Chapter 414: Candy, Whip, Information, and Jelly

"Sorry to suddenly derail the conversation, but I'm impressed you can stay so calm looking at me dressed like this."

"Equipment like that is not particularly uncommon, so..."

I gently turned my head to the side, changed my headgear to a salmon, and snapped my head back to face forward with a flourish. Then, giving a thumbs up, I uttered a single line.

"Kuh... Pff,"

"I am a sea grape."

"That has absolutely nothing to do with fish...!!"

I did it.

Well, setting the farce aside, let's move on to the main topic.

"I haven't even circulated this information within 'Wolfgang.' As for outsiders... well, you're the first player I've told."

"...Why?"

Why? Well, that's a fair question. I've mostly forgotten the details, but if I had just followed the regulations of whatever alliance or coalition 'Wolfgang' had set up in our favor, I could have probably imposed completely one-sided conditions on them.
But in this specific case, the option of maintaining a monopoly could end up being a terrible move.
That's exactly why I reached out to Library first. A debt of gratitude is sometimes heavier than gold.

"The trigger condition for the Unique Scenario EX 'My Endless Struggle' is 'forming a party with Goldunine'... and the one I partied with is the 'Eighth Goldunine'."

"The Eighth?"

"I've personally seen at least a Ninth. I don't know exactly how many are currently out there, but... multiple players backing their own 'Goldunines'. You must have some idea what kind of format that implies, right?"

"An election."

Thanks for the Intelligence answer, but since this is a game, minus 1 point.

"It's a Battle Royale. I don't know what kind of judgment will be passed on players who side with a Goldunine that loses, though..."

"...I see. In other words, as a major premise, this is a Unique Scenario where a monopoly is impossible."

"I'm glad you're quick on the uptake. If that's the case, the method we should take isn't a monopoly. It's taking the initiative."

Our Goldunine is a wimp. She's so wimpy it's pathetic. I'm sure she's only survived this long because Sammy-chan-san's stealth capabilities are off the charts, but it's a given across all times and places that stealth-ambush builds are weak to area-of-effect bombardment.
Especially considering the Nagas that that Goldunine is leading around are essentially walking AoE attacks themselves; I can't envision a single way to win at the moment.
I should probably assume that 'My Endless Struggle' is an irregular Battle Royale where we might have to occasionally cooperate to deal with that Goldunine while whittling down the other Goldunines.

"I'll get straight to the point: I want Library to act as the backer for our Goldunine."

"I see............ I see."

"Would you get mad if I told you to make a decision right here and now?"

"The Professor is busy with a lecture tomorrow, so waking him up at this hour is out of the question."

"Just a joke. I'm not desperate enough to chip away at someone else's real life."

At the very least, I don't feel like this is a Unique Scenario where something is going to happen immediately, and Wimp is probably taking a Vacation (Leveling session) in the world's safest Villa (Prison) right now.
That junk Intelligence doll said to leave it to her, but I wonder if things are really okay... I've been averting my eyes as much as possible to try not to think about it, but materials from Armilet Gargantulas have been piling up in my Inventoria at an incredible rate.

"...Ahem. Specifically, if you catch any information about players backing other Goldunines, I want you to pass it on to me."

"Tomorrow... no, the day after... no, I apologize, but it might take up to a week at most to come to a conclusion. Is that acceptable?"

"Yeah, that's fine. But let's keep this a secret from our fiendish member."

A Battle Royale full of deception, betrayal, and murder is exactly the type of battlefield that gets that fiendish pencil the most hyped. In the worst-case scenario, a massive number of uninvolved players could end up as casualties.
At the very least, if she starts reaching out to another issue while the Siegwurm matter isn't even settled, it'll just increase the workload for me and OiKatzo since we'll be the ones ordered around. If she wants to flash a smug face, she can do it after the Siegwurm Unique is finished.

"...Understood. I cannot give you a firm guarantee, but knowing the Professor's curiosity, there is a high probability you will receive a favorable reply."

"That's wonderful to hear."

Now then... equipment change.

"Amatsu-Mikaboshi."

"That's not even the right mythology...!"

Amazing, what an Intelligence retort.

─

Now then, since I've pretty much wrapped up my business, all that's left is to use a death-warp back to the Sigmonia Frontline Valley... strictly speaking, to the mobile base Brunbas parked underground there... but then an idea suddenly hit me.

"Hey Emul, can you warp to Brunbas?"

