Chapter 417: Side 14 — Landing

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Argent Owl: "Hii, Ke... no, Katzo~"

Oikatzo ran.

He could not get away.

Somehow, in that short span of time, she had already crossed the level-90 threshold. Her mobility-focused stats were faster than Oikatzo’s escape speed.

Argent Owl: "You’re so cold, aren’t you? Come on, come on. Don’t you have something to say to me after I crossed the sea just to see you? Hmm? Hmm?"

Oikatzo: "The way back is over there."

Argent Owl: "Justice!"

Oikatzo: "Don’t pull my cheeeeks!!"

If he had to sum this player up in one word... “exhibitionist,” perhaps.

Not because she exposed any skin. She wore the Destroyer-exclusive chest armor, “Outlaw Ogre Battle Garb,” and leg armor, “Wedge-Strike Geta,” together with the Pilgrim-exclusive waist gear, “Blue Swallowtail Waistcloth.”

In other words, she had given up the armor set bonuses purely to look like a lightly dressed battle cleric: black innerwear, black tights, and a priestly skirt at the waist.

Conversely, that also proved she could fight without armor support.

Oikatzo knew who this player was.

Even after handing him his first-ever loss, she had called it “a little warm-up,” then beaten a hundred opponents in two days and climbed to the highest rating at record speed in unofficial online matches.

He knew who Argent Owl really was.

Oikatzo: "Haaah... Fine, whatever, but seriously... you leveled up way too fast."

Argent Owl: "Hmph. I look up strategy sites too, you know. Apparently, dungeon tours are the current trend! I’m already sick of punching Minotaurs to death!"

Argent Owl: silver, Ag, and gold, Au.

In other words, “Silver Sylvia” and “Gold Goldberg”—Sylvia Goldberg.

It was not difficult to imagine the uproar if people learned that America’s number-one fighting-game player had come to Japan to enjoy her free time and was now playing SLF.

Unfortunately, her current avatar was the exact opposite of her real body: a voluptuous infighter whose appearance somehow carried a faint air of melancholy.

Furthermore, Oikatzo had no idea how she had done it, but she had gotten hold of the real-time translation system, “Babel,” even though it was not supposed to have an implementation date yet.

At least, Argent Owl’s words came out as fluent Japanese.

Argent Owl: "So? Kei... no, Oikatzo, where are the people you know? Come on, come on, hurry up!"

Oikatzo: "Tch... so that’s what you really came for...! Sorry, but I don’t know either."

One was a bullet that flew wherever it pleased. The other was a mastermind laughing from the shadows of the world.

As far as Oikatzo knew, Pencilgon had been working at a frantic pace ever since Saint Eristella’s oracle. Sunraku, on the other hand, could not be reached at all.

Having known Sunraku for a long time, Oikatzo knew that whenever Sunraku did not answer, it usually meant he was intensely working through some trash game.

(He said he bought Fuuun Prejiden, so he’s probably planning to clear it this week... I want to try it too, but there are barely any copies in circulation to begin with...)

Even if Argent Owl wanted to meet the face-hidden Sunraku and the name-hidden Pencilgon, though, there was no need to tell her about their private lives.

Argent Owl: "Well, I’ll run into them sooner or later. For now, we have to enjoy the new area! Let’s go, Ke...tzo!"

Oikatzo: "Hey, wait! What did you just call me!?"

Argent Owl: "Ketzzo, Ketzzo~"

Oikatzo: "W-wait! Don’t run around spreading slander!!"

Five minutes later, Oikatzo and Argent Owl were surrounded by a huge number of monsters.

Argent Owl: "Woooow. Their AI is completely different from the monsters back on the old land. Before I knew it, we were surrounded."

Oikatzo: "Ah... I’ve heard of these. Each one is weak, but as a group, their combined level is at least 136, right...?"

The source of that information went without saying.

They did not look cowardly enough to run just because one or two of them were defeated, so Oikatzo equipped his Master’s Gauntlets and took his stance.

Argent Owl leaned back against him, raising her own Master’s Gauntlets with a fearless smile.

Argent Owl: "Hehe. Isn’t there something kind of cool about taking a stance back-to-back?"

Oikatzo: "Well, I won’t deny it...!!"

Dracule Dinotriaxis—dinosaurized monsters that looked like even smaller raptors—leapt at them all at once.

As an aside, Conquista Doll had something to do with why the Dracule Dino-type monsters all had such complicated names, but that had nothing to do with the present situation.

Oikatzo and Argent Owl: "Scrap and Build!!"

Because both of them were Destroyers, they opened the same way.

