Chapter 119: Holding the Lamp of Ambition, Part 5

The first thing Animalia thought was how anticlimactic it was.

(Surprisingly... anticlimactic... Even a Unique Monster is only this much after all?)

Indeed, the peak of capture tactics used by SF-Zoo—layering binding debuffs on a scale of ten people—can completely immobilize even a dragon, a fantasy-of-fantasy animal, for at least one minute.

For example, if it were the Usurper Dragon, the boss of this area, they could undoubtedly cheese-kill it. With restraints by the coordination of high-level players, no matter how powerful a Unique Monster is, it is ultimately just a game Mob; if everyone works together to restrain it, its movements can be bound this easily... Surely that must be it.

"Now then, I wonder what Lycaon-chan's fur feels like?"

Pushing aside the anxiety crossing her mind, Animalia releases the restraint on her curiosity and heads toward Lycaon.

The "Key Staff of the Underworld" Animalia holds, and the Unique Hex [Hands of Tartaros] usable only when using it, enables complete restraint of any living creature for one minute, regardless of the opponent.

In exchange, there are demerits: her own HP does not recover for five minutes, and simultaneously, she continues to take slip damage such that her HP becomes 1 over five minutes.

But what is important is the single minute where she can touch the animal as her curiosity dictates. Where she dies in the four minutes after that is a trivial issue for Animalia.

Maria Itsukushima cannot touch animals.

Severe animal allergies, as if mocking her innate love for animals. Because of that, Maria develops severe allergic symptoms just by being in the same room as a single hamster.

For Maria, who ended up going to the hospital multiple times trying to forcibly interact with animals since childhood and swallowed tears countless times, Shangri-La Frontier, infinitely close to reality, was truly something to be called Shangri-La (Paradise).

Pulling weeds leaves soil on the roots; every stone picked up has a different shape; throwing them into water creates different ripples and splashes every time.

Naturally, in Shangri-La Frontier, where even fleas hiding in the fur of Animals (Monsters) are depicted, their fur texture and movements are no different from reality.

Although subjugating monsters is unavoidable in the end, she had no choice but to accept them as mere game data, and that is precisely why Maria Itsukushima (Animalia) founded SF-Zoo.

(A giant wolf... Is the fur rough, or unexpectedly smooth?)

While [Hands of Tartaros] is active, no living creature can move.

Yes, any movement. That is why Animalia was convinced Lycaon could not move, and the SF-Zoo clan members are also taking screenshots and such as they please.

(Fufu, the first one to touch is the leader's privilege.)

Of course, she hasn't forgotten the original objective. After touching to her heart's content, they will attack all together to fulfill the conditions and head to Rabituza again.

Back then, it ended in the unfortunate result of deportation because they were foreigners, but this time is different. They have ascertained that the player watching them from a distance frequently visits Rabituza.

Not as a foreigner, but as a resident, she will love the Vorpal Bunnies to her heart's content.

(After touching to my heart's content, one hundred criticals......... Eh?)

Their eyes met. Animalia was convinced of that.

Lycaon hasn't moved at all. Yes, literally hasn't moved even a twitch.

Like an empty avatar not operated by a player, like a lifeless doll. Its golden eyes simply stare into the void that is nowhere, and she felt not a fragment of creature-like quality there.

Naturally, those eyes are not looking at Animalia. Then, who is looking at Animalia?

(The Night... is looking at me...?)

There is nothing there. Only the dim darkness visualized by the system and the field of Barren Darkruin spread out.

But Animalia certainly saw a gaze there. Not here, but here. And that gaze is undoubtedly staring at Animalia.

"............No way."

Black, dark, a gaze unseen in the Deep Black night. The intense will emitted from that invisible gaze fixes on Animalia... on the "Prey."

Animalia realizes at that moment.

What Lycaon the Night Raider is. The true identity of the wolf emerging from shadows appearing randomly in all areas.

No, the order is reversed.

─────What The Shadow Created by the Wolf (Lycaon the Night Raider) is...!

The next moment after she almost reached the answer, Animalia was lifted into the air with tremendous impact from the side and movement clearly ignoring the laws of physics.

