Chapter 26: An Unavoidable Encirclement
6/12/17
After taking everyone’s feedback into account, I concluded that even if it would not greatly affect the overall flow of the story, leaving things as they were could have a fatal impact on the setting, so I decided to revise the chapter to a certain extent. I apologize for the trouble this has caused everyone.
I have been struggling to settle on what the ideal depiction for this chapter should be, so even after the revision, if anything feels off or seems incorrect, I would appreciate it if you would not hesitate to point it out.
I apologize again for the trouble.
The whole thing began with a screenshot the person involved sent to a friend… or rather, with a beginner who knew very little about online-game etiquette taking a screenshot without the person’s permission and uploading it to a bulletin board that could be accessed from certain facilities inside the game.
[Saint-sama] Veteran Players Teach Beginners the Ropes, Part 81 [Cute]
74. Arinoiyu (Beginner): I have a question for all you idlers who camp this thread… I mean, this strange bulletin board that somehow updates in real time… no, for all you great veterans.
I was getting my equipment sorted out in Secondale when I saw this player.
They had a really cute talking rabbit with them. How do you make a monster your companion?
(image)
75. Addo (Veteran): I keep telling you, if you want an advanced job, making it to Sixburg is the bare minimum.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said this. We should probably put it in the template already.
76. Curry’s Jones (Veteran): Wait, what is this? This isn’t photoshopped?
77. Exceed (Beginner): What the hell is with this player lol. Half-naked with a bird mask? That’s report-worthy lol.
78. Thunder Nut (Veteran): No, hold on. I’ve never seen a Vorpal Bunny wearing clothes.
Even the fuckin’ rabbits in Fifticia are naked.
79. Super Alloy Tofu (Veteran): Stop calling them naked lol. They’re wearing fur!
More importantly, what do you mean it talks? Monsters can talk?
80. Basashimusashi (Veteran): Our clan leader ran into Siegwurm, and apparently that thing talks.
81. Thunder Nut (Veteran): I wouldn’t think twice about a Unique Monster talking, but a Vorpal Bunny wearing clothes and talking? No way.
82. Animalia (Veteran): Wait, this is too precious, it hurts. What is going on? This game doesn’t have any taming implemented besides Buddy Dogs and Buddy Cats, right!? Is this cheating!?
83. Addo (Veteran): No chance. This game’s anti-cheat is insane.
A hacker team from a neighboring country spent three straight days attacking it, couldn’t even bring the servers down, then got reverse-traced and arrested. There’s no way some individual player is cheating.
84. Fresh Zombie (Beginner): The veterans are getting fired up lol.
Also, from this angle, isn’t this basically a creep shot? Doesn’t look like you got permission to take it.
85. Animalia (Veteran): Sunraku. Got the name memorized.
Secondale, right? I’m heading there now.
86. Thunder Nut (Veteran): That was fast! lol. Hardcore players are terrifying in a whole different way.
87. Kanpan Rokusei (Veteran): Everyone’s focused on the clothed Vorpal Bunny, but what is this tattoo-like paint?
There wasn’t anything like that in character creation.
88. Addo (Veteran): I’ve seen it somewhere before, but I can’t remember where.
89. Super Alloy Tofu (Veteran): This has to be Unique-related.
That aside, secretly taking someone’s picture and uploading it without permission is pretty damn scummy. If this had been a player whose real face was visible instead of someone in a mask, depending on the report, this could be ban-worthy.
This thread… I mean, bulletin board will probably get deleted too, but it’s already started spreading.
90. Arinoiyu (Beginner): Really? It’s a game, so I thought everyone took screenshots and stuff.
91. Nut (Veteran):
90
Wow.
Besides that being one hell of a scumbag answer, it looks like you don’t understand the fact that this is not an anonymous message board.
92. Thunder Nut (Veteran):
90
The point is: how would you feel if somebody secretly photographed you without permission and posted it somewhere without you even knowing?
93. Super Alloy Tofu (Veteran):
90
Aren’t you way too clueless about basic netiquette…?
94. Arinoiyu (Beginner): I didn’t know. If I go ask for permission now, do you think they’ll forgive me?
95. Curry’s Jones (Veteran): You exposed someone who was keeping a Unique secret, and now you want them to forgive you? That’s enough to make me punch you even if I were roleplaying a saint. What are you planning to do if they refuse permission?
