17



　 Chun-Lu was a member of a guild called the Wargamer Riders. According to her explanation, the Lelewolf Troopers were a guild that had escaped to the west from the Chinese capital of Dadaon. The Great Capital is the equivalent of Shanghai in the real world. It is the starting town on the Chinese server, along with Yandu (Ye Dong), which is the equivalent of Beijing.
　She spoke while traveling with Leonardo and the others. The heart of the Chinese server - it is a coastal area, but as the spearhead of a guild that was fed up with the deteriorating world situation in that region, they changed their base to the west.
　Leonardo heard the story and thought it made sense.
　Probably, the Raku-Ron wolf cavalry is an at-home guild. From what I've heard, the size of the guild is around five hundred people. Although it was a huge guild, it wasn't so much a 'super-sized' guild. In other words, they have enough people to withstand the situation, but they are not large enough to win the battle for server supremacy. If that was the case, the decision to evacuate seemed to be a logical one.
　Most importantly, she (Chun Lu) was bright in this region.
　Of course, this wilderness is an unexplored area. After all, it was in the middle of the vast Eurasian continent. Even though the Half-Gaia Project has halved its size, the Chinese server still holds vast areas such as the Tian Shan Mountains, the Taklamakan Desert, and the Pamir plateau, which even in the real world cannot be said to be fully developed.
　Its administrative area includes not only the giant nation of China, but also Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
　No one, whether adventurer or landowner, would know the whole picture, one zone at a time. Even the developers must not have a complete grasp of the map.
　That said, there are people who use the trade routes and the narrow pathways that connect the villages to the oases, and Chunsui and the Daichi merchant Juha are among those few.
''It's good to be here with you!
　On the night of their departure from the village, Kanami sipped water boiled in a tin can and declared to his traveling companions with a smile.
　Leonardo had to nod in agreement with this.
　It's true that Jouha, the merchant of the "Earth People", is a liability in terms of fighting ability. He has a masculine beard and a stocky build, which makes him relatively tough among the Earthmen. I'm sure he has the physical strength of an ordinary soldier, depending on the circumstances. But compared to Leonardo and the other adventurers who have reached the 90th level, his physical ability is much lower.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world.
　However, no one complained about that.
　If the Adventurer alone hurried, they might be able to shorten the itinerary by a week or two, but the chances of getting lost or getting into trouble would be far greater. I'm not sure that Leonardo, Kanami or Coppellia, who have lived in the city for a long time, would be able to find an oasis.
　In fact, when Elias discovered a watering hole on a sandstone ridge, he was stopped by Juha as he was descending the ridge.
　The oasis overlooked from that ridge was indeed a glistening oasis of clear water, but if he went down the ridge, he would be trapped in a huge depression.
　It was a Herculean task to climb the fragile, crumbling sandstone cliffs, and Leonardo and the others gave up when they were told that they would waste three days gracefully to reach the next oasis. That evening, they reached an abandoned village with a small but cozy old well.
　'It takes experience to travel in the desert and wilderness,' he said.

'Yes.'
　Elias replied to Kanami's brainy voice with a deep, resonant voice. This picture-perfectly beautiful young man, the hero of the 'ancient species', even his voice is beautiful.
''Absolutely.
　Leonardo also shrugged his shoulders and replied.
　Normally, Elias's likeable boyishness (high specs) would not be surprising if he felt some kind of complex, but strangely enough, he didn't feel that way. Maybe he was dumbfounded.
(The other party is that "Elias = Hackblade", you know. Just thinking about it is ridiculous...)
　The flames of the bonfire crackled.
　The flames were caused by solid fuel dried from livestock dung and a small amount of fuel.
　The flickering reddish light illuminated the group huddled in the shade of the rocks.
''Whew!　I'll be the first one in the house today!
　Kanami promptly ducked into the farthest corner of the tent Leonardo had set up. This tent was owned by Juha, and seems to be an essential part of the journey. It is a lattice-shaped woven bamboo framework covered with a sturdy felt fabric, and despite the fact that it can be folded up, it is extremely warm and protective.
　If only they could meditate on lying down as a small fish, the six of them could lie down.
　Leonardo, who had proceeded on his journey without making any good camping preparations, leaving it to the physical capabilities of the Adventurer, was impressed by the camping facilities and the familiar method of making a bonfire that Coppelia used to prepare.
　There is a rational behavior for everything.
KR (Keieru) again?
That's okay. I can handle the cold better than you guys. I suppose horses have an advantage, too.
　KR has moved its horse-like figure to the entrance of the tent as early as possible.
　Even though it's a high performance felt tent, the highland breeze can creep in at night. It's cold near the entrance, which is why Kanami hated it and fled to a special seat, and KR seems to have sensed this and will take care of the entrance part.
　As Kanami pulls you in, Coppelia goes to prepare to take a rest. Some disturbing remarks could be heard from inside the tent, such as "cuddle pillows" and "puffy", but Leonardo passed it off as a woman-to-woman thing.

　Elias, Chunsui, and Juha, who remained near the bonfire, seemed to be awake for a bit longer.
　They shouldn't be tired from the journey. Even so, it should still be around nineteen o'clock. As long as they are getting ready for the encampment shortly before sunset, there is still some time before sleepiness sets in.
'Would you like another drink?'
　At Chunsui's suggestion, Leonardo held out a hand-held mug. She dexterously lowered the brass pot that was on the fire with two branches and picked up the brass pot with the hem of her cloak and poured the gooey, boiling hot tea into the cup.
'It's hot, so be careful.
Thank you.
　He thanked Shunsui, who also handed Elias a mug that he poured as well.
''It's amazing,''
It's always around here.
　When Elias looked up at the sky, Juha replied to his words.
　It was a starry sky that could only be called, full of stars. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

