4-004
On the morning of the fifth day, Shiroe and Naotsugu had slipped out of their usual lodgings and were heading to the market. The objective was to stock up on today's food. Naotsugu is unusually low on tension, perhaps because of his sleepiness. I've been trudging along.
''What's wrong?''
Oh, man. I'm feeling a little depressed, just thinking about all that junk food.
Even Shiroe understands how Naotsugu feels. I've never been a gourmet, and even in the original world, I've never had a diet that I could be proud of. But now that I've come to realize how blessed we are with a good diet in Japan, I can't help but think about it.
(Hoka-ben's karaage bento. ...it was delicious.
The 68-yen bagged ramen or yakisoba bread.
When I think about it now, that was a great treat.
And tea, coffee, and carbonated drinks.
It was really unbearable that whatever the drink was, it only tasted like tap water. In the first place, almost all beverage items should be made from a combination of well water and some kind of ingredient.
When I tried it, I found that even the well water tasted like tap water. So what they thought was tap water was just a matter for their taste buds, which meant it was just water.
I can't help but feel cheated when I say that even if you mix something into the water, it's still water.
''........that's all we have.
Yeah, that's true, but... I think the prisons are feeding people better food. I saw a special on TV and the lunches at Abashiri Prison looked pretty good.
Yes.
If you put it that way, I feel that way.
Even Shiroe attended a public school until middle school. The school lunches I ate there were far from gourmet, but they were certainly better than the all-out wet crackers of this world.
'So I was thinking...'
What?
Isn't this God's torture chamber where he keeps making us eat muzzled food?
That's ridiculous..., Shiroe thought, but on second thought, there was no material to deny it. It was indeed a fanciful and ridiculous imagination, but the reality was no longer a fanciful and ridiculous situation, so he couldn't laugh at all possible stories.
If that's the case, he must be a god with a pretty good sense of torture.
I think so too. ...It tastes like poison and makes me vomit blood when I eat it, but it's hellish to keep feeding it to me, isn't it? Or a demon prisoner forcing you to eat.
Oh, come to think of it, Shiroe thinks, there's something like that in Buddhist hell.
'But it's not, is it? It's not that bad.
It's not so bad that you can't stand it if you put up with it.
But there's nothing else. It goes on and on without end. I'm getting darker and darker. --And that's pretty high end for harassment.
So what's the torture sense around there? It's a-- it's a bad sense.
Click.
There was such a whispering sound that a pebble bounced on the asphalt beneath his feet.
Shiroe looked up and recognized the tall man standing at the entrance of a crumbling three-story building that had formerly been some kind of store.
'It's Akatsuki,'
Black hair, black clothing. The tall man with a good nose, his mouth hidden by a scarf-like rag, curtsies to Shiroe with just a glance.
'Do you know him?'
Yeah. This is Akatsuki-san. He's an assassin.
While approaching Akatsuki, Shiroe introduces Akatsuki to Naotsugu.
It was about a year ago that Shiroe got to know Akatsuki. Akatsuki was an extremely talkative player.
The reason is that he is a text chat user in these days of voice chat. I'm sure you'll be able to find it in the same way that you can find it in the assassin's profession.
There are many role-players in the Elder Tail, such as Akatsuki. A role player is a player who, in Shiroe's sense of the word, has a policy of valuing atmosphere.
Even before Elder Tail became like this, Akatsuki was not just a player playing the game as Akatsuki, but a human being living in this world as Akatsuki, saying and doing everything in the game.
To call it acting would be a bit rude. That's the way to enjoy a game. It's not something that others should dictate.
It's a good thing that you can't get away from the fact that you're a good player, but you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you're not a good player, and you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away from the fact that you can't get away with it. He's quiet, he's brusque, and he doesn't even want to use charm as a medicine. In that sense, it could be said that he was the opposite of Marielle.
But when you're in a party with them, you do your part perfectly, and you don't forget to care about the others. Caring isn't something that can be expressed through cheerful words and actions alone.
These days, such players are very rare.
Best of all, Shiroe doesn't mind the silence. While the atmosphere of silence can be painful for some, Akatsuki and Shiroe have a certain resemblance, and the silence didn't bother them even when they continued to hunt together.