Also, judging by that light gear, is this guy an AGI-max build? If he’s in Secondale, he should hit a wall at Mud Digger, so he might actually be pretty easy to find.
96. Addo (Veteran): Wait. I remember now.
97. Yuuki Joy (Beginner): Quit dragging it out and spit it out already.
98. Addo (Veteran): I’m pretty sure those are curses. The kind where the equipment slot for the affected body part gets locked out and you get both positive and negative effects.
99. Thunder Nut (Veteran): Then this guy has curses on two places, his torso and his legs.
Can that even happen?
100. Arinoiyu (Beginner): According to the blacksmith old man, “That’s proof he was acknowledged by the Emperor of the Night.”
101. Basashimusashi (Veteran): Emperor of the Night.
A Supreme Species.
L Y C A G O N T H E N I G H T S L A Y E R.
102. Addo (Veteran): FUUUUUUUU— LMAOOOO.
103. Thunder Nut (Veteran): There were reports of the wolf around Secondale, right?
Also, blatantly trying to change the subject isn’t gonna fly. You haven’t gone up to the guy yet?
104. Yuuki Joy (Beginner): What’s a Supreme Species?
105. Super Alloy Tofu (Veteran): Unique Monsters so strong that even hardcore players can’t do a damn thing unless they gather a group of ten-plus people. Just encountering one gives you various benefits, so there are even players who spend all their time chasing them.
That said, even when you gather more than a dozen hardcore players, they still get sent flying like bowling pins.
106. Curry’s Jones (Veteran): The wolf can teleport, so that one’s basically pure RNG.
107. Animalia (Veteran): Just reached Tenbert.
108. Addo (Veteran): Wait, furry, weren’t you in Fifticia? How the hell are you already in Tenbert?
Also, are you seriously entering a guild every single time just so you can post? That’s weirdly diligent of you.
109. Basashimusashi (Veteran): Somebody spread the info to the strategy board and the Unique Verification board. We’ll use sheer numbers for a bird hunt… I mean, questioning.
I feel bad for the guy getting exposed by somebody who doesn’t even know basic netiquette, but that’s a separate issue.
110. Kanpan Rokusei (Veteran): Even if the curse is responsible, wearing a shoebill head and nothing but a belt is way too HENTAI-fashion…
Though the mask did save his real face by the skin of his teeth. His player name is exposed now, though, so I guess he can never take the mask off again.
111. Orcelott (Veteran): Could just spawn-kill him until he talks.
112. Curry’s Jones (Veteran): I keep telling you, the guy in the Staring Bird Mask is not a shoebill! Get it through your head already!
112. Addo (Veteran): Yo, Orcelott! Heard you’re wanted in Tenbert too now, so the odds of NPCs coming after you went up even more. Finished getting your affairs in order? lol
The system in this game is seriously vicious: PK too much, and the moment a player or NPC kills you, you lose everything, including the stuff in storage, plus the bounty gets paid out at the wanted PK’s expense.
Watching Ashura Kai dig itself so deep into PKing that it can’t back out anymore is peak comedy.
113. Super Alloy Tofu (Veteran): It’s pretty ironic that the PK clan is Ashura Kai and the PKK clan is inTora Gang.
Every time one of those PKs—basically rare enemies at this point—has their wanted poster disappear, my food tastes better. Not that food in this game has much flavor to begin with.
114. Psyger-100 (Veteran): I would very much like to meet and speak with him. If Sunraku is reading this, I would ask that he approach a player bearing the wolf-and-sword emblem.
I sympathize with having your information spread without permission, but our group could offer you protection as well.
115. Basashimusashi (Veteran): Damn, the hardcore crowd just keeps showing up… Sunraku’s encirclement is getting ridiculous. They’re treating him like an event boss.
Also, did Arinoiyu disappear? Well, I doubt they’ll be able to join random parties anymore. Maybe they can make a career out of secretly photographing people and posting them online.
116. Thunder Nut (Veteran): If they’d only photographed the rabbit, they wouldn’t be worrying about getting banned. A stern warning from the admins is pretty much guaranteed now…
More importantly, if we stake out Sunraku, there’s a chance we can bag Orcelott too, since he’s basically turned into a walking bonus chest. Anybody want to go Orcelott-hunting with me? We can negotiate the split.
117. Arinoiyu (Beginner): Sunraku, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.
118. Tanyao Roast (Beginner): I wanna lick Lop-Ear-chan ^^