Chapter 49: A Dazzling Sea of Trees
[Plan to increase the word count per chapter: initiated.]
After all the ups and downs and hullaballoo, I've at least achieved my top-priority must-order objective.
There was the unexpected encounter with that player Psyger-0, who perfectly read my movements, but if you look at just the result, I suppose it was a peaceful resolution.
Emul: "Fumyaa, she seemed like a really strong pioneer, wa."
Sunraku: "Probably... I'd guess she's about four or five times stronger than me."
Emul: "Sunraku-san wouldn't lose either when it comes to Vorpal Soul, wa!"
Sunraku: "Well, thanks."
It's not that I'm bad at talking to people, but it felt like I was in the middle of a hack-and-slash session and suddenly got thrown into a simulation game—just oddly exhausting.
Sunraku: "Anyway, let's just chalk it up as meeting a comparatively reasonable Lycagon and move on."
Mind games with other players are fun and all, but right now I'm in the mood for some fantasy hack-and-slash. I'll enjoy the area I'm about to tackle to the fullest and clear every last root-tip of it.
And so, leaving the tension of Thirdrema behind, Emul and I arrived at the Prismatic Forest Grotto with surprisingly little trouble.
Sunraku: "I used up all my cash getting out of Thirdrema and covering various expenses, so I've gotta balance exploration with earning."
My funds stand at an astonishing 100 Mani—stone broke, barely enough to maybe buy a medicinal herb. So money-making is urgent. Gathering-type tasks are a hassle when you make them your main grind, but when they're just part of exploring, they turn into a fun adventure. I'll take it bit by bit.
I've gotta keep in mind that if my inventory gets too bulky, it'll affect my AGI, so there's a trade-off to consider.
When you pass through the tunnel, it was fantasy on the other side. I've had that experience countless times—I've also had a rifle bullet whiz past my nose right after exiting a tunnel.
Ah, the worst one was when a meteorite shot past right in front of me after I exited a tunnel. A meteorite crossed before my eyes like watching a train pass from beyond the yellow line, yet I was completely unharmed thanks to hitbox mechanics—even I couldn't help but wryly laugh at that one... and then a player's flying knee kick came from behind the meteorite and nailed me right in the head. Respawn. Good memories.
Emul: "Wow, it's so bright even though we're inside a cave, wa!"
Sunraku: "Glowing moss... so it's that type."
True to its name—a thousand purples, ten thousand crimsons—a carpet of flowers where all manner of vivid blossoms scatter brilliant petals and sweet nectar fragrance. And despite being inside a cave, a sea of trees... a forest so deep it can't be called a mere grove, woven by trees and plants. Illuminating this phantasmal landscape, impossible in reality, is glowing moss growing thick across the walls and ceiling. I've heard that real-life luminous moss reflects sunlight, but this stuff is definitely generating its own light... Depending on the world lore, some games have artificial suns floating around, and considering the possibility of using that, these kinds of observations are important.
Sunraku: "Alright, where to start... oh."
As I strain my eyes, I immediately spot a monster.
It has the wings of a giant butterfly... and is that a sphere? No, that's not right. Looking closely, it's a basketball-sized abdomen filled with golden liquid, with a head the size of a ping-pong ball attached—far too small in comparison.
Sunraku: "I see... the way you're swaying that belly so suggestively, well..."
Really gets me going (in the sense of wanting that drop item), yep. I draw my Marsh Dagger and break into a sprint.
The butterfly—let's call it a Balloon Butterfly for convenience—seems to notice me. Despite carrying a huge amount of what's probably nectar in its abdomen, it tries to fly away with surprisingly light movements... but it's slow.
I overtake it and flash my blade across its wing. The moment the Balloon Butterfly loses balance and creates an unnatural opening in midair, I thrust into its head. Without dealing any damage to the abdomen, I land critical hits on the wing and head, and the Balloon Butterfly bursts into polygons. As expected, I catch the nectar balloon that drops from the dispersing polygons before it hits the ground.