As for Shiroe, she thinks it's not because of the silence, but because they are talking with something other than words.
For example, the timing of coordination and small gestures to take cover.
A break between battles. It's these small considerations and interactions that make up a "conversation".
An assassin who is a dependable and reliable craftsman who explores with you. That was Shiroe's impression of Akatsuki.
You're not going to be able to get it right. What's up?
Akatsuki shows his will with a slight shake of his chin and retreats to the back of the crumbling shop. Apparently, this shop is not the type that constitutes an individual zone, but only a huge object set up directly on the streets of Akiba.
Shiroe and the others respond to Akatsuki's invitation and enter the dimly lit ruins.
''Hey. I'm not going to be able to get it right. How is this guy?
'Akatsuki-san is a role player. He doesn't talk a lot but he's very good. Very. --But I'm already depressed that this is happening.
Shiroe answers Naotsugu's whispered question in a whisper as well.
Akatsuki is already out of sight. He must have gone deeper and deeper into the ruins by himself. That action was so hasty that it was slightly uncomfortable, considering Akatsuki's usual behavior and words.
The smell of damp dust. The morning light was streaming in as a straight line through crumbling gaps in the walls and narrow windows.
It must have been a restaurant of some sort, and a restaurant, after all. The space they entered was spacious and terribly confusing, with several tables, chairs, and sofas slanted and overturned.
Akatsuki turned around there and stared at Naotsugu with a troubled, somewhat censorious look.
'Akatsuki-san. This is Naotsugu. A guardian warrior. I'm an old acquaintance of mine and a pretty reliable person. You can trust him.
I'm Naotsugu. Nice to meet you! Whether you're open or hungry, all are welcome in the panties!
Shiroe introduces Naotsugu to Akatsuki's gaze.
It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them. It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has met this person, but Akatsuki has a thoughtful look on his face, as if to say that he can't pay attention to such a greeting.
(I don't know if he's such a spicy person.......Akatsuki)
While a stifling silence passed, Shiroe thought about that alone.
(He wasn't much of a talker, but I thought he was a pretty light-footed, battle-loving player.)
I'm looking for you.
After a few moments of silence, Akatsuki let those words out in a faint voice that I could not possibly hear. It was a terribly thin, unreliable voice.
'Do you need me?'
Akatsuki nodded persistently at Shiroe's words.
He still took a couple of big breaths, as if something was bothering him terribly, and then announced as if he had made up his mind.
"I want you to sell me the Appearance Redetermination Potion.
Akatsuki's voice was thin, but the content itself came through clearly enough that there was no way to misunderstand it. But there was a terrible lag between the content arriving in his ears and his brain, and Shiroe had to ponder for a while to understand what was being said.
Appearance Redetermination Potion.
It was a limited edition item that was given away at an event when Shiroe had just started playing Elder Tail.
It was a promotional campaign to increase the number of users of Elder Tail, and the campaign itself was tied up with Web Radio, which I remember was very poorly done. It was a badly done event with a haphazard announcement of a new song featuring a bubbly voice actor whose name is unknown, and I think the management of Elder Tail must have wanted to "ignore" the past.
In a game that's been around for 20 years, there are many campaigns that would be foolish, and there are countless one-off items that are only available for that particular time.
In Elder Tail, the player's alter ego is created right from the start of the game.
There are eight races, twelve professions, names and genders. In addition, there are other minor adjustments such as height, body shape, facial texture, hairstyle, hair color, and eye color. In addition, there are more than a dozen adjustments to body shape, including chest circumference, leg length, girth, and shoulder width.
However, since body shape and face do not affect the balance of the game itself, it is not uncommon for expert players to make decisions rather easily.
The appearance redetermination potion was literally a water potion that redetermined the character's appearance data that was created right after the game started. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, appearance doesn't affect the game's difficulty, so this was a kind of joke item, and combined with the poor performance of promotional events, it was an extremely rare and useless item.
At least until now.
A. A. Akatsuki. Could it be, could it be........
Akatsuki gives Shiroe a glare at her attitude.
