Chapter 762: Epilogue: The Sun Rises
Author's Preface
There is no hidden meaning in the title, really.
It has absolutely nothing to do with a mythological-class execution BGM, really. [*1]
◆
I am intensely exhausted. However, if I let my guard down even a little, my mouth is going to break into a wide grin...... out of fatigue and absolute delight.
The solo subjugation of "Scar-red"...... no, if it weren't for the assistance of that random stranger, it might have ended in a completely different result, so it's a solo + one assist subjugation. It is entirely fitting to call it a brilliant achievement, more than enough to make me smirk just remembering it. Though I didn't look at the random stranger's name at all, so I can't remember it whatsoever.
But the drop items from the solo subjugation...... it's like, an insane amount dropped. To the point where I could probably craft an entire set from weapons to armor with them.
That being said, let's save the fun for later. Picking a fight with "Scar-red" wasn't primarily for the materials in the first place. Reclaiming my lost Vorpal Soul, switching my mood over, and by doing so I am finally able to stand in front of this door.
"Contractor...... This unit apologizes, with this unit's intelligence......"
"Saina, intelligence isn't something you can just make flexible, you know?"
Sometimes you have to be hardline; in other words, a dynamic Room Entering!!
"Iron Fist Door Knock!!"
Bakyah!!
Punching and shattering the doorknob to destroy it, I kick open the wooden plank that can no longer fulfill its role of locking. The sheet-ghost frozen stiff inside the room...... a sheet-ghost!? They inhabited the New Continent too...... well, jokes aside, I take a step toward Wimp.
"d-don't come any closer!"
"No thanks. Also, Saina, go downstairs and apologize to the innkeeper for me...... tell him I'll pay for the damages in a lump sum later."
"......Acknowledged."
It's not exactly getting rid of a nuisance, but a top-tier player never forgets to be considerate even in the midst of things. That's a mandatory requirement for a healer.
"............"
"No...... I can't take it anymore......"
As for Sheet-Ghost No. 2, it looks like her spirit was completely broken, shattered, turned to dust, and blown away by the wind. Because her Beautiful Girl is what it is, there might be some niche demand for it, but she cuts quite a miserable figure.
"......Wi—"
"why! why did you let Sammy-chan die!!"
"............"
"even though you were there......! why.........! why, Sammy-chan...... why did you leave me behind......!!"
Filling the hole created in one's heart from losing a precious existence is not easy. Furthermore, if the pain of sorrow from being betrayed by someone you believed in is poured into that, just how immense would that suffering be?
Is she crying, is she angry, is she cursing...... or perhaps a pitch-black, emotional scream that sounds like all of those ground into a mushy minced meat and kneaded together echoes inside the room.
However, what glued my gaze in place wasn't that.
"......Yo, how've you been."
It was a single snake lying powerlessly on the floor, previously hidden behind Wimp and out of sight.
Well, naturally it isn't Sammy-chan-san; it's a bit smaller than an anaconda that exists in real life...... meaning, in this world, it's a tiny snake that would be classified as "ultra-small."
───To change the subject, I personally believe that even though this world is vast, there is no existence with more "experience" than a gamer.
Defeating everything from petty villains to Great Demon Lords, saving everything from specific individuals to entire worlds, and walking through worlds that continue to be endlessly generated as long as human imagination lasts...... some people laugh and say it's just a game, but then the question becomes, have you ever fought a dragon with Full-Dive VR-class reality in your lifetime?
If so, a gamer is someone who has seen tragedies and comedies in numbers equal to the games they've played. A snake on the verge of death brought this to Wimp...... I see, it's time to roleplay.
"I don't know if my words will get through to you, but I'll say thank you for going out of your way to find this and bring it to me."
Looking at it like this, it's quite a shabby mask, but it's also the one I've had the longest relationship with. I had completely given up on it assuming it was lost...... or rather, even if it was gone, I would only be slightly shocked and it wouldn't actually inconvenience me, but I'm reasonably happy it came back.
But that's not the important part...... It's the meaning behind this snake, which is probably kin to another Goldunine, going out of its way to bring my "True Gaze Bird Mask" all the way here. In all times and places, the lingering attachments held on the verge of death fall into two categories.
In other words, it's either "I don't want to die" or "I can't die in peace."
And this snake's lingering attachment is the latter...... in that case, the roleplay I need to respond with is already decided.
"And so...... rest easy, my capacity is much, much wider than it looks. I'll carry your share on my back and take it with me."
There is no answer. It's not a matter of it being a snake and unable to speak...... just like the white snake back then, the snake that brought my bird mask had already shattered to pieces.
".........Now then."
