Chapter 257: Though the Body May Break, the Heart Will Not Shatter
It seems that the "curses" inflicted by Unique Monsters vary slightly depending on the monster itself.
In Lycagon's case, maybe because they're carved by fangs and claws, the black "curse" that surfaces is, how to put it, crude. Depending on how you look at it, it can even seem like a chain tattoo.
With Siegwurm, I once caught a glimpse of one etched onto Akitsu Akane's face—a red "curse" similar to a cut, like Lycagon's, but compared to Lycagon's, the mark looks much cleaner, as though sliced with a razor.
For Wethermon, Ctarnidd, and Vash, it's unknown.
The same goes for the still-unidentified Orchestra.
And then there's Goldhuneenay. All of the Vorpal Bunnies gathered here have been cursed by her, and because of that, they can't even see their families. They've just kept fighting here. And naturally, each one of them bears Goldhuneenay's "curse" upon their body.
Aydward: "As previously explained, we will hold back and push forward against the invading spawn of Goldhuneenay."
knock knock
Sunraku: "And I break through, charge straight to the offshoot—that right?"
knock knock knock knock knock knock
Aydward: "Yes. Simple as it is, it will likely be difficult for us to provide you with support."
knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock...
Sunraku: "Are they mashing the button?!"
A rapid-fire door knock was a bit outside my expectations, but Aydward signals the rabbit near the door with a jerk of his chin to open it for this polite visitor who won't enter without permission.
Akitsu Akane: "Ah, hello!"
Sunraku: "Whoa, Akitsu Akane?!"
Akitsu Akane: "Yes! Ceecrue-san suddenly invited me to a Unique Scenario, so I just came right over!"
From Ceecrue? So that means the Rabituza Unique... no, does it automatically trigger for anyone who unlocked the "Invitation" Unique that lets them inside the Palace of Rabituza? No, wait, jumping to conclusions is premature. I'll just ask directly.
Sunraku: "Hey, just to check—what was the scenario name?"
Akitsu Akane: "Umm... it's 'Rabituza Volunteer'!"
Okay, so it's still a solo hunt after all, no question. There must be some kind of difference between participating as a volunteer and participating as a member of the defensive battle.
Sunraku: "Sorry for stopping the talk. Keep going, Aydward."
Aydward: "…Right. First, once we reach the front lines, the magic unit will fire at full force to sweep the enemy away."
Though they will likely be buried by reinforcements immediately after... he continues, pointing at the map.
Aydward: "We will push the line forward and seal the side tunnels before Goldhuneenay's spawn can flood in. In that opening, you will advance... And you, young lady, will handle any spawn attempting surprise attacks from the side tunnels, as well as hold back the reinforcements that will follow."
Akitsu Akane: "Yes! I don't really get what this Goldhune-something is all about, but I'll do my best!"
A little overwhelmed by the sports-manga-youthful aura blazing from Akitsu Akane as she snaps to attention, I voice my concern.
Sunraku: "Hey, just checking—let's say I make it all the way to the offshoot. Don't I just get surrounded by spawn and die?"
Aydward: "That point is not an issue. In fact, you will likely be the one pinning down the offshoot."
So saying, Aydward gestures to the thing he's had strapped to his back this entire time.
Aydward: "One of Father's weapons: 'Tanryu.' Once this is drawn, Goldhuneenay's spawn will all surge toward us at once... even the offshoot itself."
It's a guardless blade with an incredibly elaborate, intricate design carved into the scabbard... well, let's be blunt: it's a long dagger.
Aydward: "Once I draw this, you absolutely must—no matter what—and preferably as swiftly as possible—bring down the offshoot."
Aydward stares hard at me. And it's not just him—every Vorpal Bunny in this room, their bodies partially cracked, is staring at me too. They're watching me, trying to judge with their own eyes whether I'm truly worth entrusting their lives to, whether they can really leave this to me.
Aydward: "This is the final confirmation. Can you do it?"
If that's how it is, then it's time to role-play. That is the single greatest means of convincing NPCs who live within the world of SLF.
I deliberately equip the Whalelore Moonblade in a way that shows it off, adjust the Staring Bird Mask—by now almost my trademark—and, without retreating a step, meet their gazes and declare:
Sunraku: "Leave it to me. Wethermon, Lycagon, Ctarnidd... I've overcome every single one of them head-on. That's why I'm standing here. Believe in me—it's that 'trust me' thing."
Emul: "That's right, desu wa! Sunraku-san will pull through for us, desu wa!"
Thumbs up. Instead of lining up a hundred words, the accumulated score of your achievements and the scars carved into you carry the power to convince NPCs.
Aydward: "Very well. Then we will entrust our lives to you."
Relax. Unlike that scumbag piece of stationery, I'm a player who takes good care of allied NPCs.
Sunraku: "Come to think of it, Akitsu Akane—did you finish that ten-match challenge?"
Akitsu Akane: "No, not yet!"
