Chapter 400: A Wild Pervert Appeared Again!
It's amazing that a novel with no book publication and no illustrations can get fan-made videos... (stunned)
No, seriously, I'm grateful, or whatever the right word is... I watched it properly. The chain of divine punishment never ends...!
The food items you can buy in Rabituza are almost entirely carrots or carrot-flavored, which is just unacceptable. I gnaw on a Carrot of Plenty — a carrot that restores hunger to full, sold only to valued customers — and let out a sigh.
The Gourmet Tongue title might've been a mistake. If it unlocks the taste of gross-out items, I feel like not getting it would actually be better for combat. Though I guess chewing it up and swallowing anyway is what makes you a hardcore player... But do I want to throw away my sense of taste just to get into a game? That depends on the time and place for me.
Sunraku: "Alright... the trees are thinning out, and it's getting brighter. I can see it now, a new area...!"
Heading toward the center of the New Land from the frontline base, you need to pass through two areas. One, of course, is the forest area. It's the gateway to the New Land, and from what I've heard from Rei-shi and Akitsu Akane, it connects to all sorts of different areas. Not only that — from running into Tottori, the reports from Rust and Mold, and Kyotimate's suggestive comments, it's clear there are multiple races living in the forest area. In other words, the forest area is meant for advanced players... no, that's not it. It's a grand tutorial designed with Siegwurm's Unique Scenario EX and, beyond that, the World Quest in mind. Saint-chan said it too: unite the different races... meaning, United... United Sta—whoops, my thoughts are getting contaminated by the President. I don't want the parts of my brain already being dyed by other trash games to get any more marbled.
Sunraku: "A desert, a desert, huh..."
It's sand, but it's flat. Sure, there's probably some ups and downs... but from what I can see, there are almost no obstacles that would block my path. Meaning it's a wide, open place perfect for using Bradion. However, the footing is even worse than the leaf mold of the forest. If I mess up the landing, I'll probably paint the sand red. Damn, if only the effect didn't apply to just one stepping foot... no, wait.
Sunraku: "That vertical drop from earlier... if I could, like... shift it diagonally... think that'd work?"
Hmm, even then, I feel like I'd slip and go flying. This desert area is turning out to be way more trouble than I expected...
Sunraku: "Mm!"
A human presence! ...Is just a joke. It's the effect of the True Eye Bird Mask. When an enemy mob or NPC enters a certain range of my vision, I get a sensation like my focus is being pulled in. In other words, if it feels like my eyes are being forced to fix on something, there's something straight ahead. In this desert, which boasts a terrifying level of fidelity and realism, I bury myself in a hole I frantically dug and camouflage myself. Emul would definitely have complaints about this hiding method.
Sunraku: "Now then?"
Someone's coming closer. The number... three?
Sunraku: "From the looks of it, a knight, a thief, and a magic-user type...? That's inconvenient."
So there were players who'd already advanced into the desert area besides Rei-shi and the others. Well, I guess it's only natural, and it's not like it causes any problems... but my name stands out a bit too much. If it were just "Please sign, let me take a screenshot," that'd be fine. But if they press me to teach them about Uniques, or even demand to tag along... in the worst case, I'd have to give them a ride on the Hellbound Express Monster Train. Ugh... there's no way the devs who implemented something as weird as Bounty Hunters didn't consider MPK...
As I'm mulling over what to do, it seems the trio ran into a monster.
???: "Waaaa! This is bad!"
Bad — meaning it's probably a dangerous monster.
???: "A snake!? An eel!? Is that a monster we can even beat!?"
Hmm. It's a desert area, after all. I don't think it's an eel, but a snake-type monster wouldn't be strange. Cobra types are usually set up as strong characters, so they're a pain. Oh, is that it?
???: "Run! Hurry up or you'll get eaten!"
It's not a snake, it's a worm, and it's coming this way!!
