Chapter 350: O Dragon, O Dragon! Part 15

Author's Preface
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PN: Sunraku
LV: 99 Extend
JOB: Mercenary (Dual-Wielder)
1,000 Mani
HP (Health): 80
MP (Magic): 50
STM (Stamina): 100
STR (Strength): 100
DEX (Dexterity): 100
AGI (Agility): 100
TEC (Technique): 80
VIT (Vitality): 1 (5320)
LUC (Luck): 129
Skills

• Flowing Flash Dance

• Single Thought, Rock Pierce

• Formula Drift Lv.1

• Moment Sight

• Airgetlam Lv.1

• Trial Traverse Lv.1

• Shana-oh Possession

• Gravity Zero Lv.1

• Flit Float

• Managarmr Pride

• Vorpal Secret Art【Fading Mirror】

• Burnout Lv.1

• Riot Accel Lv.1

• Blood Battle Principle

• Lethe Vanisher

• Dirty Sword Lv.1

• Kaito Ranma

• Vorpal Blade Arts 【Half-Moon Severing】 Third Form

• Sengoku Burai Lv.1

• Sword Dance 【Spinning Blade】

• Persistand

• Melostic Foot

Equipment
Right: Areadbhair Rebuild
Left: Mirror Shield of the Nether-King (Dis Pater)
Head: True Gaze Bird Mask (VIT+20)
Torso: Lycaon's Scar
Waist: Lacedaemon Girdle (VIT+5300)
Legs: Lycaon's Scar
Accessory: Inventory Key: Inventoria
Accessory: Levin Trigger: Hazard
Accessory: Star Cloak of Lapistella
Accessory: Goblin Doll (Minor HP Regen)
Accessory: Skeleton Doll (Minor Stamina Recovery Speed Increase)
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Apparently, there's a novel out there that, despite being in the VR Game category, kept its stats practically locked in place for about 100 chapters.

You're supposed to stand in the center, yet it's shifted off its foundation. Isn't that a design flaw?

"Let's see, for now I just stand in the middle and... what was it again, just stand completely still?"

Ah, I feel like an event is about to trigger! Alright, time to strike a pose right here!!

".........Heh."

"Hoaaah... Sunraku-san, you can even operate things you're seeing for the first time, desu wa?"

"Nah, I just accidentally triggered it by striking a cool pose."

Ignoring Emul, who performed a spectacular comedic slip and fell flat on her back, rays of light emitted from the tips of the "claws"—which were curving inward—and bathed my body.
Speaking of lasers immediately makes me think of the Heat Gaze (Eye Beam) fired by that goddamn tail-head, but it seems a player facility doesn't come equipped with that level of a bullshit surprise-attack mechanic.

"A-Are you alright, desu wa!?"

"If you're asking about my pose, it's absolutely perfect."

"I was worried about your head, desu wa!?"

How impudent.
Posing as if I'm enjoying a Saturday night to the absolute fullest while being bathed in light from every direction makes me feel like I'm being targeted by snipers from all sides, which leaves my heart feeling a bit restless. However, it seems the tilted disc's inspection of the entity known as "Me" is proceeding to the next stage.

『───Subject of Project Number Two confirmed』

『───Commencing physical inspection』

"...I see. So no matter what, the mention of Project Number Two comes up here."

If players are Number Two, then who the hell is Number One? While they are clearly defined as being distinct from Players (Pioneers), there are certain individuals whom Ctarrnid deemed worthy of granting rewards to just like the Pioneers... Yeah, nine times out of ten it's NPCs. Specifically humans or entities close to them, right?

『───Inspecting.........』

『───Biological mana control organ "Mana Organ" confirmed』

『───Accumulated mana particles confirmed to exceed designated numerical values』

『───Program "Extend" approved. Commencing execution』

"O-O-Oh?"

"I-It started spinning, desu wa..."

Not me, mind you. The "claws" installed on the outer circumference of the disc did. It seems this disc is composed of separate parts for the outer ring and the inner core, and the "claws" mounted on the outer edge are gradually increasing their rotational speed.

