Chapter 67: Dedicated to a Moment Part 14

Sunraku resumed dealing with Wethermon the Tombguard. Meanwhile, OiKatzo, who had broken away, saw it up close. His first impression was "a dump truck with legs," but after observing its entire form, his revised impression was "a tank bouncing around." Perhaps designed to match the coloring of Wethermon the Tombguard's armor, the black and white steel body was massive enough to loom over him. In the gaps of the armor, bundles of tubes resembling artificial muscles—thick enough to remind one of dump truck tires—were visible. Even for a pro gamer with horseback riding experience in Cavalry Crisis (albeit limited to in-game), before even thinking about mastering it, he was forced to ask, "How am I supposed to ride this?"

"This thing is going to run around the area scattering missiles and lasers?"

"I think experiencing the feelings of a bowling pin being knocked flying is a rarity in my life."

While grumbling "No kidding," OiKatzo observed the gigantic mechanical horse... Kirin, as it prepared to move.

"With Sunraku holding out, there's no way I'm just going to be the extra life recovery guy...! Found it, the hatch!"

He sprinted toward Kirin's hind leg. This wasn't a dime-a-dozen game with loosely thrown-in sci-fi elements; it was a game where the lore was fleshed out to a maddening degree, fully recreated, and balanced with gameplay. If the developers were to create a hint for conquest without breaking the lore, what would they place? OiKatzo's guess hit the mark: a maintenance ladder he had spotted. Since Sunraku was forced to allocate stats to skill/dexterity due to various circumstances, OiKatzo—who had gained nearly the same speed as Sunraku through his point allocation—climbed onto its back before Kirin's eyes could lock onto Sunraku.

"A horse needs a bridle, right...? Marionette Rope [Snake]!"

The skill OiKatzo called out to ensure success wasn't one of a Monk. It was a skill of an explorer who uncovers the unknown relying on ropes and a bit of magic, a seeker of wisdom... an Archaeologist. The rope, moving like a living snake due to the skill, wrapped tightly around Kirin's neck, creating a state just like attaching a bridle to a horse.

"I never thought I'd use my sub-job Archaeologist like this... I'll show you the technique of the national 3rd ranker in Cavalry Crisis, you wild horse!"

With the earth tremors and the roar of a neigh serving as the gong, OiKatzo's long, long rodeo began.

The Scales of Compensation. It is a Unique Item owned by the "Golden Scale Merchant Guild," a trading company run by NPCs. Even for Pencilgon, a player who had reached level 99 and seen various Uniques, it was an exceptional item she was forced to describe as "broken."

"Hey now, I've dumped in items totaling 30 million Mani and you're saying 'still good to go'? What a glutton."

Items Pencilgon had collected throughout her playtime, plus high-value items gathered through trading and buying/selling—a massive amount of items totaling a market value of 30 million Mani were placed as data onto the left pan. Naturally, the scale tipped until the left pan touched the ground.

"The rate is 1 point per 100,000. I'm counting on you, Libra-chan... 'The scales maintain balance, value into numbers, strength unmatched by ten thousand'! Was that it?"

The tediousness specific to Unique Items due to being overly faithful to the lore... for example, spells prepared for each use. Pencilgon activated the effect that could become the trump card in this situation.

Unique Item "Scales of Compensation." A Unique Item kept secret by the NPC guild "Golden Scale Merchant Guild" as a symbol of commerce. By placing items into the left pan... the "Offering Pan," one can receive various blessings from the right pan... the "Grace Pan," according to their value. This could be gold coins equal to the value of the items placed on the left pan... or it could grant status points exceeding the level cap (.........), albeit with the major restriction of being temporary.

"My entire fortune, additional status points. Total 300 points... Take it, you thief!"

Two windows displayed before Pencilgon's eyes. As a prelude, 50 points each were slammed into the brawler type specialized in toughness, and the pervert type specialized in technique and luck whose purpose was unclear.

"Ooooh!?"

Suddenly, the attacks unleashed by Wethermon the Tombguard seemed to slow down. The discrepancy in sensation was so great I inadvertently let out a goofy voice. But I realized immediately that wasn't it.