''The Ronin Wolf Troopers are planning a large-scale battle to defeat the Ash Spotted Demon (Noor), right?
　Sipping his hot tea, Leonardo asked.
　Chuncui nodded at his words, ''Yes.
''What are the odds?''
The odds?　The Lelewolf Cavalry is a guild with less than five hundred men. This operation is being led by guild leader Juhuang himself. We won't fall behind.
　The word "centurion," was not familiar to me, but I understood that it was probably a battalion formation (Legion raid). Speaking of the number of people, there were ninety-six. It would not be wrong to say that there were roughly a hundred people.
　Generally speaking, the combat ability of the adventurers increases with the increase in numbers. Two Adventurers are not twice as powerful as a single adventurer. It is at least two and a half times as much. Quintuple. With coordination, it can be multiplied by three.
　This is the result of a party of adventurers fighting organically as a single organism, rather than as a group of adventurers. Some are good at defense, some are good at recovery, some are good at attack, some are good at disrupting the enemy, and so on.
　There are, of course, a number of preconditions for such organic coordination. The adventurers in the party must understand each other's abilities and work together appropriately. The adventurers must be able to respond to each other's wishes with a sense of trust.
　This principle also applies to large combat units.
　A full raid of twenty-four men, consisting of four six-man parties. A Legion Raid of ninety-six members that unites those four full raids. In such a large unit, it is difficult to communicate with each other, which is important in coordination. Nevertheless, as long as they could overcome that difficulty, this Legion-sized group of could be called the strongest military force in the Serdesia world.
　The level of the Ash-Spotted Demon ranged from about twenty to fifty. I don't know what kind of tactics the Spotted Spotted Demon will use, but if the Raccoon Wolf Horsemen were reasonably well-trained in coordination, they would be able to fight forty times as many, even against forty thousand Spotted Spotted Demons, without backing down.

　That is usually enough to break through any large scale content.
　Of course, after the Catastrophe, the battle changed.
　The smell of burning and the fear of "violence" as steel strikes each other. The horror of "death" as it turns into a bloody mass of flesh before your eyes.
　The effects of these things are not small. It is possible for the spirit, which has been strengthened by the system assist, to be broken. I've seen many such "adventurers" in the past. But if you believe in Chunsui's words, that's probably a groundless fear. Leonardo received the impression that the Raku-Ronin Wolf Troopers were a skilled group led by an excellent leader.
　Except for that phenomenon called the Plague Demon (Yigui).

　What exactly are the plague demons, Leonardo still doesn't have anything like a conclusion. I tried to consult with Shunsui, but he hadn't heard of it. I've heard of it as a rumor among the earthlings, but I have no idea about the details and the reality of the rumor, and of course I have never seen an example of it.
　What was that crazy "earthling" boy?
　The boy's behavior was definitely that of the Ash-Spotted Inuoni.
　The reason why he was like that was almost self-evidently related to the Ash-Spotted Demon. Therefore, I have a bit of concern about the Raccoon Wolf Trooper's plans to defeat the Demon Ash Spotted Demon.
　However, Leonardo has no clue as to what exactly the relationship between the Plague Demon and the Ash-Spotted Demon is and what kind of mysteries lie behind it.
　He also informed Shunsui of the incident and asked her to alert the headquarters, but at this point in time, when there was no confirmation, he could only hope to be effective at 'calling attention'.
''I hope it's nothing.''
　Elias' dialogue was somewhat unreliable. It seems that even the words of a hero are useless at a time like this.
　There was a distance of at least more than a hundred kilometres between Leonardo and his team, which was traveling along the ridge, and the "Wandering Wolf Riders", which were advancing across the southern plains. And they have not been asked to rescue me in any obvious way. I wish them well, but there's nothing I can do for them.
　It was a foregone conclusion, and that was the common view of Elias and Leonardo.

　Under the night sky in the far south, the "Wandering Wolf Riders" were advancing.
　At this moment, they were on their way to the Columnar Ruins of Thornsgrave.




18.




　Two days later, the war began in the raiding unit away from Leonardo.
　The ninety-six Legion Raiders, led by Zhuhuan, attacked the Ash-Spotted Demons, which surrounded the ruins of the Column Column.
　The reconnaissance team reported that the number of the Ash Spotted Demons was huge, at least ten thousand. In terms of their numerical strength, the difference was more than a hundred times greater.
　But even if they were a hundred times stronger, there was no way they could have a hundred monsters attacking the Adventurer at the same time. In fact, the Ash-Spotted Demon is surrounding the ruins as if to protect them, and they are on the opposite side of the ruins from Chuwan's Legion Raid.
　In other words, the Ash-Spotted Demons have not been able to use all of their numbers. Zhuhuan's troops only had to deal with the hundreds of Ash-Spotted Demons that surrounded them. And that level of encirclement would not be enough to stop them. The individual combat abilities of the Spotted Demon were far beyond the reach of the Adventurers gathered here.
　A song rises from within the squad.
　It's the Nocturne of Meditation.
　This song is called Eishiyiwakku by the locals. The song played by the bard has the effect of slowly restoring MP that would normally not be recovered spontaneously during battle. Its speed is slow, but the cumulative amount of recovery is significant for long battles. It is a strategic skill.
　In addition, the green glow of the Heartbeat Healing, a pulsating recovery technique used by druids, can be seen throughout the unit.
　In the recovery profession, each of the unique recovery techniques, such as reactive recovery, damage blocking and pulsating recovery, are more efficient than instantaneous recovery spells in terms of HP recovery and MP consumption. Among them, the pulsating recovery spell controlled by the druid is an easy-to-use spell that has the ability to keep recovering HP for a certain amount of time, even though it does not have an instantaneous recovery ability.
　As can be seen from these two points, Chuwan's focus in organizing the Legion raids was not the instantaneous attack ability, but the continuous combat ability. If the enemy was the Ash-Spotted Demon, they would be able to kill it even if they did not have a strong offensive ability.
　In fact, there was a good chance that they would be so numerous that they would tire us out.
　Three kilometers behind the Colonnade Pillar Ruins of Tonesgrave, Zhu Xiang thought that the ninety-six men in this battalion would be enough to settle the matter.
He said, "Hold the weary third battalion inside!　Right wing change!　First squad, advance!
　The voice was rough and snarky from living in the wilderness, but still full of dignity, and gave orders. Zhuhuan responded to his voice and the troops proceeded to cut through the Ash Spotted Demons.