Right now, due to the effect of R.I.P., I can't use other equipment, so I store it in Inventoria so as not to drop it this time, and turn back toward the sheet-ghost, I mean, Wimp.
"Now then, Wimp, let's have a little chat."
"......i don't want to."
"Too bad, you don't have the right to refuse."
Didn't you know? ShanFro doesn't have an event skip function.
"What happened back then...... well, you probably have a rough idea. We lost, Sammy-chan-san died, and on top of that, the others had their spirits broken."
"............"
"Whose fault do you think it is?"
Silence. Is even a simple question that requires no thought too daunting for the current Wimp to speak out loud?
".........you want to say it's my fault, don't you?"
"............"
"because i'm weak! if i had been strong enough to protect Sammy-chan! Sammy-chan wouldn't have died! that's what you want to say, isn't it!?"
"............"
"i know that! i know that much!! but even so......!! i'm scared! i don't want to fight!! you can only say things like that because you're strong, right!?"
"............"
"i hate this, i don't want this anymore...... i...... i can only ever crawl on the ground...... and look up at shining things with envy........."
Tears fall in drops from Wimp's eyes. I hesitate slightly over what I should say to that. Should I comfort her, or should I......... hmm, whatever. Let me teach you the truth.
"Wimp."
"Hic...... hic......"
"Massive, massive, massive...... massive incorrect answer!!"
"!?"
"You're amazing! Even at this point, you still haven't realized it!?"
Sammy-chan-san dying, me tasting the humiliation of a severe defeat, the other guys getting all traumatized, if you trace it all back to the source! It all!! It all!!! Can be condensed down to just one single point!!!
"It's obviously that shitty Goldunine's fault!!!!"
"Eh........."
"Listen to me, Wimp, you degrade yourself way too much. Let's pass the blame onto the world more! I definitely do!!"
Why did Sammy-chan-san die!? Because that shitty snake launched a surprise attack on us!!
"What the hell was up with that shitty event battle anyway! At least make the flags visible!!"
Why did I lose my equipment!? If it was just those shitty PKers, I could have dealt with them however I wanted, but because that shitty snake was there, everything went completely sideways!!
"I am currently, furiously pissed off...... I absolutely will not forgive her!!"
Why did we lose? Because we completely lacked the numbers!!
"To top it off, all the highlights expected of a forced-loss event were stolen by Sammy-chan-san. What're you gonna do about it, hey, right now I'm in such a miserable state that people on social media are probably writing 'This guy is completely useless despite his lore setting'!!"
"Eh, eh? Ah......"
"It's fine to be angry, Wimp, we...... no, you have the right to smash a closed fist right into that shitty Goldunine's face!!"
Snake or human, it doesn't matter, retaliation for wounds received...... an "Avenging" for a lost life is!! A right equally possessed by all intelligent lifeforms!!
The slightly ajar window is blown wide open by the wind. The wind blowing from the east sweeps away the cloudy sky that had burned during the mortal struggle with "Scar-red" without a trace, and in a perfectly clear sky, the sun always rises.
"Let's get revenge, Wimp."
"re, venge......"
"If you don't have power, you just have to train; if you don't like that, you just have to increase your numbers."
Bathing my back in the rising dawn light, I declare to Wimp.
"It's war."
"war......"
"Let's drag absolutely everything in and avenge her grandly. And when it's all over, let's build the most magnificent grave in the world for Sammy-chan-san."
The enemies blocking our path, the Dragon Serpents, absolutely everything! We'll carve open a path and push forward! That's what you call the Mission of us Pioneers.
My extended hand—the crybaby snake is staring at it from within the shade. And, though she still looks timid.........
"......can i, believe in you one more time?"
"Naturally. Also, while we're at it, I'm going to train you too."
"ngh......... hic, bring it on."
Though frail, the extended hand was certainly grasped along with the step forward as she rose from the shade.
There is a mountain of things to do, but I'm not stopping anymore. Who cares about Level 150, who cares about maximum speed. It's not enough! Not enough!! Everything was far too insufficient!!
Wimp isn't the only one getting retrained...... it's myself as well. It seems the time has come where I finally need to clear out those uncompleted pseudo-sub-quests too.
From now on, I'll take the shortest path at maximum speed; I won't be picky about the means anymore.
Whether it's a lolicon, a trigger-happy maniac, or a pervert, I'll use anything and everything I can.
Author's Afterword
For now, this chapter concludes here.
Was the boss of this arc Goldunine? Or was it "Scar-red"?
That answer lies within everyone's hearts...... at the very least, because I couldn't find it even after searching the author's heart.
Translator's Notes
- [1] mythological-class execution BGM: I think it's Okami "The Sun Rises".
Comments
Can wait for True Dragon arc and Kingdom war arc
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