Chapter 74: The Advancing World, The Revealed Hero

Shangri-La Frontier was buzzing with the contents of the large-scale update. It was a truly sudden occurrence.

Clang, clang... the solemn sound of bells echoed. While most new players stared in confusion, wondering what was happening, those who had played since the service launch recalled that this was a so-called Game Master announcement.

『Attention to all players playing Shangri-La Frontier.』

"What is it?"

"Was there a bug in the update content?"

"Ah, probably that."

While most players guessed there was some defect in the update just implemented, the content announced was something that astounded every player.

『As of this moment, we have confirmed the subjugation of the Unique Monster "Wethermon the Tombguard." The subjugators are the three players: "Sunraku," "OiKatzo," and "Arthur Pencilgon." Furthermore, accompanying the subjugation of the Unique Monster, we report the progression of the World Quest "Shangri-La Frontier."』

"Haaaaa!?"

"Wait, a Unique Monster!? Seriously, they defeated one!?"

"With just three people!? And I've never even heard of Wethermon the Tombguard!"

Seven monsters, starting with Lycaon the Nightslayer and Siegwurm the Heavenly Sovereign. These so-called World Enemies, treated as one-of-a-kind and exceptionally powerful monsters in other games, were conquered by just three players. That fact spread among the players of Shangri-La Frontier in the blink of an eye, and attempts to identify the revealed player names began.

"Arthur Pencilgon... isn't that the guy from the Asura Kai?"

"Didn't the Asura Kai get crushed by a coalition of top clans?"

"Sunraku is that bird-masked player with the 'Vorpal Bunny'..."

"Why is a player who was in Thirdrema until recently participating in a Unique Monster hunt!?"

"By the way, who is OiKatzo?"

"Never heard that name... Extra Bonito flakes (Oi-Katsuo)?"

Furthermore, there were those bustling about in a different direction than identifying the subjugators.

"Hey, isn't there anyone who can contact 'The Professor' in real life!?"

"His wife is in Black Wolves, right? Someone ask her to call him!"

"To think the unknown slots of the 'Seven Colossi' would be revealed here..."

"Siegwurm, Lycaon, Ctarrnid, Orchestra, and Wethermon... two unknown slots left."

Clan "Library." Players dedicated to analyzing the worldview of Shangri-La Frontier became active at the sudden revelation of new lore elements.

"I just sent a messenger to his wife, hopefully she's logged in..."

"Does this mean all Unique Monsters are on this continent?"

"No, just because it appeared doesn't mean the field where you actually fight it is on this continent. Besides, Orchestra and Ctarrnid were revealed through NPC dialogue, so it's not even certain where they are."

"Lycaon and Siegwurm, who have actually been sighted, are random encounters, so it wouldn't be strange if they were on the new continent."

"No, investigating the World Quest is top priority right now. Is it different from the Grand Quest?"

"We can assume it's treated differently from the normal story. If the rough story is 'Pioneer the world in cooperation with NPCs,' then the World Quest can be thought of as 'The world itself has advanced to the next stage.'"

"If so, there's a possibility some change has occurred. Should we ask Black Wolves to investigate?"

"No, rather than that, analyze Wethermon first. Contact the players who defeated it..."

"The wife said she'd slap the Professor awake and call him right away!"

"Alright! Thank you, Professor's wife!"

"Poor Professor, getting slapped awake..."

Naturally, that information reached the top clans that were boiling over with excitement from the destruction of the Asura Kai.

"I thought Arthur Pencilgon was missing... but a Unique Monster subjugation!?"

"Wait, Sunraku is the one who got hit with Lycaon's curse..."

"Leader!"

"Leader!"

Ahead of where the clan members directed their gazes, a woman stood up quietly. She was clad in equipment that balanced VIT higher than average heavy armor with good looks, all while prioritizing ease of movement.

"Good grief. To think there were players who defeated a Unique Monster ahead of us... The top clans have lost face."

"What shall we do? There's the matter of the expedition to the New Continent..."

