Chapter 53: Dedicated to a Moment, Part 1

She understood that this wasn't really her style.

"Hahaha... It's been ages since I saw triple digits. Can I even afford a potion?"

When was the last time she bought a potion? Her funds, which should have been tens of thousands of times higher than this, were now completely destitute. However, inversely proportional to her poverty was her inventory, stuffed to the limit with items that demonstrated just how serious she was about her plan.

"...I've secured a route to get that item. Now, it's just a question of whether those two will accept."

When did she start getting bored of this game? Although things weren't going exactly as she pleased, she wasn't dissatisfied with reality itself. However, he was different. The clan he created for Player Killers had been beneficial for her as well. What she sought was a thrill like fireworks. A single instant, yet a flashy explosion that burned itself into memory—that style of play was her very foundation.

"The true flower of villainy is getting beaten until you're destitute, yet they're all so chicken..."

When they first found it, everyone still held the will and passion to clear it. But on that day—the day massive penalties were added for Player Killers—the clan changed. Avoid danger. Choose stability. The members who once laughed and said, "Bring it on," even when gathering hate from all directions, began to leave the clan one by one. It started after the former Number Three, despite pulling a massive idiot move against bounty hunters, went bankrupt with a satisfied smile. Now, the only ones left in the clan were, in her eyes, third-rate small fry.

"Now then, how should I win them over..."

She understood the feelings of the members who had left. They didn't necessarily want to maintain the glory gained through PKing. That was just a result; their primary reason for PKing was to have fun. Those who enjoyed roleplaying as villains, those who enjoyed fighting avengers seeking their heads, perverts who smilingly accepted eyes filled with fear, scorn, or hatred... They sought a release, a way to "go wild" that they couldn't do in reality. There was no need for them to maintain their current status.

"Hmm... They'd probably bite even if I just asked normally, but I want them to do this like their lives depend on it. I guess I need to stoke the fire a bit."

The clan had lost those who enjoyed PKing for the act itself, replaced only by flies swarming around the nectar gained from PKing. That was why, when he started talking about using that thing almost like a mere tool, she had half-seriously resolved to retire from this game. So why does she continue playing Shangri-La Frontier? If asked, she would answer:

"Because I absolutely want to defeat that thing."

To anyone who knew her playstyle, seeing her so seriously engrossed in the game now would likely look terribly comical. She, who would mercilessly turn even important NPCs into trap gimmicks, was betting everything for the sake of a single NPC who wasn't even a player.

"Calculating back from the next full moon and the new moon... If I don't secure their cooperation today or tomorrow, I won't make it in time."

She had found the last two missing colors for the painting of the future she envisioned. Whether they were paint or nitroglycerin, she didn't know... No, they were probably nitroglycerin. That is why she prepared every possible means, ready to retire if she failed. If she failed, she would likely lose even the inertia that kept her logging into this game. Unease crossed her face. Her target was an unprecedentedly strong enemy. Could they really defeat it with just three people? As if to crush the anxiety that might hinder her plan, she slapped her cheeks vigorously, lay down on the carpet of red spider lilies where no one else was, and looked up at the moon.

"Just watch, Set-chan. It's a huge gamble, win or lose. Even if I have to bet my everything, I will win."

Right now, I am not the half-naked, bird-headed Sunraku. That Sunraku updated his landmark at Fourfolkshire, saved at the inn in Rabituza, and logged out. The current me is Sunraku the Rapier User, clad in armor with a muscular, dandy body and a beard.

"It's been a while... this atmosphere."

I logged in once before challenging Faeria Chronicle, so it's really been a few months. Whoops, careful now. If you're going to ambush me, you can't just circle behind; if you don't consider your angle, you'll get countered like this.

"Uhh, the meeting place was Count Phalanx's mansion, right?"

If I recall, that's an NPC residence where the guards are tougher than the ones at the royal castle. It's true that players wouldn't get close easily... but the question of how she designated that as a meeting spot remains... Well, whatever. There's no benefit to trapping me here at this point, so she must have figured something out. While casually one-shotting (trolling) thug players, I advanced through the world of... Unite Rounds.

"Good evening! Die!"

"Yes, good evening, drop dead."

"Opoah!"

Sorry, but unlike the "Owata-style" in that other game where I rely on hit counts, here I'm an assassination specialist with a level-capped rapier focused on vital strikes. If there's an opening to stab, I can usually kill in one hit. Unlike Shangri-La Frontier's dissolution method, I looted the equipment of the nameless player who turned to ash and vanished like a burnt-out campfire.

"Tch... nothing but cheap gear. Well, for a wannabe thief, I guess this is it."

In this game where every player is a PKer, getting ganged up on is nothing to be ashamed of. You might think you're ganging up ten-on-one, only to realize you're surrounded by thirty others. That's common. And the punchline is that those thirty are fully prepared to take out their allies along with the enemy if they see an opening.

"Whoops, this isn't the time for this."

I was looting out of habit, but I don't have time for that. Let's see, it was this way, I think...

"Hey, hey, welcome, Sunraku-kun! Katzo-kun is already here."

"Huh, I'm the last one?"

Arriving at Count Phalanx's mansion, I was able to enter without being stopped by the NPC guards. What kind of trickery did she use...? Well, whatever. "Pencil Warrior"—an avatar that looked almost identical to Pencilgon in Shangri-La Frontier, except perhaps with slightly rougher polygons—greeted me with a smile. I followed Pencil Warrior, who walked through the NPC's mansion as if it were her own home, and was guided to what appeared to be a drawing room.

"Yo Sunraku, heard you've been causing all sorts of chaos?"

"I'm not exactly trying to cause chaos, you know. Though getting my Unique snapped up hurt."

"Lack of netiquette is scary, isn't it?"