'You were a woman?'
Akatsuki nodded obediently, not matching his fearless, how skilled and professional assassin appearance.
The thin voice from earlier. It was forced to be made, but it is still a woman's. It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to see the difference.
''This is another surprise.''
Next to Shiroe, Naotsugu was also stiffening.
◆
Shiroe pulls out the Redefinition Potion from the bank's safe deposit box and hands it to Akatsuki, who was waiting in the crumbling shop. Akatsuki was relieved to receive the pale orange potion vial.
''I need you to wait for a moment.''
With that, Akatsuki disappears to the back of the store.
It's not a separate room even though it is called the back, but rather, Akatsuki's luggage is said to be placed in the shadow of a tatami mattress on the threshold of the kitchen.
Are you okay?
Don't worry. .... ugh.
What's going on?
This potion is pretty painful.
Akatsuki must have drank the potion as soon as possible. The same orange light as the potion leaks out from the shadows of the screen.
At the same time, a sound like snapping several disposable chopsticks together or tearing a wet rag into strips, a sound that I never wanted to know how such a sound was generated, even leaks out.
''Ugh......... Ugh.........
Akatsuki's moan. It is certainly a woman's if you listen to it again. It was girlish and glossy, just like a girl.
It's no wonder they didn't use voice chat to have a voice conversation. If you do that, it would be immediately obvious that the player is a woman, which would be terribly inconvenient for Akatsuki, who role-plays an assassin.
Shiroe realizes that now, even after all this time.
'There's a lot going on here.'
Naotsugu sighed like that as he sat down on the dusted and rearranged stool. Even Shiroe was surprised.
However, it was a possible situation. In today's online games where voice chat systems are the mainstream, it's not very common for the player and character to be of different genders. But it's not so rare that you won't ever see it, either.
Elder Tale was one of the most complex and authentic online games, and was considered to be for professionals. Online games are enjoyed by all genders, but according to a statistic from a magazine Shiroe read some time ago, women tend to prefer lighter games.
As far as Shiroe is aware, the ratio of men to women in Elder Tail is 70% male and 30% female.
Akatsuki had a deep understanding of the system, and above all, he loved fighting. That's why Shiroe had never once doubted that Akatsuki was a woman.
''I'm fine now. --thanks.
Saying that, a girl who appeared from behind the screen was a little less than five feet tall, with long black hair that swayed. I had imagined from her voice, but she is quite a beautiful girl.
It's a good idea to be able to have a look at your own personal computer to see what you're looking for. It's so pretty.
"Wow. She's a beautiful girl. She's so real.
Naotsugu muttered with his mouth half open.
Shiroe felt the same way.
It seems that in this world, the basic shape of the appearance and hairstyle are inherited from the model setting of Elder Tail. However, according to recent observations, that appearance is probably inherited from the real world player.
Shiroe is a half-Arv, a half-Arv/human mix in this world's race. It's a race with a slender body and a curious mind, but after checking in the mirror at the inn, he admitted that the facial structure itself still shows his characteristics in the real world........a three-eyed look and a thoughtful expression, to say the least! .
Applying the same logic to Akatsuki, the race is human. That height is probably adapted to the real world to avoid any discomfort when walking. That means he's really about 150 centimeters tall.
And as for her appearance, she was a beautiful girl with a priceless figure.
She had big black eyes, white oval cheeks, and eyebrows that looked like they had been drawn in ink. Her eyebrows looked like they had been drawn in with black ink. I'm sure you'll be able to tell that this is a beautiful girl, even for the body.
You can't do that.
It was Naotsugu who broke the inexpressible tension between him and Akatsuki and said.
I'm going to correct my earlier words. You can't be an open skeleton or a muscular skeleton because you are not a man. Because you are not a man. You are the one who wears the panties. Know your place.
That's certainly true, but the too unreasonable pronouncement makes Akatsuki look pompous, unable to understand the story.
''Shiroe-dono. Is this man crazy?
'It's not that I'm crazy... er... I'm just a crazy person, okay?
How could it be?
I'm with you on the funny side.
Akatsuki says that while glancing at the side.
I wonder if the voice chat bindings have gone away.
