The monster outbreak wasn't confined to the Association's interior.
Apparently, they were spawning inside Shinjuku Station as well.
It was currently around 8:00 PM. Naturally, the station was still packed with people who didn't possess a Status.
If they were up against Normal Goblins from Floor 1, a civilian might stand a chance if they were prepared to risk their life. But once it came to the Armed Goblins from Floor 3 and below, they weren't opponents anyone without a Status could hope to defeat.
The situation was looking grim.
"I—I understand! In that case, we'll head into the station and start clearing out the goblins!"
"Right, I'm sorry to put this on you, but we're counting on you!"
After giving the Association Staff Member my word, I turned around.
I scanned the lobby for Hinata-san and found her near the wall, treating the injured explorers.
"—Heal Circle!"
"O-Ohhh...!"
"The wounds... they're gone!"
"Thank you, Hinata-chan!"
A pillar of white light about three meters in diameter illuminated the area, restoring the health of everyone gathered within.
I see.
For those at a lower level, Hinata-san's standard Heal was more than enough. By using the area-of-effect Heal Circle, she could recover multiple people at once with a relatively small amount of MP.
Just as I'd expect from Hinata-san, she was quick on the uptake.
Actually, that was the first time I'd seen her use that spell.
"Hinata-san!"
"Ah, Takeo-kun."
I approached and called out to her just as she finished the treatment.
"Are you done talking?"
"Yes. According to the staff member, goblins are appearing inside Shinjuku Station too. He asked us to focus on exterminating them and rescuing the civilians trapped inside."
"Inside the station too... I see."
Huh? I thought she’d be more shocked, but Hinata-san only gave a solemn nod.
Perhaps she had already anticipated that the monsters would be spawning there.
"I’d like to go after that middle-aged man who escaped, but rescue takes priority. We’ll make the rounds through the station to clear the monsters and save whoever we can. Hinata-san, are you up for it?"
I was asking more about her physical stamina, but...
Hinata-san nodded without a hint of hesitation, her expression dignified.
"Yes, let's go!"
That was Hinata-san for you!
I couldn't tell if it was her sense of justice burning bright or if the tension of the battlefield was fueling her, but she didn't show a single sign of intimidation even in this crisis.
Feeling emboldened by her presence, I held out the mana potions I had tucked in my pocket.
"I don't think I'll be needing these, so you should hold onto all of them."
"Okay, thank you. Hold on a second."
Hinata-san nodded and took the mana potions. She slipped her right hand through the sleeve of her vestments and rummaged around inside her clothes for a moment.
When her hand reemerged from the cuff, all three potions had vanished.
"???"
Where did she just put those?
It looked like she was stuffing them somewhere around her chest... No, I shouldn't think too deeply about it.
It's probably just an inner pocket or something. I don't actually know if those vestments have pockets, though.
●◯●
We exited the Shinjuku Branch and headed into the main part of the station.
Immediately, the sounds of screams and the ring of clashing steel echoed through the underground corridors—the entrance to the Shinjuku Branch was located on the first basement floor.
They were close.
"Let's hurry!"
"Right!"
We broke into a run and emerged into the East-West Free Passage.
Explorers were fighting all across the wide underground thoroughfare, surrounded by civilians fleeing in a panic and screaming for their lives.
"—You goblins! Over here! Come and get me!"
I shouted as I activated Taunt, drawing the aggro of the goblins attacking the civilians as well as the ones that had just spawned and were wandering aimlessly.
Then, as I sprinted past, I cut them down one by one with single, decisive strokes.
I had originally picked up the Taunt skill out of necessity, but it was incredibly useful in an emergency like this. Since the monsters came to me on their own, I didn't have to waste time chasing them down, making the extermination far more efficient.
"Are you all right!?"
Meanwhile, Hinata-san approached those who had escaped the monsters, using Heal to mend any injuries they had sustained.
"Th-thank you so much...!"
