Prologue — Your Training Begins Now, Yuri!

“Roooooh! Can’t give up now!”

It was day two of the invasion event, and my body was drenched in sweat as I climbed a cliff hundreds of meters tall. And it wasn’t for no reason.

I’d asked Zansword how I could keep getting stronger, and this was his suggestion: “Now that you can use combat arts, why not take on some quests that reward you with unique new arts?”

According to him, arts fell into two broad categories: those learned automatically on reaching a high enough level, and those taught by an NPC as part of a quest reward. The arts learned through the latter method were generally stronger and more unique.

“I get why the good skills take some time and effort rather than coming automatically from leveling up...but this is no joke... Nnggggh!”

This climb was pure punishment! A player with high strength probably would’ve scaled the cliff no problem, but I was doing it with a pure luck build.

Having zero strength didn’t make me totally useless, but with arm strength about the same as, if not a bit lower than, my IRL muscle, I was having a real hard time in a game full of challenges designed for superhumans.

“Whew... Got to keep working on it regardless. According to Zansword, the NPC at the top can teach me new arts!”

I had to search for each handhold as I inched up the cliff at a snail’s pace. Frankly, the entire ordeal was torment. It would’ve been so easy, if only the update before last hadn’t put a limit on the altitude I could reach with my firebird.

“It’s all about willpower! Willpower can get me through anything! Ora ora ora ora oraaa!” I roared as I continued my sluggish ascent.

This went on for hours with no rest. At one point, I almost fell from half way up and nearly died, and I’d come close to giving up several times, but each time, my resentment for the devs spurred me on. Then, when even my resentment wasn’t enough motivation, I heard Baldy’s voice at the back of my mind, demanding that I keep pushing myself.

“I-I can finally see it! The peak!” The goal was before me at last! J-Just a dozen or so meters to go! Just a little farther and I’m there! “Rooooh! Last spurt!”

I focused all my power into my puny limbs and began closing the remaining distance with a final spurt! After quickly covering the last few meters, I was within inches of my goal when a large man in a tengu mask appeared at the top of the cliff.

That’s him! The guy Zansword told me about! “You’ve gotta be the NPC that teaches powerful arts! The Tengu Hermit, right?!”

Apparently, I just had to do a few quests for this guy and I’d get some new moves.

A tengu putting someone through training? That’s an old trope...but I’ll take it! “Yuri the Hero is here to be your student! Let’s do this, gramps! Teach me some arts!”

The moment I finished, the Tengu Hermit stared at me and began to tremble. “Minus 1,250,000 karma points?!” he roared. “I’ll never let my secrets fall into the hands of a twisted fiend like you!”

“Huh?”

The Tengu Hermit materialized a bow and arrow in his hands, took aim at me, then drew the bowstring tight!

“Y-You wouldn’t dare, Tengu!”

“Time for you to die! Archery art, Gale Strike!” He sent an arrow cloaked in wind right at me!

I twisted my body, managing to dodge the arrow itself, but it wasn’t enough to avoid being hit by the wind it carried. The force peeled my hands away from the cliff face, sending me plummeting to the ground headfirst!

“Uh... Arrrrrgghh?!” D-Damn you, Tengu! You’ll regret thiiiiis!

Chapter 46 — Enraged for the First Time in a While, Yuri Heads Back to the Peak!

“Ugh...”

I climbed to my feet inside the crater I’d made in the ground.

I felt pain. I felt shock. Falling from hundreds of meters up was so intense that I was still unsteady on my feet. But my exhaustion was the last thing on my mind!

“Now I’m ticked... I’m peeved! I’m irked! I’m vexed! I’m gonna make that tengu pay! Who does that guy think he is?! Doesn’t he know I spent hours climbing up that cliff?!”

Who cares if I’ve got negative karma points! Only a total jerk would judge someone over a number then get aggressive!

“Hands aren’t for hitting people! They’re for holding the hands of others! Mouths aren’t for insulting people! They’re for expressing our love!”

So what makes that tengu think he can treat me this way?!

“I’ll show him! I’ll take down that traitorous tengu with a good punch that’s got all my justice behind it!”

With my righteous indignation directed toward the top of the cliff, my mind shifted into top gear. I’m done dragging myself up inch by inch. Evildoers must be punched ASAP! That’s my motto! (As of just now.)

“Exploding weapons, get out here!”

My cry was answered by enchanted swords and spears that appeared around me, all dripping with miasma. Now’s the time to take chances! I’m going at this with all my fighting spirit!

“I’m coming for you, Hateful Hermit! Explosion skill activate! Demon Lord of the Crimson Lotus!”

An instant later, the weapons around me all detonated in one massive explosion! And of course, I was caught up in it, charred black and thrown into the sky. But I had just the skill for dealing with that!

Skill active: Relentless! Survived with 1 HP after taking fatal damage!

“Nice, I survived! This is going great!”

Like always, I relied on Relentless for survival. Next, I called more exploding weapons into my hands and aimed them downward.

“Demon Lord of the Crimson Lotus, one more time!”

Once again, I was caught up in the massive explosion, sending me another ten meters higher. Each time I survived the fatal damage, I could repeat the process again to keep gaining altitude.

“Mweh heh heh. I dub this Project Human Rocket! If I keep blowing myself up like this, I’ll reach the peak in no time at all!”

No ordinary player could have endured so many explosions, but my pure luck build was keeping me alive. I could keep flying higher and higher for as long as my survival skill, Relentless, kept working!

“The only downside is that I’m losing chunks of flesh. Oh well, Pendragon helped me get over that fear already! Ha ha! No need to slow down!”

I was calling out masses of exploding weapons from my item box and using them to launch myself at the peak.

“Roooooh!”

After using my newfound Deadly Explosion Jump technique dozens of times, I’d finally gotten higher than the top of the cliff.

Hateful Hermit sighted!

The Hateful Hermit looked up at me and trembled. “Mmgh?! You’re the scoundrel from just now!” He was quick to call out his bow and take aim at me. But I was ready for him!

“Too slow! Now taste my new ultimate move! Deadly Explosion Boost!” I summoned exploding weapons behind me and detonated them with zero hesitation.

This was like the opposite of the Deadly Explosion Jump—I was sent flying downward straight at Hateful Hermit!

“Wh-What?!”

“Eat this!” I aimed my clenched fist straight at the spiteful tengu while he was still stunned! “Righteous iron fist!”

“Graaarrgggghh?!”

My knuckles slammed right into his face!

⬧⬨⬧

A few minutes later, I was inside a wooden hut built on top of the cliff.

Must belong to the Tengu Hermit. Not a bad place he’s got.

I’d changed into my original black dress at this point. My good clothes—the Death God Princess Dress ensemble—had been torn to shreds by the repeated explosions.

“Haah. It was just the other day that Pendragon tore a bunch of holes in all my clothes. I’ll have to get Grim to fix everything up again...”

My gear’s durability just can’t keep up with all the crazy stuff that keeps happening. It must be time to get an upgrade. But I can think about that later...

“I need to focus on making myself strong first. And that means getting this old tengu to make me his student.”

The Tengu Hermit was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed and his mask badly cracked from my punch. “Pah! I’ll never teach my secrets to a notorious sinner of your ilk!”

“Are those your last words?”

“W-Wait!” the Hateful Hermit pleaded. “Fine... As much as it pains me, I’ll cooperate!”

That was when a message appeared in front of me.

Negotiation successful! You are now a student of the Tenma School’s Master, the Tengu Hermit!

However, since his agreement was gained through violence, his approval for you is at the absolute worst. You also lost a further 30 karma points.

Dealing with non-evil NPCs is difficult when your karma is negative.

If you would like future dealings to proceed smoothly, you may restore your karma by continuously performing good deeds or completing a quest of atonement.

Huh?! Quest of atonement?! I’m Yuri, the man of justice! I’ve nothing to atone for! I’m not doing that quest!

“And as for you, Hateful Hermit, you’d better fix that attitude! Like me more!”

“Is that your idea of persuasion?!” Hateful Hermit raged. “And my name isn’t Hateful Hermit!”

A moment later, a red message appeared in front of me.

Warning!

As a result of giving the Tengu Hermit the absolute worst name and behaving unreasonably while his approval score is at the absolute worst possible, the Tengu Hermit’s approval for you has surpassed the absolute worst possible to set a new standard for absolute worst.

This has created the absolute worst situation whereby the NPC will kill you mercilessly at the first opportunity.

You are advised to cease dealing with this NPC and flee immediately.

How many times is this thing gonna say “absolute worst”? And what’s this about him killing me mercilessly?!

“Oh yeah?! I’d like to see you try! If you think you can kill me, then bring it on, Hateful Master! I’m ready for you!”

“Oh, you’ve got it coming whether you’re ready or not, despicable student of mine! Maybe I’ll only pretend to demonstrate my techniques but then kill you with them instead!”

Still furious at each other, we shook hands firmly. Thus began a kill-or-be-killed relationship between master and student!

[To Counter the Assassins] General Discussion Thread 770 [Let’s Get Stronger!]

1. Impatient Adventurer

This thread is for general discussion.

Speak your mind freely, so long as you’re not breaking the forum rules. However, if you want to recruit party members, rant, hate on the game, or start drama, please make your own thread.

A new thread will be created automatically when this one reaches the reply limit.

Previous thread: http://**********

107. Impatient Adventurer

I’ve heard you can get new arts from quests. Are they any good?

Supposedly a lot of them involve some extreme motion assist?

108. Impatient Adventurer

>> 107

It’s true that most of them are for high-level players.

Your body moves all over the place the minute you trigger them. If you’re not ready for it, you’ll find yourself flailing your limbs as you try to fight the inbuilt motions lol.

109. Impatient Adventurer

>> 108

If you’re not used to them, you can actually hurt yourself pretty bad.

Like, if you use a charging art like Purple Lightning near a wall, you can send yourself smashing into it lol.

130. Impatient Adventurer

>> 109

If you are used to it though, you work the assisted motions into the fight.

Using Purple Lightning right when you jump can launch you a good distance. You can even smash through midair targets.

151. Impatient Adventurer

>> 130

I love thinking up new ways to use them!

Speaking of which, did any of you study under an NPC master?

Rumor has it, there are hundreds of masters scattered across BSO’s world that teach their techniques.

173. Impatient Adventurer

>> 151

You mean the NPC masters that wear animal masks?

I’ve trained under a bunch of them because I’m obsessed with collecting special arts.

For starters, I’ve done the Test of Power quests up to the advanced level for Macho Master, Captain Leo, Chairman Ageha, and the Vampiress.

176. Impatient Adventurer

>> 173

Wow! You’ve been busy!

I tried becoming a student of the Tengu Hermit and that was rough...

The Test of Power quest is always something like, “go fetch me such and such item,” right?

Well, you have to climb a cliff to get to him, and my build has low strength. I had to collect dozens of items for his quests, and it meant half an hour or so of climbing for each one...

179. Impatient Adventurer

>> 176

I feel you lol. They put him in the worst place lol.

And the items he asks for are randomized, so you can’t even collect them in advance.

Did you try his advanced quests at all? I only got as far as the intermediate level before he told me “You have no place here. Be gone.” Then he drove me away.

180. Impatient Adventurer

>> 179.

Same happened to me.

Pity since I was looking forward to seeing what technique he’d teach me once I cleared the advanced level. The Tenma School is powerful.

Anyone know what we did wrong?

240. Impatient Adventurer

>> 180

The evil Vampiress won’t even accept you as a student unless you shower her with praise to raise her approval score. Maybe Tengu’s the same? You should have tried harder to be a good little student.

A few fake smiles and some flattery would’ve been worth it to get stronger.

245. Impatient Adventurer

>> 240

If that’s really what you have to do, Yuri would have zero chance of ever reaching advanced level lol.

She never bows to anyone ever lol.

Chapter 47 — Yuri Uses the Power of Money!

“Well, wretched student, you must know I have to make a living somehow.” Hateful Hermit rubbed his hands together, the eyes under his mask full of greed. “You’re going to have to prove your devotion before I teach you anything.”

I’m all ears! Yuri’s a good little student of the Tengu Hermit, aka Hateful Hermit!

I’d always thought mountain hermits were purehearted sages, but this geezer was wasting no time bringing up payment. The corruption was strong in this one!

“Okay, sure. I’m already up to my neck in cash after killing the pope and hijacking his town anyway.”

“What?! I can’t foul my hands with your dirty money! I’ll be cursed!”

“Well, I’ve been fine so far, so I’m sure the money’s fine! And even if it’s not, it won’t be my money once I hand it over, so I’ll still be fine!”

“Die!”

“But what’s with all the talk of cash, gramps? Struggling with the whole asceticism thing, are you?”

“What you’re struggling with is humanity! I won’t be lectured by your sort!” The Tengu Hermit then mumbled, “I really ought to get rid of this one.”

Drive me out all you want. I’m gonna come back as many times as it takes to get stronger. You’re stuck with me until then, gramps.

“Sorry, but there’s someone I’m determined to defeat. And there are people counting on me to make myself the strongest.”

There were my protégées, Shirukins and Grim, and then there were top players such as Zansword. Then there was everyone in BSO who looked up to me. I couldn’t go home empty-handed, or I’d be letting them all down.

I’ll get stronger and take down Pendragon no matter what. I’m gonna make the devs’ heads spin!

“That’s why I’m counting on you, Master Tengu. Just make me stronger, and I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“Hmm... You might have the karma of a creature from hell’s depths, but I have to admire your fighting spirit. Before I teach you, you must bring me materials from various monsters as a test of your abilities.”

As Master Tengu spoke, a message window appeared in front of me.

You are about to begin tribute quests for an NPC master!

The number of unique arts you can learn will increase as you bring back items that are more difficult to obtain!

* Note that a small number of NPCs will not teach their most powerful arts unless special conditions are met.

All right. So I just hand over what he asks for? I’ll have this finished in no time.

“My item box is ready. Name it and it’s yours, Master.”

“Oh? You’ve already brought items with you? Well, you wasted your time. I’m an unpredictable sort... Student, bring me Murderous Caterpillar Filament. Once you present the item to me, an elementary Tenma archery technique known as Gale Strike will be—”

“Murderous Caterpillar Filament, here you go.”

“Mmgh?!”

I pulled a mass of gooey fibers from my item box. The description said they were slightly acidic. Hey, these are dangerous!

“Hmph. So you guessed one of the items. But I doubt you’ll be so lucky with my next request!”

“Yeah, sure. It’ll be a pain to go back and forth between handing over items and learning techniques. Gimme your full list, and I’ll hand ’em all over up front.”

“What?! Fine! Bring me a Giant Panda Claw, Lightning Butterfly Scales, an Ancient Bird Quill Feather...”

“Here you go. Here you go. And here you go.”

“Huh?! Th-Then let’s see you bring me World Tree’s Morning Dew, Steel Baleen of the White Whale, and a Jawbone of the Lion Deity Beast!”

“You got it. You got it. And you got it.”

“Whaaaat?!” Master Tengu cried hysterically as a heap of items formed in front of him.

What a lively old man.

“H-How can that be possible?! How could you be carrying every item I was about to ask for?!”

“Because I’m a crafter. I’ve got a high-level ability called Lord of all Things that lets me call out items from my guild’s storehouses.”

It was a skill I’d learned during the previous event. Since my guild’s base was the size of an entire town, I effectively had limitless storage capacity.

“I’ve also got a high-level skill called Profane Pillager that lets me steal other player’s items by the truckload. Okay, Master, let’s hear the next request.”

“Ngh?! That’s enough for now, despicable student!” Master Tengu yelled as he reached his wit’s end. “I’ll teach you everything up to the intermediate-level arts of the Tenma School!” With his bow in his hand, he leaped out of the cabin and yelled “Follow!”

I did it! I’m in for an arts-learning extravaganza!

⬧⬨⬧

Learning arts from NPCs couldn’t have been any simpler. After I watched him use the art once, I could use it myself. That wasn’t too surprising considering this was just a game—it would be some real tedious game design if I had to work myself half to death with each new move I learned—but still, I didn’t want things to be too simple.

“Now, come at me, Master!”

“You’ll have your wish! I’ve been waiting for this moment from the very start!” As Master Tengu aimed his bow and arrow at me, the tip of his arrowhead gleamed with the light of mana within.

I’d given a special request to the old man. Rather than him firing his arrows in some random direction, I wanted them all shot straight at me.

“Bring it on! If I wanna know what those arts of yours can do, I have to experience them firsthand!”

“Indeed, we must always look through the eyes of the opponent. Only once you’ve felt the threat of these techniques will you know best how to use them. Hmph. For a twisted evildoer, you’ve a good sense for the principles of combat. All those who came before you were righteous nobodies...” Master Tengu sighed with disappointment.

Who’s he calling a twisted evildoer? Though combat’s definitely been my thing ever since I started the game. Rather than make a party or bother with the quests, I’d spent all my time on a rampage, ignoring all of the game’s lore and its story. Even as a crafter, I’d done nothing but make exploding weapons. But I had no regrets.

“It’s fun to fight with all I’ve got! I love the feeling of setting off some big attack to slaughter masses of enemies! And I love being put in a tough spot too. Refusing to lose, getting through it with my wits and determination, and then beating the crap out of my opponent feels amazing. I can’t get enough of it. And that’s why I’m gonna need all your techniques!”

“I knew you were a twisted scoundrel!” Master Tengu roared as he prepared to use an art. “You leave me no choice! I have to put an end to you right now!”

Using Gale Strike, the first of his Tenma archery arts, he launched an arrow that carried powerful winds!

“Weak attacks like that won’t work on me. I can just knock it aside! Let’s go, Puffster!” I nocked a monster-laden arrow and launched it at his Gale Strike!

“Currrrs!”

However...

“That won’t save you!” the Tengu Hermit yelled.

“Currssrss?!”

The moment our arrowheads collided, the arrow carrying Puffster was knocked off course. Master Tengu’s arrow, meanwhile, continued on its path, burying itself in my chest, and sending me rolling across the ground!

“Ngh... I only survived that because of my Relentless skill! Okay, I get it. So that’s what Gale Strike does. It creates wind around itself so other attacks can’t knock it aside.”

The arrow containing my familiar Puffster was powerful. Not only did Puffster increase my accuracy by guiding his own flight, his strength stat increased the attack power of the arrow. If Gale Strike could knock him aside effortlessly, it had to hold some serious power.

“All right, next! Keep ’em coming, Master!”

“Oh, believe me, I won’t stop until you’re dead! Tenma archery: Lightning Strike! Mountain Crushing Strike! Firebomb Strike!”

The rush had begun. Three arts shot at me without mercy: a lightning arrow so fast I had no time to react, a hardened arrow tough enough to smash through a shield, and a deadly arrow that exploded on impact. They all hit me one after another!

“Guhah?!”

“I’m not finished!” Master Tengu followed up with another series of powerful arts. “Tenma archery: Flash Strike, Shadow Kill Strike, Meteor Strike!”

As he fired these new attacks, a bright light burned my eyes. A moment later, I was pierced by an arrow that leaped out of my shadow. Then, while I was still reeling, an arrow he’d fired up into the sky split into several copies that all came raining down at me!

“Uuggh?!”

Master Tengu still wasn’t ready to show me mercy. “This’ll finish you! Tenma archery, Snake Fang Strike!”

The glowing mana pouring from the arrow he’d just launched took the form of a giant snake that sank its fangs into me! And that wasn’t all. The giant snake’s aura remained connected to Master Tengu’s bow, and when he yelled “Contract!” my body was yanked toward him along with the snake’s jaw.

“Let’s see you survive this!” he pressed on. “Tenma archery, Bovine Lord Strike!”

The attack that hit me next was a close-range bow technique! The aura came from his bow itself this time, taking the form of a massive bison that hit me with a weighty headbutt and sent me rolling across the ground!

“Ha... Ha ha ha ha! This is great! It’s a real bag of tricks! I really like the one where you hit me with the bow itself!”

My body was a ragged mess, full of holes and arrows. I would’ve been dead without a doubt in real life. I probably could’ve gotten a cute scream out of Grim if I’d sent her a screenshot.

Master Tengu looked at me with hate in his eyes. “I knew you were twisted... Who’d laugh after being reduced to that state? Does learning new techniques really mean that much to you?”

“’Course it does. But that’s not the only reason I’m smiling.”

“Oh?” Master Tengu looked surprised.

So he really hasn’t realized? “I’m not just glad to have some new techniques. I’m grateful that you showed me the right way to use them. Flash Strike, Shadow Kill Strike, and Meteor Strike make a beautiful killing combo. But then drawing in an opponent with Snake Fang Strike only to follow up with a Bovine Lord Strike? Now that’s an idea I’m gonna use.”

I wouldn’t have been able to truly appreciate either of those combos if he hadn’t hit me with them in earnest. If he’d held back just a little, or if he’d fired them one at a time, figuring out good ways to use these new arts in combination would’ve taken me a lot of time and effort.

With blood still gushing from my body, I got up and smiled at the old master. “Thanks, Master Tengu. Thanks for treating me like a real enemy. You’ve no idea how happy your complete lack of compassion makes me!”

For some reason, Master Tengu grew confused as he looked at me.

What’s up with you, Master Tengu? Hey!

“Y-You’re...h-happy...? My lack of compassion...my unhinged violence...makes you...happy?”

“Unhinged violence? Oh, I guess you did knock me off the cliff with an arrow while I was climbing up. What kind of crazy old geezer does a thing like that?”

Something about Master Tengu was off. He put a trembling hand to his masked face. And then...

Conditions cleared!

1. Lower the Tengu Hermit’s approval to the absolute worst.

2. Become his student while you’re hostile toward each other.

3. Learn all Tenma School arts up to the intermediate level with his kinship at the absolute worst.

4. Lower your karma by demonstrating a fondness for violence with him watching.

5. Remain his enemy to the end with no attempts at reconciliation.

You have cleared all of the conditions above.

The Tenma School Advanced Arts Learning event will now begin!

The message displayed before me had me stunned. “What the?! Doesn’t this sort of thing normally require a high approval score?!”

Without me realizing it, I’d been smashing through every condition needed to trigger this hidden event.

“So I had to show a fondness for violence while becoming your enemy? In that case...there’s only one direction this event can go in...”

I didn’t need to ask him to confirm it. The Tengu Hermit had been the classic stubborn old man up to that point, but now I could practically feel the excitement and joy emanating from him.

A gruff voice came from deep beneath the tengu mask. “Urgh... I can’t do this anymore... I can’t hold it in...”

Chapter 48 — The Secrets of the Tenma School, Revealed!

“Uh heh heh... If you’d rather run, now’s the time.” The Tengu Hermit’s demeanor had shifted completely. As he advised me to escape, his tone filled with joyful bloodlust.

“Quite the bold personality change there. This is no way for a wise hermit to behave, is it?”

“Ha... This behavior of mine’s nothing new. It’s why the head monk put a tengu mask on me that I can never remove.”

“What do you mean?”

While I was still confused, the Tengu Hermit continued. “I’m uncontrollably violent by my very nature.”

Nothing like me then.

“I was once a trainee monk, just like any other. I lived a life of austerity, suppressing my desires, and training diligently each day as my teacher guided me along the path to enlightenment. But then...I began to study archery as a means of honing my mind...and that’s when it all went wrong.”

As he spoke, the Tengu Hermit looked at the old bow and arrow in his hands.

“I couldn’t deny it... I was enjoying it! My only intention was to achieve a pure heart, and yet, I was awakened to the thrill of piercing a target! It was then that I went beyond redemption. I hungered for moving targets, and before I knew it, I’d taken to slaughtering brigands, all the while convincing myself it was for the greater good.”

“I get it...” A trainee monk going on the rampage for his personal enjoyment was wrong for all manner of reasons.

“My fate was sealed—I was excommunicated. The head monk I’d held in high regard admonished me as a ‘twisted evildoer’ and made me wear a tengu mask, symbolizing the greed that consumed me. The shame was more than I could take... That was why I decided to live out the rest of my days atop this uninhabited cliff!”

He aimed his gaze at me, a glint of violence lying within his eyes beneath the mask. In the same moment, a message appeared.

Warning! The Tengu Hermit’s personality type changed from “virtuous” to “pure evil”!

To complete the Tenma School Advanced Arts Learning event you must win a battle.

If you die, the event cannot be reattempted until unlocked by another player.

You are challenger number: 1.

Wow. So he falls to corruption the instant his true nature’s revealed?

If players couldn’t attempt the same challenge until someone else unlocked it, it meant they couldn’t mindlessly throw themselves at the Tengu Hermit until they got a lucky win. But apparently, I was the only player to ever unlock the event. Unless I succeeded here and now, I had no idea when I might get another chance.

“Wretched student... You’ve ruined all my efforts. You’ve gone and unleashed the evil nature I’ve been suppressing this whole time!” The Tengu Hermit readied his bow and arrow—a sign the battle was finally about to begin.

But first, I had something to say. “If you ask me, you’re not such a bad guy.”

“Huh...?” The bloodlust emanating from my teacher suddenly lessened just slightly.

I paid it no mind and continued. “Think about it. You said you couldn’t control your violent nature, but you’ve only ever killed evildoers, right? I don’t see what’s so bad about a little bandit hunting.”

“Huh...?! No... But I...”

“No buts. That’s just an everyday good deed. It doesn’t matter whether you had ulterior motives. What matters is the result.”

“Hngh?!”