Two pairs of Master’s Gauntlets—four in all—shattered apart. Wrapped in the light of enhancement, the two fist fighters stepped forward together.

Oikatzo: "Well, this much is... whoa, watch it! Seriously? There are still more coming!?"

Small dinosaurs kept appearing from the shade of trees, from the grass, and from up in the branches—enough to make him wonder where they had all been hiding.

Even while shouting in alarm, Oikatzo landed accurate punches on the Dinotriaxis.

Oikatzo: "Red!"

Using the monk-line magic [Fist Aura], which activated when he called out a color, Oikatzo fought a colorful battle.

In the opposite direction, just as she stood opposite Oikatzo, Argent Owl was fighting in a completely different style.

Argent Owl: "My name isn’t so cheap that numbers alone can take me down...!"

The ultra-close-quarters skill “Infight.”

The skill “Grapple Drain,” which gave her attacks a health-restoration effect.

The skill “Step High Beat,” which accelerated the speed of her jumping steps.

The skill “Full Metal Like,” which reduced damage taken on parts closer to the body itself than to armor.

And the Pilgrim-exclusive magic, “Pilgrim’s Journey” (Pilgrimer), which continuously restored the user’s health and increased the recovery immediately after taking damage according to the damage received.

What happened when all those effects were applied to one body?

This.

Argent Owl: "Ineffective! Futile! Meaningless!"

She tore the small dinosaur clamped onto her upper arm free as though she were ripping flesh away with it, then grabbed it by the neck with a hand carrying the effects of Scrap and Build and slammed it into the ground.

Two more leapt at her from behind.

But by the time their claws and fangs came down, Argent Owl had already stepped sideways. Her spinning kick sent the two monsters that had missed their attacks flying.

Argent Owl: "I have complaints about the jumping... but this is nice. My thoughts are moving smoothly!"

She deliberately chose not to dodge, taking hit after hit. Even the damage itself became an advantage as the female fist fighter laughed.

Red damage effects, skill effects, and the soft green light of magic mixed around her body, painting a chaotic trail.

Oikatzo: "Hey, Argent Owl! A big one’s coming!!"

Dracule Dinokeras.

Its horns were known for making high-quality weapons. But it was probably more infamous as a dangerous thing with a Triceratops head, a ridiculously muscular Thoroughbred-like body, and the habit of stepping its way into a charge.

A recent SF-Zoo investigation had raised a new theory that its base body was deer rather than horse, but right now, nothing mattered except its fighting ability.

Argent Owl: "Fine by me! Hey, come on!"

Perhaps that Japanese-style English slipped past Babel’s automatic translation and registered as a taunt. Dinokeras fixed its eyes on Argent Owl and set its heavily muscled body in motion.

The creature, as large as a mid-sized car, kept accelerating even as it mixed steps into its charge.

It rushed toward Argent Owl, aiming to send her flying.

Oikatzo: "What, you’re throwing all your strength at me just because I got the leftovers!? You little lizards, hey, wh—whoaaa!?"

Something entertaining seemed to be happening a short distance away.

But Argent Owl saw nothing except Dinokeras.

Argent Owl: "Heh. Compared to Cursed Prison, this is way too easy!"

After refreshing every skill and spell, Argent Owl played another card.

The magic “High Drive Regenerate,” which doubled regeneration in exchange for halving its duration.

The magic “High Voltage Power,” which applied a Strength buff the longer she continued taking damage.

The magic “Stand Gravity,” which directed physics calculations downward.

Having prepared every possible means of interception in an instant, light gathered in Argent Owl’s right hand.

Argent Owl: "This is the kind of situation where shouting the technique name is proper manners, right?"

It was not the name of a skill.

This was a new tactic Sylvia Goldberg had begun developing alongside boxercise, while exploring various battle styles in search of an effective strike against Cursed Prison.

Argent Owl: "Take this... Collapse Punch!!"

Her fist, thumb held upright, crashed into Dinokeras’s forehead.

They held even for only an instant.

Argent Owl’s forward drive was weaker, and her body was shoved backward at tremendous speed—but she did not fly away.

Her feet carved furrows into the ground, yet she held firm. Without drawing back her fist, she used both planted legs as support and kept pressing forward.

Argent Owl: "Clean hi—aaagh!?"

Oikatzo: "There’s no way you can win a contest of strength at barely over level 90!!"

Shouting at Argent Owl as she flailed helplessly, sandwiched between a giant tree and Dinokeras, Oikatzo broke into a run...

Update Notes

A Chinese Martial Arts Mod has been installed for Sylvia Goldberg!

The advanced job Pilgrim combines the best parts of the three advanced jobs derived from the priest class, but its effects can target only the user.