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Over the Infinite Chapter 17 Part 4

 

“Panda.”

Damn it, even though it shouldn’t be here, the voice of that sunglasses-wearing panda is haunting me. It’s auditory hallucinations.

Because it even shows up in my dreams, I clearly remember what it looked like, and that’s just the worst.

For a character as weak and fleeting as it was, it tops my list of monsters whose existence I want to erase from my mind.

「So, you know, there’s this skill called ((Panda Hurricane))—」

Yuki is discussing pandas with Philos and the others. Can we please stop this discussion?

What the hell is ((Panda Hurricane))? I don’t understand. Why such an intriguing skill name?

Damn you, panda. Don’t make me remember your face. I hate your stupid face.

I feel like the word “panda” is on the verge of causing a gestalt collapse inside me.

[3. TL Note: “Gestalt” is a German psychological term referring to a phenomenon perceived as more than the sum of its parts. In this context, “Gestalt collapse” implies that the word “Panda” has lost its meaning due to excessive repetition.]

What’s a panda? Who’s a panda? Which panda? Or am I, God forbid, a panda?

「Can we please stop talking about pandas? 」

「Aw, I wanted to talk more about pandas. 」

「Pandas were pretty strong, you know. I had a tough time too. Their appearance was kinda problematic. 」

「Panda. 」

Damn it! Even though Gowen shouldn’t be speaking, I’m hearing hallucinations of him saying “panda” too.

The damage to me is severe, but these guys are clearly brainwashed by pandas. They only talk about pandas!

I can’t take it anymore; I’m going to lose my mind.

「Listen, actually I wanted to talk about the Rookie Battle. 」

「But the pandas…」

「Enough about the pandas.」

「Okay… Why are you making such a scary face? 」

If I tell them to stop seriously, they’ll understand. Yuki is a good guy; I know that much.

「I’ve been looking through the G-rank adventurer list, and it seems there’s no one available to join us for the Rookie Battle. 」

「I’ve also inquired on my end. Seems like most of the members are already fixed. 」

The conversation about pandas has forcefully been halted, but actually, the Rookie Battle situation is pretty serious too.

「Our Gaul seems to know a lot of people, but it looks like most teams have pretty much been decided already.

It’s mostly people from the same recruitment class teaming up. Those who haven’t decided yet seem to be either not interested in the Rookie Battle to begin with or are mainly active in other guilds.

And then there are those who have some personal issues. People who don’t want to form a party even temporarily, it seems there are such individuals too.”」

I also heard that Bacchus, who I saw during the trial, is a solo player, so maybe there are others like that too.

But in the end, does that mean there might still be people who haven’t decided on a team yet?

「Would be easier if there was a team list. 」

Everybody is unofficially deciding their teams, but the official Rookie Battle registration has just started and will close within the week. 

Once registered, you’re confirmed to compete with that team, so you’ll know for sure if it’s not a good match. However, the current situation where even that is unclear makes searching for a team particularly difficult.

「By the way, is participation in the Rookie Battle optional? 」

I had assumed it was mandatory.

「So, I heard that’s the case, yeah. But it’s almost like an unspoken rule that everyone’s expected to participate. If you don’t, it kinda creates an impression that you’re a problem child. Gaul knew about this atmosphere from last year’s Rookie Battle when he was in the trial period. 」

「True, just participating grants you GP. The only ones who would abstain are either extremely lazy or have special reasons. 」

Participating in the rookie battle not only grants bonuses for winning but also pays out GP just for participating.

The amount of this GP is surprisingly high, and for us, who have just become G-rank, the appeal is somewhat irresistible.

Newbies lack a lot of things. Like the basic skill (Insight) we acquired on the fourth trial floor and the function of the cards.

Even the storage capacity of the underground warehouse on the second floor can be expanded using this GP. This is particularly essential for people who live in dormitories and lack storage space. For me, the only thing in my default storage space is a useless fishing rod, though.

