Chapter 411: Dragon, O Dragon! We Run to the End of Our Longing — Super-Outlandish Mega Hunter
Bradion is absurdly awkward to use against monsters, but for movement? It is insanely convenient.
The fact that its maximum range can reach nearly a kilometer is obviously ridiculous, but somehow it is not even a bug. That is what surprises me.
Speaking of bug movement, there was this game where a weird bug got popular: if fireworks blew you up in a graveyard, you somehow respawned where you landed.
I will not say which game it was, but “intercept the human meteor and smite it” sounded like it should have caught on and never did. Instead, “random-human pitfall meteor smiting” became popular.
Sunraku: "Rei-shi said it should be around here... Hm? Is that it?"
Rei-shi was not a hardcore mapper, but naturally, as a no-lifer, she had map items.
By asking about landmarks around the partially mapped Bugman village, I could narrow down the location somewhat.
Sunraku: "Because it’s a desert, the landmarks stand out even more...!"
That double-helix cactus, huh?
It really was wrapped into a double helix... Somehow, it was kind of gross.
But if I could see that, the Bugman village was close.
Rei-shi said it was an oasis surrounded by rocks, and...
Yeah, from above, it was easy to spot.
I would land and head over.
Three, two, one...
Impact, now!!
WIMP: "Huh? Why are you coming out of the ship?"
Sunraku: "Don’t ask."
Saina: "Prediction: Death occurred for some reason."
Sunraku: "Don’t say it."
Retake!!
Sunraku: "Hmph!!"
Getting used to it had made me let my guard down. Guess you should never forget the basics.
Now then, the Bugman village was right in front of me.
Emul was in Rabituza, so I could not contact her from here. I had asked her to visit the forward base a few times a day for situations like this, but crossing the desert again and then pushing through the forest was still a pain in the ass.
So what would I do?
I would rely on Diale.
Apparently, she was Emul’s magic teacher, so of course she had learned [Coordinate Teleport Gate].
Except during the event where you first visit Rabituza, [Coordinate Teleport Gate] can only send the user and their companions to places both sides have already visited.
But Diale and I both knew Rabituza.
That meant returning there and meeting up with Emul could be massively shortened.
Still, just taking advantage of Rei-shi’s kindness would be rude. I needed some way to make it up to her...
Crunching through the sand, I headed for the rocky dome.
It was like a rocky version of Tiaplarten.
Tiaplarten had been a safe zone—formerly, anyway—surrounded by giant trees and vines. This place was hidden from anyone without a high-altitude view by its rocks and windblown sand.
But the sky was no longer unexplored territory.
A pioneer’s passion could conquer the sky too...!!
Sunraku: "Heh heh heh... Fwahahaha...! I found it, the Bugman village... Sunanoki!!"
Ten minutes remained until I paid for getting cocky and laughing like that.
Sunraku: "Huh?"
Why was I surrounded by bug people with weapons pointed at me?
No, wait. I swear by heaven and earth, I had not done anything wrong.
For professional reasons and freeloader reasons, I did not do things that raised my Karma, and I did not do anything soft enough to lower my Vorpal spirit.
You could say I was roleplaying an overpowered character.
So I had simply walked into the Bugman village and said this:
Sunraku: "You people are beneath my concern. Bring out Rei... Psyger-0."
Like that!!!
Wait, was this one of those overpowered characters who had “Enemy Executive” tacked onto their title?
Bugman Elder: "What do you want with our friend, bearer of those ominous scars...!?"
Sunraku: "...Uh."
Saying, “No, you’ve got it wrong, let’s be friends,” would have been easy.
But when the roleplay fit this perfectly...
You kind of wanted to lean into it, right?
Sunraku: "...Heh. And what would saying that change?"
Bugman Elder: "Kakakage’s words were not wrong after all... You who appeared carrying calamity...!!"
Oh shit, it was getting harder and harder to back out.
But proportionally, it was getting more and more fun too!!
The one pointing a staff at me had the air of an elder. Overall, it had a humanoid shape, but it had four arms and a bunch of body parts humans obviously should not have...
Ah. Yeah.
A cicada man.
