Chapter 124: Holding the Lamp of Ambition, Part 10

Smiling with pure joy niko-niko, Akitsu Akane declared, summarizing: "I ran through three areas to get here."

Indeed, with skill enough to trigger the Unique Scenario "Invitation from the Rabbit Country," it wouldn't be that difficult. I don't know what kind of persuasion she used, but since she's partying with Emul, the bosses themselves weren't solo kills. But even so, isn't that too fast?

"............I have a lot to say, but now's not the time."

"Yes! That's the rumored 'Lycaon the Night Raider,' right! Although I am still an immature Level 43, I will lend my strength!"

"Ah... Hah!?"

I feel like I just heard something incredibly crazy, did I mishear?

"Level 43!?"

"Yes! I made it here with the help of Emul-chan and Ceecrue-san!"

Ceecrue... I remember that name. One of Emul's older brothers, probably one younger than Bilac given the name. In other words, the second son among Vash's children. If so, his level is probably in the 90s. Considering Emul's level is currently close to 90, she has excessive carry members. I see, Clown Spider and Humming Lich would be cleared as Nuru-ge (Easy Mode).

"That... well, wouldn't that be almost useless against Lycaon?"

"You're right! I can't help with firepower support... but if it's emergency escape, like just now!"

How should I put it? She's a type of gamer I don't see often around me. Like... pouring gasoline on "innocence" and lighting it on fire... Different from "Muscle Brain" but subtly similar... Yes, "Athletic Club Type." Believing "If I try hard, it'll work out somehow," and actually trying hard and making it work somehow—that type of gamer.

This type of gamer is like me, where motivation directly connects to player skill... but on top of that, setting a clear goal further boosts performance. A type often seen among speedrunners.

However, this player Akitsu Akane brought both merits and demerits. The merit is simply more party members. Although Akitsu Akane, being Level 43, is honestly almost useless in the Lycaon fight, her mysterious substitution magic from earlier can cover the holes that inevitably appear with just me and Rei-shi. And above all, bringing high-level Vorpal Bunnies drastically changes our tactical range.

But naturally, there are demerits too. Honestly speaking, Rei-shi and I didn't really intend to win against Lycaon that much. No, we weren't fighting with losing as a premise, but we had an implicit goal of "If we can't defeat it even after clashing our trump cards, let's give up cleanly." But Akitsu Akane bringing Emul and the others... NPCs who cannot respawn... created a "Reason we cannot lose."

Not a fight to win against Lycaon, but a fight where we cannot lose to Lycaon. That fox girl came here destroying our retreat route along with the reinforcements. My mindset switches along with the schedule from here on.

"Phew............"

In the brief moment Lycaon, who was chasing the illusion of Utsurou Mikagami, turns his attention back to us, I exhale my complaints with my breath and steel my resolve. Three added cards in my hand. One is well known to me, but the other two are still largely black boxes. However, I can construct a strategy from the information understandable from fragments. A rush job with exposed steel frames, a facade less than a one-night castle, but if slammed with a full swing, it's a magnificent mass weapon.

"Akitsu Akane, for now, guard Rei-shi over there. Rei-shi is currently preparing for a trump card, and for that, she needs to hit Lycaon a few more times. That's why I'm counting on you for escape assists until Rei-shi gets ready."

"Yes! Leave it to me!"

"Also sorry, but could you tell me rough info on that rabbit limp around your neck... Ceecrue was it?"

"He is a Samurai! A Rabbit Samurai!"

Hmm, feels like asking for ingredients of a dish and being answered "Fish! And vegetables!" But if he's a "Samurai," he's likely a melee class. Effectively 3 vanguards, 1 rearguard, 1 mobile... In that case, the optimal solution is a 2:3 guard split?

"Alright, I'll take Emul here. You guard Rei-shi with Ceecrue... and assist. In extreme terms, you don't need to hit Lycaon. Help that person so she can land attacks reliably."

"Y-Yes! I will work myself to the bone!!"

Akitsu Akane, eyes sparkling at the party request I sent, accepts it with zero hesitation. The groggy rabbits also accept it, forming a five-member party of three players and two NPC rabbits here. In other words, Akitsu Akane and Emul & Co. cannot go home until we win against Lycaon or lose to Lycaon.

Lycaon stares at us. Who is that gaze directed at? The annoying me, Rei-shi she couldn't bite off, or Akitsu Akane who snatched the prey from the side? What I know is that the final round starts here, and we... no, I have to achieve a No-Death Clear for party members against the Unique Monster "Lycaon the Night Raider."

Hardships and trials, isn't it like a trial imposed on a hero? Unfortunately, I'm full of apologies that the one in that position is a half-naked pervert... Wait, if we go back to ancient Greece or something, aren't there quite a few heroes who are half-naked, muscular, and heroically violent? So half-naked is fine! Thank you B.C.!!

"Alright, let's go! Wake up Emul, big job ahead! Or was the cat's paw more capable than the rabbit's paw?"

"Rabbit paws are fluffy and cuter desu wa! Wait, pbyaaaaaaaaaa!!? It's Lycaon desu waaaaaaaa!!"

"Hahaha, hold on tight to my head!"

"The ride is uncomfortable desu waaaaaaaa I want a cushion desu waaaaaaaaaaa!!"

"Denied."

You'll be sitting on this metal Helm (Seat) a lot from now on, so get used to it with guts and spirit.

