Chapter 244: The Opening of the Wolf Strife: First, Smash Through the Glass

Author's Preface
Desire to talk about lore gauge: 40% (As of 8:59 AM today)
Desire to talk about lore gauge: 300% (As of 9:35 AM today)

My desire to talk about lore reached MAX HAZARD OVERFLOW, so I couldn't hold back and posted consecutive updates.
I am truly sorry about tomorrow's update, but please forgive me... I've completely exhausted my soul.

There is a saying: "Take the long way when you're in a hurry." In essence, it's a phrase designed to teach the truth of "Don't cut corners" in a highly understandable manner, complete with metaphors, so that even an idiot can comprehend it. Although perhaps it's also directed at smart people.
But think about it—if someone is truly smart, they wouldn't fall into a situation where they need to hurry in the first place, so this really must be a saying directed at idiots after all.

And I am not an idiot. I might pull off some reckless stunts here and there, but at the very least, I don't harbor thoughts of actively picking a flashy fight with a hardcore clan, and it's not like I'm incapable of triggering Uniques on my own. Also, even if I get harassed persistently, I don't think I'd thoroughly PK them in return... probably?
Anyway, I am not an idiot. Which means "Take the long way when you're in a hurry" does not apply to me. This logic is absolutely flawless if I do say so myself.

Therefore.

"Dassharaaah!!"

Because I was cutting it incredibly close to being late, I sprinted across the rooftops, and deciding that entering through the destination's door wouldn't make it in time, I smashed straight through the murky, opaque window glass and barged right into the designated discussion spot: the "Black Wolf Mansion," the headquarters of the clan Black Wolf located in Fifticia.

"Fuu... Safe."

"............? .........!?"

"Yo, Pencilgon. What's with the dumb look on your face?"

"...A female pervert?"

How rude. Since the female gender has a slightly higher AGI correction, I actually went out of my way to use the Chalice and run all the way here, you know.
Sure, since I was testing various things in Rabituza, I have all my equipment unequipped and I'm practically in my underwear, but hahaha... I kind of want to retort to myself, "Are you a level 1 starter character?" Haa~, my chest is bouncing and it hurts!

Time rewinds just a little bit.

"I'm a little envious of your fundamental nature that allows you to make a face like we're just going out to eat the latest sweets at a time like this."

"Well, it's not like we're going there to exchange fists, right?"

"And despite that, you think it's fine to bring me along when I'm currently an active Red Name?"

"There are about three different topics for today's discussion, after all. You're an important person of interest, just in case."

The "Black Wolf Mansion," a headquarters constructed by Black Wolf at the end of a massive mob slaughter. You could say that for the clan Wolfgang, it was akin to diving right into the stomach of the enemy.
That being said, including the newcomer Kyou-timate, they are a group with more than a few quirks. Pencilgon licked her lips, looking as though her eloquence was about to go full throttle, OiKatzo casually checked his equipment, and Kyou-timate, as if actively expecting that kind of commotion to occur, stroked the hilt of the katana resting at her hip.

Even so, four members of the clan Wolfgang were supposed to head out today. The initial three members who were present when the alliance was formed, and Kyou-timate, the "involved party" of a certain incident. It was supposed to be four people... but.

"That guy isn't here."

"Nn~, I doubt he ditched us, but there's a possibility he has real-life circumstances to deal with..."

"If he got tangled up with something in real life, wouldn't he at least send an email?"

"In that case, the possibility that he's just asleep isn't entirely out of the question..."

"He needs to be subjected to severe punishment..."

"You two sure flow into a two-on-one naturally."

Kyou-timate floated a wry smile at the two who, as if it were only natural, began plotting sanctions against the fourth member who wasn't even present.
The moment they entered the Black Wolf Mansion, several players—whose equipment was strangely shabby for some reason—glared at Kyou-timate with eyes that looked ready to shoot her dead, but the person in question merely smiled and waved back while twitching the animal ears she wasn't supposed to have as a human.

"Look, Pencilgon. When I see eyes like that, it makes me truly glad I'm a PKer."

"I won't deny it, but are you aware that you're saying something pretty messed up right now~?"

Offering a half-hearted agreement to Kyou-timate, who actively maintained her stance as a Red Name deeply despised by other players, Pencilgon shot a brief glance to the side.

(Well, even if the clan's policy shifted to a hardline approach, it would cross into brainwashing territory if every single moderate aligned their opinions perfectly.)