The game’s system might have branded him as evil, but I didn’t see it that way. And sure, he might have tried to kill me when we first met, but that was all a misunderstanding.

There was an easy explanation for everything: It was all the fault of the idiot devs. Even a good guy like me was constantly losing karma because of how the devs set everything up. It was the only reason my teacher mistook me for an evildoer.

I’d already punched Master Tengu over that, so I had no need to bear a grudge now. That was all it took for a quarrel between two men to become water under the bridge.

“So, our circumstances being what they are, how about you and I do battle as two righteous heroes?!”

“Hold on just a moment! What do you mean, circumstances? You’re clearly wicked, and I can’t be much better! Th-The teacher I looked up to excommunicated me as an evildoer...!”

“Well, your teacher messed up. You were fighting against evil and saving a ton of people while you were at it. If you had fun doing it, that doesn’t change anything. I won’t stand for anyone criticizing you!”

“Ngh?!” Master Tengu’s shoulders shuddered, and the tip of the arrow he’d nocked drooped slightly upward.

“What’s wrong, Master? You have to stay focused for our fight.”

“Silence, wretched student! You’re the most vexing person I’ve ever known. I never thought anyone would accept my wicked past...” As my teacher spoke, his fighting spirit was growing. Then his feelings turned into something greater than bloodlust. It was pure abandon.

I’d give anything to defeat you. His thoughts reached me without him having to utter a single word.

“That’s good, Master. Let your desires consume you. Then thrust it all right at me!”

“Yes... Here I come, Yuri! Let me show you the true me!” Thus began the first and final showdown between teacher and student.

What came next was a sight I could scarcely believe. A torrent of mana poured out from my teacher’s arrow and took the form of a howling wyrm—a ferocious, snakelike dragon!

“Let’s see how you handle this! Advanced Tenma art, Wyrm Strike!”

“Erk?!”

The moment the aura around the Tengu Hermit’s arrow finished taking its monstrous form, he fired it right at me!

You can’t even call this archery anymore!

“Erm... Skill activate! Weapon Barricade! Come forth, seven shields!”

I’d been quick enough to block the charging wyrm’s path with seven shields using my usual trick. But it wasn’t enough. Every shield was knocked aside the moment his wyrm hit them!

“Are you for real?!”

It was just like the arrow that used gusts of wind to knock aside any obstacles. In other words, this was an upgraded version of Gale Strike from elementary Tenma archery.

The wyrm raced through the sky then smashed into me, leaving me helpless to stop myself from being thrown off the cliff.

“Ugh?!” I began plummeting downward, heading for the ground hundreds of meters below with incredible speed!

Despite my predicament, the Tengu Hermit showed me no mercy. “I’m not done with you yet, Yuri! Every time I noticed our fight was making you smile, it inflamed the lust for violence within me beyond what I could bear! The way you take pleasure in fighting is what I’ve always longed for!” The Tengu Hermit drew his bowstring as far as it would go then released, unleashing a massive firebird at me! “Take this! Advanced Tenma archery art, Phoenix Strike!”

A fire-based attack’s the last thing I need!

My survival skill, Relentless, ensured a single hit couldn’t kill me easily, but the continuous damage that came with the aflame status was another story. I had to somehow get out of the way, but I was stranded in midair!

“Time to put your teaching into practice! Tenma Archery, Snake Fang Strike!” I fired my arrow toward the cliff. The arrow instantly gained the aura of a snake that bit into a protrusion in the rock face.

“Nice work, Snakester! Now contract!”

“Sssss!” Snakester (I’d named him there and then) obediently followed my order, contracting while his aura was still attached to my bow, thus pulling me in close to the rock face. Less than a second later, the massive phoenix shot past, missing me by mere inches. Scary.

“Phew. I just barely escaped thanks to this art. Snake Fang Strike’s looking pretty useful.”

Since it could bite into any surface and connect me to it like a rubber band, the art was great for dodging in emergencies like just now.

“But this is still a horrible situation. How am I supposed to deal with him launching attacks from above while I’m stuck clinging to a cliffside? There’s got to be something useful I can do with these new Tenma School techniques!”

After a moment’s thought, I shifted into comeback mode. It was time to finish the fight fast!

“All right, Master! I might have let you beat me senseless while I learned your techniques, but I’m done going easy on you! Prepare yourself! I’ll have you begging for mercy!”

“Ah ha ha! I’d like to see you try!” Master Tengu laughed in response.

Master Tengu was clearly enjoying himself. I couldn’t see his face because of the mask, but he sounded as carefree as a child. It just went to show how much he loved firing arrows into people. This old geezer’s kinda cute.

“Brace yourself for this one, Yuri! Advanced Tenma archery art, Wraith Swarm Strike!” The master launched his next secret art.

This time his arrow split into countless copies, taking the form of a cluster of evil spirits raining down on me!

“Now I have to deal with a bullet hell attack?!”

Things were about to get tough now that he was using barrage attacks. With only my survival skill keeping me alive, hundreds of small hits were far more fearsome than one big hit.

Don’t tell me the geezer figured out how I’m surviving with just starting equipment?

“Well, whatever. I was ready for him to have a move like this one!”

If the Wyrm Strike advanced art was a powered-up version of Gale Strike, then Phoenix Strike had probably been a powered-up version of Firebomb Strike—and along those lines, I’d guessed he’d have another arrow-cloning skill that was a powered-up version of Meteor Strike. It wasn’t going to stop me from using my victory plan.

“Let’s go! Weapon Barricade activate!”

As the hordes of wraiths came at me, I pulled seven swords out of the void.

“This one’s good for knocking missiles off course, right?! Tenma archery, Gale Strike!”

A moment later, my seven swords charged at the swarm of wraiths, hitting them with gale force winds. It was enough to knock his arrows off course!

His might have been an advanced move, but it was just a means of multiplying his arrows. Every individual arrow carried less force than a single weapon powered by the elementary Gale Strike. My seven swords blasted their way through and headed straight for Master Tengu!

“You used Gale Strike while launching swords at me?! What sort of archery is that?!”

The Tengu Hermit simply had to back away from the cliff edge to dodge, causing my seven swords to fly straight up without hitting their target. However...

“Oh, it’s archery, all right,” I replied—speaking down at him from directly above! “That’s why I’m still holding my bow!”

“What?!”

Right after using Gale Strike on the swords, I’d fired an arrow with Snake Fang Strike. That snake aura was now connecting my bow to the hilt of one of the swords.

Gale Strike produced wind from an arrow head, which meant it came from the sword’s blade in this case. That left the sword’s hilt open to being grabbed and redirected.

“I’ve turned a sword into a means of propulsion! I call it Pseudo-Flying Method #2! This one won’t even tear my clothes!”

“It’ll take more than flying to keep you safe from me! I’m about to shoot you down!” The Tengu Hermit produced a new arrow and moved to aim his bow directly upward...but he was too slow. The greatest weakness of the bow was that the wielder was delayed by the need to draw the bowstring before attacking. As the master nocked his arrow, I was already plummeting toward him.

“Wha—?!”

“All this is to say, Master, you’d better brace for a serious impact!” As I roared, I held my bow high.

“Tenma close-quarters archery, Bovine Lord Strike!”

“Guuuaaaah?!” The master screamed as I brought the head of the massive bison down on him!

Next up, graduation! (Just 20 minutes after inauguration.)

Chapter 49 — A Tearful Graduation Ceremony (After Just Twenty Minutes of Teaching) and Another Teacher & Students Combo!

Event Clear! You dealt the necessary damage to the Tengu Hermit!

You can now use advanced Tenma archery arts, exclusive to those who’ve cleared this event.

“Urgh... What incredible attack power...!” The Tengu Hermit was slumped on the ground after being thrown a good distance by my Bovine Lord Strike. “Hmph... That technique takes its attack power from the bow itself. That beaten-up old bow looks like something beginners use. How did it—”

“Sorry, Master. This beat-up bow of mine’s possessed by a monster known as a shadow weapon.”

I’d only had my shadow weapon possess the bow to give it the floating property in the first place, but it just so happened to boost its attack power at the same time.

The idea had been to use Weapon Barricade without the bow taking up one of my hands, but now that I’d gained Bovine Lord Strike—a close-quarters archery attack that involved striking with the bow itself—the advantages of a possessed weapon were proving even more useful.

“I can boost the attack power of starting weapons and then pile on a bunch of skills that boost the damage dealt. Sending one old grampa flying is nothing.”

“Don’t treat me like an old man! Curse you... You’ve left me nowhere to go. I’m utterly defeated, and I’ve lost the right to be anyone’s master...”

“Oh, right.” I approached the Tengu Hermit, took his hand, and pulled him to his feet.

“Hm?!”

“You and me aren’t student and teacher anymore. We’re rivals fighting on equal terms!”

“Huh?!” My new rival’s shoulders shuddered.

The age gap between us meant nothing, nor the fact that he was an NPC. Anyone who comes at me with all they’ve got is a worthy brother-in-arms! (Except the pope. He might have been an elderly NPC that I fought with, but that guy was gross!)

“I don’t think I’ve said it yet, so: It’s nice to meet you, Tengu Hermit.”

“Ngh... Hmph!” The Tengu Hermit responded to my smile by bashfully turning his head away.

A moment later, however, a message appeared in front of me.

You gained maximum approval from master NPC Tengu Hermit!

You obtained an exclusive bond-of-friendship material: Tenma Orb.

* Bond-of-friendship materials are generally obtained by increasing an NPC’s approval to the maximum value.

Each player can only obtain one of each item type. They can be used to craft or reinforce weapons and equipment that will reduce the MP cost for arts learned from the corresponding master.

A beautiful orb came floating down to me from out of nowhere, and I took it in my hand. “Oho? Bond-of-friendship material?”

“Wh-Wha—?!” the Tengu Hermit said in confusion when he saw what was happening.

“What’s this, gramps? You liked me all along?”

“N-No, of course not! Where would you get that idea?!” the Tengu Hermit yelled before running into his house.

He really is a lively old man. I was hoping I’d see him again sometime as I headed off in search of more ways to get stronger.

⬧⬨⬧

“I can’t believe she unlocked the Tengu Hermit’s hidden event! How’d she know she had to try and kill him with hugely negative karma?!”

“I thought it would be nice to have some variety rather than making players be nice to every single NPC. I had no idea it would come back to bite us!”

“Damn! Looks like Yuri was the only one who didn’t bother trying to butter him up with flattery!”

The developers were in their office grumbling at one another just like always. The topic was, of course, the game’s most persistent troublemaker, Yuri. Despite their efforts to rebalance the game with each update, Yuri remained stubbornly at the top. To the developers, she was nothing short of a rival.

“Haah... It didn’t help when she won those three battles in a row recently. If we’d beaten her, it might have dampened her enthusiasm.”

“Yeah. Even Pendragon couldn’t put Yuri in her place.”

Their reminiscence of the night when they’d tried to back Yuri into a corner by sending multiple assassins after her was suddenly interrupted by a woman’s voice coming from the air above them. “Sorry I couldn’t do a better job. Who knew she’d be so determined?”

The developers all sat up straight the moment they heard it.

“Th-That sounds like Ms. Rindo’s voice! B-But where’s it coming from?!”

“Ha ha ha. I thought I’d surprise you all with the new technology I’ve created. It lets me transmit my voice anywhere using a set of coordinates. Now I can talk to you without needing a phone or even a phone network. Pretty handy, right?”

Her incredible claim freaked out the developers. “I wish you wouldn’t be so casual about producing Nobel Prize-worthy inventions!” But even then, they remained sitting upright like well-trained soldiers.

The developers were all geniuses in spite of their awful personalities, but the woman known as Rindo was in a whole different league. She was the teacher who’d originally drilled their understanding of electronic technologies into them.

“Haah... You really did give us a shock, Ms. Rindo. Or should I be calling you Pendragon, Goddess of Dawn?”

Rindo laughed. “I’m a little too old to go by my gaming handle IRL.”

She was a pioneer in the world of VR technology, as well as a top player in the world’s first VRMMO, Darkness Soul Online. It was unsurprising that she’d been able to put pressure on Yuri without the need for any arts or skills. She truly was a goddess who’d ushered in the dawning of a world of virtual reality.

“Heh heh... Still, that night was the most heated I’ve gotten in some time. When you told all three of us to attack as a group, I thought you guys were scum.”

“Scum?! N-No, it’s just that Yuri was with Zansword! That man’s spent more time logged in than anyone else! And we agreed that the invasion event would start with the invaders concentrating on top players during the first night! It was nothing personal! We’re playing fair! We’re not scum!”

“Okay, sure. Though it looks to me like you’re all head over heels for Yuri.”

Suddenly, the developers were up in arms. “H-Huh?! What are you talking about?! We’re handling this with level heads! Yuri’s nothing to us but a thorn in our sides!”

“Ha ha. If you say so.”

They were all as flustered as a middle schooler who’d just had their crush revealed. All the while, Rindo was thinking, This is their idea of level heads?

“Either way, you’ve got to treasure such players,” Rindo told them. “Players like her don’t just encourage other players, they help the development staff grow too.”

“Haah... You don’t really believe that, do you? All the trouble she’s caused us hasn’t resulted in any growth! Just receding hairlines!”

“I don’t know about your hairlines, but... Heh heh. Oh, you haven’t noticed it yourselves? That’s kind of funny.”

Rindo had to laugh, seeing her former students be both geniuses and idiots at the same time. She loved to see them grow through each struggle against Yuri. It was as fascinating as watching a rare beast.

“Well, I’m quite taken by the world of Blade Skill Online. It’s fun to see how things turn out when a team of developers leaves it to an AI to generate all the lore. Though it’s a little odd when that same team of developers focuses on battle events, giving the whole game such a PvP focus that it barely appeals to anyone interested in adventuring or puzzle solving.”

“Wh-When you put it like that, it makes us sound silly... But what of it?”

“I had an idea in mind. Something that would encourage players to discover more of the world... More importantly, it’ll set the stage for a big rematch between me and Yuri. But don’t worry. I won’t cause trouble beyond what ordinary players are capable of.”

The team of developers couldn’t help but feel uneasy as they listened to Rindo’s voice in the air above them. “Oh...? W-Well, if it ends with you getting one over on Yuri, that’s fine...”

And so, just as Yuri was gaining new powers from an NPC master, a secret meeting between eccentric students and their teacher was beginning.

Rindo: “I was once a reckless developer myself.”

Developer: “You were?”

* Back when Darkness Soul Online was managed by a young Rindo, it had been five hundred times more chaotic than Blade Skill Online.

Chapter 50 — Yuri’s Unstoppable!!!

“Log in, oraaaa!”

It was the third day of the invasion event, and I arrived in Starting Town!

Yuri, the righteous pacifist, is here to slaughter every assassin so that everyone can live in peace! And that means I’ll have to practice my arts! (I’m a role model to all!)

“Heh heh heh... Unlike other players, I can use swords, greatswords, spears with shields, as well as the bow. That means I’ve still got plenty of powering up to do!”

And to do that, I had to go visit every NPC master that taught a unique art. Counting on you guys!

“Ha. You want to study under me, Leo, the captain of the Gladsheim Kingdom’s armed forces? Why would I waste my time on a scoundrel with slightly over 1.25 million negative karma like you?”

“All right, let’s duel! Oraa! Take this! Special art, Boundless Calamity Summon! One hundred monsters, oraa!”

“Eek?!”

“I win! Now, teach me some stuff, and I’ll give you a ton of rare items! Oraa!”

“Eek, eek?!”

Training Complete!

You learned Lion Lord Greatswordsmanship to advanced level from the NPC master Captain Leo!

That was a great fight! I actually got a little worried there when that old guy in the lion mask made his sword grow huge and rushed at me! Now, who’s next?!

“Hmph. You want to study under me, Garo, honored guest of the Gladsheim Kingdom? Why would I waste time on a scoundrel with well over 1.25 million negative karma like you?”

“All right, let’s duel! Oraa! Take this! Giant Monster Summoning, Gigantic Dragonplant, oraa!”

“Eek?!”

“I win! Now, teach me some stuff, and I’ll give you a ton of rare items! Oraa!”

“Eek, eek?!”

Training Complete!

You learned Wolf Lord Swordsmanship to advanced level from the NPC master Garo the Vagrant!

That was a great fight! I actually got a little worried there when that old guy in the wolf mask charged me at supersonic speed!

So, who’s next?!

“Pah. You want to study under me, Rhinos, knight of the Gladsheim Kingdom? Why would I waste time on a scoundrel with nearly 1.26 million negative karma like you?!”

“All right, let’s duel! Take this! Weapon Barricade, exploding weapons! Ora ora ora oraa!”

“Eek?!”

“I win! Now, teach me some stuff, and I’ll give you a ton of rare items! Oraa!”

“Eek, eek?!”

Training Complete!

You learned Rhinoceros Lord Spearwork to advanced level from the NPC master Knight Rhinos!

That was a great fight! I actually got a little worried there when that old guy in the rhino mask extended his spear to thrust at me from dozens of meters away! But I won again! Bwah ha ha! Now I’ve got unique arts for three of my weapon types!

“Just as the online guide said, the Lion Lord school excels in destruction, the Wolf Lord school excels in attack rate, and the Rhinoceros Lord school focuses on thrusts using the spear’s reach. Now that I’ve mastered all three, I should be able to handle all kinds of situations.”

Having multiple NPC masters all right here in Starting Town saved me a ton of traveling time. The devs had probably had a gameplay loop in mind where beginners would study under the relevant master, realize they needed to give the master a particular item, then head off to collect it from the relevant region.

Sorry guys, but I totally ignored the whole thing. I hadn’t even been able to use combat arts when I started out, and now that I had a ton of items of all sorts, I had no need to go out collecting anything.

“Let’s head for the next place! Oh, looks like this one’s nearby as well.”

I ate a meat bun I bought from a stall as I was jostled by the crowd while I made my way through Starting Town.

You know...this place is always packed...

Just looking around, I saw a few hundred players with wooden starting weapons and basic clothing.

“I guess I don’t look too out of place, what with my plain black Beginner’s Dress on and a Beginner’s Bow on my back.” Maybe everyone thinks I’m just another beginner.

One thing was clear—Blade Skill Online was turning into a huge hit. With each passing day, I saw fearsome numbers of new players appearing. When I imagined them all eventually becoming new rivals of mine, it felt like I wouldn’t get bored anytime soon!

After walking through the crowd for several minutes, I finally reached an old dojo that contained the teacher NPC I was looking for.

“Finally, I’ve found it,” I said at the same time as someone else. “Huh?! What?!” we both cried.

I turned to see the other person looking right back at me. “Oh, it’s you, Kirika!”

“Ack?! What brings you here of all places, Yuri?”

I’d run into Kirika the Asura, the assassin who dressed like a Edo-period courtesan.

⬧⬨⬧

“You’ll stop right there!”

“I’m not stopping for you!”

A few minutes after meeting Kirika the Asura, the two of us were playing an anything-goes game of tag throughout Starting Town. As I bounded across tiled roofs, Kirika—who was “it”—gave chase.

“This is a real coincidence, Kirika. I never thought you’d be here to learn the game’s new special movement arts too.” This game of tag we were playing was all for the sake of learning those arts.

“Hah,” Kirika laughed as she bounded after me. “You may have defeated me once, but never again!”

I just barely dodged her outstretched hand, dropped into a back alley, and resumed running.

The arts, which were only available to players specializing in close-quarters combat, would let me use my MP to leap great distances and briefly dash at high speed. Basically, they’d be a collection of little tricks useful for running and dodging. (Zansword had told me about them because he was such a nice guy.)

My classes, summoner and craftmaker, weren’t originally close-quarters classes, but since I’d upgraded from craftmaker to battle crafter and chosen some extra weapon types, the game seemed to recognize me having both a long-range and close-range class. Then, when I’d learned how to use a sword, I’d fulfilled the conditions for learning movement arts. Nice.

“This is a fun way to train. Never thought we’d be playing tag.”

Unlike the other trials where I’d had to hand over items before learning arts, special movement arts required the completion of a mini-game of sorts. The game started when fifty would-be students had gathered at the master NPC’s place. Half of them took the role of pursuers, and the other half the role of escapees. If all escapes got caught within fifteen minutes, the pursuers won, but if at least one escapee went uncaptured, the escapees won. Only the players on the winning side would get a chance to learn the arts.

“And we can’t use skills or arts while the trial’s ongoing. What’s more, everyone’s agility stat is fixed at 100. That makes it harder for pursuers to gain on escapees, which should have given us a slight advantage... Should have...”

“Hold it!” numerous voices cried.

I looked behind me and saw several more players coming after me. It was all Kirika’s fault—almost all my fellow escapees had been captured by the killer courtesan.

“She’s so good at controlling her avatar. Even when everyone’s got the same agility, she moves so efficiently it gives her the advantage...”

As I was mumbling to myself, I nimbly slipped past a pursuer who leaped at me from the side. For good measure, I kicked over some trash cans and left them lying in the road behind me.

I heard voices behind me crying “Whoa!” as they tripped over them. It gave me an opportunity to put some distance between us with a mad dash.

“I’ve been fighting nonstop since I started BSO. I’ve gotten pretty good at moving around, but I still can’t compare to Baldy or Pendragon...”

That was a problem I had to solve. It had always been a bad idea for a bow-wielding summoner like me to go toe-to-toe with players who’d been using closer-quarters classes the whole time. However, now that Weapon Barricade couldn’t fire nearly as many projectiles, I knew I was going to get dragged into close-range fights more and more. It was what had motivated me to learn sword techniques, and now it was my reason for wanting to learn special movement arts.

There is 1 minute remaining until the arts learning trial ends!

Number of remaining escapees: 1.

We’d been getting updates just like this one with each passing minute.

“Oh, it’s time for the big finale.” I scowled at the message. “Am I really the only one not captured?!”

As the last escapee, I’d have all twenty-five pursuers after me. Once again, I was outnumbered with everyone targeting me at once.

“Hmmm... Looks like I’ve made it... I just have to keep running,” I mumbled to myself as I turned into a back alley.

My hopes were dashed when a figure appeared in front of me. “Oh dear, Yuri. It appears you’ve encountered a dead end!”

“Gah! Kirika?!” When did she get ahead of me?!

I should’ve known to expect sly tricks from a player of Six Realms of Warring States Online—a game so brutal people stopped playing it.

“Whoa! Look behind you, Kirika! Zansword’s there dancing naked!”

“You think I’d fall for such a cheap trick? What I desire to see isn’t his naked flesh, but his spilled guts.” Kirika ignored my random lie and slowly approached. She carried herself with the alluring gait of a courtesan, never letting her guard down for even a second.

“You never fail to give me the creeps, lady!”

“The pursuers who tripped will catch up before long. Then you’ll be caught between us.”

“Damn...”

As she drew near, I glanced at the clock tower that stood in Starting Town and checked the second hand. Our game of tag was drawing to a close.

“Another 23, 22... How am I supposed to survive another 20 seconds...?”

“Hah. I hope you realize that winning this children’s game won’t please me one jot.”

“You say that, but you sure sound pleased with yourself... Hey, how about we keep this chat going for another fifteen seconds?”

“Fool. That would mean your victory.”

No sooner than she’d rejected my proposal, I heard the thumping of boots coming from behind me. Then I heard a voice above me shout, “We’ve got her cornered!”

I winced as I looked up and saw more of the pursuers lined up on the rooftops above me.

“Twelve...eleven... Damn, just ten seconds to go, but I can’t evade them all!”

“Keep calm and encircle her carefully! Five of you drop down here and get beside me! Those Yuri tripped, spread out across the alley and charge toward her at once! If she slips away, it’s all over!”

The moment Kirika was done giving orders, the players all came rushing toward me. “Raaaah!”

Thanks to Kirika’s careful instructions, they had me perfectly ensnared. With just a few more seconds to go, they’d formed a tight net not even a rat could slip through!

“We have her perfectly surrounded! Now grab her before the last five seconds are over!”

“Well crap,” I said, sweating cold. “Fine! Come at me!”

All twenty-five players rushed at me at once, leaving me nowhere to go. The pursuers behind blocked my escape from the alley as more of them came at me from above.

As countless hands reached out to touch me, I boldly declared, “Sorry, guys, but I win.” My victory was already certain.

Game completed! The escapees win with 1 member still uncaptured!

“Huh?! Huuuuh?!” The pursuers all cried in alarm at the announcement.

Now that I didn’t have to avoid being touched, I simply swatted their hands aside and slipped outside the circle they’d formed.

“Wha— Hold on just a moment, Yuri. I thought we had a couple more seconds until the game ended?! Then how... Arrrrgh?!” Kirika stopped mid-question and screamed aloud. It seemed she’d figured it out before she could finish her sentence. “It was you who counted down as we had twenty then ten seconds to go! You misled me with a false count!”

“Sure did. Though even if you’d checked the clock yourself, you might not have noticed since I was only off by two or three seconds.”

Now that the trick was revealed, Kirika slumped to the ground. “Haaah...!” After a big sigh, she wore her frustration on her face and glared at me. “Curse you! I can’t believe I fell for such a simple trick! What a devious trap you laid for me!”

“Get over it. Yeah, I resorted to tricks, but a win’s a win.”

“Ngh. That’s what someone with high ghoulism would say!” Kirika’s face was turning red for some reason.

You can get her approval for the weirdest reasons... But leaving that aside...

“I don’t care if it was a child’s game. I don’t let myself lose easily.”

I’ve decided: I’m done losing!

