Chapter 232: The Aftermath of Warriors' Dreams

Upon arriving in Eleventar, the urge to revisit that hellish Crystal Minefield welled up within me. However, if I brought Emul into a danger zone boasting a burst-firepower higher than Ruluiath's, I would absolutely have to commit seppuku in apology this time.

"It's hell while you're doing it, but once it's over, you end up wanting to do it again, huh."

I'll save that raid for another time. Our current destination is Barren Darkruin.
This area is a combination of two fields: the plains and the ancient castle. Unlike the grasslands, which primarily feature biological monsters, an entirely different category of monsters supposedly spawns inside the ancient castle... and absurdly strong ones, at that.

After all, just from the information I gathered beforehand, I found plenty of heart-racing evaluations scattered around, such as "Level 80 is the bare minimum," "Without self-defense methods, the rear guard will die with high probability," "Better than the Bounty Hunters, but generally has a demonic AI," "Pure Mages need not apply," et cetera, et cetera.

"The 'Contour Knight' is apparently the Line-art Knight that Rei-shi mentioned."

"Hoheee... Does that mean it's like a Skeleton desu wa?"

"I wonder about that. I didn't look too deeply into it because I didn't want to ruin the fun."

But at the very least, I suspect the probability of running into other players isn't that high.
After all, the evaluation on strategy sites was: "A dud field with no value in visiting other than testing your strength."

"The EXP isn't that delicious, they don't drop items, and it's not like you can pick up good loot either..."

That being said, since this is a game where no one knows where Uniques might be hiding, it seems investigations are still ongoing... but even so, this is still a game.
The fundamental premise is that it's entertainment meant to be enjoyed, so players who dive into a low-return area late at night on a weekday are rare.

"Well, it's not like there was nothing here, though."

We were currently here being guided by a Unique Scenario EX, after all.
I passed through a gate that had been mangled in a way that clearly indicated it was destroyed by an external impact—evoking a rather apocalyptic drama—and stepped inside the castle.

"Wawa, it's pitch black desu wa... Hyue!?"

"Good for you, Emul. Look, it's bright now, right?"

"It's not like Sunraku-san made it bright desu wa!?"

True.
Setting aside the mechanism of how it turned on, it seems this facility—which exudes the technology of the Divine Age—is still alive.

"Lore-wise, an ancient kingdom used ruins from the Divine Age as their castle, but it eventually perished... or something like that, right?"

"Yes sir! I've heard it was used in some kind of Tooitsu Senso? Or something like that desu wa!"

History exists wherever people do, the dreams of warriors and all that. If I asked a lore clan, I could probably hear all sorts of things about it, but honestly, I get the feeling that fake magical girl is the type to talk your ear off.
And to make matters worse, he's the type whose stories actually draw you in. If I'm going to listen to it, I'll do it when I have some free time.

"So basically, the civilization level of the ones who built it and the ones who last used it are completely different. That's why it's so mismatched."

Kicking aside a weathered helmet that felt more than just 'out of place' inside this sci-fi-esque building, I advanced forward with Emul perched on my head.
The Spartan, Corinthian-style helmet—which was probably modeled after the dorsal fin of the Arctus Regalecus—was highly unpopular with her, claiming the ride was uncomfortable, so I'm currently wearing the bird head.
Because when I wore the salmon head, she complained it smelled fishy... She sure complains a lot.

"...Sunraku-san, I feel a presence desu wa."

"Probably. From what I've heard, they aren't roaming types, but fixed encounters."

Roaming types spawn and wander around the entire area, whereas fixed types don't move from a specific location.
The former will chase you if you run, but the latter will sometimes let you go if you cross a certain line.

Rotting wooden crates, rusted and snapped swords. Stepping over the past—newer than the Divine Age, yet older than the present—Emul and I passed through an automated mechanical door.
And what jumped into our sight was a remarkably vast space compared to the hallways. To someone like me, who knows Cyberpunk as a genre category, this was a plaza that once functioned as an "Entrance," likely leading to multiple different areas.

And, standing majestically right in the middle of these sci-fi ruins, was that, making me truly understand exactly what Rei-shi meant by "Line-art Knight."

"I see, so it has no substance because it's just drawn with lines on a transparent background..."

"Sunraku-san! There are no other presences desu wa!"

