Chapter 105: Like Eating Rice Instead of Rice

"..........................................Ah."

Crushed by the fierce battle with the Golden Scorpion aka Goldy Scorpion and the shocking despair, I decided to flee from ShanFro for the time being.

Looking at the clock, it's 5:00 AM... Yeah, well, waking up early is healthy... though insomnia is unhealthy.

"Haaaah............"

Downing a Desperation Energy Drink instead of desperation alcohol, I leave my room with zombie-like steps and go down to the kitchen.

"Oh, Onii-chan, you're up early? Even though you're enjoying the slacker life."

"Shut up, don't want to hear that from someone dedicating half her youth to a part-time job."

"Since the other half is shining like a glittering star, the net balance is positive! Life is great!"

My sister is strong...

That said, logging into a game almost every day might indeed be slacker behavior, unless you make gaming your job like OiKatzo.

"Or rather, what's wrong? You're blatantly depressed."

"Well... how should I put it... In your terms, it's like saving up desperately to buy clothes with a design you really liked, only to find out they were actually baby clothes..."

"Are you okay? Maybe you lack chlorophyll? How about sunbathing?"

"Playing games so much I'm growing roots, huh? Hahaha... Who's a plant!"

While delivering a light chop to Rumi's head beshiri, I recall the despair of that moment.

It was nothing special; I had a vague bad feeling. It just happened to hit the mark perfectly.

As long as it is a Powered "Suit," as long as the Non-Standard Special Reinforced Armor is "Armor" composed of Head, Torso, Waist, and Leg parts... Lycaon's Curse applied. It was just a careless mistake of mine forgetting that simple fact.

"But still..."

Running around desperately for repairs, and the result is "Only I can't wear the Powered Suit." That hit pretty hard. Furthermore, finding out that most of the Non-Standard Weapons were equipment "premised on equipping reinforced armor" was rubbing salt in the wound, a combo attack on wake-up.

The only salvation is that the Tactical Machine Beasts can be activated normally, but adding plus one to minus two is still minus one; I didn't have the energy to log into ShanFro for a while.

But the most frustrating thing is, while I can't wear the Powered Suit even though the reactor is repaired, those villains can wear it normally. That fact pisses me off more than anything. Realizing that fact, I even thought about not logging in for a while so they couldn't wear Powered Suits either... but that doesn't solve anything.

There was one more shocking fact, but that one seems manageable, so the damage isn't that bad.

"Sometimes a change of pace is necessary..."

"That's right, Onii-chan. If you fail, just make up for it with something else. Like with that confusing metaphor earlier, try dressing up in clothes with a similar design, right?"

"Substitute... Change of pace... I see, that was helpful. Thanks, Rumi."

With a slightly lighter heart, I threw words of gratitude to Rumi and returned to my room.

"............No, that's just gaming again."

"Hmm... come to think of it, I had this."

Removing the Shangri-La Frontier game chip from the console, putting it in its case and placing it on the shelf, I stare intently at a certain game package.

Basically, I was an Unbalanced Eater (Gamer) who played nothing but Trash Games before ShanFro, but actually, among the games I bought, there are some that aren't Trash Games.

One of those few non-trash games is this...

"Nephilim Hollow..."

Category: Robot Action Game.

The setting is "A parallel Earth where giants suddenly fell from the sky, stuff happened, and civilization was half-destroyed."

Players pilot the giants that once fell from the sky, sometimes fighting and sometimes cooperating with three factions... a type that smells of gunpowder, and in my personal evaluation, a Good Game.

Then why do I have this game? It's related to the fact that this game is depopulated.

This game, the controls are difficult beyond measure. Not bad controls, but complex controls.

I'm not as close with them as with OiKatzo or Pencilgon, but a Trash Game friend I exchange greetings with introduced it saying, "There's a game with controls like handling vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums all by yourself," so I bought it.

Indeed, that analogy wasn't entirely wrong. The robots in the work, or rather, the Nephilim operated by fusing with a giant whose eyes are closed, are not the type where you board a cockpit and operate, but literally fuse and unite with the machine. Because of that, the controls are simply too busy.

For example, suppose you equipped gatlings on both shoulders and both arms. If this were a cockpit type, you'd pull a lever, press a button, or operate a touch panel to activate the gatlings.

But Nephilim are integration types; in short, it's like logging into an avatar called a robot within the game, and you have to handle four gatlings exactly like your own body.

In other words, the player must simultaneously control the robot's movement, actions, weapon deployment, and everything else with their own brain.

You can rely on the CPU to operate weapons automatically, but the price is the win rate in PvP.

At least if you aim for the top in in-game ranking battles, skill to hit with deflection shooting while maneuvering at high speed with manual control is essential. Indeed, the description "Game for people with multiple personalities" I saw on a game review site makes sense. Even though it's a single-seater, there are too many things to pay attention to.