Sunraku: "Yeah, I just knew this had to exist as a rare drop."
Emul: "Wah, I want to touch it too, wa!"
It feels like a water balloon but a bit thicker, maybe? I hold back Emul, who's squishing and poking at it like it might burst at any moment if mishandled, and put it in my inventory to check the item description.
[Storage Papillon Nectar Pouch] [The abdominal pouch a Storage Papillon uses to store the nectar it collects. Fragile against impacts, making it very hard to obtain while full of nectar.] [Whether eaten for enjoyment or thrown for enjoyment, both are correct.]
Sunraku: "Throw it...?"
Well, I did have the feeling it'd be satisfying to punt it as hard as I could.
Eh, whatever. I'll probably collect three or four of this item anyway, so I'll try hurling one when I get the chance.
Sunraku: "Now, let's move on to the next."
Butterflies aren't the only ones collecting flower nectar. And when designing monsters based on real creatures, there are some that are way more mainstream than butterflies.
Sunraku: "Knew it, bee-type monsters."
Emul: "Awawa, it's an Empire Bee Worker, wa...!"
Hmm, so these are Empire Bee Workers? With that uniquely insectoid body texture—impossible to quite describe—and basketball-sized insect-type monsters like the Storage Papillon earlier, this place must be a living hell for certain people.
The bees, like giant versions of regular honeybees, are busily collecting nectar from flowers with their big bodies—just like the Storage Papillon earlier. Wait, not just nectar, but pollen too?
Sunraku: "Let's see... my guess is the stinger will be the rare drop."
Still, for now, I'll just hunt one and see what drops. I dash out just like before, slash, thrust—and at that very moment.
Fwoosh. Something shoots out of the Empire Bee Worker's body into the sky. It bursts in the air like a firework, scattering into golden powder all around. That's probably pollen... no, that's not the important part.
This visual... I've seen something like it somewhere before. Specifically, it's like a rescue signal flare from a military-style game...
Emul: "Kyaa! A swarm of Hunter Bees, waaaa!!"
Isn't that verbal tic a bit of a stretch?
Sunraku: "Compared to the Workers, they're more aggressive—basically, hornets."
I see. So different castes are modeled after different real-world bee species.
As the buzzing of wings reverberates, several Empire Bees—Hunters, I assume—direct intense hostility at me and Emul. With faces as vicious as hornets, they click their mandibles.
Sunraku: "Five of them... no, if they can call reinforcements like the Workers, worst case they could multiply like rabbits..."
Emul: "Sunraku-san!? Should I help, wa!? Or rather, I'll defend myself, wa!"
Sunraku: "Yeah, Emul, just handle the ones that come at you. And I've got one more order."
Emul: "Ha, hai na!"
Sunraku: "Just gather stuff at your own pace."
Thud! Emul nearly topples over, but at the very least, I can't be relying on Emul for trash mob fights... Bring on the numbers—I've been conditioned by Packhounds.
Though they're not as high-grade as Packhounds—still, they rush at me with better coordination than those leaderless dogs... Six are on me, two heading for Emul.
Sunraku: "Hah!"
Bee Hunter 1 comes straight from the front, trying to stab with its rear stinger. I deflect it with a parry—not a skill, but my own technique. Bee Hunter 2 swoops in low for a bite; I stomp its head with my foot.
Bee Hunters 3 and 4 are farther away, so I ignore them for now. Bee Hunter 5 had been following behind Bee Hunter 1 to attack, and I counter its bite by activating Accel—boosting my speed—and thrusting my dagger forward to intercept.
Even if my start is delayed, if my attack lands first, it becomes "the later to move, the first to strike"... The skill-enhanced dagger twists into the tip of Bee Hunter 5's mandible, into its mouth. I then activate Spiral Edge, ravaging the inside of Bee Hunter 5's mouth before yanking the dagger out.