Sunraku: "Then what will you do, Bugmen? I demand only one thing: bring out Psyger-0. Are you fools enough to throw yourselves into disaster?"
Bugman: "Psyger-0 good person... Friend. Protect. Warrior’s pride...!!"
Oh shit!
Friendship power!
This was one of those slightly dumb characters who faced a powerful enemy with friendship power!!
Holy shit, getting to play the villain was a rare experience!!
Now I understood why Pencilgon got so into playing evil characters...!!
Sunraku: "Oh? You would challenge me...? You must not value your lives...!!"
Bugmen: "Will you go, Badadagarara!?"
Bugman: "Oh! Badadagarara is going to fight!"
Bugmen: "Honor to the warrior!!"
If Rei-shi had not explained things beforehand, I probably would have been pretty confused.
But since I knew, I actually kind of liked them.
If I had to describe the Bugmen in one word, it would be “barbarians.”
But “warriors” fit them too.
They respected strength, while also having the decency to dislike pointless fighting, apparently.
More than anything, every single Bugman was obsessed with one-on-one fights.
Against huge monsters—like worms—they might fight as a group. But if someone declared a one-on-one fight, everyone would praise their “warrior’s pride” or whatever.
Which meant the pillbug man...
Uh, Badabada-Garagara or something...
Was apparently going to fight me one-on-one.
Badadagarara: "UOOOOOOOOH!!"
A charge that made full use of his body.
In other words, he curled into a ball and came at me with a rapid, continuous forward roll.
Obviously, killing him would be bad.
But...
Well, if I was going to keep up the villain act, maybe I could try something.
I activated the Indigo Grail, switched LUC and VIT, and equipped the Crimson Sea Fistband on both hands.
Sunraku: "Mgh... Ngh!!"
Badagara-kun’s body was not as smooth as a tire.
If I caught it wrong, I could get dragged under and crushed.
But without showing any of that concern, I caught his spinning charge head-on with both fists.
Badadagarara: "O-ohh!?"
Sunraku: "Good charge... But!"
A flashy, show-off punch—something like a force-release strike copied from kung fu characters you saw in action games sixty percent of the time!!
Badadagarara: "GWOAH!!"
Rather than knocking him away, I drove both fists into him and pushed him back.
Badagara-kun flew backward.
The Bugmen surrounding us and forming an impromptu insect-person colosseum let out cries mixed with screams.
Sunraku: "Come on. I’ll entertain you...!!"
Badadagarara: "O-oh... Loss, not... I can still fight!!"
Kokorukokokoreko: "───Wait, Badadagarara."
Oh, shit.
You could read the flow here.
You knew roughly what was going to happen next in this kind of situation.
It was a cliché, you know?
Bugmen: "Kokorukokokoreko...!!"
What was that name even supposed to be?
Kokorukokokoreko: "Your pride... I shall praise it. Therefore, I ask that you entrust this fight to me."
Badadagarara: "Mm... Nngh... Fine."
Bugman: "Kokorukokokoreko is going to fight!"
Bugmen: "Bugs Pride!"
Bugmen: "Ohh, our Bugs Pride..."
Wow.
A strong-character-versus-strong-character situation.
There was no way I could back out now, right?
Kokorukokokoreko: "Warrior of scars... Will you not put away your blade?"
Fuck.
The reason to keep this fun situation going was beating every reason to stop it.
Damn you, Pencilgon!!
Sunraku: "What are you mistaken about? I said to bring out Psyger-0. I have said that from the beginning. You were the ones who raised weapons against me."
Kokorukokokoreko: "So be it... Then there is no choice but to settle this through battle."
Why?
Why was that the conclusion?
I had only said, “Bring out Rei-shi.” Why had this turned into an armed conflict?
The only thing I could think of was...
Warrior of scars?
Sunraku: "Heh... Heh heh heh... The fate of these scars, huh..."
As I felt the Lycagon-never-forgive counter start spinning at full speed, I raised my fists wrapped in crimson bands.
Sunraku: "Come, Bugman warrior. Relieve my boredom...!!"
Five minutes remained until Rei-shi appeared and stopped the fight by explaining the situation...!!