5-005
Let's just leave it at that, okay?
Naotsugu swung his one-handed sword wide, wiping the blood off of it and sheathing it. Shiroe nodded at his words, lowering his staff and canceling the spell he had been waiting for.
Shiroe and the others are now in the 'Shinjuk Gyoen Forest', a field zone that is not large and stretches several kilometers square.
It was already dusk, the breeze across the forest was cool, and the only sounds were the faint sounds of birds here and there.
This forest is close to both the city of Akiba and Sibuya, and in that sense it's a convenient hunting ground for a day trip. For being so close to the starting city, relatively high level monsters appear.
''Just in case you don't see any enemies in the vicinity....... I'd better keep an eye out for them. --I'm sorry, but can you two collect it?
Yes, sir.
To Shiroe's words, the black-robed girl - Akatsuki replies with the same raw, emotionally inert tone as ever, and takes out a knife and begins to work.
Akatsuki and Naotsugu begin to rummage through the corpses of Poisonous Trent and Owlbear, the monsters they had been fighting earlier.
Trent is a walking, broad-leafed monster and Owlbear is a bear with an owl's head. Both of these monsters were several meters tall and weighed no more than a few hundred kilograms.
These two monsters were level 74.
That's a fairly high level for a monster in the world of Elder Tail, but compared to Shiroe and the others, it was 16 years lower. It still didn't bring in any experience.
After a few days of experience, they knew that this world was a very faithful reproduction of the Elder Tail's specifications. It was only a prediction, but if experience was to be gained, the monster's level would probably be five levels below Shiroe and his friends, or 85 and up.
But the three of them were just barely able to beat an 85-level monster, and they were attacking in groups, even if it was just one 85-level monster.
"Are you okay?
I drank my potion. I'll be fine. I've got a real talent for defense. Steel Festival.
Naotsugu smiled and responded with a smile, and then he used the knife to briskly remove the skin of the Owl bear. Owl Bear's fur sells for a pretty good price.
The pain of being attacked by an enemy is much less severe than in the real world, according to Naotsugu; even if your HP is reduced to half, you'll still feel bruised and swollen, rather than half-dead.
The most severe bruise was a little finger smashing into the corner of a chest of drawers.
In Naotsugu's words, that's what happened.
(But that's about the third time I'd cry if I were you.)
Shiroe's eyebrows furrowed at Naotsugu's words, but Naotsugu only laughed loudly and carelessly.
It's not clear at this point whether the "alleviation of pain" is a common rule in this world, or whether Naotsugu's special abilities and defense capabilities allow him to do just that much damage because he is a Guardian.
It's also because Naotsugu is a skilled wallflower in the front line, and Shiroe and Akatsuki are able to conduct these types of hunts without being attacked heavily.
(But just because they are now, doesn't mean they will always be like that...)
Shiroe keeps a watchful eye on them, but also thinks about it.
(Right now, the enemy's level is still low and the amount of damage they take at a time is not much. --I'm not going to be able to get the best out of them, but I'm going to be able to get the best out of them.
But if the level of the enemies we are fighting continues to rise, the damage we receive will also increase....
If that happens, no matter how good Naotsugu is as a vanguard, I don't know if he's as comfortable as he is now. I should consider other possibilities while I still have time.....
(Although Naotsugu is my guardian knight, so that has helped me a lot.
It is the key to the front line with the highest HP and defense ability among the 12 professions, and that is the hallmark of the "Guardian Warrior" class. If there is damage that this Naotsugu can't withstand, there is no way that any other profession can.
Then.... I guess I'm still looking for a recovery role....
But I don't feel like forcing more people to join me for efficiency. To begin with, I don't even know if we'd be able to coordinate with each other if I asked you to accompany me with such a motive.
(Although the fact that all of them have been wiped out and died means that they'll be sent back to the city...)
In this world, there is a miracle called "resurrection from the dead".
It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has died, because even if you die, you can still be resurrected in the great temple in Akiba city, even if you suffer a small numerical penalty.
But even so, Shiroe and his friends are not willing to do anything. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it.
(To come back to life after death is unobtainable.)
My lord. The collection is complete.
It's over, too.
It's been a few days since the three of them started working together. The combination and relationships are going far better than Shiroe had thought. It's possible that the members were originally just convinced that acting alone suited their nature, and they may have been more suited to this kind of life than they thought.
However, the more aptitude they are for this kind of life, the more their personalities stand out. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to say that I'm going to be able to do that.
It's a good idea to have a good idea of what to do with it.
(I've been in charge of operations ever since the tea party.
Shiroe can't help but sink into her own private thoughts.
He's aware that it may be a vice, but it's not something he's quick to change.
The two companions wait for Shiroe and briefly report the amount of skin and meat removed.
''Well then, let's retreat. .........do you need a light?
Shiroe asks as she prepares the Magic Light spell.
'No, White's lord,'
Why don't we stop with the "lord" thing? How about Shiroe? You're one of us.
Then you'll call me "Akatsuki" too.
Ignoring Shiroe's request without a second thought, Akatsuki continues to stare at Shiroe.
(Only this gaze of Akatsuki's is something. Ugh.)
According to Shiroe's subjective opinion, Akatsuki is pretty.
Perhaps even by objectivity, Akatsuki is quite a pretty girl.
But for that reason, Akatsuki's gestures of staring at you in such a sincere manner are not good for Shiroe. It's not that she dislikes it, but it makes her feel uncomfortable.
Shiroe is a genuine indoor online game player who is not very good at socializing with people, and naturally she does not have a lot of experience with the opposite s*x.
(What an excuse, but in short.......well.... I'm just embarrassed and not very good at it. ...but I didn't have a choice. Yes, I know. I know, I know, and so do I. But...
"My lord,
To Shiroe's dismay, Akatsuki takes a step forward and calls out to her. The difference in height is so great that it's somehow terribly embarrassing to look up at him.
"Well, what is it? --I'm not going to be able to get it right.
While tsking at Naotsugu, who was laughing at Shiroe and the others, he urged them to keep their words to themselves.
''I'll take the advance reconnaissance on the way back.