Chapter 51 — Kirika Shares Her Feelings!

“Mark my words, Yuri, I’ll defeat you in our next real battle! Grrrrr!”

“Sure. I’m always up for another fight!”

With the arts learning quest over, I somehow wound up eating mapo doufu at a Chinese restaurant in Starting Town with Kirika, who was still frustrated.

The food had been her idea. According to her, “BSO does such a vexingly good job of recreating tastes, and it’s full of outrageously good food, but I’m a little embarrassed getting food by myself...”

I could imagine how someone dressed like a courtesan might draw some attention eating mapo doufu alone in a Chinese place.

“Mmm. The food of Blade Skill Online really is incredible! Six Realms of Warring States Online has nothing to offer besides rice balls that tasted of dirt.”

“Ha ha. Well, if it’s set in a country ravaged by war, maybe it’s appropriate to the time period. But I’ve been meaning to ask you a question, Kirika. Your avatar was made by the devs for the Invaders from Another World event, right?”

“Correct. What of it?”

“You were trying to learn special movement arts just now. Does that mean you can add additional arts and skills to what you already have?”

“Exactly!” Kirika replied with a clap of her hands. “We can learn arts and skills just like anyone else,” she declared like it was nothing. “Our avatars are just like yours, except we began at a high level and with a few extra abilities made to resemble those of other games.”

“Seriously...?” It was a real shock for me. Secretly, I was feeling disgusted at the devs.

This changed everything. If character avatars designed purely for the event were limited to just the abilities they’d shown off at the start, everyone would learn to defeat them eventually. Even someone with no knack for combat could figure out some winning strategies after listening to enough advice and looking up the assassin’s past fights. However, if the person playing the assassin could go off the rails, improving their avatar with whatever skills and arts they saw fit...

“That’s a nightmare to strategize around! Natural-born fighters like Baldy and Zansword might handle it, but what about your average player? They’ll work their butt off to get to level 50 only to get killed over and over til the event’s over!”

Just when I thought the devs were getting it together, I’d uncovered another ridiculous design decision. They were constantly toeing the line, stopping just shy of a full-scale player revolt. If they weren’t careful, people could quit the game en masse over things like this.

“Those guys never change...” I sighed at the unbelievable system they’d come up with.

But Kirika’s response as she gulped down her mapo doufu was simple. “I think your worries are misplaced.”

“Kirika...?”

“I’m sure the event will go just fine. After all, this world is home to a player who made themselves the strongest despite having abysmal stats, a useless class, and a garbage weapon. No matter what challenges the developers might come up with, you should simply laugh and then defeat them. When the other players see someone finding enjoyment in impossible challenges and turning them into something doable, it’ll give them hope. Show others there’s a way and they certainly won’t give up!”

There was definitely some passion in Kirika’s tone as she spoke. When I’d battled her just a few days ago, she’d written Blade Skill Online off as a “comfy game.” An assassin like her shouldn’t have cared whether this world’s players started quitting.

“Haah... Yesterday, Six Realms of Warring States Online announced that it’s shutting down. The difficulty has been driving away players for so long that now it seems it can’t go on.”

“It’s shutting down?! But then you’ve got nowhere to go home to!”

“Ha ha... Yes, it’s true. If I don’t sound like my usual self, that’s the reason. It had me thinking: What if that game had had a player stirring things up the way you’ve done for BSO? Perhaps things would have turned out differently.”

The look on Kirika’s face seemed like a mixture of frustration and loneliness as she finished off her water. Then she slammed the glass down on the table, and with her eyes reddening slightly, she declared, “And that’s why you mustn’t lose! I’m sure you can guess that Pendragon is making plans behind the scenes, but don’t forget about me or the other assassins! It’s your job to triumph over us all while smiling!” she said, despite being my enemy. “So don’t lose.”

“Of course,” I replied. “I’ll remember what you just told me. I’m gonna win battle after battle from here on out. So next time we meet on the field, make sure you come at me with all you’ve got.”

“Ha... As if I’d ever do anything less! And if I defeat you, I’ll become this world’s new top player!”

“Sure! But I refuse to lose, Kirika!”

As my fighting spirit clashed with hers, we both grinned at each other.

That was when a message window appeared in front of me.

Message from your friend Grim:

Revered Demon Lord, your new gear’s just about done! Come pick it up from the guild at once!

⬧⬨⬧

“Hey there, Grim!”

“Ooh, you’re here, Demon Lord!”

I entered our massive workshop to find our full-time crafter, Grim, standing there with her arms folded. She smiled with more smugness than her tiny body should’ve been able to contain. I couldn’t help but reach out and pat her head.

“Uh, wah?! Demon Lord?!”

“I’m just thinking how cute you always are. And you’ve got the skills to match. I couldn’t ask for a better crafter.”

“P-Praising me like that won’t get you anything other than my very best equipment!” Grim was embarrassed, but she wore a silly smile. “I got head patted!” she muttered to herself as she brought up her item menu. “Now to business. I was putting the finishing touches on your gear while you were heading here! And of course, I did it all in line with your requests.”

“Great. Thanks, Grim. Sorry for making unreasonable demands after you’d already started.”

After getting the message that’d said the gear was “just about done,” I’d given her one more request regarding the appearance of my outfit before heading to the workshop.

“But what came over you, Demon Lord? What made you suddenly ask me to make the outfit look Japanese?”

“Well, eating lunch with Kirika put a few ideas in my mind.”

“Huh?! Kirika?! You mean the assassin, Kirika the Asura?! Weren’t you two trying to kill each other?! Why would you eat together?!”

“Settle down, Grim.”

I explained a few things about Kirika to clear up Grim’s confusion—namely, that her home, Six Realms of Warring States Online, had announced it was about to shut down.

“Hmm... So in a show of sympathy for Kirika as she’s losing her home, you decided to wear an outfit that matches hers?”

“Ha ha. That’s not the kind of thing that’ll make her happy. It’s all so I can send her to a pleasing death!”

An Asura risen from hell like her wouldn’t want a shred of sympathy. If there was anything I could do for her, it was giving her the best fight I could.

“Do you see, Grim? She fought in a war-torn world transformed into hell on Earth. She’s a ghoul who’s used to slaughtering warriors and samurai like Zansword in droves. If she’s fighting against an opponent in traditional Japanese clothing, it’s bound to push her fighting spirit up to the max, don’t you think?”

“Ah ha! So you’re showing compassion to a foe! In that case, please use my gear to fight a battle that ends in a fantastic death for her!” Grim smiled as she tapped her menu window.

I then got an alert that said a new set of clothing had appeared in my item box, and I wasted no time tapping the equipment icons, causing my body to be cloaked in blinding light.

“Whoa! You came up with a real cool design this time, Grim!”

As the light burst apart, the appearance of my new outfit was revealed.

The style was best described as wa goth. The black fabric was fashioned into a kimono-esque design at the top, but with large swathes cut out on either side from my shoulders, past my armpits, and all the way down to my abdomen. At the same time, a pair of long, detached sleeves somehow remained affixed to my arms, as if by some mysterious technology. Below the outfit’s tight-fitting obi was a skirt with a slit running up one side that left my thigh completely exposed.

It was a strange fusion of Western and Japanese fashions. It was cool yet sexy, bold yet traditional, exposing a lot of my skin while still giving off an air of elegance. All in all, it was the perfect design!

“Th-This is incredible, Grim! You’ve gone beyond fetish-outfit genius and ascended to new heights!”

“Mweh heh heh... Well, you and Shiru were always telling me, ‘Tone it down a little because this is embarrassing.’ You in particular don’t seem to like women’s clothes, so I made it my aim to create some that was both cool and sexy at the same time!”

“Ooooh! So instead of giving up on the sexy clothes and making something manly, you decided to blaze your own path with a whole new genre of clothing! I like your style, Grim! This is why you’re the crafter for Yuri’s Justice Team!” I showered Grim with head pats while I buttered her up.

“Mweh heh heh! Praise me more!”

Looking in the mirror at the edge of the workshop, I noticed that my hairstyle had changed too. The side ponytail that was always bouncing around beside my head was gone (so long, and nice knowing you). In its place was a red hair accessory just to the side of my bangs featuring the stone I got from the Tengu Hermit.

“Ooh. You turned my orb into a hairpin. Nice thinking, Grim!”

“Oh, you mean the Tenma Orb? It’s the most beautiful of the materials you’ve given me, Demon Lord. How exactly did you get hold of it? I kind of want one!”

“There was this old geezer called the Tengu Hermit with a lot of pent-up urges. After I’d let him have a little fun, he dropped this orb into my lap!”

“Uhhwahh?! On second thoughts, I’ll do without!” For some reason Grim looked put off. It definitely wasn’t the reaction I’d been expecting.

Tengu Hermit: “Don’t put it like that!”

Chapter 52 — New Gear’s Ready!!!

“Ahem!” Grim cleared her throat and said, “Well, first it was Baldy, and then Zansword. You always were popular with strange men—I suppose I shouldn’t be so surprised that a strange old man would put his strange ball in your care...”

“Yep. Now it’s time to see what this gear can do!”

The look was obviously important, but the capabilities more so. I opened my equipment window and took a quick look at the stats of my cool, sexy Japanese-style outfit.

Let’s see... Uh wuh?!

Head: Attire of Heaven’s Wrath, Dark Ornament (Created by Françoise and modified by Grim).

Effects: Halves the wearer’s strength, magic, defense, and agility. MP +300. Luck +400.

Equipment skills:

Progeny of the Great Tengu: Halves MP cost of Tenma School arts.

Successor to Makai of the Six Realms (limited equipment skill #1): Enables the use of the following arts from another world: Asura mantra, Demon Slaying Blade; Preta mantra, Voracious Shield, Naraka mantra, Scythe of Reckoning; Human mantra, Hand of Avarice; Deva mantra, Arrow of Debilitation; Beast mantra, Conflagration of Repression. *These arts can only be used while also equipping a suitable weapon.

Body: Attire of Heaven’s Wrath, Dark Raiment (created by Françoise and modified by Grim).

Effects: Halves the wearer’s strength, magic, defense, and agility. MP +300. Luck +400.

Defier of the Knight Queen (limited equipment skill #2): When HP is 30% or lower, enables the use of the following art from another world: Hellfire Unleashed, Rakshasa of Purgatory.

Feet: Attire of Heaven’s Wrath, Cycle of Darkness (created by Françoise and modified by Grim).

Effects: Halves the wearer’s strength, magic, defense, and agility. MP +300. Luck +400.

Archdemon’s Blessing (limited equipment skill #3): When HP is 30% or lower, triggers the following skill from another world: Driven by Indignation (rebalanced edition). MP costs are reduced to one third.

“Wh-what is this?! What are equipment skills?! I don’t get what’s going on anymore!” My gear’s stats were much improved, but my attention was captured by all the new skills it was giving me.

Grim saw my reaction and laughed proudly. “Mweh heh heh. Just as the name suggests, the skills belong to the equipment itself! According to players in the crafters’ thread, it’s a new feature that was quietly added. The skills appear when certain items are used to make or modify equipment!”

“Oh! So that’s where they came from!”

The ball I’d extracted from the Tengu Hermit had said something about that in its description. Now I was going to use Tenma School arts like crazy.

“But what’s the difference between equipment skills and limited equipment skills?” I asked.

“I’m told you can only have one limited equipment skill per piece of equipment, and you’re limited to wearing no more than three pieces of equipment with limited equipment skills at a time.”

I get it. I’ve got a limited number of slots to fill up, hence the name.

“Interesting. If they had to be limited, then I’m guessing they’re more powerful than regular old skills?”

“The thread dwellers certainly thought so. The three skills on the Attire of Heaven’s Wrath appeared after I used the limited items you recently claimed from assassins. You could say that’s another way that they’re limited.”

Now I knew what the pieces of cloth I’d gotten from Kirika the Asura, Wrathful Queen Arisu, and Pendragon Goddess of Dawn were for. Looks like my efforts are paying off. Now I just can’t wait to try it all out!

“This Successor of Makai of the Six Realms from the hairpin sounds especially good. It’s perfect for someone who can use a bunch of weapons like me.”

“That’s right. I checked, and they’re all arts that exist in Six Realms of Warring States Online. Oh...I’ll have to start saying ‘that used to exist.’”

“Yeah...”

I put my hand to the accessory on my head. It was made using Asura’s Red Cloth, the limited item I’d gotten from Kirika. Being the color of blood, it was ominous yet beautiful.

“Most players can only use one weapon type... That’ll stop them from using many limited arts.”

It was probably intended to mimic the system in Six Realms of Warring States Online, where players chose one out of six types of ghoul, each with unique abilities. But my choices wouldn’t be so restricted.

“It means I get the powers from all six types of ghoul. I can make the players of this world feel the power of techniques from a world that came to a tragic end.”

I’d never been part of that game myself and hadn’t so much as played it once, so I had no sentimental attachment. But if I’d been in Kirika’s shoes... If Blade Skill Online, the place where I’d met so many people, vanished, I was sure I’d cry. Thinking about it that way, it was hard to remain indifferent.

“Kirika’s been a buddy of mine ever since we put everything into killing each other. I’m gonna do her proud by going on a rampage with techniques from all six realms!”

All the pieces were in place. I’d established a new fighting style, gained a heap of new arts, and had a new set of gear. Now, nothing stood in my way.

It’s time for the carnage to begin!

[Assassin Countermeasures] General Discussion Thread 789 [Someone Save the Assassins!!!! (´ ；ω ；`)]

1. Impatient Adventurer

This thread is for general discussion.

Speak your mind freely, so long as you’re not breaking the forum rules. However, if you want to recruit party members, rant, hate on the game, or start drama, please make your own thread.

A new thread will be created automatically when this one reaches the reply limit.

Previous thread: http://**********

107. Impatient Adventurer

Arrrrrgghhh! Someone please save the assassins!!!!!!!!!!

108. Impatient Adventurer

>> 107

I can’t believe what’s happening lol.

Two days ago, when Zansword told us, “Assassins can get stronger by learning new arts,” I thought it had to be a mistake...

109. Impatient Adventurer

>> 108

Just when we’d all come up with some good ways to beat them, they fixed all their weak points. Everyone was raging over us being set back to square one.

But then...Yuri comes along!

130. Impatient Adventurer

>> 109.

The havoc she’s causing right now is crazy lol.

But this is our chance, right? We’ve gotta pile on the pressure!

151. Impatient Adventurer

>> 130

Yeah! It’s time to turn the tables to hunt down the assassins!

Once you beat one, you get materials for making stronger gear. Things are really getting interesting!!!

173. Impatient Adventurer

>> 151

Let’s gooo! Get behind Yuri while she’s still going nuts!

Chapter 53 — Yuri’s Fire of Justice Burns with Foul Flames!!!

“Dieeeeeeeeee!!!”

“Arrrrrgggggh?!”

It was my second day with my new equipment, and I was obliterating every assassin I came across! At that particular moment, I was busy unleashing hell on several of them at once.

Assassins normally spread themselves out, but that had all changed after I’d killed fifty of them over a short time span the previous evening. Now they were sticking together.

It’ll take more than that to defeat me! I’m killing every last one of you because this is too much fun!

“Ah ha ha ha ha! Skill activate! Weapon Barricade! Come forth, my weapons! Deva mantra, Debilitating Arrow!!!”

I summoned seven swords from the void then launched them at the assassins. The moment each blade hit a target, the victim’s movements slowed to crawl!

“Ugh... I can...barely...move...”

“This art lowers your agility and defense for just a few seconds. Now the fun can really start!”

The next weapon I summoned was a rusty old Beginner’s Scythe. It was one of the weakest weapons in the game and it was falling apart, but the shadow weapon within gave it a shroud of dark haze.

I gripped the weapon’s shaft and held it near my waist. “Naraka mantra, Scythe of Reckoning!” I swung the weapon as I yelled. In that moment, the scythe’s dark haze exploded outward as its blade grew huge and sliced clean through all of the assassins at once!

“Ugghaaarrrgghhh?!”

“Ha ha ha ha!” I roared with laughter as blood rained down on me. “This art gives me more range and attack power the lower my HP! It’s perfect for me because my HP’s always at 1!”

Got to make the most of the public battle system. Do you see this, BSO players?! See how fun it is to rampage with total abandon! Kill an assassin and win these same arts for yourselves. You all can enjoy it too!

“That’s Yuri!” an assassin cried. “She’s the player we were warned about! Let’s keep a safe distance and make her suffer!”

Just as I was on top of the world, a new group of assassins appeared and began bombarding me with spells fired from a distance. Explosive blasts, raging flames, and bolts of lightning all flew toward me.

“What’s this? You think you’ll fare better in a magic battle?! Then go ahead and hit me with all you’ve got!” Before the spells could reach me, I added, “I’m hungry enough to eat whatever you throw at me. Voracious Shield!”

Just as I was about to be hit by their countless spells, my seven shields arranged themselves like a mandala. Then the strangest thing happened: A mouth made from aura appeared on the surface of each shield and swallowed each of the enemy’s spells.

“Wh-What?!”

“This is Voracious Shield. It’s an art that absorbs enemy magic attacks and converts them into MP. Now it’s my turn!”

Now that I was back at full MP, I could dispatch these new opponents with ease. I started by calling an amulet out from the void into my hand. An amulet was another type of weapon that I’d recently learned to use as part of the battle crafter class, and it let me cast spells.

“Don’t worry about this thing here—my magic stat is rock bottom. Relax, I won’t fire any powerful spells.”

“Huh?! You think you can go easy on us?! That mistake’s about to cost you your life!” The mages flew into a rage and aimed their staves at me.

Before they could launch another volley of spells at me, I grinned. “I can’t blow you away with powerful spells, but I can still curse you to death! Beast mantra, Conflagration of Repression!”

In that moment, the amulet in my hand split into countless copies, each shrouded in black haze, that formed a ring around the assassins. Then the ground beneath the assassins was corrupted. Ominous patterns made of dark flames rose from the ground and began blasting out magic!

“Graaarrrrgggh?! What is this?!”

The field has been fouled! The affected area will be both a Hellish Earth Zone and a Mana Overload Zone for the next 30 seconds!

HP will be depleted by 5% every second, and all spells have a 50% chance to backfire!

“Now, dance for me in my fires of corruption!”

This was the effect of the beast mantra, Conflagration of Repression.

When the first spell from a mage backfired, the effect engulfed not just the caster but all of their surrounding allies, prompting the mages to quickly scatter. The rest was easy. Not only was it too risky for them to use spells, they were desperately trying to flee the flaming circle to avoid being burned further.

“Haah... Haah... I can’t keep up with all this!”

At this point, they were all writhing in agony with their bodies charred black.

“Now, how about I let you guys finish them off?”

In response, countless fighters came leaping out. “Roooooooh!!!”

These were BSO players who’d been incessantly hounded by assassins over the past few days. They rushed at the speechless assassins to settle old grievances.

“Now kill your opponents and claim some of those limited items! Use them to grow stronger, then enjoy killing them all over again! The hunters become the hunted, and then we never stop hunting them! That’s how we enjoy the invasion event!”

“Rooooooh! Let’s do this!”

The players were wild with excitement as their counterattack began. They were having a blast. No doubt they’d grow stronger and start punishing assassins the very next day, inspiring the next wave of players to join the slaughter.

When the strong protect the weak, the weak grow strong enough to protect those weaker than themselves. That’s how to build a community!

“Know this, assassins! Your violent deeds cannot save you as our flames of righteousness consume you!”

“Rooooh! Eat my righteous punch! Suffer our righteous beating!”

And so, BSO’s players came together to hunt down every last hunter!

Assassins: Remind us what righteous means...

Chapter 54 — Yuri Doesn’t Know Anything!!!

“Where are they?! Let me at those assassin players!!!”

On the second day of the assassin hunt, I was riding my familiar, Wolf King, as I charged across the world of BSO in search of new prey.

We sped through a valley whose name I didn’t know, then sprinted through a dark forest whose name I didn’t know.

“Hey, Wolfster, where the heck are you taking us?! I’ve got no idea where we are!”

“Awwn! Arrawwaoon!”

“Oh, okay! Thanks!” No idea what he said! No idea what’s going on at all!

It didn’t really matter. All I had to do was kill any assassin I happened to lay eyes upon. As long as I kept that goal in mind, everything would be just fine!

“I’ll bet everyone else is doing their part too. Let’s see how they’re all doing.”

I opened a menu window and looked at the “Watch public showdowns” item in the corner, causing a new window to appear showing some footage of players in some unknown part of the world having a fight. What a handy feature.

“Ohhh, they’re really going at it... Uh... Huh? Hey, these players are fighting right in the middle of a black forest!” Isn’t that where I am right now?! Does that mean they’re nearby?! “Perfect! Wolfster, let’s get in there! If you sense a battle going on, run toward it!”

“Awoooo awooon!” Wolfster obeyed my order by adjusting course and quickening his pace.

I knew right away that he was taking us toward the battle. As we got closer, I could hear the sound of steel clashing with steel.

You know, I gave that order without thinking about it... Since when could Wolfster sense battles?

“All right, let’s join the fray! Wah ha ha ha ha!”

And so, I charged headlong into the battlefield!

⬧⬨⬧

Ten seconds later, we arrived to find a weirdo with a handsome face, long pink hair, and a feminine pair of glasses.

“Die, assassin scum!” I cried as I flying-kicked him to the ground.

“Ahhhh!” he screamed. “Wait, stop! I’m a BSO player! The assassin’s the dead body over there!”

“Huh? Are you serious?”

I soon realized that the usual “You have encountered an assassin!” message hadn’t appeared. Evidently, it was my mistake.

“Sorry about that! I’m so focused on bringing death to my enemies that I attacked without thinking.”

The handsome guy with pink hair was a little freaked out. “Well, aren’t you dreadful? That sounds like the mentality of someone who grew up in a war zone.”

I took his long, slender hand and helped him to his feet, and then he began brushing the dirt off his clothes. Okay, now I feel bad. “I’m really sorry. My name’s—”

“Oh, I know who you are. You’re the thuggish demon lord known as Yuri, aren’t you? I’d put your height at about 165 centimeters, and based on the impact of that flying kick, I estimate you weigh 50 kilograms. You chose the battle crafter class just a few days ago, and you’ve since learned to use swords, spears, shields, scythes, and amulets. At this very moment, you’re on a serious rampage. Was that accurate enough for you?”

“Um... How’d you know all that?!” Just who is this mysterious pink stranger?

My battle style might have been well known because of the public showdown system, but I’d only just gained the scythe and amulet.

I’d better handle this delicately... “A-Are you stalking me?”

“Of course not!”

The pink stranger shook with rage, then pulled a business card from his suit pocket and held it out in front of me. On it was written “Snake of Wisdom.”

“How rude of me for not introducing myself. My name is Pinky. I’m the master of a guild known as the Snake of Wisdom. We gather intelligence on everything in the BSO world, from exciting happenings to lore mysteries!” Pinky finished with a wink.

“Pinky...? Are you sure that’s your real name?”

“Why? Don’t tell me it sounds odd!”

“Yeah, it does.”

This Pinky’s quite the character, I belatedly realized.

⬧⬨⬧

“I have to ask you, Yuri.” Pinky leaned against a tree with his arms folded. “I’ve already surmised that you rushed toward me after seeing my public showdown, but how did you pinpoint my location?”

His face might have been incredibly handsome, but it was a total mismatch with the pink hair and pink clothing.

“Finding me should have been quite the chore. Myrk Forest is a dark and dreary place dense with black trees, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. You could say it’s the perfect place to get lost.”

“Nah, it wasn’t so hard. I had my familiar, Wolfster, track you down.” I petted Wolfster for a job well done.

“Oh, now that explains things!” Pinky replied while thrusting his face closer to Wolfster.

“Arf?!”

“Yes, yes... The Wolf King boss is a wolf-type monster with exceptional detection capabilities. I wasn’t aware until now, what with so few players out there befriending boss monsters, but I’m fairly certain this particular boss is more sensitive than any ordinary wolf-type! Oh, but that’s you to a tee, Yuri! Always choosing the optimal summoned monster for the task at hand!”

Err...I kinda just asked Wolfster to find the battle without thinking about it... And maybe don’t put your face so close. You’re scaring him.

“Forgive me for asking, Yuri, but could you confirm that little Wolfster’s detection capabilities are mentioned in his status information?”

“Nope, that’s not in there.”

“Oh my! It’s unlisted! That’s an interesting thing about Blade Skill Online! It’s packed full of little abilities that aren’t listed in any data sheets! Isn’t that exciting?!” With his eyes sparkling, Pinky edged closer to me. “Doesn’t it excite you too?!”

Hmm... Yeah, I can see why gathering up hidden info might be fun! Though I get the feeling it’s just another sign that the devs left everything rough around the edges.

“I’m sure it wasn’t particularly difficult to guess that Wolfster might have such an ability. After all, we all know that wolves have sharp noses and ears. But consider creatures that don’t exist in reality—dragons and goblins, for instance. We certainly can’t tell at a glance what secrets they might be hiding. Investigating that sort of thing is exactly what we do over at the Snake of Wisdom! ♡”

“Wow! Now you’ve got my attention! If I learn a bunch of hidden capabilities for my familiars, it might help me slaughter my enemies even faster!”

“How dreadful you are. You took an exciting conversation topic and turned it into something far less savory! This has to be a sickness!” Pinky twisted his body back and forth.