Akatsuki responds more fluently than when he played the game in Elder Tail. However, that word-saving male language did not detract from Akatsuki's image in Shiroe.
(Nope. His voice is so cute and confusing.)
"I'm not crazy! The love of pants is a noble calling of a man born to be a man. Well, you wouldn't understand, if you were a woman and child...
Akatsuki parted from the meaninglessly chest-busting Naotsugu and gave a small sniff.
'But, well, you seemed to be in pain. Well, drink up.
Naotsugu throws a bottle of well water with a whimper.
It's the cheapest bottle of well water that Shiroe and the others have been buying lately, having given up on the idea that it's just water, no matter what they buy anymore.
'We'll take care of it,'
Akatsuki has a slightly unexpected look on his face. I guess he couldn't gauge whether he was a strange man or a caring and aware man. Nevertheless, he caught the water bottle and drank quite a bit of it in one go. They were quite thirsty.
The three of them took up their positions at the stools and counters they had rebuilt in the damp-smelling restaurant and began to talk.
It seems that Akatsuki had been living in the ruins for the past five days without any good food or drink, avoiding the public eye.
As for Shiroe, she wondered why he would do such a thing, but after listening to the story, it makes sense.
The difference in height between Akatsuki and her original body was so great that she was having trouble walking. Of course, he would have been fine if he was just moving slowly through the city, but he couldn't deal with it if he got into trouble.
And that trouble was highly likely to be expected.
In today's world where text chatting has disappeared, we can't do without using voice communication, whether we're shopping or communicating with someone we know. You may manage to communicate with them by writing, but even then you will be treated as a suspicious person.
If you make your voice heard, you won't be penalized for it in any other way. It's just that I'm a man who has a female voice. But the fact that a tall and intrepid assassin with a female voice is somehow unsuited to the role of a female assassin is something that I can't help but be interested in. Akatsuki was probably right to expect trouble.
''That reminds me of the ''Appearance Redetermination Potion'' that Shiroe-dono was talking about when we had a party before. With that we could get out of this predicament for now.
I see.
Naotsugu throws a few words.
'I don't know. To begin with, you should have played with this chimichko model from the beginning.
Don't call me nasty.
She glares at Naotsugu with a sharp look in her eyes.
Akatsuki's gaze is strong. It had been there before, but until she wanted to regain her own form like this, Shiroe thinks that the raw, earnest gaze carrying her willpower was eloquent and could pierce a rock.
'Chimps are chimps!'
I don't need crazy people to tell me that.
However, Naotsugu doesn't mind the way Akatsuki looks at him and makes fun of him.
It's not just about teasing, it's also about providing food and drink recommendations from your luggage, and that's what Naotsugu seems to be doing by being casual and thoughtful. It's a good thing that Akatsuki knows that, so he doesn't bite down on it, but it's not what he wants.
It's a fun game because you can do things that you can't do in real life. Fantasy or science fiction, it's not. To me, that's what height was for me.
Akatsuki replies with a bit of a mouthful, as if sulking.
If you think so, it's a fair argument.
I don't know.
Naotsugu glanced at Akatsuki with a sympathetic voice.
''........''
'Yeah, it's no use. It's not Akatsuki's fault. I'm on Akatsuki's side. Every man has the right to dream.
When he said that, Naotsugu gave a thumbs up with a smile as if he understood everything. The next moment Akatsuki was in a gorgeous pose, flying knee kicking Naotsugu in the face.
'No knee! Knees!
'Lord Shiroe, may I give the funny man a knee strike?'
Don't ask me after I let you in!
Shiroe can't hold back her laughter at their exchange.
Neither of them seem to be on bad terms with each other, which makes them laugh even more.
Naotsugu accuses her of being a good little girl all by herself, Akatsuki asks her to "do something more about this strange person", and after another round of laughter, Shiroe asks Akatsuki if she can help it.
'After all, it's easier to be in a body that's closer to you, right?'
Akatsuki thought about the question for a while, and then replied with a serious expression, still with a genuine expression.
''Although a man's body is good looking and has good reach it's very troubling.
Really? Does it bother you that much?