The Office Lady she treated thanked her profusely. I quickly finished off the cluster of goblins I'd gathered with Taunt and was about to tell her to evacuate immediately, when—
"Wait a second."
I tilted my head in confusion.
Now that I thought about it, where exactly was I supposed to send her?
The Shinjuku Branch was likely still dangerous. Goblins could be surging out of the dungeon at any moment, and they were spawning inside the lobby too. It was hardly a safe haven.
"Hinata-san, where do you think we should have people evacuate to?"
I asked for her opinion, thinking she might have a better idea.
"Hmm, I think it's probably best to get as far away from the dungeon as possible, but..."
"I see. In that case, miss, please head outside the station."
I started to tell her that, then reconsidered.
"Actually, should we escort you to the surface? It’ll be dangerous if you run into more goblins on the way."
"P-please!! I beg you!!"
The lady replied with a look of pure desperation.
Well, yeah, that makes sense.
I was about to nod and say "Understood," but Hinata-san spoke up first.
"Takeo-kun, I think it's better if we help more people first and then move as a group. If we take the time to move now, it'll take too long, and I'm afraid the casualties will only increase..."
As she trailed off, her gaze drifted toward the edge of the passage.
I followed her eyes and felt a heavy weight in my chest. "You're right," I agreed solemnly.
Someone was already lying there, motionless.
The goblins appearing inside Shinjuku Station were Armed Goblins. That meant they were monsters from Floor 3 at the very least. Their strength was far beyond what an ordinary person—lacking a status, skills, or even a weapon—could ever hope to resist.
Under these circumstances, it was only a matter of course that there were already victims.
If I spent the time to lead just this one woman outside, there was no telling how many others would die in the meantime. It was more efficient to prioritize saving as many people as possible first, then lead the entire group out together.
I turned back to the Office Lady.
"—So, here's the plan. Please follow behind us. It’s dangerous, so make sure you don't step out in front of me, okay?"
"I-I understand!"
The lady nodded obediently.
I was glad the first person we helped was reasonable. It would have been a massive headache if she had demanded we take only her to safety immediately or acted like being rescued was her birthright.
Regardless.
With the lady in tow, we pushed further into the East-West Free Passage.
"Hey! Come on! Over here!"
I continued to thin out the goblin numbers while keeping Taunt active.
"Everyone, this way! If you're injured, please let me know!"
"Th-thank you...!"
"Oh, thank god...!"
Hinata-san guided the rescued civilians and treated their wounds with Heal.
Perhaps because of the sheer scale of the crisis—or perhaps it was just the orderly nature of the people—most of the crowd followed Hinata-san's instructions without a fuss.
As we moved through the passage, we eventually linked up with a group of explorers who were holding the line against the goblins.
"We're here to help!"
After quickly clearing out the goblins they were fighting, the explorers let out audible sighs of relief.
"Thanks, you really saved our skins..."
"Honestly, I thought we were done for."
"Wait... are you Leveling Junkie Bro!?"
That's right. It is I, Leveling Junkie Bro.
"Yes, that's me. By the way, I have a question."
"A question?"
"Yeah. Has an official evacuation site been established yet?"
I asked the group of men.
I wanted to know if there was a designated place I should be leading these people.
"An evacuation site... No, nothing's been officially decided. But I heard from some other explorers that the goblins haven't appeared outside the station yet. So, it should be safe once we reach the surface."
So there are no monsters outside. That meant Hinata-san's intuition was spot on.
"I see. Then how about we keep clearing out the goblins and lead these people to the exit?"
"Sounds like a plan. We should stay in a group as much as possible."
"Yeah. And honestly, having a powerhouse like Leveling Junkie Bro with us makes a huge difference."
—And so.
We continued to rescue those who had been left behind while cutting down every goblin in our path. Merging with more explorers along the way, we fought our way across the East-West Free Passage, making our way toward the station exit.