Why?
Practice. The assassin's specialties include dark vision, as well as hiding techniques and silent movement. I'd like to try out their use in this world as well. There's no better place to practice than in the woods.
Akatsuki turned his attention to the fast-dimming area deep in the forest and announced as he re-sheathes his kotai sword with his black belt and prepares to leave.
Acting alone?
Shiroe thought about it for a moment before deciding to give the green light.
No more than the two monsters from earlier seem to appear in this zone. Akatsuki wouldn't lose in a one-on-one fight, and even if there were many enemies, he could at least manage to escape.
Besides, I understand that you want to make sure you know what skills you have so that you're ready to take on the challenge when the time comes. Knowing your abilities to more than 100% is essential in survival. It's one of the essential moves in survival.
But don't let your guard down too much. We'll rendezvous at the south gate. We'll have the magic lights on to help you find them.
I know. As long as they're in the same zone, I know where they are.
If you party up and stay in the same zone, you'll know where your friends are by direction and distance. It shouldn't be too much of a hassle to meet up with them.
Well, I'll see you later. d*mn.
"Shut up, idiot, Naotugu.
Akatsuki left behind one truant line and in the next moment he was gone, blending into the trees of the forest.
'You do it. Chimichiko.
You didn't even make a sound, did you?
Naotsugu with a whistling expression on his face.
Shiroe shrugged her shoulders and chanted the Magic Light spell. A magical light as bright as a lamp lit up at the end of his wand. The sun hasn't even set yet, but the magic light casts a soft glow on the dense forest where the orange evening darkness spreads.
'Well, shall we go too?
"Okay, Chief. Let's march on, ladies and gentlemen.
Surrounded by those lights, Shiroe and Naotsugu begin to move through the forest towards the eastern gate.
Sakuri, Sakuri.
Shiroe and Naotsugu begin to walk through the forest of the Gohon, stepping along the dewy green ribbon-like grasses and mossy stones that follow the animal path.
(In this way, it's like being in a deep forest in Yaku Island or the Amazon, as I saw on Web-TV....
It's hard to believe that you're in another world. It's hard to believe that you're in another world.
The sound of insects, soothing to the ears, carried faintly through the air.
The two of them are making their way through the forest, sometimes using Naotsugu's longsword to cut through the undergrowth, which has gone dark.
"So, Akatsuki has a 'tracker'.
Naotsugu's words also reminded Shiroe of her earlier comment.
The skills Akatsuki mentioned, the art of concealment and silent transportation, are those of a tracker. The Tracker is one of the many sub-specialties in the Elder Tail, giving you the ability to track and follow someone.
Sub-cultivations in the Elder Tail are characterized by a set of useful abilities that are not directly involved in combat. They are completely unique from the 12 main occupations involved in combat, and anyone with any of the main occupations can learn a variety of sub-occupations if they meet the requirements.
There are two main types of sub-occupations.
One is a cook, a seamstress, a blacksmith or a woodworker, and the other is a production-type occupation. Players with these sub-occupations will be able to use the appropriate materials and facilities to create a variety of items.
Obtaining a production sub-occupation is simple; all you have to do is purchase a manual from a non-production, non-player character in a city zone and then gain experience along the way. These experiences exist separately from those of combat and take a great deal of time to get to a higher level, but they don't require you to do any special quests or items.
Anyone with perseverance can grow to the highest level, and they don't need any friends to help them do so.
Shiroe himself is a copyist. The Draughtsman is another productive profession, capable of reproducing magical spellbooks, maps and documents. You can call it a desk-bound production job that uses pen and paper.
There are also sub-role-playing jobs such as Aristocrat, Trader, and Princess of the Rose Garden. Unlike the production-type jobs, these sub-jobs cannot create items. However, they do give you some special abilities, rare skills, and in some cases, special equipment.
Akatsuki's Chaser is a sub-specialty of this one, giving him the ability to follow enemies and players, disappear, and move silently.
However, Shiroe is not that familiar with the Trackers.
The 12 main occupations, which are directly related to combat, were carefully designed by the giant American company behind the Elder Tail. They were tweaked frequently, but sub-occupations were added with each expansion pack, and some were added by subcontractors - such as the company that runs the Japanese servers - on their own.
Compared to the 12 main occupations, there are about 50 different sub-occupations that Shiroe is able to briefly recall. Considering the fact that there are some sub-occupations whose names I don't even know, I have little idea how many there actually are.
Of course, powerful and useful sub-occupations are rumored and remembered because people try to get them all the time. That's why I have some idea of their abilities, but even Shiroe, a veteran player, has no idea what the minor ones were.
One famous example is Vampanella.
I'm not sure what the profession of a "vampire" is.
However, aside from Shiroe's complaint that the sub-occupations were developed by a European contractor, they are particularly well known in Japanese servers.
Sub-occupations are defined as having characteristics not directly related to combat, but that's just a tokenistic part of the game, and not entirely protected.
This vampire sub-profession is one such example, and while all stats are reduced during the daytime in the game, they are greatly increased in power at night. The game is also loaded with other abilities, such as the ability to restore HP with the vampire ability and the ability to transform into a bat to move at high speed, which is a pretty bogus strength.
But more importantly, the graphics were pale and slender and beautiful. For some reason, this was accepted by the Japanese servers. It was accepted by the Japanese servers.
Cats and ladles are all "vampires". Such a fever had arrived.
At one time, half of the people walking around Akiba were 'vampires', and they were all pale and unhealthy-looking, dressed like aristocrats. It was such a fad that the population dwindled down to a trickle at noon.
Of course, that situation couldn't last for long.
In the next patch, the vampires were easily weakened by the change to use a recovery spell on fellow vampires to cause burns. They became extinct before you knew it.
(That's just the way things are in online games.)
This is a sub-job that was added to the Japanese servers.
It's a sub-specialty added by the Japanese server that allows you to display banners while playing flashy music. --I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do that.
The reason why Shiroe remembers this is because one of the dumbest summoners in the Tea Party of the Prodigal was forced to use this sub-occupation to play a punishment game. Unless you have personal memories of this sub-specialty, it's a sub-specialty that no one on the servers remembers anymore. I'd be surprised if anyone had learned it.