With my face still sticking out of the sand, I look behind the three players running toward me. There, with a thunderous roar and a cloud of sand, a massive worm-type monster is writhing across the ground, bearing down. I can clearly understand that at this rate, I'm going to get dragged into this too. Damn it! The effect of Lycagon’s Contusion is pulling it toward me, isn't it!? You guys led it here and now you're trying to shove it onto me and train it away — you've got some nerve! If you're going to hell, I'm dragging you down with me!
Sunraku: "Waaaaaaaaait!!!"
???: "Huh?"
???: "Eh?"
???: "Hah?"
A half-naked bird-head bursts out of the sand, twin swords raised, and rushes toward the fleeing trio. Alright, all three of them got tagged with aggro, right? Welcome aboard the Hellbound Express!
???: "Kyaaaaah!?"
???: "Oi, point your weapons the other way!!"
???: "Y-you're that guy from back then... Sunraku, right!"
???: "Whoa, he's basically the same as before, just versioned up..."
Huh? These guys know me... No, wait. One male knight, two females — a thief and a mage? Where have I... a harem guy like that... Ah, I remember.
Sunraku: "You guys are that trio from back then! Let's see... Souma, Kaho, and Rina!"
Souma: "Don't say it like it's our real names! It's Souma!"
Kahho: "Kahho!"
Reena: "It's Reena!"
You guys are the trio who mistook me for a monster in The Rampant Forest! Whoa, seriously? Running into you again in a place like this... No, wait, that's not the point right now.
Sunraku: "This is getting us nowhere. We're repelling that thing!"
???: "Hah!? There's no way we can beat that..."
Activate Bradion! A wide-open space, a giant enemy... an ideal environment.
Sunraku: "If we don't, it'll just eat us! I'll take the aggro, so you guys spread out and attack! I'm counting on you for the DPS!"
???: "DPS?"
Sunraku: "DAMAGE PERCENTAGE SECOOOOND!!!"
I scream the full name as I leap. The power of acceleration that has reached the human critical point is synonymous with physical propulsion. Boom! The sand at my feet explodes upward as my body, wreathed in a violet effect, dances into the air.
Sunraku: "Alright..."
Activate Quantum Gaze. From the waves of effects, I grasp that even the sand spewing from the worm's body joints carries a damage hitbox. I swap the Duxram, Blade of Aspiration in my left hand for a recovery potion and douse my face with its contents as if washing it.
Sunraku: "As long as I can tank the chip damage, that's enough...!"
Step two. With the exploding air at my feet, I shift from a vertical leap to a horizontal parallel acceleration and charge straight at the rampaging giant worm.
Sunraku: "First blood's mine...!"
It's like two cars running at high speed from opposite directions passing each other. I slash at the worm's outer skin with Duxram, Blade of Aspiration still in my right hand. The trajectory is excellent, and with some luck correction, I landed a critical, but...
Sunraku: "It's tough!"
Step three. I stomp on the worm's surface and, as if chasing its speed, perform an extremely high, fast backflip. From the feel through Duxram, Blade of Aspiration, I make a rough guess.
Sunraku: "Slashing is out. Piercing... maybe a chance if I hit a joint? If that's the case, then magic or..."
Blunt, maybe? Though, it's questionable whether this bug—which seems to run on just its mouth and esophagus—even has internal organs that would take damage from blunt force...
Sunraku: "Equipment change!!"
Crimson Sea Fistband: Regalex Cestus. The deep crimson bands wrap around both hands, turning human fists into weapons for crushing enemies. Further, activate Sawildanah. A fist skill mixed with silver light and golden particles slams into the worm's body.
The next instant, with a tremendous BOGON!, the worm's huge body physically dents—just slightly.
Sunraku: "Oooh!?"
Right, Sawildanah calculates damage by referencing luck and also factoring in a random stat, wasn't it... Don't tell me, through random selection, it picked luck again? Damn, good firepower but it's RNG... I can't count on it. If it picks VIT, I'll barely do half the max damage. But can we manage this? If you've got the skills to make it to the New Land, I can count you as fighting strength, right?