"That said, if you get used to it, you can operate it without problems, and the story and game balance are normally good."

To summarize, although the hurdle to participate as a player is so high it doesn't feel like entertainment (a game), it's a good game that's fun to watch.

Yes, in other words, Berserk Online Passion is the Dark Side of depopulated games, and Nephilim Hollow is the Light Side... Since they were an acquaintance from Benpi, I understand why they recommended it, but if you ask me, Nephilim Hollow lacks the evilness of spitting on the player.

Look at Benpi. Because the devs gave up on the Reins (patches), the runaway horse has transformed into something indescribable.

However, to comfort my boredom starved for robots due to Rumi's words, riding a robot is the best.

There is one more robot action game, but that one is a Trash Game with various problems, so I'll exclude it for now.

"What character was I playing in this game again... well whatever, I'll know when I see it."

Playing a game after a long time has a different kind of excitement from starting a new game.

"Ah, right right, I was Kingfisher Man, come to think of it."

Logging in and becoming "Sunraku" in Nephilim Hollow for the first time in a while, I visited the warehouse where my Nephilim was stored.

Since it's not a game with insane reality reproduction like ShanFro, it doesn't actually exist, but since I haven't played for a while, I feel like dust might have piled up on the machine.

"Long time no see, 'Kingfisher'... Yep, the initial color combination is miraculously matched whenever I see it."

Back when I was playing this game, thinking "Wouldn't it be fun if I put everything into acceleration and kept weapons to a minimum that can deal massive damage in one hit?" with the stupidest theory, the Nephilim I built is Kingfisher.

Based on a variable frame capable of folding its body, among the giants fallen from heaven (Nephilim), I stripped the armor to the limit to obtain the fastest wings. When transformed from giant form to jade form, the initial velocity alone exceeds the maximum speed of clumsy middle-weight Nephilim, and in about five seconds, it forcibly plunges into the world of ultra-high speed.

Due to its nature, it has extremely poor fuel efficiency with an operating time of three minutes—unable to last a five-minute round—and is a machine like a bottle rocket carrying the weakness that damaging even a single part drastically reduces mobility. But simply put, I just have to defeat the opponent with no damage within three minutes.

"Thinking about it carefully, I feel like Powered Suits and Robots are subtly, or rather completely different... but well, it's a change of pace so whatever."

What's important is the change of pace; venting the heartbroken mental state with something else. I feel like I haven't fundamentally changed pace, but let's overlook that.

So, I head straight for the PvP environment... the entrance of the affiliated organization "Nephilim Company" within the game.

"Turning is sloppy, recoil control is rough, feints are too simple... Phew, I'm rusty after all."

Having shot down an opponent specializing in long-range—who could easily become a hate target—I look back on the match just now and sigh at my dulled movements.

The last time I played was certainly a few months ago. Back then, I rampaged with high tension like "I'm gonna aim for the top in ranking battles in one go!" but even if it's a depopulated game, it wasn't sweet enough to take the top with overnight skills, and I couldn't surpass the Rank 1 player.

"If I recall, that player's name was..."

[Pilot "Rust" has challenged you to a Duel. Accept?]

"Right right, Rust... Speak of the devil."

The name Rust written on the challenge letter slammed at me belongs to the Rank 1 player with whom I fought to a draw, falling just one step short, in the ranking battles of the past.

I fell just one step short against that red machine capable of moving like a falling leaf dancing in the wind thanks to the intentionally asymmetrically placed additional boosters. The result was a draw, but it felt like a defeat.

At that time, if the latest installment of a major series hadn't turned out to be a Trash Game and caused a massive flame war, I might have continued this game a little longer; the frustration still remains.

"I wanted to rehabilitate a bit more but... once in a lifetime, a golden opportunity; I can't refuse...!"

I accept without hesitation. And after a short while, the red bird I saw that day appears before me.

Compared to when I saw it that day, except for the paint being flashier and some weapons being different, that design is undoubtedly the Rank 1 player Rust's machine, "Crimson Twinewing."

The Crimson Twinewing painted with red flames like a phoenix versus the jade Kingfisher in initial colors... quite dramatic, but neither I nor Rust are seeking atmosphere.

"Alright... I'll beat you faster than instant noodles can cook!"

In the desolate city, red and blue birds take flight.

Author's Afterword
Regarding the ranking battles when Rust conducted her second title defense: the super-high-speed transforming machine that was as hard to hit as a Liquid Metal Slime (Hagure Metal) and executed fly-by slashes & sniping was the fastest first-sight killer (noob killer). The "Heavy Armor Quattro Cannon," which was top tier in the meta at the time, was fed upon by the Kingfisher endlessly.
That is the reason the protagonist, with mostly overnight skills, could fight Rust with an undefeated record.