Chapter 96: Dancing Conference, Circulating Schemes, and Zombies

Given that running away forever is a bit much, I gave up. For now, after returning to Eighthold, Bilac and Aramis transferred to Rabituza, but for some reason, I was asked to keep Emul with me.

"If we're going to stop the rampaging Animalia-chan, it'll probably turn into a hazard if Emul-chan isn't there."

"It's not a zombie movie... Why are you looking into the distance and falling silent, OiKatzo?"

Is it that bad? Is it that bad for him!?

"I already sent the email, so she should be here soon..."

Complaining about how much I didn't want to be here and wanted to go home at the NPC cafe designated by Pencilgon as the meeting place for about ten minutes.

While feeling slightly amused by the sight of OiKatzo grimacing at the bland cake, I sensed an unusual presence. Turning around, despite being digital avatars, female players swaying toward us like zombies appeared.

"Let's go, Scapegoat."

"Drop dead, you No-Unique bastard... Ha, hahaha, long time no see since Thirdrema, huh?"

Swaying and swaying closer... Uwaaaaa there are a bunch of players in similar states behind her!?

Scary, what is that? Was a zombie virus implemented? Status ailment "Zombie Hazard" or something?

Animalia-san's eyes are fixed straight on me... no, wrong. Perhaps sensing instinctive danger, they are fixed solely on Emul pretending to be a muffler around my neck.

"Emul, time to show your Vorpal Soul."

"Jumping out here isn't Vorpal Soul, it's hilarious suicide desu wa...!"

Finally, Animalia-san stood before me. Amazing, this game even reproduces bloodshot eyes... hahaha, where's the shotgun?

[Friend Request received from Animalia.]
["Start with a screenshot and a handshake, please."]

Suu (Gently offering Emul)

Ba (Emul looking at me with eyes of despair)

"Sorry Emul, it's not me the customer wants."

"Apyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!?"

The moment Animalia-san picked up Emul, the players waiting behind swarmed Animalia and Emul all at once.

They're an animal-loving clan, so they shouldn't do anything terrible... probably.

"Like zombies swarming fresh meat..."

"Shh, Katzo-kun, there are words in this world better kept in your heart!"

Isn't your heart fully open the moment you say that line? While thinking that, players gathered one after another.

"Quite a sudden summons, isn't it, Pencilgon?"

"Yahoo Momo-chan, your misrepresentation is intense as always."

"Shut up!"

An avatar with a massive frame that makes you hallucinate the ground shaking with each step, clad in divine armor that doesn't feel a fragment of the evil from back then... Psyger-0.

And next to her, a female player with straight red hair, wearing a long coat and armor protecting vital points, with a sword resembling the "Holy Spear Caledfwlch" Pencilgon held hanging at her waist.

It seems she knows Pencilgon, and their conversation isn't that of strangers.

While returning the nod to Psyger-0-shi who nodded at me, I feel my "want to go home" meter rising rapidly.

"...H-Hello."

"Ah, hello."

Talking to this person makes me feel like a gunman in a Western. Quick draw of conversation, take the initiative or wait...

"Why are you glaring at each other like it's a duel... Nice to meet you, I suppose. I am Saiga-100, the leader of the clan 'Black Wolf'."

"Hello there."

"I've heard rumors about you. I definitely wanted to talk to the player who received two 'Curses' from Lycaon."

Thanks to that, I've gotten used to half-naked life, though. Curse you, Lycaon.

While shaking hands with Saiga-100-shi, Psyger-0-shi is staring at me intensely for some reason, and my "want to go home" meter is about to break the limit.

"Oya, was I the last one?"

Hyoi. Pulling a chair from another table, the pink magical girl sat at our table. The way she sat down saying "Yoishorase" and her voice were truly like an old man, but her appearance was a magical girl. What is this bundle of contradictions?

"Hi there Saiga-100-kun, is my wife causing you trouble?"

"...Massive Dynamite-san is in the New Continent challenge group; she was the most excited."

From the flow of the conversation, the Professor's real-life wife's player name is Massive Dynamite? Is that a pro wrestler's ring name or something?

Aside from my question, mumbling that her heart is young as always, the magical girl... the Professor turned her gaze toward me.

"Goodness, I didn't think I'd be invited the very day I sent a friend request. Thanks to that, I sprinted full speed despite my age."

"Well, thought it would be bad to leave you out."

That's a lie; I called you to drag Pencilgon down with me.

That said, quite an amazing lineup has gathered. The Number One and Max Firepower (Dangerous Person) of the frontline clan "Black Wolf," Animalia-shi and others who are generally dangerous people, the fake magical girl of the Lore Clan... Yeah, isn't this just a gathering of eccentrics?

"Ehh, so thank you for taking the trouble to come. Presumptuously, Arthur Pencilgon, who recently washed her hands and graduated from PK cleanly, will act as the facilitator for this occasion. Ah... that animal-loving clan over there has business too, right? Regain your humanity~"

"'Regain your humanity' isn't a phrase you hear living normally, is it?"

"Ah, Sunraku you bastard! Let go!"

Like I'd let only you escape? Didn't expect the scapegoat to bite your hand, huh? Naive.

Capturing OiKatzo who tried to leave nonchalantly, Pencilgon points at me.

"Well, since our Human Tsuchinoko aka Sunraku has finally been captured, I asked you to gather here to answer the inquiries from you three all at once."

"Who's a Tsuchinoko!"

"Sunraku-kun, do you know you have a dedicated thread? There's even a search team, you know?"

"Eh, seriously?"