I'm not sure I've ever seen such a thing before in my life.
I'm sure you'll be able to find one of them. I've seen them as often as I've seen them.
It's a sub-job that only heavy players like Shiroe and others know about, but it's more famous than the Chubaniya and the Cleaners.
It's just as straightforward.
Naotsugu must have smiled widely at Shiroe's answer.
(You're an assassin and a tracker, right? It's too good to be true.
With that combination, it's no wonder he called himself a "ninja.
Shiroe and Naotsugu laughed at Akatsuki's seriousness. The word "role-playing" can give you the impression of being a theatrical actor, but Akatsuki's character, combined with her earnestness, made me think that she was extremely precise.
How do you feel about it, Shiroe? How do you feel, little girl?
-- light on the front line. Highly focused.
Shiroe answers Naotsugu's abbreviated question after searching for words for a while.
The question is Akatsuki's reputation.
Despite answering with fewer words, Akatsuki's reputation in Shiroe's mind was still, still high. The only reason he was less wordy was that he was somehow embarrassed to praise her.
'What about you, Naotugu, rather than me? Like a burden.
It's less of a burden. Compared to when Shiroe and I were doing this, the speed of annihilation is far greater. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them. That's a tiny little thing, but it's a powerful little thing.
Naotsugu replies to Shiroe with a line like that as he walks to the front of the line.
Naotsugu is basically a frank, cheerful, sociable person who can break the ice with anyone in a short time. He can make a lot of jokes, but Shiroe thinks that he does it on purpose in order to ease the atmosphere.
However, Naotsugu doesn't flatter people in battle. Flattery doesn't fall into the category of praise, it's rude to the opponent, and most importantly, he thinks that doing such a thing will deprive the opponent of a chance to grow.
Naotsugu chooses his words so as not to hurt his opponent, but he doesn't tell a lie.
The evaluation that Naotsugu gave to Akatsuki was close to a perfect score, even compared to Shiroe's memories of the past as far as he could remember.
''He says that his reach is shorter due to his change in appearance, or that his attacks no longer carry weight?
I don't know about the reach, I don't know.
I've never been a tiny person.
With that kind of speed and agility, what does it matter how fast and light you are?
You should have seen him take a flying knee. It's a real instantaneous movement. Next thing you know, there's a knee in front of you.
No, that's not necessary.
It's a good thing that you're able to do that," said Naotsugu, who had patted his nose as he remembered.
It's a good thing that the weight of the attack is no longer attached to the attack, but if you say so yourself, then it's true, isn't it? Systematically, damage is unaffected by gender, but this is a different world, and it's possible that your weight doesn't ride on the attack....
But the power lost there, Shiroe can solve it any way he wants with a supplementary spell, right? You would.
Naotsugu said as he raked up a large leaf that looked like a fern.
(For that matter, you're right.......)
The Keen Edge increases the attack power of your weapon.
Thornbide Hostage, an attack spell that chokes the enemy with cursed thorns whenever a friendly weapon attack hits.
Mind Shock, which shocks the enemy's astral body, paralyzing it for a certain amount of time.
The Enchanter cannot fight alone, but if you have an excellent companion, there are many spells that can bring out the fighting ability of that companion.
''Well......... That is.
But, embarrassed, Shiroe replied.
Come to think of it, it was always that way.
Grantors are the least popular profession on the Elder Tail. Its reputation is infinitely, infinitesimally low.
Of course, Shiroe chose this profession because she loves it, and she has no one to be ashamed of. No matter what other people say, the Grantor is useful and has great potential.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of good reasons to go for it. It's a good idea to have a companion to help you out.
It's not a matter of the performance of one's profession.
Working together with others is not something that can be described by the numbers in the game system.
Because he knows that, Shiroe is terribly embarrassed by it when people say "that's fine" or "you can stay there".
To a grantor.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work for you.
You know what? White.
Hmm?
It's something. Why do you think you don't have to do it?
What?
The words that Naotsugu, walking in front of me, spilled out as he was ripping through the undergrowth of the forest, were a sudden leap from the previous topic, and Shiroe failed to follow them.
''..........Panties and all?
Why the questionable stuff?
You're always asking the world what's going on. You know what I mean. It's a closed festival.
How greedy am I, for God's sake!
Naotsugu's concern was unknown to Shiroe at this time, and she could only follow his back.
He was still only a master grantor.
◆
After meeting up with Akatsuki, Shiroe and his team moved to the next zone.
The name of the zone was the Kanda Canal. This is an abandoned building modeled after the Marunouchi train line of the old century - the real-life Marunouchi is still thriving, of course - and is now a place of warring goblins and orcs. It's a home for humans.
However, the core level of the goblins and orcs in this zone is in the low 30s. They are no longer the enemies of Shiroe and the other three. The monsters are not going to attack aggressively with this level difference.
''Let's go quickly, we miss the inn.
Naotsugu took the lead in walking.
The sun has set, and Naotsugu, Shiroe, and Akatsuki regret that they have stayed in the Gohon for too long.
It's a good idea to find a suitable ruin or sleeping quarters to make camp as long as the monsters don't attack unnecessarily, but the three of them walked along the national highway with their magic lights held high and discarded cars and dumpsters here and there.
If they were going to sleep anyway, they could relax in a place with a proper bed. It was Akatsuki who insisted on that.
Either way, the monster's fur, fangs, meat and other foodstuffs are stored in the bag. There are also magic items taken from the Manticore, and these need to be exchanged for cash when we reach the city of Akiba, and we need to return to the city if we want to go out hunting again.
Naotsugu, who was walking in the lead, turned around and periodically checked on Shiroe and Akatsuki.
(Neither of them have any problems with their steps. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm still at the 90 level, so I have no problem with my physical strength.
He looked at the two men's steps and patted his chest.
Unlike the two of them, Naotsugu is a genuine vanguard warrior position. The warrior position is divided into three types, and although the skills he learns are different, all of them excel in ability values, mainly physical strength, muscular strength and agility.