Holograms resembling system windows popped up all over the disc, and strings of text started flowing by at high speed. It doesn't really matter, but it's in English. Yep.

"M-My power is overflow... wait, I don't really feel anything like that."

I'm just watching the strings of text flow by without any particular... What's wrong, Emul? Why are you looking at me like I'm something incredibly dangerous?

"Sunraku-san! Sunraku-san!"

"What is it?"

"No, no, no! You're on fire, desu wa!!"

"What is?"

"You are, Sunraku-san!!"

HAHAHA, what nonsense are you...

"Whoa, I'm actually on fire!"

My legs! The tips of my legs... actually, my fingertips too! You've gotta be kidding me, to think there'd be a surprise-attack mechanic here of all places... D-Damn you, Deep Slaughter! And Kyou-timate! Divine Punishment for both of you... wait, huh, this is.

"...My HP isn't actually decreasing at all."

Oh, so I don't need to worry about it then.

"Chicken wings and maple leaves."

".........?"

Kuh, I suppose she won't pick up on that joke... Those two fiends would have definitely burst into laughter at that one.

『───Releasing accumulated particles』

『───In conjunction, commencing physical alteration of the subject』

『───error. Undetermined inhibitory factor confirmed within the physical body』

『─────』

『───Inspection complete. Judged that physical alteration will proceed without issue. Resuming alteration sequence』

『───Thirty seconds remaining......』

Hold on a second, did it just say physical alteration? Did you just say physical alteration!? You were saying all sorts of ominous things right before that, too, weren't you!?

"Please don't tell me I'm going to wake up and find out I've turned into a tiger..."

It's not like I harbor any ambitions of becoming a poet or anything.
The pseudo-system windows popping in and out of existence rapidly increased in number, and the rays of light fired from the spinning "claws" illuminated every inch of my body as it burned with harmless flames.

Then, accompanied by an effect that looked like shattering chains... all the holographic windows shattered into pieces.

『───Physical alteration complete』

『───Mana particle compatibility limiter released』

『────』

『──』

『』

『───May fortune bless your pioneering』

.........Is it over?
I never expected to be encouraged by a facility, but... well, that doesn't matter right now.

"Kukuku..."

"S-Sunraku-san?"

"Fufufu... Ahahahahahahaha!!!"

"Sunraku-san has finally lost his mind, desu waaaa!"

That bastard, Deep Slaughter! I see, I see, this is definitely something I can convert into motivation! Kukuku, there's absolutely no way I can just quietly back out after being shown something like this, now is there!?

"Emul, get ready to return to the frontlines."

"Eh, a-a-y-yes, sir!?"

Kukukukuku... To test the performance of the newly reborn Sunraku, a Raid Monster is the perfect opponent.

Let me declare it right now. In this match... I will be the winner.

Fire, Wind, Lightning, Water, Earth.
For a player who has reached the highest-tier job, "Sage," the only remaining obstacle to learning magic is the total amount of their MP. As long as they "obtain the grimoire," they can learn absolutely any magic in existence.
Furthermore, if one includes the use of Magic Scrolls, it is no exaggeration to say they can functionally utilize every single spell.

That is precisely the reason why the current Deep Slaughter is capable of wielding all forms of magic, and Half the reason why she is able to single-handedly maintain the battle lines alongside Tottori the Shimane and the Forest-folks.

(Right side, support the two Forest-folks)
(Aggro to Tottori in the rear)
(Divert aggro toward "Scar")
(Appropriate measure...)
(Use 【Reserve Spell】 to pre-cast 【External Hate】)
(【Ether Burst】)
(Close the distance using Formula Drift)

Deep Slaughter calls this technique Parallel Simultaneous Processing (Multitasking).
In the game Shangri-La Frontier, the player base has reached the conclusion that, as a general rule, it is "impossible" for a single player to activate multiple skills or spells simultaneously.

First and foremost, no matter how much chant omission is utilized, the spell's name must be spoken. And even with systems like skills that react to thoughts, intentionally separating one's thoughts from their physical actions is exceedingly difficult.