A one-on-one, huh? Should I call that the very picture of chivalry?
To describe that knight, just as Rei-shi said, it was literally a knight consisting of only line art, dyed in the color of the background.
Because it was materialized without any color to give it substance, it possessed an unnaturalness akin to a jungle gym—something you rarely see these days—where the shape of a knight was formed entirely by dots and lines.

But that was wrong. What formed it was not some feeble framework that would snap if struck.
Could a greatsword drawn using only dots and lines truly produce such a heavy wind-slicing sound?

"Emul, if it wants a one-on-one, I'll accept. No interference. Focus entirely on your own self-defense."

"Yes sir! I knew Sunraku-san would say that desu wa!"

Should I be happy that I'm trusted?
Still, having her flap her paws from the corner of the entrance cheering 'Do your best!' didn't feel bad.

"It's a one-on-one duel. I'll beat you fair and square, so bring it on."

What I drew were not my dual blades... but the Mirror Shield of the Nether-King (Dis Pater) and the Sea Devouring Sword (Blue Predator).
When was the last time I used the basic swordsman loadout of a one-handed sword and a shield... Was it in Faer-kuso, right before the final boss?

"I don't need any dedicated skills for this. I'll show you that as long as I have the technique, I can fight."

What is the biggest difference between fighting a monster and fighting a player? I define it as the "Quality of the Opening."
Monsters... that is, Mobs meant to be defeated, will always have an opening specifically set by the developers proclaiming, "Here is the opening," no matter how oppressive their mechanics are.
In contrast, there are PvP battles. Even if the result guarantees a completely safe conclusion, the process is undeniably a deathmatch.
It is precisely because we can continue with zero risk to our actual lives that we can catch bullets with our heads, and pick fights with demons or evil gods.

I got sidetracked, but in short, an "opening" in PvP is a literal opening. It's not a musical rest inserted between notes by a composer like in a game; it's a necessary breath inserted between actions.

So what am I trying to say? This Contour Knight belongs to the latter category, meaning it practically has no clear openings.

"You're quite... tough...!"

Activating Moment Sight, a sense of incongruity—as if the world had momentarily stopped—enveloped my perception.
I'd rather not think too deeply about what system principles execute this, but in a slow-motion state that made it effortless to grasp, I brought my shield slamming into the greatsword thrust at me from the side.

The only thing accelerating was my thoughts. My physical movements were just as slow as the Contour Knight's, but even so, my parry with the shield succeeded faster than its greatsword could pierce me.

"Hah!"

Being able to cancel it at will is a fantastic feature of this skill.
The slow motion reverted to its original speed, and the greatsword, thrust at an unavoidable timing, was deflected, passing right beside me.
In PvP, openings are something you create. In that regard, this monster—which brings an almost identical feeling to PvP combat—is easier to fight the more accustomed a player is to PvP.

"Is this actually doing anything!?"

Attacking the lines forming it was useless. It didn't degrade my weapon's durability, but even a single line was enough to deflect a full-force swing.
However, there was an effective strike. It seemed that delivering an attack inside of it, slipping between the lines that formed it, would register as damage.

How should I put it... These Contour Knights have "substance." It's not physical meat or anything like that. If I had to compare it, it's like the air packed inside a balloon shaped like a knight.
It doesn't burst if you poke it, but plunging a sword deeply into that colorless, transparent mass causes it to flinch.

The theory doesn't matter right now. If I deplete whatever energy or magic makes this knight-shaped outline a knight, it will fall! Probably!

"As long as physical attacks work, I don't feel like I'm gonna lose!"

The Blue Predator's effect is a "Damage Correction against Aquatic Monsters," a performance that's hard to find a use for outside of Ruluiath. But even ignoring that, its base specs alone make it a competent weapon.
Its sharpness as a sword was inferior to Duxram. But this sword, forged from the fangs and claws of a beast, plunged far more savagely into the Contour Knight.

"Fuu... Next time, come back wearing armor that actually stops attacks."

I felt the clear sensation of the Line-art Knight's health bottoming out. When I pulled out Blue Predator, the knight stiffened in its flinching motion, and with the anti-climactic ease of a collapsing house of cards, it crumbled and vanished.

No item drops, and since my level was Extended, I couldn't check the numerical value, but there was no delicious EXP either.
And yet it had this AI and this level of annoyance... I see. If it weren't tied to a Unique, I'd never come back here either.

"Alright Emul, onward."

Author's Afterword
The Kingdom History of this world is just as fleshed out as a poorly written version of Japanese history, so the lore clans apparently drafted up their history books with extremely satisfied expressions on their faces.