Naotsugu asks.
These two people seem to fit in very quickly in spite of meeting for the first time. Shiroe remembers that Akatsuki was a rather cautious person when it came to relationships, but Naotsugu's air seems to loosen Akatsuki's wariness.
Akatsuki looks down and stammers.
(s*xual harassment.) (Naotsugu)
Oh. You've got a p*n*s!
(Don't push it! (Direct relay!)
"'Suppose we change the subject! That look is usually sized to link to your real body shape, right?
Shiroe tries to change the subject poorly and asks her to follow Akatsuki, who looks red and uncomfortable. She's probably a lot shorter than she is for a woman.
''Yeah,''
Akatsuki nodded with a serious look on his face as he tugged here and there at his saggy clothes.
(I suppose it's partly to hide his embarrassment over Naotsugu's s*xual harassment dad comment...)
Still, Shiroe thought that she was a strangely sincere girl, a girl who stared at people and things when she looked at them.
Akatsuki seemed to have a habit of staring at something without looking away when she was staring at it. This is probably a habit that Akatsuki herself had in her former world. The gesture gave the slender girl the impression of being hard and desperate.
So, the height difference problem is solved. Didn't it make you walk a lot easier?
Thank God.
Akatsuki says thank you in a few words.
His blunt tone and abruptness, his habit of staring at you.
In Shiroe, the combination of the two overlaps with the Akatsuki of old, a taciturn, artisanal, aggressive worker. Although there are differences in the expressions they express, they probably both agree on the point of "seriousness".
Shiroe felt the gulf between the small girl in front of her and the 'Akatsuki' she knew was closing.
'How much do you want me to pay you? Is it all I have?
Akatsuki said something outrageous while staring at Shiroe with the single-minded gaze that passes for an example stare.
''I've only got about 30,000 or so, but--'' I hope you'll forgive me for this.''
I don't need that.
That's not going to happen. The potion you mentioned is an event-only item, which means it's a rare item that can no longer be obtained. That means it's a rare item that can no longer be obtained. I'm sure that 30,000 is a small price to pay for this item.
In theory, you're right.
I've been the manure of the safe deposit box until now, but under the circumstances, I can't say I'm surprised if it's worth a big price.
''........''
....
But, having said that, then, is the item enough to get all the money? I can't help but tilt my head in the air when I'm told that.
You can't help but shake your head. Ah. .........why not just give it to me for free?
I do not wish to be accused of ingratitude.
For Shiroe, Akatsuki's glaring upward glance, or rather the gesture of staring at her, is quite uncomfortable. It is quite destructive because she is a beautiful, well-dressed girl by nature.
It's a very good idea to make a pantyhose for that, if you're that concerned about it.
Once again, Akatsuki's small knee is knocked into Naotsugu's face in a beautiful way. Even though Naotsugu is sitting on the rubble, it's a good angle to decide on.
'You're very athletic, Akatsuki,'
Hey, you dirty dog. Whose side are you on?
'Lord Shiroe. May I slap my knee into this pervert?
So talk to me before you kick me.
Shiroe couldn't help but smile at Akatsuki's cute gesture of pointing at Naotsugu and asking for permission.
Well, okay. It's not about the price of the potion, hey Akatsuki.
Don't call me that.
I don't care about that, baby.
This is a very important story. It would be a disgrace to future generations to have gotten a free copy of Lord Shiroe's limited edition items.
Akatsuki stubbornly insists.
Naotsugu, who had been looking at Akatsuki with his mouth agape like that, turned to Shiroe, compared it to Akatsuki and continued.
'No, that's just 'that kind of talk'. That's not the point, Akatsuki. How about you, how about you work with us for a while?
Yeah.
The words seemed to be very surprising to Akatsuki.
The movement stops as if it were a pause.
"Chief of Staff, explain.
Once Naotsugu said what he wanted to say, he left the rest up to Shiroe, as if to say it was his job.
I'm not sure I've ever had a meeting with you. It's not that I don't like it, but it's not hard to understand the proposal itself.
'....Yeah. It's not a bad story, I think.