However, that was never proven to be a "systematic impossibility," and precisely because of that, Deep Slaughter established that technique—or rather, was able to establish it.

Dividing one's thoughts, and simultaneously operating those divided thoughts.
Deep Slaughter's technique—which could be considered the absolute pinnacle of her excessively high "Full-Dive Aptitude," effectively acting as multiple people in one body—allowed her to calculate highly efficient, computer-like responses to the chaotic spectacle unfolding on the battlefield.

By using 【Reserve Spell】 to activate a spell ahead of time so it triggers after a set delay, she effectively operates on the completely absurd logic of "As long as the system recognizes the thought process, I just need to visualize the activation." Thus, she envisions a skill in her mind while simultaneously chanting an entirely different spell with her mouth.

The culmination of this is the "perfectly simultaneous activation of two spells and skills"—a form of multitasking so bizarre it goes beyond mere acrobatics.

"【Ether Burst】!"

Slipping under the crotch of the Devouring Great Crimson Clad via the effect of Formula Drift, she shoved all the surrounding aggro onto "Scar." Before the system could even finish processing that action, she pierced the Devouring Great Crimson Clad's belly with a flash of light blending four distinct colors.
With all of the Devouring Great Crimson Clad's heads completely focused on "Scar," she stood like a shield in front of two young Forest-folks who had narrowly escaped death.

"Hello there, Forest-folks. If you go and die carelessly, Tottori-kun might lose his motivation, you know."

"Th-Thank you so much..."

To Deep Slaughter, NPCs were nothing more than mobs with slightly different graphics and system-assigned numerical values.
Therefore, regardless of what kind of expressions they made or what kind of voices they used, she fully intended to brush them off with a dirty joke without a care in the world.

"B-But... where did that strange man with the bird head go?"

"S-Surely he didn't get scared and run a—Gah!?"

A flash.
A single swing of a magic sword—calibrated to "ninety-percent kill" them, ensuring it wasn't a fatal wound but leaving the already injured Forest-folks on the brink of death—sliced through the two youths.
Then, grabbing the necks of the Forest-folks—who were appealing to her with eyes screaming "Why?"—with her slender hands, she choked them with a level of STR (Physical Strength) completely unimaginable from her appearance.

"Hmm... Getting pissed off at mere Strings of Text (Data) is pretty childish, I know. Buuuuuuut."

A smile. An unnaturally wide smile completely detached from the actions of her body from the neck down.
Floating a smile that would look more natural if one called it a cheap photoshop collage, Deep Slaughter quietly declared.

"Don't you dare talk about him as if you know him, you mere strings of text. I understand him far better than you do... Sunraku-kun would never run away. Absolutely never, alright...?"

"S-Sa...ve..."

"H-Hii... K-Kill... me..."

Deep Slaughter's beaming smile remained completely unchanging, like a still image.
Karma values accumulate, but as long as the Player doesn't land the finishing blow, their PN won't turn red.
And if Deep Slaughter—who held roughly eighty percent of the aggro management on this battlefield—felt like it, legally murdering these two would be...

"───Tch."

"...Ah."

Tottori wasn't looking in their direction, and neither were the other Forest-folks. That is exactly why only the two young men currently being choked saw Deep Slaughter's "change."

"Ahaaa... That's it, Sunraku-kuuuun... That's exactly what I wanted to see from you...!"

From an inorganic smile to a completely melted, enraptured grin. "Terror" was deeply engraved into the data storage of the two young Forest-folks...

"I knew it. I'm the only one who truly understands you, Sunraku-kuuuun."

And then, He returned.

Author's Afterword
DeepThro-san is a hardcore Sunraku fan.
Heroine-chan is a hardcore Sunraku (Rakuro Hizutome) fan.

By the way, the reason the protagonist caught on fire during the Extend processing was purely a visual effect indicating he had a massive amount of accumulated experience points. If it were someone like 100-neesan, the fire would have been even larger.