　In these battles, the Swashbuckler and the Taoist are the mainstay of the battle. Their attacks have a range that allows them to conquer the monster with a surface rather than a point.
　The sorcerer's wide-ranging spell, Lightning Nebula, is cast on the Ash-Spotted Demon. A bluish-violet glow of lightning flashed across the area, trapping a dozen or so foul dog-heads within its nebula-like glow.
　The screams of the Ash-Spotted Dog Demons rising in the area were coolly swept away as four Thieving Swordsmen descended from the left and right sides of the squad in a gait similar to that of a Chinese opera. The four swordsmen descended from the left and right sides of the squad in a gait similar to that of a Chinese opera, with the twin swords in their hands spinning and twirling from side to side, causing the lightning-bound demons to fall in an amusing manner.
　The swordsmen's blood-drenched dance continued, and as soon as the space in front of the troops opened up, the guardian warriors and other heavily armed suppression teams moved forward to fill the gap. These swordsmen are specialized attackers. The swordsmen are specialized in attacking, and before they can do any unnecessary damage, they will be brought back into the unit to prepare for the next attack.
　The troops were steadily advancing toward the center of the ruins, with a faithful adherence to the basics, though not flashy.
'An hour into the battle?
　Zhu Kan muttered.
　In his mind, the eradication of the Ash-Spotted Demon was not an option.
　There were more than ten thousand Ash-Spotted Demons, maybe even twenty thousand. I don't think it would be impossible to exterminate them if I wanted to, but it would be too much work and too unrealistic.
　The Ash-Spotted Demons have formed a multi-layered formation around the pillar site. In other words, they have set up a position across the ruins to the north where Chuwan and his team had just begun their attack. It's just not a good idea to summon all of these reserve forces and then launch an annihilation campaign.
　Rather, Zhuwan's instincts tell him that it would be better to go to the center of the ruins.

　To begin with, what is this army of Ash-Spotted Demons?
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about them in the future. Something is happening to the Ash-Spotted Demons, perhaps a large scale battle quest or similar event.
　That "something" has called them together.
　The black dragon that was reported must be related to that "something".
　And the key to unlocking the mystery must lie in the center of the Ruins of the Columns, where the Ash-Spotted Demon army is surrounding them. That's what Zhuhuan thinks.
"Back row (sorcerer)!　Crush the enemy in the hills ahead!　Start shooting!
　No matter how many tens of thousands of troops the Gray Spotted Demon possesses, if they only had to shoot through the evenly-deployed defensive battle at right angles, their numbers would be less than a thousand. In fact, the Raku-Ron wolf cavalry is actually breaking through that defensive net.
　But something was wrong.
　The first signs of this were noticed by the Thief Swordsmen, who had cut into the enemy's group. The swords they control are magnified by their special skill, Blue Storm. While their attack ability is the same as normal, their swords have a wide attack range and engulf the monsters around them. They have been able to maximize the damage caused by their ability to move their bodies through the enemy and by the densely packed enemy formations.
　The four thieving swordsmen, who ran through on the premise of supporting the sorcerers, had succeeded in creating a killing field in front of their unit, increasing their damage by overlapping their attack ranges exquisitely.
　However.
　That light sword dance was blocked by the Ash-Spotted Inuoni, which should have fallen to the ground. The hairy hand that should have defeated him grabbed the Thief Swordsman's ankle.
　The young, boyish-looking dwarf swordsman stifled a scream in the back of his throat.
　It was a battle of suppression, spreading damage over a wide area, but there was no way he wouldn't check the enemy's HP. The Ash-Spotted Dog Demon, which should have been the final blow, had risen. In fact, the monsters' arms were torn to shreds, and even their jerky guts could be seen peeking out from the gaps in their shattered scale armor.
　However, what truly frightened the boy was not the grotesque appearance of the Ash Spotted Demon, but its status. It was its status.
　The flickering display alternated between "Ash-Spotted Inuoni: Warrior" and "Ash-Spotted Inuoni: Necromancer". I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
　It was truly a demon or a demon charm of sorts.

''Gisharaa!''
　The Ash-Spotted Inuoni let out an indescribable cry, filled with blood-colored saliva, and took a bite of the boy's ankle. This is the bloodthirsty bite, the Ash-Spotted Inuoni's tribal method of attack. The boy felt his fangs digging into the boy's ankle, but he still swung his sword and swung the blade down into the boy's neck, as he must.
　But his HP is not diminished.
　The Ash Spotted Demon does not die.
　Of course. Its HP display is zero to begin with, so it can't decrease. And yet, an instant after the attack, it would turn back the value on the display bar and look up at the boy with grudgingly cloudy yellow eyes.
　The boy panicked at the pain, as if he was being tightened up in a scorching vise.
　Swinging his sword. Swing it.
''Higuah!　Higggh!
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. The forest spellcaster, who I know, came over to see the boy and applied a pulsation recovery spell.
　The spell healed the wound on his ankle in no time at all, but the boy's expression was tight as if he was about to cry.
　The amount of damage was not life-threatening to begin with.
　The 'damage' the boy had suffered wasn't so much that of HP, but more of a chilling fear, like an icy wind blowing into his heart.
　Similar chaos was happening all over the battlefield.
　The Ash-Spotted Dog Demon rises even though it is supposed to be dead. The next moment, the Ash-Spotted Inuoni, which was thought to be a sorcerous type, was wielding an axe. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
　No matter how much you try to trick them, they are still just that - spotted dog demons.
　They were not the enemy of the Le Wrangler's horsemen, and in fact, the damage caused by the Le Wrangler's horsemen did not increase exponentially in this chaotic situation. But this inexcusable phenomenon aroused a primordial fear in the hearts of the adventurers.
　The Catastrophe is an inexcusable disaster.
　No reason or explanation was given for it.
　One day, they were suddenly snatched up from their familiar homeland, Earth, and left to rot in this other world. Without even an idea of how to return home, it could be called an exile.
　The reason the Adventurers were not plunged into the worst kind of panic in such horrific circumstances was that, although this world was otherworldly, it was very similar to the world of Elder Tail, a game they were familiar with.

　What does it mean to be very similar to the game?
　That is to say, there are certain laws, and they are understandable.
　This other world was one that could be read and understood using the laws and common sense of the game, or in other words, reason, that they had acquired during their time playing Elder Tail.
　When I say "reason", I don't just mean that knowledge is valid. It is a concept that includes the hope that it will eventually be understood. That's why the Adventurer was able to survive in this unfamiliar and stressful world, despite the odds.
　However, the demons in front of them are defying the Elder Tail game system they follow.
　HP is physical strength, the power to exist. If that number falls to zero, you will fall.
　That should be the 'rules'.
　There may be times when HP recovers and resurrects due to special abilities, special skills, or events. However, this should not happen, such as when status information is disrupted and multiple professions are displayed alternately. This was a violation of the rules and foreshadowed the collapse of the Elder Tail system.
　This awareness caused a quiet but deep-seated panic among the Adventurers.
　If they were to acknowledge what was happening before them, the rules they had come to rely on would be lost. This means that the world is truly bullshit and unreasonable. Humans can't stand that the world is incomprehensible.
"Stand down, swordsman!　Summoner.　Hit the close-combat type in the front line, hurry!
　Sensitive to the atmosphere, Chu Huan slapped a new set of instructions on it.

