipe with his trembling hands. It is also not the young children at his back that are trembling profusely.

Dry apparently was shouting that enemies are coming to attack on her way there. The children heard these shouts and gathered.

“Aah, no need, no need. I alone am enough. Go hide just like the other residents. Properly make barricades in front of the doors.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach waved his hand with the belittling smile of a minor villain. He glared at the courageous but reckless children as if making fun of them.

“Eh, but there’s apparently a whole lot of people coming. We want to help protect this base as much as possible!”

“W-We will die if we are abandoned here.”

“I will do my best even if it kills me!”

The desperate resolve of the boy that was allowed to join the team after having a fist fight against Lanpeach, and his comrades.

It hasn’t been long since winter arrived. The actual cold will be coming soon, so having Lanpeach lose and getting chased out would be the same as death.

That’s why they decided to protect this place even if they end up heavily injured or they die.

Holding an iron pipe is on the better side. There’s even children who are holding a piece of rubble or rocks.

It is far from the kind of sight that would make you believe they would be able to fight against adults and win.

Lanpeach respected that motivation of theirs, but the cowardly minor villain wouldn’t just shout ‘I see, then follow my lead you runts!’ like a chivalrous movie and bring them along with him to battle.

“Just hide already! You wouldn’t be able to move once a comrade of yours is made a hostage anyways! You are a hindrance. I am enough!” (Lanpeach)

That’s why he decided to threaten and shout at them.

The children looked at each other’s faces with that shout and reluctantly nodded, but they still had to say this at least, so they faced Lanpeach.

“I-If they get all the way here, we will fight too! That’s okay, right, Boss?” (Yuuma)

“I have no intention of letting them get all the way here, so that’s fine. Well then, I will go welcome them.” (Lanpeach)

“Go welcome shem.” (Koume)

“Wait here too, Koume.” (Lanpeach)

He began walking off and Koume began to follow along like a duckling, so he picked her up and gave her to Yuuma.

“Me too! I want to go with Papa-shan~! Uwaa~n!” (Koume)

Lanpeach headed to the entryway while waving and smiling wryly at the little girl that was bawling behind him.

And then, he faced the only person he allowed to come with him, Dry, while walking down the stairs, and brought out the potion he got a moment ago.

“It is okay for me to use this potion, right?” (Lanpeach)

“Hn. Bought it for Peach-oniichan. Should be super effective.” (Dry)

“I see…” (Lanpeach)

[Worst Potion: Restores 2 HP.]

[Arya arya~ What’s this? Trash? Normal potions should recover 5. This is so bad~.] (Libra)

Libra peeked at the pill in his hand in her ethereal form, and cackled with a baffled tone.

He understood why she was laughing. Lanpeach felt the same.

He has never seen a potion this weak even in the game.

(Low grade potions normally restore 5 to 8 HP though…) (Lanpeach)

But he couldn’t laugh.

It is because Dry was looking at him with sparkling eyes of expectation.

Dry firmly believed that Lanpeach will be okay and that he will recover if he has this potion.

(Well, I think I will be able to answer her expectations.) (Lanpeach)

He took off the bandages around his shoulder and the gouged shoulder from the fangs of the Rat Man appeared.

The bleeding stopped and a thin layer of pink flesh was covering it, but there’s still intense pain, and his shoulder would stiffen when he tried to move it, making it hard to use.

HP: 12.

He confirmed that he recovered a bit of HP thanks to having slept half a day. He grinned and threw the pill into his mouth.

The effects of the pill worked properly.

The flesh swelled the moment he swallowed it, and the gouged shoulder returned to its original healthy shoulder. The skin was also clean without a single wound in sight.

The wonder drug, Potion.

Its power heals wounds instantly.

“Ooh, potions really are good! Recovered completely. Peach-oniichan back to normal!” (Dry)

“So it seems. Thanks, Dry. You saved me there.” (Lanpeach)

Dry jumped in joy and poked his shoulder, her face turning into one of admiration.

It looked like a serious injury in reality, but it is just 2 damage in the game.

That difference is making the potion look like it has quite the effectiveness.

And so, Dry was once again shown just how incredible potions are.

(It is so mysterious… I now understand that you recover with the game damage as a basis, but that was a big injury no matter how you think about it, and I even fainted. What kind of state would I be in if my HP lowers to a fatal degree? Is it on the level where my limbs are torn off and my internal organs have bursted? I don’t plan on testing it out though.) (Lanpeach)

There’s no pain even when he spun his shoulder, and his movements weren’t hampered. It is unbelievable, but it seems like his body works on game logic as well.

“Alright, there’s no problem with this. Dry, please intercept any enemy that comes up the stairs of the 7th floor. I have no intention of letting them get all the way there though.” (Lanpeach)

“Hm?? Dry won’t be joining the fight?” (Dry)

“Yeah. Minute actions are important in a base defense after all.” (Lanpeach)

“Muh… Can’t be helped. Call me if it gets dangerous. Will go immediately.” (Dry)

“I will write you a telegram to go back at once.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach said this, left Dry, and went down the stairs.

He pondered while going down the stairs.

The uneasy faces of the residents you could see peeking through the rooms were saying ‘I don’t mind who becomes the boss, but don’t get me dragged into it’.

He could only sigh at how terrible this event was.

(What would have happened if I had raised Lanpeach just like that without doing a Reset? No, what if I had gone through this normally without using the hidden trick even if I used Reset?) (Lanpeach)

He would probably have Gunmanship Level 3 and Physical Combat Level 2. If he were to take Alchemy and Presence Detection, his Physical Combat would be level 1. He wouldn’t be able to use Instant and Repair.