"The trip to the New Continent remains unchanged, but I'll leave a few members, myself included, behind here. There's the matter of Lycaon's curse, and now I want to talk to them even more."

"What about Arthur Pencilgon? She's more trouble than the escaped Orcelott, isn't she?"

The leader of the clan "Black Wolves," Saiga-100, recalled a player with a face she recognized intensely—one of the people mentioned, the sub-leader of the PK clan "Asura Kai" they had just destroyed, and likely the culprit who sold out the Asura Kai via an informant.

(That woman... was this her goal in selling out the Asura Kai? If so, the Asura Kai was keeping a Unique Monster secret. We were used nicely; she really pulled one over on us...)

Although "Black Wolves" currently enjoyed the position of a top clan at the forefront of the strategy, their ultimate goal was the "Subjugation of Lycaon the Nightslayer." Being used conveniently, having the glory of the first Unique Monster subjugation snatched away, and to top it off, Arthur Pencilgon even had the important person, the player named Sunraku, in her grasp. Saiga-100 gritted her teeth at the fact that Pencilgon, with whom she had no small connection, was several moves ahead. However, she immediately switched her mindset.

(Anyway, it's fine as long as I can contact him somehow. Depending on the situation, I might even consider negotiation via "Laundering"... Fufufu, this is getting fun, isn't it...!)

The clan members looked suspiciously at Saiga-100, who wore a carnivorous smile. Then, Saiga-100 suddenly realized that a person who should have been there was missing.

"Hm? Rei... cough cough, where did Saiga-0 go?"

"Come to think of it, she's not here."

"She said something earlier about a friend being in a pinch and used [Friend Warp]."

"Friend...? Ah, I think she said something about registering someone she was interested in..."

When she heard that her sister, who had lived a life unrelated to games until now, started playing the game she was obsessed with, Saiga-100 (Saiga Momoe) was overjoyed despite her age. But when she learned it was to get close to a man she was interested in, she was stunned that her sister was ahead of her, who was experiencing a drought of men. Saiga-100 looked a little distant but decided to honestly support her sister's love, telling the clan members not to worry about it.

At this point, Saiga-100 had no way of knowing that Saiga-0's friend was Sunraku.

Dumbfounded, astounded, stunned... there are many words to express it, but in summary, Orcelott listened to the GM announcement in a state of stupefaction.

"Defeated... Wethermon the Tombguard?"

That Wethermon who cut down Orcelott—who prided himself on being one of the best players in ShanFro as a Player Killer—in seconds? That armored warrior against whom even his sister, whom he didn't want to admit was superior to him, couldn't last a minute? They defeated it with just three people? That fact was shocking enough to blow away Orcelott's anger with confusion and shock.

"Sunraku is that... right?"

"Why is he with Pencilgon-san?"

He didn't even have the composure to care about the murmuring clan members. Orcelott simply collapsed, mouth agape in a daze. Everything he had built up collapsed overnight. The sense of superiority from knowing a Unique Monster that even the top clan "Black Wolves" or the lore clan "Library" didn't grasp was pulverized into dust. Orcelott's emotions couldn't catch up with his expression.

At that moment, a distortion was born in the center of the Secret Garden. And from there, three players appeared.

"Oh, Pencilgon's prediction was right. Is that the 'Failing Grade Orcelott' you two mentioned?"

"What's with that lame nickname? Is he Wethermon or something?"

"Ahaha, my foolish brother doesn't need such a grandiose name."

They were clearly exhausted, and Pencilgon didn't even have a weapon. But a definite sense of accomplishment floated on their faces. Furthermore, normally if one were defeated by Wethermon, they would respawn at the save point. The fact that the three appeared in this area reconfirmed that the subjugation of Wethermon was a fact.

"Y-You, you guys...!"

"What is it, foolish little brother? If you have complaints, say them. You only take boring methods, so I defeated it first. That's all."

".........! ......Ggh!"

At the utterly unreasonable way of speaking, the complaints and insults that should have come out of his mouth were choked back by sheer rage.

"Isn't that way of speaking a bit harsh after trapping the clan?"