However, the fact that it's not a bad suggestion doesn't necessarily mean it's easy to explain. I'm sure that Shiroe didn't mean to force Akatsuki, and of course Naotsugu also had good intentions when he said this.
It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you can get the best results.
I hate to say it, but Akatsuki is a girl and she's small. Even if you can get the consistency between her appearance and her voice.........
I think she's going to be in a lot of trouble. Most importantly, Akatsuki still doesn't belong to any guild.... Don't you have a guild to join somewhere?
I'm not very good at belonging to anything. Lone wolves are the assassin's way of life.
Akatsuki's eyebrows clouded up at Shiroe's words, as if he was thinking about it.
'Well, I suppose so. We're the same way. We're free adventurers. Free spirited, you know. Free panhandle freedom.
Shut up, perv.
If you're planning to join a club, or whatever.... It seems that unaffiliated people get tangled up with each other for some reason or another. The big guilds are scouting every single one of them with plans to increase their strength. And I think it's even more so if you're a female player.
'Oh yeah...'
Securing a roost and sharing information about the current situation. ...I think it's fine if there's some connection.
Akatsuki nodded at those words.
(Akatsuki isn't exactly amiable, you know.)
Even Shiroe doesn't think she's amiable, but Akatsuki's brusque attitude was pretty much the same. During the Elder Tail era of the game, Akatsuki's concern was silent and very few players noticed.
The number of acquaintances of Akatsuki, who was also a difficult fighter, was quite small as far as Shiroe knew. He was probably the one who went out with Akatsuki the most.
Of course, that was fine in the days when it was a game because that was the style of play.
But nowadays, we can't call this world a game.
In Elder Tail, the percentage of female players is around 30%. It's a rarity compared to men, and the fact that you are a woman is enough to attract a lot of attention. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
Akatsuki's bluntness is sure to cause trouble once it is revealed that she is such a beautiful girl.
(I don't know if Naotsugu was thinking that far or not..... In that sense, it's not a bad idea to work together for a while.......)
That's good. I thought assassins were supposed to be good at killing people. While we were fighting, he crept up behind us and took a quick shot at the monster. Nice combination play. It's a festival for the bad guys.
Naotsugu says such things with a smile.
(Well, it's not wrong for a partnership, but.... ........what the hell is that weird festival?)
Mmm. Is that all right with you, Lord Shiroe?
You're welcome. It's good to have the three of you.
Well, then, as a burglar, you will take Shiroe as your lord.
At Shiroe's words, Akatsuki was lost for a while, but she nodded her head in her characteristic single-minded, straight-eyed way.
A ninja?
My lord?
Wasn't Akatsuki the assassin?
That was good news for Shiroe, even though the question came to him.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to pay back the debt of gratitude you owe me for saving me from a desperate crisis of masculinity, right? This is what I call gratitude. I am going to be my lord's ninja from now on, and I will protect myself.
Akatsuki blurted out such a thing with her eyes swimming, which was unusual for her. Naotsugu, who has a purple bruise around his nose, grinned at Shiroe, unfazed by such damage.
It's time to form a team. It's nice to meet you, chimichu.
Shut up, you idiot.
That's a pretty bumpy trio. Take it easy.
Shiroe and the others celebrated the formation of the team by beating the water bottles in each of their hands in the dingy store with golden light.
◆
It had been a few days since Akatsuki had become one of them.
Shiroe and the three of them were shifting the center of their activities to a field zone on the outskirts of Akiba city.
There are a number of reasons for this, but the first one is that the battle in the Forest of the Book Depository Tower, where they went out with Naotsugu after making up their minds, was unexpectedly tough.
While the basic structure and strategy of this world's battles are faithful to Elder Tail's specifications, the tactics and combat skills of the individual players are vastly different.
There are a lot of little details that the player wasn't involved with in the game, such as sword swings, shield angles, footholds and movements. There are also problems with visibility and coordination. Above all, it was a mental hurdle to overcome, starting with a sense of fear.
When I went out with Naotsugu for the first time, my impression was "this is pretty tough", but after a few day trips, my impression changed to "it's not going to be easy".