In Shangri-La Frontier, damage is expressed by numbness and dullness of sensation. Therefore, what kind of damage causes the disappearance of all sensation?

"Hii...!"

Unnatural movement like low-quality CG from an outsider's perspective. From her own perspective, in the current situation of being "bitten" and "lifted up in a mouth," Animalia perceives "It" which is there and not there as a tangible entity.

(Bitten... force, increasing... Being eaten!?)

Animals are cute, majestic, and beloved precisely because they are different from humans.

So this is wrong, I don't know this, This isn't like that.

Animals are things I love and are loved by me; this is, this is...

"No, help..."

An experience of a prey being eaten by a predator, something a general Japanese person would likely never taste in their lifetime.

By an attack boasting one of the most "gruesome" qualities among all Mobs called Predation Motion, Animalia's avatar was crushed in a single blow.

"Uwah..."

Although she turned into polygons early due to age rating and expression issues, seeing the moment Animalia snapped into a reverse prawn shape, I shake off the chill running down my spine.

Good thing ShanFro isn't rated for adults, Animalia-shi; otherwise, you'd be mince by now.

From there, it was just terrible.

After all, restraint by debuffs is meaningless; even if they capture the physical body, the clones move as they please. Furthermore, looking away isn't an option because large clouds continue to hide the moon with hateful timing.

First, the tanks were targeted. Indeed, with high VIT and defensive skills, they are excellent tanks. But invisible surprise attacks against zero mobility were too fatal.

It's not even a fight anymore; I can only say she's playing billiards using humans as soccer balls.

Rolling tanks collide with blown-away players, spreading secondary disasters, not even given time to coordinate.

Still, the fact that four people survived means they really are an excellent tank group, but...

"Turning everyone to recovery there was the worst move."

Probably an unforeseen accident; all tanks simultaneously performed recovery, thinking "Prioritize self-recovery to prevent decisive collapse."

That is why, with hate gathering interrupted, the fury of the invisible night slipped past the tanks and attacked the rear guard group.

"Uwah amazing, that's the rumored Human Bowling..."

Some are blown away like wood chips, others roll on the ground unable even to break their fall.

Simple of simple. A direct hit from a massive tackle brings destruction to the HP parameter equally, even for high levels.

More than the fact that the leader exploded into polygons, the cause is probably that they entered photo time. Tanks can just equip shields and brace themselves, but magic classes are just scarecrows unless they interpose spell activation, and by the time the tanks recovered, the battle line was already in a state of destruction.

"This is terrible."

I mutter unintentionally while watching from the shadow of a rock with Rei-shi.

Realizing protecting was pointless, the tanks removed all equipment, became naked, and all were blown away by invisible... probably foreleg attacks.

Suicide to avoid equipment wear, huh... Only about three survive now; a wise decision. There's nothing to be done since there's no one left to protect. Wall tanks abuse their equipment no matter how they struggle. Continuing to shave resources in a battle with no chance of winning is just a foolish policy.

Uumu, as expected of a top clan, their basic ability is high. The cause of defeat was underestimating Lycaon... no, maybe the one who can respond to that crappy first-sight killer is the crazy one.

Thank you Animalia, thank you SF-Zoo. A male player who appears to be the Sub Leader turns his gaze toward us as if asking for help, but I don't understand what he's saying. Look, I was unilaterally cut off by you guys, so we're practically strangers.

"Thanks for providing play footage. Please die gracefully."

He probably can't see it because of the mask, but thumbs up with a bright smile. Then flip the thumb down and swing it straight down.

The moment the male player showed an expression mixed half "Figured as much" and half "No way," his body was crushed by the real Lycaon whose restraints dissolved, disappearing into polygons.

...Now, what to do.

Author's Afterword
Being a "Tangible Entity" and being the "Main Body" are separate issues.

Actually, while there are many monsters that use "Bite Attacks" or "Tearing Bite Attacks imbued with Destruction Attribute," monsters that perform "Genuine Predation" are few. Because no matter how you gloss over the description, gore comes out.
The reason it's implemented in Lycaon is that there was someone who absolutely wouldn't yield on that point.