"Is this the 'grand preparation'...?!"

With a body moving significantly more according to my will than before, I dodged Wethermon the Tombguard's sword. Immediately after, along with a shock like being tapped lightly from inside my body, the sensation of breathlessness vanished.

"Kesa-giri, rising slash, spinning slash."

I dodged the kesa-giri with a side step, parried the rising slash using the Lake Dagger [Mod. II], and jumped back three steps to escape the range of the spinning slash. In the instant the attack paused, I closed in at once and activated Drill Piercer with the dagger in my right hand. My target wasn't the torso or the face.

"Pinpoint aim!"

The hand gripping the sword that looked like blue crystal, seemingly fragile enough to break at a glance... the fingers. The spiral effect, which had increased in ferocity, slashed as if caressing Wethermon the Tombguard's fingers, which had stiffened in the recovery motion of the spinning slash, and multi-hits popped off. Indeed, Wethermon the Tombguard is hard; attacking normally would wear down durability in a flash, just like the Twin Emperor Bee Swords. But for monsters with sturdy armor, the weak points have been decided since ancient times to be the joints and extremities!

As if backing up my attack, power filled my body, and the Lake Dagger [Mod. II] certainly chipped away at Wethermon the Tombguard's fingers. But it wasn't enough; the spiral effect unraveled, signaling the end of the skill. One more step. Just a little more and the hand gripping the sword, which had started to loosen, would open. What should I do? I'll do this. I tossed the dagger in my left hand upward, stepped in one more step, and activated Infight. The effect cloaking my left hand was the light of luck; the value of 74 received a correction and was converted into damage, striking not the loosening fingers of Wethermon the Tombguard... but the hilt of the katana.

"Hand of Fortune!"

As if slipping out, the katana left Wethermon the Tombguard's hand and flew far away. Faster than Wethermon could react, I caught the falling dagger, shoved it into my inventory, and secured Wethermon's katana which had stabbed into the ground.

"Hah-haa! A swordsman without a sword is synonymous with curry without roux! Serves you right, you White Rice Bastard!"

I knew it, but I can't put it in my inventory as an item, huh? The weight transmitted through my hand conveyed that I didn't have the qualification to wield this... that I didn't have the stats sufficient to wield this odachi that looked like nothing but a greatsword. But I didn't blow this sword away because I wanted it. Loot comes after the drop. The fact that Wethermon the Tombguard lost his katana, sealing both that troublesome super-speed Iai and the lightning strikes, is huge. Now, from here on is Round Two. All you can do with your bare hands is at best area attacks with those cloud arms...

"Great Storm (Ooshike)."

"Riiiiiice!?"

I underestimated it! I underestimated the White Rice Power! Damn it, should I call it the dignity of a staple food... No, calm down, what is White Rice Power anyway? A grab attack (....) unleashed from a rapid approach so fast it was doubtful if the current me could match that speed even with Best Step and Skate Foot activated simultaneously. There's no need to think about what happens if caught by that widely opened palm. Forget being thrown; just the force applied would probably kill me. It was lucky I dodged it the first time, but my position is bad.

"......"

"......"

"......"

While Kirin and OiKatzo were unfolding a roaring rodeo, silence spread among the three parties. This is bad; I was so full up with dodging I ended up near Pencilgon.

"Great (Oo)..."

"Uhe!"

"I knew it!"

In times like this, a strong enemy's kindness is that they will almost certainly do the thing you don't want them to do... Throw that kind of kindness in the trash can. Wethermon the Tombguard changed targets to Pencilgon. I attempted to steal aggro by slashing at his back with the forcibly swung Wethermon's katana as he initiated the grab attack. How about that? It's chip damage akin to a handicap run, but you were slashed in the back with your own weapon. Will you still aim for Pencilgon...?

"...Storm (Shike)."

"Uguo!"

Impact to the throat, and a floating sensation enveloping my whole body... Damn, I was grabbed. No, but if this bought time for Pencilgon to retreat, then this is correct...

"Ube!!?"

