I like crossing the most

Chapter 1035 The Last Routine 214
On this day, Kobayashi and the others gathered at Wiz's magic item shop, where he got into an argument with Aqua and the others.

"No, I don't want to use it."

"Are you kidding me?!" Huihui put her hands on her hips, glaring at him angrily, and said, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the unremarkable Kobayashi incredibly handsome!"

"And if he becomes handsome, even the previously unremarkable Kobayashi will definitely become popular!" Aqua said with a smile.

Kobayashi nodded thoughtfully and said, "Is that so? Oh, is that so? Then let's use a forbidden magical item... You're sorely mistaken if you think I'd say that!"

Under their expectant gazes, Kobayashi suddenly changed her expression and shouted like this.

"Eh!?" Megumin was startled, but she immediately pleaded, "Listen to me, Kobayashi, if you use this magical tool, you can gain overwhelming power that will shock others!?"

"On the other hand, there will be overwhelming side effects that will shock me, right?" Kobayashi rolled his eyes in annoyance, pointing to the papers on the counter and saying, "Doesn't the instruction manual say that you can't do what the user expects?!"

"...I can't remember."

"A shifty gaze is not convincing."

Huihui didn't want to look and pretended that she didn't remember the incident, but Xiaolin didn't give her a chance and stuck the paper in front of her.

"Mr. Kobayashi, please listen to me for a moment," Aqua pleaded shyly, speaking softly. "My income has dropped significantly lately, and I can't even afford decent food anymore. Mr. Kobayashi, use this magical tool to boost your power and take on higher-level missions. You're sure to earn a lot—"

"Not only do we have to use such dangerous tools, but we also have to challenge higher-level missions!?" Upon hearing this, Kobayashi became furious, pointing at her head and shouting, "Are you guys... you monsters?! Are you sadists?!"

"Kichiku...!?" Darkness shuddered involuntarily, her face flushed with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. She said to Kobayashi, "I can't pretend I didn't hear you talking about 'kiku' to your companions! What is this 'kiku' that you're talking about, Kobayashi? Show me right now!"

"I won't do it!" Kobayashi said with a strong emphasis, while firmly resisting, "In short, I won't use such dangerous magical tools, so let's give up as soon as possible!"

He hummed as he said that.

Just as they were getting into a chaotic argument, and even Barnier was about to lose his temper, the door to the magic item shop opened again, and Lynn appeared before them. Upon seeing Kobayashi, she sighed helplessly and said, "Ah, so you're here. Kobayashi, it's past the agreed time."

"Oh, Lynn!" Kobayashi greeted her, then pointed at Aqua with some disdain and said, "Sorry, I was going to go earlier, but these guys got in my way, so I couldn't go." Then, he said to his three somewhat puzzled companions, "I have to go on a mission now. Lynn asked me to help her raise money for our next trip."

"Wait a minute!" Aqua stormed out, annoyed, and loudly rebuked Kobayashi, "Why did you refuse when we asked, but agree when Lynn asked? Explain yourself!"

"Lynn wouldn't be like you guys, making me do dangerous missions for superiors." Kobayashi pouted irritably, then asked, "Right, Lynn?"

"Actually, I just accepted the mission. It seems like an easy one, but the reward is pretty good." Lynn said with a smile, happy that she had accepted a good mission.

"Look!" Kobayashi scoffed at them, and said dismissively, "Well then, I'll just go for a bit."

"Wait, wait!" Just as Kobayashi was happily preparing to go on the mission with Lynn, Aqua tugged at his clothes again and said quickly, "How about we come along too? With us, the mission will end sooner!"

"I refuse. The reward will be reduced too. Anyway, you'll just use the money to fill your stomach, right?" Kobayashi wouldn't fall for it. That Aqua always complains about wanting a big meal after every mission, and then she spends all the money she earns.

But to her surprise, Lynn said somewhat awkwardly in a low voice, "Actually... there's a training gathering for archmages after the mission, so it's better to end it sooner..."