“No, I’m in great shape!” I replied with a thumbs up. I feel so good I went back for seconds twice at breakfast this morning!

“That’s not the sort of sickness I meant... But enough about that... As I was saying, my guild investigates all kinds of hidden details, and a recent topic of inquiry is this world’s origin story. I came to this forest to investigate that very thing.”

“Origin story? Let me think...” I’m drawing a total blank here... Wasn’t there something about it on the game’s box...? I forget.

My experience of BSO had been nonstop fighting since the moment I first logged in. Even at this very moment, I was traveling around looking for every last fleeing assassin with the intention of dragging them out of their hiding place and eliminating them.

“Sorry, Pinky. All I know is fighting.”

“Oh dear.” For some reason, Pinky patted me on the head and spoke softly. “You really do sound like a child soldier... But anyhoo, let me get you caught up, Yuri!”

Pinky explained that long, long ago, some weird creature called Demon Lord Azathoth had spread monsters across the world. Then, after various twists and turns, a hero under the protection of Earth Goddess Ymir fought against Azathoth, with the hero and Demon Lord each dealing a fatal blow to the other.

Sadly, the world was already overrun with monsters at that point, with indestructible monster spawners known as dungeons dotted around the world still churning out more. Cut to the present day, and humans were still waging the same war. That about summed it up.

“Oh, so that’s the world’s lore. That explains why we’ve been fighting monsters.”

“Ah ha ha... Who’d have thought the game’s strongest player would only just be learning some of the most basic lore that every beginner already knows? You really don’t think of anything but fighting do you?”

“It keeps every day stimulating and fun!”

“Yes, I’m sure it does!” Pinky held me tight and began to cry. I wasn’t sure why, but I wished he wouldn’t because it was embarrassing.

“So, how are you gonna use this origin story in battle?” I asked.

Pinky hugged me even tighter.

It is with great regret that I must announce:Blade Skill Onlineis four volumes in, and only now are we touching on the game’s lore!!!

Chapter 55 — Arriving at the Door to a New Frontier!

“Let’s pick up the pace, Wolfster! Run!”

“Ahhh!” Pinky screamed. “Now this is fast!”

After meeting Pinky, the master of an intelligence gathering guild, the two of us were racing through the black forest as we rode Wolfster together. I had a little agreement with this bespectacled handsome fellow in pink.

“Okay, Pinky, just like we discussed, I’ll protect you while you’re gathering intel, but you’ve gotta give me some useful secret info.”

“You’ve got it! Now, sorry to ask out of the blue, but could you fire a shot into the undergrowth there?”

Oh? When I complied by shooting an arrow from atop Wolfster’s back, the shot was met with a yelp. “Arrf?!” At the same time, I saw several black wolves leap up!

“What are those?!”

“They’re known as black hounds—a monster unique to this forest that lurks between the black trees ready to ambush players.” Pinky petted Wolfster. “It’s all thanks to Wolfster’s good work that none of them have dared to attack us so far! ♡”

The moment Pinky’s hand touched Wolfster, he gave out an “Awwwn” as if he really wasn’t enjoying it...but that was probably my imagination.

“When you travel with a boss monster, regular monsters of the same type are much less likely to attack you. I’m sure you know that you get less experience as your level climbs further above your opponent’s? Well, if you’d rather skip over less profitable encounters and charge straight in at a dungeon boss, you just have to summon the correct boss monster familiar!”

“Ohh... That’s some secret info worth knowing! Got any more for me?!”

“Let’s see... Most monsters can only evolve once through leveling up, but rumor has it there are a few monsters that can evolve a second time with the use of a special item!”

“For real?!”

I kept learning new things from Pinky as he guided us toward our destination.

⬧⬨⬧

“This is the place! It’s in the depths of this cave!”

“Ooh...!”

Pinky and I had reached a limestone cave system whose interior was covered in creepy-looking purple crystals sprouting from every surface. It was a real surprise—he’d had me leap into the hollow of a big rotten tree with him, and when we’d landed, we were in these caves.

“This is what you might call a hidden dungeon. Just like I told you earlier, the world contains countless dungeons to serve as monster spawners. I realized something was odd when I couldn’t find any such dungeons near Myrk Forest.”

“You figured that if there are monsters like black hounds around, there had to be a dungeon making them?”

“Precisely! Then, after exploring here and there within the forest, I found a strange hollow in that tree with monsters occasionally popping out of it.”

It made sense that dungeons were what spawned the monsters, but I never would have thought to use that fact to find hidden dungeons. If I could find more untouched hunting grounds, they’d be great for leveling, and I might even find some valuable items. Knowledge really is a powerful thing.

“This is a great opportunity for you to learn exactly what monster creation looks like. Watch these crystals around us closely.”

I took Pinky’s advice and stared at the crystals. Then, a thud echoed through the cave as crystals here and there cracked open and black hounds emerged, dripping with mucus.

“Eww... That’s kinda gross. So, is every crystal in this place basically a monster egg?”

“That’s right. And the dungeon itself is the mother of those monsters. By the way, no matter how many times you destroy a crystal, a new one will just pop right out of the wall to replace it.”

“I see, I see...” Gross, maybe, but you don’t see this every day.

With that thought in mind, I summoned my Wolf King again. That was enough to make the hound pups that had been glaring at us yelp with alarm and find hiding places behind the rocks. Okay, that’s just cute.

“Well, look at you, Yuri! Using the monster-evasion tech already! As the only player with tamed boss monsters of multiple types, this gives you a unique advantage!”

“It sure does! Thanks a bunch for telling me about it, Pinky!”

“It’s nothing. Now, let’s head into the cavern’s depths, and I’ll share a few thoughts with you as we walk.” Pinky raised his finger and began strolling ahead, looking just like a teacher. “The world of BSO tends to take inspiration from Norse mythology and the Cthulhu mythos. I’m sure you’ve heard of both.”

“I think so. They’re both about gods fighting each other, right?”

“That interpretation is so like you... Yes, you’re more or less correct. Going back to BSO, the plot says that when the Earth Goddess Ymir created this planet, everything started out as it was in Norse mythology. Then Demon Lord Azathoth, who’s essentially the big boss from the Cthulhu mythos, came and invaded the world, and that’s when it all went awry.”

That reminded me that I had my Cthulhu monster: Cthulhu Replica. It was right there in the name. Lately she’d been more like a pet that made happy noises whenever Grim touched her, though. I’d forgotten that she used to be a horrifying monster.

“Allow me to continue. My investigations revealed that when Demon Lord Azathoth invaded long, long ago, he introduced incredible new technologies to this world. Remnants of them are exceedingly rare, but you might sometimes find a rusty old item with ‘Advanced Ancient Civilization’ in its name. Does that ring any bells, Yuri?”

“Yeah. I had one in fact! I think it was called Broken Mechanism from an Advanced Ancient Civilization.”

It was an item I’d used to make one of my chimera monsters—Chimeratic Machine Goblin. I’d only used it because it was the rarest machine part I’d found. I’d had no idea it was a hand-me-down from the Demon Lord.

“Ah ha ha. I should’ve known, Yuri. You found one of the rarest of all the Advanced Ancient Civilization items!”

“Yep. And I put it to good use making a chimera monster!”

“Well, I wish you hadn’t used it up... To get beyond a certain point, we’re probably going to need one of those ancient artifacts that the Demon Lord left behind.”

Pinky’s words caught my attention. “To get beyond what?”

“You’ll see when we get there,” he replied.

After trotting along after him for several more minutes, deep within the dungeon lit by the glow of purple crystals, we reached something I could hardly believe.

“Quite disturbing when you’re seeing it for the first time, isn’t it? Well, Yuri, your thoughts?”

“My thoughts...? Errm...”

It was so out of place that even I felt creeped out. I was looking at something I’d never expect to find in a fantasy-themed world—a huge, ultrafuturistic door with lines of light running across it!

Chapter 56 — The Door to Yuggoth

I sighed at the sight of the overly futuristic door in front of us. “Oh, come on... Since when was this a sci-fi game?”

I guess the Cthulhu mythos is about gods visiting from outer space. Maybe I shouldn’t be too surprised to see advanced technology out of a space fantasy world?

“The devs really didn’t know when to rein in their story ideas, did they?”

Just when I thought it was all swords and sorcery, bam! Advanced tech! Big twists like this could easily get fans angry.

I was still reeling when Pinky wagged his finger and said, “No, Yuri. Non, non. It wasn’t exactly the developers who wrote this world’s story.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” That had me confused. If the devs didn’t write their own story, then who did?

“Heh heh... This world’s creator was a machine god. To be precise, the developers created an automatic storyline generating system, and that’s what wrote the setting’s approximately thousand-year history. That system’s decisions are what made the game turn out the way it did.”

“No way!”

They got a machine to write the whole thing for them?! And what’s an automatic storyline generating system in the first place? I can imagine a program that suggests a bunch of story ideas, but how’s it putting together a thousand years and still making sense? The devs never cease to amaze...

“It does appear that the developers have been more hands-on with regards to more recent history, however. Consider King Odin’s appearance to host public events. He’s quite obviously the avatar of a developer.”

“Yeah, I know him... But you’re amazing, Pinky. Figuring out the lore is one thing, but figuring out where it all came from is something else entirely.”

“Perhaps. Though it helps to have a contact who knows the developers.”

“Wow...”

Wait, I’m getting too distracted by everything Pinky’s telling me. It was about time we investigated the door. Wolfster’s glare had been keeping any threats at bay, but we couldn’t forget that we were in a den of monsters. And I had a feeling monsters might not be the only thing I’d have to worry about...

“So we need to figure out how to open it, right? I know you only brought me as a bodyguard, but I can’t ignore a puzzle like this! Let me help!”

“I’d appreciate that, Yuri! Oh ho ho... I do wonder what will happen when we open this big old door. The thought of experiencing history spun by a nonhuman in all its naked glory is giving me chills. ♡” Pinky squirmed, twisting his body back and forth. His face might have been handsome, but his gestures continued to be less than charming. “So, Yuri, would you touch the door? It should show you a perplexing message.”

“Let’s see.” I touched the door as instructed, and text appeared in front of my eyes: “A black world slumbers beneath the earth in the embrace of a womb of decay. Those who seek Yuggoth must present proof of servitude.”

Wow, that really is perplexing. And it reeks of danger too.

“I just know there’s a hidden boss behind this door...”

“It would seem so. Everything about it suggests a disaster in the making. But this is the sort of boss I could learn something interesting from. Defeating it could even yield a one-of-a-kind item.”

Now I was dying to get the door open. Powerful crafting materials were what I was all about.

“Based on what you’ve been telling me, it’s not your first time here, is it, Pinky? Did you figure out how to open it yet?”

“I had an idea or two. But on my first visit, it was hard to concentrate on my investigation due to the monsters surrounding me. Based on the ‘present proof of servitude’ line, it might do the trick to take some of those ancient items I mentioned before and place them by the door.” As he spoke, Pinky took out some rusted cogwheels and frayed cables.

Now it was time to see what would happen!

⬧⬨⬧

Several minutes later.

“Haah... Oh dear me. All these items, and none of them worked.” Pinky slumped down to sit on the ground.

He’d made a big pile of ancient items before the door and even tried rubbing them against it, but the door hadn’t budged. It seemed that his idea was totally off the mark.

“To think all my time spent gathering these things was for naught. I even borrowed a few of your Broken Mechanisms from an Advanced Ancient Civilization, and it still wasn’t enough. Speaking of which, how did you come to have so many?”

“If you’re constantly fighting and using a pure luck build, you’re gonna get a ton of rare drops. Anyway, what’s Plan B?”

“There isn’t one,” Pinky replied in a deep voice. It seemed he was genuinely depressed.

Now it was my turn to test a few things out. If the ancient items series wasn’t the answer, then I had a good idea what it was—though I did think an intelligence gathering expert should’ve been able to think of it himself...

“Cheer up, Pinky. Thanks to all your hard work, I think I’ve got it figured out.”

“Y-You do?!” he replied in surprise.

I nodded and then put my Lord of all Things skill to work. This skill could connect me to my guild’s storehouses, allowing me to take items in and out freely. I plunged my hand into a gaping hole torn in space, then pulled out a certain item.

“Urgh. This thing keeps twitching. Uh, now it’s coiling itself around me! Get off!”

“Huh? Yuri, what is that?”

“It’s part of a tentacle from a monster known as Cthulhu Replica.”

The item I’d grabbed was a Severed Tentacle of the Forbidden Dragon that I’d picked up during my fight with Loo. Replica or not, it was the flesh and blood of a monster with Cthulhu in the name. It wasn’t unusual at all for an important door in a game to require some item from a hidden boss, and I was sure the door would react to this.

“That’s... Yuri, present it to the door!”

“You got it.” I thrust out my arm with the tentacle entwined around it.

The pale blue light emanating from the door instantly turned red, and everything began to rumble. Then, a dark red message window appeared.

Cellular match...97% Condition cleared.

You have been identified as what we have long awaited—an accomplice of Cthulhu, general of the demon lord’s army that once was.

Soul name: Yuri. Here you will receive the power of Demon Steel. For you, the door to Yuggoth will open!

With that, the futuristic door unlocked.

The doors parted to the left and right as the ground shook beneath us. Beyond them, an old and unbelievably vast factory filled with machinery came into view. Of course, it was no ordinary workshop. Thin lines of light ran across everything, with complicated magic circles carved into many of the surfaces.

“Wow... This is incredible! The message said something about Demon Steel. Is this where I’m gonna get hold of it?” With my eyes wide at the unexpected development, I took a step inside, and then another, moving deeper into the factory. “Awesome! This is so exciting!”

Once I was fully beyond the doors, Pinky made his move. “Yes. It’s all happening as she predicted!” As he spoke, he swung a great scythe into my defenseless back!

“I figured you’d do that.”

“Huh?!”

It was easy to counter an attack that I knew was coming. Just before the scythe hit me, I spun around and delivered a kick!

“Ergh?!”

As my foot plowed into Pinky’s face, my Demon Lord Shock Wave skill triggered, further amplifying the impact and sending him smashing into a wall!

“Guhuh?! D-Don’t tell me you deliberately made yourself look defenseless?!”

“Basically. I figured that if you were gonna attack me, now would be the time.”

If he’d stayed friendly, we wouldn’t have had a problem. It was a shame since I’d genuinely been interested in all the things he’d told me. Now I’d have to kill him.

“I can’t believe it... What made you suspicious of me?”

“I knew from the very start—from the moment we met and I shook your hand.”

“Huh?!”

It was right after I’d mistaken Pinky for an assassin and kicked him. He’d yelled at me, telling me he wasn’t an assassin, and then I’d given him my hand as I’d pulled him to his feet. That was when a certain art had triggered.

“Human mantra, Hand of Avarice. It triggers without me having to speak. It’s a special art that shows me someone’s name and status when I touch them. That’s how I learned your name was Merlin.”

“Ngh?!” Pinky’s eyes—or should I say, Merlin’s eyes—went wide with shock.

I didn’t know a whole lot about mythology, but even I’d heard of Merlin and knew he was a friend of the legendary King Arthur, otherwise known as Arthur Pendragon.

“Oh my... You do know it’s impolite to look at someone’s personal data without asking, don’t you, Yuri?”

“Sorry. I wasn’t trying to pry. I just wanted to be sure you really were a regular player. You know the assassins all have special names like Kirika the Asura, don’t you?”

I thought it would help me figure out whether Pinky was an assassin. I could’ve taken reassurance in the lack of a “You have encountered an assassin” message, but that hadn’t been enough.

Just like when I’d met Kirika in the safety of a town, I knew there were situations where the message wouldn’t appear. It was even possible that assassins were manually triggering the battle message each time (though that would be a bizarre system).

“That’s all it was at first. I was only a little wary after learning your name was Merlin. You wouldn’t be the first player to choose a name from a myth or legend. But then...instead of telling me your real name, you introduced yourself as Pinky. What sort of person feels the need to hide their identity? That’s why I stopped to ask whether it was really your name.”

Merlin groaned in response. Then he sighed and said, “I’m defeated, completely and utterly. Haah... I’d wanted to hide my association with Pendragon, but concealing my name clearly did more harm than good. You’ve got a keen eye for someone who’s so clueless, Yuri. I sense you’ve got a knack for spotting mistakes. Child soldier you may be, but you’re a seasoned child soldier.”

“I’m not a child soldier. There were other things that tipped me off as well. Anyway, now I know for sure you’re my enemy, but what was the point in fooling me?”

“You really want to know...? If that’s the case...” Merlin climbed to his feet using his weapon’s shaft like a crutch. “Then I challenge you, Yuri! Defeat me here and I’ll tell you why I tried to fool you!” As he spoke, a magic circle of purple electricity formed at his feet!

“Ha! Sounds like a good deal to me!” I deployed several weapons around myself.

If I wanted to explore this new area, I’d have to win a showdown against this traitor first!

Merlin: I need a fake name... Well, I’m pink, so let’s go with Pinky!

Yuri: This guy comes up with the worst names...

Chapter 57 — A Clash with Merlin, the Traitorous Battle Mage!

“Here I go! Thunder Enchant: Suicide Bolt!” Merlin ran at me, his body covered in lightning! As an apparent bonus effect of the spell he’d cast, the huge scythe in his hand wasn’t slowing him down at all.

“I’ll take you out with homing weapons! Puffster troops, go!”

“Currrsss!”

I drew my bow then fired several arrows all at once! The arrows were possessed by the shadow weapons that had been with me since the start. With the Demonic Archery skill to enhance their accuracy, the swarm of living arrows rushed at Merlin.

Let’s see how he handles this. I had a ton of damage boosting skills that would make sure my arrows hit him hard.

“Hah. Too easy!” Merlin yelled with a twirl of his scythe. “Weapon skill activate! Seal: Navigation!” The moment its blade touched Puffster and the others, they were effortlessly thrown aside.

“Currss?!” I’d put a lot of power into the attack, and yet they’d all been instantly robbed of momentum.

“‘Seal’? Don’t tell me!”

“That’s right! My great scythe, Clarent, can instantly disable a skill of my choosing the moment it hits! And that’s not all!”

He swung the scythe behind his back, hitting Wolfster as he tried to attack Merlin from behind! The hit wasn’t powerful enough to cut Wolfster in two, but it stopped him from moving completely.

“The support spell I’m using also gives my weapon a paralyzing effect! Sleep well, little Wolfster.”

“Awwwwn!” Wolfster’s body twitched as his howl of frustration filled the cave and echoed through the new zone ahead.

“I get it... So if you’d hit me, you would’ve disabled my Relentless skill, and everything would have been over. And even if I summon a ton of familiars as meat shields, you’ll just paralyze them all.”

“A splendid strategy, isn’t it? But don’t mistake my scythe for Korin’s Futsunomitama. Clarent deals serious damage with each hit, so watch out. ♡”

Ha ha. That’s just how I like it.

Even if he did have an improved version of Futsunomitama, it didn’t change the situation a whole lot. Korin’s spirit blade had been able to knock out three of my skills at once, and for three minutes at a time. The fact that it had zero attack power was a fair trade-off. With Clarent, however, Merlin would have to call out the name of a skill the moment he landed a hit, so he’d have to know exactly which skill his opponent was relying on. And when Puffster’s gang came flying back to me crying “currrsss!” I knew the effect couldn’t last very long either.

“A weapon like that won’t work unless you know your opponent... It’s perfect for someone like you. You really are an intelligence gatherer, aren’t you?”

“It was no lie. I truly do love listening to rumors, solving riddles, and conducting inquiries. I’ve been entirely honest, except for giving myself the cute name of Pinky. ♡”

“Seriously?” I took a sword in each hand and swung them at Merlin! “Not great at coming up with names, are you?”

“Huh?!” Merlin was caught off guard. I’d started rushing him while he was in the middle of his long explanation about his weapon’s powers, and he hadn’t seen it coming.

“Skill activate. Weapon Barricade. Let’s go, my weapons!”

“Hey, wait!”

I’d materialized seven swords and had another two in my hands, so now I was attacking Merlin with nine blades at once!

“Ora ora ora oraa! Just try and kill me! What’s wrong, Pendragon’s dog?! Can’t even handle a bow wielder at close range?!”

“You can’t call yourself a bow wielder when this is how you fight!”

Merlin frantically spun his scythe. He clearly had more finesse than I did when it came to handling his weapon, but that meant nothing. My sword technique might have relied on slashing wildly, but I was backed up by seven swords firing at him ceaselessly!

“This is my new sword fighting style! I might not have much skill, but no opponent’s gonna survive very long when I can swing nine blades at once!”

“You call this sword fighting?! You’re literally coming at me from all angles!”

As enchanted swords and spears launched from subspace cut his body, his face began to cloud over. I guessed that a poisoned weapon had landed a hit. He must have had accessories protecting him from paralysis and freezing, but not poison.

“We can only wear three accessories. That puts a limit on how many status abnormalities you can block. Time to land the final blow!”

“Ngh... Is this how strong you can get by ignoring the story and fighting mindlessly?!” Merlin backed off, looking desperate. He turned and ran with incredible speed thanks to the lightning attribute that’d been buffing him the whole time...but not fast enough.

“Did you really think you could run from me?”

“Huh?! Wha—” He finally realized the truth. Right in front of the door leading to the new area, I’d left a single amulet, which was now under his feet. The amulet burst into dark flames!

“Learn how it feels to be a roasted animal! Beast mantra, Conflagration of Repression!”

“Ngraaaarrrrggghhh?!”

He was penned in by the flames that had appeared. I’d activated an evil art that turned a specific location into a Hellish Earth Zone and a Mana Overload Zone. Not only was it burning Merlin’s entire body, the spell that had been strengthening him was now going berserk.

As his lightning strikes went haywire, he was electrocuted by his own spell.

“Uh... I...lost...”

Thus, our battle for the new area was settled.

Chapter 58 — Ragnarok, the War of Annihilation

“You win, Yuri. You certainly are strong...”

“Yeah, I am. You’re not so bad yourself for a guy who’s pink from head to toe.”

“I’m actually charred black from head to toe right now...”

I deactivated the spell and approached Merlin. He was badly burned, and his body was already starting to fade. The many hits he’d taken from status inflicting weapons, cursed flames, and his own berserk magic had totally drained his HP.

“Before you vanish, let’s hear it. Why’d you choose that particular moment to turn on me?”

“Oh, you just want a reason...?”

“Yeah. If you say it’s because you’re Pendragon’s friend, that’s enough for me. I’m sure she put you up to it either way. But what I can’t understand is why you let me open the new area at all if the plan was to betray me.”

If Merlin had simply wanted to kill me, he could have found a chance out on the field. There’d been no reason for him to tell me about a secret area where I might grow even stronger.

“At first, I thought you didn’t have any more use for me once I’d brought part of Cthulhu to the door...but there has to be more to it. You and Pendragon could easily fight Cthulhu and claim the same item yourselves.”

“Ah ha ha... That’s true. She and I would never stoop so low as to use you like that.”

“Then why? Why make me open the door then try to kill—”

Merlin gave me one last laugh before his body burst into particles of light.

“I missed my chance to get an answer,” I said to myself in frustration. But then...

New hidden achievement: Sacrifice a soul (get a player kill) within the Demon Lord’s tomb, Yuggoth.

All Demon Steel machines are now officially activated!

“Wh-What?!”

Just when the message appeared, the machines in the factory began producing light and sound. Each of the carved magic circles was giving off an ominous glow as steam began pouring from various components.

“What...the...?”

I was at a loss to explain any of it, but then I noticed the cute little pink envelope lying at my feet. I picked it up and started reading.

“Pendragon’s aim was, quite simply, a great war against you with all of Blade Skill Online’s players involved. She may be a genius, but some of her ideas are unhinged. With her real life connections and cash, she hired thousands of players to help her amass copies of the tens of thousands of books that exist in BSO. Then, within just a few hours, she’d read them all. That’s how she was able to learn of a world quest on a massive scale and the conditions needed to activate it.”

“A great war with every player involved...? A world quest on a massive scale...?”

Her goal, her way of getting to it, and the whole description all sounded over the top. She really does have some unhinged ideas, I thought as I read the rest of the message.

“There were two conditions to be met to trigger the world quest. First, a player has to discover the Demon Lord’s tomb, Yuggoth, and reactivate the remnants of the Demon Lord’s technology that lie within. I was chosen to guide you there. The other condition is that someone has to make the Goddess’s Spirit Tree, Yggdrasill, resprout. With both conditions met, Ragnarok can begin!”

Just as I finished reading the letter, there was a great rumbling, as if something were coming out of the ground, then a huge message window appeared in front of me.

World news! World news! World news!

All players, be aware that combat systems will be suspended for the next 30 seconds for the sake of this announcement!

The player Yuri has awakened the Demon Lord’s tomb, Yuggoth!

The player Pendragon has awakened the Goddess’s Spirit Tree, Yggdrasill!

With both sides fully awakened, the conditions are met! Phase 1 of Ragnarok, the War of Annihilation, is about to begin!

All players will be presented with a menu option asking whether they wish to join the side of the Demon Lord or the Goddess!

“Ha, ha ha ha! Pendragon’s really gone and prepared one hell of a battlefield this time!”

The level of effort she’d put into everything was enough to creep me out. I just had to laugh.

Now things were getting interesting! She’d pulled me into something like an end game quest, with every player—more than 200,000 people—about to get caught up in the chaos!