"No, no, Sunraku-kun. These guys are third-rates who don't understand the essence of PK and are just acting tough. If they kill, they get killed back. But they became chickens because they were afraid of losing the weight they gained from getting fat... So I punched them in the gut to make them vomit everything up. That's all."

"Wow, isn't a genuinely pissed-off Pencilgon kind of rare...?"

"Aneki having a philosophy on PK is scary..."

"Shut up and listen, you shitty sister...! Enough, I'll kill you all right here... I'll seize every last drop item from Wethermon...!"

At those words, the remnants of the Asura Kai readied their weapons and surrounded the three. However, as for the three in question, they maintained their calm demeanor as if saying this was exactly as expected. Every single thing about them got on Orcelott's nerves. Especially that half-naked one. While dressed in a clearly mocking outfit, he possessed a Unique that no one knew about, and on top of that, he was a member of the Wethermon subjugation team. Every single fact was irritating. Orcelott hated the idea of strengthening the Asura Kai, which was already being targeted by numerous clans, and even more so, he hated the fact that a beginner had a Unique that even hardcore players didn't know about. He thought that if it was a beginner who didn't even grasp ShanFro's system properly, he could handle it with a little threat, but Orcelott finally realized that was a mistake. The greatest enemy was within his own family. By the time he noticed the spiderweb spread beneath the surface, it was too late for everything. The members who left departed the clan with the incomprehensible reason of "something feels different."

Orcelott finally snapped at the fact that nothing was going his way, and imbued the "Slaughter Bringer" he held with enhancement magic.

(First that half-naked guy (Sunraku), next that guy called OiKatzo, and finally that shitty sister. We'll gang up on them and beat them to a pulp...!)

Orcelott didn't notice. That his sister (Pencilgon) was sighing. That Pencilgon had realized long ago that Orcelott and his group were here, and his brother failed to understand the meaning behind why they came out despite that.

"Good grief... I always tell you to have a broad perspective, but you get lured by immediate profits..."

"Ah, he's the type who rages at his teammates for being incompetent while getting farmed for score by snipers in FPS games."

"Ah, I kind of get that."

Why were these three so calm? What reason allowed them to take that attitude in this situation? Just after the players other than Orcelott, whose blood had rushed to his head, showed suspicious expressions—

"Well, well. It's certainly an unexpected friendship for Sunraku-kun, but in this case, it was convenient."

A magic circle appeared in front of the three, strictly speaking, in front of Sunraku. An existence that shouldn't have been there fixed its presence in this place from the feet up. Its armor was a platinum knight possessing both divinity and a robustness that wouldn't suffer a single scratch from half-hearted attacks. At that figure, not only Orcelott but also the other Asura Kai members opened their eyes wide in surprise.

One of the PK countermeasures added in a previous update. If a player encounters a PK and is attacked, a "Rescue Signal" is sent to that player's friends. And, if there is someone among those friends who has mastered [Friend Warp]...

"In an MMO, not everything goes your way, right? That's why I've been telling you for a long time that offline single-player games suit you better."

"Ah, if you're going to play alone, I recommend Fairia Chronicle Online."

"Sunraku, you're a demon..."

"Saiga-0...!?"

Orcelott could never forget. The nightmare that had blown up the Asura Kai base spectacularly just a short while ago, the undisputed genuine Attack Holder was right before his eyes.

".........'Apocalypse'."

It took about fifty seconds for the Asura Kai to be annihilated, excluding Arthur Pencilgon. That was the limit of the defanged Player Killers.

Author's Afterword:

I think the biggest victim in this story is Orcelott-kun. His base was suddenly snitched on, he was overrun by top-class firepower and numbers, his information advantage was reduced to nothing in the end, and finally, he was beaten like a rag by his trauma. You could say he was made to pay the price for PK-ing to the level of becoming a Job: Murderer, but still. Frankly speaking, rather than a villain, he is a stage device to advance the story on Pencilgon's side. Note that Pencilgon, aka Towa-san, is living independently, so there won't be any "Brother forces disconnection in real life!" events.