(I would have been done for. I haven’t been too conscious about it, but I would have died -fitting the role of the minor villain fodder Lanpeach.) (Lanpeach)

He would have died in a ditch. He wouldn’t have been able to make money without Alchemy. Even if he did take it, he would have lost in the battle against Dry without Instant. There’s no doubt he would have been eaten alive in the basement with the Rat Men.

Lanpeach gulped and turned serious.

It is a scary tightrope walk now that he thinks about it again. He could only think of this as something actively trying to kill Lanpeach.

And then, he also felt like the death of Lanpeach would in some shape or form be connected to a quest for the protagonists.

Save the orphans, Dry would obtain the Frost Bracelet, get a request for the complex that has had their residents wiped out by the propagation of Big Rats and have them explore the place.

He was sure he was right about this. Lanpeach exists as a stepping stone for the protagonists.

(It might be me being too paranoid here, but I have to act with that assumption in mind. I have no intention of dying after all.) (Lanpeach)

The alarm rang the moment he reached the 2nd floor. A bright red window appeared.

[An attack on the base. Please defend it posthaste.]

[Enemy Forces: 112 people. Highest Level: 2.]

It is something he has grown used to seeing when he was a player. The beginning of a base defense. The beginning of war.

[A base defense battle will begin~. Prepare properly, okay~?!] (Libra)

Libra spun with her shrine maiden clothes, and poked the forehead of Lanpeach, looking excited and having fun.

“Combat Forces 0, no gimmicks for defense… It is a quest where I am at an extreme disadvantage, but…fine. I will show you my power.” (Lanpeach)

The minor villain showed a ferocious smile like that of a beast, warped with malice.

5 times. He has cleared this game 5 times.

No matter how high the difficulty, no matter how many times he had to take the most optimal actions or he would die…

“I have decided, Libra. I have resolved myself. I am changing my perception.” (Lanpeach)

[Perception? About what?] (Libra)

He didn’t answer Libra who was in wonder and thought this internally.

(I have decided that this is a game world. I have decided to perceive this world as a well made game world that is based in reality.) (Lanpeach)

He might have had to perceive this world as the real world normally. But he can’t acknowledge this world as reality. It would make it harder to maintain his sanity.

He can become a hero if it is a game world. He could kill thousands to millions without feeling remorse.

Lanpeach has resolved himself with this upcoming base defense.

“Go, you guys. The party has started.” (Lanpeach)

Several things ran off through the shadows of the building after he said this.

◇◇

Tsuyoshi and the others entered the moment he reached the 1st floor.

Close to 30 people entered the once splendid reception floor, leaving muddy footprints. They had grins on their faces and they were sure of their advantage in forces and their victory, so they walked with confident steps.

“Good timing. Do you have precognition or something? Well, I have to prepare for defense, so this helps though.”

[That’s the wonderful service of the Space Library! It keeps surveillance of the base’s surroundings, keeps tabs on the monsters, makes predictions, and notifies you about people that will be attacking. In other words, my power! Go ahead and be grateful, you you.] (Libra)

There was time to prepare for defense in the game. Lanpeach was convinced that this is the explanation when it becomes reality.

He smiled sadistically as he welcomed the assailants.

Chihiro is standing while being grabbed by the collar by Tsuyoshi, and the people around were surrounding her.

Around half of them have wooden guns. The remaining ones have rusty iron pipes. And then, the one at the forefront is a man with green armor.

“Yo, Tsuyoshi. Did you all come here to apologize? Then, I will forgive you for a million Ele per head. Pretty realistic price, right? If you can’t, I can introduce you to a nice financing company.” (Lanpeach)

“Ha, Lanpeach, we have these numbers. Coming here to apologize? There’s no way that’s the case. We have come to take your base.” (Tsuyoshi)

“Hooh, why are you feeling up to par when you ran away with your tail between your legs?” (Lanpeach)

“Generator and water purifier. It seems like you bought new ones. We are going to steal this base and sell them to other teams. We should be able to get a decent position if we give it as a present.” (Tsuyoshi)

Lanpeach understood this.

They would be able to get several million Ele. So a downside of Repair has popped out here.

It is a factor that the game didn’t have.

“We have also taken your lover as a hostage. We will at least spare her if you run away obediently. What will you do, Lanpeach?” (Tsuyoshi)

“Lan… I am sorry.” (Chihiro)

Tsuyoshi threatened and the captured Chihiro got teary as if apologetic.

Of course, the answer of Lanpeach was already set.

“I refuse. I won’t give you this base. It would be the end if I did after all.” (Lanpeach)

He is living in a world full of death flags.

He can’t go back now.

Lanpeach has to run forward without looking back. The road behind him is steadily crumbling after all. He would die.

“Looks like there’s no deal. The request will be accomplished if this hoodlum is killed. That’s fine, right?”

“Yeah, Jakots-san. Counting on you.” (Tsuyoshi)

The man wearing armor, who clearly has an atmosphere of being on a different level, took a step forward.

His mouth was warped into a smile. His hands were wearing something like scissors and he was making snipping sounds to intimidate.

“Well then, let’s finish the easy job. My name is Jakots. Please spread my name in hell, okay?” (Jakots)

“Advertisement for when you drop there eventually?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach takes a step and…

“Gaha!”

Punched away Tsuyoshi who was standing deep in.

He held Chihiro in a princess carry and ran through the enemies that didn’t understand what happened just now.

“Uhahaha! Tsuyoshi, I will be waiting deep in the base! Smell you later~!” (Lanpeach)

And then, he left with a crooked shout and disappeared in the corridor.

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