Chapter 373: A Beast's Roar Echoing in the Crystals
Did a Conjunction, so here's an update.
It seems using "Tachyon" comes with some pretty serious drawbacks as recoil: a massive recast time, and its activation time translating directly into hunger loss. The latter might look trivial, but for an NPC it is actually pretty serious, so besides cake I have also been offering Tias-sensei gratin and all kinds of other food.
Survival: "Dammit... Why the hell do I have to fight a horde of muscle darumas while getting trained by a muscle daruma..."
Sunraku: "Hey, lolicon. Your eyes are too creepy, so she says no go."
Survival: "Seriously!? Then starting today, I'm a Full-Face Helmer!"
When I ask for details, apparently there's a clan called "Full-Face Helmer" that literally only equips full-face headgear. I could not care less. And don't recommend it to me. Whatever happened to the fed-up look he had just moments ago, Survival immediately gets into position for screenshots. Tias-sensei and I watch him with half-lidded eyes while I calmly change out of my clothes that just burst apart.
Sunraku: "Ah, right, Survival. Tias-sensei is currently very hungry."
Survival: "Master, give her the most expensive dish in this place. I'll cover the bill."
Master: "Understood."
A man who never wavers. Even if the outer shell is a woman. That said, for a female avatar that gives off such a tomboyish impression, the fatally deep voice is an indescribable mismatch.
Sunraku: "Well, it's not as bad as that fake magical girl..."
Sunraku: "Still, even from just trying it briefly, that 'Avenger' job packs some serious performance."
Survival: "Heh... Getting to fight monsters with titles, does that please the wild man of φ Server?"
Sunraku: "It's the best... Though, having Toole as a chaperone while fighting a horde of muscle-daruma trolls did kill the mood pretty hard."
In my case, the target was Aigaio, a fresh-meat golem. But Survival, it seems, was put up against the Atanatoi—an army of trolls, each one easy to handle individually but a swarm with superior regeneration.
Survival: "Well, if they flinch from a single punch, they're softer than Demon Pork Maton."
Sunraku: "Huh... Come to think of it, are you still doing the bare-handed restriction in SLF too?"
Survival: "Nah? Bare-handed... there's that ascetic monk thing, but it's a pain, so I'm running the warrior tree. Main's fist, but I use axes on the side, too."
Even using weapons, he can't shake off that barbarian stench. Have a little more of a modern person's restraint. Restraint. Like me, for example.
Survival: "Oh, right, Sunraku, you—already pulled something on the New Land, I hear."
Sunraku: "Urk... It was an accident, I tell you. A product of chance."
Survival: "No, no, to pull off such a grand catchphrase in front of all those people... I'm in awe. That stuff about karma and whatnot—did you come up with that yourself? Heh heh. Gives me goosebumps."
Sunraku: "...That's the incantation from Revenger's Call."
Survival: "—Ahh. Exactly. I was so moved and trembling that the goosebumps wouldn't stop. Magnificent. You showed me the very spirit of an Avenger."
With a wrist that flips that fast, you could probably drill a hole if you planted it on the ground.
Master: "Thank you for waiting. Here is meat from around the backbone of a Tidal Sea Serpent, procured from the New Land."
As we're talking like that, a massive slab of bone and meat slams down on the counter table with a heavy, resounding thud.
Sunraku: "...So, classification-wise, is this seafood?"
Tias: "...Looks delicious."
Sunraku: "Ahh... How much is this?"
What stuck with me was Survival hearing the price, smiling cheerfully, and asking to pay in installments—and the fact that, despite being red meat, it had the texture of eel.
I learned later that Tias-sensei has a special skill, Stockpile, that lets her store hunger beyond 100%. No wonder she can easily polish off ten servings... No, wait. So that means if her hunger goes above 100%, the duration of "Tachyon" also...
I decided not to think too deeply about it.
Now then. Having gained experience, next is money. Sadly, the vast fortune I earned from the treasures of Ruluiath is, for various reasons, on the verge of drying up. Well, even so, I've still got close to a hundred million left... but I want to secure at least a billion or so.
Sunraku: "Nice, nice. Currency inflation is one of the true pleasures of gaming."
And so, I've arrived at Crystal Nest Cliff. It's as deserted as ever. Though, "unpopular" isn't the reason—it's a 0% survival rate. That invites a certain dry, humorless laugh. Well, it's like a minefield where there's no place to step. The only real strategy is to sprint through before the mines go off; it's a nightmare to deal with. Still, I've heard there are spells that let you fly. And if tamer-related research progresses, safe mining might not be a pipe dream. Although, honestly, the materials dropped by the Crystal Scorpions themselves aren't that hard to obtain. If you use a sacrifice to make them bunch up in a shoving scrum, then have the speed to recover the dropped items before the next wave arrives, you can gather materials reliably... However, after numerous verifications, the tail only drops if you directly sever it, and the final outcome is always death by crushing. So it demands a resolve beyond simple stats.
But this time, I'm not choosing that hit-and-run tactic. For this test, I want a swarm that's reasonably tough.
Sunraku: "Alright..."
The truth is, this is my second time entering Crystal Nest Cliff today. Including the previous use, I had to nearly die once before I could use it again... Well, after normal mining last time, I enjoyed a game of lacrosse.
Sunraku: "Even among close friends, manners still matter... Time to return the favor from earlier!"
A grail, a black crystal—two items, and the magical girl is complete. And one more thing—the item for this test... Carrying Broad Crown, I advance through the pathless path of spreading crystal.
Sunraku: "Oh, they're here, huh?"
Earlier, when I first stepped in and one of the Crystal Scorpions backed away, I was shocked, thinking our friendship had crumbled. But apparently, when they swarm, they'll charge even stronger opponents. So we really are battle buddies after all. Why a monster like the Crystal Scorpion—individually a quasi-Lycagon-level threat—has a function to unite against stronger foes is a bit of a mystery... But I'm gonna keep milking you for profit.
Sunraku: "Uh, so, put it on, activation key word, and... Even if it's active, couldn't it be thought-activated?"
These days, I'm really feeling how annoying it is when moves or words give you away in PvP. In full-dive, since you're moving your body yourself, the risk of fumbling your words isn't zero. Yeah, thought activation really is number one!
Well, friendly fire caused by a misthought instead of a misfire creating bad blood is just part of the charm. And stabbing someone in the back using mis-thoughts as an excuse is also part of the fun... But I don't think "Misthought Divine Punishment (It was a mistake, forgive me)" would actually be forgiven. As I let my thoughts drift to Bakumatsu, which keeps pulling off these crazy events, the scorpions pour out in droves... Actually, if my eyes aren't playing tricks on me, are they moving in a crane-wing formation? Huh? Strategy installed?
Sunraku: "Bring it."
Even if words can't reach, we can still understand each other. After all, we have the wonderful language of body language, passed down since before the Tower of Babel fell!!
Sunraku: "Blood Heart!!"
Clunk. A crimson skull, worn. Through its eye sockets, I stare down the charging scorpions and declare the word that evokes the power of "Red."
Sunraku: "Nguh!?"
A slight pressure, as if my head is being squeezed by something. Red bleeds into my vision. Something thicker and more viscous than water trickles down my temples, drips from my lower jaw, crawls over my whole body...
Sunraku: "Whether it's erotic or grotesque, isn't this R-18aaaaaaAAAAAAaaaa!?"
Whoa, amazing. My voice has some weird effect on it.
The crystal wave is right before my eyes. With Inventoria nerfed, all hope of escape is gone... But—
Sunraku: "Slaughter."
Right now, I'm... a cut above, with a little extra borrowed ferocity.