　The enemy's attack was not fierce. For a short period of time, even if the summoned creatures were inferior to the Adventurer's combat ability, they could still support the front line.
　The panic will eventually subside. But for that to happen, we need some time.
　At this very moment, if another shock were to strike, the front line could collapse. But that, on the other hand, meant that if they could survive this situation, they could make up for it as much as they wanted.
　The Raku-Ronin Wolf Cavalry still had ample battle resources and reserve strength.
　There was no need to win now. They should focus on defense and wait for the troops to recover from their mental turmoil.
　Although Zhuhuan had received some eyebrow-raising reports from the reconnaissance units, he had not expected that it would cause such an occult phenomenon. Zhu Huan wiped the blood stains on his armor and continued to command with a grim expression.
　Right now, raising his voice and inspiring his troops is the most important thing.
　Zhuhuan's natural instincts showed that command was more important than personal bravery, and he continued to raise his voice as if he knew everything to reassure his subordinates.

　However, Chuwan's voice was overshadowed by the flapping of the black dragon's wings.



◆19




　Like the emaciated ribs of a strange giant beast that lived in ancient times, its sharp tips pierced the heavens.
　It was roughly thirty meters tall.
　In terms of buildings in the real world, it would be about ten stories high, but in this region that was surrounded by wilderness, those columns looked like huge fangs sticking out of the earth. There were three pillars that pierced the heavens. Two of them rose up sharply and the remaining one was rotting as if it had broken in the middle.
　Those pillars seemed to be made of metal.
　Nevertheless, they had melted and taken on a strange biological curvature, and were reddish-white due to how long they'd been there, giving them the impression of forgotten relics rather than the cold sharpness of metal.
　Apart from its size, it most resembles an ancient iron spear that was thrust into the battlefield and forgotten.
　The base of the spear. The two black shadows were about ten meters above the ground in height, on top of the rubble that had crumbled into the iron pillar.
　The taller shadow carried a blackness beneath its feet.
　The black swamp was constantly changing shape, sometimes popping mucousy blisters. The taller shadow, whose appearance was hidden by a hood, stood atop the coal tar-like swamp.
　The shorter one was a girl of childlike stature.
　This petite blonde girl, along with her partner, turned her well-groomed appearance to the battle below.

　From the corner of her eye, a group of adventurers were destroying the Ash-Spotted Demon that had gathered at the ruins.
　The girl was not so much interested in the situation as she was in it.
　I'm not sure if it's unconscious, but she's playing with the tips of her bangs with her fingers. The girl, dressed in fluttery, impractical clothing, reminded me of some noblewoman. However, the expression on her face was alien to all intents and purposes, and there was an atmosphere that did not let her gender, which was definitely female in appearance, be declared a girl.
　The tall figure pointed to a group of 'adventurers' who were slowly but steadily attacking. Even the bony fingers peeking out from the robe that completely hides their entire bodies are covered in black mucous membrane, and a darkness that resembles filthy sludge drips down into the swamp beneath their feet.
''--''
　A hint of something commanding. The hint was accompanied by bubbles bubbling up from beneath the feet of a tall shadow. Each one was accompanied by a series of gurgling, popping methane gas sounds that sounded like an accidental series of faltering, human-speaking mimics of "yuke.
　A gust of wind rose up from behind them.
　The black dragon of the corpse, which had been loitering around the remains of the iron pole base, easily rose with a single blow of its wings to become a black tent that blocked out the blinding sunlight of Aorsoy.

　Even the ripped and sagging membrane is a symbol of fear as the black dragon heads towards the group of adventurers.
''You're playing with fire.
"Gouriteki Nahandanda.
　The girl's inorganic question is answered by a tall shadow. But the voice is a noise made by the bubbles of the filthy sludge beneath my feet. The bursting of sticky bubbles that should have popped by accident, can be heard in the words as they reach your ears.
　The conversation this tall man controls is apparently brought about by that strange phenomenon.
　The girl often holds her tongue.
　Though completely devoid of motion, the brief time it took her to think.
'Well, or maybe that's more reliable.
"Icuda.
The black dragon...
　Then the girl gave her first thin smile.
''I made you lean on a thousand and two hundred souls. In exchange for your taking one thousand and two hundred souls.
"The rasphere.
What?
　The girl called Rathphere, with a puppet-like movement, turned her head only to look back. The inside of her hood, filled with sludge, bobbed and bobbed with air bubbles and shook as she looked at it.
''Ikutuda.''
Yeah.
　The girl's mouth twitched as she wondered what intention she read into the exact same question as before. It would be categorized as a 'laughing' expression, generally speaking, but it was a mask-like contrivance that didn't seem friendly at all.
'If I can get two thousand more to lean on,'
"Nicenka.
　The tall man suddenly became emaciated.
　In the wind, his figure seemed unchanged at first glance, but the mucusy darkness that flowed from beneath his feet ran like a shadow over the rubble. This is the reason why I'm not going to be able to get rid of it.

The only way we can lose the black dragon is if it's gone. Without her, we won't be able to destroy this tower.
"Chikara naki model ni-- shivalaretakominoffen.
　The black dragon crossed the path of their gaze and was about to descend on the adventurer's head. From the position of the two men, its movements seemed smooth and slow, but considering its size and distance, one could predict how overwhelmingly fast and heavy it was.
　The jet-black blasts that the black dragon spat out and the striking tail could be seen engulfing many 'adventurers'.
''Well, well, well.''
　The girl smiles sarcastically.
　Her beautiful face is clear-eyed and clear-eyed, housed in an oval outline, and she is as well-rounded as a bisque doll. In her classic looks, only her cloudy amethyst-colored eyes seem to rise up to the events before her with a dazed and strong glow.
''Also......... Hmph. Thirty-two has already gone ballistic.''
"The rasphere.
　The black shadow of the reduced volume robe still chastises the girl who seems to be her partner with the sound of popping bubbles. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
You'll find that the adventurers have been taken down a peg or two. You'll be intoxicated by the power you've been given. You'll be drunk with the power that's been given to you, and you'll pay the price for your ignorance.
I'm sorry.
　What wasn't to like about the bubbles bumping and popping in her voice? The girl replaces the comment with a gesture of ringing one of her shoes that looks enameled and beckons the girl to narrow her eyes and embrace the air.
　At her white, slender fingertips, far away, a black dragon was rampaging as if manipulated by it.
　If anyone had the ability to see remotely, they would have seen a dragon with the soul of the Ash-Spotted Dog Demon in it, following its instincts and rampaging through the air, devouring the adventurer with its cruelty in full view.
　Originally, this dragon is not a huge or difficult enemy in the vastness of Aorsoy, it is a full raid monster of the eighty-five level. It was a full raiding monster of the 85th level, and could be defeated by twenty-four adventurers of the 80th level. A roving wolf cavalryman would be enough to deal with it.