Indeed, I've played up until now trying to avoid getting involved with players as much as possible, but it seems the situation progressed without my knowledge before I knew it.

"Well, that aside, at least half of the inquiry from 'Black Wolf' and the inquiry from 'SF-Zoo' can only be solved by Sunraku-kun."

"............"

I quietly turn my gaze to Saiga-100 and Animalia.

I don't know what her relationship with Saiga-0-shi is, but she mentioned Lycaon earlier. It's probably related to that.

And Animalia-shi, this is a problem simpler than where an apple thrown up will fall, so no need to think about it.

"Go ahead. Our SF-Zoo inquiry can wait."

"Are you sure?"

"At least right now, I am very satisfied."

Where did the zombie-like appearance from earlier go? Animalia-shi yields the initiative to Black Wolf with a glossy smile. I'm very anxious that Emul's voice stopped earlier, is she okay?

Emul didn't get torn apart inside that mass of people behind her, right?

"Then, straight to the point... We, the clan 'Black Wolf,' want information on Unique Monsters. Especially Lycaon the Night Raider."

At Saiga-100's direct request, I ponder for a moment.

"Our 'Black Wolf's' ultimate goal is the 'Subjugation of Lycaon the Night Raider'... but embarrassingly, up until now, we haven't fought a Unique Monster properly. Furthermore, even now that you guys defeated the Unique Monster 'Tombguard Wethermon,' we have no information other than 'they are strong'."

Adding that she intends to pay a reward for the information, Saiga-100 concludes her words and stares straight at me.

I see, information regarding Lycaon the Night Raider and the Unique Monster system. Indeed, only I can answer about Lycaon the Night Raider, but Pencilgon can answer the other half.

(However...)

There is one more hidden card only I know in this place. Unique Scenario EX "Epic of Vorpal Bunny," a Unique Scenario related to the Unique Monster "Vysache."

Honestly, I don't intend to reveal this to other players, but there are ways to use it without revealing it. Information becomes an advantage just by hinting at its existence; currently holding effectively three of the seven jokers in Shangri-La Frontier, I am in a very advantageous position, but...

"Nn? What? Fell for my beauty?"

"...Hah."

"There are actions that surpass a thousand words, you know. I'll smack you."

The problem is this guy, Pencilgon. If I spill even a fragment of information, she will sniff out my hand like a police dog. No, she might have already sniffed it out.

I can't imagine a Unique Scenario granting connections to multiple Vorpal Bunnies and Cait Siths is common, and since Divine Age technology is blatantly involved, I should assume she's sensed it even if she hasn't asked.

"...First of all, I think it's probably impossible to defeat a Unique Monster just by fighting it."

Saving the trump card called Vysache for now, I decided to play cards starting from Wethermon, which already has no value, and provide information separately to the three factions present here.

"Most likely, Unique Monsters have dedicated scenarios. For example, for the Unique Monster 'Tombguard Wethermon' that we 'Wolfgang' defeated, we had to accept a 'Unique Scenario EX' as a prerequisite to challenge him."

"Regarding that, my knowledge is superior, so I'll take over, Sunraku-kun. Unique Monsters are special monsters that form the core of EX Scenarios. Black Wolf seems to be desperately chasing Lycaon, but unless you raise the scenario flag somewhere, I think you can never defeat her... well, repelling her is the best you can do, maybe?"

Furthermore, just because the scenario flags for Wethermon and Vysache were raised on this continent doesn't mean other Unique Monsters are the same.

The New Continent, where not even 10% of the full picture has been revealed yet, has a more than sufficient possibility of being the place where flags for other Unique Monsters occur.

"That's right. If you want to know what kind of monster Tombguard Wethermon is... I might just give this 'Tome of Truth Tombguard Edition' to the person who shoulders the most of my debt?"

"Truly shrewd, Pencilgon..."

Me and OiKatzo sigh at Pencilgon trying to sell off the Tome of Truth, which becomes worthless after reading two or three times, at a high price in a very natural flow.

Amidst the glint in the eyes of the leader of the Lore Clan (Library), the briefing session from the weak clan to the frontline clans continues.

Author's Afterword
Image of Unique Monsters currently grasped by players... aka Lore Dump

• Lycaon the Night Raider
  Random encounter black wolf. Clan Black Wolf is apparently chasing it, but results aren't great.
  Actually female.
• Ctarrnid of the Abyss
  Appears to be an octopus-like Unique Monster appearing in the sea. Judging by the insane NPCs, could it be Cthu... Ah, the window! The window!
  Actually can function on land too.
• Siegwurm the Heavenly Sovereign
  Random encounter golden dragon. Rarely seen looking up at the sky. Apparently can be fought in the area "Heavenly Sanctuary of High Aspirations" (Kiu Soudai no Tenseichi)...?
  Hero fetishist, so quite talkative.
• Orchestra of the Reverberating Nether
  A Unique Monster whose name alone was discovered by an information broker player who infiltrated the royal castle of "Einwurf," the only human kingdom currently confirmed in Shangri-La Frontier. It's written to control tsunamis, clad in fire, drop lightning, and command monsters... sounds dangerous...
  Actually the protagonist's natural enemy.
• Tombguard Wethermon
  Defeated before anyone noticed, what's going on... Rumored to be a humanoid monster.
  Actually a pretty amazing person.
• ?? of ????????
  Though its name is unknown, only one person knows its true identity and form.
  Actually the oldest in the world.
• ?? of ???????
  Unknown. Its name, form, and true identity.
  A cute girl with a stripping habit (feigning ignorance).