"Then it's decided!" Aqua said happily. She shamelessly grabbed Megumin and Darkness's hands and said loudly, "Everyone, let's go on a mission together!"

"Take this magical item with you too!" Megumin grabbed the forbidden magical item they had asked Kobayashi to wear earlier and looked at him expectantly, saying, "Even if it's an easy mission, it's always good to be prepared!"

"You... don't make such an obvious statement!" Kobayashi said angrily, determined that no matter what happened, he wouldn't wear it!

Afterwards, Kobayashi and the others went to hunt down sandworms. These were mid-level monsters, not very strong, but their worm-like appearance made them particularly disgusting and frightening.

Aqua was already screaming in terror, "Help! This is disgusting! If this keeps up, I'm going to be swallowed up!!"

"Hang in there, Aqua! You're the kind of girl who can do anything if she wants to!" Kobayashi encouraged her while sighing and rubbing his forehead. "Seriously, it really turned out like this! I told you so!"

"I never imagined this would be the nest of giant earthworms...!" Lynn also looked disgusted. Rather, it was more like the girls couldn't stand such a monster.

"With so many disgusting things appearing, of course the reward will be high." Kobayashi sighed helplessly. He had already guessed that Lynn was lured in by the high reward of the mission, and at the same time, he looked to the other side, "Hey, Megumin, are you alright!?"

"That kind of guy... I can't... physically... I can't...!" Huihui was completely exhausted, of course, from vomiting. She simply couldn't use Explosion Magic on such a disgusting guy, and collapsed to the ground as soon as she came up.

"I'm so sorry for accepting this mission!" Lynn bowed her head in remorse. "I'm so sorry!!"

"Don't make that face, Lynn," Darkness said with a satisfied expression. "It's been so long since I've tasted this smooth, slippery feeling... or rather, I'm grateful to you." Of course, some people hate it, while others love it, like this perverted female knight. As expected of you!
"The first one to be swallowed up, and you're still laughing?!" Kobayashi rolled his eyes at her, annoyed, while racking his brains, "Anyway, if we don't think of a way out of this situation... damn it!"

He looked at Aqua, who was being chased and was powerless to resist being swallowed up, then at Darkness, who was enjoying being played with by the slime of the giant earthworm, then at Lynn, who wanted to help but didn't know what to do, and then at Megumin, who had collapsed to the side due to physical discomfort... What kind of hellish scroll is this?

Kobayashi gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and shouted at Megumin, "Megumin, give me that magical item from earlier!"

"Ahhh!" Huihui seemed to snap out of her daze, and exclaimed excitedly, "I almost lost consciousness! So she's finally going to use a magical item!?"

"I really don't want to, but there's no other way!" Kobayashi grabbed the magical item Megumin threw at him and yelled in despair, "Damn it!!!"

Then, a bright light burst forth from his entire body.

When he reappeared before everyone, Kobayashi was dressed in full black armor, looking exceptionally heroic and handsome, his mecha-like attire surprising everyone.

"This is...my...power!!?" Kobayashi clenched her fist, a confident smile on her face. "If that's the case...it can work! Now, Aqua!!"

"God's Fist—!!"

Aqua knocked the giant earthworm to the ground with one punch, and Kobayashi followed up with a punch—a normal punch—which completely killed the giant earthworm.

"Wow, what incredible power!" Lynn covered her mouth in disbelief. "That giant earthworm, with just one strike...!"

"Mr. Kobayashi... has become stronger!" Aqua exclaimed in disbelief.

"It's not as simple as just getting stronger!" Huihui explained loudly, "Taking them down one after another so easily...! So fast! So strong! So amazing!"

"But don't let your guard down, Kobayashi!" Darkness warned the constantly shifting Kobayashi, shouting, "There's no turning back! If we're attacked by that number of monsters, even Kobayashi in his current state...!"

"Infiltrating..."

"Completely vanished...!? I can't even sense his aura... So strong! That's incredible!" Darkness was astonished when he saw Kobayashi's figure disappear and his aura disappear as well.