“Nice! Bring it on! You won’t find experiences like this anywhere but in BSO!”

Thus the stage was set for my final showdown with Pendragon!

Devs: “With all these hidden conditions, it should take players at least six months to figure out how to trigger Ragnarok...right...?”

QUEST UNLOCKED!

[Something Big’s Starting?!] General Discussion Thread 815 [Yuri’s Now Officially the Demon Lord!]

1. Impatient Adventurer

This thread is for general discussion.

Speak your mind freely, so long as you’re not breaking the forum rules. However, if you want to recruit party members, rant, hate on the game, or start drama, please make your own thread.

A new thread will be created automatically when this one reaches the reply limit.

Previous thread: http://**********

107. Impatient Adventurer

Hold on, hold on, hold on?!

The heck’s going on?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

What’s Ragnarok, the War of Annihilation?!

108. Impatient Adventurer

Did everyone see the world news?!

Something’s gonna happen!

109. Impatient Adventurer

>> 107

They’ve given us more details in the menu screens!

Basically, players have to split into two camps and fight each other (apparently, the actual players who unlocked the tomb and the spirit tree don’t get a choice).

The Demon Lord side can use a new sort of weapon known as Demon Steel arms, and the Goddess side gets to use something called God Iron arms.

It’s more or less an equivalent perk, whichever side you pick. It’s just that the weapons on the Demon Lord side look creepy, while the ones on the Goddess side look divine.

130. Impatient Adventurer

>> 109

That figures. If one side got better upgrades, players would all end up on the same team.

The opening day is a week away. I guess we’re meant to use that time to free up our schedules and prepare.

But what really gets me are these rules of combat... lol...

151. Impatient Adventurer

>> 130

The entire accessible map is the battlefield, and whichever side is wiped out first loses? Wtf lmao

This whole thing is crazy. Rofl

173. Impatient Adventurer

>> 151

The devs have got a screw loose lol.

The battlefield’s not going to stay that big though. The rules say there’ll be an invisible boundary around the battlefield that shrinks over the course of several hours. Anyone that goes outside the boundary will start taking unblockable damage.

176. Impatient Adventurer

>> 173

That classic set up? That’s definitely one way to ensure one side eventually gets eliminated.

But doesn’t BSO have nearly 200,000 players right now? I can’t even imagine a war with that many players all fighting at once lol.

179. Impatient Adventurer

>> 176

The headline “A massive war is starting in an online game!” is making a buzz on some news sites, including a few overseas!

And with a week to go, they’re saying all players below level 50 are going to get double experience. Anyone who starts working at it now should be an advanced player by the time the war gets going.

Things might be even crazier than they already are by the time the starting date comes around!

180. Impatient Adventurer

>> 179

Sounds nuts! We can’t miss out on a party like this!

I don’t have a problem with our very own Yuri activating Yuggoth on the Demon Lord side, but the Goddess side is led by Pendragon, Goddess of Dawn? Isn’t she an assassin? How’d she trigger a big world quest?! That shouldn’t be allowed!

240. Impatient Adventurer

>> 180

Well, it happened, so it must be fine. If it wasn’t allowed, the quest conditions would have been worded to rule out assassins.

The devs are open to anything, as usual!

245. Impatient Adventurer

>> 240

The rules are always so grand and unrestricted, it’s one step away from being a train wreck! I love how BSO’s devs are always coming up with new ideas!!!

Now, which side is everyone gonna join?!

I feel like I have to support Yuri since she’s an original BSO player...but I really want another shot at taking down our Demon Lord!

Interlude — The Message Board and a Stronger Development Team!!!

“Arrrrrrrrggghh?!” The sound of men screaming filled the development office. The developers were going mad now that a massive event that they’d been sure wouldn’t be triggered for at least six months after launch was already happening.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen yet! The game’s gonna run out of content in no time!”

“W-We have to start preparing right away! There’s no time to waste!”

“I can’t believe this! People from all over the world are making new BSO accounts! How are we going to upgrade the servers in time?!”

“Damn. We’ll just have to optimize our ultra-data-compression code to handle it! Bring it on, world!”

The development team had been thrown into panic, and the rapidly changing situation already had them in tears. Then they heard a woman’s laughter from out of nowhere. “Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Now things are getting interesting! I’ll fight Yuri while the whole world watches!”

“Rindo?! This is all your fault!”

Rindo went on laughing like an innocent child while the development team were practically snarling at her. They’d stopped caring that she was the teacher they owed respect. They were furious with her for forcing their game to advance at breakneck speed.

“Damn you! Worst mentor I ever had! What do you think you’re playing at?!”

“Chill out. What are you getting so angry about? I’m not doing anything that an ordinary player couldn’t have done, just like I promised.”

“What sort of ordinary player unlocks the endgame content a few days after signing up?! Why do you and Yuri always have to race through everything in the game?!”

“Oh, stop whining. You chose me as an assassin because you know what I’m capable of. You should’ve known I’d unlock that quest no problem. Besides, if you didn’t want assassins helping players to unlock new content, why didn’t you make that a rule?”

“Urk!” The developers all went quiet.

The assassin event was something they’d simply started on a whim. They hadn’t stopped to consider giving late-game quests a rule along the lines of “assassin players are not allowed to intervene” to prevent them from unlocking late-game content early.

“Listen, gentlemen. The game was already a hot topic because of Yuri’s recent actions, and now you’ve added to the momentum with some huge news. You’re the talk of the internet all across the world. Don’t you realize that no other online game has gotten people this excited in years?”

“Ugh... Ummm... There is that... But all this excitement makes it hard for us to stay in control, and that’s dangerous!”

“Oh...?” Rindo was impressed. If the developers could pause in the face of major success and think about all the unexpected problems it might cause, it was a sure sign of their growth. “I couldn’t have put it better. Well, what are you going to do about it?”

“The increased attention could draw in troublemakers. I’d like to improve our hacking protection software.”

“Exactly,” Rindo agreed. “To show that I’m sorry, I’ll help you out if you’d like.”

“That’s quite all right. Another thing to consider is the special abilities assassins have. I think they should lose their powers from other worlds and participate as regular players on the day of Ragnarok!”

“Ohhh!” Rindo nodded happily as the developers found solutions without resorting to restrictions. “Sounds good... Which means I’m still allowed to join in? There was a time when you would’ve driven me off and yelled, ‘How dare you throw our plans into disarray! You’re banned!’ at me.”

“Give us a break. If we banned the commander of the Goddess’s side, it would throw cold water over the whole event. You were a lot like Yuri back in the early days of VR games. Why don’t you build yourself a new fan base and get them talking about BSO for us?”

“If you’re sure, then you’ve got it, my dear development team.” Rindo was half laughing, but her respect was genuine as she agreed to the deal.

Now the final battle was set to happen in a week’s time.

Chapter 59 — The Run Up to the Showdown

“All right, crafters! I’ll leave it to you to upgrade everyone’s weapons!”

“Ooohhhh!” The same crafters’ alliance that I’d fought alongside before all answered with a cheer.

It was the day after we’d unlocked the world quest, Ragnarok, the War of Annihilation. I’d wasted no time starting the battle preparations in the newly discovered area, the Demon Lord’s tomb, Yuggoth. It helped that Yuggoth had a warp device that teleported the whole area, relocating it beneath land owned by the player who’d unlocked it.

The holy town of Helheim, my base of operations, currently housed 9,999 monsters that freely patrolled the streets aboveground, while a workshop full of forbidden machinery lay beneath. It was a real bed of chaos...and there was more.

“Wow, this is amazing! So many different machines! Hey, guys, get a look at all this!”

“Settle down! We’re in Yuri’s presence! She’s done so much for us! Don’t get carried away!”

Here and there in the vast new area were overexcited players dressed in sparkling new equipment with other players keeping them in line. They were the beginners’ army I’d fought alongside before, along with their new recruits.

The beginners from back then were battle-hardened veterans today, offering guidance to new players who reminded us all of our former selves.

“I just know I can count on you guys. Thank you to everyone who came running to me!”

I owed a big debt of gratitude to the beginners army, the crafters alliance, and everyone else who’d already signed up to join the Demon Lord side—especially my guild mate, though that went without saying.

“You too, Grim. Thanks for being here!”

“Heh. I could offer you nothing less, Demon Lord. Since the day you took me in, I have been your steadfast ally!” Grim laughed and puffed out her chest.

I couldn’t have been more grateful to hear it. Time to pat that smooth, golden hair of hers a whole bunch!

“Waaah?!”

“Ah ha ha! Thanks Grim! I mean it! Can I trust you to upgrade everyone’s gear?”

“Y-Yes! Oh, but Demon Steel upgrades are for weapons only, and weapons aren’t my strong point. You’ll have to leave those to your friends in glasses here...” Grim cast a jealous glance at the crafters alliance. (Somehow, every single one wore glasses and tended to talk real fast once they got going.)

Demon Steel and God Iron were metals that held the power of the Demon Lord and the Goddess respectively. We could only use them in weapons because wearing armor made out of them would supposedly make people lose their minds and die.

“I wish I could be of more use to you, Demon Lord!” Grim said with a little sob.

Such a keen ally deserved another head pat. “What are you talking about? BSO’s battle system makes players use just one weapon at a time, but they can wear six pieces of equipment. You’re the one with the most work to do. There’s no one more useful than you.”

“Demon Lord... It’s hard to be convinced when you use a whole collection of weapons...”

Ack?! This tiny girl just called me out?! I hung my head, having failed to console her.

But Grim gave me a warm smile. “Heh heh... Thank you, Demon Lord! I appreciate you trying to encourage me!”

“Ha ha. Don’t mention it. I don’t want to see an important ally looking down.” And besides... “From today on, Yuri’s Justice Team is going to be just you and me, Grim.”

“Uh...” Grim unhappily looked down at her feet.

After giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder, I stepped through Yuggoth’s transfer gate and appeared aboveground in town. I had to find Shiru to say my goodbyes before she left to join the Goddess side.

⬧⬨⬧

“Hey, Shiru. How’s it going?”

“Ugh. Why’d you have to follow me, Demon Lord?!”

I’d found Shiru in the light of dusk, and she wasn’t happy about it. She’d set out with about half an hour’s head start, but I’d had no trouble finding her while she trudged slowly across the sprawling grass plain that lay outside Helheim.

“Didn’t you have a high agility build? I figured you’d have gotten further by now.”

Shiru turned her head away from me. “Give me a break! Not everyone feels the need to run from one place to the next like you!”

Shiru was back to wearing the same sword princess outfit as when we’d first met. It was her way of turning a new page—she’d returned the more powerful, sexier outfit she’d gotten from Grim, leaving it and all of the guild’s money and items behind.

“Hmph... Just leave me alone. Someone as ungrateful as me isn’t worth your time!”

“Leave you alone?” I said with a gentle smile. “I know it wasn’t the kind of guild where we did things together or logged in just to enjoy each other’s company, but you were always an important member all the same. I couldn’t let you go without seeing you off.”

Shiru’s shoulders trembled. She fell quiet for a few moments, then tears began to form in her eyes, glinting in the light of the setting sun.

“I’m... ’m sorry! I’m sorry for saying I was leaving without an explanation! But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it otherwise!” The tears fell. The girl who’d once been my enemy was now hanging her head and crying in front of me. “I barely have any memories of playing the game with you or Grim, and I don’t think we ever talked about ourselves. It was always stuff like ‘What’s the best way to kill a bunch of enemies?’ We didn’t think about much else...”

“Yeah...”

We’d met while she was trying to kill me, then we’d cooperated to take down a creepy pope. Once we’d had our guild set up, all of our time had been focused on fighting other guilds. It had all gone by so fast.

Ha ha... Thinking back, those were violent times. All my memories are of us on the battlefield. But still...

“I did...have fun, Demon Lord. My days spent as a member of your evil organization are some of my fondest memories. The best thing about playing this game is that it meant meeting you.”

“Yeah... I feel the same, Shiru. I’m really glad I met you too. So why not fight by my side one last time?”

“Oh... I appreciate the offer, but sorry!” Shiru was laughing and crying as her greatsword materialized in her hand. She aimed the tip at me and showed me the same wild smile she’d worn when we first met. “Demon Lord! No, Yuri!” she yelled. “I want to fight you again! I’ve grown since we first met, and now I desire to fight the one I love!” The look on her face seemed evil as could be, yet it was beautiful all the same. Both her hair and eyes were well complemented by the vivid, bloodred sun on the horizon.

“Ha ha ha ha... You’re the best, Shiru! You got it! We’re going to stun everyone with the most fiendish battle they’ve ever seen!”

“Of course we will! You’d better watch your back from now on, Yuri!”

Shiru turned her back on me again, but this time she moved with speed in the light of dusk. I wasn’t going to stop her a second time.

“Farewell, Shiru. I’ll kill you, I promise!” No matter how far apart we might be, the blood flowing across the battlefield will always bind us!

Chapter 60 — Yuri’s Full-Blown Idol Debut?!

The day after Shiru left me, the final showdown was just six days away. I was in an office within my castle trying to figure out a plan when I had an unexpected visitor.

“Zansword? Don’t tell me you’re here to join my side?”

“Hmph. Would it be so wrong of us to join forces once in a while?” Zansword asked with a self-satisfied smile. He sat down heavily on a couch for guests, looking more at home than me, the castle’s owner.

The samurai with sharp facial features who’d always been my rival was suddenly asking to serve me. We’d been getting on well lately, but still, this was a shock. “I thought you’d leap at the chance to take me on in another big battle,” I replied.

“That certainly sounds fun,” Zansword said with a manly grin. “But doesn’t the thought of taking up arms alongside a former foe excite you?”

Ha ha. Should he really be the one saying that? In any case, I can’t argue! “You got it, Zansword. Lend me your strength, and together, we’ll take down Pendragon!”

“Yes, we will. I couldn’t have put it better, Yuri! All samurai are servants at heart. As I set foot on the battlefield once more, my sword will be sworn to the service of the evil Demon Lord!”

We both stood up and shook hands. With that, two of the game’s top players had just teamed up!

“If you’re here, should I expect Spearo and Wacko to join me too?”

“Indeed. From what I can gather, most assassins joined Pendragon’s side. Those two still have a score to settle with that bunch, so they’re more than willing to cooperate with us.”

Zansword pointed outside the window with his thumb. I looked in that direction and saw the pair were already in town talking to the other players who’d joined the Demon Lord side.

“The three of us have already begun gathering data. We need to establish the classes and skills of the players here so we can decide on optimal strategies and player positioning.”

“Wow...you guys are dependable as ever.”

I hadn’t thought about anything besides killing people. I’d considered various ways I might take out individual opponents, but I had no idea how we might drive back an enemy army as a whole. And of course, I was useless when it came to the kind of groundwork that Wacko and Spearo were working on at the moment.

“I left it to Shiru to come up with the strategy during the guild war. Can I leave it to you guys this time?”

“Of course. We’ll work with the crafters’ alliance and the beginners’ army to find a means of bringing about victory together.”

I couldn’t ask for better help! As sad as I was to see Shiru go, I had to be thankful all over again for these new unanticipated allies.

“Now, you probably want to ask me about Baldy,” Zansword said. “But I’ve no idea where he is... It remains to be seen who that muscle-bound vagrant will side with.”

“Yeah, well, he can do what he wants.”

At that, a smile formed on Zansword’s handsome face.

I really didn’t care whether Baldy decided to be my ally or enemy. “Whatever he chooses, I’ll support him in his decision,” I explained. “As long as I can see him enjoying himself, that’s all that matters.”

“What are you, his wife?” Zansword asked from out of nowhere.

“Huh? What do you mean?” I had no idea what he was talking about.

In any case, I had my command structure sorted now. The making and upgrading of equipment was being handled by the crafters’ alliance, the beginners’ army was advising everyone on how to level up, and now I had a few top players led by Zansword to bring it all together. Which meant...

“Hey, Zansword, does this mean I can sit back and relax?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he shot back.

I should have been expecting that. Pendragon and Merlin might have been the architects of my situation, but that didn’t change the fact that I was the commander of the Demon Lord side.

“Yuri, you’re our most powerful weapon and the heart of our forces. You have to work tirelessly to strengthen yourself so that you won’t be defeated too easily!”

“That goes without saying. But I’m guessing you’ve got more than that in mind for me?”

“Indeed! This battle will be decided based on who can muster up the largest player force between now and the final battle!”

Urgh... He’s right about that. It wouldn’t be like last time where the imbalance in numbers went away after we’d destroyed enough guild cores. It would quite literally be a war of annihilation. If the objective was to wipe out the enemy entirely, then the difference in the sizes of our forces would be key.

“As our commander, you must be the one who draws in new recruits!” he said.

“Got it. I’ll do what I can!” I had no idea what it was I could do exactly, but I’d overcome every challenge thrown at me so far! I was ready to do anything that might help us win! “So, what did you have in mind?”

“You must sing onstage as our idol!”

I punched him, knocking him flying for being so stupid. “What?! No way!”

An idol performance?! He can’t be serious! No one in their right mind would humiliate themselves like that!

Chapter 61 — The Monster Parade Commences!!!

“But how am I gonna gather players...?”

After knocking Zansword flying, I’d headed out into the town of Helheim, where I could think it over as I walked.

“Well, the idol idea definitely isn’t happening. I’ll bet he’s just repeating some dumb idea he heard in games and anime.”

I’d certainly grab a lot of attention that way, but to actually lure in players, I’d have to practice singing and dancing first, or I’d only embarrass myself. With just six days until the showdown, I could hardly spend my precious time on anything not battle-related.

“In any case, I really do need a plan for building our army. What tools do I have for rapidly gathering up players...?” It was then that I heard a high-pitched squeal.

“Oohhh! So cute!”

I looked over, wondering what was going on.

“Just look at this rat monster! Its whole body is yellow! How pretty! ♡”

“And this raccoon dog monster is wearing a little bag on its stomach! That’s adorable! ♡”

“Ooh! Look! That kitty cat is making popcorn!”

A group of girls was swooning over some of our smallest, cutest monsters.

Taking another look around town, I saw some male players fascinated by a large monster marching through a street and a group of children daring each other to touch some of our scariest monsters.

“I’ve got it! As a summoner, it’ll be no problem for me to show everyone what it’s like to be friends with monsters. Most players never get that experience!”

When encountering a monster in the field, the only option was to fight. No matter how cute they looked, they were never friendly. My tamed familiars, however, were all safe to touch!

“This is a great idea! I have to share it with my fellow summoners!”

Summoners had once been ridiculed and unwanted. Attitudes had changed completely after I’d risen to be the strongest, and now most summoners had joined the Demon Lord side to show their gratitude. I’d have no shortage of players to help me out.

“I’m pretty sure I can trade monsters with them. I can only have twelve monsters in my party while traveling, so I’ll need a whole gang of summoners with me to get around that problem... All right!”

With the plan made, it was time to put it into action! I opened my friend list, which was full of names these days, and began messaging every single summoner!

⬧⬨⬧

In just a few hours, and with the help of other summoners, I had a surprise event underway in Starting Town!

I stood on the head of one of my tamed monsters, an imperial dragon, and called out to players in the street below.

“Get a good look! These are the mighty creatures that make up the Demon Lord Army!”

“Grrraaaaggghhh!”

A swarm of hundreds of monsters then began their march through the town!

Genocide beetles with thorns coating their bulky exoskeletons, lava giants with incandescent bodies over ten meters tall, deadly venom slimes that oozed with acid and toxic fluid, and various other monsters with strikingly massive or terrifying appearances were marching through Starting Town!

“Wh-What’s going on?!”

“This is crazy! We’ll never win against this army of monsters!”

“Uh, look on top of the dragon’s head! That’s Yuri, commander of the Demon Lord side! I’ve seen her in videos!”

People trembled in wonder and terror. The sudden onset of a parade of ferocious monsters had tens of thousands of players fascinated.

“That’s right! Get a good look! And think carefully! Go to the Goddess side, and you’ll be eaten alive by one of these monsters! If, however, you join with me, all these monsters will be your allies!”

The monsters unleashed another roar all at once. As the cry of my demonic army echoed through the town, many of the players gulped. Now they saw the threat posed by the Demon Lord side.

Getting their attention had been simple enough. It was just a matter of overwhelming them with fear and putting all of my might on display. Add in a few threats against those that opposed us and a few sweet words to those who joined us, and the tide was sure to turn in my favor.

But of course, that wouldn’t win over everyone. There’d be players who thought, This is all too scary for me. I don’t want to join them or fight them. So after showing them all my might and instilling fear, it was time to add a fun twist!

“Squeak!”

“Whaaaat?!” the spectating players all cried as countless little creatures began running around their feet. Those smaller monsters then climbed up onto the bodies of the larger, more ferocious ones and began waving to everyone.

“Th-That’s so cute!”

“Are those vorpal rabbits and pink slimes?!”

“You get these as allies too?! Whoa, one’s climbing on my head?!” The same players that had been cowering were suddenly all smiles.

We’d hidden small monsters all over town in preparation for this stage of the parade! Their low intelligence made them unpredictable—some leaped out at the excited players, with unspoken demands for attention like Hug me! and You pet well, keep at it!—but a little unruly behavior was fine. It initially came as a shock to the players, but they were soon enjoying getting closer to monsters than ever before.

I addressed the crowd once more. “Now, if you come to the town I rule over, you can touch and pet monsters of all kinds as much as you like. There you can ride some of our most impressive beasts, or if you’re already a summoner, your favorite monster could be yours through a trade! And need I even say that we can give you more items than you’ll know what to do with!”

“Ohhhhhh!” That put a sparkle in the eyes of many players.

I’d just amassed tens of thousands of items in the previous event, after all. If they were just going to sit in storage, it was better to be generous with them!

And so, my monster parade strategy was a huge success. The whole thing was caught on video and spread around the internet, and the next day, countless players made the journey to the town of Helheim.

Although most of the players had been drawn in by our impressive monsters and the promise of items as intended, a few of them had really stupid reasons for joining us, like “I saw Yuri leading the way, and she’s got just the type of face I’m into” and “I could see her panties when I looked up!”

You guys can get lost!

Chapter 62 — Not So Pushy, Zansword!

“You actually did as I suggested! You became our idol! Now you may call me Producer!”

“I’m not calling you that, idiot!”

There were five days to go until the final showdown. After spending the first two days assigning roles and responsibilities, we finally had some time to relax.

Now I can start training, I’d told myself. However, the moment I’d logged in, Zansword was there (he never seemed to log out), demanding, “Let’s head for Starting Town together!”

When I asked why, he said that the developers were hosting a performance to announce Ragnarok, the War of Annihilation. Then he took my hand and dragged me through the packed streets of Starting Town.

“I can barely move here. Hey, Zansword, didn’t the devs say we could watch the whole thing on video later? Why do we have to be here? Let go of me, we can catch it later.”

“What are you saying, Yuri?! The joy of a performance like this one comes from seeing it in real time! The stifling heat and the deafening noise from the other spectators are just spices that add to the excitement!”

“I don’t think it’s that kind of show, and I can’t stand being in crowds. I’ve had people touch my butt on packed trains a bunch of times, and this is bringing it all back. Now let go of my hand.”

“You’ll be quite all right. I’m here to protect you. Look, it’s about to start!”

“I said let go of my hand!” I couldn’t even shake him off because I had zero strength!

As I was struggling in vain, the light in the sky faded, turning all of Starting Town dark. Zansword was still holding my hand as the show began. What’s this guy’s problem?

A sudden bolt of lightning shot across the sky, and an old man in a crown appeared above us. “Citizens! The event we have long feared is upon us!”

Him again? King Odin, wasn’t it? He’s just a villain played by an evil dev! “Get down here! I’m gonna kick your ass!”

“Uh?!” King Odin ignored my threats and spoke loudly with exaggerated gestures. “Citizens, hear me! By the hands of an evildoer, the Demon Lord’s tomb, long sealed and forgotten, has been unearthed and reopened!”

Did this jerk just call me an evildoer?

“Terrible times are upon us! The Demon Lord’s tomb holds the forbidden technology that once brought our world to the brink of destruction, and already, countless brave warriors have been corrupted by its dark powers. As things stand, our world will be plunged into ruin... However!!!”

Odin lifted his fist into the dark sky and the black clouds instantly parted, allowing golden rays of sunlight to break through.

“All hope is not lost! The outburst of power from the Demon Lord has in turn awakened the spirit tree that was host to the Earth Goddess’s power! She has not forsaken us!”

Players watching his performance all said “Ohhh” in chorus. The script felt a little basic, but Odin’s delivery was good enough to make it work. I also couldn’t help but worry when he talked about the Demon Lord side like we were all totally evil—it could easily influence players’ decisions when it came to picking sides.

“The world is divided once more. Five days from now, everywhere will be at war as darkness is pitted against light. Righteous ones, follow the guidance of the Goddess! And to the evildoers among you, give in to your greed and seek out the foul remnants the Demon Lord left behind. Your downfall is inevitable! You will all have to pick a side. And whatever your choice may be, live out your remaining days until the battle without regret!”

With his bold performance over, King Odin rose up into the sky. The moment he was completely out of view, a massive message window appeared in front of us all.

Five days remain until Ragnarok, the War of Annihilation, begins!

The rules are simple. Just as you have seen written in the menu screens, the side that successfully annihilates the other wins! (After the war, deceased familiars and NPCs will be restored, just like in the previous event.)

Please decide whether to join the side of the righteous Goddess or the side of the wicked Demon Lord before the war commences.

