Chapter 13: The report-worthy pervert evolved into a pervert people shy away from!

"Welco... what sort of armor are you looking for?"

There probably isn't anyone else appealing to the world with their entire body that they "need something to wear" quite as much as I am. The armorer NPC asked me the question with a stiff, twitching smile. I have to say, the AI is amazing... didn't they say military-grade technology was used generously here? In this game, it really feels like you're dealing with actual people.

"Show me the list."

"Right this way."

A window looking like... well, parchment, appeared before my eyes, listing rough information.

• Serpent Skin Set (Individual purchase available): 12,000 Mani
• Hard Chain Set (Individual purchase available): 6,000 Mani
• Black Robes of the Dark Path Set (Individual purchase unavailable): 9,000 Mani
• White Robes of the Light Path Set (Individual purchase unavailable): 9,000 Mani
• Split-Edge Leather Set (Individual purchase unavailable): 4,000 Mani

"Give me the Split-Edge set."

"Certainly. Please wait a moment."

I lost to the low price. Or rather, I'm just buying clothes because being treated like a degenerate while walking through town is, you know, a bit much. When I think about it carefully, the moment I'm forced into a situation where I have to take a hit head-on, it's basically a loss anyway. So, mobility takes priority over defense. The Serpent Skin set—probably made from that guy's materials—and the Hard Chain set seem to have weight that would apply a negative correction to AGI. The Dark Path and Light Path sets are for magic classes, so they have no value to me beyond cosmetics. Either way, the Split-Edge Leather set is the only real choice here.

"Thank you for waiting."

"Here's the payment."

"Thank you for your purchase! If your equipment is damaged, please bring it in and we can repair it for a fee based on the damage. May fortune be with you!!"

I equipped it on the spot... and just before the items vanished into my inventory, a mask that looked like a balloon with holes cut out for the eyes, nose, and mouth entered my vision. ......I'll stick with the bird head.

Split-Edge Leather Mask A mask made from the hide of Mud Frogs inhabiting the Marshlands of Agony. The mask, which has minimal gaps, protects the wearer's face. Note: If you have a lot of hair, it creates an amusing silhouette.

Split-Edge Leather Vest A vest made from the hide of Mud Frogs inhabiting the Marshlands of Agony. Possesses resistance against slashing attacks below a certain sharpness. The sensation of it sticking to the skin is polarizing.

Split-Edge Leather Belt A belt made from the hide of Mud Frogs inhabiting the Marshlands of Agony. Because it uses only the back skin of the Mud Frog, it possesses resistance to piercing. Connoisseurs wrap this all over their bodies. Tighten it, harder!!

Split-Edge Leather Trousers Trousers made from the hide of Mud Frogs inhabiting the Marshlands of Agony. Crafted so as not to hinder the wearer's movements. Defense is thinner compared to the vest.

For the time being, I've ranked up from a semi-nude suspicious person who warrants a police report to a suspicious person in underwear whose fashion is barely tolerated as "lightly dressed." I should probably describe it as a thick diver's suit, or perhaps a thick full-body stocking disassembled into the shape of clothes. As the item description suggested, the strangely addictive tight fit succeeded in improving my appearance and defense without compromising mobility.

"Well, I'm not wearing the mask though."

If the intense-eyed bird mask makes me a suspicious person that serves as a joke, that leather mask makes me a suspicious person that isn't a joke. I look suspicious enough that if I jokingly said I was about to rob a bank, people would believe me. Now then, next is the weapon shop. I hope I can get a main weapon to replace the mercenary dual blades I completely lost. The Vorpal Choppers are my trump card against bosses, so I want to save them. I feel like dual-wielding wears down weapon durability awfully fast, so wasting them on small fry would be nonsense.

"Ah? I can't buy trash like this."

"Well, I guess so. It's made worse than primitive stone tools... Show me your weapon lineup."

"Aye."

Although categorized as a weapon, the Goblin Hand Axe apparently had the value of garbage, so he wouldn't buy it. Well, if I think of it as a disposable weapon, it still has its uses. Just like the armor shop, a parchment window appeared, and I searched for the Dual Blades category.

"Huh? You don't carry any?"

The column for Dual Blades existed, but there wasn't a single purchasable weapon listed. This is a problem. Do I need to retract my previous statement? At this rate, I'll have to clear the next area while using up Goblin Hand Axes... Ah, right. If I think about it, I'm not a "Dual Blade User" (class), I'm a "Dual Wielder" (style), so two daggers would work fine. Because my starting equipment, the mercenary dual blades, was treated as a single item containing a pair, I had misunderstood on my own. Thinking calmly, I was using two Goblin Hand Axes and two Vorpal Choppers just fine.

"Let's see, daggers... hmm..."

Subtle. Neither good nor bad. Well, for something buyable in the second town, the specs are... hard to react to. No, maybe they just look extra weak because the Vorpal Choppers, which are likely a rare drop, are more effective than I imagined.

"Oh? If you don't like any of the stock, I can forge you something new if you bring the materials."

"Oh, seriously?"

That's good to hear.

Author’s Notes & Lore

NPC AI in Shangri-la Frontier Because the NPCs in Shangri-la Frontier use military-grade AI and the like without sparing any expense, it is no exaggeration to say they are practically human, aside from lacking a physical body. Or rather, as a piece of background lore: the developer of this game is a genius on a level that suggests insanity. Since ShanFro has turned into a treasure chest of clearly over-technological marvels, there are people all over the world targeting it. However, the anti-hacking measures are also over-technology, so they can't do anything about it. There are even cases—or maybe not—where those who attacked ShanFro with wicked intentions ended up just enjoying the game as normal players.

Translator’s Remarks

• Marshlands of Agony (Shikuhakku): The raw text refers to the "Four-Nine Mud Wasteland" (Shiku Hakku). This is a pun on the Buddhist idiom Shiku Hakku (The four sufferings and the eight sufferings), which means "Agony" or "Great Trouble."