Ah, as I thought. Judging by Pencil Warrior's tone, someone must have taken a screenshot without permission. Well, it's in the past. No point digging it up now. MMO is a game, but it is also reality. You can't reset, and you can't task-kill. If you can't rewind the time that has passed, you have to think about what to do now.

"So? Let's get to the main topic. Since you went out of your way to nominate me and Sunraku, you're not just asking us to play ShanFro together, right?"

"True, we don't have much time, so let's get straight to the point."

Responding to Katzotataki (ModoruKatzo)—who was popping the tea snacks, which existed as objects from the start, into his mouth with the familiarity of someone in their own home—Pencil Warrior smiled as usual and dropped a bombshell as if it were nothing.

"Want the three of us to subjugate the Unique Monster, 'Tombguard Wethermon'?"

"Haa!?"

"Gofuh!?"

Honestly, I had anticipated something up to the level of "Let's the three of us raid a clan made up of high-level players!" But hearing that name, which shot way diagonally above my expectations, I let out a shrill voice, and Katzotataki choked. It was fortunate that the tea snacks vanished as objects the moment they entered his mouth. If this were reality, he would have spewed tea snacks everywhere. Gross.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, a Unique Monster!?"

"Yep. Enemies that are more dangerous than poorly designed bosses, of which there aren't even ten in all of ShanFro. One of them is Tombguard Wethermon."

"Phew... Okay, I've calmed down. For now, I have three questions."

"Go ahead, Sunraku-kun. As the client, I'll answer sincerely."

This reaction must have been within her expectations; Pencil Warrior maintained her composed smile even at my questions.

"Well, simply put... Why? When? What are the odds?"

"Isn't that too simple? Well, let's answer in order. First, why you two... there are some complicated circumstances, but to summarize, he's not someone you can beat just by gathering numbers. In fact, the Ashura-kai formed a subjugation squad with their top fifteen members and got absolutely beaten to a pulp."

"...Is it the type where health and attack power scale with the number of players?"

Katzotataki's point was something I was thinking too. In a game premised on multiplayer, boss buffs proportional to the number of people are a cliché among clichés. Especially for a Unique Monster... if it belongs to the same category as Lycaon the Nightwalker, it’s not hard to imagine how brutal its specs would become if its base stats were further enhanced by a headcount modifier.

"That's part of it, but it's a bit more troublesome than that. I'll disclose more information if you agree. Next is when... There is only one chance. The night immediately after the major summer update two weeks from now. That is the execution day."

Two weeks... It feels short but is also long. As a preparation period, it's on the longer side. Katzotataki seemed to understand that too, so he didn't say anything particular. But the main issue is the third point.

"What are the odds? I hate to say it, but I'm only level 30-something, you know?"

"I'm level 25."

"Wow, scrubs. You two are too weak...?"

I'm gonna punch you... joking aside, judging by the Lycaon example, I really don't understand why she'd choose us. If there are too many people, it gets too strong, so we challenge it with a chaotic few... okay, I get that part. But I don't get the intention behind specifying me and Katzo. Sure, both Katzo and I pride ourselves on our player skill, but if you're forming a small elite team for a Unique Monster, shouldn't you get people stronger than us... like level-capped players such as that hardcore gamer (Psyger-0)?

"No, levels can be managed however we want. What we need to face that insanely strong samurai isn't levels or the strongest equipment... it's pure player skill. That is why I need the power of a Pro Gamer (Katzo-kun) and a Trash Gamer (Sunraku-kun)."

"Pro Gamer and Trash Gamer aren't things you should list side-by-side, are they?"

"You're going to lower the prestige of Pro Gamers, so please step away, Trash Gamer."

It's frustrating, but I can't deny the words of a legit Pro Gamer...! I can't deny the reality that it looks like weeds placed next to haute cuisine, but hey, a Trash Gamer can still beat a Pro Gamer 30% of the time if it's in a trash game!

"Now, now... so, how about it? If you want additional rewards, I'm listening."

"The story is too good. I definitely sense some kind of ulterior motive... but Sunraku, what about you?"

"Me? Sure, I'll cooperate."

"Immediate decision, huh."

They say "a duck comes bearing leeks" (a stroke of luck), but for me right now, this is an opportunity like a duck dragging a cow along and going out of its way to cook sukiyaki for me. After all, the ultimate "Owata-style" battle I was seeking has come right to me. And a Unique Monster at that. I'm already destitute, so I have nothing to lose, and recovery isn't that difficult. Since Pencilgon proposed it, I'm sure there's a catch... but even knowing that, it's more fun to ride along.

"Sigh... by the way, if, hypothetically, you guys defeated this Wether-whatever by yourselves... about how much would you brag to me for not participating?"

"I'd put on a smug face until I die."

"I'd probably brag persistently every time we meet."

"You guys... Well then, I have no choice but to join."

Despite his words, there was no reluctance in his expression. This tsundere, he's probably jumping for joy on the inside.

"Man, I knew you guys would accept. You're the kind of idiots who would charge into my castle, which was fortified with eighty players, with just two people..."

Pencil Warrior smiled as if looking at a distant scene, and both Katzotataki and I smiled wryly. Come to think of it, I was the one who proposed that back then... "Looks fun, let's go kill the King Assassin," or something like that.

"So, then."

Here starts the main topic.

"You're still hiding something, right? If you want us to be part of this, tell us that part too."

At my words, Pencil Warrior deepened her smile even further.

Author's Notes & Lore:

The Three Gamer Types

• • Sunraku: Looks like a theorist but is actually an improv-man. His tension and player skill are linked.
  • Katzo: Looks like an improv-man but is actually a theorist. He never skips preliminary research or practice.
  • Pencil: In reality, her player skill itself isn't that high. She kills you by combining the situation and status effects.