...............Whoops, right, my bad. This party isn't three humans and two rabbits, it's three humans and three rabbits.

Reasons not to retreat, reasons not to lose; once resolved, they become motivation for a restriction play. Ironically, by carrying the burden called Emul, my performance was hitting its peak even during this battle.

And since the burden is an Optional Part (Additional Weapon) called Emul—a magic turret stuck to my head—I was capable of actions beyond just attacks swung by these two arms.

By entrusting the Firepower (Skill) needed to gather Lycaon's hate to the Firepower (Magic) called Emul, I can slap Lycaon's cheek saying "Look here" against sudden hate changes. Occasionally allowing a clone to head toward Rei-shi, but Akitsu Akane and another Vorpal Bunny, Ceecrue, seem to avoid the collapse of the battle line.

"Main body right foreleg! Jumping!"

"Hiii [Magic Chain]!"

Whether it's effective or not is another issue, but SF-Zoo proved that binding itself works on Lycaon. The magical chain fired by Emul entangles Lycaon's foreleg.

Of course, it doesn't have enough power to completely restrain him, only stopping his movement for a moment. But one second is enough to notice, move, and respond. My body, enabling movement truly like a Tengu due to the effect of Possessed by Yoshitsune, lands softly on Lycaon's foreleg by jumping. Leaping from the foothold Lycaon prepared herself, the blades of Twin Moon held in both hands carve another moon into the jet-black Fur (Canvas).

Even with a flash for the weak to challenge the strong, not a drop of blood comes out... If it's this bloodless, another possibility comes into view.

"...Strange after all."

Even with the age restriction wall, ShanFro substitutes blood expression with polygons. In other words, if you cut a living Mob or player, red polygons, or sometimes blue or green polygons, scatter from the wound. But not from Lycaon. No matter how deeply I slash, not a fragment of Blood (Polygon) comes out.

So change the perspective. Instead of thinking "No damage even after repeated attacks," I should think it's in a state of "No blood comes out" as a setting. And considering Lycaon's characteristics, the answer becomes visible naturally.

"That's not the main body. That's a clone too."

Lycaon can create clones regardless of visibility. That tangible body is merely a kind of terminal unit capable of creating clones; in conclusion, I should think Lycaon's main body is not here.

In that case, the Usage of the cards available to me changes.

"Emul! Stir him up!!"

"Yes sir! Mumumu... [Mana Shaker]!!"

That magic can be declared absolutely zero in terms of physical destructive power. Even fired by Emul who has reached the realm of Level 90, it probably couldn't reduce the HP of a Level 1 beginner player by even 1 dot. Then what is the raison d'être of this magic? Its true value is being proven by Lycaon right now.

The moment the circular wave effect fired by Emul hit Lycaon's shoulder, the impact site collapsed for a moment with a "wavering" clearly impossible for biological flesh. "Mana Shaker" is highly effective against monsters whose bodies are composed of magic, or monsters who "create" bodies with magic. In other words...

"Garua!?"

"Bingo! We can touch and be touched, but classified as a non-material monster like 'Ghost' after all!!"

The true identity of This Lycaon, hidden because it boasted a gigantic body and trampled players like small insects. In short, this guy is a "Poltergeist." A non-material existence capable of exerting physical influence... From the principle of creating clones, it's hard to believe, but this guy can "materialize" shadows or darkness. In other words, the Lycaon before my eyes is like remotely controlling a wolf made of clay. No matter how much I hit it physically, unless I do something about the string controlling it... in this case, magical "Power," This Lycaon cannot be defeated.

(But if that's the case, it doesn't sit right... If it were dependent on magic classes, I'd understand, but this makes physical classes no more valuable than meat shields. Then, are there two clear conditions: a Magic Route and a Physical Route?)

Physical classes, who have the trouble of whittling down massive HP but can be hardened with equipment and take advantage in maneuvering with skill lines. Versus magic classes, who can whittle down HP efficiently but risk being whittled down themselves once forced on the defensive due to equipment hardness and maneuvering inconvenience.

If so, there is still hope. After all, the attack just now seemed to really piss Lycaon off.

"Pyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! He's looking at us super hard desu waaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"

"Amazing, took all the hate directed at me."

"I want to go home desu waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"

Author's Afterword
What is that Lycaon after all?
By a certain law, Lycaon can create clones of herself from the concepts of shadow and darkness. The created clones can move to any location by "crossing" shadows like stepping stones. That is why she appears in every area. Probably if she gets serious, she can cross continents using shadows on the sea floor or something.
In other words, it's a self-made drone. by loading consciousness into the clone, she can perceive and interfere with places far away from the main body. Or rather, she can send just her consciousness; the "Gaze of the Night Itself" Animalia saw was the gaze of Lycaon's main body, which temporarily slipped out its consciousness because the clone was immobilized and it was annoying.

By the way, the reason SF-Zoo pinpointed Lycaon's spawn coordinates is that, as a result of investigation by an Aniki player (probably Sub-Leader) knowledgeable about wolf characteristics, it was revealed that marking points exist in each area, and the spawn position could be calculated from their state. Of course, it's a method requiring considerable effort like "Identify & Investigate marking points in all areas" "Assemble everyone as soon as location is identified" "Before the sun sets," but Clan Black Wolf would probably happily buy that information, right?