"Look there!" Lynn pointed to Kobayashi, who had reappeared, and said to everyone, "I don't know when, but Kobayashi was already behind us!"

"Drink!!"

Kobayashi made a swift move and killed the last giant earthworm.

"Mr. Xiaolin..."

"Such a large group of giant earthworms..."

"They were all wiped out...?"

Aqua, Darkness, and Megumin stared dumbfounded at Kobayashi, who stood rooted to the spot. He, too, was a mixture of excitement and fear, exclaiming, "This...this is my power...? It's so much stronger than usual...!"

"And it's not just that he's gotten stronger—" Huihui leaned close to him, her eyes gleaming, and praised him rapidly, "His daringly open chest reveals a golden necklace, exuding a wild aura, and the mysterious light emanating from the azure gemstone! Most importantly, the mask covering his left eye! The black-based color scheme perfectly embodies the calamity... So cool! He's completely different from the unremarkable Kobayashi he always was!"

“Yes…is that so…now I finally understand.” Hearing Megumin’s long string of praise, Kobayashi smiled with some relief and said, “Hmph…I’ve had a very long dream until now…I feel like I’m finally being my true self again.”

"I can't believe it..." Darkness stared in astonishment at Kobayashi, who seemed to have been reborn, and exclaimed, "Kobayashi, who lost an arm wrestling match with Megumin, can actually unleash such power... Is this the power of magical artifacts...?"

"I have finally... awakened from my long slumber. This marks the true beginning of the Kobayashi legend!"

Kobayashi said this loudly.

Then, the group returned to the guild.

Aqua said sweetly, "Here it is, the sparkling wine you ordered...!"

"Please, please use it," Lynn said shyly.

"Yes, thank you for your hard work." Kobayashi said casually, but after seeing the two of them, she asked curiously, "By the way, why are you two wearing maid outfits?"

"I think this outfit is perfect for taking care of the strongest man, Mr. Kobayashi," Aqua said with a grin. It felt like she was teasing Kobayashi, but the maid outfit was definitely on her mind.

"Hey Aqua..." Lynn tugged at her skirt shyly and whispered, "Do I really need to wear a maid outfit...?"

"This is to please Mr. Kobayashi, so do your best!" I have a feeling Aqua is being unreasonable. Come to think of it, is she actually taking it for granted? The evidence is—

“Think about it!” Aqua held up one finger. “If Mr. Kobayashi is in a better mood, we can survive on Kobayashi’s payment alone! With a bit of luck, we might even be able to defeat the Demon King!”

“I don’t think it will be that easy…” Darkness couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth. “The Demon King isn’t so easy to defeat.”

"In short, we need to make Mr. Kobayashi increasingly complacent, understand?" Aqua issued the operational order.

As Kobayashi sipped her bubble tea, enjoying the hard-won tranquility, an adventurer rushed over, his face showing surprise and confusion. "Kobayashi! I heard from Aqua and the others that you seem quite active!"

"Exactly!" Another adventurer walked over, equally unconvinced, and asked, "Did you really wipe out the entire swarm of giant earthworms all by yourself!?"

Aqua, on the other hand, was overjoyed, as if showing off, and said, "Mr. Kobayashi was really amazing today! That power would be nothing even for a Demon King!"

If it were the old Kobayashi, he would have become arrogant and carried away by now, but he didn't have that thought. Instead, he waved his hand humbly and said, "Don't be like that, Aqua. I haven't fallen so low as to boast about my victory."

However, this air of expertise convinced the other adventurers, especially since Kobayashi was now wearing exaggerated equipment, which made him even more convincing. So all the adventurers gathered around.

"Kobayashi! Let's go on a mission together next time! I want to remember your heroic figure!"

"No, I'm the one who should be doing the mission with Kobayashi! Give me more training!"

"No, no, no, it's me! It must be me!"

"No, it's me!"

Suddenly, Xiaolin became highly sought after, and some people even fought each other to be able to team up with him.

(End of this chapter)