In an instant, the world inverted, the world went dark, and the world went bright. Since I ended up revived, did he perhaps throw me and smash me headfirst into the ground in that instant? Damn, I feel like I was thrown into a washing machine running at full power and then crushed by a press along with the machine. While being revived by the Tear Jewel of Rebirth that Pencilgon threw while retreating, I opened up the distance.

"Is it still manageable if I let him hold the katana...?"

His reach gets shorter, but being grabbed at a timing faster than swinging a sword means I have to rethink my countermeasures, which were improvised to begin with. Being told to scrap the strategy chart I desperately constructed and rebuild it again is heartbreaking.

"I'll do it. Let's have a stylish life-or-death sword fight...! Wait, that's just regular killing each other."

"Severing Wind (Tachikaze)."

"Tsaaaai!!"

What a murderous tsukkomi (retort)! If it weren't me, I'd be dead. The ceaseless earth tremors are proof that OiKatzo is continuing the rodeo. If I tire out here, I'll be mocked for generations.

"Nnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaa!?"

OiKatzo had succeeded in mounting the Tactical Mecha-Horse [Kirin], but a few seconds later, he realized his preparation had been futile.

"Ka-Katzo-kun, are you okay!?"

"I-I'm okaaayyyy!!"

"Eh, what language is that?"

It was like clinging to a roller coaster without safety restraints; it was no longer in the dimension of being thrown off or not. If one had to use a metaphor, it felt like becoming a doll swung around by a toddler. Mastering it was out of the question; he could only cling to the rope so as not to be thrown off.

(Crap... the centrifugal force is...!!)

Just when he thought he was thrown to the left, he was blown to the right with tremendous force. Just when he thought he barely managed to return to Kirin's back, he was launched straight up and swung around in that state. And above all, every time he failed to land on Kirin's back, he took damage, so simply clinging wasn't enough. If he hadn't used the item Pencilgon gave him beforehand that granted a regeneration effect, his death count would have increased even more.

(Even just now... that's 2 deaths. Unlike Sunraku, for me, even 1 death could be a fatal wound.)

It was only manageable because Pencilgon was reviving him immediately, but if he left Kirin alone for more than ten seconds, what awaited was the chaos of that massive mass rampaging throughout the field. In his shaking vision, OiKatzo, still refusing to let go of the rope, spun his thoughts at full speed to see if he could somehow deal with Kirin's movements.

(Damn, this is supposed to be Sunraku's area of expertise...!!)

OiKatzo... The pro gamer Uomi Kei is often misunderstood due to his playstyle, but in reality, he is a hardcore theorist. He gathers as much information on the opponent as possible, thinks in advance, "What to do in this case," "How to corner them to force out this move," and "What is the best move to counter that," and then applies it in actual combat... He is the exact opposite type of a certain trash-eating bird-brain who constructs strategies on the spot starting with "Let's just charge." In that respect, this conquest of Wethermon the Tombguard was extremely incompatible with OiKatzo. The information itself wasn't substantial enough to satisfy OiKatzo, and due to its nature, it was an unrehearsed, live performance.

(What to do... I didn't expect it to rampage this much. Isn't posture control an impossible game...?)

He felt like a yo-yo being swung around recklessly. At this rate, the durability of the rope—a weapon usable by Archaeologists—would reach its limit before long.

"Ouch!"

And, the moment his hip was slammed hard against Kirin's neck, OiKatzo received a revelation.

(...Ah, I see. I'm being swung around because I myself can't brace firmly.)

The scales shine, the rope dances, and a half-naked man dances on the field. Two minutes remaining until twenty minutes have elapsed since the challenge to Wethermon the Tombguard began.

Author's Notes & Lore

• Scales of Compensation: Since it works without issue on the protagonist, who repels buffs/debuffs below a certain level due to Lycaon's Curse, the Scales of Compensation is a top-class Unique Item. This item is essential to produce the theoretical highest firepower in this game.
  • In other words, Heroine-chan was a fake max firepower...?
  • By the way, obtaining this Unique Item is an impregnable fortress of difficulty; even Pencilgon, fully utilizing violence, negotiation, and concessions, could only "temporarily borrow" it.