However, Akatsuki is a full-fledged combatant, and if you think about surviving in this world, the sooner you can become a combatant, the better. I've decided to stay with them for the time being, but I'm not sure how long I can stay that way. It is a good idea to learn the basics of combat while you are with us.
The other factor was the existence of the guild, the Crescent Moon Alliance.
Since then, Shiroe and the others have been frequenting the Crescent Moon Alliance's guild house to exchange information. Unlike Shiroe and her friends, the Crescent League has production players as well. I'm sure you'll find a lot of people in the Crescent League who are very interested in this type of work.
They are also well acquainted with the city, so even if they work for the same amount of time, they are able to gather information about the city more efficiently.
Another reason for the exchange of information was that it was better to conduct on-the-job training while conducting various surveys in the field zone.
The city of Akiba is the largest urban area of the server in Japan, and was also the starting point for new players. Therefore, the surrounding zones were relatively easy for beginners to get around, and there were many safe places where low-level monsters would appear.
Shiroe and the others were planning to check those beginner zones one by one and gradually move on to higher level zones. Shiroe and Naotsugu, or Akatsuki if you want to put it that way, are both at 90 if only at level.
In the low-level beginner zone, even if you are attacked by an enemy, you will hardly receive any damage. If the enemy knows our strength, they won't attack us without a second thought.
In that sense, it was possible to avoid fighting monsters, but Shiroe and the others were trying to match up with as many different kinds of monsters as possible.
The enemy's attacks themselves were not a major threat, but even so, when they were suddenly attacked by various monsters, they would cower for a moment. The deafening breathing of the beast, the stifling smell of blood and the killing intent directed at you that you could never understand when you were playing the game on the screen.
The fearfulness of real battles like this is enough to make Shiroe and the others flinch, even if they are low-level enemies.
Even if it was a small fry monster that couldn't get experience, Shiroe and the others would take on an opponent they had never fought before at least a few times, experimenting to study their movement habits and how to deal with them.
The battle of Shiroe and the others was based on a formation with Naotsugu pushed to the front.
The battle begins with Naotsugu's assault to close the gap between him and the enemy.
As a Guardian, Naotsugu uses his prized armor and shield skills to block the enemy's attacks. The Townting Shout is one of the Guardian's basic moves, causing the monster to turn backwards. The upturned monster would then launch a violent attack directly at the enemy, which would cause Shiroe and Akatsuki to fall off the enemy's mark.
However, as I had thought, it is not easy to check their status while wielding swords and engaging in fierce battles on the front lines.
When I was playing Elder Tail as a game, all I had to do was specify the monster I wanted to attack, and my character would automatically repeat the attack for me. Enemy attacks were automatically avoided at a certain rate according to your evasion ability, and you didn't have to think about using your sword or shield to block them.
When you wanted to use a special ability, all you had to do was click on an icon.
But in order to actually fight in this alternate universe, you had to step in or jump away from a real monster that appeared in front of you, repeatedly swinging your hands down and slamming your weapon down.
When dealing with a monster looming in front of you, your vision is limited, and it's often impossible to see what moves the monster side is making.
Shiroe and the others consulted repeatedly and came up with several formations and operation codes. They came to the conclusion that it would be safer in the end for Shiroe, who could see the whole thing away from the front line, to give them instructions.
Shiroe would take care of the peripheral vigilance and the status of his companions while covering them with magic. The magic of the Grantor (Enchanter) is often unassuming. The Keen Edge is one of the few spells of the Enchanter that the Enchanter can boast of, but its effect is to increase the attack power of his companions' weapons by 30%.
As long as you use the spell, it lasts for several hours, so you don't have to reapply it during battle. Of course, there are many other spells that can be used, but they can be adapted to suit the situation in battle.
I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this as well.
The assassin is one of the three weapon attackers, and is the most powerful of the 12 professions in terms of maximum instantaneous damage. The Weapons Attacks--Assassins, Swashbucklers and Bards--are similar to the warrior types and specialize in fighting with swords, axes, spears and bows. The difference between the warrior types and the swashbuckler is that the warrior types are good at underwriting enemy attacks on the front lines, while the weapon attackers are not so good at defending themselves or attracting enemies.