"Brun... Ah, that weird-shaped ship, desu wa?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Emul has technically been on Brunbas before. It was before it was completed, but at least at that point, the bed serving as a save point was already installed. I asked just in case, but...

"Nmmmmmmm... I think I can do it, desu wa."

"Seriously!?"

A private car? A private jet? Is the era of 'One Vorpal Bunny per Household' finally here? It's here, Emul, the winds of a new era!!

"Alright, I'm counting on you!"

"Or rather, where did you park it, desu wa?"

"Goldunine's hideout."

"Hee......... Heh?"

Alright, let's goー

"Wai-, hold on! Hold on a second, desu wa! GYAAAAAHHHH!!?"

Before Emul could wimp out and dispel the gate, I grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and dove in.
When a wimp meets a wimp, what happens...? Will it trigger some kind of wimp-repulsion effect?

A few seconds of whiteout. The coordinates themselves shifted from a room in Skull Azuchi built at the frontline base to a cramped cabin inside Brunbas. Well, considering the size they had to fit into Inventoria and that thing, they probably worked really hard to secure this much space.

"I see... as long as you pull it out into physical space, it can be used as a location to warp to............"

Isn't this something that needs a nerf? No, wait. Given the current situation where players only have tents, it's hard to imagine the devs wouldn't provide a mobile base that can be used permanently. Like a horse-drawn carriage, yeah, there are probably horse-drawn carriages.
Or rather, this is ultimately a nerf issue for Inventoria again, isn't it? Honestly, I'm starting to feel a bit bad about making them post 'We have adjusted the performance of a specific item' in the news section of the official site every single time.

"A-Awawawawa..."

"Come on, don't panic so much. This one is quite... or rather, the exact opposite type of individual from the one that was invading the underground of Rabituza."

"Wh-What are you saying, Sunraku-san! It's Goldunine, desu wa!? It's Goldunine, desu wa!!?"

"It's fine, it's fine. That one is practically harmless... But Emul, make sure you don't neglect your manners toward the other one, alright?"

Because currently, Sammy-chan-san has a much higher priority and threat level than Sammy-chan-san's attachment part. If she ambushed me with her hardcore stealth, I'd go down in one hit. For a non-duel-format wild encounter, Sammy-chan-san's specs make her the perfect natural enemy for a high-mobility type like me.

"Wh-What kind of person is that one...?"

"A snake completely overflowing with Intelligence and a heart full of affection."

"Sunraku-san, the poison or something must have gone to your head... pugyu."

Squeezing Emul's mouth shut from both sides as she started spouting unnecessary things, I exited Brunbas and searched for Sammy-chan-san, Wimp, and Saina.

"Ah, there they are. I'm ba... ck?"

"Yaaー!I've had enough of spiders alreadyー! M-mogoguo!?"

"Being picky with your food is not good, individual designation: Wimp. The jelly material that supports the motor cortex of the Armilet Gargantula contains an extremely high concentration of mana particles. Therefore, to summarize, by ingesting this jelly material, you can expect far more efficient growth."

"Ngu...gh, ...bleh, nbvugh!"

"It is fortunate that the material is in a jelly state. It can simply be poured in."

"Vuo... veeeh... Sammy, Sammy-chaaan eat it for meee..."

"Reprimand (Bad!): Individual designation: Sammy-chan already maintains a level of combat capability exceeding the specified threshold. Therefore, individual designation: Wimp must urgently ingest the jelly material and process the next wave of induced targets."

"Hwelb meee..."

W-What a hellish sight...!!

Author's Afterword
× Jelly
◯ A jelly-like substance halfway between spider bodily fluids and flesh.

The Armilet Gargantula acquires its impact resistance by circulating this jelly-like internal substance throughout its entire body. Furthermore, it stores a massive amount of magic power within the jelly and converts it into explosive force, either automatically or manually.
By the way, the priority is overwhelmingly Auto >>> Manual. It has the sad destiny of scattering as an artillery shell if Mama orders it to die. What was a living creature just moments ago is now scattered all over the place... Ohhhh Yeah!!

Its appearance is a murky green gel-jelly. The fact that it is tasteless and odorless is either its saving grace or... By the way, if you cook it properly, it becomes a delicious edible item (Increases acquired EXP by +5% for a set duration. Does not stack with itself, nor does it overlap with other EXP boosts).
At the very least, it is not suited for being eaten raw.