Chapter 17: Black Wolf Night Raid
[I happened to check the rankings and was left speechless when I could find the name of my own work more easily than I could yesterday.]
[Thanks to all of you, even if it is only the daily ranking, my humble work has managed to appear within the top twenty. Thank you very much.]
Here, to survive a true Unique Monster, let me introduce the deranged members of the temporary party we formed even though the system says we're enemies!!
First up, there's me, Sunraku, the guy with paper-thin defense!
Next, we've got Redcap A, the one I nearly beat to death!
Then there's Redcap B, who's still in perfect condition!
Oh, and Redcap C, who's already started thinking about running away!
And finally, Redcap D! The one who bravely rushed in and got polygon-blasted into nothing! Requiescat in pace!
And that's the team!
Sunraku: "One hit, seriously...?"
A Unique Monster is, in short, the developers' pure, undiluted malice: "Too bad you got unlucky, now die!!"
If a beginner meets one, they're dead. I want to go back in time, drop-kick my past self for thinking the Redcaps might be the Unique Monster, and drown him in a swamp. No matter how high your player skill is, it will slaughter small fry. That is what a Unique Monster is.
Even without words, that unmistakable aura of a "strong one" radiated from its entire being, forcing me to acknowledge the insurmountable gap in power. Actually, this realism is insane — can a game really reproduce a pressure that feels like it's burning your skin?
Sunraku: "Whoa there!!?"
I forcibly dragged my thoughts back from the brink of escapism and rolled out of the spot. The next instant, a row of fangs—each one larger than the distance from my wrist to the tip of my middle finger—passed through where I had been, and Redcap B behind me was caught in the bite. Flesh tore, bones shattered, organs were crushed… all of those steps compressed into a single bite, and with a sound best described as "GOGYOH," Redcap B's life was pulverized.
Sunraku: "Lycagon the Nightslayer, huh..."
I see. It attacks at night, so it's the "Nightslayer." Thanks to the dim lighting for the game's night effect, its jet-black fur stood out even more starkly. Black fangs filled with killing intent that could probably tear me apart in one bite, too. Most of its body was black, but its crimson-red mouth and yellow eyes were so vivid I almost felt like I was looking at a mouth and eyes floating in darkness shaped like a wolf.
My level right now is 18. Just how much of a gap is there between me and Lycagon the Nightslayer? There might be a double-score gap… no, maybe even a triple-score gap between our levels. Winning is out of the question. Before player skill or my paper-thin armor even enter the discussion, I simply don't have enough firepower. Whether or not I can land critical hits is beside the point. Even if I upgraded from a toothpick to a needle, trying to pierce an iron plate would just snap the needle.
Sunraku: "Running away... isn't an option either."
It'd be laughable to even think about how different our AGI values are. Dodging that last one was kind of a miracle… no, maybe not. I actually have fought enemy mobs that charge at around that speed before. Not in this game, granted, but I’m a gamer who has put a decent amount of time into games, so of course I’ve fought high-difficulty enemies before. I obviously don’t think I can solo a Unique Monster designed around a raid, but… maybe I can at least fight it?
Sunraku: "Yeah, that's right... don't you forget who you're dealing with."
I’m a gamer who has overcome bugs, shitty balance, bullshit encounters—every kind of trash game there is! I’m not about to say ‘yes sir, I give up’ to an opponent whose hit detection isn’t even bugged!
Sunraku: "Bring it on!!"
This is the most fun I've ever had! This is what it means to enjoy a game!!
That's right — challenging an obviously impossible Unique Monster with starting equipment is a gamer's true nature! There's nothing to be ashamed of!
Switching to the Vorpal Chopper — my current highest-damage weapon — I instead charged right at it.
What did the AI of this Unique Monster think I was going to do? Sink to the ground in despair? Charge in recklessly? Run away without any dignity? I don't know what it predicted, but I'm sure the black wolf never thought I'd genuinely charge in with the intent to beat it. Lycagon’s eyes widened when it saw me knock its casually sweeping foreleg upward with Flash Counter… no, with Just Parry, which Flash Counter had changed into from the experience gained against the Gluttonous Serpent.
Sunraku: "You're not all that special, are ya? Hahahah!"
I'm lying, honestly, I thought I was going to die for a second there.
[Sunraku's Status]
PN: Sunraku
LV: 18
JOB: Mercenary (Dual Wielder)
Money: 2,000 Mani
HP: 30
MP: 10
STM: 40
STR: 10
DEX: 15
AGI: 40
TEC: 20
VIT: 1 (14)
LUC: 55
Skills:
- Spin Slash
- Scoopias
- Knuckle Rush
- Tap Step → Slide Step
- Flash Counter → Just Parry
- Loop Slash Lv. 1
Equipment:
- Right: Vorpal Chopper
- Left: Vorpal Chopper
- Head: Staring Bird Mask (VIT +2)
- Body: Splitblade Leather Vest (VIT +4)
- Waist: Splitblade Leather Belt (VIT +4)
- Legs: Splitblade Leather Pants (VIT +4)
- Accessories: None
[Lycagon the Nightslayer – Enemy Stats]
EN: Lycagon the Nightslayer
LV: 165
HP: ????
MP: ????
STM: ????
STR: ????
DEX: ????
AGI: ????
TEC: ????
VIT: ????
LUC: ????
Skills:
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