A special prize will be given to all members of the winning side, so fight with all you have!

With this little bit of extra information given, the performance was over.

A clamor grew among the players as the sky returned to its original color. “Which side are you joining?!” “Which do you think is going to win?” They began weighing the pros and cons of each side.

“Hmmm... What did you make of his speech just now, Zansword? And let go of my hand already.”

“Yes... The setup is nothing special, but it remains to be seen whether branding us as evil will have any effect.”

That was the important part. In retrospect, though, I’d been leaning into the same theme myself just the other day with the Demon Lord army’s monster parade. Looks like it’s too late to back out now. It’s time to stop worrying and embrace the evil so we can draw in every single player who appreciates a dark atmosphere! “All right, that reenergized me, Zansword! I might be Yuri the righteous warrior, but for a limited time only, I can pretend I’m an evil demon lord!”

“Huh? Limited time? It seems to me you’re evil all year round.”

“Shut up! And let go of my hand already!” I finally managed to get my hand free by giving him a few kicks to his shins.

I couldn’t figure Zansword out. Equally mysterious was the warning Wacko had quietly given me: “He’s thinking hard about how he’s going to make his move now that Baldy isn’t around. Watch yourself.”

What was she talking about? What kind of move would he have to think about, and why would my best buddy not being around have anything to do with it?

“Yuri... Now that Baldy’s gone, if the loneliness ever becomes too much to bear, remember that I’m here for you.”

“Can’t say I’m feeling all that lonely. My heart and his are always connected.”

“Urgh?!” Zansword reacted as if I’d slapped him. “The bald man is proving a tough opponent!” He frowned ever so pathetically.

Can I really trust this guy to take charge of my army? It was a little late to change the arrangement now, but I was starting to have doubts.

⬧⬨⬧

“Whew. I’m finally free.”

After the devs’ performance finished, I’d finally managed to get rid of Zansword and escape to the outside of town. Riding Wolfster, I crossed the grass plain that lay close to Starting Town.

“This place brings back memories. Right after my first login, I was struggling against the basic horned rabbits here.”

I thought back as the wind rippled through my hair. I really had been the weakest of the weak back then. Only through sheer determination had I beaten a living weapon, now known as Puffster, and made him my ally. That was when I’d finally found a way to fight.

“Back in those days, I had no moves. It was nothing like the huge supply I’ve got now.”

As if to prove it to myself, I took another look at what I had. Status window, open.

Name:Yuri

Level:86

Class:High summoner

Secondary class:Battle crafter

Weapons:Bow, sword, greatsword, spear, scythe, shield, amulet

Guild:Yuri’s Justice Team (guildmaster)

Karma score:-1,261,140 (pure evil)

Attributes: Strength: 0 / Defense: 0 / Magic: 0 / Agility: 0

/ Luck: 950 × 3 × 2 + 95 + 1200 = 6995

Skills

Attribute-boosting skills: Luck Boost, Against All Odds (doubles all attributes when HP is 1)

Survival skills: Relentless

Damage-boost skills: Fatal Strike, Up Close and Personal, Genocide Killer, Merciless Death God, Absolute Zero, Twisted

Weapon recovery skills: Hello? Forgetting Something?

Familiar support skills: Demon Lord Kin, Demonic Leadership (limited skill #1)

Avatar support and system expansion skills: God-Killing Fist, Demonic Archery, Demon Lord Shock Wave, Body of a Demon Lord, Master of Evil, Weapon Barricade (limited skill #2), Demon Lord of the Crimson Lotus, Profane Pillager, Merchant of Death, Lord of All Things

Class Abilities:Taming, Chimera Creation, Summoning, Forbidden Summoning, Giant Monster Summoning, Production, Carrying, Forwarding, Weapons Master

Equipment

Head: Attire of Heaven’s Wrath, Dark Ornament (Created by Françoise and modified by Grim).

Effects: Halves the wearer’s strength, magic, defense, and agility. MP +300. Luck +400.

Equipment skills:

Progeny of the Great Tengu: Halves MP cost of Tenma School arts.

Successor to Makai of the Six Realms (limited equipment skill #1): Enables the use of the following arts from another world: Asura mantra, Demon Slaying Blade; Preta mantra, Voracious Shield, Naraka mantra, Scythe of Reckoning; Human mantra, Hand of Avarice; Deva mantra, Arrow of Debilitation; Beast mantra, Conflagration of Repression. *These arts can only be used while also equipping a suitable weapon.

Body: Attire of Heaven’s Wrath, Dark Raiment (created by Françoise and modified by Grim).

Effects: Halves the wearer’s strength, magic, defense, and agility. MP +300. Luck +400.

Defier of the Knight Queen (limited equipment skill #2): When HP is 30% or lower, enables the use of the following art from another world: Hellfire Unleashed, Rakshasa of Purgatory.

Feet: Attire of Heaven’s Wrath, Cycle of Darkness (created by Françoise and modified by Grim).

Effects: Halves the wearer’s strength, magic, defense, and agility. MP +300. Luck +400. Possessed by Mor.

Archdemon’s Blessing (limited equipment skill #3): When HP is 30% or lower, triggers the following skill from another world: Driven by Indignation (rebalanced edition). MP costs are reduced to one third.

Equipped Weapon: Beginner’s Bow (Requirements: None. Attack power: 1. Possessed by Puff 11)

Accessories: Accursed Princess Ring (limits HP to 1, but while worn, there is a very low chance that a skill cooldown time will be reduced to zero), Dark God’s Covenant Necklace (triples luck when HP is 1), Poison Resistance Ring (has a low chance to nullify poison).

“I really don’t get it anymore!” My status screen was getting hard to read these days.

The list of all my arts was equally incredible. The battle crafter ability, Weapons Master, let me use multiple different weapons along with their arts, and on top of that, I had a bunch of original arts learned from NPC masters.

“Hmmm... Tenma Archery from the Tengu Hermit, Lion Lord Greatswordsmanship from Captain Leo, Wolf Lord Swordsmanship from Garo the Vagrant, Rhinoceros Lord Spearwork from Knight Rhinos, and special movement arts from Master Bunnyhop... Ha ha ha ha! I’m a one-man orchestra!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I’d reached the point where I wasn’t sure I fully understood the power of my own avatar. Spending the remaining five days just increasing my level was probably the right option—if I learned more skills, I was just going to be confused by them all. But I couldn’t help myself...

“Heh heh... I’m supposed to be rampaging with over 200,000 other players. If I’m gonna avoid letting them all down, I’ve got to pack in as many skills, arts, and new weapons as I can!”

I slapped Wolfster on the behind, spurring him to charge ahead. I felt a rush of air as I remembered the monster parade the day before. I remembered how countless new players from all across the world had looked up to me, full of expectation, even though I used to be the weakest. To live up to those expectations, I had to demonstrate mastery of a dizzying number of talents. I had to build my avatar into something beyond my own understanding, making myself completely unassailable!

“That’s that decided... First step is to try the special familiar evolution thing Merlin told me about! Wolfster, head for the nearby Tomb of the Death God. If there’s an item that triggers special evolution, maybe it’ll come from the same place as the monster!”

“Awwn!” My trust dog gave a lively howl as we headed straight for the horror monster mecca that I’d cleared a long time ago.

I still had to figure out special evolutions, choose the third of my three limited skills, upgrade my weapons with Demon Steel, and so much more. My schedule was packed!

We charged across the green plain in search of greater power!

Chapter 63 — It’s Cramped, Damp, and Dingy in Here, Korin!!!

All right, here we are! The Tomb of the Death God!!!

Despite being right next to the Starting Plain, this tomb was a challenging dungeon swarming with ridiculously hardy zombies and airborne living weapons.

From the outside, the tomb had the look of a dilapidated ruin, which really set the mood, but once inside, it got increasingly dark, cramped, and damp the farther underground I went. Why would anyone make this their home?!

“Hey, zombie. Do you actually like living here?!”

“Guuh! Guguurgh!”

“Oh, is that right? Thanks!” No idea what you just said, but die!

I was heading deeper and deeper, fending off the approaching zombies with weapons launched by Weapon Barricade!

“Hmmhmm hmmm!” I was on a rampage and humming to myself with a spring in my step when my accomplice began nervously complaining.

“Yuri...how can you be in such a good mood when it’s so creepy down here! You’re so weird!” A little ninja girl with trembling cat ears was hiding behind my back.

That’s right. While I was heading to the tomb, full of enthusiasm, I’d met Korin.

“What’s wrong Korin? You don’t like horror? Then why’d you come to this dungeon?”

“It’s the worst... There’s an accessory I need, but it’s a rare drop you can only get from undead monsters.” Korin looked like she’d rather be anywhere else.

I see, I see. Now I get why she’s here.

VR games were amazing in how real everything felt, but that meant horror-themed dungeons could get a little too terrifying. For a scaredy-cat, a place like this was worse than a high-level dungeon.

“So why are you in such a good mood, Yuri? You like horror?”

“No, it’s not that. This place creeps me out too. It’s just that this dungeon really helped me out a long time ago.”

If I’d hadn’t found the Cursed Ring that set my HP to 1 in here, I’d never have become the strongest player. It had been my first breakthrough. Once I started sacrificing my HP along with all my other stats for extra luck, I realized that I’d found a way to regularly use skills that only worked while near death.

This was also where I’d met the Living Armor Knight who helped me compensate for my low agility, so I had a huge debt to this place.

“You could say that this place is where I grew up.”

“No, no, no, no. The idea of someone growing up in a tomb is horrible.” Korin looked freaked out, but she kept on following after me as we headed deeper into the tomb.

I’d taken out a ton of monsters by this point, but nothing they’d dropped looked particularly special.

“That explains why you’re in a good mood, but why’d you come back? This dungeon’s designed for level 15 players.”

“I’m looking for an item, just like you. I heard about this special evolution thing, and I thought maybe I could get stronger by evolving Puffster or the Living Armor Knight one more time.”

“‘Special evolution’...? I’ve heard that you can evolve certain monsters by giving them the right item, but I don’t know of it ever actually happening. I think someone just made it up.”

“Seriously?!”

When Merlin told me about it, his exact words had been, “rumor has it, there are a few monsters that can evolve a second time with the use of a special item.” Only now I was realizing that he hadn’t been sure himself. But that wasn’t going to stop me!

“That settles it. I’m finding that item!”

“B-But why?! You’re chasing baseless rumors when there’s barely any time until the battle...”

“That’s exactly why. There might not be any proof, but that doesn’t mean it’s fake. If there really is a special evolution, only something really powerful would be this well hidden.”

“Huh?!”

It was essentially a gamble, but one that could pay off big time.

The same devs had made it so the Tengu Hermit wouldn’t teach his biggest secrets until someone tried to kill him. There was a pretty good chance they’d declared, “Having every monster evolve through leveling up would be boring!” then put in some hidden methods of evolution.

“M-Makes sense... Now that I think about it, working with a bunch of disadvantages and taking your build into unexplored territory is how you got strong in the first place. Not like me. I’m still sticking with what’s tried and tested.” Korin’s expression took on a distant look.

I ruffled her cat ears.

“Wha— Y-Yuri?!”

“Ha ha ha. How can you say that after you picked mage as your secondary class with zero magic? You’re pretty weird too.”

“Ugh?! All I’ve done is figure out how to make the most of a mistake!”

“Really? In any case, I’m gonna keep searching, so go hunt your zombies.”

“Uh, what?! No! Don’t leave me behind!”

With the trembling catgirl ninja still in tow, I continued down the dark passageways of the tomb. Korin and I were exploring a dungeon together for the first time since the day we’d met.

⬧⬨⬧

“Waaaah! I wanna go home!”

“Stop crying, Korin! You’ll draw more zombies to us!”

“Waaaaaaah!”

We’d been descending into the Tomb of the Death God—a horror-themed dungeon—for over ten minutes now, with me leading Korin through dimly lit passages by the hand as she had a total mental breakdown.

“I’m finding it hard to relax too, to be honest. No matter how many monsters I kill, none of them drop special items.”

The ordeal was starting to have an effect on me as well. I’d wander through numerous identical-looking passages blasting through gross zombies, but I didn’t have a single hint regarding special evolution to show for it. I’d even tried attacking all the walls thinking there might be a secret area, but all I got was a message telling me, “This dungeon is an indestructible object.” I was just about out of patience.

“What about you, Korin? You’ve killed a few zombies here and there. Any of them drop that Cursed Ring?”

“Uh... Not yet...” Korin’s cat ears drooped pitifully.

The rare drop she was looking for was the same Cursed Ring that got my build going. Naturally, I had 36 of them. It was technically a rare item, but my high luck stat meant I found them regularly. It was one of my strong points.

“Why don’t you just take one of mine, Korin?”

“No, I can’t let you help me. You know I’ve already joined the Goddess side.”

To prove the point, she showed me the tanto in her hand. The blade shone with mysterious light, and there was a magic symbol near the hilt with a dim blue glow of mana pouring from it. That was a special property of God Iron weapons, which were said to carry the essence of the Goddess Ymir within them.

“All right... It’s a shame though. It would have been nice to fight alongside you instead of just with Zansword.”

“Sorry. I feel the same way that Shiru felt when she joined our side. I want a rematch with you!”

Ha ha. I sure am popular. It was likely that a lot of players would join the Goddess side purely for a chance to fight against me. There’s nothing that makes me happier! I’ll have to do my best to slaughter them all!

“Understood, Korin. But we can stay friendly for today, right?”

“Sure! Let’s both work together to get stronger!”

With a promise made to kill each other later, we walked deep into the tomb, chummy as can be.

⬧⬨⬧

“Still nothing...” I said.

“I still haven’t found what I’m after either.”

After another ten minutes of no progress whatsoever, we sat down at the edge of a passageway. The remains of sliced up zombies were scattered around us, but even Korin had grown numb to the horror by this point.

Korin began with a dispirited but calm sigh. “Haah... Killing all these disgusting zombies one by one is too much work... But I think I might have a better idea.”

“I think I know just what you’re gonna say.”

We were both looking at the door to the boss area that was right there in front of us. I’d been in there before, but I never did check the deepest part of the room. I’d been so exhausted from my fight with the Living Armor Knight that I’d logged out and gone to bed immediately after.

“I never really searched the boss room,” I said. “Last time, I had my hands full fighting, and I just warped to the dungeon entrance and left when the battle was over.”

“Really? Well, I was thinking it might be more efficient to get item drops from the boss rather than killing undeads over and over. We should go take him down right now!”

Korin was sounding unusually confident. That said, she was over level 50 at this point, so the Living Armor Knight—a boss meant to be fought around level 20—was sure to be a pushover. She might even one-shot him.

“All right. I’ll let you take on the boss, Korin. Meanwhile I can search around the room. How’s that sound?”

“Sure thing. Leave it to me! I’m so strong these days that one measly moving suit of armor is gonna be a real piece of cake!” Korin puffed up her chest and called out “Bring it on!” as she touched the boss room door. The heavy doors opened, and then she strode bravely down the long, wide, dark path inside.

I followed behind. Um... Huh? “Last time I was here, this was just a room with the Armor Knight waiting inside...”

“It was? Well, I haven’t heard anything about bosses being changed. I guess they just rearranged the room in one of the updates.”

“You think so...?”

Korin continued to lead the way, showing no signs of concern. It was quite the transformation considering she couldn’t stop crying twenty minutes earlier.

“Heh heh! Zombies might creep me out, but there’s nothing gross or scary about a moving suit of armor! I’ll take it down easy, just like I promised! Just watch me. ♪”

After another thirty seconds spent walking straight ahead along the dark unbranching path, something finally happened.

“Grugeeeeeeeeh!”

“Uh, whaa?! Wh-What was that?!”

An earsplitting howl was suddenly coming down at us from above!

Korin grabbed on to me in fear as I quickly tried to ascertain our surroundings. Then, in the unsettling light of pale blue, fiery orbs rising up from the ground, we finally caught sight of our opponent.

New hidden achievement: Return to the boss area of the Tomb of the Death God at level 75 or over with at least 10,000 negative karma and after having tamed the Living Armor Knight.

Party member Yuri has met all of these conditions.

You have unlocked a battle with a hidden boss monster: Atlach-Nacha, the Slaughter’s Exultant Panoply!

Korin looked up above and screamed. “Wh-Wh-Wh-What the heeeeeck?!”

For once, I was losing my nerve too—and for good reason. The boss towering over us was a massive spider, hundreds of meters in size, with thousands of Armor Knights growing from it like fur.

Black suits of armor wriggled from its body like maggots sprouting from rotting flesh, their eyes red and all glaring at us.

“Okay, Korin, we had a deal. Go kill that thing!”

“You’ve gotta be kidding!!!” Korin’s screech echoed through the underground tomb, every bit as loud as the howling of our enemy.

Chapter 64 — A Clash with Atlach-Nacha, the Slaughter’s Exultant Panoply

“Arrrrrgghhhh!” Korin screamed as we both ran around the boss room!

This boss is totally ridiculous! For starters, the sheer scale of it was too much, but it wasn’t just that.

“The craziest thing is how it attacks. Can you believe it’s firing out Armor Knights like a Gatling gun?!”

“Gruuugeeeeeh!” The massive body of Atlach-Nacha, the Slaughter’s Exultant Panoply, quivered as it howled. An instant later, the Armor Knights growing from its entire body started raining down on me and Korin!

“Ha ha ha ha ha! Here it comes again, Korin!”

“How can you laugh at a time like this, Yuri?”

“Laughing’s all I can do at this point! How else am I supposed to react to a boss that fires infinite boss monsters?!”

I materialized a sword in each hand as a tearful Korin and I cut through the hail of black suits of armor. Perhaps we could count ourselves lucky that these Living Armor Knights weren’t any higher level than the original. Even Korin could handle them since she was a few dozen levels higher. But they were certainly keeping us on the defensive.

“Protect the great Atlach-Nacha!”

“Our womb...guardian deity of our dungeon!”

“General to the late Demon Lord... She must not be harmed! Art activate! Evil Sword Summoning!”

The suits of armor still in midair summoned countless living weapons from the void and fired them at us. The army of black swords flying at us soon covered Korin in wounds while I was struggling to block them all.

“Y-You’re telling me these things don’t just spawn infinitely, they generate even more monsters?!”

“Yeah, that’s Armor Knight’s fighting style all right. I’m only just realizing that it’s pretty similar to mine. Feels like we’ve got something in common.”

“How can you compare yourself to this?! This is just cheating!” Korin was livid.

She did have a point. Infinite suits of black armor were spawning from the spider above, and each one was summoning countless swords, rapidly resulting in an army of hundreds of millions as the numbers compounded.

We were fortunate that the boss arena was as big as a baseball stadium, but the entire space was going to fill up in a matter of minutes if this kept up.

“Ugh,” Korin groaned. “The right strategy would have been to rush the boss right from the start! Now that the field’s full of enemies, we’ve got no chance!”

“Hah. Don’t be stupid. This situation is perfect for training!”

“T-Training?!”

We were, after all, preparing for a war with 200,000 players taking place in five days’ time. If we had to get ready to take on huge numbers of humanoid opponents, we weren’t going to find better practice than this!

“Okay, that’s enough. Now it’s time for the counterattack. Hey, Mor,” I called to the tamed Armor Knight that lived within my boots. “You don’t mind helping me massacre your brothers, do you?” I’m kinda making him turn against his own kind here...

“Hrrr! Hrrr!” Mor gave me an aloof grunt, as if to say, “Hah. I care not. The darkness binds them, much like it did me back when I was still a fool. Cut free from the tethers of fate, I feel no connection to them. Or rather, no... Seeing such foolishness, I feel a responsibility to loose them from their wretched existences in a swift act of mercy.”

He was as cool as ever. Proud to have him as my ally, I replied “Understood!” with a firm nod.

“Wait, what?!” Korin said. “What do you think you’ve understood, Yuri?! Don’t tell me that weird noise he made meant something to you?!”

“Of course it did, Korin. The language barrier means nothing. Listen carefully enough, and you can always understand someone’s feelings.”

“But when you were using Wolfster like a taxi just now and he was yelping like, ‘Awwn awwnn!’ you just looked at him like you were confused and said, ‘What’s wrong with you?’”

“Well yeah, I don’t understand him. He’s a dog. He just barks and whatever.”

“Please take Wolfster’s noises just as seriously!”

While Korin was shouting at me from behind, I switched out the swords in my hands for a great scythe. (By the way, when I tried listening to Wolfster later, I realized he was saying things like “I love walks,” “Feed me meat,” and “Let’s mate.” It really was just dog stuff.)

Now to charge in! “Naraka mantra, Scythe of Reckoning!”

I swung up at the enemy horde while leaping toward them. Ominous light poured out of my scythe as its blade grew massive and sliced multiple Armor Knights clean in half.

“Grugeeeh?! Grugeeeh!” The giant spider roared, apparently enraged to see her underlings mowed down. Her entire body of black armors quivered, and then she fired another ton of them right at me! They poured down all around me like rain.

“Nice! Now things are getting heated! Let’s go Mor! Monster skill activate! Flash!”

“Hrrrr!”

The light of mana came from both of my boots. This was Mor’s special skill that increased my movement speed tenfold for five seconds.

Everything’s prepped. There’s no holding back now! “Special movement art activate! Eight-Boat Leap!”

I soared into the air moving like the wind. Since I was many times faster than the falling suits of armor, I could use them as stepping stones as I propelled myself upward with eight great jumps in a single second.

Eight-Boat Leap didn’t enhance my attack power, but it did let me make eight powerful leaps in succession, which was enough to get me close to the giant spider who formed a canopy over us.

Her eight massive red eyes all met mine. “Grugeeeeh?!”

“Hey, hidden boss. You sure threw a lot of minions at us from up here, didn’t you?” Now it’s payback! “How about I throw some of my minions at you instead?! Special art activate! Boundless Calamity Summon!”

Dark summoning circles appeared before the giant spider’s eyes, and a hundred ferocious monsters all roared as they poured out of them and landed on Atlach-Nacha’s body! “Grrgaaaaaaaaah!!!” Now the boss wasn’t just covered by countless half-emerged suits of black armor, but also my monsters!

As they drove their claws and fangs into the giant spider, their combined weight became too much for her to bear.

“Grugeeeeh?!” With a pitiful screech, Atlach-Nacha, the Slaughter’s Exultant Panoply’s body was sent crashing to the ground.

Korin: She went in and beat her in just a few seconds...

Giant spider: She came in and beat me in just a few seconds...

Chapter 65 — A Stunning Victory and a Friendly Pact!

“Grugeeeeh?!”

“Grrgaaaaaaaaah!”

Atlach-Nacha was being mobbed by a hundred of my monsters. The spider writhed wildly, all eight of her long legs twitching as blood poured from her entire body. But I wasn’t done.

I’m showing no mercy! “Get out here, Chirpster.”

“Piikwaaaawk!”

While plummeting down after the giant spider, I summoned my massive flaming bird, the Vanishing Firebird, to use as footing. Next, I drew my bow tight while deploying seven weapons around me with Weapon Barricade.

Just as I was done setting myself up, the monsters I’d called out using Boundless Calamity Summon all vanished, freeing the giant spider. But her relief would be short-lived.

“Let’s go, Master Tengu! Here’s my new special move! Tenma archery secret technique, Wyrm Strike, times eight!”

“Grugaaaah?!”

The arrow and each one of the seven weapons I unleashed carried massive coatings of mana that took the form of wyrms lunging at Atlach-Nacha!

This was guaranteed to cause some serious destruction. As an arrow shot straight down with a gust of wind blasting away anything in its path, another seven powered-up projectiles were following right behind it.

My projectiles all took the form of a tornado as they hit, drilling into the giant spider’s body with a great whirring sound that left her screeching in agony!

“Now for the finisher. Let’s go, Mor. Monster skill activate! Flash!”

“Hrrrr!”

Finally, I used Mor for his acceleration ability and leaped from my firebird. “Special movement art activate! Sudden Drop!” I triggered an art that did nothing but make me fall down fast from a height.

This particular special movement art was a low-level ability that only increased falling speed without any boost to attack power. It was probably intended to be used to get back on the ground quickly when exposed in midair. But when the enemy was directly below, it changed things entirely! Here in BSO, even someone with zero strength could deal some major damage if they gained enough momentum. Put simply...

“Delivering a kick while using this art in midair is as good as any special art! Now eat this!”

“Grugheeegh?!”

With Atlach-Nacha already near death, I hit her with a beautiful kick! My boot containing the Armor Knight pierced the cranium of his giant spider queen.

World news!

Yuri and Korin’s party was the first to defeat the hidden boss, Atlach-Nacha, the Slaughter’s Exultant Panoply!

Yuri gained a special evolution item for undead monsters: Death God Spirit Core! Korin gained...

“All right! I won! And I got the evolution item!” I pumped my fist in celebration right in front of the vanishing spider.

Just as I’d expected, the special evolution item was real. “I think I get why no one found it until now. The conditions for unlocking the boss that drops the item were way too specific.”

Just the fact you had to be level 75 or over ruled out most players. Only about one percent of players had reached that level so far. Combine that with the karma requirement and the need to tame a boss monster and no one was going to stumble across it easily. It was like the developers had wanted the special evolution system to go undiscovered until the later days of the game’s life.

“Let’s try this evolution out right away!”

As I took out the item, I heard a “wheeeew” that sounded like an exhausted cat. I turned toward it to see Korin collapsed on the ground.