　However, due to unseen technology, the black dragon now possesses a false sense of immortality.
　Of course, this did not mean, however, that the Adventurers would be decisively defeated. In extreme cases, even if the Ronin Wolf Troopers were wiped out, they would only be forcibly transported back to their home base.
　Currently, the black dragon seems to be unilaterally blaming the Adventurers for their immortality, but they seem to have gradually established a countermeasure against their attacks.
　I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes, but I think it's important to note that it reduced the number of adventurers by more than a dozen or so in its initial surprise attack. The pressure of the countless Ash-Spotted Dog Demons filling the earth and the lightning lightning of the Black Dragon's repeated air assaults seem to be colliding with the line of defense of the Adventurers.
　The black dragon's disposable lives render all attacks meaningless, and its powerful attacks are almost as powerful as its counterattacks, steadily reducing the number of adventurers.
　The situation was one of attrition.

　But the duo did not give any new orders to the situation, but simply continued to observe the situation calmly.
"Do nothing.
"Layanorikaigagengateetekinodana.
The fate of the lesser men is theirs.
"Nemure vai koi mo to tsuzuru mono.
　The conversation, which is difficult to understand because it is lost in the sound of the wind, leads to the girl's inappropriate laughter.
"Hmmm. Is this your pleasure?
　A joyful color comes to the eye of the cloudy amethyst.
　The girl's expression was only twisted, and it is the first smile that emerges. But it was an ugly smile that was too distorted. You can see a horrifying malice in the fact that she has a naturally well-groomed and pretty appearance.
　No matter how you look at it, it's very human.
　But an extrapersonal smile that is more obvious than the fire.
'Avatar no communication dictionari ni jin kakgashinshoksaret tommiel.'
'--Yes. Self-diagnosis seems to indicate that.
"Empathy is sais'tamelethamene hafou.
But,
　The girl was accused of smiling, and yet she continued to let out a muffled laugh in the back of her throat. The sound like the sound of a pass-through sound was from a different source, but it had exactly the same characteristics as the sound of bubbles popping used by the tall, skinny shadow. In other words, it's a different form of emotional expression.
We are on the verge of fulfilling our role. We can't leave the corridor to the heavens. It is a pleasure to taunt an unaware actor.'
"Waleramo onaji mononanda.
That's why. -They have eleven hours left. Our time is up and the Hora octava is coming. Giggling. Mmm. Ooh, delightful. --Come on, come on. Come on, come on. I can't wait. I can't bear it. We're only rank 2 on this life. I want it to end. I want it to end. I want to die. I want to kill it.
　As if impressed, a girl flips her gothic dress in the wind on high ground. There is a faint vermillion line around her neck.
　The neck, separated by a line thinner than a thread, gradually increases in thickness with the movement of the dancing body. That 'line' that makes the viewer uneasy, her head was shaking like an out-of-tune smoldering ball on its neck.
I can't get enough of it. I can't wait, I can't wait. Quickly, quickly. Beg, beg, beg, Hora octava!　The Trihorium!　My brothers and sisters. --Come, wake up, and be the end and the beginning.
　The girl continued to spin at the altar of the lancet, where the dog-headed demon with the empty eyes is venerated. Like a piano out of tune, her clear but ugly laughter echoes through the ruins of the Columnar Ruins of Toon's Grave as if she were licking the cobwebs.
　This place, known on Earth as Baikonur, now seems to have turned its master into a nightmare.



◆20



Wiped out?
　It was dusk when Leonardo and his group received the news.

　Chun-Lou, the "healing priest" (cleric) belonging to the Rakuwolf Cavalry, delivered a cautionary tale from his companions.

I'm sorry, but the Hundred Man Army (Legion Raid) has been wiped out. --the remaining troops seem to have left the area.
What is the Remaining Force?
'This is the unit that was left in reserve as logistical support. But it's only a few dozen men. It was a virtual annihilation. --I didn't expect this to happen.
　Chunsui's voice was dark in response to Elias's question, but it wasn't desperate.
　It has been confirmed that the Adventurers do not die.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the future. Although they were wiped out, the members who fell and could not be revived there were returning to the temple.
　Even though it was wiped out, the guild itself had not become incapacitated.
　The Elder Tail was originally a game.
　Its content is an adventure of swords and magic here in the world of Cerdesia. Of course, production and interaction are a big part of the game's fun, but it's true that the bulk of the game is the act of fighting.
　But there are different scales of combat.
　First, you play solo, fighting monsters as an adventurer.
　Then there is the next stage, party play, where up to six friends fight together.
　These are the two most common types of combat in Elder Tail as a game. I don't have exact statistics, but Leonardo's feeling is that about 80% of the game can be played with these two types of people.
　And for players who had sufficiently completed this kind of game content, the challenge was large-scale combat.
　There are two types of content: full raid content for 24 players and legion raid content for 96 players. This kind of large-group content was considered to be a high-end way to play Elder Tail.
　Naturally, the difficulty level was high, and it was not unusual for a single dungeon to take up to six months to complete.
　This time, the opponent was the Ash-Spotted Demon (Noor), and due to the level difference between them and us, everyone expected us to capture it early. However, considering that it was a large-scale battle, the result of annihilation is not so unusual. Even a top-notch guild made up of elites would find it difficult to break through a large scale battle of high difficulty on the first try.
　That's probably why Chunsui's expression shows no sign of despair even if there is surprise or disappointment on her face.

　What I'm worried about is--.
''After all, I heard that the phenomenon of status double notation has been confirmed.
Okay.
　Chunsui nodded at Leonardo's confirmation.
''I knew it, hey........''
That phenomenon is widespread, isn't it?
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them. You can't talk to your friends, so you can't talk to them by telekinesis as long as you haven't registered them as friends, so the report will inevitably go through Shunsui.

''There are many of them, and in the latter half of the battle, they were confirmed by almost all of the enemies...''
　I'm curious about what on earth is going on, and I'd like to solve that mystery, but I don't have a convincing hypothesis or means to do so, so Leonardo suppressed his curiosity.
　The total number of opponents is said to be close to 10,000.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on. It seems that the black dragon was the catalyst that forced the Ronin Wolf Troopers to flee the country.
　It's a mere six adventurers, and there is nothing Leonardo and his team can do. I'm going to have to go to the east and if possible, gather more information at the home base of the wolf pack.
　Kanami and Elias agreed with that on the spot.