Sunraku: "If you're gonna ambush someone, you should've silenced that wing vibration. Way too loud."
I wouldn't go so far as to call it echolocation, but if I see Bee Hunter 6 fly upward, I can prepare in advance, and the sound lets me track its rough position.
I activate Loop Slash—a skill that continuously releases slashes while rotating the whole body as long as stamina holds. I twist my hips, forcibly bending what's normally a horizontal spinning combo into a vertical one. The first strike batters Bee Hunter 6's right wing; the second severs the crushed wing. Adjusting the blade angle with my wrist, the third, fourth, and fifth strikes land three consecutive critical hits on Bee Hunter 6's abdomen.
Sunraku: "Hup!"
This skill is excellent in that you can cancel it at will. Bathed in the polygons of the bursting Bee Hunter 6, I recover stamina. In those few seconds, I confirm the positions of the remaining ones.
1 is behind me. 2 is in front, recovered from stagger. 3 and 4 have their attention on Emul—her superior level and firepower make her a bigger hate magnet. But these are monsters with a "call allies" command, so overall hate judgment is probably based on quantity, not quality. And by now, 5 should be...
Sunraku: "There we go."
Four or five more thrusts and Bee Hunter 5 bursts into polygons. A light walk—just stepping—doesn't consume stamina.
The attack patterns of Bee Hunters 1 and 2 are fairly straightforward. I lightly parry their attacks and recover stamina... Yeah, Accel's effect is still going.
Sunraku: "Okay, plan decided!"
First target: Bee Hunter 2. While it's in its turning animation, I close in and unleash a flurry of blows leveraging the STR and AGI boost from Accel. I don't know the recommended level for this area, but level 30 seems to be enough to put up a decent fight.
I dash through the scattering polygons and activate Rush Slash on Bee Hunter 1. Unlike the spinning combo of Loop Slash, this is an orthodox rapid-slash barrage. Finish with a kick, and Bee Hunter 1 turns to polygons too.
Sunraku: "Sorry for the wait."
Accel's effect time is running out, but the remaining moments are enough to close the distance. The hate from Bee Hunters 3 and 4 has apparently shifted to me after I killed four of their comrades.
Two of them attack me simultaneously, but if they seriously intend to land a hit on me, feints and delays are mandatory, you know? If I'm going to take a straight-line attack... well, gunfire, I'd probably take. But if the conditions align, I think I can dodge even a pistol...
I use Slide Move—a skill that enables a momentary gliding dodge—not to evade, but to pursue the two Bee Hunters I dodged with my own steps. The distance gained by Slide Move, plus two backsteps, then twisting my hips and slashing upward from below...!
Sunraku: "Hahhaa! Bingo!!"
I'm on fire, I'm on fire! Having completely read the Bee Hunters' movements, I took a rough guess and swung my twin blades upward—and it lands perfectly on a Bee Hunter's... which one is this, probably 4? Anyway, it hits the Bee Hunter's abdomen. Mm, that feel—couldn't get a critical hit. As expected, landing a critical with an attack swung on instinct is tough.
Sunraku: "Recast complete!"
Three attacks and Bee Hunter 4 scatters into polygons. In that instant, Bee Hunter 3 launches its final attack, mandibles clacking as it goes for a bite.
Sunraku: "Where's the hitbox on this... hup."
Question on the lips, proof on the blade. Even the last attack can't scratch me thanks to Repel Counter. I feel a tiny bit of pity for Bee Hunter 3, but since getting hit could kill me, I'll do what players do and farm mobs.
The Marsh Dagger wreathed in a spiral effect—piercing, twisting into the bee—and Bee Hunter 3 shatters into polygons.
Sunraku: "Fwii, I'm exhausted, wa."
Emul: "You're copying me again, wa!"
That wasn't on purpose... No, have I been unconsciously infected by Emul's verbal tic...!?
While thinking such pointless thoughts, Emul and I diligently pick up the drop items scattered on the ground.