To Naotsugu's surprise, the current 90th level Naotsugu has the physical strength to get through an hour-long battle while wearing nearly 30-40 kilograms of heavily armored metal armor.
I'm confident that after a few minutes of rest, my body will begin to regain its strength, even if I'm completely exhausted, and in an instant, I'm confident that I can lift nearly 200 kilograms.
I can only assume that I have an almost inexhaustible capacity in terms of physical strength.
But the other two are different. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one. Although they say, "We're also at the 90 level, so we have quite a bit of physical strength," Naotsugu always thought that he had to keep pace with them on that point.
But that worry didn't seem to be necessary just yet for tonight.
The moon was bright, and there were magical lights. Unlike the forest, there was debris lying here and there and cracks running through it, but the once paved asphalt road was gentle and easy to walk on, which was a blessing.
'They're not attacking us, Gov.
That's because they're not coming. We're dealing with three 90-level guys.
'I love that dinosaur bone-covered gob. He's so cute and funny in his pompousness.
(Chimichu has a serious look on his face and says something incomprehensible again...)
Naotsugu thinks that Akatsuki is probably referring to the Goblin Shaman. He is the leader of goblins that use fire and ice attack magic and appears with a small group of goblins in tow.
It's certainly a funny thing to do, with the goblins acting all high and mighty and giving orders, but if you ask me if they're cute, I can tell you they're not.
You like that sort of thing? The redwoods.
Just to be sure, I asked him.
He's cute. I'll be dead soon.
I'm not sure why you would call me cute. I'm not sure why I said "pretty" then, although it's natural that it's an enemy.
It's a good thing that you've got a good idea of what you're looking for," he said. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
I sneak up on them with the Hyde Shadow and thrust a small sword into their necks. I love the fact that my body is completely drained of power and I crumble like a threadbare doll.
How did he perceive Naotsugu's question, Akatsuki replies in an indifferent tone.
(.........wow. You, that's not White's position, right?
Looking at it from the side, Shiroe was damaged to the point where even a sidelong glance could tell. To begin with, it's natural that the defensive strength of a sorcerer-type system is low, so Naotsugu thinks there's no need for Shiroe to be depressed. I'm sure Akatsuki didn't have any ill intentions in mind.
Still, Shiroe is depressed. Akatsuki's face is stunned.
The two of them made Naotsugu feel good about himself.
(Shiroe is smart, but he's reading too much into things, or maybe he's paying too much attention.... He's a hard worker, in fact. I wonder what he's so freaked out about? (Our chief of staff is)
From Naotsugu's point of view, Shiroe is being reserved.
What or why, and in what way is she being reserved? It's not clear to Naotsugu, but he feels this way.
It's not a good idea to be a member of the "Tea Party of the Prodigal," but that's how it feels to Naotsugu.
Shiroe is the kind of person who tries to do too many things by himself. That's a rare virtue these days, I suppose.
However, the role of the Guardian Warrior is to protect those around them.
I'm not going to be able to get my hands on it. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work for you.
It's a good thing that even us sorcerers have a lot of guts when push comes to shove.
Hmm? My lord is paper armoured. --I'm a burglar and I'll protect you.
The two of them seemed to be still repeating a trivial exchange. It's just like a child's conversation, Naotsugu thinks. ........although Naotsugu doesn't understand that Shiroe thinks the same thing.
It's a very good idea to have a good time.
You can find long shadows of goblins skulking around, but when Naotsugu and the others turn around, they hide in a hurry.
''This is an adjacent zone to Akiba.
There's no way that high level monsters would appear here. If they did, the new players would be wiped out all over the place.
It's been three weeks since I got involved in this world, and not a single new player has appeared in that time.
It's been three weeks since we got caught up in this world, and not a single new player has shown up in that time.
What is happening to us in the real world?
Whether they are a mass disappearance, or whether they are just like vegetable men, Naotsugu and his team do not know.
(It's a really weird imagination, but maybe there's some "us" left in there, and we're living normally.
Wow, then we'd have nowhere to go.
The Festival of the Unwanted Child is going on.
It's not like it's some kind of novel where they pretend we never existed. It's like we never existed in the first place.
In spite of the image, Naotsugu, a reader of fantasy novels, thinks about such things. However, this is something that Naotugu and his friends cannot confirm at this point in time.
It may be "only three weeks" or it may be "already three weeks". It's a very different opinion, but Naotsugu and his friends are slowly becoming accustomed to this world.
Although twisted between the two regulations of the Elder Tail and the physical laws of another world, this world has its own set of rules, or a kind of order.
This is true even if it is an unrealistic phenomenon, such as the fact that the food tastes like wet rice crackers. It is true that there were many unreasonable things, and I often felt frustrated by the unreasonableness, but you still have to understand the rules and live under them.
That's what it means to belong to a world, whether it's a game or the real world.
(To us, the world we are standing in right now is the only one that matters, since we don't have a place to return to, and it doesn't matter if it's a game or not.......
But, well, it's not as bad as it seems. Wielding a sword and fighting, or having an adventure. It's not so bad once you get used to it. I know I said that to Marie, but maybe that's what I wanted to say to me more than anyone else.
As for Naotsugu, he had already begun to adjust to such a life, and that was not a bad thing. It's not that he was dissatisfied with the original world, not in the slightest, but do you want to return, even if it's right or wrong, even if it means cutting down your soul? The answer is "I don't know".
(I didn't have a girlfriend who showed me her underwear, and I haven't seen my parents in two years....... I've gotten used to the company, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.
Without even thinking about it, we passed from Ichigaya to Kudansita, and we were just two gates away from Akiba city.
Today, we're not going to go through the Forest of the Storeroom Tower zone, but rather we're going to head up the hill to Akiba Town from the top of Ochanomizu. The slope to the Roca Sanatorium has a gentle slope that somehow stirs my nostalgia, and a Japanese garden on the right side of the road has a large broad-leafed tree sticking out of it like an open cloak.
The moon, peeking through the gap between the leaves, shades the cloak a few times. In the moon's shadow above the flickering street, Naotsugu and the others scattered in all directions, as if they were playing, and took their distance.