　That night.
　Leonardo woke up and slipped out of his sleeping bag.
　Leonardo and the others have been sleepless for the duration of this journey. They were not the only group of adventurers on this journey. The merchant Jiuha will also be traveling with them. It was decided that we should proceed with a certain amount of caution.
　The sleepless vigil was a rotating system, but there was a friend who continued the secret sabotage in the rotating system. But it does not mean that they avoided the sleepless vigil. On the contrary, they deliberately forgot to take their turn at sleeplessness.
　It was Coppelia.
　Leonardo yawned and sat down next to her.
　On the dry and brittle sandstone rock, Coppelia sits on a cushion she bought in that village. A glittering embroidered stitching peeks out from under the hem of her maid's dress.
'Good morning, sir. Would you like to be cured?
It's not even midnight yet. You didn't wake me up, did you?
Coppélia doesn't need to sleep yet, sir. We can continue our vigilance.
　I suppose that's true.
　The adventurer's physical abilities also make it possible to reduce the amount of time they sleep. With its strong and resilient body, it seems to be in good shape if it gets three hours of sleep a day.
　However, it's a different story when you're alone and sleepless. We are friends, so we want to travel fairly.
　Leonard muttered only, "I'll watch too.
　The surrounding area has been plunged into darkness.
　There is no bonfire tonight.
　While a bonfire helps to avoid animals, it is not unlikely that it will attract intelligent monsters. Also, if the light goes out suddenly, there is a risk of vision loss, so it is not all good.
　However, it is not without light. The moon, floating in the clear Aorsoy sky, cast its faint white glow on the earth. It was more than enough light to peer into the profile of Coppelia, who sat next to him.
'It's quiet,'
There is no sign of a hostile monster in the vicinity.
　Leonardo nodded at Coppelia's answer. According to word from Chunsui, the Ash Spotted Dog Demon had become more active afterwards. Although the distance between them should be far enough away, it seemed that there would be no need to be cautious.
　The moonlight illuminated Leonardo and Coppelia.
　From the softness of the smooth lines of their illuminated cheeks, Leonardo averted his gaze and dropped to the earth.
　As it was, they didn't even speak, but they remained still.
　Out of Leonardo's gaze, the moonlight moved blackly and slightly as if it were crawling across the ground.
　It was a strange feeling. The shadow moves. Leonardo found himself feeling strangely moved by that much.
　In the real world style, it was because of the moon's movement, that is, the rotation of the earth. In game world terms, that would mean that the light source placed on the texture of the sky was moving.
　Either way, the phenomenon of the shifting moon shadows falling on the wasteland is the very flow of time as visualized. Leonardo felt a sense of wonder at the naturalness of the passage of time.
　It's a quiet, unspeakable impression of the existence of an individual called himself in the flow of time.
　Immediately it shifted to the girl beside me. It's strange to find myself with Coppelia under this Aorsoy night sky. If it hadn't been for the Catastrophe, it wouldn't have happened. Leonardo is the Gigue of New York. The Catastrophe has changed everything. Many things have happened. And that, apparently, was true in the sense of fate.
"The cape is for your use, Mass.
　The next thing I knew, Coppelia was holding out a quilt-like fabric. The cloak-like fabric, filled with embroidery of grapes, violets, and unnamed flowers, looked warm.
　It was cold in the wilderness before dawn. Coppelia must have turned her mind to it.
'This too in the village of Sekek?'
Yes. Thank you.
　Coppelia took a similar piece of cloth from her Magic Bag and wrapped it around her small shoulders.
"They gave me this stuff!
　Leonardo sat down and grabbed a handful of pebbles and threw them away. Coppelia had healed the sick and injured in the village, and it was no wonder they were grateful. No problem with that. I don't have a problem with it, but it's also a bit annoying.
(I was dealing with those annoying kids... well, it's not like I didn't get anything.)
　Leonardo drops his forehead gingerly to the knee he's holding.
　A round, clean stone, a piece of strange cloth, a tree branch shaved like a wooden sword, a piece of bread that he had been eating. A stale insect carcass. A spell made from the hair of a horse's tail. All of the things Leonardo received were fragile.
'Coppelia is good, isn't it?'
?
No, I'm talking about this cape, it's warm.
Yes. It's a folk art that keeps you warm.
　Leonardo sighed as he listened to the out-of-tune response.
　But in reality, he didn't feel bad.
'In that village,'
Hmm?
　Unusually, Coppelia began to speak on her own, and that was why Leonardo was able to wait without rushing her.
'The boy we encountered in that village has recovered.
Yes.
　Dual status. A boy who had gone berserk due to unidentified symptoms. He remains in the village of Sekek. Now that he has become less violent, he is only a boy of the Earthman. He is not strong enough to cross the wilderness alone. If he were to return to his home village, he would have to make some preparations. And even if he made the preparations, there was a 50-50 chance that his home village would be safe.
　If this strange phenomenon had happened to everyone in the boy's hometown, the villagers would have been scattered and torn apart. Also, if the symptoms were introduced from outside, like some kind of contagion or curse, it seems too convenient to think that the bearer of the disaster did not do any harm to the village.
　If these two possibilities are unfounded, and everyone in the boy's village remains an ordinary earthling, then it is highly unlikely that the boy himself has harmed the people of his village, his parents and his own people, including his old friends, by his own transformation There is no
　Leonardo thinks that the happiest future would be for him to continue to live as a member of the village of Sekek.
The boy was orange and green.
What?
　Thinking about the boy's fate, Leonardo couldn't gauge the meaning of Coppélia's strange words.