“Ha... Ha ha ha... You killed it instantly. And right after I said we had no chance...” Korin was looking at me with teary eyes. She clenched her little fist twice and then hit herself in the forehead!

“Korin, what’s gotten into you?!”

“Gaaaah! I’m annoyed with myself, Yuri! I slowed you down a little at the last event, then I gained enough levels to call myself an advanced player, and I even won a fight against an assassin one time! But now I find out you’ve grown so much you can take on that ridiculous boss and beat it easily without even flinching!” With tears welling in her big eyes, Korin repeated, “I’m annoyed with myself!”

But right before she began to sob, she slapped herself hard on both cheeks! First her forehead and now her cheeks were left with bright red marks on them.

“I’m annoyed with myself, but I’m not giving up! The barrier I’m trying to climb just happens to be way higher than I thought! I’ve learned my lesson!”

“Korin...You...”

“Heh heh. You thought I was crying, Yuri?! You’re not the only one who’s grown, you know!”

Despite her brave words, Korin’s voice was still trembling. Fresh tears quickly collected in her eyes and started to overflow once more.

“Korin.” I quietly thrust my fist right in front of her.

“Y-Yuri?! Wha—”

“Hold that wha. Let’s make another promise, rival! In the big showdown, five days from now, we’re gonna have a fight more fun than any other!”

“Huh?! Uh, yeah! Let’s promise as rivals!” Korin rubbed the corners of her eyes then stretched out her right fist and bumped it against mine. Her eyes were still teary, but she could manage a bashful smile now. “Ah, ah ha ha ha... Sorry, Yuri. You shouldn’t have to see me making weird noises and hitting myself so I don’t cry!”

“It’s no big deal. But I wasn’t saying that just now to cheer you up. I’m telling you I’ll be coming to kill you, so don’t get too happy about it, okay?”

“S-Sure! Eh heh heh... You might be a bit abnormal, but you’re a nice person!”

“Abnormal?!” What a mean thing to say!

I was about to argue, but I saw Korin’s cheerful smile and decided to go easy on her. Instead, I tussled her hair. It was my messy hair punishment.

“What are you— What’s the big idea, Yuri?!”

“This is what sassy, crybaby kittens get! But Korin, what about the item you were looking for?” I asked. “You fought off some of the Armor Knights, so you should’ve gotten some sort of reward.”

“Oh, about that...” Korin pulled a ring with an ominous aura out of her item box. Then she thrust it at me. “I got it, Yuri! This is all I need for the combo that’s gonna destroy you. Look forward to finding out on the day of the showdown!”

“Wow!”

Korin gave me a bold smile and I responded with a thoroughly bloodthirsty smile of my own.

And so, the day ended with us each having found new power that we hoped could destroy each other.

⬧⬨⬧

[Signs Abound] Blade Skill Online Configuration Investigation and Speculation Thread 12 [Darkness Awaits Us]

1. Impatient Adventurer

This thread is for investigating and speculating about the internal workings of the game.

What did this mean? Why does this description say this? Could this feature be used like such and such? And so on. If these sorts of questions occur to you while playing, please share your thoughts in this thread.

Rumors are also welcome. Let’s all investigate the mysteries of the world and work together to trigger events and such like.

A new thread will be created automatically when this one reaches the reply limit.

Previous thread: http://**********

83. Impatient Adventurer

Did we all see the world news?

It said that Yuri defeated a monster named Atlach-Nacha, the Slaughter’s Exultant Panoply.

85. Impatient Adventurer

>> 83

Atlach-Nacha... That’s the name of an evil spider god from the Cthulhu mythos.

That makes sense. It’s consistent with the Cthulhu theme of the Cthulhu Replica monster Yuri uncovered. Perhaps the same will be so for all hidden bosses.

86. Impatient Adventurer

>> 85

Given that the Demon Lord’s name was Azathoth, King of the Great Old Ones, that’s a plausible theory.

More data comes from a video released by Yuri’s accomplice, Korin. She recorded their battle then shared the footage with Yuri’s permission. Her motivation for releasing it was, “This boss is totally broken! I’m releasing the footage publicly to pressure the developers into nerfing it!” Yuri’s statement was, “Get a good look at how strong I’ve gotten! If you’re planning on taking me down, you’d better make yourself just as strong!”

What a character Yuri is. A face with the striking beauty of a jewel combined with the personality of a barbarian.

All that being said, I was delighted to see Blade Skill Online’s take on Atlach-Nacha in the video.

87. Impatient Adventurer

>> 86

Oh ho. The dilapidated environment, reminiscent of catacombs, suggests to me that the battle took place in the Tomb of the Death God.

The fact that the boss could summon (launch?) numerous Living Armor Knights all but confirms it.

88. Impatient Adventurer

>> 87

You’re right. That would imply that hidden bosses may be found in a room one has already explored if the number of players is right or some status condition is met.

I have seen similar mechanics in other online games. From an out-of-universe perspective, repurposing the same dungeon this way reduces data usage.

89. Impatient Adventurer

>> 88

Indeed, judging from the video, the production of such an army of black suits of armor should place quite the burden on the server.

We never felt any lag, which suggests that the developers are in possession of incredible data processing capacity.

Our investigations suggest that the map of Blade Skill Online is similar in scale to the entirety of Hokkaido. Frankly, it defies explanation that a world on that scale is maintainable at all.

It’s commonly believed that the company behind the game began with just a few hundred thousand yen in capital, but this has to be false. The game has to be running on a server array large enough to fill an entire building.

Creating a data compression system performant enough to allow the game to run anything else would take superhuman intelligence.

90. Impatient Adventurer

>> 89

You’re taking the thread off topic. That’s a bad habit of the investigation team.

Let’s return to the battle footage. It was truly impressive.

Yuri’s combat abilities are far beyond ours. That boss would have made minced meat of any of us within three seconds, excepting Merlin, this thread’s creator.

But let’s turn our attention to the boss’s moniker: the Slaughter’s Exultant Panoply.

The name is obviously suggestive of rejoicing in massacre. However, “exultant” also bears the nuance of triumph. Perhaps the boss and her spawn aren’t merely celebrating an act of killing, but one of conquest.

95. Impatient Adventurer

>> 90

There’s more to it.

Note how the word “exultant” subtly draws the mind to the morphemes “exo” and “ant.” The word choice subconsciously evokes the idea of an exudation of ants—creatures who form an army in service of a queen. Quite like the boss, no?

Next, consider “panoply.” Not only does the word refer to an extensive lineup of objects—in this case, Armor Knights—but it refers to the concept of armor itself, which the boss both summons and wears. It’s something of a pun.

Ha ha... Oh deary me, I really am getting carried away with this one, but it’s ever so much fun to pick apart this sort of mysterious name.

97. Impatient Adventurer

Hello Merlin. You got so into that analysis that you gave yourself away at the end.

98. Merlin

>> 97

You’re quite right.

That’s enough about the name. Let us turn our attention to how we might discover more hidden bosses.

99. Impatient Adventurer

>> 98

Clearly, there are conditions for entering hidden boss arenas.

I suspect the summoner class may be vital in all cases.

Monsters are the children that Azathoth the Great Old One left behind. Consider the lore implications when players are able to summon them. It hardly makes sense. It suggests that summoner is an evil class, making such players almost demonic.

This is only reinforced by the fact that the pope who ruled the holy town of Helheim persecuted summoners and monsters vehemently (and died for it when it ticked off Yuri).

And now Yuri has unveiled a second hidden boss.

Thus, to discover the hidden bosses—the high-ranking servants of the Demon Lord—it seems one must work with a summoner, as those players are the most proximate with evil.

But what does everyone else think?

100. Impatient Adventurer

>> 99

That makes perfect sense... A servant of the dark ways can open the path to the dark servants of the Demon Lord!

If you’re right, then the summoner class is poised to become much more important!

It was once thought of as the weakest class, but now it seems summoners are necessary to encounter the hidden bosses!

108. Impatient Adventurer

>> 100

What a fabulous Cinderella transformation this is! I propose we make summoner characters for ourselves in order to investigate further!

Speaking of the battle footage, another of Yuri’s statements was, “Come on and join the killing!” Quite an inhumane invitation, wasn’t it?

Given that the chaos she causes is always providing us with useful data, what say we show our gratitude by accepting her invitation and participating in the War of Annihilation?

110. Impatient Adventurer

>> 108

I am fully and truly against the idea!!! I refuse to set foot on any battlefield where I might face that mindless brute!!!

If I were to participate, I’d only do so by joining the Demon Lord side where I can kiss her boots and beg for her protection!

111. Impatient Adventurer

What an incredible show of pacifism! True to our nature, we can survive based on the knowledge we’ve gathered!

I’d be happy to join you in kissing the boots of a beautiful woman like Yuri and begging for her protection!!!

120. Merlin

As much as I value the insights you all bring, it’s a shame so many of you are perverts beyond redemption...

The next day, Yuri was crowded by players begging, “Let us kiss your boots!” all of whom received a punch to the face for their efforts. (Yuri later accepted them as members.)

Chapter 66 — The Comeback! The Puffster Squad Returns to Form! Mor’s in Tears!

Four days remained until the final showdown.

The day after defeating Atlach-Nacha, the Slaughter’s Exultant Panoply, I was still spending time in the Tomb of the Death God. There was a good reason: I’d originally come here for special evolution items, but the giant spider had only dropped one of them, and I had twelve guys I needed to evolve.

There was only one fix for that...

“Grugeeeeh?!” With a huge crash, the giant spider collapsed to the ground.

With its remains behind me, I smiled with joy. “Ah ha ha ha ha! That’s Atlach-Nacha’s revival version beaten eleven times!”

Now I finally had the full set of twelve Death God Spirit Cores needed for the special evolutions.

“All right. All puffs, get out here!”

“Cuurrrssss!” My army of shadow weapons appeared with a chorus of lively shrieks.

These days, many of them were in swords, scythes, spears, and my bow rather than arrows, but our friendship was unchanging. They all surrounded me in a circle and began vibrating in a show of love and solidarity.

“Cut that out! It tickles! Now come on. Let’s start the special evolutions!”

“Currrrsssssss!” Puffster and the others were ecstatic at the very mention of evolution.

A means of getting stronger was just what they needed. It had to be constantly on their minds, considering how I was gaining so many special abilities that they barely had a role to play. I could imagine just how they felt.

I held the Death God Spirit Core out in front of them. It looked like an ordinary blue marble, but it had the highest rarity score that existed in the game: ☆13. If another player beat the same hidden boss, the item might not even drop for them unless they were using a pure luck build like me.

“Now come get it!”

As the Puffsters all crowded in close, a message window appeared, glowing with a golden light I’d never seen before.

Congratulations on fulfilling the conditions for special evolution!

1. The target monster must be a familiar that has already evolved once, or a boss monster at level 50 or over (giant boss monsters are not eligible).

2. Your approval score with your familiar must be at the maximum rank of S (wants to mate).

3. The type of the target familiar must match the special evolution item.

You have fulfilled all conditions above.

Would you like to use eleven Death God Spirit Core special evolution items for the undead monsters in your eleven shadow weapons?

If you accept, each shadow weapon may deify into one of the following forms.

1. Shamanistic Possessor Hastura Weapon

A soul whose dark aura has been amplified to the maximum. A shadow weapon that longed so much for the death of its enemies that it took the form of a malevolent wind death god.

While continuing to possess weapons, the monster will gain a huge stat boost and become shrouded in wind.

The monster’s Navigation skill will evolve into Air Supremacy, increasing flight speed and homing capability.

The weapon durability will serve as your monster’s HP, and the monster will die if the weapon breaks.

2. Shamanistic Possessor Cthugha Weapon

A soul whose dark aura has been amplified to the maximum. A shadow weapon that longed so much for the death of its enemies that it took the form of a malevolent fire death god.

While continuing to possess weapons, the monster will gain a huge stat boost and gain the fire attribute.

The monster’s Shade Clone skill will evolve into Evil Flame Clone, which creates short-lived clones that can explode.

The weapon durability will serve as your monster’s HP, and the monster will die if the weapon breaks.

“Oh ho ho! These sound powerful!”

Both options would further specialize the powers that my puffs already had. It wasn’t anything too fancy, but the upgrade was much needed.

Let’s do it right now! “Puffster, Puff 2, Puff 3, and Puff 4 in the arrows, and Puff 11 in the bow. You’re all gonna evolve into shamanistic possessor Hastura weapons!”

“Currsss!”

Puffster, Puff 2, Puff 3, Puff 4, and Puff 11 were all enveloped by a bright light. The moment the light disappeared, they reappeared with the dark haze that always surrounded them now violently undulating.

“All right, now my arrows are perfect. Let’s see whether you’re back to your old strength!”

Puffster’s team had really shined back before the devs had nerfed them.

They shot out from the bow and then took a zigzagging course as a group, making them look like a real biker gang. “Currss! Currrssss!”

Puffster flew into my chest for a hug, still vibrating. Then he shrieked as if to say, “Sis Yuri... Times’ve been tough. The devs made me a broken man! They split up the gang and made us nothin’ but sub-weapons. And when I saw Weapon Barricade doin’ all the work...I coulda died of the shame!”

I felt hot tears collecting in my eyes. “Your worries are over! I’ll be using you all constantly from now on! And even when I launch you, I’ll always be right behind you!”

That was why I’d also evolved Puff 11 in my bow into a shamanistic possessor Hastura weapon. I was planning to leap around with my special movement arts at every opportunity, and I’d be combining that with Mor’s flash ability.

With my bow floating beside me to keep my hands free to dual wield swords, there’d been a risk that the bow wouldn’t keep up with me. But with this evolution, that risk was gone. I could run across the battlefield fast enough to overtake my own arrows.

“Next, Puff 5, Puff 6, Puff 7, Puff 8, Puff 9, and Puff 10 in the swords and shields etc. You’re all gonna evolve into shamanistic possessor Cthugha weapons!”

Now began the evolution of Puff 5, Puff 6... etc., etc.

“Currsss!” After the evolution light enveloped them and faded, their dark auras blazed with the intensity of hellfire.

“All right. With you guys using the fire attribute to incinerate enemy equipment and cause burns, you’re bound to be more deadly than ever! And if you use the Evil Flame Clone the moment I launch you, it’ll create a rain of explosive destruction just like my exploding weapons used to!”

The second nerf the devs had hit me with cut the number of projectiles I could launch with Weapon Barricade, curtailing my capacity for one-sided massacres. But now I’d regained my ability to revel in slaughter!

“Sorry, Puffster squad. I’m just realizing, I used to use Shade Clone while you guys were embedded in an enemy as a special move for exploding weak targets, but then I retired it when I learned how to blow everyone up with Weapon Barricade. Asking you to re-create the move that replaced you is kinda insensitive...”

“Currs! Currcurrss!” Just as I tried to apologize, Puffster vibrated intensely in my cleavage to stop me.

The rest of the Puffster squad members were also moving up and down to softly nod their heads.

The Puffster squad gave me a few shrieks of reassurance, telling me, “Not a problem, boss. Weapon Barricade took a beating from the dev team just like we did! We ain’t got any issues with backin’ up a fellow victim!”

Their manly spirit brought the tears back to my eyes again. “Thanks, guys! I’m so glad to have buddies like you by my side!”

With the Puffster squad done evolving, all that remained was Mor.

“The rules always said that boss monsters don’t evolve...but today we’re breaking that rule!” I took off my boots and pressed the evolution item against them.

Once again, a golden message window appeared before me.

Congratulations on fulfilling the conditions for special evolution!

1. The target monster must be a familiar that has already evolved once, or a boss monster at level 50 or over (giant boss monsters are not eligible).

2. Your approval score with your familiar must be at the maximum rank of S (wants to mate).

3. The type of the target familiar must match the special evolution item.

You have fulfilled all conditions above.

Would you like to use a Death God Spirit Core special evolution item for undead monsters to allow a divine ascension of your Living Armor Knight into a shamanistic empress, Pharaoh Nitocris?

“Divine ascension?!” I hesitated for a moment, faced with a term I’d never heard before.

Chapter 67 — Be a Man About It, Queen Mor!

I’d returned from the Tomb of the Death God to Helheim—the town I ruled—and was walking through the streets alongside an olive-skinned girl with black hair wearing a maid outfit. I was still struggling to get over it, and it was even harder for her.

As she trudged along, almost crying from embarrassment, she declared, “I w-won’t allow them to humiliate me like this! Those developers will pay!”

As the tears kept coming, Mor repeatedly rubbed at her eyes.

That’s right. The girl was the postevolution form of my longtime ally, the Living Armor Knight.

Let’s rewind a little. Here’s the evolution path that was offered when I held the evolution item out in front of Mor.

Divine Ascension: Shamanistic Empress, Pharaoh Nitocris

Death incarnate, restored to former glory. Through unrelenting devotion, the Living Armor Knight gains the ability to serve her master in human form.

She will gain higher strength and agility, and will regain the ability to use the art she used before becoming a soul—Evil Sword Summoning (the necessary MP cost is paid by the player).

Living weapons summoned through this art will disappear after one minute, but will not count toward the player’s summon limit.

Your monster will still be able to possess a piece of armor as before.

Since her soul will remain within your armor, her human form can always be re-created, even after being destroyed, so long as the piece of armor remains intact.

However, the durability of the piece of armor will be reduced by 50% when her body is destroyed, and the player loses MP for every second she is in human form.

In addition, your armor will lose any attribute boosts resulting from possession while the monster is in human form.

* She will not take up a summoned boss monster slot while in human form.

* She can use player weapons, armor, and accessories while in human form, but no attribute adjustments will apply to those items.

* She cannot learn player arts or skills.

The description had left me confused.

Okay, okay. I get the transformation thing. He’ll still be the same possession-type monster that gives my gear a boost just like before, but now he’ll be able to fight by my side in human form before going back into my boots. That all makes sense. But...why does it say “she”?! And what’s with “Empress” in the name?! Are you telling me evolution turns him into a girl?!

While I was still trying to figure things out, Mor, excited by the sight of the Puffster evolutions, grunted as if to say, “Give me my evolution now!” Then he’d jumped up and kicked the accept button in the message window.

And that was how Mor had successfully evolved.

“Ughhhh... How’d this happen to me?!”

Mor was now Morette. Appearance-wise, she looked like my avatar, but one size smaller all around. We were so similar, in fact, that if her hair and skin had been the same color as mine, it would’ve been hard to tell us apart. More than likely, the Nitocris form always matched the appearance of the player.

After her evolution, she’d been almost naked until I’d given her the maid outfit I’d picked up while messing around with Baldy. And that brings us to the current moment.

“Gah... I’ve lived my life as a proud knight... Why would the developers give me this body? Curse them!”

“I think you kinda brought this on your— Uh, never mind! You’re right! The devs can’t get away with this!”

Since blaming her would only make her feel bad, I decided to agree with Morette. Uh, I mean, with Mor. I knew exactly how it felt to be put into a female avatar without any warning. I sympathize!

“By the way, Mor, if that body’s so embarrassing for you, then why stay in human form?”

“It’s training of sorts. Since I haven’t had a body in quite some time, I thought I should get re-accustomed to it.”

“Ooh! A true warrior!”

Humiliation was a small price to pay for victory. She might have looked adorable, but she was the same tough guy on the inside.

“I’m looking forward to fighting beside you, Mor! And the reborn Puffster Army too!”

“Indeed. Though it was never my wish, I’ve leveled up considerably since you defeated and captured me. Consider my assistance as repayment.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her haughty response as we shook hands.

Being able to join hands at all was a benefit of her having a body. Mor might not have been happy about it, but I was grateful to the devs.

“All right. How about we go get some food to celebrate you gaining a human form?”

“F-Food?! That certainly sounds appealing, but didn’t we return to town to upgrade your weapons with Demon Steel?”

This casual conversation between Mor and me was soon interrupted. A window suddenly appeared in front of me containing a message titled “Emergency Situation!” It was from Zansword.

Message from your friend Zansword:

“Yuri, there’s trouble! Our secret investigation has revealed that over 80% of players joined the Goddess side under Pendragon’s command!”

“Wh-What the?!” Eighty percent... If there are two hundred thousand players in total, then that means we’ve got forty thousand and they’ve got 160,000.

The disparity in the strength of our forces was so ridiculous that all I could do was laugh.

“You’ve gotta be kidding...”

Chapter 68 — The Skirmishes Begin!

Within the holy town of Helheim was a splendid castle, all belonging to me. What had once belonged to an old man called Pope Gregorian—whose name reminded me of a certain robot—was now the headquarters of the Demon Lord side.

Inside, within a meeting room, I was part of a gathering of our side’s key players, and we were all grimacing at our situation.

“A player ratio of eight to two...? That’s far too uneven. Zansword, how did it all come to this?”

“Hmm. The developers told everyone that the Demon Lord side is pure evil the other day. I think that’s partly to blame. While I doubt anyone believes we’re actually evil, given that this is just an online game, we’re still being viewed as the enemies of the event.”

Oh, I get it... It was common for events in online games to center around some powerful boss that everyone wanted to fight as part of a team.

“It’s just how it is,” I said. “There’s always gonna be players looking for an excuse to fight me. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. But how’d the gap grow so wide? You’d think there’d be plenty of players wanting to join the evil side so they can play the bad guy. And then there was my announcement at the parade. Why isn’t the promise of items luring more players to the Demon Lord side?”

We’d worked hard to create incentives, never forgetting the old maxim that people are moved by bread and circuses. We’d used our monster-filled environment to the full, and players had reacted positively to the opportunity to touch our monsters as much as they wanted.

“I knew there’d be some disparity, but I didn’t think it would be any worse than six to four,” I muttered.

“About that...” Zansword said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. “This might sound like a change in subject, but the truth is, I really love virtual idols...”

“You’re bringing that up again?! What does it have to do with anything?!”

“J-Just hear me out, would you?! It’s related to our situation! The truth is, a girl known as Akky—ahem, Akahime is the top virtual idol in the business right now. She was the top student of one of the first virtual idols—an idol of great renown known as Aohime. Back when Aohime graduated, she hugged Akahime at her final live show, and it was such a touching moment that I spent the whole night in tears. The next day, I fell asleep at work and was fired for missing an important meeting. That’s how I became the shut-in I am today.”

“You’re telling me virtual idols ruined your whole life?! None of that matters! Uh...actually, it really should matter...but just get to the point already. What do virtual idols have to do with anything?”

“Well...” Zansword struggled to find the words, but he explained everything.

Apparently, Akahime had abruptly uploaded a video titled “Urgent Call to Arms in BSO! Let’s All Take on Demon Lord Yuri!” That had gotten her fans fired up, and since her channel had millions of subscribers, it was enough to tip the balance of players far away from fifty-fifty.

For a moment, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Haah... So that’s why you brought up virtual idols. This has to be another of Pendragon’s schemes...”

“Quite. I’m in full agreement. The truth is, Aohime was a Darkness Soul Online player, and Akahime herself played the same game under the name Red Hood. It was in that game that the two met and exchanged a beautiful vow of sisterhood to become sœurs!”

“Stop going off topic! I get what you’re saying. Pendragon was a top player in the same game, which explains the connection...”

It was a simple yet devastating move. If she’d just called on an old friend to help her out, that would be cute, but when this old friend happened to be a top idol, Pendragon’s personal connections just felt like a cheat. It totally explained how the player numbers got so unbalanced. I couldn’t help but sigh.

Zansword wore a pained expression as he continued. “Online gamers are fickle. Once they learned of the imbalance, many wanted to join the larger side with the greater chance of winning. That’s another factor that explains the eight to two ratio.”

“I see...”

There’d been an announcement saying something about the players on the winning side all getting an item, and it was only natural for players to bet on the winning horse. It all made perfect sense now.

“It’s over,” I said. “With just four days to go, we can’t make up this difference. Let’s give up.”

“Y-Y-Y-Yuri?! You’re giving up on the fight?!” Zansword raised his eyebrows in alarm.

The other members of the conference looked at me with just as much surprise. But they had it all wrong.

“That’s not what I’m saying. I just mean it’s time we forgot all about player quantity. We’re still gonna beat them in quality.”

“Ah... Quality! Yes, you’re exactly right!”

Everyone went from looking worried to relieved. We were still far from defeated.

“Think about it. Anyone drawn in by your precious Akky should be starting the game fresh with just four days to train. And you know how brutal online games can be. If the level difference is big enough, even superior numbers won’t mean a thing.”

If the ratio was a hundred to one in real life, the smaller side would get whooped in no seconds flat. But things were different in online games. If a hundred level 1 players were up against a single level 100 player, the larger army could find itself walking into a massacre. The higher level player wasn’t going to lose in a straightforward fight.

“To make matters worse for them, the more players they get, the harder it gets to ration out their supplies. I doubt they’ll have the items or equipment to cope with a bunch of newbies all showing up at once. Meanwhile, we’ve got more items and cash than we know what to do with. As long as the crafters’ alliance is making good gear and the beginners’ army is helping to train players, our newbies are gonna turn out way stronger than the enemy’s.”

“Oohhh!”

The gloomy atmosphere of the conference room was beginning to lift. Their spirits had almost broken before the fight had even begun, but now they were regaining confidence.

In reality, I was just giving them a rose-tinted summary of our situation, but raising the spirits of my allies was part of my job. We’d still have to find some way to make up for the difference in strength between our force and theirs within the next four days.