(---!!!)
Naotsugu doesn't kill the momentum of the step that plunged forward, but instead slams the shield still attached to his left hand into the darkness in front of him.
A strained cry rises from the darkness.
A dozen or so meters behind him, Shiroe feels the distance between them.
Naotsugu does not neglect to check the surrounding area while focusing on the signs in front of him.
(One, two........three signs? (Four?)
It was not a situation I hadn't expected, but when it happened, I felt my mouth dry up. The tension was completely different from fighting a monster.
Suddenly, a low continuous sound like dragging a bundle of metal resounded.
(Huh! We're not going to make it!
Naotsugu tries to jump backwards without checking, but a chain with a sickle-neck like snake twists around his ankle.
It is not a metal chain with full substance. It's a magic-generated, half-substantial binding spell.
Naotsugu loses his balance in the air and is completely restrained by the spell. A colorless and silent magic wave approaches that Naotsugu from behind.
Dispel Magic. It's probably the magic released by Shiroe.
The chain of magic appears from underneath Naotsugu's feet like a snake crawling, and it is annihilated by Shiroe's spell to release the magic.
(Outstanding reaction support, as usual. Now, General Staff! (What do we do?!)
The elation and eagerness to fight that rises in his chest. The confidence of having Shiroe's protection and support behind him fills Naotsugu with spirit.
''Naotsugu! Naotsugu! Enemy's on penalty kills, visibility 4. --We'll lock in. --There!
Shiroe cries out on the street at midnight in the shimmering moonlight.
At the same time, a magical arrow flies out of his staff with a pale glow. The mind bolt is the basic offensive magic of the enchanter, flying at a single enemy to deal a certain amount of damage.
The damage is far less than a summoner or sorcerer of the same level, but it is still often used as a basic self-defense spell for a grantor.
It's a good thing that you're able to get the most out of your spellcasting skills, but it's never been a problem for Naotsugu. A small, timely spell is much more effective than a huge spell that doesn't hit.
''Enemy visibility!''
Even now, Shiroe's spell had precisely fulfilled Naotsugu's wish.
The glow of the blue-white phosphorescence that ran in the darkness was only a few zero-tenths of a second, but it certainly illuminated the PKs who were hiding in the darkness.
Naotsugu followed Shiroe's instructions and dropped out of the darkness in front of him at once, taking a position exactly in the middle of that darkness and Shiroe. The place is in the middle of a two-lane road.
Naotsugu could have charged at the enemy he had identified in the darkness.
However, here, he dares to drop back and prepare the formation.
The distance between the formation of the straight line and the rear line is important. If the space between them is too wide, it will leave the back row unprotected, as they are less likely to be able to defend themselves.
Nice nerve....for a penalty kick. It hurts to be in a celebratory mood for a surprise attack.
Naotsugu spits with the emotions burning in his chest.
The one in front of him is not a monster.
It's a player who likes to do the kind of thing he hates most: PK.
PK, which stands for 'player kill' or 'player killer', is not a monster, but a player who attacks the same player. The player who attacks and kills a player, not a monster, or the player who performs the action.
Fighting is forbidden in Akiba, but the fact that it is "forbidden" by the zones means that it is not forbidden in the rest of the city.
In Elder Tail, combat between players is tolerated by the administration; it's part of the game.
However, a number of factors in Elder Tail, such as the low success rate of penalty kicks, the high level of risk, and cultural issues on the Japanese servers (the Japanese are very disciplined and don't like violence between players, even online), have contributed to the fact that penalty kicks are rarely encountered and have never been popular. That's a fact.
The reason for the low success rate of PKs in Elder Tail is due to the fact that the mini-map displayed on the screen shows all surrounding characters, be they players, monsters or non-player characters, within a certain distance anyway. It was.
Also, the specification that high-level characters would "evade" attacks that were inflicted on them based on the skills they possessed, even if the player didn't control them, also reduced the success rate of PKs.
In other words, surprise attacks were less effective.
Furthermore, while penalty kicks were not banned in Elder Tail, harassment - or harassment of a person - was; while penalties themselves were not harassment, persistent penalties against the same opponent, insults to a combatant, and the like were. Targeted language could be classified as harassment, in which case there was a high likelihood of a warning or penalty from the operator.
However, such things as harassment are judged based on rather vague and subjective criteria. There have been cases where penalty kicks were judged as harassment because the victim was a woman or because the victim strongly appealed to the management, and there were even cases where the victim was suddenly suspended from the account.
For this reason, penalty kicks are considered to be a big risk.
But it is a different story when you are involved in another world.
In this other world, there is no mini-map in the brain menu. Also, no matter how high-level the adventurer is, there is no such thing as unconscious avoidance unless the player makes up his mind to do so.
Unless the player is a martial arts expert.
Also, the harassment was carried out after the incident by the company in charge of the game, who would check the game records and take action. Back when it was a game, Elder Tail was kept in order by the "hand of God" of the operator. But in today's world, there is no such convenient helping hand.
--There is an increase in the success rate of surprise attacks. And the risk of reporting harassment has been reduced.
In addition, PKs have a great advantage.
It's a far greater reward than fighting a monster.
You get all of the cash and about half of the items in your possession at the time of the fight. Some of the items have attributes that are never lost, but about half of the normal tradable items in the bag will be scattered around the moment of death.
A reversal of the disadvantages and advantages.
This is the reason why the act of PK has proliferated in the Elder Tail of this different world.
The Elder Tail.
(For now, we've gotten rid of the surprise.... The advantages of the other side are the geographical advantage, the number of people, and the confirmation of cooperation in advance. The accumulated preparations. Our advantage is....)
Shiroe, whose wand has a blue-white phosphorus fire in it, develops a thought from the system that has survived the first blow. Spell icon recall that may be used. Without needing to hit the cursor on the menu screen that spreads in your brain, all the spells you usually use are registered in the shortcut slot and waiting for their cue.
But it's not even before Shiroe readies his wand and prepares to chant, several players emerge from the darkness of the ruin ahead.