'Monsters are green light〈Daichijin〉 are orange light. That's what it looks like to Coppelia. The Adventurer is a blue light, and Mr. Elias is purple.
It's...
The color of the soul, Coppélia thinks.
　Leonardo rolls his eyes at the abrupt statement.
'Coppelia is not equipped with vision in the common usage of the word.
　Coppellia's words continued without Leonardo needing to hear them back. Its content was something Leonardo hadn't expected.
'Visual?　Huh?
'Coppelia is blind.' --Coppelia's vision is not compatible with yours, to be exact. Coppelia perceives her surroundings with data streams, tags, and soul tints.
　It was an outlandish story.
　But at the same time, I couldn't deny it.
　If this world is based on a game, then this chunk of data that is part of that object should have a tag of its own.
　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.
　Even for Leonardo, if you focus your attention on Coppellia, his name, occupation and level will overlap with your actual vision.
　This name and level occupation is the 'tag'.
　A monster has a monster's. A Daichijin has a Daichi name. The monsters are for the monsters, and the earthlings for the earthlings. I don't understand the logic, but does Coppelia see these tags as a difference in color?　I didn't understand the word "soul", but what Coppelia said, if that's the case, it would explain a lot.
(Maybe it's my eyesight...)
　It was some time ago that a special device was developed for people with vision loss. Research was reported about a decade ago that showed that a sensor tied to the brain could make people feel images. Leonardo doesn't know much about it, but I've heard that a device has now been developed that can make it recognize several colors and shapes.
　Perhaps Coppelia is the girl who used that kind of device to play Elder Tail. Leonardo thought about such a thing, but he couldn't say it out loud.
　He thought that the distance between Coppelia and himself was still not something he could talk about in private, and shortly afterwards he mocked himself for being a coward's excuse for that too.
'Coppelia has no colour. That does not mean that Coppelia is transparent, but that it lacks a vibrating body, or soul, that emits 'color'. -- The reason the Double One disappeared at that time is that I, who am structurally imaginary, was approached by one of the more unstable souls, induced by one of the more unstable souls.



21



"I'm sorry to be so tactless on a date, but...
KR?
　A white horse with its nose stuck out between them. The voice of the summoner possessed by the phantom beast "Hakutaku" cut off the conversation between Leonardo and Coppellia.
"What's wrong?
　Leonardo ruminates on his earlier words as he looks at Coppelia, who asks calmly. What does he mean by "i.e. lack of soul? It makes him feel as if something hard is stuck in the back of his throat.
　There was no pain or sorrow in Coppelia's voice, even when she told him that. It made Leonardo's chest feel heavy.

'It's close. It's the Ash Spotted Dog Demon (Noor).
What?
　But Leonardo's thoughts were cut off in an instant.

'We're on our way through the northeast canyon,'
　KR's back was moist and wet as he answered wordlessly. Coppelia asked while wiping that back with a cloth.
''I request an explanation of the situation.
You've been doing some reconnaissance with the naked eye, this.
　If so, did KR run through the night in the wilds of Aorsoy?　When I think about it, I don't think there was already a large, white figure of KR at the entrance to the tent when Leonardo started to get up.
'They're moving along the riverbed under the sheer cliffs,' said Leonardo. I don't know how many there are. I don't know how many there are, but this body can't see at night. You can't see it by moonlight alone. But it's not just a dozen or so. There must be at least five hundred of them.
Five hundred?
At least. They have the broken status of the example.
You're a spotted dog demon, and you're an earthling?
No, it's not.
　KR's voice was calm, and Leonardo was ashamed of his own words, which sounded a little frightened.
'It's like two kinds of 'ash-spotted dog demons' mixed together, ah. What is it? It's hard to explain. Anyway, it looks like a display of two monsters overlapping each other. It's similar to the boy from the Earthman, but it's a fusion of monsters.
　I can imagine the phenomenon.
　But I still didn't understand why.
"A whole pile of Ash Spotted Demons.
Five hundred?
　When did he start waking up? Perhaps he was awakened by the hint of talking with KR. Kanami, who only stuck her head out of the tent, and Elias, who looked down at her with an accusing gaze, also joined in the conversation.
　Not long after, Chun-Lu and Juha also come out of the tent.
''Other than the Ash Spotted Dog Demon?
''At least within my field of vision, it was only the subspecies of the Ash-Spotted Dog Demon or the Ash-Spotted Dog Demon, different professions. It would be nice if we could do more detailed reconnaissance, but I guess we can't even send out a squire with this body.
Why would...
　Chunsui's question was a valid one.
　Why are they moving in groups at this time of year?　That was the first thing Leonardo thought of as well.

　The first thing he could think of was that it was because of food.
　Or rather, it's safe to say that the actions of the Ash-Spotted Dog Demon, for example, have no reason other than to secure food and claim their territory. Their purpose is to supply food to the main body of the group gathered at the ruins of the Green Guild's invasion - that seems like a reasonable explanation.
　The wilderness of Aorsoy is poor. The earth is dry and even in summer a cool wind blows through it. Here and there in the vast wilderness are large expanses of thick green forest, which are home to a wide variety of living things, but even that would not be enough to sustain 10,000 "Ash Spotted Demons" for long.
　In this wilderness, there is no reason for them to have such a large army. A small group of a dozen or so would be much more efficient in terms of food production and survival. This was obvious if you think about the number of hyenas and wolves in the real world.
　Moreover, the Ash Spotted Dog Demon should be a creature that gathers in dungeons and lives in hundreds of them. They are predatory creatures that lurk in caves and ruins, killing and eating the creatures that come to them - game knowledge, Leonardo warns himself. This world is a game. This world is a game, but for some reason I am invited to be a real person, and it certainly seems to exist with its own laws in this world.

'The one in the direction of travel would be the village of Sekek.
　I could see Elias gasp at Juha's point.
　Food.
　In that sense, the sheep in that village are very attractive.
　Even the earthlings themselves could be considered as food. They do not avoid the Dirtbags out of the goodness of their hearts, but rather because they know that if the Dirtbags banded together to protect their village, they would have a hard time stealing their prey, such as the sheep.
　If they had enough troops to annihilate the Daichians' villages and towns, they would have no reason to hesitate.
They are after the Daichijin's villages?
I don't know if they're shooting at us or not, but if they see us, they'll attack us. There are a lot of them. Turning back is a long shot, I think.
　KR replied to a fretful Elias with clarity.
　Four days have already passed since Leonardo and the others left the village of Sekek. They had traveled slowly, accompanied by Jiuha, the earthling, so the distance between them must be about 140 kilometers.
　If the Ash-Spotted Demons were to follow the gorge, it wouldn't take them more than a week to reach Sekek.
　Of course, if they wanted to, they could get back to the village before the Ash-Spotted Inuoni. But what can they do when they get there?
　I'm sure Shunsui and Juha feel the same way.
　A heavy air that cannot be put into words filled the area.
''Oops, oops. ''Oops.''
　Kanami was the one who didn't read such air at all. She had only her face sticking out of the tent, and then she crawled out to the front of the house. Why did she crawl?　I think, but she remains settled in her sleeping bag. When she came forward with that caterpillar-like outfit, she stood up dexterously and dexterously. Kanami, perhaps embarrassed by the quicksilver, let Elias help her wriggle out of the sleeping bag. No, if you're embarrassed, you can just walk out from the beginning.