Then, just when everyone had regained hope, a message window appeared in front of Zansword. His face turned red as he read it. “Those fiends!” he roared.

“What’s wrong, Zansword?!”

“I’ll tell you what’s wrong! I just got a message from Wacko. She’s out gathering intel, and she just learned that our high-level players are being attacked one after another all across the world!”

“Don’t tell me it’s the assassins again?! They’ve been quiet since I gave them all a beating!”

“No, it’s not just them this time. Thousands of high-level players from the Goddess side are out there attacking our allies!”

“What?!”

Pendragon’s side had hit us with another of her schemes, delivering a kick while we were down. They were putting the evildoers to shame with a series of gang killings!

⬧⬨⬧

With panicked looks on their faces, a group of adventurers was rushing through a high-difficulty dungeon swarming with tough enemies.

They were capable players. They might not have compared to someone on Yuri’s or Zansword’s level, but they were powerful enough to deserve to be called veterans—they were confident that with a little hard work, they had a shot at being top players some day.

And yet, despite all that, these adventurers were bleeding profusely and had been forced to flee for their lives. Their desperate screams echoed through the dungeon.

“Th-This can’t be happening! How are we supposed to handle this?!”

Panting hard and almost tripping several times, they continued running from the strange group in white that was closing in on them. The threat wasn’t a pack of high-level monsters; it was a mob of exceptionally weird players.

“Damn it! Damn it! They’re crazy! Fighting just one of them would be bad enough!”

The adventurers continued to flee with tears in their eyes while yelling in frustration. They didn’t care if anyone thought them cowards—they knew that fighting these opponents would’ve been truly impossible.

They went on running, and running, and running, until...

“I-It’s a dead end! Oh crap!”

Faced with an uncaring stone wall, they realized the malevolent god known as misfortune was putting an end to their game of cat and mouse.

“We’ve got ’em cornered.”

“Let’s fight!”

“You guys better be ready.”

“Show us what you got.”

The bringers of despair were finally catching up. Every member of that dreadful army in white was wearing a friendly smile.

“I knew there was something wrong the moment you attacked us! This dungeon’s for players level 50 and up! So how are you down here dressed like...like that!”

The adventurers trembled as they looked at the shabby outfits of their pursuers. None of their assailants had armor. Each was dressed in a cheap bleached white robe—the same garb new players started with. On top of that, they were all holding the weapon that many considered the weakest in the game—the Beginner’s Bow.

Somehow, with nothing but starting gear, this group had been running through a difficult dungeon designed for players level 50 and over.

“Urgh... They’re just like... Damn!”

To the uninformed, it looked like the pursuers were on some sort of suicidal challenge run, but the adventurers knew better. Thanks to their deep knowledge of the game, they knew this play style all too well. They’d seen it used before.

That was why they readied their weapons without ever letting their guard down.

“We’ve got no choice but to fight,” one adventurer yelled to the others. “Eat this! Long-range slash art activate! Giant Swooping Swallow Slash!”

“Time to pull out all the stops! Offensive magic art activate! Fire Stream!”

“Drop dead! Archery art activate! Vanishing Arrow!”

They all activated powerful arts at once. Each was a special attack only available to high-level players.

The barrage hit the army in white with perfect accuracy. With a massive explosion, the army disappeared into a firestorm. But they weren’t gone.

“It’ll take more than that!” yelled voices within the firestorm. “Survival skill activate! Relentless!”

Thus came the turning point and the start of the adventurers’ nightmare. The army in white began their comeback by leaping out of the smoke cloud with nothing but the game’s weakest gear. Even without armor to protect them from the special attacks, their skills had nullified all the damage.

“Shadow weapons, go!”

The bows they held all screeched with the voices of their familiars. Then came the barrage.

Arrowheads covered in black haze automatically locked onto targets and came raining down on the adventurers.

“Gaaaah?!”

“I-I knew it!”

“These tactics! This fighting style! They said it wasn’t viable anymore... It’s the Demon Lord Yuri build!”

Those were the adventurers’ last words. The pursuers in white smiled as they watched them vanish. Even their wild and carefree grins looked familiar.

“Too bad guys. We win this one.”

With similar attacks taking place all across the world, Blade Skill Online was turning into hell for the Demon Lord side!

Chapter 69 — A Reunion on a Snowy Field

“All of you, let’s go!”

“Raaaaah!”

With dark clouds in the sky overhead, I led hundreds of allies in a charge across a field. They’d formed a huge army that wouldn’t lose to any monster that might await us. And yet they all looked a little nervous.

⬧⬨⬧

It had all started about half an hour earlier, just after Wacko and the numerous groups of spies under her command had learned of the raids happening across the world.

Soon after we’d received Wacko’s message, Zansword had received an unexpected video from her. When he played it back...

“Players of the Demon Lord side, sorry for taking over your cute little rat’s messaging system.”

In the image on-screen, Wacko was completely dismembered, and speaking alongside her was the enemy leader, Pendragon!

“How did you all like my gang killing surprise? I imagine you just were reassuring yourselves, ‘We might lose in quantity but never in quality.’ Allow me to crush those delusions of yours!”

My allies gritted their teeth as they listened. Meanwhile, I scowled, but at the same time, I admired her cunning.

The game’s death penalty system meant that dying players lost 20% of their experience. Pendragon’s side had found a way to level themselves up while preventing our players from leveling at all. If it resulted in them gaining an advantage in levels in addition to their superior numbers, they’d really have us in a tough spot.

“And I’ve got more news for you,” Pendragon continued. “I’m using this as an opportunity to test out my new soldiers! Does everyone on the Demon Lord side love Yuri? Then you’re really going to love my Mass-Production Yuri Battalion!”

As Pendragon spoke, video screens appeared all around her. They showed armies in white carrying Beginner’s Bows, and they were all mercilessly killing our players!

“Wh-What is this?!”

“This can’t be real!”

“Mass-produced...Yuri...?!”

The conference room was aghast at Pendragon’s latest trick. My allies were all utterly bewildered, and I broke into a cold sweat.

“Aren’t you intimidated?! Aren’t you shocked?!” Pendragon demanded proudly. “You wouldn’t want your first encounter with them to happen during the event, would you?! This is exactly why I’m giving you a chance at a skirmish. An hour from now, come to the snowy town of Nibelheim, where I’m the ruler. I’ll let you fight with my Yuri clones!”

With that, Pendragon ended the video message.

⬧⬨⬧

With dark clouds in the sky above, I ran through falling snow with Zansword at my side.

“Are you certain about this, Yuri? Must we go to her?” Zansword asked with a pale face. “Frankly, I hate the idea. An army of clones of you sounds like hell. And Pendragon’s a devious one. I hate going along with her suggestion...”

“Give it up, Zansword. You know we don’t have the option of ignoring her.”

We had to accept. She’s got us cornered. Imagine how it would’ve looked to clueless players otherwise.

The Demon Lord side was already outnumbered, and now we were getting killed by gangs of enemy players. If we topped it off by refusing to fight a skirmish hosted by the other side’s leader, we’d lose face entirely.

“If we run away now, we’ll be declaring ourselves losers before the event even starts! The players on the Demon Lord side need to bring the Goddess side back down to earth before they can get too cocky!”

“Ah... I see. Otherwise, even more new players will join the Goddess side. Few would sign up to be beaten senseless.”

“That’s my thinking. That’s why we have to strike back right here and now!”

After we’d been running for about half an hour, a tall silhouette came into view directly ahead through the heavy snowfall. The closer we got, the clearer that silhouette became, but we still couldn’t see the top. It appeared to stretch upward without end. Eventually, we identified it as a giant tree!

“Wow... So that’s the Goddess’s Spirit Tree, Yggdrasill?” It was the counterpart to our Demon Lord’s Tomb, Yuggoth.

While our tomb filled with machinery was constantly clanking and churning out Demon Steel (are we sure it’s a tomb?), the tree’s roots were constantly spitting out an item known as God Iron (are we sure it’s a tree?).

“All right... Now that we’re close enough to see the tree, we should see...”

Through the blizzard, we finally saw them. An incredible army in pure white awaited us, and behind them was a town that looked like chalk from which the massive tree was growing.

“Hey, Pendragon. Long time no see.”

“Hello, Yuri. It has been a while, hasn’t it?”

And so, we were reunited, accompanied by armies of soldiers in the hundreds. The snow building up around us was pure white, but it was soon to be stained red!

Chapter 70 — A Moment of Despair

I was face-to-face with Pendragon once again. Her golden eyes, reminiscent of a dragon, were filled with vigor, just as before.

“Well, then,” Pendragon said. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

World news!

Yuri has encountered Pendragon, Goddess of Dawn!

This boss player leads the group of assassins. Surviving an encounter with her for at least 20 minutes, or dealing a given amount of damage to her, will yield a reward of experience and an item.

A public showdown with this boss player is about to commence!

“You don’t mess around, do you?”

The giant window floating in the sky above displayed the battle large enough for even distant players to watch, and the same footage would be accessible through in-game menus.

Pendragon chuckled. “No, but don’t misunderstand me, Yuri. I just want the Demon Lord side to understand the threat posed by my new units. I’m going to keep out of it.”

A group of players in white carrying Beginner’s Bows stepped in front of her.

“Now that the live footage is being shown to players across the whole world, let’s begin! Everyone! Watch and listen closely! These little ones are the Goddess side’s secret weapon! The Mass-Production Yuri Battalion!”

A moment later, dark haze poured from the white-clad figures’ bows. It was proof that their weapons were all possessed by monsters!

“Hey there, original! It wasn’t easy, but we’ve finally gotten strong enough to fight!”

“You’re not the only one who gets to be overpowered with a pure luck build and the weakest weapon anymore!”

“Get ready! From now on, we’re all Demon Lord Yuri!”

The clones all grinned just like me.

It was such a strange sight that the allies on my side looked aghast all over again.

“Ha ha ha,” Pendragon laughed then spread her arms wide. “This is the fate of all online games. Whoever’s at the top gets imitated. They’ve been working hard to be just like you. Your build might have been nerfed while they were still training, but that didn’t deter them. They kept working at it regardless.”

It wasn’t just a case of monkey see, monkey do. They’d been driven by real ambition.

“They all died countless times trying to tame possession-type monsters, they spent huge sums to create inferior versions of your unbalanced gear, and they had to accept the fact that they’d never match up to the original. I found it all adorable. That’s why I reached out to them myself, offering to help them become more like you if they’d just side with me.”

It was Pendragon’s help that allowed the clones to finally start overwhelming high-level players.

On the way here, Zansword had received another report from the victims among the players under his command: “There are a lot of Demon Lord Yuri clones on the Goddess side that are involved in PKing, and they’re as strong as the real thing.”

When I looked at the players on my side to see how they were reacting, every one of them was cowering in fear.

“H-How are we supposed to win?!”

“Just one is trouble enough...”

“Screw this! What could be worse than a swarm of Yuris?!”

Pendragon was overjoyed by the sight. Like a dragon unleashing a powerful roar, she laughed at my allies.

“Ha ha ha ha ha! Are you afraid?! I’m sure you’re terrified! Even members of the Demon Lord side who weren’t here to experience it firsthand won’t want to fight after this! And that’s why I chose now to show you! I know many of you joined Yuri’s side thinking you could rely on her strength, but now that I have hundreds of clones, you know that only hell awaits you!”

Pendragon thrust out her hand. On that signal, her army all drew their bows at once.

But the nightmare was about to grow worse. The snow falling around us was blown away with a cry of “Slash!” revealing another group of warriors in white, but these ones all held katanas!

“And how about this?!” Pendragon bellowed. With bowmen and swordsmen in white responding to her every command, she sounded like an excited child. “You know our side took in a good number of new players, don’t you? Well, I made sure to level them up quickly, and now they’ve evolved into the game’s easiest class—Samurai Master! A player using this class can brute force their way through just about anything by using slash arts repeatedly. It’s an easy way to fight even if you’ve hardly played a game before!”

Zansword, watching the scene beside me, was astounded. “This time it’s me she cloned?!”

Pendragon was showing us all of her cards, but they formed a hand so strong that she was looking like the definite winner before the game had even begun.

My allies had completely lost their will to fight. Pendragon had us heavily outnumbered, she was coordinating widespread attacks against us, she’d raised an army of clones of me, and now she was showing that the beginners on her side could copy Zansword’s build.

The air felt heavy. Many of my allies were terror-stricken, and some were voicing regrets. “If only I’d joined the Goddess side...”

“It’s over, Yuri.” Pendragon declared in a sonorous voice. “In terms of quantity, quality, morale, and momentum, you’re completely outdone. Even your wealth isn’t a threat to me now. All I have to do is hunt your members with my army of luck-driven Yuri clones, and we’ll soon have a mountain of rare items. I’ll say it once more. It’s over.”

No one could even argue with her. Even I felt completely cornered by all the ploys she’d hit us with.

“Ugh... Ugh...!” In the middle of the army of players, I was quietly tearing up.

“Huh?!”

The tears wouldn’t stop flowing from both my eyes. Faced with Pendragon’s utterly merciless strategy, all I could do was cry.

“Y-Yuri... So even you can’t help but cry when you’re hopelessly backed into a corner. Okay, fine... I don’t enjoy tormenting someone after their spirit’s already broken. Step down as leader of the Demon Lord side and agree to sit out of the battle, and then I won’t—”

“What are you talking about?!” I yelled in response to Pendragon’s nonsense. “If you’ve got more, then let me have it!”

“Huh?!”

I was happy! I was so happy I couldn’t stop myself from crying! “Thank you. Thank you, Pendragon! And thank you to everyone on the Goddess side! I mean it!”

I spread my arms wide and gave them my gratitude. I was so full of emotion I just wanted to hug them all!

They all froze up as they watched me cry and repeatedly bow my head to them.

“Ah. Ahh! I’m so thankful! You wouldn’t believe how much this means to me! It must’ve been so much work to get me into a spot as tough as this! Not just for you when you came up with the plan, Pendragon. Everyone involved must’ve been giving it all they had! It brings me to tears to see you all getting so into it!”

The hopeless situation was pulling at my heartstrings! Their cruelty felt good. The thought of tens of thousands of players working tirelessly without me knowing, all just to bully me, got me so excited that my whole body trembled and felt like it might burn up.

I hugged myself tight with both arms, but even then I couldn’t stop myself from quivering with gratitude.

“Yep, I’ve finally realized it. I love despair!”

Driven into an utterly hopeless situation, I smiled at the enemy army with delight.

Chapter 71 — Calamity!!! The Demon Lord’s Army Awakens!

Rays of light began to break through the heavy clouds above. I felt the beauty of the world as I watched the falling snowflakes glisten in the sunbeams.

Oh, that’s right... Given the right light, even a frozen, cold snowflake can gleam more beautifully than any jewel.

I had a confession for everyone who’d gathered: “I love despair. I love being pushed to the brink!”

Thank you, everyone... It’s thanks to all of you that I’ve learned something about myself.

“All your plots and strategies were perfect. Being outnumbered and outmatched is just what I wanted. The thought of this huge army ready to stab me, punch me, kill me, humiliate me, tread on me...it fills my heart with joy!”

I clenched my fist tight and savored the joy welling up inside me. I’d been placed in command of a large army in a position where I couldn’t allow defeat, only to fall victim to various plots right from the get go. Any ordinary commander would have quickly succumbed to despair. Through anger and frustration, they’d struggle to hold their allies together.

But it wasn’t working on me. At that moment, I was happier than I’d ever been!

“I hate bad luck. I hate it when bad things happen to me for no reason. But when it comes from my enemies, that’s something else. You focused all your efforts on me and spent all your time and energy trying to drive me into a corner! I’ve never been so happy! After you’ve all gone to such pains to create true despair for me, what can I do but enjoy it?!”

So thank you, all of you. I’m so glad I met you all. You’ve filled me with so much gratitude it’s hard to contain it.

“I owe you a special thank you, Pendragon. Your planning was perfect.”

“Wha...? I...um...?”

With my tears still flowing, I did my best to smile. I hope I’m smiling right. People always say my eyes look dead, but I need everyone to be able to see how happy I am.

“I really, really love you all. So much it hurts.”

And that’s why...

“So now I’m gonna kill you all.”

I approached one of the mass-produced Yuris standing behind Pendragon. When I stroked their cheek, they finally noticed me.

“Huh?! What?! When did you—”

“It’s a monster skill called Flash. My familiar can activate it without me needing to say anything.”

The monster in my boots, Mor, knew exactly what I was thinking. And now that Mor had completed his special evolution, his agility was far higher than before. It meant I could do something that looked like teleportation through a combination of skills.

“So, fakers, allow me to demonstrate how you can die!”

When the clone’s jaw dropped, I thrust my hand into his mouth and called out a creature from the void! “Giant Monster Summoning!”

A moment later, the body of the clone I’d thrust my hand into swelled up like a balloon, becoming a huge sphere. Then came the screams. Having lost human form, the clone’s eyes rolled back and they screeched. “Arrrrggggghhhh?!”

That became their final word as their skin stretched to breaking point then ripped apart. The enemy army watched astounded as bloody giblets rained down on them.

“Let me hear your first cry! Atlach-Nacha, the Slaughter’s Exultant Panoply!”

“Grugeeeeh!”

I’d called out my abomination. As thousands of humanoid suits of armor sprouted from her entire body like maggots, the giant spider gave a howl!

“Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! That’s lesson one! No matter how often Relentless can save you, you’ll still die if your body’s torn apart beyond recognition!”

The huge body of my new spider accomplice, Atty, quivered as Armor Knights shot out of her exoskeleton with bursts of mucus, and then her brood began to attack the army of Yuri clones! “Urrrrggghh!”

“Whoa?! There’s a horde of armor coming at us!”

The pure white surface of the battlefield turned bloody red in an instant.

I could only summon this mass of Armor Knights for a short while. Giant Monster Summoning was limited to ten seconds, and the Armor Knights produced by Atty would disappear after a minute or so. However...

“Art activate! Evil Sword Summoning!”

“Cuurrrsss!”

A single minute was all I needed to dominate the battlefield!

From the thousands of black suits of armor spawned thousands of living weapons, resulting in a total massacre!

“We won’t go down that easily! Skill activate! Relentless! Skill activate! Relentless! Skill— Arrggh?!”

“Th-There’s too many!”

“These things are normally weak on their own!”

The clones were being eradicated by the swarm of armor and possessed swords. This was their—and my—weakness.

“Armor Knight and his weapons are low-level monsters that you’re supposed to fight near the start of the game,” I said. “In fact, these ones summoned by my giant monster are all level 1, and they’ll despawn after just one minute.”

These monsters all had pathetic stats, probably to make it hard to overwhelm beginners with them.

“But they’re still a big threat to us since we can die in one hit,” I continued. “How many of you have gotten used to being up against superior numbers?!”

The battlefield was awash with screams, and the sea of white robes was blotted out by the torrent of black armor.

As I delighted in the carnage, I called on the astounded Demon Lord Army. “Well? Do you believe in me now?!”

“Huh?!” They all twitched with surprise. Every single one of them was looking at me.

“You heard what Pendragon said. Most of you are here because you believed in my strength. That’s why hundreds of clones of me scared you so much. But look closer! See how they’re all dying? As long as the original’s constantly finding better gear, stronger familiars, and newer abilities, clones are never gonna compare!”

Faced with sprays of blood and screaming, their despair melted away. I saw the determination beginning to reappear on the faces of those who’d lost hope.

“Foiling Pendragon’s plot is easy! Just put even more trust in me! Show me love that you’d never feel for mass-produced second-rate imitations! I’ll show you that I’m worth it! Let my power entrance you!”

I materialized multiple arrows in my hand while summoning dark weapons with Weapon Barricade. Next, I fired all my projectiles into the sky. As the swarm raced upward, they split into countless copies, spread out, then finally became enveloped in wind and flames!

“Art activate! Wyrm Strike, times thirty!”

“Grrgaaaaaaaaah!” An army of magic wyrms took form!

Like dragons of wind and fire, they rushed at the army of clones, roasting and slicing them apart, completely erasing them from existence.

This was my new technique.

The two halves of the Puffster squad worked together in their newly evolved forms, with my shamanistic possessor Hastura weapons producing winds that carried the intense flames made by my shamanistic possessor Cthugha weapons. At the same time, they all used their cloning skills. The result was a turbo-powered version of Wyrm Strike that ravaged the enemy with wyrms that were both lacerating and explosive.

“How do you like that, players of the Demon Lord side?! Impressive enough for you?! Or are you still doubting me?! The Demon Lord is with you! Are you still afraid to hold your heads up high and declare our army the strongest?!”

“N-No! No! No!” They’d been hanging their heads, but now they rose and gripped their weapons tight.

That’s right. Fire yourselves up. I know you can’t stand being trampled on like this. You won’t be content to be nobodies forever! If it’s my strength that drew you to me, then it must be strength you want!

“Then raise havoc with me! Forget what comes next! We’re the underdogs, and we’re the bad guys. Let’s at least go out in a blaze of glory as we drag our enemies to hell with us!”

“Raaaaaaaah!” Their excited cheers filled the battlefield.

My army quickly spread out, chasing and cutting down the surviving Zansword clones and making short work of all of them.

“Die! Die! Dieee!” my soldiers cried as they swung their weapons madly with no thought for their opponents’ defenses.

The result...

“W-Wait! Gaaah?!”

“Wh-What?! They’re killing us easily!”

It was as though the dilemma we’d just faced had all been in our minds as we tore through the enemy army.

It turned out we were far from beaten. When we’d been showing each other our cards, it was only Pendragon’s showmanship that had created the feeling that my side had already lost.

“Ha ha ha ha. Don’t let her fool you. These clones of me and Zansword are easily dealt with. Whichever type you’re fighting, just hit them with a ton of strong attacks until they die!”

Getting hit multiple times always meant trouble for me. My stats were also mostly at zero, which meant I needed monsters to possess my weapons and increase their attack power. It also meant I could be easily killed if I was showered with hits before I got a chance to launch an arrow from my bow.

The Zansword clones had similar problems. Most of them were newbies using an easy class to compensate for their lack of experience. They had no way to withstand multiple hits from higher-level players.

“All right! I’m getting more into this with every kill I get!”

“They’re nothing special! I was a total idiot for feeling down just now!”

“Raaaah! I’m gonna go nuts! Why was I moping when I should be enjoying the violence and killing I can’t enjoy in real life!”

“Hey, isn’t this a public showdown?! Are all the new players watching?! I’m starting to think it doesn’t matter whether we lose, just so long as we make the enemy suffer! Who cares if the viewers join the enemy?! It just means more opponents for us to score kills off of!”

The Demon Lord Army’s members were having the time of their lives as they swung their weapons and fists in a frenzy.

Heh heh. These guys are cute. They’d been under constant pressure ever since the devs branded us the bad guys, and now that they’d finally snapped, there was no stopping them. Even the sorcerer players were copying me by thrusting their staffs into players’ mouths before unleashing their spells. You rascals.

“Well, Pendragon, what do you think? The devs set us up as the bad guys. Are we playing the part right? It makes no sense for us to hold back now. We’re gonna throw the despair right back at you. We can corner our opponents and make them suffer, just like you did to us. Sound good?”

“Huh?!” Pendragon remained perfectly still.

I smiled at her. My allies, their faces covered in blood from their violent acts, all smiled at her too.

The surviving enemy soldiers reacted with a cute, “Eek?!”

Pendragon wiped away her cold sweat as she faced me, and then she smiled. “Ha... Ha ha ha ha! You guys are downright weird! I’ll bet the developers are crying and shaking at this whole thing. At this rate, we’ll destroy any sense of order this game had!”

“Sounds good to me. It’s fine to despair, rage, cry, and hold grudges. Four days from now, we can let it all out in the war of annihilation.”

My thinking was this. It was all just a game. The lives lost, the violence, the screaming... It’d mean no more than memories of a dream once we went back to real life. So this was the place to take every bad feeling we’d been repressing in real life and channel them all into an all-out fight!

“Bring it on, Pendragon! Put me in a tougher spot! Whatever punishment you’ve got for me, I’ll take it all, and I’ll enjoy it too! Now, show me what you’ve got!”

“Um... Ah ha ha ha ha ha! You really are the best! I put everything into this plan, and you’re just taking it all on the chin. You’re the worst and most dangerous enemy I could ask for!” Pendragon pointed her white sword at me like a commander’s baton. “Listen up, those of you still breathing! She’s the game’s best player! She holds the top spot you’re all gunning for!”

The members of the Goddess side who’d been knocked to the ground got back on their feet. Their badly wounded faces were all full of burning ambition and powerful excitement.

“Whoever defeats her can call themselves the strongest player! Now go get her!”

“Raaaaah!” An army of wounded soldiers surged at me. They thought of nothing other than killing me as they came at me all at once!

“Great! Let’s do this!”

It was just as my vision was completely filled by the enemy army rushing toward me that things took an unexpected twist.

“Sorry, guys. The only one with the right to kill Demon Lord Yuri is me!!!”

All at once, the enemy soldiers were sent flying, scattering through the air like sparks. Each was left with a fist-shaped imprint on their chest.

Then, I suddenly realized, the strongest, most reliable man I knew was by my side.

It’s... “Baldy!”

“Hey, Yuri. You’re looking hot in the new outfit!” Baldy slapped the skin of my exposed thigh. The feeling of his rough hand brought back memories.

“Sorry I’m late, Commander,” he said. “Sign me up to fight alongside the Demon Lord Army!”