Pieces of dry asphalt crumble, creating a surprisingly loud noise in the silence of the night.
There are four shadows that appear.
One warrior wind. Two with bandit wind. Two bandit winds. One recovery wind.
There are many of them. The footsteps are strong and the level of the people are not low.
''If you shut up and leave your stuff behind, I won't even take your life.
The warrior-like man spits out the usual lines in a condescending voice.
Shiroe can't help but chuckle at the line.
(I think you're reading too much into comics. What's that line?)
Even if you are used to fighting monsters, fighting the player is a completely different story. Unlike enemies that are guided by animalistic instincts, there is the fear of not knowing what they will do, and more than that, humans cannot be insensitive to the fact that they can inflict malice on you.
If it's a killing blow, a monster can hit you. However, PKs aim at us with the will to plunder. It's a "malicious intent" to take someone else's profit without effort.
Shiroe's palms were unknowingly damp with disgusting sweat.
That tension was eased by the man in front of him with his clichéd dialogue.
"A Guardian and a sorcerer? "Guardian and sorcerer? There are four of us, okay?
A bandit-like man, who seems to be in charge of the gang, says. The two long swords hanging from his waist are. I'm sure you can tell that he's a swashbuckler and that he's a swashbuckler, because out of the 12 jobs, only a swashbuckler and a samurai are capable of doing the same thing.
...What should we do about Naotsugu?
Killing. "Kill them. Grate them in three pieces and mince them up. They're going to kill other people and let them play around. I'm sure they were ready to be murdered by other people before they got out of diapers.
Naotsugu's dependable voice. Shiroe feels the strength return to her knees.
(Her breathing is normal, her balance is fine. --She's calm.
I'm okay. It's not like I didn't plan for this. ...but it happens.
Shiroe is so smug. I'm already prepared to fight. But if possible, I want to prolong the conversation a little longer.
'Naotsugu doesn't like PKs, right? ........I don't mind paying for it, but just for once.
The men chuckle at Shiroe's words.
They step out half-stepping with their laughter and showing their ugly threatening intentions. Even though I knew it, a pressure was placed on Shiroe that made me want to look away.
(That is, that. ........I'm being licked. If you threaten them, they think you'll pay them.
Shiroe feels herself splitting into two, one that seems to be losing strength from her legs and the other that is strangely aroused. At the same time, she could feel a thick pulsation start in her ears. It was that sensation she had felt so many times at the Tea Party.
Shiroe doesn't like Akatsuki. But that doesn't mean she doesn't like them.
Shiroe doesn't like fighting, but that doesn't mean he's bad at it, either.
"But I'm afraid I don't want to pay you guys.
I'm proud of you, White.
Whether the exchange between Shiroe and Naotsugu was surprising or annoying, a quick flash of red ink appeared on the cheeks of the wild thieves. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them.
The red borders of the icon indicating that they are in combat, which has been left lit since the earlier surprise attack, are red enough to stain their eyelids.
Shiroe pulls her left leg back half a step and flies through the instructions, praying for her voice to be as calm as possible.
'First target, warrior in front of the left! I'll help you stop the bandits at the same time.
We'll take care of that thickly armored warrior, and you'll kill the sorcerer in a heartbeat!
The leader of the bandits shouted at him almost simultaneously as Shiroe gave his tactical instructions.
Naotsugu took a sharp step forward and slammed his phosphorescent shield into the warrior in front of him. The other party is probably a 'samurai' (warrior). The fact that he has a Japanese sword is proof of this.
A long-haired bandit, instructed by the leader of the burglars, jumps up to approach Shiroe, slipping in next to Naotsugu. But that action was only one of the patterns Shiroe had expected to see.
Instantly, Shiroe's spell strikes.
Astral Bind.
It's the same movement restriction spell as the one that was just cast by the direct connection.
When adventuring alone, the basic tactic of the sorcerer is to use this type of magic to stop monsters while attacking them from long distances.
The details vary between the three mage types of jobs, but all of them can be learned by any mage, and their performance is basically similar. It restricts movement and renders the target of the spell immobile. It's just a basic spell, with an imaginative effect of stalling the target by causing magical chains to emerge from underneath its feet and entangle itself around its body.
But the halt spell is a halt spell and has no further effect than that.
The long-haired thief turns around and, if he has no choice, attacks nearby Naotsugu. It's a big knife that is almost a stiletto that is flicked by Naotsugu's armor. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them, but it's not a good idea to have a good time with them.
The switch, please!
I'm on it!
In the light of the sparks, the leader of the bandits attempted to break through Naotsugu's side with a light feint.
At first, the plan was probably for the warrior and himself to take on Naotugu and have his men kill Shiroe, but as soon as he saw that his men were stranded, he planned to switch roles and head to Shiroe himself.
He gave up on the formation he had set up and immediately restructured it to fit the current situation. The speed of that decision was admirable. The speed with which he put in a feint attack and turned himself around was also comparable.
(-- Still, it doesn't surpass Naotsugu's experience.)
Anchor Howl.
Naotsugu's spirit of holy air as he bent down.
The rage that seems to shake the atmosphere is the technique of the
The leader of the wildebeest that was supposed to slip by Naotsugu's side. He reflexively shrugs as if touched by the hot prominence and freezes with his two swords pointed at Naotsugu.
His legs slumped and he couldn't take his gaze away from Naotugu, a nasty kind of fat sweat running down his body. The samurai and the long-haired bandit seemed to be the same, all of them looking at each other with eyes wide open in fear.
If you take your gaze off Naotsugu now, he will certainly be buried from behind. The three people surrounding Naotsugu feel such fear.
It's simply not possible to be a wallflower if you are hard and have high HP. Even if they are monsters, if they are goblins or orcs, they have the same level of intelligence as humans. In the world of Elder Tail, they can fight ancient magical weapons, dark elves and pagan believers.
It is not uncommon for them to ignore the role of the wall that is responsible for catching attacks and go after the healers and sorcerers in the rear guard. Protecting your friends from such diverse enemies.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of it.
Anchor Howl.
