I really like the theory that Yokai Planet was actually an SCP that the Foundation removed from the public eye with the cover story “service terminated.”
Chapter 241: O Golden Moon, Blue and Cold
Being unable to fight myself was incredibly frustrating. I realized that, so at least the time I spent up to now wasn't wasted... or so I'd like to think.
Akitsu Akane: "Y-yes! We did it, Sunraku-san! Did you see that, Ceecrue-san!?"
An instant-death grab attack that forcibly teleported you if your shadow touched its shadow. A teleport attack that could move to any location with a shadow detached from its body. Getting hit with a status ailment ate away at your HP while drowning you in debuffs.
On top of that, normal attacks didn't work at all. Even her "Apology Cannon" seemed to deal zero damage.
It was a truly awful monster. But when we tried a method that came to mind... True Quiet disappeared with shocking ease.
Sunraku: "So the solution wasn't to reduce its HP from 100 to zero, but to bring it back up to zero from negative 100."
This game really is one where you figure out weaknesses from the world's lore and setting rather than just looking at plain stats.
It was a monster with such broken balance you rarely see even in crappy games, but at the same time, it was a complete pushover on a level you also rarely see in crappy games. Apparently, it was a being born from the attributes released at the moment of death—"Death" itself, the "Pain" leading up to it, and the "Disease" and "Violence" that caused it, all mixed together.
If that's the case, in game terms, it's essentially made of "0 HP," "damage," and "debuffs." In other words, it was in a state where it had gone past zero and into the negatives. Adding more negative to a negative would just make the number grow even larger in the negative direction.
So, think in reverse. Add positive to negative to bring it back to zero. The principle is the same as what we did during the Ctarnidd fight. That was a system inversion, but this is an application of damage calculation within the system.
If damage doesn't work, use recovery. If debuffs don't work, use buffs. If it's already dead, just revive it.
The conclusion Akitsu Akane and I reached was to buy up all the recovery items at an item shop in Rabituza and throw them at it. A rather indescribable strategy.
Sunraku: "It's kind of the same feeling as splashing holy water on undead, but somehow, the feeling of wasting items is even worse than with undead."
Using light-based items on a dark existence gives that sense of purification through opposing attributes. But with the True Quiet, it felt more like repaying a debt. Even watching from the stands, that was how it felt to me. I can only imagine how Akitsu Akane felt throwing away those expensive items... Well, she looks genuinely happy.
Akitsu Akane: "This is what they mean by 'money is power,' isn't it!"
Sunraku: "I feel like that's not quite right... but, well, okay."
Akitsu Akane: "Oh! A scythe dropped!"
Sunraku: "Hmph. Lucky."
Agh! No fair! That's so cool! A Grim Reaper's scythe is the epitome of cool! I want one so bad!
But holding back the tantrum and keeping it inside is what it means to be a mature adult.
Emul: "Sunraku-san, your fists are shaking really bad, wa."
Damn it! I'm still in the middle of my youth!
When the second monster appeared—a ghostly-looking warrior wielding an absurdly strong-looking spear—I finally cracked a little. I could do nothing but watch as Akitsu Akane was repeatedly skewered by spear tsukumogami that multiplied every five seconds... so I decided to end Akitsu Akane's challenge for the day.
Even if there's no real pain, getting your head chopped off or impaled over and over couldn't possibly be good for your mental health. I can sense a dark-side aptitude in bits and pieces of her personality, but you shouldn't forcibly drag someone on the light side over to the dark side. That's an unwritten rule among game addicts.
The history of online gaming, where you compete through anonymous connections, could be called a history of abuse and harassment exploiting that anonymity.
Putting insults in the friend request message field is just the beginning. In the worst cases, there are examples of persistent stalking using guild members. But as technology advances, so does game development. In proportion to the passing years, countless games are released. If you fail to attract new players, all that awaits is being swallowed by the wave of new releases and fading into obscurity.
That's why "hardcore gamers"—those who pour their heart and soul into a single game—share an unwritten rule, regardless of genre.
That rule is: never treat light-side new players the way you treat dark-side hardcore players.
Honestly, the only reason Katzo, Pencilgon, and I can insult each other without restraint is because we're close. If we did that to complete strangers, it'd turn into a fistfight. We get pretty close to attacking each other's entire personalities.
Sunraku: "Generally speaking, I don't recommend the 'die and learn' approach in full-dive games. So try to gather as much information as possible with each attempt."
Akitsu Akane: "Understood!"
Does she really get it...? If it were me, I'd absolutely just charge in with a 'let's try ten times first' sort of attitude.
Well, a person's playstyle is their own. You can advise, but you shouldn't force.
Despite taking unexpected mental damage, it felt about time, so I quickly took care of things like a bathroom break and logged back in. Walking through the Rabbit Palace, more or less toward the forge, I ran into Bilac wearing an extremely satisfied expression.
Emul: "Oh, it’s big sis Bilac, wa."
Bilac: "Hey. Pops is callin’ for you two."
Sunraku: "Oh? Does that mean it's finished?"
Bilac: "Yeah... It’s magnificent. I hate that I can only express Pops’s greatness in just five characters...!"
Nice. If Bilac's this smitten, the finished product must be something special.
With a spring in my step, I headed to the forge where Vash should be. The white rabbit puffing on his pipe glanced my way.
Vash: "So you’re here... Came out real nice."
Sunraku: "Ooh..."
The Vorpal Chopper, once forged from a Quad Beetle carapace, had become Togetsu — Moonblades: Waxing & Waning. And now, with materials from the Golden Scorpion and Atlanticus Lepnorca worked into it, Togetsu had gained a new form.
Vash: "Whalelore Moonblade... this one’s Goldsheen. That one’s Netherlight."
Cool!
Perhaps because both source monsters shared the trait of being crystal-based, the twin blades had different shapes but shared the common feature of crystalline blades. While Goldsheen was the size of a one-handed sword, Netherlight was only as big as a knife. That was a little concerning.
From their names, Goldsheen likely used the Golden Scorpion's material, and Netherlight used the Atlanticus Lepnorca's. For now, appearance was perfect. Time to check the performance.
Whalelore Moonblade — Goldsheen
Twin-blade sword. Its counterpart is Netherlight. A blade containing golden moonlight within its crystal. Infused with the magic of the Vorpal Bunny, it emits the light of the true moon when it meets the chill of the underworld.
- When fighting an opponent of higher level, a successful critical hit inflicts a crystallization effect on the target.
- Rapidly restores weapon durability by consuming the user's HP or by receiving moonlight.
- Landing a certain number of critical hits fills the Fusion Gauge.
- Required stats: STR 80, DEX 100, TEC 80, Vorpal Soul 200.
Whalelore Moonblade — Netherlight