Chapter 27: Two-Rabbit Forced March

NPC Name: Emul LV: 56 JOB: Magician RACE: Vorpal Bunny Traveler HP: 125 MP: 655
STM: 80 STR: 30 DEX: 71 AGI: 50 TEC: 70 VIT: 35 LUC: 85

Skills:

• Best Step
• Tap Step
• Critical Focus

Magic:

• [Coordinate Transfer]
• [Coordinate Transfer Gate]
• [Coordinate Transfer "Triumphal Gate"]
• [Random Encounter Lv.2]
• [Magic Edge Lv.7]
• [Added Chant (Add Spell) Lv.5]

Equipment:

• Weapon: Traveling Sage (Wise Gang)
• Head: Observer's Monocle
• Torso: Rabbit Formal Wear
• Waist: Rabbit Formal Wear
• Feet: Rabbit Formal Wear
• Accessory: Secret Ring of the Deadly Rabbit

Since it's a game, it's not that strange, but the fact that I'm losing to this small rabbit in almost every stat got me down just a little bit. No, I just have to surpass her quickly, yeah. Even through the mask, Emul seemed to notice my sorrowful gaze and tilted her head with a puzzled look. When I waved my hand dismissively to show it was nothing, she seemed convinced and looked around the sparsely populated Mud Dig (Wetlands) again.

"But what will you do, Sunraku-san? That curse scares other monsters away."

"I've already thought of a countermeasure for that."

"What kind? Oh, there's a Mud Frog over there... Wah!?"

Before the Mud Frog could notice us—that is, before entering its aggro range—I started sprinting at full speed. I burst into its detection range and closed the distance in a straight line. The Mud Frog noticed me and tried to dive into the mud to escape... but it was too slow. I didn't pump all my stats into Agility for nothing!

"Ooooorrrraaaaaahhhhh!"

"Gero!?"

If you step into the swamp, you can't run. Therefore, I leaped from the edge of the swamp, closing the distance to the Mud Frog in a single bound. Then, I slammed a knee kick right into the ass of the Mud Frog, which had only managed to submerge its head in the mud. I forcibly compensated for my lacking STR with the inertia gained from a full-speed run of over ten meters. A game where physics work correctly (as they should) is a God Game. Remember that.

Forcibly interrupted from its escape and hit with a knee drop to the rear, the Mud Frog rolled and writhed atop the muddy swamp. Before it could stand up, I closed in again and thrust the Lake Daggers held in both hands vertically down.

"Gweh!?"

Feeling a solid impact through the daggers, I slammed a finishing attack onto the Mud Frog as it let out a death cry, and it burst into polygons.

"Phew... So, well, I've concluded that this strategy of 'catch up and beat them down before they can run away' is the best I can do right now."

"W-Wow... Sunraku-san, you were like a real monster..."

"How rude."

Fortunately or unfortunately... well, it's overwhelmingly unfortunate, but luckily I have absolutely zero worry about movement speed penalties from equipment weight. I prevent escape with the violence of Agility and Stamina, then chip away their HP with precise critical hits to weak points. This strategy, akin to a wild predator, is currently my optimal solution. The only problem is that this method is more mentally exhausting than I expected.

"I have to manage my stamina while aiming for criticals immediately after a full sprint..."

It feels like being forced to play kendama immediately after finishing a 50-meter dash; if I relax, my concentration might break. Nevertheless, it's been proven effective against monsters with low AGI for now.

"So, I will now announce the upcoming schedule!"

"Yay~ yay~ clap~ clap~"

"We sprint straight through past the Area Boss, that is all!"

"That was unexpectedly rough!?"

I told you, it's a forced march.

"We will ignore all small fry on the way unless they are blatantly Rare Enemies. It's a painful decision, but I want to get past Secondil, where beginners will likely pile up (get stuck)."

The biggest difference between this type of full-dive game and old-school display games is that you move your own body. While real-life motor nerves aren't reflected directly, there aren't many natural-born VR gamers who can immediately adapt to the in-game physics right after starting. Therefore, the majority of beginners will pile up (accumulate) in the first town, or the next town they barely managed to reach. For a town, being bustling with people might be a welcome thing, but if they all have nearly the same objective, what awaits is congestion at specific facilities. I wonder how they handle countermeasures for that...? No, it doesn't matter right now. Anyway, if I'm going to tackle the Unique Scenario seriously, a location with a high "capacity" as a city is desirable. For example, the major city Thirdrema, which boasts a scale several times that of Secondil.

"So, it's non-stop to Thirdrema. Your Agility is about the same as mine, so don't lag behind, okay?"

"I'm not good at running around..."

"That's not a line a rabbit should say."

Let us go forth. Beyond the Area Boss, to Thirdrema!!

Author's Notes & Lore:

An AGI-specialized build that chases down fleeing monsters to hunt them is a tactic that barely works in the early to mid-game. It's not that it doesn't work on the front lines, but since there are many monsters comfortably faster than the player's limit speed, the mainstream tactic eventually shifts from chasing them around to ambushing and cornering them.