Once the enemy heard the spirit of the Guardian Warrior's cleaver, they could not ignore Naotsugu. The moment they try to ignore him, they will be knocked into a defenseless stance by Naotsugu's powerful counterattack. This was the technique of the Guardian Warrior, filled with that kind of oath.
This skill of drawing the enemy's attackers together makes the Guardian Warrior the most solid frontline of the warriors.
Ouch! I don't care! It's three against one. There's no limit to how hard they can be. You can't just fold that bastard up first.
The leader of the burglars, with his nose white with fear, scolded his subordinates.
Once again, the thieving swordsman was forced to change his tactics, and now he seems to have chosen Naotsugu as his target. The two swordsman's movements are like snakes, as if they are searching for an opening for Naotsugu.
There is no mistaking the idea.
The burglar 'samurai', the leader's two-fisted sword, and the long-haired bandit seem to have decided to defeat Naotugu.
''d*mn it! You have no brain except to freeze like a turtle!
It's as if they let out a hysterical scream and attacked in rapid succession.
''Your sword skills won't break my defense!
They are even more furious at Naotsugu's declaration, which sounds even more jovial.
Hearing the metallic echoing sound of steel striking together, Shiroe in the back row quickly checks the status.
Indeed, as I said, this PK group seems to be on the right level. Their unrelenting attacks are gradually depleting Naotsugu's HP.
In thirty seconds, no matter how much time Naotsugu has left, he's going to fall.
(In thirty seconds, that is........)
If that's the case, then it's up to me to defuse the situation in that time. Shiroe thinks about it and raises the edge of her lips in a small way.
The six runes are drawn out with the tip of his wand in 1.5 seconds flat. The beeping, discharging ball of lightning that has been born strikes the enemy warriors. A sustained attack spell, the Electric Fuzz. It's a small damage, but it's a spell that delivers intermittent electric shocks to the enemy alone for roughly ten to twenty seconds.
Haha! You're an enchanter? -- What a little spell! You can't even kill a dog with this kind of damage!
The samurai who received Shiroe's spell laughs away with his nose while looking depressed. The tennis ball-sized thunderballs clinging to his body are deafening in their sound, but they emit a beautiful, bouncy light and don't even cause any pain.
Electrical Fuzz.
Attack spells controlled by the Grantor tend to do little damage overall, but this sustained spell spreads the small amount of damage over the entire duration of its effect. In terms of total damage, it is greater than the Mind Bolt, but the damage per unit of time is much smaller.
The pain, which accounts for the small amount of damage, is negligible and seems to be nothing more than harassment to the warrior.
(...ugh...) It's been said again. (I knew it was impotent, right?)
But the provocation is also one that has been repeated. Even Shiroe knows the properties of the spell he controls ahead of time. Shiroe doesn't talk back to that provocation and spins more of the same spells. He throws the Electrical Fuzz one after another, hitting both the leader of the bandits and the long-haired thief.
The two weapon attackers have a little less HP compared to the warrior-type warriors, but that doesn't mean that neither of them seemed to feel the itch of such a spell of sparrow's eye damage.
''Hahahahaha! What the hell do you want? Or is it that, or are you a beginner with your brother over here or something?
The three PKs, who shine like electric wires sending out blue-white sparks one after another, or like odd-shaped fireworks that decorate the dark night, gain even more momentum and pour a fierce attack into Naotsugu.
(..........................Then, first of all, I'll take one. (I'll take it)
The opponent's anger, carelessness, and mockery.
Shiroe takes all of these as information and condenses them into a single breath, and takes two steps forward at the perfect time. With a sharp wave of his wand, he chants a verbal spell and invokes a shortcut.
After two seconds of chanting, the one released is Thornbaid Hostage. A glittering lapis lazuli ring flies at the warrior, entangling him like five thorns.
"What's this? Duh!
As Naotsugu swung his sword to break the thorns, a glow like a light bulb popping in the darkness was created. The shockwave caused the 'warrior' to scream and reflexively shrug off the shockwave.
The Thornbide Hostage is a stationary attack spell that Shiroe uses regularly. Unlike single-shot attack spells and ranged incineration spells, the conditions for activation are complex, and once the spell is activated, it must be "set" on a hostile target.
Once "installed," the target is subjected to a commandment of shining thorns.
These thorns do not bind the actions of the hostile target, but they cling to the body of the "placed" target, and the thorns burst off the moment they are physically attacked by the sorcerer's companion, dealing about 1000 damage.
In other words, it's a spell that puts additional damage on an ally's attack.
The number of thorns and damage depends on the grade of the spell. Shiroe's Thornbaid Hostage is of the "Secret" class. If all five thorns flashed, even if she was a warrior class, she would lose half of her HP with that much.
''Calm down! It's a casting a d*mn spell. Break the spell. Healer! Focus your recovery on the Samurai! There are twice as many of them as we have, we can't lose!
Unlike the 'warrior' who was actually dismayed by the damage, there was still room in the leader's voice. In Elder Tail's specifications, healers are quite powerful.
A single reasonably skilled restorer can control enough recovery magic to almost completely cancel out the damage taken by enemies and players of the same level.
Even if Shiroe's Thornbaid Hostage is powerful, as long as he continues to heal, he will not be defeated.
And it's not just the small offensive power of the Grantor, but rather the ability to lead a group of PKs to compete with, say, a sorcerer's powerful offensive spells. The leader's confidence was not unfounded.
Naotsugu's sword flashed.
Each time the thorns' traps are triggered, the warrior is hit with a shock wave of damage. The warrior is trying to regain his position, but every time he regains his sword, the slashes and shockwaves from left and right mock his efforts.
''Ha! What about it? My flank's not home, man!
The long-haired bandit thrusts a large knife - a type of mountain sword - into Naotsugu's right side. Naotsugu, who was rigid in his sword-swinging stance, was unable to avoid it, and was wounded in the gap in his armor.
''The presence or absence of a healer is the difference between victory and defeat! Brothers, don't lick it too hard! Hahahahahaha! At best, you can shed tears of regret in the temple!