Unlike the players who were killed by Kyou-timate, these players looked at Pencilgon and the others with somewhat troubled, apologetic eyes.
Rather than calling them moderates, they were more likely players who placed heavy importance on etiquette in online games.

(Momo-chan is so cute when she shows this kind of softness...)

To begin with, failing to unify the consciousness within the clan means their preparations aren't flawless.
You could say the clan Black Wolf is already divided into three factions.
Initially split between moderates and hardliners, the hardliners had further fractured into a "Let's directly punch Wolfgang" faction and a "We just need to extract the information" faction.

Regarding this, it was an irregularity caused by Kyou-timate's unexpected PK, but not all irregularities are detrimental.

(Now then, where should I start poking~...? As expected, it's just too fun having this many cards in my hand.)

"...You seem awfully cheerful, Arthur Pencilgon."

"Nfufu... Do I look like that to you, Psyger-100-chan? Thank you for your care back then..."

Resting her elbows on the desk, the expression of Psyger-100 as she stared down the visitors was stiff, and she didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow at the mention of the "Collapse of Ashura-kai," an incident where Pencilgon had pulled the trigger.

Witnessing that, OiKatzo quietly averted his eyes, Kyou-timate's eyes sparkled, and Pencilgon sighed internally while maintaining her smile.

(Good grief... Things get all jumbled up like this because you just pile everything onto the plate without thinking ahead.)

Pencilgon wasn't the only one who had to hold the reins of this discussion, where differing motives were intricately entangled.
Naturally, the leader of the clan Black Wolf, Psyger-100, had to step into this venue shouldering the burden of clan members swirling with various emotions.

"You seem to be missing one person?"

"I could say the exact same to you. As for our disposable pawn... Fufu, perhaps he's out discovering another new Unique right now..."

It was a total bullseye.
But there was absolutely no way anyone present could know that the half-naked man currently at the center of their discussion had actually reached the seventh Unique Monster. Thus, the atmosphere among the players glaring at the Wolfgang members grew even thornier at the obvious provocation.

"I see... It seems even you cannot hold the reins of that player."

"Well, he's a disposable pawn, after all. What are you going to do by tying a rope to a bullet?"

A pursuit regarding her inability to hold the reins of a piece that moves as it pleases, and a response that elegantly parried it.
Within an atmosphere that felt like it could detonate at any moment, the three members of Wolfgang took their seats at the table, and then.

"Dassharaaah!!"

Smashing through the second-floor window of the open-atrium Black Wolf Mansion, a half-naked female in her underwear plummeted into the building.

"Hey, Pencilgon, don't you think you're laughing a bit too much?"

"No... but... Nfufu, to think you'd lose your balls in just one day... Fufufufu, who would've thought... Pufu."

Stop calling me ball-less. It's a byproduct of the Octopus-san's miracle. Though I'm a bit troubled by how much my chest size gets in the way.

"You could change your gender in this game?"

"It's impossible for you, Mr. Cannot-Trigger-Uniques-Himself."

"I get it, it's tied to a Unique. But putting that aside, I'm going to punch you."

"Kyaa, how scary. The jealousy of a guy who can't trigger Uniques himself is so scaaary."

"The fact that your voice even changed to a girl's makes it even more irritating...!"

Messing with a guy who can't trigger Uniques himself is so much fun! Since my gender reversed completely, including my voice, I'm basically a Perfect G.I.R.L, a straight upgrade to a fake G.I.R.L like you, Katzo-kuuun!

"Yaaay, Mr. Cannot-Trigger-Uniques-Himself, yaaaay."

"Sunraku... chan? Well, whatever. Your stray bullets are flying over there."

"Nn?"

Following Kyou-timate's pointing finger... Oh my, there are members of the clan Black Wolf trembling violently.
Thinking about it for a moment, I realized that the lines I used to mock Katzo applied entirely to Black Wolf, who hadn't even managed to trigger an EX Scenario, let alone defeat a Unique Monster.

"Ah... Well, um, how should I put this... Sooooorry☆."

I got punched by Pencilgon. Her reasoning was: "Looking at a character acting cutesy pisses me off for some reason."

It's a hell of a lot milder than that thick monster skin you're wearing!!

Author's Afterword
Sooooorry☆ (Currently somewhat near death because she smashed through glass half-naked and fell from the second floor).