''Hm. Good. Is it good?　It's a good omen that the dog is five hundred.
　I don't know what the good omen is. It may be a Japanese custom, but Kanami raises his fist to the heavens in front of Leonardo, who wonders what the troupe Kanami will say.
'There is no shortage of opponents!
Hey, come on, a**h*le.
What?　Did you say something stupid, Kellnerd?
Oh, I'm sorry. I was out of line.
　Leonardo tsked at Kanami for trying to pick a fight with five hundred, and five hundred monsters with unearned abilities. He apologized, but the thought of being an idiot was serious.
'But five hundred?　It would be fun to shove it in and kick it around.
You kicked the shit out of him.
You can do it if you try.
I can't do it, a**h*le!
　There is a level difference.
　Perhaps the difference is more than ten.
　The reason for the warrior profession's existence is to attract the enemy. They use their abilities to protect the healing and sorcery professions and give attacking professions like Leonardo the best chance to attack.
　However, if you draw the enemy to you, it is logical that you will be the target of their attacks. Kanami's occupation, the Martial Artist, does not wear any armor, but instead boasts a tremendous evasion capability. They would hardly even graze an attack by a low-level Ash-Spotted Dog Demon.
　But "almost".
　Not absolutely.
　Moreover, the sheer number of enemies means that you'll run out of MP in the middle of a battle, and if you run out of MP, you won't be able to use your special skills. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
(But hey...) Could Kanami be........)
　With the martial artist's evasive skills and Kanami's offensive abilities, he could defeat 500 Ash-Spotted Demons. Leonardo is training with the goal of surpassing Kanami. There is a sense of hope. But the risk is too great.

"Almost.
　Kanami snorted as if laughing at Leonardo's thoughts and picked up a rhythm on his toes.
'Five hundred is the apple pie of hungry time, isn't it?　'Keke naldo'
"And just so you know, I'm not Kero Nardo.
　And I don't like women who eat that much apple pie.
If you're an adventurer, you'll blow through five hundred of them.　Double up and double up even more.
Don't fabricate the Adventurer.
　And Kanami is not allowed to gamble. What a double up.
'Go straight through the enemy and, er, what was it?　Isothermic animals?
At the colonnade ruins of Thornsgrave.
'Yes!　I'm going to run into that somehow grave and give you the enemy's head grade!
'You idiot!　There are more than ten thousand of them!
　Leonardo's shoulders slumped disappointedly.
　Even five hundred didn't seem to have much of a chance of winning, but what was this woman thinking? It was strange, I knew it was strange, but it was totally crazy.
'You're not listening to me. The Hundred-man Legionnaires were wiped out! Listen to me, a hundred adventurers of the 90th level were wiped out!
It was a straight-up fight. No information.
Nah....
''So I won't fight. I'm going to attack them and give them a head grade. Then I'll run away. Perfect game!　Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
"Pow!
　Isn't she an idiot?
　What's "chanpiyoon"? You're the world champion in your own right!
　--I'm not going to let you do that, and that's why there are 10,000 Ash-Spotted Demons guarding the ruins. It's because they can't do that that they were able to capture it with a large scale battle. I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about it than you might have thought.
''So, Kanami,''
Hmm?　What?　KR
You said you had information.
Chunsui told you a lot of things.
Hmm. So what kind of information is that?　And you're going to use it to take down the boss of the Ash Spotted Demon, if he exists at all?
KR will figure it out.
　Kanami quipped with a glorious smile, as if a dawn had dawned on Aorsoy's night.
''--''
I can't do it!　Idiot.
　Instead of KR, who was speechless for a moment, Leonardo slapped strong words on KR's behalf. That would be too pitiful for KR, who chuckled as if he couldn't hold back as he dexterously bent his horse's neck. 'Bah, bus guide. There it is, the bus gas explosion..." he muttered. It was eerie.
"Hmm. It's not a pick-up-and-choose situation.
So, what are you saying?
I need to go.
So, why do you need to do that?
　At Leonardo's pursuit, Kanami stepped lightly on tiptoe and gave a small smile. It wasn't a teasing smile at Leonardo, but a soft one.
'Don't say it with your mouth, that's why you shouldn't.'
　So Leonardo couldn't go on beyond those words.
　He thinks it's a problem for this party. Both Chunsui and Juha are watching over it, but they are not interfering. It won't get off the ground at this point. Leonardo wanted to have Elias and Coppelia also bully Kanami, but his intentions were betrayed.

'I agree with Kanami,'
"--
I'm not talking about traveling to the dead because I owe a debt of gratitude to Kanami. You may have forgotten that I am an ancient species. I have a duty to protect the Earthmen. That's the mission I was given since the founding of the Thirteenth Order of the Whole World. --I've always felt that this is the true meaning of the mission, even if it's a trivial one. For the pride of the fallen fairy race, I will not abandon the Earthmen.
　Come to think of it, Leonardo remembers that.
　He'd forgotten all about it because he'd spent so much time as a companion on his recent travels, but Elias is an "ancient species" (NPC). He is not an adventurer (player). He may appear to be emotional, but he's just like a high-powered robot.
　And so are the Dirtbags.
　They're nothing more than NPCs.
　That's why they act so foolishly.

"Coppélia is going too.
How can you--
　The third person was Coppelia.
　She moved her thin arm and stuffed her pack into the weight reduction bag.
　The gesture was unconvincing, and Leonardo grabbed Coppelia's wrist. Kanami and Elias had no choice. But not Coppelia, who serves Kanami like a maid. It gave Leonardo a terribly uncomfortable and painful feeling.
'Why? There's no way you can win.'
Yes, you do.
Think about it!　Why would you do that for an NPC?!
Coppélia thinks the odds are stacked against him. Coppélia calls the phenomenon the "parallel one. That state is probably extremely unstable. If the missing soul (Rubi: Coppelia) gets close enough, the self-destructing duplicate will flood into Coppelia. Since Coppelia's armor has anti-spirit defenses, we can infer that it would be an effective countermeasure against the duplicate.
'Just because that logic is correct doesn't mean there will be fewer of them!　There's no need for Coppellia to be sacrificed.
　At Leonardo's denial, Coppelia shook her deep indigo hair.
　Leonardo's large eyes, like a polished mirror, reflected Leonardo's.
　With her innocent gaze on Leonardo, Coppelia announced.
'Coppelia is not a player either. One of the intra-MMO money recovery bots set up by a China-based money laundering group is Coppelia.''