Naotsugu's attack under Shiroe's weapon enhancement spell was more than sharp enough for a warrior, and Shiroe's secret spell would have done a lot of damage for a
''Your grasp of the battle situation is correct.
As long as your healers do their job. But...
In an instant, Naotsugu, who had sunk as low as half his height, cut off the samurai's knees with a single blow.
The blow was like a swing of the arm of a giant mantis, causing the warrior to sink to the ground.
It didn't blow away or raise a splash of blood, but rather an unusually quiet ending. The leader of the bandits' laughter was cut off by the sudden appearance of a warrior who, just a moment ago, had been engaged in a fierce sword fight with his sword, as if to cut off the second half of the game.
"-What is it? What did you guys do to me! Paralysis? Hey, Healer! What the hell are you doing? Hurry up and make a recovery!
To the ranting leader, Naotsugu declares while slamming his one-handed sword backwards and with force.
''You're depressing, dude. Don't spew ugly mooky dialogue into a beautiful moonlit night!
What! What?
(Faster than I expected.) Craftsman dependability, full marks...
Shiroe looks at the grove of trees in the garden to his right.
It is impossible to see through the darkness of the garden from the street, which is filled with a pale glow caused by the spillover effects of several magic tricks.
However, Shiroe knows that in that darkness, there is a companion.
'd*mn it! Enough! Hey, sorcerer! Summoner! We've got all hands on deck here, let's put this guy to death!
The leader of the wildebeest finally trumped his hidden trump card. It seemed that he had decided to bring in the reserve force.
(Two sorcerer types, that's what it was........
It's true that if there were two additional people, they could kill us at the stake from this situation. There was some damage, but that was just one warrior.
Two of us and five of you. The difference in strength is more than twice as great. There's no way we could lose.
Shiroe guessed the thoughts of the enemy leader.
But even that reserve army's preparations did not exceed Shiroe's expectations.
(Naotsugu was set up with a bind-based movement blocking spell. And yet, what came out was a warrior, two bandits, and a healer. No sorcerer. (It's a fallacy to talk about at this point.)
From Shiroe's point of view, it was foreseeable that the PK group would include a sorcerer. The fact that it was lurking in the dense grove of trees to the right as an ambush soldier was already factored in from the beginning.
("Leaving a sorcerer with thin armor and little HP without an escort, that is.
Hey, do it now! Get the hell out of here!
The leader, who had completely retreated from the waist, shouted that and pointed at Naotsugu with his right hand sword, but the tip of the sword and Naotsugu were more than 30cm apart.
It seems that the fighting methods and the sheer creepiness shown by Shiroe and the others have depleted their morale.
''It's.......a dead end.''
That's right, my lord.
A diminutive shadow oozed slowly from the treetops of the hardwoods.
Akatsuki appeared with his usual sincere expression and threw the two sorcerers he was dragging out onto the road. The leader of the bandits is distraught at the unusual sight of the petite black-haired beauty, who looks no more than five hundred and fifty centimeters tall, throwing her companions away as if they were bags of food waste.
"Wha...? What the hell are you guys doing? Why don't you report it? Hee. Healer! I told you to keep up with the website. You're not going to... You betrayed us...
That's why you guys aren't cool.
At the words of the thief, Naotsugu slammed his left arm shield down as if his patience had run out. The leader of the team, the "stolen swordsman," staggered at the sudden attack and fell flat on the street.
'You should at least trust your friends. Your healers are just asleep. They were asleep from the beginning of the battle to begin with.
The streets are filled with the merciless sentence of Shiloh.
It's the Astral Hupuno.
The pinnacle of binding spells that strengthen allies and support the Grandmaster. A stopping spell that casts the target's very existence into slumber, no matter what it is. Its duration of effect is not long. Even if it is extended, it lasts only a few dozen seconds.
Moreover, the sleep is instantly lifted by an attack. In a way, it is a fool's spell with no other use than to buy time.
To begin with, combat is about taking away each other's fighting ability. Quite simply, the goal is to kill your opponent. You can never win a battle simply by putting the enemy to sleep. It's a spell that does not directly contribute to the end of a battle.
That's why the Grantor is held in such low esteem.
It's no good mocking the lord's spells.
Huh!
Before they knew it, silence had returned to the streets.
All of the thunderballs that had sparked earlier had vanished after their effect time had ended. On the street are two slumped bandits and one recovering actor who has fallen asleep. Looking down at them, Shiroe and the other three.
'I heard you guys made fun of the spark of electricity, though. If it's that bright in front of you, there's no way you can see the darkness of the forest.
You didn't even notice that the healers who were supposed to be supporting you behind you were asleep. --Your coordination is full of holes.
You were so engrossed in the battle that you couldn't even manage your HP or check on the status of your friends, you could have easily assassinated your ambush soldiers.
As if he couldn't wait for Akatsuki's words to end, Naotsugu raised his long sword. The long hair, which was no longer motivated to fight, died with that single swing, making a sharp whistle-like sound.
''Oh, even if you killed us, we'll be back soon. It doesn't mean I've lost to you guys!
The leader of the wild thieves was strong, but he didn't even seem to be able to move against Akatsuki's small sword, which was placed against his neck.
Akatsuki asks Shiroe with just a glance.
The question is permission to kill.
Shiroe sighs thickly.
It would not be impossible to tie him up and then torture him for all his money. However, torture is not in my personality. It's probably not feasible.
(Of course, I could just let him go scot-free, but....
But that doesn't mean I can't do it.
There's no such thing as a thank you. The fallacy is that they will resent you for insulting them. In this world where death is a mere formality, it is doubtful that crime and punishment will even work the same way as they did in the original world.
Even Shiroe can understand such a thing.
But that doesn't mean that anything is possible, Shiroe thinks that it's not.
(It can't be helped.)
Shiroe nodded to Akatsuki. She thrust her sharp little sword into the leader of the PKs' neck without hesitation in one fell swoop. A spray of blood, red even in the night eye, but cloudy, spurted up.
As Akatsuki dodged that blood tide dexterously to the side, items and gold coins scattered around the fallen leader.
This was how the assault he received from PK ended.