「Member registration starts this week, right? 」

「Yeah, registration forms are available at the hall’s reception. 」

「Great, let’s register quickly then. Gowen, let’s go pick it up later. 」

「Panda. 」

Damn it. Gowen just nodded, but I’m hearing some hallucination.

「Should we put up a notice on the bulletin board? 」

「At the hall’s entrance? 」

That should be better than the online abyss.

「Yeah, might need permission but no harm in asking. Apparently, there are specialized websites for party recruitment, but we Class G folks can’t use them yet. Posting on a bulletin board might be fine, but right now, the topic of Tsuna is overwhelming it so much that it might get buried. 」

Is that my fault?

「Right. It’s definitely a good idea to do something, even if it’s just a poster. 」

Physical bulletin boards for recruitment are like school club invitations. Yuki seems to be good with designs, so I can leave that to him.

「Hey, isn’t something ringing, Tuna? 」

「Huh? 」

On closer inspection, there seems to be the ringtone of a phone. From my status card?

I haven’t even activated that feature. My card is still in its default state. And it’s even vibrating.

When I looked at the card, the usual status display switched to a smartphone-like screen, with a phone icon displayed in the center. The incoming phone number is also displayed, but it’s not registered, and I’ve never seen it before.

Could it be… that panda? That would be mildly horrifying. If I answer and hear “Panda,” I might lose it.

Ah, no, it could be Terawaros, with whom I’ve never had direct contact. Given the flow of things, he might also say “Panda,” and he’s definitely good at such psychological attacks.

「Are you not gonna answer? It’s a call, right? 」

「Ah, yeah, right. 」

I have no choice but to answer. I don’t know how to access voicemail. I pressed the phone icon and brought the card to my ear.

「Uh, hello? 」

『Ah, it connected. Hello, it’s Kitsuki. 』

…Who?

『Wait, this is Tsuna’s card, right? Did I get it wrong? Hellooo? 』

「…Ah, oh, it’s the Dungeon Master. I thought it was someone else. 」

I’ve only heard his name once.

And seriously, does the Dungeon Master just casually call people?

I mean, given that he’s the Dungeon Master, it wouldn’t be too surprising if he bypassed the card’s functions to make a call… right?

「Uh, er, what’s the matter? 」

『It’s about going to get food like we talked about last time. 』

Oh, that. Shoot, I haven’t even thought about the bonus yet.

As it turns out, another former Japanese person was supposed to come back, but it seems they went on another expedition without checking the Dungeon Master’s email. So, we decided to just meet up the three of us for now. We’ll talk about the other person another time. We have plenty of time at night, so after checking Yuki’s schedule, we decided to have dinner tomorrow night.

「”You should think about what you want for your bonus too,” he said. 」

「That’s right, I’m actually getting something too. 」

「Why don’t you try asking for that thing you mentioned? You never know, it might come true the next day. 」

「I guess. I’ll give it a shot, even if it doesn’t work. 」

I feel like it’s not a bad idea, though. What I’m concerned about is whether this will dampen his enthusiasm for conquest. He might still be motivated by gratitude to the Dungeon Master, but what if his personality changes after a gender change? I’ve often noticed that he acts a bit feminine, but sometimes he’s surprisingly laid-back. I don’t know what his original personality was like, but he’s lived as a man for 14 years. It wouldn’t be strange if his masculine side shows up. In fact, most would give up. Changing genders, there’s no guarantee that Yuki will stay the same, and that’s a bit unsettling. What if he starts acting all girly? I wouldn’t even know how to interact with her then.

「By the way, when did you unlock the phone function? I guess there was such a feature as well. 」

「I didn’t. It’s something to do with Dungeon Master privileges. Seriously, I was freaked out, thought it was a panda. 」

「A panda? 」

What should I do about my bonus?

…Would lifting the age restriction on Milk Pudding be out of the question?”