In other words, the role of the weapon attacker is to destroy enemies attracted by warriors. Among the weapons attackers, the assassin specializes in eliminating enemies, or in other words, killing them. The assassin's special move, Assassinationate, can even cause nearly 10,000 damage in an instant.
With Naotsugu taking on the enemy's attack and focusing his attention on himself, Akatsuki can concentrate on his own work.
Akatsuki runs lightly across the battlefield.
His petite body is surprisingly agile, and at times it is difficult to see him even as he is sprinting close to the enemy, as if he were wobbling. This is apparently one of the techniques possessed by the assassin, called the "hide walk," which increases the success rate of the attack after running into the enemy's blind spot.
It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.
It's a good idea to have a good time with your friends and family. Alternatively, she would thwart Naotsugu's intentions by roughly slashing the flank of an enemy who was planning to attack her, aiming for an opening.
While the cooperation between the vanguard and the rear guard was broad and tactical, the cooperation between the vanguard and the front guard was terribly direct and combative. That's why it would take so many places to intuitively understand each other's habits.
On the other hand, Shiroe would check their status and instruct them to move to the battlefield in order to restrict the enemy's movements, or sometimes he would use the various magic of the Grantor to suppress the enemy's movements or trick them into gaining an advantage.
By the end of the week, Shiroe and his team were able to fight enemies of about 75 levels.
Another reason for the slow pace of exploration was the expansion pack, the Cultivation of the Noosphere.
The fiasco had transported Shiroe and the others to the nearby city zone of Akiba and dragged them into this other world.
However, Shiroe doesn't remember what exactly happened at that moment.
(I've asked a lot of people since then, but...)
The screen with its blackness.
The glowing flaming letters and the moon as white as a cutout.
(Some of us remember bits and pieces of images like that demo. ... but there don't seem to be many of them. There are a lot of people who only vaguely recall it for the first time after talking about it from here........
There's no doubt that that demo was 'there', though.
(I don't know if it's about the expansion pack or something else 'something' more.
(But since there's a possibility, it's safer to assume that the expansion pack
Cultivating the Nowhere Sphere has been developed in a rather secretive manner for an Elder Tail expansion pack, and the screenshots released are rather mysterious. The screenshots released were cryptic, with the majority of the hype focused on new items and new elements, and there was little information about the new adventure setting or new enemy monsters that should have been the focus of the expansion pack.
However, according to the PR, "a previously unimaginable dark force has reached into this world", and players were expecting another round of tough, challenging content, along with a maximum level increase.
If the new expansion pack has been applied to the game, then there's a chance that even the zones you're used to may have seen some changes.
According to the tradition of previous expansion packs and such, it would probably take the form of a little new item, object, or non-player character.
New expansion packs will be added. Then new non-player characters and so on would be added to the existing zones that you were still familiar with. These new non-player characters will start talking about lost continents, newly discovered dungeons, and the bewitching and dangerous rumors that have recently begun to circulate.
In order to verify the truth of this new information, Shiroe and the rest of the players will follow the rumors. As they do so, they are invited to enter new zones and areas they've never been to before, or to wander into.
(If a new zone is added, it will naturally be a dangerous zone overrun with monsters over level 90, just in time for the level limit to be raised...)
This is how we practice coordination, but even so, it's clear that the battles in this other world are much tougher than those in Elder Tail. Even if you overcome your sense of fear, you will still have to deal with the problems of visibility and checking your surroundings on the battlefield.
There are three of us, and we are only half of the party system's upper limit of six people. We are probably only able to challenge a zone of about level 85, even if we try hard.
(So even if they had added a higher difficulty zone over 90 levels, it would be suicide to challenge it.
(But if there are rumors of that introduction, it's never too early to check them out.
First of all, it's inefficient to go through the low-level zones just to check for such rumors, and that's not something I want to repeat over and over again. I'm not a fan of that, and I'm sure Naotsugu and Akatsuki aren't either. (Then it's better to proceed with the search slowly but surely while training for battle.
Thinking like that, Shiroe and the others were slowly conducting a battle in a medium difficulty zone, including arm training and exploration.