Chapter 765: For Your Sake, "I" Will...
Author's Preface
Consecutive updates.
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Goodbye to this boring reality, and welcome home to the fun reality.
For her, everything in her tedious reality was nothing more than an ascetic trial endured to welcome the moment of logging in, which was synonymous with joy.
However, the act of logging in meant that she had been logged out, so the fact that she also hated the very act of "logging in" was perhaps the twist she harbored.
"........."
Her time as Akigaya Shanon was over. From here on out, it was time to live to her heart's content as "Deep Slaughter".
For the sake of a certain person who had settled into Deep Slaughter's heart over the past few years to the point where the word "obsession" fit perfectly, Deep Slaughter continued to customize herself through every possible method.
For example, when they first met within ShanFro. Realizing that Sunraku sought rear support rather than a vanguard role, she abandoned her previous build, which could be called a "Magic Twin-Wand Fighter", and relearned massive amounts of support-type magic like enhancement spells.
For example, after reuniting in the Siegwurm battle. Because Sunraku had acquired the title of "Maximum Speed", she judged that simply providing support to Sunraku would leave her physically unable to catch up, and while searching for a means to cope with his speed......... she concurrently began working on another build.
It was clearly reckless, and needless to say, absurd. As the saying goes, "one who chases two rabbits catches not even one rabbit," if one reaches out for this and that, the resulting creation is a half-baked avatar that could barely be praised as "dexterous" only to have "poor" attached to it right after, suffering the criticism of being "dexterously poor".
"Ah, right, I have to level up......"
However, that is a story applicable only "in cases other than Deep Slaughter".
Even with her maddeningly obsessive build resets, the time she spent and the resources she continued to acquire would endlessly make up for any shortcomings.
Just as Sunraku acquired resources at the Crystal Nest Cliff, an area equipped with a high level of efficiency for both money-making and leveling, Deep Slaughter also possessed a "hunting ground" known only to herself.
Located in the northern part of the New Continent, a short walk south from the now-deserted village of the Giants—that place was her hunting ground.
"It's unpleasant no matter when I look at it......"
Though no wind was blowing, the trees were swaying. No, that was wrong; they were not swaying, they were writhing.
"Ooh, o......oooh......!!"
Things that were once human, but were human no longer. Because no Second Humanity had yet reached this place, it was a form representing the price of delusions known only to Deep Slaughter and...... Sunraku, who had encountered them in the past.
The Obsessive Treants—about a dozen trees of these bizarre arboreal monsters—groaned and writhed while displaying their hostility toward the revealed figure of Deep Slaughter.
"Their appearance, their setting, everything...... truuuuly, unpleasant, unpleasant, unpleasant...... 【Purgatorial Explosive Flow-Pressure】."
Instantaneous magic execution via chant abandonment. Purgatorial flames specialized not in damage but in status ailments and knockback crawled across the thinly snow-covered ground, burning the feet of the Obsessive Treants.
As the Obsessive Treants flinched, suffering from burns (Combustion?), Deep Slaughter immediately transitioned to her next move.
"【Compensation Chant】【Addition Chant】【Accumulated Spirit Words】【Chant Shortening】...... Roar from the earth, deep lightning,"
Magic that increases magical firepower by shaving away physical strength.
Magic that applies a power correction to the next spell.
Magic whose power increases the longer the magic incantation is.
And, magic that shortens the magic incantation itself.
By making full use of these, she unleashed magic in less than half the time of a full incantation while maintaining the same power as a full incantation using only half the usual chant.
There was no hint of tension on Deep Slaughter's face as she continued her flawless incantation at a speed that would put a tongue twister to shame.
After all, unlike Sunraku whose sole option was a highly vague, head-on charge of "let's just fight until I die," Deep Slaughter, having already designated the Obsessive Treants as punching bags for leveling, had established a procedure to entirely uproot and hunt them down with the fastest and highest efficiency.
It was useless even if they learned her methods to some extent; Deep Slaughter, who was well-versed in all kinds of magic and skills, would simply use lightning if fire didn't work, and if that failed, poison, ice, or shockwaves...... she would derive a new optimal solution using whatever it took.
"O sacred hand from the deep prison piercing the heavens, O masses, carve terror into your souls however many times it takes. That hand is terror, that hand is tyranny, my hand is a peerless spear."
Even while utilizing magic to reduce the incantation amount, the text volume was still this massive.
The earth shook, and fissures ran through the ground beneath the flinching Obsessive Treants.
Perhaps to boast that it was a matching pair with the "Spear of Flame" she saw that day. Therefore, that which pierced the heavens from the earth was truly shining, a surging heat of light───
"───Disappear, you wood scraps. 【Lightning Spear of the Deep Prison】."
The spear exploded.
......
............
There was no other way to describe it but a scorched wasteland.
A landscape resulting from the wielding of every form of violence imbued with "heat", blowing away the Obsessive Treants along with their agony and pain.
Deep Slaughter, who had completely defeated the Obsessive Treants using only the necessary amount of violence without any particular emotion, recovered the barely remaining items while contemplating the future with dry eyes.
"Level 141...... It's not enough......"
Deep Slaughter possessed an extremely high aptitude for Full-Dive VR. However, it was specialized in parallel decision-making and much deeper thinking, while her instantaneous reaction speed was merely average.
That was exactly why she needed strength. Enough strength to catch up to the "World's Fastest", and a record enough to stand side-by-side with the World's Fastest.
"Piyoyo!"
"......?"
With that, a single falcon landed on Deep Slaughter's shoulder. Deep Slaughter furrowed her brows for just a second before opening the delivered letter.
"......Ahah."
The moment she saw the sender's name, she mocked herself for having assumed it was just another mail from a worthless player, as an unbelievably brilliant smile blossomed on her face.
"Sure thing, I will do aaaaanything for your sake. I will always move exactly as it's convenient for you, you know...... heheh, hehehehehe......"
A deeper, stronger connection. Hopefully, so that he would prioritize this reality over that reality.
She would catch up to him, for no other reason than...... to make that spot right beside him her own.
Five minutes remaining...... until she finishes every possible preparation, adorns herself in her absolute best vanity gear, and appears before Sunraku.
Author's Afterword
Right now, Deep Slaughter is something like an "Ultra-High Output Omnidirectional Magician". Because she has The Desire, she can execute all roles—buffer, debuffer, attacker, healer, and assister—with high output.
P.S:
The second volume of the manga adaptation of "Shangri-La Frontier" goes on sale this coming December 17th!
Just like the first volume, Katarina has written a bunch of new material, but that scene and this scene from ShanFro have been materialized by the Great Sorcerer-class manga artist Fuji Ryosuke-sensei!
The cover features that guy whose face, at least, looks pure and innocent! There are newly written stories, and in some stores, you can even find that guy's self-introduction!!
Everyone! Check it out!!
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