Sunraku: "So, in other words, this defensive battle scenario is the kind of event that triggers as long as you've accepted the 'Invitation'... And from the look of things, the 'Tour' isn't included. That about right?"
Speaking of which, the "Tour of Rabituza" had us fighting some monster called the Rabbit-Eating Snake. Could that be connected to this scenario? This is just a guess, but the tunnel's control rate is probably a flag that determines whether the "Invitation" or the "Tour" triggers. If the situation turns for the worse, then the players on the "Tour" might get a scenario like "Volunteer" or "Defensive"... or some other scenario entirely.
Sunraku: "I'm getting fired up. Behind us, thousands, tens of thousands of players are waiting and itching to get in."
But sorry to break it to you—you're way too early for this area. Come back once you've shown you've got the guts to charge Lycagon with a kitchen knife.
Sunraku: "Speaking of which, what've you been fighting since the spear guy?"
Akitsu Akane: "Umm, how do I put it... a three-legged race robot?"
A three-legged race... Dammit, so jealous you're getting fun-looking enemies! Over here, I had to deal with a shitty bird that just kept spewing deadly poison from the sky.
Sunraku: "Well, anyway—I'm about to go charge the front line, but you be careful too, Akitsu Akane. From what I just heard, the enemy's coming with sheer numbers."
Akitsu Akane: "Yes! I'll do my best!"
I'm a little worried, but then again, when I think about it, in terms of raw stats, this girl blows me out of the water... Wait, am I acting all senpai-like when I'm actually the inferior version here? No, let's stop that train of thought before my psyche collapses. A-And besides, depending on skills and stuff, it's not like I'm definitely weaker! Yeah!
As I advance through the long, wide tunnel, I pass one Vorpal Bunny after another. Every single one of them has an unnatural, glass-like crack running across some part of their body. And from those cracks seeps a black smoke that clearly contains nothing good for one's health. Even though there are torches, the dark, oppressive feeling in this tunnel is probably because of that.
So that's what Goldhuneenay's "curse" does to you. Passing by a one-eared Vorpal Bunny—whose ear looks about to split apart—sharpening his axe with practiced, if not quite artisan-like, movements, I take another look around the tunnel's interior.
I have no idea what kind of form Goldhuneenay actually takes, but the fact that she single-handedly bored out this enormous tunnel tells you all you need to know about how insane she is. The tunnel, as if carved by heavy machinery, has countless holes all over the walls, ceiling, and even the ground—holes sealed with what's probably not concrete but something similar.
The sheer number of plugged-up holes gives the tunnel a polka-dot pattern. If they were to launch a surprise attack from all of these at once—what is this, three-dimensional whack-a-mole? Are they demons? ...No, snakes. Push the line, hold the enemy, and seal the holes in the meantime. I see—it's a huge operation. Without an army-level tank to hold them off, you'd have no chance.
Sunraku: "And those guys are the ones sealing the holes, right?"
Vorpal Bunnies dressed like wall carpenters—which I never see anymore—are preparing a bunch of what looks less like concrete and more like clay. If I remember right, this game has primary jobs separate from combat classes, like crafting and such. If so, are they "Carpenters"?
If you can physically seal things up and build on the fly, maybe it's a trap-based job... Unfortunately, with my stats making me a tuna that dies if it stops moving, I doubt I'll ever pick up the Carpenter job.
Aydward: "Now then, we're finally near the front line. From here on, I can no longer fully guarantee your safety, so stay on your guard."
Sunraku: "Got it."
Akitsu Akane: "Yes! Umm, and who might you be?!"
Ceecrue: "Akitsu Akane-dono, this is my elder brother Aydward, de gozaru!"
Akitsu Akane: "I see! Nice to meet you!"
She's so energetic... So this is what youth looks like.
At any rate, the grand operation to drop-kick the bushes and drive out the snake is about to begin. Your "curse poison"... I'll be collecting a sample, Goldhuneenay.
Exis: "Outta my way, outta my way, move it, move iiiit! Where's Pops?!"
Emul: "Um, um... wait...! I'm... not that fast on my feet..."
Exis: "The hell're ya sayin'! You don't hurry up, the defensive battle's gonna start! If I don't see Pops right now, I ain't gonna make it in time!"
Emul: "Even so, you're way too fast...!"
Exis: "Heh-haah! Run, Wott Hogg!"
Wott Hogg: "Pugii!"
Bilac: "Shut yer yappin'!! How many times I gotta tell ya to keep it quiet inside the palace, damn it all?!"
Exis: "Eep! Bilac-nee-chan!"
Bilac: "You little—Exis...! Front and center, now!"
Exis: "Hiiie! Please, run faster! At this rate, I'm gonna get fatally Vorpal-pummelled!"
Emul: "Urgh, my stamina's almost..."
They knew this wasn't the time. They had been holding back, refusing to press "YES" until all their obligations were cleared away. But the moment they heard, "Bird Person is in fatal (Vorpal) danger," their finger moved before they could think.
The hammer-bearing knight marches on...